GAME HINTS

Story

On a planet almost completely covered with water, people make their living either on the small islands scattered throughout, or in airships which cross the wide seas. Under the waters run tunnels, ancient ruins of a time long past which hold both treasure and danger. Treasure is sought out by those known as Diggers, which equip themselves in protective suits and venture into the ruins in search of refractors and other valuable items.

Retired Digger Barrell Caskett discovered an abandoned baby boy and promptly took the poor child into his care, raising him along with his granddaughter Roll, whose parents had disappeared while Digging. He named the baby “Rock” (translated “MegaMan” in the English version), and trained the boy in the art of Digging. MegaMan now digs for the Caskett family, while Roll Caskett acts as his Spotter and his mechanic, and Professor Barrell Caskett gives advice and knowledge to aid them in their endeavors. Together, this small family, along with the robot monkey known as Data, make their living in the airship Flutter.

Jump to present day. MegaMan and Roll are both 14 years old. The Flutter experiences engine troubles and crashes on a peaceful island which had once been the home of an ancient people and now houses a modern-day city. Although the citizens are perfectly friendly, unfortunately no one has the parts that are needed to repair the Flutter, so the Casketts realize they will just have to dig for them. This is only the beginning, however, as the island is beset by pirates searching for a mother lode. The only one with the technology and skill to stand up to them is one lone boy in a Digger suit and his adopted family...

Special Features

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This game is the cause of endless confusion due to two very wide-spread misconceptions. Although the elements that are contrary to popular belief are not in themselves bad things, I feel consumers should be aware of what they are buying before they shell out money for it, so let me clear up everything here.
  • This isn’t a Mega Man game. People who are looking for one are going to be severely disappointed and extremely confused besides. Although there are some in-jokes and similarities, the overall plot, setting, game style, and characters in Legends are very different from and largely unrelated to the rest of the Mega Man series. There is no Dr. Wily, no Robot Masters, no Rush, no Dr. Light, no Skull Castle...and so on and so forth.
  • This isn’t an RPG. It is, however, an action/adventure game, and half of the game is plot. You do not fight monsters, gain experience, or go up levels. You do, on the other hand, need to talk to people, get clues, find items, and advance the plot in order to continue onward in the game. Not pure action, not pure adventure, this game is a nice blend of the two. Think Legend of Zelda here.
All in all, it is a very fun game, with a lot of charm and a fairly decent learning curve. I urge people to buy the game for what it is, not what it claims to be. This is a perfectly enjoyable game in its own right, and if you like 3-D action/adventure games, this is one of the best I’ve played. So go for it.

Mega Man 64

Mega Man Legends has been ported to the Nintendo 64 under the title “Mega Man 64.” While generally the game is identical, there are some minor differences:

  • The voices had to be down-sampled in order to fit on the cartridge, but all of the voice samples are here. None of them were cut from the game.
  • You can play using the control pad or the stick; unfortunately, they didn’t bother to correct the play mechanics now that they had analog control (just as in Legends 2) so using the analog controller is essentially digital control with a stick. Also the stick is somewhat over-sensitive.
  • The graphics have anti-aliasing, and suffer less from improper clipping and “holes” in the polygons. However they are basically exactly like the PSX graphics; none of the polygon models were altered. Also most objects that glow (the refractors, energy barriers, etc.), rather than actually looking bright and glowing, end up looking dark and non-glowing in this game.
  • There is rumble support, but it doesn’t activate very often, mostly just when you get knocked down.
  • The PSX version never had that much load time, so the lack of it here isn’t that noticeable. However saving and loading to the cartridge is naturally a lot faster.
  • The game records to the cartridge the various modes you’ve unlocked, so you don’t have to do anything fancy when you want to start a new Hard or Easy game (despite what Data says).
  • You can’t play the CD samples in the electronics store. Not a big loss; I’d rather have voice instead.
  • The music played during the credits is different (again). In fact here it’s not even special music; it’s just one of the normal town tunes.
  • The manual is somewhat inaccurate. But then again most of the Legends series manuals have errors, so this isn’t unique to this game alone.
  • The clipping plane is closer in the N64 version than the PSX one. That means you’ll see a lot more fog.
  • Worst of all, there is sporadic slowdown in this game. The view starts getting jumpy whenever there are too many objects visible on the screen. Even the text boxes suffer from slowdown in some locations.

