Mega Man's Soccer, named Mega Man Soccer in the American box art, known in Japan as Rockman's Soccer (ロックマンズサッカー Rokkumanzu Sakkā), is a soccer video game released by Capcom for the SNES in 1994. This is the first game in the classic Mega Man series to appear on the SNES.
Story[]
A few months had passed since the battle with Dr. Cossack in Mega Man 4.[1] One day, Mega Man, Roll, and Dr. Light are watching a game of soccer on TV, when suddenly, robots take over the field. Soccer fields all over the world were thrown into chaos! Familiar enemy robots restored by Dr. Wily were running out into the field and ruining soccer games. To deal with this emergency situation, Dr. Light modified Mega Man and sent him to make things right, saving soccer and the dreams of those who love the sport by playing soccer against Dr. Wily's robots.
Mega Man's Soccer doesn't have an ending and the player returns to the title screen after completing the game, but the game does contain an unused ending and credits sequence.[2][3] They are only accessible through a cheat device.
Ending[]
As noted above, the game had unused endings and credits sequences that were only accessible via a cheat device:
In Championship mode, Mega Man managed to confront and defeat Wily at his arena. Wily then proceeded to beg for mercy, and then fled when the lair began to collapse. Mega Man then collapsed to his feet as rubble rained down on them. Proto Man then watches the sea, and then teleports out. It then shows Wily's lair collapsing while Wily's saucer escapes into the distance. It is unknown whether Mega Man managed to escape from the lair.
In Tournament mode, Mega Man celebrates his win with Beat carrying a banner saying "You Are The Champ!" and Kalinka and Roll arriving to stand at Mega Man's place. It then shows Proto Man watching the sea and teleporting out, just as in the Championship ending.
Manga[]
Mega Man's Soccer has a one-shot, single-issue manga from the Haoh Game Special strategy guidebook for Mega Man's Soccer. It starts off exactly like it dose in the game, Dr. Wily sends to Robot Masters to take over Soccer Stadiums around the world. Dr. Light modifying Mega Man counters to this threat, so that he can protect Soccer for peace.
As Mega Man arrives at the first Stadium he encounters his opponent Skull Man, Mega Man then divided into 8 and challenges Skull Man to a game of Soccer. Upon Skull Man's defeat he was freed from Wily's control chip and regained his free will. Skull Man joined Mega Man's team, and they went on to defeat all of the other Robot Masters.
After defeating Enker, and subsequently recruited him Mega Man comes face to face with his brother Proto Man. Mega Man question's Proto Man if he is one of Dr. Wily's henchmen, with Proto Man retorting that he just came to have a match against Mega Man. The match between Mega Man and Proto Man begins, Mega Man is shocked with Proto Man's speed & his immunity to the Robot Master's shots.
An intense match ensues with the score tied 5 - 5, and with only a minute and a half left on the clock. Mega Man takes a shot at the net only for it to be caught by Proto Man, he questions if Mega Man has lost his resolve to protect peace. Mega Man responds with a winning shot through the net. Afterwards Proto Man joins Mega Man's team, and they have their face off with Dr. Wily.
Teams[]
- Mega Man (1st): Mega Man x 8
- Mega Man (2nd): Mega Man, Enker, Cut Man, Elec Man, Fire Man, Wood Man, Needle Man, Pharaoh Man, Skull Man
- Skull Man: Skull Man x8
- Proto Man: Proto Man x8
- Dr. Wily: Dr. Wily x8
Game modes[]
The game has four modes:
- Exhibition: Free play mode that allows the player to choose his team members and field.
- Capcom Championship: The story mode. Mega Man must defeat eight teams in any order, and after defeating all of them, he goes to the Wily Castle and faces Enker, Proto Man and Dr. Wily.
- Tournament: A tournament between eight teams. The winner continues to a tournament against the teams of Enker, Proto Man, and Dr. Wily.
- League: A league with eight teams.
