Mega Man, known as Rock Man (????? Rokku Man?) in Japan, is a video game character created by Keiji Inafune and is the title character of what has been referred to as the "Classic" Mega Man series developed by Capcom since 1987.[1] Since then, he has become one of the company's primary original characters and continues to be one of the video game industry's most recognizable icons.[2] Having appeared on nearly every gaming console and handheld system since the Nintendo Entertainment System, Mega Man has had a wide gaming audience, and his games continue to evolve with the ever-changing hardware demands of modern gaming systems. Mega Man's fiction universe can be divded into seven categories, each featuring different variations and incarnations of the same robotic boy hero, Although Mega Man or Rock Man is usually the name used to describe solely the original Mega Man from the classic series, it can also be used less specifically to describe the Mega Man series of fictional works, or the group of adherently named main characters within.
Several spin-off series have emerged over the past few years, each one continuing the Mega Man mythos in some unique way, including but not limited to the Mega Man X, Mega Man Legends, Mega Man Battle Network and Mega Man Star Force series. A resulting animated series was also produced originally in the United States, as well as a number of toys, comics, and collectibles available both in and outside of Japan.
Mega Man's role in the original story aka the classic series, was to battle the forces of the mad scientist Dr. Wily and his ever-growing army of robots, and must stop them from taking over the planet by using their own special abilities against them.[3] Utilizing his special Mega Buster arm cannon, and his ability to copy a defeated robot's coding, Mega Man must travel the world and traverse harsh environments in order to bring Wily's menace to an end. With the help of his good-hearted creator Dr. Light and his assorted robotic companions, Mega Man's eventual goal is to one day achieve "everlasting peace".[4]
Mega Man's original Japanese name, "Rock Man", is a reference to the music genre rock and roll, and is meant to work in tandem with his "sister" robot, Roll. Such music-themed naming conventions are present in a number of Keiji Inafune's other character designs, such as Blues. In addition, the original Mega Man titles intentionally incorporated a "Rock, Paper, Scissors" game play mechanic into defeating certain enemies.[2] In parts of the English speaking world, some people call Mega Man "The Blue Bomber" because of his blue armor.