Capcom released
Mega Man 4 (
Rockman World 4 in
Japan) for the
Nintendo Game Boy in 1993 and once again used old
robot masters, graphics, and sounds to put together another fun outing for
Mega Man. This is also the first game where
Mega Man's powered-up blaster shot has a kick to it, and unleashing a blast will knock
Mega Man back a few steps. The adventure begins when
Dr. Wily crashes the Robot Master Expo and reprograms some of the
robot masters on display. The renegade robots come to life and begin tearing things apart as they obey
Dr. Wily's commands. It's
Mega Man to the rescue!
Like its predecessors, Mega Man 4 is divided into three sections: choose from 4 robot masters, then choose from 4 more, then take on the Dr. Wily fortress levels. The robot masters making appearances from past games (Mega Man 4 and Mega Man 5 for the NES) are...
Plus, as is standard to the
Game Boy Mega Man series, there's also a new
Dr. Wily robot named
Ballade that must be defeated. Destroying him earns
Mega Man a new explosive weapon, the Ballade Cracker.
This is the first Mega Man game where our hero can collect items (in this case P-Chips) that can later be used to buy items such as energy tanks, weapon tanks, and 1-ups. Rush the robo-dog is also back, this time taking on the forms of a springboard and a jet. Beat the robotic attack bird also makes an appearance if you can find the four letters, B-E-A-T, hidden in the first four levels of the game. Proto Man is also hidden in various secret rooms throughout the game, and if you can find him he will give you a energy tank, 1-up, or other such bonus. As in all other Mega Man games of this era, a password system records your progress.
By this time in the series Capcom had ironed out most all the bugs in the game engine and as a result Mega Man 4 runs smoothly. Cut scenes, animations, and dialogue break up the levels from time to time, trying to add some detail to the plot. Despite being one of the last of the Mega Man Game Boy titles, it can be rather hard to find because of its limited production run. Finding it new can be a challenge, but finding a used copy shouldn't be that hard. You're better off picking up the 2004 Game Boy Advance anthology of Mega Man's Game Boy adventures, Mega Man Anniversary Collection.