STRATEGIES

Most of the Legends games play in a similar manner, including some sections of Misadventures of Tron. Therefore this section covers some general strategies regarding these games.

Note that this page generally deals with playing as MegaMan, but in some cases it applies to playing as others (such as Tron in the Gustaff) as well.

GAME PLAY

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In most games you control the boy named MegaMan, a Digger. He is armed to the teeth and skilled in combat. It is his job to go into underground ruins and explore. His best friend Roll is his Spotter, which means she stays aboveground and communicates with him through a radio, using equipment to scan the areas where MegaMan ventures and aid him, telling him of possible secrets and warning of possible dangers. Although she cannot really see what is going on, her detectors often tell her things which the human eye cannot see.

You spend part of the game underground in ruins filled with enemy robots. The rest of the time you are aboveground, wandering forests and towns. Don’t think you’re necessarily safe up there, however, as pirates can attack you while you’re relaxing.

Although you don’t gain experience from defeating enemies, you can win energy cubes to refill your shields and, in some cases, blue pellets for refilling your special weapon. You also find crystals called “quantum refractors” which power people’s machinery for which they will trade goods and services to obtain (read: money). These are also referred to as “zenny” and abbreviated with a z. Occasionally you will find items which can either be used immediately, or can be fixed up by Roll.

And the rest of the games? Plot. You can skip most plot sequences by pressing Start, however.

MOVES

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Run
This is what you do by default. MegaMan’s run is a constant and decent speed.

Walk
If you hold down the Seach button while moving, MegaMan will walk instead of run. There are few cases where you need to do this, but it’s there when you want it.

Jump
MegaMan jumps an impressive distance, even farther when he gets an item to increase his jumping height. He will also grab onto the edge of ledges if he can’t quite reach them. While clinging to a ledge, press a direction on the control pad to have MegaMan pull himself up, and press the jump button to have him let go and drop down.

Fire
MegaMan has a Buster cannon which automatically rapid-fires. Just hold down the fire button for a stream of shots. The power and speed of MegaMan’s shots can be upgraded with Buster Parts.

Turn
The Legends series uses the “turn and walk” control method rather than the “just push the stick in the direction you want to go” method. This means you must first turn MegaMan so that he is facing the correct direction, and then start walking/running. You can of course turn while moving to adjust your course.

Strafe
Pressing the strafe buttons (usually L1 or R1, but can be changed to just left or right on the control pad) while moving causes Mega Man to walk or run sideways. You can combine this with the turn buttons to have him run in a circle.

Roll
Press left or right and jump at the same time, and MegaMan will roll to the side. You are invulnerable while rolling so you can use this to avoid attacks. However it suffers from the same problem as the slide in the original series: it’s hard to pull off when you really need it, as you tend to sidestep or jump instead.

ITEMS

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Energy Canteen
This is a handy container that MegaMan can carry around and refill. Each “unit” of energy in the canteen refills one unit of MegaMan’s energy meter when used. Energy that is not needed remains in the canteen for future use.

Weapons
MegaMan can acquire special weapons which have varied effects and usefulness. In some cases you can find or buy weapons, but most of the time Roll builds them for you. In most cases however you have to talk to Roll to actually change weapons, which means once you make a choice you’re stuck with it until you can get back to Roll again.

Armor Upgrades
MegaMan can get additions to his armor, such as a helmet, better body armor, and different kinds of shoes. Some of these are purchased from junk shops, and others are made by Roll.

Buster Parts
These are enhancements which increase the power, range, and firing speed of Mega Man’s built-in Buster. You can equip and unequip them at will on the subscreen, but usually you can only have two or three equipped at a time.

Others
Roll can often make weapons and items out of other parts you pick up. If you find something strange and have no idea what to use it for, it’s probably something Roll can build into something else.

TIPS AND STRATEGIES

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  • Don’t stand still! Enemies fire where MegaMan is, not where he’s going. MegaMan is a sitting duck if he remains in one place; however, by constantly being in motion, you can dodge most attacks.
  • Since the controls are not geared well toward strafing, try this instead. Just as you are rounding a corner, press the lock-on button. If there are any enemies lurking nearby, this will cause MegaMan to slide around the corner with his Buster trained on them. No more nasty surprises!
  • Search everything. These games are full of objects which will react to a search. Try searching garbage cans, soda machines, music and book racks, holes in the wall...anything! You never know what you’ll find.
  • Open treasure chests from the side, not the front (you can do this if you are close enough to the front edge and you are turned properly). This way trapped chests will not damage you. (Once you uncover a trapped chest, destroy it for refractor shards.)
  • While using the Roller Dash, press forward (up) to go faster, back to slow down, left and right to turn, and the strafe buttons to turn more sharply.

  • The Ultimate Technique: The secret to defeating enemies without losing any life is to circle them. Master this as you can use it on just about anything. Hold down one of the strafe buttons (usually L1 or R1 but depends on your button configuration) and the fire button. Use the control pad to make minute adjustments in your circle, widening or tightening it as necessary. Even without lock-on you will still land many blows on your foe as long as you can remain facing him. If you keep moving, and jump shots that do manage to come your way, you can dodge just about anything. (Note: if there isn’t enough room to circle, try jumping in place—the key is to make sure you don’t stay still where shots can find you.)