PC version

Mega Man Legends has also been ported to the PC. Here are some differences that come to mind:

  • The music is stored as WAV files (you can open them up and listen to them straight off the CD!). Thus, the music does not loop properly. Instead it stops and restarts.
  • The texturemaps are anti-aliased, similar to the N64 version. Also it appears as though the game runs at a higher resolution than the console versions (the screen shot shown here has been reduced by 50%).
  • The main font seems to have been redone to take into account the higher resolution.
  • The menu cursor was changed from a pointing hand to a star.
  • The zenny indicator (z) was changed to a dollar sign ($).
  • You can play full-screen or in a window (press F8).
  • Press F9 during the game to return to the title screen. Press F9 on the title screen to quit. (I find using Alt-F4 causes it to crash...)
  • Data still says things which relate to the PSX (such as needing a Memory Card to save). Ignore these.
Note that it is possible to play the game straight off the CD (just select “MEGAMAN.EXE”...no, not the Battle Network character). However if you try to save, the game will crash. This is because they do not allow you to select a save directory, and thus the game tries to save to the CD, which naturally it can’t do.

I recommend doing a full install of the game if you can. This will copy all of the sound files to disk. Otherwise the game has to read them off the CD, and this can cause annoying delays.

Which version is best?

If you have multiple systems and are wondering which version of the game to buy, I still have to recommend the PlayStation one. The game was really designed for the PSX and you will get the most enjoyable experience with that version. If the N64 version had been altered to take the N64’s advantages into account, I would recommend that instead, but it wasn’t, so I don’t.

The rest of this page details the PSX version; look at the above lists for what is different or irrelevant about the N64/PC versions. (The controls are pretty much the same; just keep in mind that Circle is the “Search” button, L1 and R1 are the sidestep buttons, and R2 is the lock-on button.)

FAQ

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  • What the heck do I do with the Yellow Refractor?
    This is probably the number one place in the plot where the next step is not in the least bit obvious. The game does tell you, but the hint is very easy to miss (you have to have spoken to a specific guy off in a far corner of the map) and even Data doesn’t give you any help. Anyway, to answer the question, you need to take the Yellow Refractor to Uptown and talk to the guys in Wily’s boat shop.
  • Where is the Desktop Theme in the PC version?
    The PC version of the game claims to come with a Windows desktop theme, but as far as I can tell, for whatever reason the theme isn’t actually on the CD. However as of this writing you can download it directly from Capcom’s website.
  • Did you know that if you kick the can over the counter in Apple Market, you can earn Zenny and turn black?
    Yes, as I allude to in the tricks section below. You can also turn black in other ways.

Review

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Note: This review deals mostly with the PSX version, as that was the original.
Play Control: 3
For a 3-D game, the play control is quite good, compared to many others. Actually, the play control is about as good as it can get given the controller and the play mechanics; it is the mechanics which make some operations a hassle. Basically the controls allow you to do almost anything you need to, but not in a hurry. In the heat of battle is where you will notice yourself fighting with the controls the most often, and that is precisely the worst time to be doing so.
Graphics: 2
The graphics are extremely blocky, and the textures are insanely lo-res. The characters look like stick-figures made out of shoe boxes. On the other hand, the graphics do have a certain style to them, looking much more like a cartoon than most other 3-D games I’ve seen. The texturemaps blend into the polygons so well you can hardly discern between the two, and you don’t notice the blockiness as much while playing.
Animation: 3
Although the models have extremely low polygon counts, most of their animations are pretty nice, considering, except that MegaMan looks hilarious when he walks. The characters have full facial expressions and mouth animations when they talk, which is something that isn’t found in nearly any other 3-D game of this type. On the other hand, the fact that during conversations characters keep repeating the same motion over and over gets kind of grating.
Music: 4
The music is appropriate, and some of the tunes are quite nice. The dungeons, however, don’t really have music, just atmospheric noise.
Sound Effects: 5
Stereo sound effects cause a surround effect, and the clips are appropriate. Even the voice acting is good.
Plot: 5
The plot is quite unique and keeps you moving while at the same time allowing you a chance to take breathers and wander around on your own. The ending, on the other hand, is a bit of a disappointment.
Difficulty: 3 (normal to hard)
You’ll probably have troubles the first time you play, but as you get used to the game, you will find yourself at home in the ruins instead of loathing them.
Replay Value: 5
There are many sub-plots and even a few ruins which you do not have to experience to complete the game. What you do and don’t do has a minor effect on the ending. Definitely explore around and don’t always go immediately to the next plot-driven area.
Polish: 4
One of the greatest things about the game is the amount of exploration added through the sheer fact that you can search just about everything. Almost every object in the background has at least a description attached to it.
Overall: 90%
Great game. Primitive graphics. Misleading title. ’Nuff said.

+ Plus:
The sub-quests and sheer amount of items to find really add to the replay value.
- Minus:
They shouldn’t have stuck “Mega Man” in the title when it’s not a Mega Man game.

