History VideoGame / MegaMan8

* CostumeEvolution: Dr. Wily replaces his lab coat with [[BadassCape a villainous cloak]], as well as adding a skull-shaped belt buckle and a loose bow tie. This look would stick around for ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'' before being retired to his usual design in ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan10''.

--> '''Dr. Light:''' When we fine dat meteah, we'ww fine Doctah Wahwee! [[labelnote: Translation]]When we find that meteor, we'll find Doctor Wily![[/labelnote]]

* RobotClown: Clown Man is a clown robot who likes to play with trapezes with his extendable arms, and is the boss of a toy-themed amusement park.

''Mega Man 8'' is a UsefulNotes/PlayStation and UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn video game, released in 1997[[labelnote:*]]with the exception of the Japanese [=PS1=] release, which hit shelves on December 17, 1996[[/labelnote]]. [[MilestoneCelebration It was made to celebrate the 10th anniversary]] of the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' series, as well as give the [[PowerCopying old school]] formula a new coat of 32-bit paint.

All in all, ''Mega Man 8'' was a modest hit both critically and commercially (even being re-released as part of the [=PlayStation=]'s [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Hits_(PlayStation) "Greatest Hits"]] label), although it didn't get the same attention as ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'', which released later that same year. The game would then receive a [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem Super Famicom]] spin-off/interquel called ''Rockman & Forte'' in 1998, which would be ported to the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance in 2003 for international audiences as ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass''. A true Classic ''Mega Man'' continuation would not pop up [[SequelGap for many, many years]], finally surfacing as the [[{{Retraux}} retro-styled]] ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' in 2008. ''Mega Man 8'' would also be re-released as part of two separate {{compilation|Rerelease}}s: the ''Mega Man Anniversary Collection'' in 2004 and ''Mega Man Legacy Collection 2'' in 2017.

* OptionalBoss: [[VideoGame/MegaMan1 Cut Man]] appears as an optional mini-boss in the UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn version of the game. [[note]][[VideoGame/MegaMan2 Wood Man]] also appears, but he's not optional, though neither can be refought after their bolt is collected.[[/note]]

[[quoteright:350:https://stahttps://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TipsWorksheettic.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mm8.jpg]]

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mm8.jpg]]

* GratuitousJapanese: One of Tengu Man's attacks, the Kamaitachi (a ball of {{razor wind}}), is called out in Japanese, with confusion in English-speaking circles over whether he's saying "Kamaitachi!" or "Yama Arashi!"[[labelnote:*]]Not helping matters is that [[DubNameChange he says something completely different in the original]] ("Kamikaze!"), suggesting this might have been [[BlindIdiotTranslation a fumble]] on the part of the localizers.[[/labelnote]] This might sound like gibberish at first, but it's actually a BilingualBonus either way: the kamaitachi is a weasel-like yokai from Japanese folkore (much like the tengu) capable of producing winds that were strong enough to cut, while the yama arashi is a well-known judo throw, one associated with legendary judoka Sanshiro Sugata, and whose name ("mountain storm" or, more loosely, "wind/tornado descending from the mountain") fits Tengu Man's [[BlowYouAway elemental affinity]].

* VerbalTic: Downplayed in the Japanese version with Tengu Man, who uses the stock samurai tic of [[UsefulNotes/JapaneseHonorifics "de gozaru"]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roHTDErhtcE but only in his "Boss Selected" introduction]] ("Tengu Man de gozaru!"[[labelnote:lit.]]"I'm Tengu Man!"[[labelnote]]) and at no point during his mid-fight BossBanter. He does, however, have other archaic speech patterns associated with samurai, particularly his use of [[UsefulNotes/JapanesePronouns "sessha"]] to refer to himself.

* DubNameChange: Tengu Man's "Yama Arashi" move (or "Kamaitachi"; see GratuitousJapanese below) is actually named "Kamikaze" ("godly/divine wind").

* GratuitousJapanese: One of Tengu Man's attacks, the Kamaitachi (a ball of {{razor wind}}), is called out in Japanese. This might sound like gibberish at first, but it's actually a BilingualBonus: the kamaitachi is a weasel-like yokai from Japanese folkore (much like the tengu) capable of producing winds that were strong enough to cut.

