Mega Man 5 art
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Mega Man 5 Guide > Basics

Mega Man 5 is an action/platformer that finds the hero battling his way through eight introductory stages (in any order desired) before tackling an additional eight stages.

Mega Man 5 screenshot - Basics

In the first three Mega Man titles, a stage could no longer be visited once it was cleared, but Mega Man 5 (like its immediate predecessor) allows you to return to your favorite haunts. This is a great way to experiment with your weapons to see what works best, but this guide will cover the most important stuff in case you don't have time for that.

Controls

A - Jump
A+Down - Slide
B - Shoot/Special Weapon
B (hold) - Charge shot
START - Pause/Subscreen

Story

Mega Man and his friends have battled Dr. Wily numerous times in the past. With Dr. Light to guide him, it seems like the heroic blue robot can't lose. Now, though, his strongest ally has apparently gone rogue, kidnapping Dr. Light and challenging Mega Man to save him. Doing so will mean battling a new group of eight robot masters. But is there more to this tale than meets the eye?

Special Weapons and Items

When you defeat a robot master, you gain a weakened version of its weapon, which you can then use as long as you have enough energy left. Each weapon requires a certain amount of energy per use, and you can refill it by picking up items that defeated enemies drop along the way.

The various robot masters and enemies all are weak to certain attacks, so you should have fun figuring out what works on whom. That's the key to reaching the end of the game.

Mega Man 5 screenshot - Basics

In addition to special weapons, you have immediate access to your robotic canine pal, Rush. He can be summoned in one of two forms. The Rush Coil allows you to stand on the pooch and jump, then jump again. The jet allows you to fly across dangerous gaps. You'll make use of both abilities throughout the adventure, and most especially in the final stages.

Passwords

Progress is saved by way of a password system, which makes it easy to experience the game in new ways if you meet a friend with a password that interests you.

Mega Man 5 screenshot - Basics

Passwords are awarded each time you complete one of the initial eight stages, so you don't lose progress. Though you receive passwords after that point, no password will save your progress beyond the entrance to Protoman's Castle.

Beat

One final new twist is that you can find a letter in each of the eight standard stages. If you collect all 8 of them, you will unlock a new ability called "Beat." It's worth doing, because Beat is a powerful ally who will fly around the screen and damage enemies. He's especially useful in the challenging stages near the end of the game, so you won't want to miss him.

NEXT: Passwords