Order

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Although not immediately apparent to a first-time player (which is actually one of the game’s positive sides), there is a main plot path which must be followed in precise order. The reason this is not apparent is because there are also a ton of subplots and side quests that can be done in almost any order and really have little to no significance to the main plot. Thus the way one person plays through the game may seem drastically different than another person, due to the order they complete (or don’t complete) the sub-quests.

However there are a few people who do not like this type of open-endedness because it sometimes leaves them wandering around wondering what the heck they’re supposed to do next. The game does always tell you in some way where you should be next, but sometimes it does so with subtle hints that can be easy to miss. Thus, if you get stuck, you can either ask Data or check the chart below. Also, you may want to look in this listing to find out where the next boss will strike so you know not to go to that area until you are prepared.

The list below includes only the main plot sequence—that is, those things you must accomplish in order to complete the game. Each plot event is a trigger which enables the next one, which means you will not be able to “skip” events. You must do them in order.

I would recommend you do not look at this list unless you are really stuck or you’ve already played through the game at least once. The game is truly more enjoyable if you merely run around experiencing things in your own personal order rather than following a linear timeline.

  • Intro stage tower [intro] (Blue refractor is obtained)
  • Flutter crash-lands on Kattelox Island [Cardon Forest]
  • Saving of the Junk Store owner [Portal 1]
  • Find Barrell and the mayor [City Hall]
  • Talk to Roll to trigger the next event [outside Apple Market]
  • Boss: Blumebears and Tron [Downtown]
  • Boss: Saving of City Hall / Bon Bonne [City Hall]
  • An arrest gone wry [Yass Plains]
  • Boss: Marlwolf [Clozer Woods]
  • Backed up by the support car [Cardon Forest]
  • Cardon Forest Sub-Gate [Cardon Forest] (Yellow Refractor is obtained)
  • Fixing of Wily’s boat [Uptown]
  • Boss: Water Battle! [Lake Jyun]
  • Lake Jyun Sub-Gate [Lake Jyun] (Red Refractor is obtained)
  • Fixing of the Flutter [Cardon Forest]
  • Clozer Woods Sub-Gate [Clozer Woods] (Main Gate is opened)
  • Boss: Gesellschaft [Flutter] (triggered when leaving Clozer Woods after Main Gate is opened)
  • Enter Main Gate [Main Gate] (Subcities are opened)
  • Obtain Subcity Keys [Downtown, Uptown, Old City] (Get to Old City’s through Main Gate)
  • Boss: The Bonnes’ Final Stand [Old City]
  • Open doors and complete game [Main Gate]
  • Final Boss: MegaMan Juno [Main Gate]

Bosses

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A few hints and tactics for some of the bosses in the game.

Blumebears: (Servbots) [Downtown]
A brain-dead way to defeat any of the Blumebears is to make a very tight circle around it while firing away. The Blumebear will come to a complete standstill while its turret futily tries to keep up with you. Of course this only works if you can actually get close enough to one to circle it.
Feldinaut: (Tron) [Downtown]
You should be able to avoid its attacks if you keep your distance. You can prevent Tron from destroying buildings by standing so that she always shoots toward the outer walls of the city, which are indestructible.
Bon Bonne: [City Hall]
To defend City Hall, pace between it and the bank and the police station destroying tanks. Splash Mines work pretty well here since it’s fairly easy to drop them such that the tanks roll over them (or just toss mines directly onto the tanks themselves). Aim at the ships in the air whenever possible; they are dropping more tanks. (No, not that ship! That’s the news blimp!) Keep pacing to make sure you get them all—until the music stops, you know there is at least one more tank out there somewhere. To take out Bon Bonne, circle him until he attacks, then stop when you are behind him and lock on. If he fires missiles, run.
Marlwolf: (Teisel) [Clozer Gate]
Once you destroy the treads (a couple of Splash Mines will do the trick), there are two keys to winning this battle smoothly. One, get onto the back of the tank as quickly as possible—it can’t fire the white spheres at you when you’re up there and they by far do the most damage (one hit destroys your shield). Two, be sure you are firing a steady stream at the hatch the instant it opens, because they are going to be throwing attacks at you out through the door and if you don’t destroy them on their way out, you’re likely to be knocked clean off the Marlwolf. Buster Parts that enhance your Energy rating (to give you a more steady stream of shots) are probably more important here than Power. Once you accomplish this, staying on the Marlwolf is a simple matter of watching its shoulders to see which arm is raising so you can sidestep to avoid the arm swipe.
Barcon: [Lake Jyun]
Defeat the little ships, then choose “Retreat” and get right back on the boat. This will restart you at the final ship boss with full health.
Draches: (Airship) [Flutter]
I found the Active Buster to work wonders here. Even upgraded only slightly, it can take out the initial Drache ships in about three hits each. At the very beginning, when facing the little ships, walk to the edge of the Flutter and wait until they gather into a line, then start firing the Active Buster. The ships should all go down before they even get a chance to move out of formation. The Active Buster also does some serious damage to the Gesellschaft itself and the falcon ship that comes after, although you’re likely to be out of ammo for it by that point (unless you’ve upgraded it to infinite).

