History VideoGame / MegaManBattleNetwork

** ChekhovsLecture: Every once in a while in the first few games. In ''3'', we find the class discussing program compression at the beginning of the [[{{Gonk}} BubbleMan]] chapter.

** The only ''EXE'' game that actually tried to hide this is ''6'', and even then, you will figure it out after the BigBad appears and reveals his XanatosGambit. It was an innocent-looking area that can be accessed about ''five seconds'' after leaving from Lan's house.
* VictoriousChildhoodFriend: Mayl.

[[caption-width:390:[[ByThePowerOfTheGreyskull Jack in! MegaMan, Execute!]]]]

[[caption-width:390:[[ByThePowerOfTheGrayskull Jack in! MegaMan, Execute!]]]]

[[caption-width:390:Jack in! [=MegaMan=], Execute!]]

** Also, battles during Liberation Missions are modified, as well. First, battles are now timed. You have exactly [[RuleOfThree three]] turns to defeat the enemies or the boss - the instant the Custom Guage is filled, the menu shows up. One turn down. If enemies are still left, that [=NetNavi=] ends his turn without having achieved anything. This is made all the more difficult by the fact that, depending on how you start your battles, territory changes will factor in. You can literally be stuck in the center two columns with enemies on either side, which is made even ''WORSE'' with enemies that can warp around their territories. Have fun!

** Also, battles during Liberation Missions are modified, as well. First, battles are now timed. You have exactly [[RuleOfThree three]] turns to defeat the enemies or the boss - the instant the Custom Guage is filled, the menu shows up. One turn down. If enemies are still left, that [=NetNavi=] ends his turn without having achieved anything. This is made all the more difficult by the fact that, depending on how you start your battles, territory changes will factor in. You can literally be stuck in the center two columns with enemies on either side, which is made even [[BeyondTheImpossible WORSE]] with enemies that can warp around their territories. Have fun!

** Prosecutor Ito is basically Light from DeathNote in personality.

*** Ring is Ring Man put through a GenderBender.

** In context, in the fourth game, one of the scientists tells you that "we adults can't do anything" if you talk to them during the end sequence.
** FridgeLogic: The building may have been noticed plenty of times, but due to the fact there is large amounts of radiation eminating from it would make anyone without the proper gear have a good reason to stay the hell away.
** This actually becomes a zig-zagged trope. In the first two battle network games, there are almost ''no'' adults that are able to actually help fight the WWW or Gospel, letting grade-schoolers do the work. However; some like Higsby and Dad are shown to be able to help in the way they can. Some competent netbattlers ''are'' adults, actually. In the later games, there are a couple adults helping and are highly competent.

* ArbitraryHeadcountLimit: Only 5 characters can take part in the Liberation Missions of ''Battle Network 5''. When at least 6 people are present, one of them (you can't choose who) will get left behind to [[HandWave stay on guard and watch for surprise ambushes]], which of course never happens. It's specially [[FridgeLogic strange]] to see Colonel leaving Shadow Man on guard and then talking about the need for ''speed'' in the mission.

** Not Explained: ACDC undergoes a radical change in geography between ''3'' and ''4'', the only similarity being Lan and Mayl are next-door neighbors.
*** WildMassGuessing: [[spoiler:[[FridgeHorror What if the tanks at the end of the third game all went off while Lan and crew were away?]]]]
*** Past ACDC is shown in the fifth game. It looks the same as it is in the second trilogy.

** [[spoiler:[[FridgeHorror Since DrillMan could rip through the space time continuum to create wormholes whenever and wherever he wanted, couldn't he have just ignored the gates to the [[SealedEvilInACan Endboss]] and just warped in to the OTHER side...where he made a wormhole anyway...really, he should have just ignored the keys, and used a wormhole to get TO the aforementioned can, grab it, and exited via the wormhole...[[ImpossibleThief nothing is safe around Drillman]]]]

* FamilyUnfriendlyAesop: In the sixth game an aquarium worker asks you to get advice from an expert swimmer on how to learn to swim. The advice received -- get fat to build up a layer of blubber. You then receive what are described in-game as "greasy, high-calorie french fries" and are told to eat them for a week to gain the needed weight.

