Mega Man Battle Network 3
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| MegaMan Battle Network 3 Blue and White Versions | |
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| Developer(s) | Capcom Production Studio 2 |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom |
| Designer(s) | Keiji Inafune |
| Release date(s) | June 24, 2003 (NA), July 4, 2003 (EU), December 6, 2002 (JP), March 28, 2003 (JP) |
| Genre(s) | Action RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player, Multiplayer |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Media | Cartridge |
MegaMan Battle Network 3 is the third game in the MegaMan Battle Network series. Following the success of Pokémon, Battle Network 3 was released in two versions: White and Blue for English release. Each version had slightly different Battle Chips (largely from the different way chips are organized), as well as slightly different sidequests. Because of the release coinciding with the 15th anniversary of Mega Man, and the fact that MegaMan.EXE (rather than the classic Mega Man) is featured in the 15th anniversary logo, this game is often touted as the premier game that showcased 15 years of Mega Man, despite Battle Network being not very representative of the series.
While in North America and Europe, two complementary versions of the game - Blue and White - exist, marketed simultaneously, this was not the case in Japan. Blue, originally called Black, was actually an enhanced version of White, containing bugfixes, new areas, optional bosses, and other improvements, and was released some months after the original (which had no color subtitle).
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[edit] Story
With Sean Obihiro (Shun Obihiro in the Japanese version), the so-called head of Gospel, having befriended Lan Hikari (Netto Hikari in the Japanese version), the netmafia organization known as Gospel began to fade into obscurity. However, it was revealed that Sean was manipulated into forming Gospel, and the man who manipulated Sean was none other than Dr. Wily and his organization, the newly resurrected WWW (World Three).What is Dr. Willy up to this time, and what will Lan and MegaMan do in order to stop him?
Wily's plan this time is to resurrect Alpha (Proto in the Japanese Version), the program that was, in fact, the beginning of the new, advanced internet that went haywire, causing destruction and mayhem in electronic devices connected to the internet until it was finally taken off-line. Alpha's data was then locked inside a special, sealed container behind several high-powered barriers in the SciLab area of the internet, presumably too strong to be annihilated. To unlock the super-powerful barriers, Wily requires four "TetraCodes", complex password programs that, when brought together, will allow access to Alpha's container. The "TetraCodes" are found in various, unsuspicious places like a Zoo computer, a Principal's computer at ACDC elementary, or a hospital server. The hosts of the program never have any idea that the Tetracodes were there: They were presumably placed in these areas by the government precisely because of their unsuspectful nature. (It has long been a question as to just why there was no TetraCode required to open the gate in an official-protected area in addition to the unprotected, hidden areas. Some suspect that after the Alpha incident the government, becoming embroiled in other issues or becoming overconfident, or perhaps even a combination of the two, never bothered with forming a fifth TetraCode and placing it under official protection.)
MegaMan.exe and Lan battle the resurrected WWW in all of the four locations, having an obvious penchant for being in the wrong (or perhaps right) place at the wrong (or again, perhaps right) time. They have no idea exactly what these "TetraCodes" the WWW operators keep mentioning are until Wily manages to gather all four, and prepare to release Alpha. Lan's father then reveals the story of Alpha and the TetraCodes, and Lan and MegaMan set out to stop Wily before the internet and by extension perhaps even the world itself is ruined.
Wily previously somehow managed to convince Bass (Forte), a super-powerful, evil NetNavi created by the officials and Dr. Cossack, who was blamed for an incident Alpha caused and is out for revenge on his creators, to help him destroy the protection program keeping Alpha's program from executing. Bass uses his earthbreaker move to destroy the program. Megaman shows up, battles Bass, and emerges victorious. Unfortunately, it didn't stop what Bass did to the protection program placed on Alpha. Alpha is unleashed, and Wily is triumphant, until an instant later, Alpha engulfs his digital self and devours him along with Bass. Wily was unable to control Alpha, as no living or digital thing can possibly control Alpha, as it is a version of the internet itself. Alpha turns himself loose upon the internet, sprouting fragments of his coding and sending them to different parts of the net. Alpha, in his insatiable quest for energy, begins draining energy out of the Navis, programs, viruses, and the internet itself. Any device connected to the internet goes haywire almost immediately. Army vehicles start attacking civilians and general havoc rains upon the human population. If Lan and MegaMan.exe do not stop Alpha, the internet will be subsumed and, seemingly too, the real world.
Lan uses a device to send his consciousness into the internet along with MegaMan. MegaMan and Lan use a technique called "full synchro" to become one entity, coexisting in the same Navi. MegaMan supposedly gains much more power, as well as the combined strength and intelligence of his operator and MegaMan himself.
