#battle routine set! (lan hikari)

[sentient-rift]

(Continued from here.) @smashingveteransandnewcomers

"Sure! We can give you a Battle Chip. Hey, Lan...!"

"I got 'cha covered, MegaMan! One Battle Chip, right here."

Lan hands a blank Battle Chip to MegaMan Volnutt.

[pahrak-the-sinnoh-slizer]

Games in 2023: Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection (1/2)

This one almost feels like cheating, being a collection of games that’ve been out for 20 years now. (Yikes, 20 years…) Battle Network was my introduction to Mega Man, so as soon as it became apparent that Legacy Collections were going to continue being A Thing, I began to speculate what one for this series might look like.  In some ways the final product is as expected, and in some ways it exceeds expectations; there’s a reason people have been saying this is the best Legacy Collection yet.  So cheating or not, I want to try to compile some of my thoughts on the collection and the various games that make it up.  Battle Network is just too important to me to not do it.

If you’re a newcomer to the Battle Network series and want a spoiler-free tl;dr: While these games do show their age, the collection provides excellent ways to mitigate the negatives, plus there are two decades worth of in-depth guides across the internet to help you along.  What holds up is a bundle of very unique and fun mechanics set in a world overflowing with both charm and heart.  I absolutely recommend it.  The collection has two volumes (that line up exactly with a major pivot in the series)—if you only get Vol. 1, I would recommend starting with either BN2 or 3 (BN1 is largely foundational and understandably rough around the edges), and if you only get Vol. 2 I would recommend starting with BN6 (it’s remarkably well-refined and far less divisive than BN4 and 5).

If you don’t care about spoilers, I’ve got a LONG post of detailed thoughts below the cut.  Let’s set one more routine…execute!

You probably know the basics, but for the curious: Battle Network takes place in a world of near-futuristic network technology.  Well, near-futuristic at the time the games were made, mind you.  Everything is connected to the internet, and everyone carries around personal terminals (or PETs) that are comparable to modern smartphones; though this may seem standard to us now, back at the turn of the millennium, these concepts still seemed like a dream.  Dial-up was still a thing!  Anyway, the “cyber-world” inside the internet is presented more akin to an alternate dimension, and is populated by AI programs known as Net Navigators, often shortened to NetNavi or just Navi.  Everyone has their own Navi who lives in their PET, and they help humans with their daily lives while also fighting off the many viruses that try to infect all of these commonplace smart devices (personified as cute little critters you’ll either find adorable or mind-bogglingly frustrating).  The games follow Lan Hikari, resident shounen protag and grandchild of the man considered the father of net society, and his NetNavi MegaMan.EXE, the responsible one.  Some way or another, the duo repeatedly find themselves caught up in the chaos caused by various net crimes, each game chronicling their battles with various cyber-terrorism organizations hellbent on destroying the world as we know it.

Before getting to the games themselves, I want to talk about the features of the collection.  Both volumes are largely similar, but each focus on one half of the series: Vol. 1 on BN1-3, and Vol. 2 on BN4-6.  Those familiar with the series may remember that 4 introduced many new mechanical changes which then informed 5 and 6, so Battle Network was already considered two trilogies by many and it only makes sense that the collection leans into that.  For games that have two versions, both are available with their own separate save file, which contributes a lot towards making it feel complete.  As with all Legacy Collections, both volumes have music and art libraries pertaining to their respective trilogy, though here there’s also a “Mystery Data” section for art relating to the various Battle Network spin-offs not included in the collection.  It’s nice to see their inclusion, though it does highlight the one asterisk on calling this the definitive way to experience these games: the collection does not include features from the updated DS re-releases of BN1 and 5, only a few associated pieces of art.  How glaring this omission is, well, that’s for you to decide for yourself; personally the only part I haven’t entirely coped with is not having Sol Cross (*sigh*...), but I could see it being a bigger issue for some.  There’s also an achievement list, and for games that put so much focus on their post-game grind to 100%, I find it interesting that these achievements only really ask you to beat (both versions of) each game and smell a few roses along the way…with two exceptions.  If you want all the achievements in Vol. 1, you have to 100% BN1; this is frustrating even with the collection’s additional tools, but at least in this game you can cheat the Chip Trader to get those last few chips.  If you want all the achievements in Vol. 2, you have to get all Soul Unisons in both versions of BN4.  We’ll, uh…we’ll get into the issue with that when we get to BN4.

