Now we've been with the Battle Network series since the beginning. We marveled at the original action RPG, wept alongside you all when playing the mediocre Battle Chip Challenge, and we'll be with you again as Lan and Mega explore a whole new world. In Mega Man Battle Network 6, players will follow Lan to Cyber City. With his father accepting a new job in a new city, Lan and Mega will explore a whole new world filled with new enemies and allies. The battles are a whole lot rougher, but Mega Man and company have the necessary firepower for the occasion.
In an age long forgotten, two ancient creatures battled for dominance over the net. These creatures, Gregar and Falzar, battled each other with such force that the actual landscape of the net changed forever. As luck would have it, these creatures have laid dormant in the net for years, only to be discovered by Lan. Depending on which version of the game you chose, Lan will begin with one of the creatures dormant in Mega Man's program. The Cybeasts, as you will learn, are quite the ally.
Aside from a new town, Mega Man has all new abilities at his disposal. A new "Cross" system has been added to the mix, allowing Mega Man to use the ability of allies during battle. The more Navis Mega Man encounters, the more Cross abilities at his disposal. In addition to the Cross attack, Mega Man can also use a technique called "Beast Out," which combines the power of his Cybeast to increase power, speed and effectiveness during battle. The Beast Out attack can result in numerous status upgrades for a short amount of time, such as a boost in firing rate, improved Buster power and enhanced battle chip results.
While the Beast Out ability will undoubtedly aid Mega during sticky situations, abuse of this technique will result in a new mode for Mega Man, known as "Beast Over." During this state, Mega Man will become enraged, gaining even more firepower and strength. The power is short-lived, however, and if Mega Man doesn't dispose of his enemies quick enough he'll be left weak and defenseless after his attacks. In addition to the massive amount of new techniques, any number of these moves can be used simultaneously, so it's possible to load Mega Man with a Cross battle chip, unleash the Beast Out ability, and then overdrive into Beast Over mode for an insane amount of power. Confused yet? Don't be. When it boils down to it, this just means a ton more firepower for Mega Man, and an immense amount of depth in gameplay.
Lan and Mega may be in a whole new world teamed with all new weaponry and abilities, but we assure you we're not done yet. Capcom has pulled out the stops with both Gregar and Falzar versions, offering a ton of exclusive content found only in respective products. Each version of the game has five different Link Navis to aid Mega Man, for a total of 10 in all. In addition, the Cross and Beast Out abilities change based on which Cybeast is used, so strategy may differ during battle. Not only will Mega Man's arsenal change, but each version of Battle Network 6 offers different enemies with unique battle strategies. New weapons and new adversaries means a distinct difference in gameplay. Players won't have to spring for each version if they grab a friend, however, as Capcom has included a trade system between versions. It'll take a huge amount of co-op between players to achieve 100% completion, But version-specific battle chips may be exactly what you need to turn the tide of battle in the single player adventure.
We'll have more on Mega Man Battle Network 6: Cybeast Gregar and Mega Man Battle Network 6: Cybeast Falzar as we near E3. Look for a complete hands-on feature in the near future. Both versions of Mega Man Battle Network 6 will hit stores in Q2 of this year.