* JerkassHasAPoint: In Wily Tower Stage 3, Bass taunts Mega Man by saying he's naïve. He's right given the events of [[VideoGame/MegaMan7 the previous game]], wherein Mega Man let Bass --- not yet revealed as TheMole for Dr. Wily -- be repaired at Dr. Light's Lab... only for Bass to steal the parts/schematics for the Super Adapter, allowing Wily to create the [[CombiningMecha Treble]] [[SuperMode Boost]] for Bass.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS: With GratuitousJapanese above, whether Tengu Man's move is "Kamaitachi" or "Yama Arashi"[[labelnote:*]]"mountain storm" or, more loosely, "wind/tornado descending from the mountain"; it's a well-known judo throw, one associated with legendary judoka Sanshiro Sugata[[/labelnote]] is left to the viewer.
%% Is the trivia about the Yama Arashi's status as a judo technique and its use by Sanshiro Sugata relevant to this entry?

[[caption-width-right:350:''"My name is Mega Man. And I'm [[VideoGameLongRunners still rocking it]] for [[MilestoneCelebration ten years]]..."''[[note]]Clockwise from bottom left: [[{{Tengu}} Tengu Man]], [[MakingASplash Aqua Man]], [[ColdSniper Search Man]], [[{{Snowlems}} Frost Man]], [[FlamingSword Sword Man]], [[VillainousHarlequin Clown Man]], [[MadBomber Grenade Man]], and [[MeteorSummoningAttack Astro Man]]\\\

[[caption-width-right:350:"''My name is Mega Man. And I'm [[VideoGameLongRunners still rocking it]] for [[MilestoneCelebration ten years]]...''" [[note]]Clockwise from bottom left: [[ArrogantKungFuGuy Tengu]] [[BlowYouAway Man]], [[MakingASplash Aqua]] [[AmbiguouslyGay Man]], [[MultipleHeadCase Search]] [[ColdSniper Man]], [[AnIcePerson Frost]] [[DumbMuscle Man]], [[FlamingSword Sword]] [[PunchClockVillain Man]], [[VillainousHarlequin Clown]] [[ShockAndAwe Man]], [[MadBomber Grenade]] [[CombatSadomasochist Man]] and [[MasterOfIllusion Astro]] [[LovableCoward Man]].[[/note]]]]

* DWN-058: Astro Man, weak to Homing Sniper, gives [[MeteorSummoningAttack Astro Crush]]

All in all, the game was a modest hit both critically and commercially, although it didn't get the same attention as ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'', which released later that same year. The game would later receive a [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] spin-off/interquel called ''Rockman & Forte'' in 1998, which would be ported for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance in 2003 for international audiences as ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass''. A true Classic ''Mega Man'' continuation would not pop up for many, many years, finally surfacing as the [[{{Retraux}} retro-styled]] ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' in 2008. ''Mega Man 8'' would also be re-released as part of two separate {{compilation|Rerelease}}s: the ''Mega Man Anniversary Collection'' in 2004 and ''Mega Man Legacy Collection 2'' in 2017.

* ArmorPiercingAttack: The Laser Shot, purchaseable from the shop, allows the Charged Mega Buster to fire a laser capable of piercing shielded enemies like Mets and Sniper Joes.

* CostumeEvolution: Dr. Wily replaces his lab coat with a [[BadassCape villainous cloak]], as well as adding a skull-shaped belt buckle and a loose bow tie. This look would stick around for ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'' before being retired to his usual design in ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'' and ''VideoGame/MegaMan10''.

* CutsceneBoss: On his way to Wily's new lair following his battle with Duo, Mega Man finds himself up against the Giant Gori-Three in an FMV. He could barely scratch the thing, but fortunately Duo arrives to help.

* EvilCounterpart: The unnamed robot[[labelnote:*]][[NamedByTheAdaptation named Trio]] in the [[ComicBook/MegaManArchieComics Archie Comics]][[/labelnote]] from which the Evil Energy originated mirrors Duo's original body in appearance, right down to sporting TheRightHandOfDoom as opposed to Duo's giant left arm.

* HumongousMecha: Wily Tower is initially guarded by Giant Gori-Three, a giant gorilla-like robot large enough to wrap its hand around Mega Man. Mega Man doesn't stand a chance against it, allowing Duo to come in and save him.

