HardHead

HardHead is a virus from the Mega Man Battle Network series. It resembles a cannon with an armored head oddly similar to Pac Man, and does not move from its position. When it is closed, it has a guard status. In the first Battle Network game, HardHead becomes invulnerable to all attacks in this state, but the introduction of guard-breaking chips in Mega Man Battle Network 2 makes it possible to do damage while it's closed in later games. Before attacking, HardHead's head will wobble, and then its mouth will snap open and reveal a cannon in its throat. HardHead will shoot a cannonball out in a puff of smoke and aim the shot toward its target. When the cannonballs land, they break panels. In Mega Man Battle Network 3, HotHead's cannonball turns the panel it lands on into a lava panel and ColdHeads's cannonball leaves the panel it lands on frozen. The viruses have died off by the events of Mega Man Battle Network 4, but the HardHead's attack is available in the form of a Retro chip, "Ball," which is part of the standard arsenal of a HeelNavi. The chip returns in the last two game installments, once again named '''"Cannonball."  In the second game, three Cannoball chips with different letters in alphabetical order (an asterisk "*"  chip can replace one letter) will activate the hidden Program Advance Zeta Cannon Ball'''. By having all five chips in tow (O, P, Q, R, & S,), the player can initiate the even tougher Omega Cannon Ball advance.

The third game adds the ability to counter viruses to gameplay features. In order to counter a HardHead, it has to be defeated at or very close to the moment when a hoop of smoke is coming out its mouth.

HardHead
HardHeads are quiet, dull grey viruses when closed, with a guard that won't drop until they attack.

Any attack that cannot break their guard will bounce off their armored shells. Their heads shake just before they spring to life, and then open, turning red with glaring yellow eyes. HardHeads drop their guard and launch one cannonball, aimed directly at the panel MegaMan is standing on, then clamp shut and revert to guard status once more. The cannonball attack will destroy the panel it hits. In Battle Network 2 and 3, the attack gains Guard-breaker status and can punch through MegaMan's defenses if he tries using a shield or Guard chip. In the first game, they drop the "Howitzer" Battle Chip (a type of war cannon). In the second and third games, the chip is renamed "Cannonball."

HardHead2/HotHead
HardHead2s are similar to the initial HardHead, but gold-colored when closed.

When open, they become the same tell-tale angry red that indicates their attack. However, HardHead2 has a much faster firing rate and shorter rest period between attacks. They only appear during storyline battle events of the first two Battle Network games.

In Mega Man Battle Network 3, this virus becomes a normal enemy and evolves into the more fearsome HotHead. Unlike before, HotHead can shoot cannonballs at a frightening pace, and has gained Fire element attributes. Its cannoballs no longer destroy panels, but change them into dangerous Lava panels on impact. They can be found by jacking into the doorway of SciLab's main computer terminal, and then using the NaviCust program "HotBody" to lure them out of hiding. The drop the unique "Lavaball" chip when defeated. Bizarrely, HotHead's firing rate has grown faster than the relatively stronger ColdHead.

HardHead3/ColdHead
HardHead3s also share similarities to HardHead1, but these sport light-blue colors when closed.

When open, they become red. HardHead3s have the fastest firing rate of the HardHead breeds in the first Battle Network game. Like HardHead2, these viruses only appear in storyline-related battles. In the second game, HardHead 3 can be fought outside such a battle, but it rarely appears- always beside the game's most elusive virus, the Lavagon, and even then only drops Zennys upon defeat, or the player recieves LavaDragon by beating Lavagon. In Mega Man Battle Network 3, this virus breed morphs into ColdHead, an Aqua-element virus that shoots cannonballs with the power to change panels to Ice. Bizarrely, ColdHead's firing rate has grown slower than the relatively weaker HotHead. They can be found by using the "Fish" NaviCust program in the most unlikely of locations, Hades Isle Computer, an area dominated by Fire viruses. When defeated, the drop the rare Battle Chip "Iceball," a chip crucial to the story- a sickly Mamoru wishes to have it. Later, these viruses show up as normal enemies in Secret Area 1, the post-storyline section of the game.

HardHeadΩ
HardHeadΩs are forest green when closed. As opposed to turning red with yellow eyes like the other HardHeads, when these open their mouths, they become blue and have chilling red eyes. HardHeadΩ is the absolute strongest form of HardHead, with a beastly amount of HP and terrifying attack speed and power. Much unlike its normal counterparts, it barely rests in between cannon blasts and can pockmark MegaMan's side of the field in mere moments. HardHeadΩs appear only during battles against the sealed stone tablets in the Secret Area, the scavenger hunt sidequest, and the 5-wave battles against Omega viruses before confronting select Omega Navis.