Mega Man 9 is here, and the new bosses are kind of like the guys who hit up the costume shop on the day of Halloween. While they are somewhat unique, the best ideas were taken years ago for the Nintendo Entertainment System. Here's a look at some true originals.
ElecMan (Mega Man)
He may be tiny, but ElecMan's ability to fire humongous bolts of electricity more than compensates for any physical inadequacies. They're hard enough to avoid, but they also claim a significant chunk of Mega Man's health. If you don't head into this battle with Cutman's scissors, forget about it. It's hard to forget this great boss, even if he doesn't appear in the PS3 version.
Metal Man (Mega Man II)
There's something striking about Metal Man. It could be his standing as the Mega Man II boss that you should choose to fight first. It might also have to do with the metal gears he liberally tosses in your direction. Either way, it's hard not to associate this character with the second game in the series, and the first game to really popularize the Blue Bomber.
Shadow Man (Mega Man III)
Is that a giant shuriken on his head? Indeed, this robot has circumvented ninja protocol with his own take on combat. Shadow Man certainly wasn't the hardest boss, or even the most unique. In fact, there's nothing really stealth-like about him except the name. But for some reason, he exuded a certain quiet cool. Snake Man must have been so envious.
Gravity Man (Mega Man V)
As the name suggests, this boss can manipulate gravity, at times forcing Mega Man to fight from the ceiling. This was something of a technical tour de force in the 8-bit era, so give Gravity Man props, even if his actual weapon was just plain old bullets. What did you expect? Black Holes? Please, they had to wait until Mega Man 9, almost 20 years later, to get that down.
Bio-Devil, a.k.a. Rock Monster (Mega Man, Mega Man III)
The Bio-Devil wasn't a regular boss, but his presence in two Mega Man titles was enough to strike fear in even the most dedicated gamers. Small pieces of this monstrosity would appear on one side of the screen and fling to the opposite end, eventually taking shape and providing a brief moment to inflict some damage. An enemy that inflicts damage merely by materializing? Truly, the apex of Dr. Wily's genius.
More Mega Man 9 Info
Ready for more Mega Man 9 information to help you out in the game? Here are a couple of articles that you don't want to miss:
Mega Man: The 5 Worst Weapons of All Time
Boss Battle Guide: Mega Man Battle Network 6