In both volumes, the main menu features what’s essentially a MegaMan VTuber; he’ll greet you, make some comments or perform some actions if you idle long enough, and you can press the L button to talk to him just like in the games.  The intent is, obviously, to recreate the feeling of having your own PET and Navi, and it’s an inclusion I personally adore.  They even got back Andrew Francis, the guy who voiced MegaMan in the English dub of the anime!  I loved watching that as a kid!  I do wonder how those without as much nostalgia feel about it, but it doesn’t seem all that intrusive, and there’s an option to silence MegaMan if you really have a problem with him.  For me, the only negative is that if you don’t play a volume for a few days and then start it back up, MegaMan says he was getting tired of waiting for you, and that made me die a little on the inside.  Anyway.

Aside from the gallery there are two other recurring features in Legacy Collections: some sort of easy mode or assistive mechanic, and an additional gameplay mode.  In the case of the former, this collection offers Buster MAX Mode, an option that can be toggled at any time using the collection pause menu or when launching a game.  It multiplies the damage done by basic buster shots by a factor of 100.  Yeah.  I won’t get into all the nuances of its implementation, but being able to take down virtually any enemy by spamming a few shots can be real nice for getting through long areas and dealing with particularly annoying viruses.  It’s really fun, but isn’t always an automatic win button, so it maintains an interesting balance of sorts.  Each game also gives you the option of adding chips that were previously only available through in-person events into your inventory, many of which can be game-breaking when you draw them, but you have to choose to use them.  It’s great to have these rare, Japan-only additions readily available, and Vol. 2 takes this a step further by granting full access to the plethora of eReader cards (or Patch Cards) that were released alongside the second trilogy!  These give you a lot of freedom to modify your game and customize your experience, and never made it overseas due to the eReader flopping here.  You can play through all of BN5 as Bass Cross!  The various item cards especially make this feel like a second Number Trader, you know, something that’s basically in-game cheat codes you can just use freely if you know about them.  It’s a whole new dimension to the experience, and that’s a wonderful option to have in a collection like this!

As for an additional gameplay mode, there’s nothing that’s accessed through the collection’s menu, but instead, every single game has online capabilities for their multiplayer functions!  Originally you needed a GBA link cable and nearby friends to access these features, but now, as long as you can get online, you can battle and trade with people all over the world, with functional ranking and some new tweaks to game balance.  I’m still floored by this.  Can you imagine how much work this took to make it happen for ALL six games?  The dedication!  I’m actually considering buying Switch Online for the first time because of this.  Now…I will say.  You do HAVE to play online ranked battles (and risk losing chips!) in order to truly access everything in most of the games.  BN2 and 3 require you to get chips only found through multiplayer to reach 100% completion, and that really sucks—especially considering the Wii U Virtual Console releases of the games simply gave you these chips along with the event-exclusives chips.  Like, this was a solved problem.  I guess I can understand reverting to the old way with the reintroduction of multiplayer, but…I’m locked out of completing BN3 White unless I buy Online and find someone willing to give me the BowlMan chips.  That makes me sad.  It’s not as bad in Vol. 2 at least, you need to play multiplayer to get all the Secret Chips but Secret Chips are not tracked for 100% completion.  I would like to get an Otenko chip, though.

After all that, let’s finally get on to the games!  Starting with Battle Network 1…you know, this is the only game here that I hadn’t played at all prior to the collection.  I started with BN3 and never went back to the beginning because it seemed players only ever talked about it with sheer dread.  Like I said earlier, BN1 is foundational: this is a very unique sort of game, especially compared to the platforming of Classic and X, so I think it only makes sense that it didn’t entirely come together on the first attempt.  Yes, this does mean it’s not an ideal first impression, and I understand why so many advocate skipping it.  However, I don’t think that means one should never play it.  If you turn on Buster MAX, dump all your PowerUPs into attack, and have a guide and map on standby, you can muscle past quite a bit of the jank and really see for yourself the earliest stage in this series’ evolution.  Automatically healing after battle?  Pretty nice!  The elemental armor system?  Not incredibly robust, but it’s the seed that grew into the various transformation systems that are so iconic!  Every game has arbitrary gates, but the ones in BN1’s net are most often unlocked by another person giving you access—your world literally expands by meeting new people!  A big part of my newfound appreciation for Lan is because in BN1 his relationship with his dad feels just a smidge more nuanced, where he’s proud of his dad and what he does, but really wishes they could spend more time together (like most kids would!), even if he consistently tries to hide his excitement over the time they do spend together (again, like a real preteen boy!).  It’s not exclusive to this game, but boy does it fade as the series progresses.  Start with another game, for sure, but if you do end up liking the series, give this one a try.  Even if it’s rough, it’s important, and we shouldn’t overlook it.

