History VideoGame / MegaManZero

* AudioAdaptation: The drama tracks in Remastered Tracks Rockman Zero (the first, Telos, and Physis). Some of them act as [[AllThereInTheManual manuals,]] while the others just act as the voiced version of some scenes in the games.

* DeconstructorFleet: This game deconstructs WhiteAndGreyMorality, RousseauWasRight, JokerImmunity, ThreeLawsCompliant, and ThouShallNotKill. Four of these involve Weil (he was a WellIntentionedExtremist before he crossed the MoralEventHorizon) in some way.

The series lasted for 4 games and spawned a sequel series, ''VideoGame/MegaManZX'', which runs to this day. Also, a CompilationRerelease of the entire saga has been released for the NintendoDS.

* ANaziByAnyOtherName: Neo Arcadia, after an energy crisis, had started persecuting Reploids as being Maverick for no real reason, resulting in a mass amount of retirement (IE, execution) of said Reploids, allowing for anti-Reploid policies that are heavily implied to include genocide, and the person who directly created these policies is himself a Reploid (and by that, it means an actual Reploid, as in not even something of X or Zero's caliber). It's kind of hard not to see the parallels between this and the creation of NaziGermany, and more importantly the rise of AdolfHitler.
** Though to be fair, he does all that supposedly for humanity's betterment. [[VillainWithGoodPublicity The human population does see him as a hero.]]

** TetsuInada = Phantom ([[Main.SuperRobotWars No Trombe]] [[Main.BGMOverride Override for you]])

** Subverted by the final boss in the third game; he ''starts out'' in a decent OneWingedAngel form, then goes to an even ''[[BeyondTheImpossible bigger]]'' (and ''much'' harder to beat) OneWingedAngel... and then crosses the BishonenLine for his third and final form.

Another entry into Capcom's popular flagship series ''MegaMan'', although it is a more direct sequel to ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' and is even {{Darker and Edgier}} than the latter series. The first game was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2002 and continues the story of Zero, the partner and best friend of the latter series' protagonist.

* BloodierAndGorier: The original Japanese games are ''FAR'' more graphic than classic ''MegaMan'' and even ''MegaManX'': The first game opened with each RedShirtArmy Reploid who got killed die with a large splash of red mech fluid- A.K.A. Reploid blood. The same fluid splashed out of bosses that you bisected with the Z-Saber. However, in the American export, where game ratings are considerably less flexible, the game was changed into BloodlessCarnage to market it to the younger kids without parental objections. Unless you have a sick kick for slashing up robots, it really doesn't ruin the gameplay- but it puts into perspective that this is a CrapsackWorld and AnyoneCanDie- ''PAINFULLY.''

* LevelsTakeFlight: At one of the turning points of ''MegaManZero 2'' (right after the failed attack on Neo Arcadia and Elpizo's FaceHeelTurn), Zero has to cross an entire air fleet of Neo Arcadian vessels in order to hijack and stop a missile launched at the Resistance Base.

* MusicalNod: Zero's {{badass}} {{leitmotif}} from VideoGame/MegaManX 1 comes back in the ''Zero 1'''s intro. AndTheFandomRejoiced.

** One of Andrew's {{Old Man Monologue}}s is about the time one of his students gave him a three-leaf clover after failing to find a four-leaf clover. Later on, Brise states that clovers used to remind her grandmother of her teacher.

The series lasted for 4 games and spawned a sequel series, ''MegaManZX'', which runs to this day. Also, a CompilationRerelease of the entire saga has been released for the NintendoDS.

* FireIceLightning: Literally, as the simplified version of the ElementalRockPaperScissors compared to its predecessors, where, on the second game onwards, Bosses are always grouped in fours (one for each element and the fourth for a non-elemental). Three of the four Guardians, Fefnir, Leviathan and Harpuia, respectively, even embody these elements. ''MegaManZX'' would also follow this trend.

* KilledOffForReal: [[spoiler:Zero at the end of the series (though [[AllThereInTheManual the art book]] lists his fate as "unknown"). Even though he's died and come back many times before, this time it seems like he's really gone for good...until he comes back in Biometal form in ''MegaManZX''. X, after his body is destroyed in ''Z2'' and his spirit fades away in ''Z3''. Phantom, except when he comes back in Cyberspace (rumored to be where reploids go when they die) in ''Zero 3'', and then he also comes back again in ''MegaManZX'' as a biometal. This also goes for the rest of the Guardians, who are confirmed by WordOfGod to have died in Omega's explosion at the end of 3.]]

** Subverted in ''2'' and ''3'', where you got a new technique (see VictorObtainsLosersPowers) that made the game easier if you ranked A or higher. Played straight in ''4'' where getting the power had nothing to do with rank.

* DeconstructorFleet: This game deconstructs WhiteAndGreyMorality, RosseauWasRight, JokerImmunity, ThreeLawsCompliant, and ThouShallNotKill. Four of these involve Weil (he was a WellIntentionedExtremist before he crossed the MoralEventHorizon) in some way.

* FinishingMove: Subverted with the EX Skills of most [[BossBattle Boss]] enemies (even including those that can't be, [[VictorGainsLosersPowers obtained]]).

* HoldingYourShoulderMeansInjury: Zero does this when at a critically low level of health.