* ForWantOfANail: [[WordOfGod Supposed to be a world where Light turned to computer networking technology instead of robotics]]. All well and good, except... [[FridgeLogic so, how does that explain]] [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere Duo]]?

* FridgeLogic: [[Headscratchers/MegaManBattleNetwork Oh so very very much.]]
* FridgeHorror: You're an advanced AI, capable of feelings and thoughts, and as all [=AIs=], you were designed for a reason. In this case, battling. It means that no matter how much you evolve, learn or think you can be part of something big, you'll always be stuck with a 10-year-old boy for the rest of your life. Which can be forever, being virtual and all. Oh, and if you complain, and your kid doesn't like it? You get deleted, and everything you are disappears. [=AIs=] have no rights on this world, and even their terminals make it clear how most humans think of them: [=PETs=]. Of course there are some exceptions, but consider all the [=AIs=] suffering in the hands of spoiled brats and sexual maniacs that mess with their codes and [=PETs=] just for kicks.

* LittlestCancerPatient: Mamoru in ''[=BN3=]'', complete with IncurableCoughOfDeath, who suffers from the same heart condition as [[spoiler:[=MegaMan=] back when he was Hub Hikari]]. He's also the operator of [[spoiler:[[BonusBoss Serenade]]]].
** And, bizarrely, the [[spoiler:owner of the undernet.]]
*** [[ChuckCunninghamSyndrome Who we never see again]] even though the dialogue with the BonusBoss clearly stated that they will meet again in the future. [[TheyJustDidntCare The scenario writers of the next three games obviously did not care.]]
**** Its possible the series didn't get that far as of yet, [[FridgeLogic or they DID meet again, but not during one of the games.]]

* UglyCute: [[DirtyCoward BubbleMan.EXE]] was apparently gifted with what the artist referred to as a [[WordOfGod "cute" appearance by the series' artist]]. Whether he's this or outright {{Gonk}} depends on the fan in particular.

* BonusBoss: Bass's final form in every game, [=ProtoMan=] in ''3'' and ''6''. ''6'' also has [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/{{Boktai}} The Count]], who was cut out of the English version, though arguably he was more of a secret boss]].
** Don't forget [=PharoahMan=], and [=ShadowMan=] in ''1'', [=PharoahMan=] (again), [=NapalmMan=], and [=PlanetMan=] in 2, [=DarkMan=], [=YamatoMan=], and Serenade in ''3'', and the souped-up recycled bosses in the bonus dungeons of the others. All the games but the first have a SuperMode version of the final boss after you've done everything else, too.
*** To be fair, it's a lot easier, FridgeLogic-wise, if you consider the Bonus Bosses (and Bonus Sections) to be non-canon adventures just to keep you playing; the only real Bonus Area that can be considered {{Canon}} would be ''3''[='s=], in which plot points are ultimately fulfilled. Two points: [=PharaohMan=]'s one canonical appearance is in ''Network Transmission'' (set between ''1'' and ''2'') and Bass' final form in ''3'' is the ONLY final form to get official artwork of it in use (then again, it's his Gospel combination). Nothing else he achieves in the later games gets anything close to official treatment, except for MAYBE the one where his arm is leaking [[TheCorruption Dark Power]]. Not nearly as glorified, though.
*** They ''are'' non-canon, at least in the earlier games. In the second, Lan and [=MegaMan=] recognize none of the Bonus Bosses from the first when they show up again.
**** Actually, a lack of official artwork and lack of plot fulfillment (filler) doesn't signify non-canonicalness, after all, many series don't even have official artwork, and in the second game, they also don't recognize Mr. Match, who recognizes them ([=MegaMan=]: "Lan, challenge this...person to a netbattle?"), and he was most definitely a canonical enemy, who appears in all but one of the games in the series...Lan and [=MegaMan=] do however recognize him again from the third game onwards, [[FridgeLogic so it is entirely possible]] [[WildMassGuessing they just were suffering some form of temporary amnesia or something]]
**** Also notable is that in the third game, the underbbs has one post note the scuttlests from that time the www tried to resurface in the undernet...which is the plot for the second game's secret area (which was filled with scuttlest viruses)...