Now, when people do tell you to skip BN1, they usually also say there’s one important plot development you should still learn about.  At the end of BN1, you discover that MegaMan is no ordinary NetNavi: he’s the result of Lan’s father’s research on creating Navis as human-like as possible who can truly bond with their human operators.  That research was in an inescapable failsafe until his wife gave birth…to twins.  One of the boys was born with a heart defect, and died very young, so young that Lan doesn’t even remember he had a brother.  His father refused to let his son die, however, and so he turned the boy’s DNA into code and incorporated it into a NetNavi…MegaMan.EXE.  It’s revealed to Lan that his Navi is actually his twin brother, Hub, reborn in the cyberworld.  My feelings on this are…I dunno, kinda complicated?  Later games emphasize that Hub’s soul moved into the MegaMan body, and that was always a real sticking point for me—it didn’t make sense, I thought, nor could I comprehend why Lan and Hub having identical DNA causes them to synchronize and share wounds and such.  And I mean…it still doesn’t make complete sense to me, but I’ve come to think that maybe it doesn’t really matter if it makes sense.  It allows for some really great moments, so maybe I shouldn’t be such a stickler about “suspension of disbelief” or whatever.  At the very least, I’ve finally accepted it.

I had played a little of BN2 before, but I don’t think I ever even made it halfway before getting distracted.  It’s kind of staggering just how many improvements were made just one entry later: * code chips, a dedicated button for running from battles, the Style Change…you know, why don’t I start with the Style Change?  Here’s where transformations start to become BN’s bread and butter, and they immediately knocked it out of the park.  Appearance-wise, the Style Changes are subtle yet distinct, striking a very fine balance which I really appreciate and no doubt sold many, many toys. (I think Heat Guts is the only one that came stateside?  I bought it ofc.) Mechanically, it’s a great idea to give the player a power-up directly informed by their own playstyle, letting them do exactly what they want to do even better, and the four core Styles are each suitably unique to ensure each is its own experience.  Not to mention how cool it is to have a secret fifth Style that combines all their powers!  My main gripe is the one you probably expected: the core four Styles come with Elements, but which Element you get is entirely random.  Heat Guts is a spectacular Style…until you have to fight FreezeMan!  Let’s try Elec Guts…better not get hit once by SnakeMan!  It isn’t really a huge thing, but it can be frustrating to have a random handicap against certain bosses, or have your charge shot replaced with a weapon you don’t really enjoy.  I will say it’s nicely mitigated in BN2 when you can store 2 Styles. (*cough*)

And the improvements aren’t purely mechanical.  The internet design in BN1 is needlessly labyrinthine, exacerbated by every area looking exactly the same; but here in BN2, paths are easy to follow and have a unique aesthetic for each group of areas.  The story is also a step up in many regards, feeling a bit more coherent, and ambitiously builds the world with a few new countries.  I also appreciate that they showed some restraint in regards to Wily, only indirectly referring to him at the very end and not specifically revealing his involvement until next game.  Classic and X can both get frustrating with how they constantly shoehorn Wily and Sigma into every endgame, but Battle Network finds ways to tie everything back to Wily without having him hog every single spotlight.  Lord Gospel, or Sean, is given a real chance to stand on his own.  And he, uh…well…here’s how I see it.  They had two very good ideas, and unfortunately tried them both without realizing that they weren’t truly compatible.  Lord Gospel being a ruthless enigma whose identity is a surprise reveal at the end (and it’s not Wily)?  Great!  But that doesn’t give you the time to properly craft a backstory for a character that gets us invested in him and makes us really want to see him redeemed.  Sean being a kid with a hard life who retreated into the internet and getting manipulated by someone online who abused his trust is a horrifyingly resonant idea in the context of Battle Network!  …But you can’t just wait to dump ALL of that on the player until AFTER we’ve already beaten the final boss!  It only gets worse considering he’s barely in BN3 and just vanishes by the second trilogy.  I love Sean in concept, but it is a bit frustrating to see the execution play out this way.  All this to say, it makes perfect sense why BN2 is held in such high regard…though perhaps not as high as another game in the series…