Note: If you saved the game after activating the Main Gate, you’ll be unable to get back to town until you beat the Bonnes. Should you discover yourself having troubles defeating them, you are left with few options. Make sure your Energy Canteen is full before you activate the Main Gate. Also, if worst comes to worst and you’re trapped at Clozer Gate, use the entrance into the Portals to reset the enemies so you can make lots of cash quickly, then upgrade your Active Buster. Keep doing this until it’s powerful enough to win the battle.

Gesellschaft: (Airship) [Flutter]
To take down the Bonnes’ airship, follow Roll’s instructions and fire first at the belly of the craft, then the engines on either wing. Basically shoot at anything that flashes when you hit it. You’ll also need to fire at cannons which are shooting bombs at the Flutter. You should be able to destroy each section of the Gesellschaft on your first pass through. At the end you need to fire at the skull marking on the front. You’re liable to take some damage here unless you’re extremely powered-up. My recommendation is to stand back a bit and allow the Flutter to take the brunt of the attack—you’ll lose enough health later on.
Falcuerufe: [Flutter]
The final bird-like ship is by far the most dangerous part of this battle. Tron doesn’t remain still very much so you’ll have to learn to attack her on the move as well, and to do this you need to aim slightly in front of Tron’s flight path in order to score any hits. Dodge the missiles as best as possible; destroying them sometimes takes more effort than it’s worth. You can afford to let the Flutter take some damage as long as its health isn’t terribly low; for the most part Tron’s attacks do not harm the Flutter as much as they hurt you.
Bruno: [Old City]
Hide behind buildings (the Subcity entrances are superb for this as they cannot be destroyed, unlike most of the rest of the structures in Old City) and use range-increasing parts to shoot from a distance. Strive at all times to stay behind the monstrosity since then it won’t attack you as much. Aim for the robot’s shoulders and midsection; the cannons on the shoulders can be destroyed, and hitting the narrow midsection inflicts damage on the robot’s energy meter.
MegaMan Juno: (first time)
Use the Ultimate Technique. If you keep moving the only attacks that will hit you are the circular shockwaves on the floor, and the multicolored beams he fires in a sweeping circle (“How about this?”). If you get to know his attacks you will know when to jump to avoid the shockwave (whenever he jumps mostly), and jumping high while circling will usually avoid the beams (you may have to jump twice depending on what mode you’re on). When he stops for significant periods of time, for instance while coming up out of the blue light in the floor, stop and pump him with shots and/or special weapons. Just remember to jump the shockwave.
MegaMan Juno: (second time)
Use the Ultimate Technique and jump after every attack he throws. The reason you want to jump is many of his attacks leave streamers along the floor that will hit you even if the actual attack misses (which it will if you keep moving). If you do this, the only attack that is dangerous is the one where he fires rapid multicolored beams from above. In this case, you want to make small hops over the initial shockwave(s) that travel along the floor, then start running. If you keep moving, the beams will miss you; however sometimes when circling you’ll still be hit. If this happens, try running straight forward instead. Also stay as far away from Juno as possible because even his flailing arms will do damage if you get too close.

Items

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Items are divided into three categories: Normal, Special, and Buster Parts. Normal Items are generally event items and those that Roll can make into other things, although a few Normal Items can be used directly from the subscreen. Special Items are the equipable and usable items as well as significant event items (keys and so forth). Buster Parts are equipped on your Buster (your normal weapon) to enhance it.

Note: all of the Sub-Gates are interconnected (yes, even the Main Gate) so sometimes I will mention the Sub-Gate entrance that is nearest to the item in question or the first gate you’ll get to, which is not necessarily where the item is actually located.

Normal Items

Note: Some items are “triggered” by certain events which means they will not appear until their trigger is fulfilled. So if I list an item and you can’t find it, you probably haven’t yet triggered the proper event to make it appear.

