Mega Man Battle Network (video game)

Mega Man Battle Network, known as Battle Network Rockman EXE (バトルネットワーク ロックマンエグゼ) in Japan, is the first game in the Mega Man Battle Network series released for the Game Boy Advance. The game takes place in the 21st century in an alternate timeline from the original timeline, and follows Lan Hikari and his NetNavi MegaMan.EXE as they fight to stop the crime syndicate WWW.

Due to it’s popularity, it was followed by five mainline sequels as well as several side stories and a spin-off.

Story elements of the the first game as well as the second and third games were loosely adapted for the first season of the Japanese animated series MegaMan NT Warrior, which followed the year after.

Introduction
Direct from the instructional booklet

In 200X the rapid advance of Internet technology has created the "network age." Everyone now carries a portable exploration device called "PET". This personal terminal is an advanced personal digital assistant. Using it, you can make phone calls, send and receive emails, keep a calendar, store data, shop online and check news from around the world. PET is so convenient and helpful that it has become essential for everyday life!

Every PET uses a personality simulation program called NetNavi (Internet Navigator). By customizing the PET's NetNavi program, the user can give the NetNavi a unique personality - and even talk to it.

But as the network world expands, network crime is raging. Hacking and computer virus epidemics have become major issues. At the top of the criminal list is a mysterious organization called "WWW" (World Three), a group of incorrigible computer hooligans.

To protect their computers, people have begun installing Battle Chips - special chips encoded with battle programs. When a Battle Chip is inserted in the PET, the operator can arm the Navi to fight off viruses and the Navis from hackers. This is called "virus busting" and has become so important that is now taught in schools.

In the world of virus busting. Lan and MegaMan.EXE are about to meet their match...

Characters

 * Lan Hikari is the 11 year old, somewhat headstrong operator of MegaMan and the hero of the series. Lan lives in DenTech City along with his group of friends, Dex, Mayl and Yai. He is a 5th grader at DenTech Academy. He is a somewhat bright and popular kid but does not enjoy studying or placing much effort into any class other than Virus Busting. He is rather scatterbrained and has quite a temper. Lan, along with MegaMan, is challenged to save the world from the net mafia WWW.
 * MegaMan.EXE is the main character of the Mega Man Battle Network series, MegaMan is Lan's NetNavi. He is a non-elemental NetNavi with keen intellect and strong process abilities. He and Lan have a strong bond and make a powerful net battling team.


 * Dex Oyama is described as a bully in the opening of the story but quickly becomes friends with Lan. He isn't very intelligent but has a great heart, refusing to stay in someone's debt. His NetNavi is GutsMan.
 * GutsMan.EXE is Dex's strong NetNavi. His large size, strength, and lack of intelligence is a great reflection of his operator's personality. GutsMan favors brawns over brain and can be quick to attack. He and MegaMan become friendly rivals during the game.


 * Mayl Sakurai is Lan's neighbor and childhood friend. She is very neat and organized and is always looking after Lan, especially for his school work. Her crush on Lan is apparent, but Lan is too "dense" to see. Mayl's NetNavi is Roll.
 * Roll is Mayl's NetNavi and is one of the few female Navis in the series. She isn't the fighting type but is still a great fighter. The romantic relationship between her and MegaMan is much more apparent between them than it is between their operators.


 * Yai Ayanokoji is a new student during the beginning of the game and is top of the class. She is so smart that she is in the same grade as Lan and his friends, but she is about 2 years younger. She is the daughter of a very rich family and can act snobbish at times. Her NetNavi, Glyde, has a butler based personality.
 * Glyde is Yai's NetNavi and her loyal subject. His role in the game isn't very prominent but is nevertheless a friend of MegaMan.

Story
In 20XX, the human race is in the "network age". Everyone has a PET (Personal Exploration Terminal), an all-in-one device which has replaced cellular phones enabling email, phone calls, calendar, data storage, shopping and news access. It is essential to everyday life. Many everyday items are now networked together. Because of this, NetCrime has increased to exploit the vulnerabilities of the new highly networked societies either through hacking or using viruses. One such NetCrime group known as the WWW (World Three) is responsible for multiple serious NetCrime incidents.