Now BN3!  BN3 is the one you’re most likely to see at the top of someone’s list, and that also makes perfect sense.  Nearly everything in BN3 is further refinement upon BN2, and the brand new stuff works very, very well. (Some caveats, we’ll get to that.) This was also the first game to be released in twin versions Pokemon-style, although design documents show this idea was always on the table even when BN was but a twinkle in Eguchi’s eye, and the versions aren’t so much “equal” as “a game and then an updated version of that game”.  BN3 White was my very first Mega Man game, though, I won’t tolerate any slander from Blue elitists!  …Anyway.  Style Changes make a return from BN2, but with heavy alterations, largely in service of one of the new mechanics: the Navi Customizer.  Now obviously I really appreciate what the Navi Customizer brings to the table, and I think its initial outing is one of its absolute best thanks to Mod Tools.  Getting new programs each time you level up a Style is rewarding, certainly moreso than a simple damage increase to your charge shot like in BN2, and it’s fun to mix abilities using Error Codes. (I don’t think I’ve ever had a file where I got two Styles with compatible program colors lol) Still…you can only put in one Error Code at a time, and that really limits just how much mixing you can do.  And it’s a bit of a bummer to see the basic abilities of each Style nerfed (though I do like that Guts Style can rapid-fire now).  Especially considering you can only store 1 Style at a time…like, I’m sure this was all done in the name of balance, but part of me can’t help but wonder about the unexplored potential.  There’s also the unique chips you can get while using Custom and Team Style, which is an interesting way to expand their abilities and further differentiate the experience of each Style.  It becomes a bit of an issue when you realize ALL of those chips are required for completion, though…unless you get real lucky with the BugFrag Trader.  Anyway, we do get new Style Changes in addition to the core four!  Having now used Ground Style, I can see it being incredibly useful, I just don’t usually fight strategically enough to make the most of it.  I’ve still yet to use Shadow Style, but it seems to benefit players with precise timing, and uh…that ain’t me. (Also FloatShoes don’t protect from poison panels in this game.  What’s up with that?) But Bug Style!  Bug Style I like a LOT! (Yes its appearance in the anime influenced this shut up) The positive bugs seem to typically outweigh the negative bugs, making this feel like a particularly strong gimmick.  And with HubBatch being a Navi Cust program in this game, and Bug Style getting you Bug Stop which even negates HubBatch’s HP cut…you can be pretty freakin’ strong.  I like that.  Oh, while we’re on the Navi Cust, did you know that when you’re on the MegaMan screen in BN3, you can press the L button to test your buster and see if it’s bugged?  I think this is the only game that does this for some reason.  I don’t know why they got rid of it, it’s cute.

Another major shakeup that set the bar going forward was dividing chips into different classes: Standard, Mega, and Giga.  Mega Class is mostly made up of Navi Chips, and so gets the same restrictions those have always had; there are several non-Navi Mega Chips though, chips that are just a little too powerful and so are restricted to balance them out a bit.  Team Style doesn’t distinguish, just upping your Mega limit, which is to its benefit.  Giga Chips, of course, are super-powerful chips you need to work to get, though BN3 actually doesn’t require you to collect all of them for 100%! (You’ll still end up with most if not all of them as part of the process though.  I talked about this before: basically, BN3 treats Giga Chips more as rewards than as tasks when compared to later games.) Again, I started with BN3, so for me it was always this way, and going back to the first two games where every chip is in one big library was kinda weird.  This game also revised BugFrags, a limited item you could exchange for prizes in BN2 which are now infinitely generated and accepted as currency by multiple shops.  Vol. 2 mostly follows this example, except here, you get BugFrags by countering viruses (which gets repurposed for the Full Synchro mechanic in Vol. 2), and this makes BugFrags far, FAR easier to obtain/farm in this game than in later ones. (I recommend the Armor Comp in Ura Inn—nothing but Mettaurs and Mettaur2s, easy counter timing.) This is great for a lot of reasons, including a feature totally unique to BN3: the Virus Breeder!  By finding special encounters in specific locations, you can send certain families of viruses to a comp in SciLab, where they just chill out and wait for you to put BugFrags in their food bowls.  You receive a Battle Chip for each family of virus you send here, letting you summon them much like a Navi Chip, and the strength of their attack is directly proportional to how much you’ve fed them.  I never really investigated the mechanic until now, but it is incredibly charming to examine your pet Spikey and be told that it starts wagging its tail as soon as it sees you.  I love my fire doggos.  The closest thing we got to this in later games is the Virus Battler in BN6, but while the inspiration is clear, the execution is very different…we’ll get to that.  BN3 is interesting for setting a lot of standards but also doing a lot of things completely unique to it, which I think is why it’s so beloved…though, there is one thing BN3 puts a unique spin on which annoys me, and that’s Beta Navis.  You know how it goes: you beat a boss, their V2/Alpha appears on the net as an invisible fixed encounter, and then their V3/Beta becomes a random encounter.  In every other game, the Beta is a random encounter in the same area where you find the Alpha—which makes sense, right?  Well in BN3, the Beta becomes a random encounter in a completely different area.  And worse, a few of the Betas can only be encountered when specific conditions are met, like your HP being in the red, or your Navi Cust being bugged.  Fun!  I don’t know why they did this, but I’m glad they didn’t do it again…well, until SF3, but that’s for another day. (I’ll also point out that BN3 has Security Cubes in the Undernet that are unlocked by beating each Beta boss, that’s really cool and I wish it had continued being a thing.)