  • Ancient Book: [Makes Spread Buster] Found in chest between breakable walls in Portal 3 (get there from Clozer).
  • Antique Bell: [Museum item] Found in hole in side of platform near shield robots in Clozer Gate.
  • Arm Supporter: [Makes Spread Buster] Obtained by returning lost bag.
  • Autofire Barrel: [Makes Auto Battery] Found in hole in wall near Shiny Red Stone.
  • Bag: [Event item] Found in...well, that’s half the fun! Obtained during an Inspector mini-quest.
  • Beetle: [Event item] Found on small hill by tree near Cardon Gate.
  • Blumebear Parts: [Makes Machine Buster] Found in garbage can in Downtown after defeating the Blumebears (the red, yellow, and blue tanks carrying the Bonne Family Key).
  • Blunted Drill: [Makes Drill Arm] Found in chest in Main Gate near Autofire Barrel.
  • Bomb: [Makes Power Blaster R] Obtained from the second bomb in the bomb mini-quest.
  • Bomb Schematic: [Makes Grand Grenade] In chest in Barrell’s room in the Flutter.
  • Broken Circuits: [Makes Omni-Unit Ω] Give Stag Beetle to kids in clubhouse.
  • Broken Cleaner: [Makes Vacuum Arm] Found in a box in Apple Market.
  • Broken Motor: [Makes Vacuum Arm] In garbage pail in Downtown.
  • Broken Propeller: [Makes Vacuum Arm] In garbage can near hospital in Uptown.
  • Camouflage Net: Makes MegaMan invisible for a short time. Enemies will not attack him while he is invisible; however a side effect is the alert that buzzes whenever an enemy targets MegaMan buzzes constantly if he is near an enemy while invisible.
  • Cannon Kit: [Makes Powered Buster] Obtained from chest in Portal 3 on ledge protected by turrets.
  • Comic Book: [Event item] Found on the ground behind hut in Yass Plains where Junk Shop owner and wife are (near the clubhouse).
  • Defense Shield: Makes MegaMan invincible for a very short time. Attacks will still cause him to reel; however no actual damage is inflicted on his life gauge.
  • Flower: [Roll item] Found in Clover Woods near a Sub-Gate. It’s growing near the edge of a clearing.
  • Flower Pearl: [Makes Gatling Gun] Obtained from Irma in hospital after buying needed equipment.
  • Gatling Part: [Makes Gatling Gun] Found in hole in wall in Lake Jyun ruins.
  • Generator Part: [Makes Auto Battery] Found in chest in Clozer/Portal 1 or get there through Main Gate.
  • Giant Horn: [Museum Item] Won by beating Technical Course on ’A’ rank.
  • Grenade Kit: [Makes Grenade Arm] In a chest right near the Old Doll.
  • Guidance Part: [Makes Active Buster] Found in chest in Clozer Gate.
  • Hyper Cartridge: Refills completely the energy of whatever weapon MegaMan currently has On Hand. Does not refill weapons that are not equipped (similar to talking to Data).
  • Joint Plug: [Makes Adapter Plug] Found in chest in Lake Jyun ruins in the large room with cloaking robots.
  • Lipstick: [Event item] Talk to the artist in Uptown, then the clerk in the women’s clothing store in Apple Market.
  • Main Core Shard: [Makes Omni-Unit Ω] Found in Cardon/Portal 2 in hole in wall behind breakable wall (use Grand Grenades or the Drill Arm).
  • Marlwolf Shell: [Makes Shield Arm] Received in completed club house after giving kids saw.
  • Mine Parts Kit: [Makes Splash Mines] Obtained from the Junk Store owner for rescuing him.
  • Music Box: [Roll item] Won by beating Straight Course race on ’A’ rank.
  • MysticOrb: [Makes Shield Arm] Win by beating “Balloon Fantasy” game on rank ’A’.
  • Old Bone: [Museum item] In a hole in the wall right near the Spring Set.
  • Old Doll: [Museum item] In a hole in the wall next to the conveyer belt on second floor of Cardon Forest Sub-Gate.
  • Old Heater: [Museum item] Give Beetle to kids in clubhouse.
  • Old Hover Jets: [Makes Jet Skates] Found in chest in Lake Jyun ruins.
  • Old Launcher: [Makes Spread Buster] Found in chest in Cardon/Portal 2 after breaking single wall blocking passage.
  • Old Shield: [Museum item] In a hole in the wall in Cardon Gate in the section with large platforms.
  • Pen Light: [Makes Blade Arm] In chest in Cardon Gate near large room with breakable walls.
  • Pick: [Event item] Obtained from construction worker in City Hall area after talking to the kids in the clubhouse.
  • Plastique: [Makes Power Blaster L] Obtained from the first bomb in the bomb mini-quest (talk to the Inspector at the Police Station).
  • Prism Crystal: [Makes Shining Laser] Talk to a girl upstairs in the museum after finding all of the museum items.
  • Rapidfire Barrel: [Makes Machine Gun] In a chest deep in Cardon Gate.
  • Ring: [Roll item] Found in hole in wall in Lake Jyun ruins.