''Mega Man Battle Network'' is a spinoff/reimagining of the ''MegaMan'' series. Its basic premise is "WhatIf the ''Mega Man'' universe had a major technological breakthrough in computer networking instead of robotics?" (like in our world). ''MMBN'' is set TwentyMinutesIntoTheFuture where everything is completely run by the Internet and life is more-or-less peaceful. Everything -- cars, refrigerators, schools, the weather -- ''[[EverythingIsOnline literally]]'' [[EverythingIsOnline everything is online]].

The series lasted for six games before concluding. It spawned a sequel series focusing on radio waves and set 200 years in the future, ''MegaManStarForce''.

There are several attempts to make a fan-game continuation. The most progressive one in the developing, that mimics the original games in 99% is ''[[http://mmbnchronox.com/ MegaMan Battle Network Chrono X]]''; being programmed in GML (GameMaker's Language). This game is freeware and only for PC with Windows XP or greater OS.

For the anime/manga adaptation, see ''MegaManNTWarrior''.

* AlternateHistory: This series (and its sequel, ''MegaManStarForce'') are set in a spinoff reality of [[MegaMan the original games]] in which Dr. Light's network technology ended up being researched more prominently than Dr. Wily's robotics. [[MegaManX Good thing, too.]]
* AlternateUniverse[=/=]{{Elseworld}}: The Robot Masters (and a number of other characters) from the [[Game/MegaMan original series]] return, this time as artificial intelligences called Net Navis. Dr. Wily himself is a major force. Dr. Light's counterpart is here named [[BilingualBonus Tadashi Hikari]].

*** Several Robot Masters have two counterparts. Slash Man has a lookalike counterpart in [=BeastMan.EXE=] who would've probably been his only counterpart if Capcom hadn't insisted on continuing the series after ''3'', which eventually gave us the [[InNameOnly radically dissimilar]] [=SlashMan.EXE=].

*** Don't forget about [[MegaManX Zero.EXE, Colonel, and Iris]].
*** Or [[MegaManLegends Glyde]].
*** [[Game/MegaMan Duo]] is perhaps the one flaw in the ForWantOfANail explanation of the universe. While the Nail may explain deviations on earth, Duo hails ''from space'', where the Nail doesn't reach.
*** Some [=NetNavis=] are infamously dissimilar to their Robot Master counterparts. [=CutMan.EXE=], on the other hand, is identical save that big ol' [[BroughtToYouByTheLetterS C]] across his chest. [=QuickMan=], likewise is just a slightly fancier version of his [[Game/MegaMan original]].

* AllThereInTheManual: Navi Customizer Compression and Extra codes in ''Battle Network 3'' could be found hidden in manuals, the [[MegaManNTWarrior anime adaptation]], and even some of the {{Gaiden Game}}s. For instance, the passcode Lan uses to force [=MegaMan=] into the ridiculously powerful Aqua Custom Style in the anime? It's the bonus code for 200 extra HP in the game. (Don't bother looking for it in the dub, though...)

* TheAnimeOfTheGame: ''MegamanNTWarrior'' (''Rockman.EXE'')

** At least MegaMan gets to use his charged shot from the beginning in ''Battle Network 3'' and beyond, [[{{Nerf}} though the charged shot can't be as powerful as it could be in the first game.]]

** Also, ''6''[='s=] Prosecutor Ito. It doesn't help that he resembles [[AffablyEvil MegaMan]] [[EyesAlwaysShut Juno]] from ''[[MegaManLegends Legends]]'' with a bowl cut and dye job.

**** Actually, a lack of official artwork and lack of plot fulfillment (filler) doesn't signify non-canonicalness, after all, many series don't even have official artwork, and in the second game, they also don't recognize Mr. Match, who recognizes them (MegaMan: "Lan, challenge this...person to a netbattle?"), and he was most definitely a canonical enemy, who appears in all but one of the games in the series...Lan and MegaMan do however recognize him again from the third game onwards, [[FridgeLogic so it is entirely possible]] [[WildMassGuessing they just were suffering some form of temporary amnesia or something]]

* BrokenAesop: In the fourth game, at the beginning of the first tournament, Lan and MegaMan defend some viruses from a navi who "weren't doing anything wrong," but later in Match's scenario, when Match says that there is a place for everything, even viruses, which he shouldn't simply delete on sight...which he was using to power a hot dog oven...(?) to which Lan disagrees...