Damn, all this and I still haven’t gotten into BN3’s story.  Though, I mean…what more is there to be said?  Even people who love to dunk on Battle Network’s writing think BN3’s story is pretty good.  The whole tournament subplot was great.  Wily goes from completely unhinged to frighteningly intelligent.  We get Bass’s backstory after some tantalizing buildup, and his involvement helps retroactively tie the first three games together a little better.  We get backstory for the Undernet of all things, and it’s never been more fleshed out before or since!  And Mamoru…Mamoru.  Who would’ve ever expected Mamoru?  I can absolutely see this being a sendoff for the series—the creators really hit their stride.  There’s certainly plenty to bemoan, from the annoyance of plot-required Navi Cust Programs to the high percentage of bosses who are dreadfully frustrating (BubbleMan, FlameMan, DrillMan…), but all the good raises it so high up that still managed to stand above.  BN3 is peak Battle Network.

[sentient-rift]

"Well, as long as you try, that's good enough. I understand, too. Lan can be pretty dense sometimes..."

"Hey! I'm not that dense! I've been getting better at keeping up with my homework and stuff!"

"Ha ha ha! I know, Lan. You really have been working harder. Keep it up, and you'll grow up to be just like Dad.

"By the way, Dingo, did you want us to get the curry ready for you so you can have it right away by the time you're done?"

"We'll have to keep it under wraps that this is payment for punching my alternate self, though. I'll just tell her a friend of mine really wanted to try the Ultimate Space Travel Curry."

"You'd technically be telling the truth, despite omitting some information..."

formerchaoslord​:

“Well, she could technically… But like Rift, she won’t let me. Apparently, my request was too petty. And here I thought teaching my alternate self to treat their Mayl better was important enough…”

“Hey, Lan…” Megaman’s voice came from Lan’s PET.

“I think it’s more than just being a little too petty. It’s that this dimension jumping isn’t a toy. Rift and Welch are experts, while we’re still have a lot to learn. Rift has us going to different dimensions to help people, not for selfish reasons…”

“But I already said I am helping. Why don’t you see that?”

“Believe me, Lan, I do. I’d feel the same way if I learned a Megaman from a different dimension was treating Roll the wrong way. But we can’t act before thinking things through. Did it ever occur to you that you’re little trip to punch Netto in the face could make a rip in the space/time continuum if you don’t know what you’re doing?”

Lan let out a sigh before he answered.

“No… I wasn’t thinking about any of that stuff. I admit, I wasn’t really thinking at all. Sorry, Hub…”

“It’s okay, Lan,” Megaman said, “I’m just glad you understand. Rift and Welch are just looking out for us so we don’t accidentally destroy the universe over something like punching our alternate selves in the face.”

After the two had their talk, Lan set his attention back to Dingo.

“Sorry about that. But yeah, that’s pretty much why I couldn’t do it myself. Welch may act silly sometimes, but she’s actually one of the smartest people I know. If she met Dad, I’m sure he’d want her to work for SciLab.”

“By the way, Dingo… You’ll make sure after that punch, you’ll actually talk to Netto, right? Actually help him understand why he received it? That it wasn’t out of malice, but to better himself in a way? I feel that part is very important as well.”