  • Rollerboard: [Makes Jet Skates] In a chest in Cardon Gate after jumping onto the high ledge near the beginning.
  • Saw: [Event item] In garbage can in Downtown after talking to the kids who need it.
  • Safety Helmet: [Makes Helmet] Found in a box next to a building on a cliff in Yass Plains.
  • Shield Repair: Data will give you one of these if you ask about the Junk Store. You can also buy them.
  • Shiny Object: [Museum item] In hole in wall in Cardon Gate / Portal 2.
  • Shiny Red Stone: [Museum item] Found in hole in wall in Main Gate after opening door to big robot dogs.
  • Spring Set: [Makes Jump Springs] In a chest on the high ledge after the conveyer belt section of the Cardon Gate.
  • Stag Beetle: [Event item] Found on ground near tree on small hill right near Portal 3.
  • Sun-light: [Makes Omni-Unit Ω] Obtained from grocery store father after helping mother.
  • Target Sensor: [Makes Sniper Scope] Found in chest in big spiral part of Clozer Gate.
  • Tele-lens: [Makes Sniper Scope] Found in hole in wall in small room in Clozer Gate.
  • trunk: [Event item] Keep watching TV in the Flutter until there’s a robbery, then go to Downtown and smack up against the red car a few times.
  • Weapon Plans: [Makes Shining Laser] In a hole in wall in Cardon Gate after breakable walls (need Drill Arm).
  • X Buster: [Makes Shining Laser] Give Comic Book to Jim.
  • Zetsabre: [Makes Blade Arm] Win by beating “Beast Hunter” game (at the TV station) on rank ’A’.
Special Items
  • Energy Canteen: Purchase this at the Junk Shop. You can also refill it there.
  • Helmet: Made from Safety Helmet.
  • Flak Jacket: Reduces damage by 1/4. (9500z)
  • Kevlar Jacket: Reduces damage by 1/2. (36000z)
  • Kevlar Jacket Ω: Reduces damage by 3/4. (120000z)
  • Jump Springs: Made from Spring Set.
  • Jet Skates: Made from Old Hover Jets and Rollerboard.
  • Adapter Plug: Made from Joint Plug.
  • Blue Refractor: Found in intro stage.
  • Yellow Refractor: Found in Cardon Ruins.
  • Red Refractor: Found in Lake Jyun Sub-Gate.
  • Citizen’s Card: Allows you to pass through the various gates in the city.
  • Class A License: Given to you by the mayor.
  • Class B License: Gets you into the ruins.
  • Walkie-Talkie: Given to you by Roll.
  • Bonne Family Key: This is used during the Tron Bonne battle/event near the beginning of the game and is never touched thereafter.
  • Cardon Forest Sub-Gate Keys (3): Needed to get Yellow Refractor.
  • Lake Jyun Sub-Gate Keys (3): Needed to get Red Refractor.
  • Clozer Woods Sub-Gate Keys (3): Keycards needed to activate the computer in Clozer Woods.
  • Sleeper Key: Found in Downtown Sub-Gate.
  • Dreamer Key: Found in Uptown Sub-Gate.
  • Watcher Key: Found in Old City Sub-Gate.
Buster Parts
  • Auto Battery: (ENG:max) Made from Generator Part and Autofire Barrel.
  • Blast Unit: (ATK:+1 ENG:+2) 960z
  • Blaster Unit R: (ATK/ENG/RPD:+2) Found in chest in Portal 3 behind wall (need Drill Arm).
  • Blaster Unit Ω: (ATK:+2 ENG:+3) 22400z
  • Buster Max: (maxes out all Buster stats) Only available in Easy mode.
  • Buster Unit: (ATK:+1 RNG:+2) Located in chest in Cardon Gate.
  • Buster Unit Ω: (ATK/RNG:+3) Obtained from chest in Main Gate (first door).
  • Gatling Gun: (ATK/RNG:+1 ENG:+4) Made from Gatling Part and Flower Pearl.
  • Laser: (ATK:+4)
  • Machine Gun: (ENG:+3 RPD:+1) Made from Rapidfire Barrel.
  • Omni-Unit: (ATK/RNG/ENG/RPD:+1) Won by beating Left-Turn Course on ’A’ rank.
  • Omni-Unit Ω: (ATK/ENG/RNG:+2 RPD+1) Made from Broken Circuits, Main Core Shard, and Sun-light.
  • Power Blaster L: (ATK:+2 RNG:+1) Made from Plastique.
  • Power Blaster R: (ATK:+2 RPD:+1) Made from Bomb.
  • Power Raiser: (ATK:+1) Found in first dungeon (intro stage).
  • Power Raiser α: (ATK:+2) 520z
  • Range Raiser Ω: (ATK:+3) 3400z
  • Power Stream: (ATK:max) Found in Main Gate in chest after awakening Juno and being saved by the Bonnes.
  • Range Booster: (RNG:+1) 160z
  • Range Booster α: (RNG:+2) 400z
  • Range Booster Ω: (RNG:+3) 2400z
  • Rapid Fire: (RPD:+1) Found in chest in Portal 1 near the Junk Shop owner.
  • Rapid Striker: (RPD:+2) Can be accessed through Lake Jyun Gate.
  • Sniper Range: (RNG:+4)
  • Sniper Scope: (ATK:+1 RNG:+5) Made from Tele-lens and Target Sensor.
  • Sniper Unit: (ENG:+1 RNG:+2) 860z
  • Sniper Unit Ω: (ENG:+2 RNG:+3) 14800z
  • Triple Access: (ENG/RNG/RPD:+1) In chest near Cannon Kit.
  • Turbo Battery: (ENG:+4) 7200z
  • Turbo Charger: (ENG:+1) 120z
  • Turbo Charger α: (ENG:+2) 320z
  • Turbo Charger Ω: (ENG:+3) 2200z