* TheCameo: ''HideoKojima'' himself in ''Battle Network 4''. In-universe, Rogue of ''MegaManStarForce'' appears as a battle chip and enemy summon in ''Operate Shooting Star''.

*** In the main games, maybe. Most/all of the main characters and villains from ''1'', ''2'', and ''3'', show up in ''[[GaidenGame Battle Chip Challenge]]'', notably sans Mamoru (especially bizarre in that you can fight his ''mother'', the proprietor of the Ura Inn). Shun's the final battle of one of the last tournaments, and the WWW members have at least one scene to themselves. ([[ShoutOut Funnily enough]], they're discussing [[MegaManNTWarrior curry]]). And Sean was part of the ensemble finale in ''3''. Of course, then he and Mamoru both disappear.

* CompositeCharacter: This universe's version of [=ProtoMan=] seems to be a mix of the [[Game/MegaMan original]] and [[MegaManX Zero]], being based on the former but with the hair, LaserBlade and social standing of the latter. Also, the Battle Chip "Z-Saver" (mistranslation of Z-Saber, Zero's trademark weapon) is sometimes associated with [=ProtoMan=].

* DangerousWorkplace: There are a few examples that apply directly to this trope. In general though, chances are that if you can visit something as Lan in the Real World, you're going to have to defend the place as Megaman in the Cyber World.

** Possibly justified in that whatever Sean was doing with those [[AppliedPhlebotinum BugFrags]] seems to have a side-effect combining that and the real world of, thus promoting a very crude [[MegaManNTWarrior Dimensional Area]].

** The sixth game used [=AquaMan=].EXE's ''MegaManNTWarrior'' name of [=SpoutMan=], despite him being [=AquaMan=] in ''4'' because [[Comicbook/{{Aquaman}} DC just decided to randomly enforce their rights to the name in America]].

* {{Expy}}: Several of the Net Navis are based on characters from the Robots timeline of the MegaMan series.

* GetBackHereBoss: [[MegaManStarForce Mega Man Geo-Omega]] is the first type, as he fires at you with the [[ArmCannon Megabuster]] and then runs, only to repeat it when you catch up to him a second time, of course he finally does fight you the third time you catch up to him. The chase sequence can be watched [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izqUOZIdeDo here]] and [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9PMP3OnW7kw here]].

* HeroAntagonist: Geo from ''[[MegaManStarForce Star Force]]'' is set to be this in ''Operate Shooting Star'', at least to begin with.

* HollywoodHacking: Oh dear ''god'', you could practically rename the trope "Megaman Interface". The cyberworld is exactly like the human world, complete with water, fire, weather, and plants including full-grown trees. Just slap the prefix "cyber" in front of the usual term.

* InventoryManagementPuzzle: From the third game onward, the series feature the Navi Customizer. You can use a number of programs to give Mega Man benefits with four rules: Textured programs may not touch the Command Line, non-textured programs must touch the Command Line, programs of the same color may not be touch, and all used programs must fit within the allotted space. If you make a mistake, MegaMan will have [[InterfaceScrew glitches]] during battles.

** In ''Battle Network 2'', the Netmafia Gospel's ultimate goal is to create copies of Bass, whose name in Japan is Forte. To Japanese players, Gospel's name would be a huge tip-off, since that was the name of Forte's support unit in [[Game/MegaMan the original games]]. In America, they translated Forte to Bass as always, but left Gospel's name alone, confusing the hint. Perhaps they thought that "Treble" would be an odd name for an evil shadowy organization, or they didn't want to bother with their logo, which is a "G".

** It looks like the ''MegaManStarForce'' crossover/remake of ''Battle Network 1'', ''Operate Shooting Star'', isn't coming over either. It's been out in Japan for several months and no word of a translation.