Dingo couldn’t possibly keep up with the whole conversation. He felt like he was back in that conference room, listening to Commissioner Kifune and Netto’s dad discuss the Beyondard situation. He’d had enough trouble understanding what a parallel world was, but that was about the extent of his brain’s capacity.

“It would be kinda fun to meet other versions of ourselves, but I don’t wanna destroy any universes. I’ll do what you asked me to do, so don’t do anything stupid, alright?”

Megaman’s question left Dingo stumped for a few seconds. He absolutely hadn’t considered the importance of a talk.

“I’m not really good at explanations, but… I’ll give it a try. Just to make sure he doesn’t punch me back.” If that happened, Dingo would have no choice but to retaliate, and Netto would regret it. “I’ll tell him it came from you, and that it was just so he’d become a better person. Though I can’t promise he’ll get it…”

[greyscuhrazyfactory]

It’s June 10th which means happy birthday to Lan and Hub (Megaman.EXE) Hikari! The dynamic twin duo who brought us the Megaman Battle Network games plus an anime and manga. Although your story’s over we’ll never forget you and all your exciting adventures and your quirky computer-based naming. Of course if Capcom’s ever interested in reviving this series I for one would be on board with it. Especially considering the final game in the timeline didn’t have all of the endgame content!  I’ll never get tired of seeing right before a big boss fight, “Battle routine set! Execute!” (All artwork here is owned by their respective creators. If you know who they are please feel free to tag them so others know who these cool people are.)

[sentient-rift]

Happy Birthday @leleamo!

"Hello, my friend. It has come to our attention that it is your birthday today, so we have prepared a party for you."

"Happy birthday!"

"We hope your day's been good so far!"

"Happy birthday! Mama and I made a huge birthday cake for you! Cheese and Chocola helped, too!"

"Chao!"

"And I helped with the decorating and the party games! Also, here's a Birthday Boop from yours truly!

"Boop!"

"Hey! Happy birthday!"

"Wait, when did Teseo get here?"

"I invited him... Was that bad?"

"*Sigh...* As long as he behaves himself, it's fine."

"Thanks, GV! You're a pal!"

"Happy birthday! It's so cool you have a birthday during the Christmas season!"

*Happy Clodsire noises.*

[sentient-rift]

Some jerk "mooned" me the other day. That's gotta be the weirdest way to find out I was a werewolf...

"Ha ha ha! That actually counts?! I don't know if I can get BEHIND that! I mean, I would take your word for it, BUTT it's just too ridiculous! I'm going to get to the BOTTOM of this!"

"HA HA HA HA HA HA!! STOP IT, WELCH!! MY GUT HURTS!!!"

"I don't understand why we're laughing. What does it mean to moon someone? Did someone steal the energy of the moon and blast it at someone?"

"Oh, don't worry about it, Duo..."

[sentient-rift]

RiFT! all good? I hope so! Remember our conversation about the possible existence of a Bert son of Regal? then! I improved this idea!

Firstly, let's do him before he "rebellion" (I was going to do a version of him in the Picrew, but I decided to describe it) a skinny boy with somewhat pale skin, but his freckles give him a little life, in contrast to he's dark circles, his loose hair reaches up to his shoulder, I don't know if Bert's hair is curly or simply something unknown to me, but it's the same color as his father's hair, before he "rebellion" he was all about "doing it for my father" "getting this for my father" "help my father" "do you know my father?" "live for my father" "father"

he had no personality, he had no interests, he couldn't live if it weren't for his father, but that changed when he met Lan, well, it took a long process, but he finally rebelled, hehehe

rebellious now, he dyes his hair red and starts wearing his hair tied up, and now he has personality! insecure, courageous, intelligent, whiny, stressed (when pressured), kind, affectionate, and doesn't miss the opportunity to take something from his father, like LaserMan.EXE!!

(as I unfortunately haven't seen anything from BN, I could be wrong about what I'm going to say now, corrections are totally accepted here!) Before MegaMan.EXE deletes Laser, Bert stops him, and they even think he was a cheater, but no, he just shut down Laser, and then restarted him, changing certain aspects of his personality, and then making him his operator!

I also think about a friendly relationship between Bert and Coronel.EXE, more because of Baryl, but nothing is certain yet

but the thing I most like to think about this Bert is the relationship between grandson and grandfather with Wily!

for now, I can only imagine Wily singing "Mother (grandpa?) knows best" from Tangled, more specifically the rerun

"If he's lying, don't come crying, grandpa knows better!" but even with that feeling of "I don't care about you" deep down, he does care

Well, that was it, sorry for the long text, I was really excited! hehe, and making it clear that all this could change when i actually start see BN, but for now, we have this! hehehe, bye bye! to the next!

