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Robot Master is also a character in the Transformers comics. In the Mega Man original series, a Robot Master (AKA "Super Robot") is a special kind of robot or android that possesses a very advanced level of artificial intelligence. There are roughly one hundred thirty six Robot Masters. The Robot Master AI system is jointly credited to Dr. Thomas Light and Dr. Albert Wily. Most Robot Masters possess a unique identification code, consisting of a two-letter "series code" followed by one of N, No, or Robot Masters have AIs vastly superior to the smaller, minor robots within the Mega Man universe. This, even more than their generally humanoid appearance (after all, Sniper Joes are also humanoid, yet obviously inferior to Robot Masters) is what separates Robot Masters from other advanced robots. They often are designed with a particular strength or element in mind, thus allowing them to thrive in specific environments. Robot Masters tend to be programmed with human-like personalities and quirks, advanced enough to fool most people into believing them to think and act of their own accord. However, this is not true, as the Mega Man X series states X as the first robot to truly be able to think for himself. Robot Masters have a certain capability of thought and will--this allows them to be decisive on the battlefield, yet cannot generally operate beyond certain guildines. There have been some exceptions, such as Proto Man, Ballade, and King, but every one of these occurrences can be explained away somehow--either the robot is faulty to begin with or could have malfunctioned due to damage incurred. Another telling feature of a Robot Master is their special "weapons," which are generally specialized for that robot and his environment. There is a system that allows a robot to copy that weapon and use it against his foes, but the only documented robots that possess this feature (at least in the classic series) are Mega Man, Proto Man, Bass, and Duo. Proto Man, Rock/Mega, and Roll are all Robot Masters, but they are not usually thought of as such by fans due to their standing as main characters, and the fact that they seem even more advanced still. NOTE: Some of these Robot Masters have NetNavi counterparts in the MegaMan Battle Network series. The ones that have them will be noted. List of Robot Masters DRN is the series code for Right Labs, specifically, "Dr. Right Numbers". Despite changing the incorrect translation of Dr. Right to the proper Dr. Light in the English-version games, the code has remained the same. DRN series The following Robot Masters are from . Their actual numbers are not known, but they are created by Keiji Inafune himself *, and their presence at the time of the first game would logically make them part of the DRN series. Time Man is clock-based, while Oil Man is oil-themed. In the remake of the original Mega Man game, (Rockman Rockman in Japan), all of Mega Man's brothers, even Proto Man (who wasn't even introduced until Mega Man III), become playable. Completing all of the challenges in Challenge Mode unlocks Proto Man as a playable character. The other Robot Masters become available after defeating them in New Style using the Mega Buster; this is explained in-game as Dr. Light restoring them to their original programming. All of them possess special skills besides weapons: Mega Man himself comes in four variations: Mega Man (standard), Mega Man S (Mega Man from Mega Man 3), Mega Man C (Mega Man from Mega Man 4 onwards), and Mega (unarmored). Roll is also a playable character as a download, and her standard form is shown to be wielding a type of broom. (She also gets downloadable monthly costumes, and she gets a different combat weapon with all but the Mega Man 8 costume. For example, Knight Roll wields a lance, while Ninja Roll attacks with a katana. These weapons function the same as the broom, however.) Prior to the broom, she has been shown utilizing a "Roll Buster" she keeps in her shoe in the Marvel vs. Capcom series (a common misconception is that she keeps it up her skirt), as well as a similar arm cannon in the Ruby Spears cartoon. However, the Roll Buster is in a crossover spinoff with a different company, and the Ruby Spears cartoon takes various liberties with the games' continuity, so the canonicity of these weapons is in doubt. DWN series DWN is the series code for Robot Masters that have been built or modified by Dr. Wily. Starting with Mega Man 2, Capcom ran an annual Robot Master design contest for each game. Nintendo Power magazine ran a similar contest, but only for Mega Man 6. The DWN series is the result of these contests. The original designer's name is listed in parenthesis at the end of each entry. Contrary to popular belief, most DWN robots were not built from scratch by Dr. Wily. A sequel to Mega Man Powered Up has been confimed to be in pre-planning stages *, so there's a chance the Mega Man 2 Robot Masters will be included as playable characters similar to the Robot Masters of the first. 009-016 (Mega Man 2) 017-024 (Mega Man 3) 025-032 (Mega Man 4) Each of the Robot Masters numbered 025-032 were designed by Dr. Cossack; they are therefore more correctly labelled with the DCN series code. Dr. Wily did modify them, however, and some games (such as Mega Man & Bass) classify them as DWN. Also, the game itself lists three of the Robot Masters with the wrong identification codes.* 033-040 (Mega Man 5) 041-048 (Mega Man 6) The plot of Mega Man VI is that a robot design contest takes place, sponsored by the mysterious Mr. X (later revealed to be Dr. Wily in disguise.) Mr. X steals the eight finalists and reprograms them. So technically, the DWN moniker is inaccurate, as they were built by a variety of people. 049-056 (Mega Man 7) 057-064 (Mega Man 8) RKN series RKN is the series code for "Rockman Killers"; in the English version, they were called "Mega Man Hunters" in manuals, but "Megaman Killers" in-game in Mega Man & Bass. Regardless, the code remained the same. Each RKN robot is named after a musical genre. The RKN series appeared in the Game Boy games. SRN series SRN is the series code for "Space Rulers". The Space Rulers were called "Stardroids" in the English version. Each SRN robot is named after a planet in the solar system. The SRN series appeared in Mega Man V (GB). MWN series MWN is the series code for "Megaworld Corps". In Mega Man & Bass, it is localized as the "Genesis Unit". Each MWN robot is based on a character from the Chinese epic work Journey to the West. The MWN series appeared in Mega Man: The Wily Wars (in Japan, Rockman Megaworld; hence the name). KGN series KGN is the series code for robots designed by King, a robot created by Dr. Wily to cover for one of his schemes for world domination. Like the DWN series, each KGN robot's name ends in "man". The KGN series appeared in Mega Man & Bass (in Japan, Rockman & Forte). Tengu Man and Astro Man (both from Mega Man 8) are also part of King's robot army. Special series Generally, these robots have unknown or special origins, and have unique numbers or no number at all. Licensed Robot Masters Occasionally, games with a license from Capcom will have their own unique Robot Masters rather than using some from prior games. Mega_Man_PC|Mega Man (PC) Mega Man PC III|Mega Man III (PC) The Robot Masters here are redesigns of previous Robot Masters Dimensions series A mysterious robot force which serves Rockman Shadow, a prototype robot based on early Mega Man redesigns (Quint). They arrived from the future and destroyed Symphony City. Although they do not have a specific series code, they are known collectively as the Dimensions. These RMs appear in the WonderSwan game . As it was developed by Bandai, its status as canon cannot be confirmed, although Quint being a future Mega Man is expanded upon. Rockman Strategy In this licensed game, new Robot Masters are introduced alongside old ones. Most of these robots are based on constallations. Robot Masters in other media Licensed Mega Man games aren't the only forms of media that create their own Robot Masters. Sometimes TV shows and comics introduce their own Robot Masters as well. See also | |||||||
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