After a tense battle, MegaMan and Lan, together in one body and one mind, defeat Alpha. As Alpha's core programming is deleted, a gateway opens and MegaMan and Lan walk through and enter the only area Alpha never had any access to. Inside, they find an old laboratory, and a hologram of Lan and MegaMan's grandfather, which turns out to be a digital imprint of his personality, intelligence, and knowledge. After sharing more of the history of Alpha and saying he is proud of his grandsons, he gives them a note to bring back to Lan's father. With that, Alpha, who has been in the process of deletion throughout this time, begins to collapse, and so, by extension, does the network around it. MegaMan and Lan race for the exit, but just a few paces from it, a still-living piece of Alpha rises up and engulfs the pair. The Full Synchro ends as MegaMan and Lan are sucked in. Slowly, they start to be absorbed into Alpha. MegaMan realizes that if he overloads the last of his power, he can generate enough energy release Lan, but MegaMan will not survive. Lan tries to stop him, but MegaMan refuses to let them both die. After a few tearful words of farewell, MegaMan overloads, and Lan is blasted out of Alpha's inner programming and back to his body with a lingering cry of "MEGAMAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!!"
The base's power source is presumably affected by the network crash, as the fortress destabilizes and begins to explode. Lan tries to go back, but his friends manage to talk some reason into him. Lan, still torn, boards the ferry with his friend and sails away as the fortress explodes and sinks to its final resting place on the ocean floor. The internet, and perhaps even the world, is saved, but at what cost?
Lan is depressed in the months that follow. He refuses to get another NetNavi, preferring to remember the times he had with MegaMan. Grade 6 approaches, and Lan requires a Navi for school. The day before he is forced to receive his new Navi, Lan goes to the Beach Street dock, where he has come to look out over the oceans and speak to MegaMan for the past months. There, in his last, final goodbye, he says the words he knows he will never be able to say again: "Jack in, MegaMan, execute!"
Lan's father returns that night as Lan sleeps, after a long data-salvage operation of Alpha's remains from the WWW server's fragments. He was also decoding the data his father (Lan's grandfather) gave him, and gained access into a special area. He tells Lan's mother about the salvage operation, and tells her that they were able to recover more than they expected. He says he has Lan's new NetNavi with him. Lan's mother asks him if he thinks Lan will like the new Navi.
Lan's father then replies: "Oh, I think he'll like it."
The next morning, when Lan awakes, he is greeted by a familiar voice telling him to get up, emanating from his PET. On the PET is an even more familiar face. Lan thinks it is a dream, but it is not: MegaMan is back! Lan's father and a team of officials were able to save MegaMan's data from the remains of Alpha. It seems that Lan will get to say the words he thought he'd never say any more just a scant day ago again after all.
[edit] Gameplay
The gameplay in Battle Network 3 is similar to that of its predecessors, with no graphical enhancements and minor gameplay changes. Gone are the PowerUps that were to be collected to improve the MegaBuster - instead the Navi Customizer is added, allowing abilities to be added on with certain rules as to how these abilities can be added with respect to each other.
BattleChips in this game were also recategorized into three major categories, and would remain this way for the remainder of the series: Standard (white chips), Mega (blue chips), and Giga (pink) class chips. Each game had its own set of Giga chips, which could not be traded to the other version (although Standard and Mega chips could be found on both versions). There are also limits on how many Mega and Giga Chips that could be placed in a folder (By default, the limit is five Mega chips (and only one of each kind) and one Giga chip (it is not possible to have more than one of any Giga chip), but that limit could be changed through the Navi Customizer). The only limitation with Standard chips is that no more than four of the same kind can be in a folder, even if the letter codes are different.
Each version of the game has a separate Contest Navi: BowlMan for Blue/Black, and MistMan for White. Blue also includes another navi, Punk, that could be challenged from time to time. Punk's chip was only available as part of a special promotion in Japan. However, it can be attained via a cheat device. White, on the other hand, has its own navi that could be challenged from time to time and is MetalMan.
Also, like in Battle Network 2, the player can earn stars (now up to seven) on the title screen for completing the following tasks:
Yellow: Defeat Alpha (main story mode)
Green: Defeat Bass GS
Cyan: Complete Time Trials in the Secret Area
Blue: Collect all 200 Standard chips
Violet: Collect all 85 Mega chips
Red: Defeat all fifteen Omega Navis (and get their V5 Giga chip after each one is defeated)
Orange: Perform all 32 Program Advances
[edit] Multiplayer
Multiplayer is accessible from the Comm option on the Main Menu. Multiplayer, also called Netbattling, allows two players to fight head to head with their respective Megaman.exes. When you enter the Multiplayer screen, the player can choose from Netbattling, Trading Chips, and Comparing Libraries.