"Ah. Hello again. I have been well, thank you. I hope everything is well on your end...

"Yes, I do remember this conversation. A very interesting concept. I think I would like to meet the Bert of that dimension... Also, I do like the possibility of LaserMan getting a redemption Arc, especially since his operator did in the prime timeline, but poor LaserMan remained deleted. My job can be hard, but nice little moments and details like this can make it fun, especially when it means making a new friend..."

"Hey. Sorry to cut in all of a sudden, but does Wily still get redeemed by the end of the Cybeast incident in Bert's dimension, or does he stay a villain?"

"I... Believe we're still figuring it out, Lan. We still don't know everything about this said dimension. It's more of a... Concept."

"Are we breaking the fourth wall again? Do you know how tough it was to repair it the last time we did that?"

"If it makes you feel any better, don't consider any of this canon."

"It doesn't..."

"If I can interject, the idea of having a grandson does intrigue me. Though, if I don''t renounce my evil ways in said dimension, I'd be fearful of how it would effect Bert, especially after seeing how much I failed Regal as a father..."

"Even if that's the case, Wily, who that version of Wily doesn't effect who who are now. We have been very grateful for your help during this Multiverse War."

"Anyway, I enjoyed the concept and would love to hear more about it if you ever have more to add. And if this dimension turns up, I'd love to visit it someday."

[sentient-rift]

🍙+ a cuscuz! (or couscous)

Brazilian food time guys!

For everyone!

(Send Food Meme)

"Wow! It may not be curry, but it looks delicious!"

"Well, if you're just gonna sit there and admire how it looks, I'll just dig in without ya, Lan!"

"I'm with ya, Dex! Food is made for eating, not decoration!"

"You two better not hog it all up! I want some, too!"

"Man, that really looks good. Makes me wish I had the ability to eat..."

"I'll put taste bud simulation programs on my to-do list of inventions."

"Awesome! You're the best, dad!"

"Wow! This stuff is great!"

"Um... Pardon me for only taking a little. I can't consume too much regular food without getting sick, no matter how delicious it is. It's a plant thing..."

"I'm sure she'll understand, Cosmo. At least you're able to taste it, right?"

"DESIRE LEVELS FOR ABILITY TO EAT, RISING."

"Better put that taste bud invention as priority number one..."

"Thank you so much for this! I hope you don't mind if I ask for the recipe. I'd love to put cuscuz on our food court menu."

Looks like everyone's enjoying the cuscuz.

[sentient-rift]

M!A Mystery food x curry time

"Huh...? What does that mean?"

"I don't know, but I like the sound of it!"

"Well, as long as this is one of them Magic Anons, let's go crazy with it! How about we have a Curry Making Contest with a curtain mystery food being the main ingredient? And of course, Lanny Boy will be our taste tester!"

"Hey, not a bad idea, Mxy. I'll get started on my curry right away..."

"Sorry, Mayl, but that would be way too easy. It won't be any of us along the Curry, but the anons and anyone else out there who wants to join in! Think of it as an extension to that food ask meme we're currently doing."

"Oh, that sound fun!"

"So what are you guys waiting for? Start sending in your curries and see how Lanny Boy likes it!"

"My taste buds are ready!"

(Basically, all you have to do is the same thing with this meme, only add +Curry Contest, and make sure to send in your special curry to Lan.)

[sentient-rift]

*spawns in holding many, many baskets of chocolates*

hey y'all want chocolate? honestly I uh...don't think you have much of a choice at this point, because this stuff can and will melt into oblivion.

just wanted to show my appreciation for you guys taking time out of your day to answer my asks :)

bass if you have any way that i can contact you that would be much appreciated okay BYE--

*blips out like mega man*

"Wow... That's a lot of chocolate..."

"Guess it's a good thing we have a lot of people here, huh...?"

"I remember when Max shared chocolate with me... I wonder how he and the others are doing..."

"Well, let's not let all this chocolate go to waste. We should go ahead and have some. Just try not to eat too much. Cavities are no joke."

"Ain't that the truth..."

"Hmm...? You want my contact information as well? I... Really appreciate that you trust me enough to call me whenever you need help... Even after my past as the former Chaos Lord..."