Playable characters[]
Each Robot Master uses a special ability with the ball. Dr. Wily is only playable in Elec Man's and Dust Man's teams from League Mode.
| Players | Special | Run | Kick | Tackle | Defense | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Mega Man (Rockman) | Rock Buster Shoot | 40 | 62 | 96 | 128 | |
 |
Proto Man (Blues) | Blues Buster Shoot | 47 | 62 | 96 | 128 | |
 |
Enker | Mirror Buster Shoot | 44 | 62 | 96 | 128 | |
 |
Dr. Wily | Wily Shoot | 50 | 62 | 240 | 240 | |
| From Mega Man 1 | |||||||
 |
Bomb Man (Bomberman) | Bomb Shoot | 40 | 62 | 96 | 128 | |
 |
Cut Man | Rolling Cutter Shoot | 42 | 62 | 160 | 96 | |
 |
Elec Man | Elec Shoot | 43 | 62 | 64 | 96 | |
 |
Fire Man | Fire Shoot | 42 | 62 | 128 | 112 | |
 |
Ice Man | Ice Shoot | 48 | 62 | 48 | 48 | |
| From Mega Man 2 | |||||||
 |
Air Man | Tornado Shoot | 38 | 62 | 160 | 96 | |
 |
Bubble Man | Bubble Shoot | 40 | 62 | 96 | 128 | |
 |
Flash Man | Flash Shoot | 40 | 62 | 96 | 96 | |
 |
Wood Man | Leaf Shoot | 28 | 64 | 224 | 208 | |
| From Mega Man 3 | |||||||
 |
Gemini Man | Gemini Shoot | 48 | 62 | 96 | 96 | |
 |
Needle Man | Needle Shoot | 36 | 64 | 128 | 128 | |
 |
Snake Man | Snake Shoot | 40 | 62 | 112 | 128 | |
 |
Top Man | Top Shoot | 40 | 62 | 96 | 96 | |
| From Mega Man 4 | |||||||
 |
Dust Man | Dust Shoot | 36 | 64 | 96 | 176 | |
 |
Pharaoh Man | Pharaoh Shoot | 34 | 62 | 224 | 160 | |
 |
Skull Man | Skull Shoot | 40 | 62 | 96 | 128 | |
 |
Toad Man | Toad Shoot | 40 | 62 | 96 | 128 | |
Teams[]
| Team | Members | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Capcom Championship |
Tournament | League | |
| Mega Man | Mega Man (8x) Reserve players* |
Mega Man (8x) | Mega Man (3x) Ice Man (2x) Bubble Man (2x) Proto Man |
| Cut Man | Cut Man (8x) | Cut Man (3x) Ice Man Bubble Man Flash Man Snake Man Toad Man |
Cut Man (3x) Ice Man (2x) Bubble Man (2x) Enker |
| Fire Man | Fire Man (8x) | Fire Man (3x) Ice Man Bomb Man Air Man Gemini Man Top Man |
Fire Man (3x) Bomb Man (2x) Flash Man (2x) Enker |
| Elec Man | Elec Man (8x) | Elec Man (3x) Ice Man Bomb Man Air Man Bubble Man Flash Man |
Elec Man (3x) Gemini Man (2x) Snake Man (2x) Dr. Wily |
| Wood Man | Wood Man (8x) | Wood Man (3x) Flash Man Gemini Man Top Man Snake Man Toad Man |
Wood Man (3x) Air Man (2x) Gemini Man (2x) Enker |
| Needle Man | Needle Man (8x) | Needle Man (3x) Air Man Gemini Man Top Man Snake Man Toad Man |
Needle Man (3x) Top Man (2x) Toad Man (2x) Proto Man |
| Pharaoh Man | Pharaoh Man (8x) | Pharaoh Man (3x) Ice Man Bomb Man Bubble Man Flash Man Snake Man |
Pharaoh Man (3x) Gemini Man (2x) Toad Man (2x) Enker |
| Dust Man | Dust Man (8x) | Dust Man (3x) Bomb Man Air Man Gemini Man Top Man Toad Man |
Dust Man (3x) Air Man (2x) Snake Man (2x) Dr. Wily |
| Skull Man | Skull Man (8x) | Skull Man (3x) Ice Man Bomb Man Air Man Bubble Man Gemini Man |
Skull Man (3x) Bomb Man (2x) Flash Man (2x) Proto Man |
| Enker | Enker (8x) | Enker (3x) Bubble Man Flash Man Gemini Man Top Man Snake Man |
--- |
| Proto Man | Proto Man (8x) | Proto Man (3x) Ice Man Air Man Bubble Man Top Man Snake Man |
--- |
| Wily | Dr. Wily (8x) | Wily (3x) Ice Man Bomb Man Flash Man Gemini Man Toad Man |
--- |
*One member from each team defeated by Mega Man in Capcom Championship joins his team, having a total of 10 reserve players in the last field.