[edit] Netbattling
By choosing this option from the Comm. menu, you are given two options again: Practice and Real. Practice allows two players to battle with no risk of losing chips, and does not count against your Win/Loss record. In Real, the losing player in a Netbattle forfeits a chip randomly chosen from their chip pack. Real matches count for win/loss records. There is a special Giga-Chip that is attained in this fashion (DeltaRayEdge Z for Blue, Balance Y for White), which has a 1/32 chance of happening instead of the winning player acquiring the other player's chip. For these chips to be attained, one player MUST be playing Blue and you must be battling in mideweight, real. After choosing Practice/Real, players can choose Lightweight, Midweight, and Heavyweight. Lightweight allows players to battle on a level field, with no negative panels on either side. Midweight may give certain obstacles on either player's side of the field, such as Rockcubes and plain Rocks. Panels may also be cracked or broken. Heavyweight is guaranteed to have negative panels on both sides, and some matches contain rapidly replenishing Guardians, which deal 200 damage (400 on ice or to aqua style, 800 to an aqua style on ice) to a player who hits them. This multiplayer is considered to be very deep to fans, due to the number of possible folders and styles that players could have.
[edit] Trading Chips
From this menu, players simply trade Battle Chips with other players. No Giga Chip can be traded. Trading is required to attain all seven stars in the game, due to the lack of Mistman in blue version and Bowlman in white version.
[edit] Comparing Libraries
From here, Megaman scans both player's libraries. If one player has a Battle Chip that the other player does not, the other player shall attain a blank spot in the library that represents that chip. From here, the player can buy that Chip from Higsby's shop in ACDC Town after the defeat of Beastman; using the Order System. Giga Chips cannot be bought from Higsby's Shop.
[edit] Battle Chips
Battle Network 3 introduces further classification of Battle Chips by splitting them into three categories: Standard, Mega and Giga. 200 chips fall under the category of Standard Chips, which retain the old limit of 30 per folder. However, Mega and Giga chips are limited, allowing only five Mega chips (and only one of each kind) and one Giga chip to be placed in a particular folder. There are certain types of programs (see Navi Customizer) that can boost this amount, though. There are 200 Standard Chips, 85 Mega Chips, and 25 Giga in all. There are five unique giga chips in each version. In the Undernet there is a secret BugFrag dealer. In Blue, he sells Folder Back, which returns all chips, including used and Folder Back itself, to the folder and randomizes it. In the White version, the chip is Navi Recycle, which reuses the last used Navi Chip. There are also Program advances which are a combination of 3 or 4 chips. like the element sword first you get all of the elemental swords and put them in this order fire, water, elec., and wood. after this is completed a very powerful sword will take place of your chips.
[edit] Navi Customizer
This revolutionary device, invented by Dr. Hikari, (Lan's father) allows you to customize Megaman in new ways, such as improving his megabuster's speed, attack, and charge force, and in other ways, such as allowing him new Mega and Giga chips, granting him shielding powers, etc. The Navi Customizer, when first used, looks something like a grid, with two lines running horizontally through the middle. It is somewhat small, but it's space can be extended via items found in certain places throughout the game. Programs, which are what are used to improve Megamans abilities, come in three primary colors, Yellow, White, and Pink, and various secondary colors, such as red, green, blue, etc. They are in the rough form of puzzle pieces. The bigger the piece, the better the effect.
Naturally, the device is quickly taken apart and hacked by people in the undernet. Players can use the item "Mod Tools" to enter codes in the customizer such as "o3iutnwq" with three being the third strange symbol that allow them to break certain program placement rules or alter their navi with things like more hit points, though hacked navis sometimes develop bugs.
[edit] Trivia
- This is the first game in the MegaMan Battle Network series to be released in separate versions.
- Proto was likely renamed Alpha in the English releases in order to avoid confusion with Blues, who is known as "Proto Man" in the English releases.
- Dr. Tadashi Hikari bears a clear resemblance to Dr. Light from the classic series. This game marks the first time that the original Dr. Hikari is referenced.
- "Tadashi Hikari" is actually a pun. "Hikari" means "light", while "tadashi" means "right" (in this case the opposite of wrong). This refers to the L/R ambiguity in the Japanese language, though by extension, it can also refer to the fact that "Dr. Light" was initially called "Dr. Wright", in the U.S. instruction manual for the original Mega Man.
- The reason for the UnderNet's existence is explained in the game.
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