*** Interestingly, while you can generally count on seeing the various villainous [=NetNavis=] make a reappearance (which would be the [[AlternateHistory Battle Network]] version of the [[Game/MegaMan Wily Castle]] BossRush, though spaced out by plot); most [=NetNavis=] won't actually exceed the second level in-story. However, the original defeat of a [=NetNavi=] will rip off enough raw data, that the data's natural restoration will occur anyway, and take in various leftover data from the internet to reinforce the leftover data, resulting in a second, stronger "Ghost Navi", often caught in a single place. Defeating ''that'' Ghost will release it to roam another area, and NPC chatter that tips you off that the ghost is roaming around will often imply the ghosts are retaining facets of their [[GeneticMemory originals' personalities]].[[hottip:*:[=BubbleMan's=] third-level ghost refuses to fight you unless your health is critical; and can ''still'' hide among the legions of Aqua viruses, so using the "[=FishBody=]" program to draw him out won't work.]]
** Battle Chips actually employ multiple tier systems at once. In the first two games, most chips can be used however many times as the max cap will let you, but you can only have five unique Navi chips max (and Navi chips can often be split into three variants; the various versions of a Navi Chip don't count as repeats). In the third game, they codified it into the "Standard", "Mega", and "Giga" tiers that lasted throughout the series and MegaManStarForce; "Mega" absorbed the Navi Chips [[hottip:*:However, it added a secret fourth version of each Navi chip that could only be earned with [[ThePowerOfFriendship Team Style]].]] and a number of overpowered earlier chips and applied the Navi Chip limit of five uniques to all of them. The "Giga" classification included only the strongest, most often employing certain [=NetNavis'=] [[SignatureMove Signature]] or [[FinishingMove Finishing]] moves, or perhaps even single Navi Chips of the most powerful [=NetNavis=] (and in 3, the [[SerialEscalation 5th]] version of a Navi Chip). Also, fairly standard for the whole series, was a five-star classification that rated a given Battle Chip's power in relation to others. Most standard chips would rank one, two, or three stars; most Navi chips would rank three, four, or five stars.

* RightHandVersusLeftHand: After you beat [=ProtoMan=] in ''[[http://megaman.wikia.com/wiki/Rockman.EXE_Operate_Shooting_Star Operate Shooting Star]]'' Roll gets kidnapped and all Mayl says is that there was a [[MegaManStarForce weird blue NetNavi with a red visor covering his eyes]]. Lan and [=MegaMan=] confront him and after [[GetBackHereBoss a long chase sequence]] [[LetsYouAndHimFight the two of them fight]]. The thing about this is that the chase and fight sequences could have been avoided if ''SF'' [=MegaMan=] had just told [=MegaMan=].EXE what he was doing in his time period instead of running off.

* SpinOff[=/=]SequelSeries: ''[[MegaManStarForce Star Force]]''.

* TooDumbToLive: In the first Megaman Battle network game, during the water-works scenario, someone who's incredibly thirsty walks right up to the school pond and takes a drink...never mind that one, he is drinking ''from a fountain'' that likely has a completely different filter than water taps, but it's also ''purple''. If they ever wondered why AdultsAreUseless in Battle Network, it's cause they're stupid enough to do ''this''!

** Whatever they are, it's certainly not junk data. [[AppliedPhlebotinum "Junk data"]] does not spawn massive, [[MegaManNTWarrior physics-ignoring]] wolves that want to kill you.

* {{Mons}}: Experimented with in ''3'' and ''6'', in which [=MegaMan=] could domesticate and summon viruses through chips (the former) or copy them for tournament battle (the latter).

* MegaManning: It wouldn't be a [[TropeNamer Mega Man]] game without it. Played straight in several ways, actually, with Souls/Crosses and [[FightLikeACardPlayer Chips]].

** At least MegaMan gets to use his charged shot from the beginning in ''Battle Network 4'' and beyond.

* GatlingGood: The Vulcan chips and Super Vulcan. Due to this trope (they deal damage by hitting for 10 points multiple times), combined with a few ships to boost attack (ATK +30), they get the boost to each individual hit and thus can deal a OneHitKill on bosses.

* GoryDiscretionShot: Anytime violence ensues, the screen goes black mostly because Capcom is too lazy to make sprite animations for those scenes.

* InsaneTrollLogic: Green Land in [=BN6=] runs on it, ironically it is said to be a very closed-in and highly regulated society. Two choice laws include the punishment for hitting a Mr. Prog on the head is "something infuriating" (exact words), while the punishment for finding zenny on the ground but not reporting it is tickling. Their entire justice system is overseen by the JudgeTree, a supercomputer built into a giant tree that acts as judge in all criminal cases, which they consider superior to human judges as they might make mistakes. However, this is a world where EverythingIsOnline, and even the prosecutor mentions the tree is constantly targeted by hackers and their system is ruined if it gets compromised.