* JerkassHasAPoint: In Wily Tower Stage 3, Bass taunts Mega Man by saying he's naïve. He's right, given the fact in the previous game Mega Man let Bass be repaired at Dr. Light's Lab, only for him to steal what is nowadays the Treble Boost.

* NotTheIntendedUse: Astro Crush was meant to be used for taking out large obstacles and [[SmartBomb clearing out screens of enemies]]. However, one auxiliary effect of using the weapon is that Mega Man hovers in place while the animation is taking place. Players that know about this use it to hover over gaps longer in the final snowboarding segment, where they can potentially save themselves from jumps they would have otherwise missed.

** ''Mega Man 8'' the only numbered original series ''Mega Man'' game not to debut on a Creator/{{Nintendo}} system.

** This game has more emphasis on {{Unexpected Gameplay Change}}s than any other ''Mega Man'' game, with certain stages including ShootEmUp mechanics, fast paced snowboarding, and non-linear mazes.

* SchizophrenicDifficulty: While the more traditional stages are fairly straightforward by ''Mega Man'' standards, the stages that experiment with mechanics not found in most other games tend to be spikes in difficulty. The rocket sled stages are fast-paced auto-scrolling levels with little margin for error, the maze segments in Astro Man's stage require you to pay close attention to the layout in order to avoid getting lost, and the Rush Jet stages require you to adjust to a completely different type of gameplay.

* UnexpectedSHMUPLevel: Both Tengu Man's level and the second Fortress level have segments where Mega Man rides atop Rush Jet, during which Rush can be moved freely around the screen in any direction. These segments automatically scroll forward, provide lots of enemies to shoot at, and feature unique power-ups that can summon Eddie, Beat, or Auto to provide extra firepowert.
* UpdatedRerelease: The Sega Saturn version, released shortly after the [=PlayStation=] version, added [[VideoGame/MegaMan1 Cut Man]] as an OptionalBoss in the intermission stage and [[VideoGame/MegaMan2 Wood Man]] as a MiniBoss in Search Man's stage, and an added Bonus Mode featuring several bonus galleries.
* UtilityWeapon: The Mega Ball can be used to gain extra height by bouncing off of it ([[DifficultButAwesome including]] [[DoubleJump in the air]]). The Tornado Hold can be used to lift Mega Man up to a higher platform. The Thunder Claw can be used to [[GrapplingHookPistol grab onto bars]]. The Astro Crush can be used to destroy a section of Aqua Man's stage, causing water to fill the area. And as noted in PlotTailoredToTheParty, the first four Robot Masters' weapons are required for certain sections of Sword Man's stage.

''Mega Man 8'' is a UsefulNotes/PlayStation and UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn video game, released in 1997. [[MilestoneCelebration It was made to celebrate the 10th anniversary]] of the ''Franchise/MegaMan'' series, as well as give the [[PowerCopying old school]] formula a new coat of 32-bit paint.

* DWN-058: Astro Man, weak to Homing Sniper, gives [[ColonyDrop Astro Crush]]

* DWN-063: Grenade Man, weak to Thunder Claw, gives the Flash Bomb

All in all, the game was a modest hit in both critical and commercial success, although it didn't get the same attention as the hit ''VideoGame/MegaManX4''. Regardless, it would be many, many years before a true Classic Mega Man continuation, ''VideoGame/MegaMan9'', would pop up.

It would later receive a [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]] spin-off/Interquel called ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'' in 1998. ''Mega Man 8'' would also be re-released as the part of two separate {{compilation|Rerelease}}s: the ''Mega Man Anniversary Collection'' in 2004 and ''Mega Man Legacy Collection 2'' in 2017.

* AmusementParkOfDoom: Clown Man's stage, which looks fun and colorful, but in reality is quite difficult, with dangerous train rides (with two oncoming trains crashing into one another over a bottomless pit at one point) and, as the level's main gimmick, a bell ringing in the background that will determine different things happening to you if you stand on an O (you're safe), an X (you take damage), a skull (you fall through to your doom), or a question mark (which teleports you elsewhere in the level).

* AssistCharacter: The Rush Jet levels, where power-ups can summon Eddie, Beat, and (for the first, and so far only, time he's ever went out into battle) Auto to your side to provide additional firepower.

* CutsceneBoss: On his way to Wily's new lair, Mega Man is up against the Giant Gori-Three in an FMV. He could barely scratch the thing, but fortunately Duo arrives to help.