Save Files

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The PC version of the game uses the same save files as the PSX game, but getting them off your PSX memory cards can be a challenge. I used a DexDrive but as that can only save entire memory cards, not individual files, I had to do some editing. Here is one technique that will work:
  • Make sure the file you want is the first one on the memory card.
  • Capture an image of the memory card and save the file to disk.
  • Using a hex editor or some other program, chop the memory card file:
    • Start at byte offset 12096 (2F40H)
    • Total file length: 7936 bytes (1F00H)
  • Rename the resulting file DASH_01.MCD or whatever number is available.
  • Place the file into the root directory of your Mega Man Legends PC game (where the EXE is).
I’ve included a couple of save files to get you started, both as individual files (for the PC game) and as one complete memory card file (for those who want to use a DexDrive). On the memory card file, the saves are in the same order as listed below. Note: Save files remember what “slot” they were saved to. This seems to affect the PSX more than the PC since I’ve been able to successfully shuffle PC games to a small degree, but on a PSX card it doesn’t work as well. Trying to put certain save files together on a card or in the PC directory sometimes will cause one or more to not show up. If you use just the files listed here it should work fine (I’ve tested it on my machines); however if you try to add them to other saves of your own, you may need to do some shuffling. (You can always load a game then re-save it to a different slot to change its slot number.)