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
Video[]
Other appearances[]
Two of the strips based off of Mega Man's Soccer by Hitoshi Ariga.
Mega Man's Soccer was adapted in a series of short strips by Hitoshi Ariga in Comic BomBom, which was later reprinted in Rockman 4Koma Dai Koushin, Mega Man Megamix and Mega Man Maniax. Rockman 4Koma Dai Koushin also had Mega Man's Soccer strips by Kazuhiko Midō and Akihiro Tomonaga.
While the game itself was not covered in Archie Comics' Mega Man comic series before the series went on hiatus, Ian Flynn has stated that he had a plan for Mega Man's Soccer.[4] It was however referenced in Mega Man #23, where one of the swarming reporters questioned about a potential Soccer Endorsement Deal for Mega Man.
Trivia[]
Early sketch from Rockman's Soccer cover.
- The game was released the same year as the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
- An early sketch from Rockman's Soccer shows that Guts Man was once planned for the game. He was replaced with Proto Man on the cover art. Heat Man, Hard Man, and Drill Man were also planned to appear in the game.[5]
- The Japanese version of this game is the only instance of Bomb Man being referred to as "Bomberman" within a game. Bomb Man's Japanese name is literally translated as "Bomberman", though he is still commonly referred to as "Bomb Man" in Japan.
- This game marks the only time that a Mega Man Killer (Enker) would appear as a playable character, and the only time one would appear as a character outside of the Game Boy series until Mega Man 10. Enker would also appear as a card in Rockboard, and all Mega Man Killers appear as Data CDs in Mega Man & Bass.
- The password and stage select screens have similar music to the same screens in Mega Man 5. The screen after selecting a stage where it shows the robot master also has similar music to the same type of screen in Mega Man 5.
- As goal keepers, some characters have immunity against some s.shoots. The strongest of them all, Dr. Wily, is able to catch all kinds of them, except another Dr. Wily's. As outfield players, anybody will get knocked down by any s.shoots. This is not relevant to TAC and DIF values.
- Shadow Man and Beat make cameo appearance in some fields. Many other minor villains, such as Mets, Sniper Joes, Hammer Joes and Crazy Razy, are also found outside different fields.
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The original screenshot.
The green line (where the goal line lies) is not parallel with the red lines.
- Design flaws:
- Some methods to score are too easy. In fact, they may be bugs. Example 1: reach the lower part of the goal line of the opponent's side (from just outside the goal area to the corner). While holding the left or right button(depending on which side you are on), shoot. A computer-controlled goal keeper will always miss it. Example 2: Give an s.shoot with your goal keeper; if no outfield players get hit(at formation select, some choices will help a lot), and the goal keeper is not one who is immune to the particular s.shoot used, you will score (the goal keeper gets knocked down, letting the ball go beyond it a bit).
- The field is trapezoidal, not rectangular. (The screenshot on the right explains it.) This means, for example, corner kicks from the top cause effects which are not the same as the ones from the bottom. The different angles are the cause.
- An ending and a credits sequences may be unlocked by cheat codes, but not by playing normally. In some games modes, Dr. Wily may be chosen by cheat codes only. More data can be found in the main body of this page.
- Translation is inconsistent in the English versions. Megaman, Rock, Blues, Protoman, Bomberman, Bomb, etc coexist. Elsewhere, some belong to the English versions, some Japanese versions.
- During a penalty shoot-out, computer-controlled players usually choose the default direction or position, either as a penalty shooter or as a goal keeper.
External links[]
- Mega Man's Soccer on the Mega Man Fanon wiki.
References[]
- ↑ Mega Man Official Complete Works. Udon Entertainment. January 6, 2010. p. 83.
- ↑ The Cutting Room Floor: Mega Man's Soccer
- ↑ Mega Man's Soccer ending in YouTube
- ↑ The Mega Man Network: TMMN Interviews Archie Mega Man Scribe Ian Flynn
- ↑ Weekly Famicom Tsūshin #250 (October 1993) page 190.