Handy



Handy is a virus in the MegaMan Battle Network series that is a floating, but deceptive, mechanical arm, appearing rather frequently throughout the game installments.

Handies do not physically attack, but rather, wait motionless for a few seconds, after which, use wormholes to move onto MegaMan's field and plant a Timebomb. The Timebomb detonates in three seconds, sending a blast wave down the panels. It can be destroyed beforehand with quick effort. In the first Battle Network game, the wave hits columns one at a time, but grows smarter in the following game, insantly hitting all panels. Handies quickly retreat back after the Timebomb is set, prone to avoid attack by shifting randomly across their own panels to the back. Timebomb series of Battle Chips can be obtained with Handies. In MegaMan Battle Network 2, Timebomb chips become capable of triggering a Program Advance, Timebomb+.

Handies appear in the first two Battle Network games as normal enemies. In the third came, Handies have been temporarily wiped out and don't appear, but the Timebomb chip itself appears as a collectible. As such, likewise with other viruses that die out, the picture of the Handy is blacked out and monochromatic. The Timebomb chip is completely absent in the fourth game, but Handies still resurface in the fifth and sixth games. It is the only enemy virus to ever reappear after the blacked-out status, unlike virus like Minelayer that appear only in the first game and never show up again beyond permanently blacked-out chips.