Beat is the robotic blue attack bird with both offensive and defensive capabilities in the
Mega Man series of video games. Constructed by
Dr. Light and
Dr. Cossack following the events of
Mega Man 4, Beat was designed to assist
Mega Man in his battles against
Dr. Wily. First appearing in
Mega Man 5,
Mega Man had to find the eight letters that spelled out MEGAMANV hidden in
robot master stages before Beat would become active. Once summoned, Beat would hover above
Mega Man and, when sensing danger, would strike out at the closest enemy. Each attack used up three units of Beat's energy, however he could be recharged like any other
robot master weapon in
Mega Man's possession. The robobird played the same function in
Mega Man 6 and
Mega Man IV for the
Game Boy provided that
Mega Man found the four hidden letters that spell BEAT.
Beginning with Mega Man 7 Beat's function changed. Instead of attacking enemies, he now served to defend Mega Man. Provided that Beat was freed from his cage in Slash Man's stage, he would swoop in and rescue Mega Man from deadly falls down bottomless pits. Each rescue cost one Beat unit, and Mega Man could purchase additional units at Auto's store. In the 1997 arcade game Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters Beat can be summoned to provide a temporary sheild for Proto Man and Duo and he has a cameo in the FMV title Super Adventure Rockman.
Beat has fallen away from recent Mega Man games and it seemed that Capcom had planned to replace his function with Tango the attack cat in Mega Man V for the Game Boy, but even that character has been forgotten after making only a single appearance. Beat's final fate is unknown, although he was an integral part of the series for a while. After all, he is the weapon of choice for bringing down Dr. Wily in Mega Man 5.
References:
http://www.mmhp.net
http://www.GameFAQs.com