** [[ColonyDrop Astro Crush]], one of the more destructive special weapons the Blue Bomber has picked up from a collateral damage perspective.

** In an inversion, the Rush Charger option, obtained from Gorone in Aqua Man's stage, serves a similar function--only Rush is dropping life and weapon energy recovery items instead.
* DemotedToExtra: Bass. Mega Man fights him briefly during the opening cutscene, but he's not seen again until near the end of the game, showing up as a mini-boss of the third Wily level, after which he disappears from the game entirely. This gets stranger when you remember that [[spoiler:Bass used a container of Evil Energy--which Duo came to Earth to eradicate--to augment his Treble Boost]].

* DoubleJump: As discovered by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5BaxY2ynAs&t=2m55s.|Power Guy]], you can exploit the Mega Ball into this with enough skill.

* EvilCounterpart: The unnamed robot [[note]]Revealed to be named Trio in the [[ComicBook/MegaManArchieComics Archie Comics]] [[/note]] from which the Evil Energy originated mirrors Duo's original body in appearance, right down to sporting TheRightHandOfDoom as opposed to Duo's giant left arm.

* GiantEnemyCrab: The boss of the tutorial level is Yadokargo, a large Wily Bot modeled after a hermit crab with a seashell-shaped carapace. To defeat it, Mega Man has to hit the face when the carapace isn't protecting it.

* NotTheIntendedUse: Astro Crush was meant to be used for taking out large obstacles and [[SmartBomb clearing out screens of enemies]]. However, one auxiliary effect of using the weapon is that Mega Man hovers in place while the animation is taking place. Players that know about this use it to hover over gaps longer in the final snowboarding segment, where they could potentially save themselves from jumps they would have otherwise missed.

** ''Mega Man 8'' the only numbered original series ''Mega Man'' game not to debut on a Nintendo system.
** It's the only game since ''Mega Man 2'' to lack Energy Tanks.
** The usual Rush adaptors like Rush Coil and Rush Jet are absent, replaced with one-off abilities like the Rush Bike, Question, Bomber, and Charger, which never returned in later installments.
** This game has more emphasis on [[UnexpectedGameplayChange Unexpected Gameplay Changes]] than any other ''Mega Man'' game, with certain stages including ShootEmUp mechanics, fast paced snowboarding, and non-linear mazes.

* OnlyOneSaveFile: The original [=PlayStation=] version, its Sega Saturn port, and its port in ''Mega Man Legacy Collection 2'' averts this as they have multiple save slots for their respective ports, however, the version of the game included in the ''Mega Man Anniversary Collection'' for [=PlayStation=] 2, [=GameCube=], and Xbox only has one save file for the game.

* OverlyLongScream: When Mega Man gets electrified by one of Wily's robots, Giant Gori-Three, he screams for a '''whopping 20 seconds.'''

** One of Grenade Man's opening lines is [[Film/{{Scarface 1983}} "Say hello to my cute little bombs!"]]
** When you defeat Clown Man, he has only enough time to say [[Film/{{It 1990}} "See you in my dreams!", a la Pennywise]], before he blows up.

* SpeedEchoes: One of Grenade Man's attacks is [[FoeTossingCharge a dashing tackle]] that gives off this effect.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: With GratuitousJapanese above, be it Tengu Man's move "Kamaitachi" or "Yama Arashi" is left to the viewer. "Yama Arashi" is loosely translated as "Wind/Tornado descending from the Mountain." It is even used as a name of Judo Technique by legendary Judo-ka Sanshiro Sugata.

* SpreadShot: Rush gets a three-way shot if you can catch his item during the Rush Jet segments of Tengu Man's stage and Wily Stage 1.

* UtilityWeapon: The Tornado Hold can be used to lift Mega Man up to a higher platform. The Thunder Claw can be used to [[GrapplingHookPistol grab onto bars]]. The Astro Crush can be used to destroy a section of Aqua Man's stage, causing water to fill the area. And as noted in PlotTailoredToTheParty, the first four Robot Masters' weapons are required for certain sections of Sword Man's stage.

