Virus Busting

Virus Busting is the deleting of computer viruses in the MegaMan Battle Network series and EM Viruses in the MegaMan Star Force'' series. ''

In the Battle Network series
NetNavis have abilities to fight viruses in battles to defeat them. Battle Chips equip NetNavis with various weapons and defenses to help them defeat viruses. Deleting virus groups will reward players with Zenny or a Battle Chip given from one of the viruses, depending on the Busting rank earned.

Battlefields are 3X6 paneled (18 panels) areas divided into two sections; a red side on the left for the player and a blue side on the right for opponents. Either side's movement area can be modified by the use of the Area Grab or Panel Grab chips. In certain virus battles, obstacles and different Terrain Panels may appear on the battlefield, which may prove detrimental to unprepared players.

From MegaMan Battle Network 4 onwards, Mystery Data may appear in the battlefield itself. This data is very fragile, and shatters even when hit by a single Buster shot. However, if the player finishes the battle with the Data intact, they will obtain either BugFrags, large Zenny amounts, or rare Battle Chips.

In the Star Force series
Deleting virus groups will reward players with Zenny or a Battle Card given from one of the viruses, depending on the Busting rank earned.

Battlefields are similar to the Battle Network series, except that they are now rendered in 3D, with the player viewing combat from behind Mega Man. The battlefield consist of a 3x5 paneled area, once again divided into player and enemy areas, but with the players section drastically reduced to one row (Mega Man must either block or dodge oncoming attacks by moving to another panel to the left or right of himself), giving enemies full use of the remaining four. Area Eater Battle Cards are used to reduce the enemy's movement area, bringing them closer for easier use of close-range attacks.

From Mega Man Star Force 2 onwards, a Mr. Hertz may appear in-battle. Just like in-battle Mystery Data, Mr. Hertzes disappear when hit by a single Buster shot. If the player finishes the battle with them intact, they are rescued. Hertzes in Star Force 2 reward the player with Ability Waves, while Hertzes in Star Force 3 are collectible, and are traded at Mr. Hertz Square for Ability Waves.

Busting Rank
Busting Rank determines the rewards reaped during battle. High Busting Ranks often reward rarer Battle Cards/Chips, or higher Zenny amounts compared to lower Busting Ranks. Sometimes, finishing a battle with low HP will instead change the reward to a HP recovery (seen in Battle Network 2 and later because HP is completely recovered in the original Battle Network after a fight). Using certain items, like the Collect Navi Customizer Program or the Zenny Finder Equipment will forcibly change the reward to a Battle Card/Chip or Zenny regardless of Busting Rank. What kind of Battle Card or how much Zenny obtained is still dependent on the Rank, though.

Busting Rank goes from a scale of 1 to 10, with the highest rank of S for spectacularly swift deletions. Busting Rank is determined by several factors as a sum of points based on performance and actions. Those factors are: Delete Time, Number of Hits received by MegaMan, Movement, and Multiple Deletion. Battle Network 6 introduces two new factors, being Counter Hits and Crosses. Earning 11 points or more, based on the following tables, will achieve the S Ranking.
 * It should be noted that in Battle Network 6, the point values toward Virus Deletion are all lowered by 1, likely to account for the added factor of Counter Hits which can easily bump up the player's score.

The following Busting Rank factors are only present in Battle Network 6. While the Counter Hit system, which has been present since earlier games, did not affect ranking, it positively impacts rank in BN6. Crosses, a system introduced in BN6, negatively impact Busting Rank when used.

(all found in the Brady Games Offical Strategy Guides)

Against bosses, Busting Rank is important as it allows the player to earn the strongest versions of their Battle Cards or Chips. Assuming that the player did not flinch during the entire battle, S ranks against bosses are obtained for deletion times under 30 seconds - obtaining such a rank is required to get their strongest Battle Cards or Chips.

In MegaMan Battle Network 3, deleting viruses or bosses via a counterattack adds a star to the Busting Rank. These stars determine how many additional BugFrags the player obtains after the battle. In virus battles, up to 3 stars can be obtained - one for each countered virus - rewarding 1, 3, and 8 BugFrags respectively. In boss battles, only one star can be obtained, but it rewards a massive 10 BugFrags.