Tricks and Secrets

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Note: All controls mentioned assume the default setup (turn with directional pad, L1 and R1 sidestep).
  • Remember that your kick is a special weapon too! You can switch to your kick at any time by going to the Special Weapons menu and unequipping your current weapon (don’t worry, you can equip it again in the same manner). MegaMan’s kick can bounce back certain enemies, knock them over, or even flip them. Just be careful you don’t get too close, or you’ll end up trading hits. (Viper-X27 contributes that the kick can also be used to knock certain enemies’ own bombs right back at them. Now that’s just too funny.)
  • Roller Dashing during a foot race is not against the rules. Isn’t that strange?
  • Talk to the Inspector at the Police Station for mini-events. You can earn items by completing these. Just make sure you save first since you only get one try at each of them.
  • On the subscreen, go to Special Weapons then Special Weapon Status to view how many shots each of your weapons has left. Special weapons can be recharged by Data but he’ll only refill the one you currently have equipped. Unfortunately you have to talk to Roll to change weapons.
  • You can turn MegaMan black by performing lots of “evil” acts (there is a book in the library which mentions this). Kick dogs, destroy buildings, smash soda machines, and so forth.
  • To get lots of zenny (refractor shards, which equal cash), equip the Vacuum Arm, upgrade its energy to infinite if you want, then head into the Cardon Gate. Go past the stand where the refractor shard was/is and through the door into the large room dotted with ledges. There are three enemies here which release dragonfly-like robots when you get close. Fire at these from a distance and when you defeat them they will turn into a horde of refractors. Suck these up with the Vacuum (try standing on the floor rather than on a ledge as the refractors often fall down there). When you’ve cleaned out the room, use the elevator to exit the ruins, then turn around and go right back down (jumping onto the ledge by the elevator and going through the gate into the next ruins then coming back also works). This resets the room so you can do it all over again. You can average 10,000 zenny per trip using this method.
  • Another way to make quick money, late in the game, is to use the Subcity in Uptown. Inside is a giant robot that keeps releasing smaller Reaverbots. Don’t destroy the carrier, just follow along behind it and keep blasting the ’bots it drops, then suck up the resulting refractors with the Vacuum Arm. The advantage this trick has over the above one is you can conceivably stay here forever (or until you have as much money as you want); you don’t have to keep leaving to reset the enemies. This of course only works until you get the Key from this city, because once you destroy the carrier, it never comes back.
  • A lot of people have been telling me about kicking ServBots for energy cubes. It’s kind of mean, but I guess if you’re low on energy, you might want to give it a try.
  • “The harder it is, or the faster you go, the easier it will become.”
    This game has three difficulty levels, two of which must be unlocked:
    Normal - Default.
    Hard - Beat the game, then restart without turning off the power (press Start at the “Presented by Capcom” closing screen). You will get an additional choice for difficulty (highlight it and press left or right or another button to cycle the choice). Playing on Hard increases the number of times you have to hit enemies to defeat them and also slightly alters some enemies’ attack patterns (for example, the second Juno’s shining beams of death attack produces two shockwaves instead of one).
    Easy - This can be unlocked by either beating the game on Hard (doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, no) -or- beating it on Normal with a clear time under 3 hours. Either way, once again you must restart without turning off the power in order for the Easy option to appear (see above). On Easy mode you begin the game with the “Buster Max” Buster Part and the Jet Skates (neither of these are equipped when you start, so as soon as you can open your subscreen, go equip them). Additionally refractor shards you pick up by defeating enemies are worth more zenny, thus allowing you to rake in the cash in no time at all. And since you don’t need any other Buster Parts you can sell all the ones you find in the ruins for extra money. Naturally you should have no troubles whatsoever beating the game on this mode. (Note: To beat the game within 3 hours, skip all of the cut scenes (press Start) and use the Support Car to move around the island (rather than walking). Yes, the cinemas count against your overall time. Also you’ll have to skip most all of the side quests, and I recommend either not visiting the Portals at all (beyond saving the junk store owner) or at least wait until you have the Jump Springs so you can get most everything in one trip.)
  • To get the difficulty menu back, load a game saved on Easy or Hard (Easy is preferable as it will net you both Easy and Hard; loading a game saved on Hard only gets you Hard). Once you load the game, simply do a soft reset (Start->Select->Reset or F9 on the PC) and the menu will be back just as if you’d just beaten the game. I thus recommend keeping a Hard or Easy mode save file floating around just for this purpose.
  • Full maps to the ruins can be found here:
Some funny/cute things to try (warning: some of these may negatively affect your reputation):
  • Kick the empty soda can lying on the ground in Apple Market.
  • Kick the soda machines in Downtown and other areas.
  • Kick garbage cans. If the lid bounces into the air, it’s empty. If it doesn’t, search the can with Circle.
  • Get run over by cars.
  • Get run over by Roll when she’s following you in the support car, right before you open Cardon Gate.
  • Press Circle while facing doors to residential buildings to hear what people are saying about you.
  • Press Circle while standing on the black grate in Downtown.
  • Read the diary in Roll’s room in the Flutter.
  • Read newspapers found in the police station and other places.
  • Go into the Clozer Woods Sub-Gate via the Portals while the Flutter is not stationed there. Exit the ruins through the main entrance and you’ll be allowed to jump off.
  • Jump on top of the buildings in Old City right before finding the Bonnes there. You’ll discover a bunch of Servbots wandering around on rooftops up there...
  • Jump onto cars and hitch rides around the city.
  • Talk to Paprika (the dog). Sometimes it will actually respond with real sentences (that is, say something intelligent). Some cats do this also.
  • Talk to the cats around Main Gate until the game gives you the choice to take one home with you. Do so, then go back to the Flutter several times throughout the rest of the game and watch as the cats multiply. I counted 13 of them once...

Ending

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After playing through such a fun game, it’s a shame the ending is so disappointing. It reveals near to nothing that we didn’t already know and further desecrates the distinction between robots and humans such to the point that you have to wonder if Capcom even knows what a robot is anymore.

Basically, after defeating MegaMan Juno for good, MegaMan still can’t stop the cleansing sequence that’s going to destroy all life on the island. What’s a poor hero to do? Well, wait around until his robot monkey sidekick comes in and fixes up everything for him, that’s what.

Speaking out loud for the first time in the game, Data shuts down the sequence and tells MegaMan that he’s MegaMan’s backup memory system. Evidently MegaMan downloaded his memories into Data and then erased his own memory banks as a precautionary measure (as if it’s any harder to read data off a robot monkey). Naturally Data concludes by saying he can’t say anything yet (didn’t he already?) but when the time is right (when Capcom runs out of sequel ideas I imagine), he’ll explain everything.

Nevertheless, there are some good parts to the ending. Once topside, you’re able to take control of MegaMan one last time and run around the city talking to people. Who you see and what they say to you depends on what side quests you completed throughout the game. It’s a nice little touch.

Finally, if you wait out the credits you’ll see a short cut scene showing what became of the Bonnes. Remember that giant rainbow-colored refractor you passed by on your way through the Main Gate? Guess who made off with it.