* VictorGainsPowers:
** Absent in 1, but 2 and 3 would grant you a technique resembling a boss's DesperationAttack if you went into its stage with an A or S rank. In 4 you could earn the technique simply by playing a boss's stage in disadvantageous weather conditions.
** The Zero Knuckle from ''Z4'' can rip off all types of weapons from {{Mooks}}.
** In a lesser example, ''Z3'' has Zero collect "custom chips" from defeated Bosses, with some chips reflecting some innate ability of the Boss (Absorber, prevents recoil damage, from gigantic Tetrista Kelverian; DoubleJump, from the high-jumping Cubit Foxtar, [[spoiler:Ultima, which grants all foot powers simultaneously, from Phantom]], etc.).

** One of the CD dramas is titled "Record1_[[AClockworkOrange Clockwork Apple]]".

* WhatTheHellPlayer: If you dawdle around and just keep slicing mooks in half on the intro stage of ''Zero 2'', eventually, Zero will mumble to himself "This isn't fun anymore...", which is probably centered towards you to get going.

* DiabolusExMachina: The plot of ''Zero 4'' is one that benefits Weil, having every aspect of the plot from ''Zero 3'' that could hurt him magically disappear. Heck, Weil himself is one that ruined what was almost going to be a peaceful resolution of the war in ''Zero 3''. [[hottip:To elaborate...: When Harpuia was in charge, he was aware of the Ciel system being close to completion. This would solve the energy crisis that started the war. He orders his mooks to let Ciel go at the beginning of ''Zero 3'' probably because of this, despite claiming otherwise.]]

* RankInflation: You can get up to an S grade on each level. [[NintendoHard In theory, anyways.]]

* RedEyesTakeWarning: Played straight with Omega. Subverted with Fefnir, who's eye color (like his siblings) is just a marker for his elemental powers.

* ThreeLawsCompliant: [[BigBad Weil]] attempts to use this as a self-defense from Zero, as any Reploid breaking the three laws is considered a Maverick. Did it work? ''Ahahahahahaaaah...'' '''No.'''
** Also deconstructed since the laws are interpreted super literately, ignoring the exceptions that are inherent in their laws (which includes rebelling to help protect someone trying to avert an energy crisis that threatened both man and reploid).
** This actually FridgeBrilliance on several levels. Weil isn't human anymore, [[BrainUploading literally]] ''or'' [[CompleteMonster figuratively]], and Zero was never made with those laws in the first place. Besides, the "robots" in the series are so close to human now the lines get blurred often.
*** To be exact, it's caused specifically because of the way Zero was made. X wouldn't hurt a human because of his morality program, and all reploids (being his copies) got a similar program that makes it impossible to attack any human, no matter how inhumane he might look or be. Zero, even though he often is called a "reploid" (and almost as often with the prefix "legendary"), isn't one because he was created by Wily, and was built either before Light created X, or at the same time. And, being created by Wily, he had no "morality" programs to begin with; even more ironically, he was the first maverick (and those are known for attacking humans), and had only worked as maverick hunter because of X (which was also caused by Wily's programming, because the robots he had reprogrammed weren't "evil", but rather "misguided", and Zero, being capable of thinking on his own, started searching for his own purpose in life instead of destroying everything).
** In addition, since Weil was a threat to the human race as a whole, Zero killing Weil was allowed under the Zeroth Law of Robotics which was created specifically to stop complete monsters such as Weil from harming humanity.

* ZerothLawRebellion: Weil's death. Very ironic when you consider how Zero was never built with the laws in the first place, yet was in compliance with them whether he realized it or not. See the Fridge section for more info.

* PanUpToTheSkyEnding: Zero 4's ending and credits roll involves a nightsky with a swarm of [[strike:shooting stars]] pieces of [[ColonyDrop Ragnarok]].

* {{Orochi)): Guard Orotic, a boss in the first game, is modeled after one.

** Subverted in ''2'' and ''3'', where you got a new technique (see YourDefeatMeansIObtainYourPowers) that made the game easier if you ranked A or higher. Played straight in ''4'' where getting the power had nothing to do with rank.

* FinishingMove: Subverted with the EX Skills of most [[BossBattle Boss]] enemies (even including those that can't be, [[YourDefeatMeansIObtainYourPowers obtained]]).

* YourDefeatMeansIObtainYourPowers:
** Absent in 1, but 2 and 3 would grant you a technique resembling a boss's DesperationAttack if you went into its stage with an A or S rank. In 4 you could earn the technique simply by playing a boss's stage in disadvantageous weather conditions.
** The Zero Knuckle from ''Z4'' can rip off all types of weapons from {{Mooks}}.
** In a lesser example, ''Z3'' has Zero collect "custom chips" from defeated Bosses, with some chips reflecting some innate ability of the Boss (Absorber, prevents recoil damage, from gigantic Tetrista Kelverian; DoubleJump, from the high-jumping Cubit Foxtar, [[spoiler:Ultima, which grants all foot powers simultaneously, from Phantom]], etc.).

** There's a bizarre variation in the second game: The Crystal Cave area is full of Reploids under enemy control; you're supposed to save them, but if you kill them instead, you get a 1-up! However, killing them will reduce your mission points (which is important to your rank), and they won't become helpful NPCs at the Resistance Base like other Reploids you've saved.

* FridgeHorror: [[spoiler:the second time Ragnarok was fired (a.k.a. Weil's "[[VillainBall warning shot]]").]] Just ''where'' did it hit? If Weil had slightly better aim and hit either Area Zero or the base where Ciel and Zero were at the time, [[DownerEnding the game would have ended right then and there, with nothing you could do about it.]]
** Also the fact that Omega is essentially what Dr. Wily ''intended'' Zero to be.