Lan Hikari, and MegaMan are drawn into these ACDC incidents starting with oven malfunctioning incidents caused by WWW operator Mr. Match in his own home and an attack by Higsby at ACDC Elementary School. But primarily, an attack on the WaterWorks by Dr. Froid and the subsequent involvement of rival and official NetBattler Eugene Chaud, inevitably pit Lan and MegaMan against the World Three. These crimes however are the beginnings of a plot known as "EndGame", by NetCrime syndicate the WWW, led by Lord Wily to steal the four elemental super programs in order to generate the Life Virus to delete net society and plunge the world into chaos. Despite Lan and MegaMan's efforts, the World Three manage to obtain all the programs to generate the virus. The Virus itself is prepared to be launched in a hacking missile to infect vulnerable military satellites and their networks around the world.

It is revealed the this plot is revenge on the Hikari family, because of Lan's grandfather Tadashi Hikari. Thirty years prior, both Dr. Hikari and Dr. Wily were working on government projects in order to win an international competition. At Hikari's laboratory, Tadashi worked on networks and NetNavis whilst Lord Wily focused on developing Robotics. One day, the government cut funding to Robotics in favor of further developing network technology. Wily left Hikari's lab and pursued NetCrime from a secret laboratory in the mountains. WWW agents were able to infiltrate ACDC Town through a hidden subway underneath ACDC Elementary School. During a final bout with MagicMan, MegaMan is severely injured. It is revealed that MegaMan contains the human DNA of Lan's twin brother, Hub, who passed away when he was very young. In order to revive him, Lan's father gives him the Hub.BAT program to sync Lan's DNA with Hub's, his monozygotic identical twin. Hub.BAT removed the 0.001% difference in DNA, making MegaMan's code 100% in sync with Lan's DNA, meaning that any damage to Hub would also damage Lan. With the Hub.BAT, MegaMan is able to fight and defeat the Life Virus.

Bosses
The game has eight bosses, each of which is a NetNavi operated by a WWW member, and a final boss. GutsMan.EXE and ProtoMan.EXE are in-between bosses and their operators are not WWW members.


 * 1) FireMan.EXE (operated by Mr. Match)
 * 2) NumberMan.EXE (operated by Mr. Higsby)
 * 3) *GutsMan.EXE (operated by Dex)
 * 4) StoneMan.EXE (solo NetNavi)
 * 5) IceMan.EXE (operated by Dr. Froid)
 * 6) ColorMan.EXE (operated by Ms. Madd)
 * 7) ElecMan.EXE (operated by Count Zap)
 * 8) *ProtoMan.EXE (operated by Chaud)
 * 9) BombMan.EXE (solo NetNavi)
 * 10) MagicMan.EXE (operated by Yahoot)
 * 11) Life Virus

Optional NetNavis:
 * WoodMan.EXE (operated by Sal)
 * SkullMan.EXE (operated by Miyu)
 * SharkMan.EXE (operated by Masa)

Hidden/Secret NetNavis:
 * PharaohMan.EXE
 * ShadowMan.EXE
 * Bass.EXE

Trivia

 * As stated in an Inside Games interview with the game developers, the game was initially conceptualized with the intention of being a horror game.
 * During development, the game was considered to be released in three versions. The first two versions would feature twins that had the temporary names Seimai Kazama and Roudou Kazama, having the same story but from the point of view from each. The main weapon from their MegaMan would be different, Seimai's being a buster and Roudou's a blade. The third version was planned to be released alongside an anime, allowing players to use the anime's main character, Netto Hikari. Other changes include WWW being originally named WWPO, and Roll being the Navi from a character with the temporary name Mike Kenen, a rival who would give Roll to Mayl and later use Bass as his Navi.


 * The games box shows MegaMan.EXE with green eyes, but his mugshot in-game has blue eyes.
 * All of the original six Robot Masters (except for Cut Man) have NetNavi counterparts in this game.
 * There are several references to the Mega Man Legends series in the game, including a Servbot doll in Mayl's room,, and Joe in a building.
 * This is the only game where MegaMan.EXE's buster can be charged to two different levels.
 * This is also the only game where MegaMan.EXE can actually make an opponent NetNavi flinch (if his buster is at high enough upgrade level).