* WalkDontSwim: The only (official [[note]]''[[VideoGame/MegaManDOS Mega Man 3]]'' [[VideoGame/MegaManDOS for DOS]] did it first[[/note]]) game that averts this [[SuperNotDrowningSkills by having Mega Man actually swim]], although his jumping height and walking speed are otherwise affected in the same manner as other DownTheDrain levels in previous titles (i.e. higher jumps at the cost of slower footspeed and lowered mobility in general).

* WorldsStrongestMan: In a sense. Duo may not necessarily be the strongest robot in the cosmos, but he ''is'' sufficiently powerful nonetheless (as evidenced by the fact that [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW3H8SQGv5o#t=2m34s his clash with the unnamed "Evil Robot", aka Trio]] ends with [[PlanetDestroyer significant damage]] to what appears to be Saturn) and pretty much sits at StoryBreakerPower status [[NormalFishInATinyPond the moment he arrives on Earth]]. Duo's BossBattle, if it can even be called that, consists of him [[NoSell shrugging off all attacks from Mega Man while taking no visible damage]] until he realizes [[LetsYouAndHimFight their battle is pointless]], followed by Duo proceeding to steamroll the Giant Gori-Three that had Mega Man and Rush on the ropes. When Duo decides to focus on eradicating the Evil Energy around the world while Mega Man disables the barriers protecting Wily's fortress, one wonders why he doesn't just deal with the remaining Robot Masters on his own. The only thing that seems to slow him down is the WaveMotionGun of the latest Wily Machine (presumably because it's powered by Evil Energy), and while Duo ''is'' [[DeusExitMachina forced to sub out for the final battle]], said WaveMotionGun is completely destroyed by Duo's FoeTossingCharge whereas Duo himself is only in need of mild repairs.

* Double Jump: As discovered by [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5BaxY2ynAs&t=2m55s.|Power Guy]], you can exploit the Mega Ball into this with enough skill.

* ElmuhFuddSyndwome: Dr. Light suffers from this in the English dub. To the Wadawoom!

* FullMotionVideo: The first ''Mega Man'' game to feature these.

* PreRenderedGraphics: ''Mega Man 8'' features anime-style cutscenes that include full voice acting for the first time in the Classic series.

* SchizophrenicDifficulty: Depending on what point of the game you are, it can feel like almost as much of a breeze as the UsefulNotes/GameBoy ''VideoGame/MegaManII'', or [[NintendoHard one of the most brutally hard entries in the series]]. One minute you can be playing a very simple and straightforward level, the next you'll be playing what seems like the SpiritualSuccessor of the notorious speeder bike segments from ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}''.

* UpdatedRerelease: The Sega Saturn version, released shortly after the [=PlayStation=] version, added [[VideoGame/MegaMan1 Cut Man]] as a BonusBoss in the intermission stage and [[VideoGame/MegaMan2 Wood Man]] as a MiniBoss in Search Man's stage, and an added Bonus Mode featuring several bonus galleries.

* CutsceneBoss: On his way to Wily's new lair, Mega Man is up against a gorilla mech in an FMV. He could barely scratch the thing, but fortunately Duo arrives to help.

* GiantEnemyCrab: The boss of the tutorial level is a large mechanoid modeled after a hermit crab with a seashell-shaped carapace. To defeat it, Mega Man has to hit the face when the carapace isn't protecting it.

* HumongousMecha: Wily Tower is initially guarded by a giant, gorilla-like robot large enough to wrap its hand around Mega Man. Mega Man doesn't stand a chance against it, allowing Duo to come in and save him.

* MadeOfExplodium: Grenade Man's stage in a nutshell. Set in an Argentinian ammunition factory, the level is swarming with [[IncrediblyObviousBomb time bombs]], [[ThrowDownTheBomblet grenade-tossing Sniper Joes]], and all other kinds of explosives, perfect for the MadBomber residing there.

* OverlyLongScream: When Mega Man gets electrified by one of Wily's robots, he screams for a '''whopping 20 seconds.'''

* SpreadShot: Rush gets a three-way shot if you can catch his item during the Rush Jet segments of Tengu Man's stage and Wily stage 1.

* UnexpectedGameplayChange: The snowboard segments in Frost Man's level (both parts) and Wily Fortress 1. If ''Mega Man 8'' is notorious for anything, it is these four words: '''JUMP JUMP! SLIDE SLIDE!!'''
* UnexpectedSHMUPLevel: The Rush Jet sections in Tengu Man's level as well as the second Fortress level.