"And I appreciate how adorably oblivious you can be, Bass."

Calm down, Ray... Don't let yourself outburst like last time... I should respect my rival just like how my rival respected me...

"Oh, uh... That's okay with you, right father? You know, to give out my contact information to someone who will need my help?"

"Heh heh... Yes, of course, my boy. I'm glad to see you so willing to help people again, Bass... And that people have taken a liking to you."

[sentient-rift]

"Broly broke furniture just from sitting on it? Didn't that happen to you one time, Dex?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about..."

"Come on, Lan. Stop making fun of Dex..."

[sentient-rift]

🌋

(For, Spider, Megaman Exe, and Protoman Exe. To Casimir and Gabriel Manalo. You can find them on my pinned post.)

"For Casmir, what can I say other than 'Epic?' He reminded me of my past Bounty Hunter days. For Gabriel... Might have to go with 'Spooky.' But what can I say; He's a phantom, so it's fitting."

"'Warrior' is the first word that comes to mind when I look at Casmir. He looks like someone who's been through a lot of battles. I'd say 'Royal' is what Gabriel makes me think of. His clothes remind me of Greek emperors."

"When I see Casmir, he reminds me of an 'Anti-hero.' Yeah, 'Anti-hero' is the first word that comes to mind. Whether or not he really is one, I don't know, but he's definitely got the look down, if you ask me."

...

"Okay, you mentioned Casmir... But what word comes to mind when you see Gabriel...?"

"Ghost...!!"

[sentient-rift]

🌋 Lan and Mega at Rarah and Tablet!

"Definitely have to go with 'fun' for Rarah, and 'smart' for Tablet."

"Good choices. Personally, I would use 'chill' for Rarah, and 'nice' for Tablet... But yours work, too, Lan."

[sentient-rift]

[Out of nowhere, a salmon flies straight towards your muse and smacks them in the face]

"Ow! Where'd that salmon come from?!"

"I'm suddenly reminded of Masa and his fish stand..."

"This just in; Team RiFT has just been attacked by rogue salmon!"

"Why, salmon! Why must you be so cruel!"

"Hey, don't worry, guys! If that salmon's gonna attack us, we'll just attack back! Time to roast some fish!"

"No, BurnerMan! Don't you remember what happened last time...?!"

"BURNER JET!!"

"BURNERMAN, NOOOOOOO....!!!"

(We seem to be having technical difficulties... Again...)

[sentient-rift]

(Continued from here.)

"Yo, homies! Ya boy, Punk, is in the house!"

"Aw, sweet! I like this guy already!"

"You seem pretty cool yourself, man!"

"It's good to have you on the team, Punk. You seem like you've gotten a lot stronger."

"Sure have, man! Mr. Famous and I were training hard once we heard about the Multiverse War!"

"I've been meaning to ask... How did you come to learn about that?"

"We stopped by at SciLab, homes! Mr. Famous had a talk with your pops, and we decided we wanted to help."

"It's true, Lan. I did get a visit from Mr. Famous. I didn't tell you about it because he wanted to keep it a surprise."

"Well, either way, it's good to have you on the team."

"We should have Net Battle sometime, Punk. If you belong to the Great Mr. Famous, you must be super strong, Guts Guts!"

"Anytime, GutsMan! I can tell a match with you will be loads of fun, yo!"

(Punk has joined the party!)

[sentient-rift]

last ask of the year for me on this blog-

can any of you. literally anyone. beat pepsiman in a fight.

(i also now have a side blog called ask-pepsi-man)

"Pepsiman? Who's that? A new Net Navi?"

"You don't know who Pepsiman is?!"

"Pepsiman is a great Hero! he has enhanced speed, can pause time, can sense danger, and can deliver Pepsi to all who are thirsty! He's PepsiCo, Inc.'s beloved mascot, and is the star of the Pepsiman game!"

"Uh... Okay... Well, as impressive as that sounds, I'm pretty sure MegaMan can beat him..."

"Don't underestimate the power of Pepsiman, Lan Hikari! His power is like no other!"

"Whoa... Maybe they're right, Lan. Maybe Pepsiman is far too powerful for us to take on..."

"Seriously?! Now you're scared of this Pepsi guy? The same MegaMan who saved the world from the biggest threats multiple times?!"

"S-sorry, Lan... But I don't think we should try to pick a fight with such a powerful opponent..."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this right now..."