Games Design 1A - Art of Jordan Preston

Transcription

Games Design 1A: Design Documentation CE00010-4 by Jordan Finley f002399a
Games Design 1A: Design Documentation CE00010-4
Game: Megaman Battle Network 3
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Contents
1
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High Concept
2
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Characters
3
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Level Overview – Real World
5
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Level Overview – Internet
10
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Progression Overview
11
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Game Mechanics
13
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Viruses
15
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Analysis of Gameplay Aspects
15
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The Navi Customiser
15
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Navicust Programs
16
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Style Changes
17
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Program Advances
18
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Interfaces
20
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When controlling Lan or Megaman
20
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While in a menu
21
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While in a battle
22
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Marketing Information
23
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Target Audience
23
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Competitive Analysis
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Marking and Advertising
24
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Game History
24
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References
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1
Game Concept: Megaman Battle Network 3
High Concept
The Megaman Battle Network series is a parallel universe to the other Megaman
series’ where the entire world is connected via the internet. Taking place in the year
210X, every computer, television, and even appliances and electronic items are
connected together online.
To navigate this immense Internet and handle all the information, everyone is
equipped with a “PET” or Personal Terminal – a device that handles every digital
need with ease. Within these PETs are Net Navigators, a virtual entity with its own
personality and design. Most Net Navigators are store-bought and look alike, but
they can also be customised to specialise in things like combat.
Net Navigators, or Navis, can encounter viruses on the internet and have to fight them to dispatch them.
While most navis are already equipped with a basic hand cannon or physical weapon, their operators can
provide the Navi with special computer chips, called “battlechips” to give the Navi more artillery, traps and
movement advantages.
If a Net Navi stumbles across a virus that is too strong, they are at risk of being deleted by the virus. If a Navi is
deleted, their data is gone forever and the owner has to purchase another one. As Navis have a personality,
such an occurrence is often jarring for their operator. Navis can also battle one another, in a sport called Net
Battling. In these secure surroundings, Navis are not deleted when defeated, but rather just sent back to their
respective PET.
The main characters of Megaman Battle Network are two people, a boy named Lan Hikari and his Net Navi,
Megaman.exe. As Megaman is a virtual entity, he can only move around within the Internet. This means they
work in harmony to deal with things both in the real and virtual world. If there is an issue on the Internet that
Lan cannot handle personally, he can “Jack In” to the Internet and Megaman can solve the problem from
there.
Megaman is more than just a virtual entity though, as he was customised using the DNA of Lans deceased
twin, Hub. Lan did not learn of Hub until only recently, and this has made Lan treat Megaman as a brother. As
they share DNA, this allows them to synchronise and perform better when going against viruses or Net
Battling.
After saving the Internet twice already from the horrors of e-terrorist group WWW
(World Three) and the Mega virus “Gospel” Lan lives a mostly normal life with his
friends in ACDC town, but when the WWW apparently arises once more and starts
causing nationwide troubles, Lan and Megaman are dragged into a conflict that
threatens a lot more than the Internets welfare..
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Overall Style and Design
Megaman Battle Network is an action RPG where you move around a futuristic world as Lan, and a maze-like
Internet as Megaman. Houses and other buildings can be entered, and most objects in the world can be
interacted with in some way, be it simple filler text or a hidden jack-in location which is an entrance to the
Internet. Battles are in real time, and are controlled a lot differently than the rest of the game.
The game uses pseudo-3D, isometric graphic style for the real world and Internet maps. While the isometric
style and sprites are reminiscent of 3D space, all the sprites and objects are created using 2D pixel art. The
style of the game is a typical Japanese cartoon theme, the houses and buildings are mostly in bright, solid
colours and the characters are simple and colourful. The graphical style expands and improves on the previous
game, with larger maps and in-depth scenery with many things happening. When Lan or Megaman interacts
with a person or object, a chat window appears at the bottom of the screen, containing a picture of the
character in a talking animation accompanied by text.
The graphical style changes during a random encounter, boss battle or netbattle, switching to a side-on, 2D
grid where each side has 9 squares of movement. Megaman faces the opponents on the left side, on a red grid
of 9 squares, and the enemies are adjacent to him on a blue grid of 9 squares. Megaman starts every battle
with 5 battle chips, randomly chosen from a folder of 30, which can be customised out of battle. Every 10
seconds, the custom guage at the top of the screen fills up and the L or R shoulder button can be pressed to
open the battle chip window again, and 5 more battlechips are available. Megaman has a range of graphics for
attacking, from a simple charge shot by holding the fire button down, to unique animations for each
battlechip.
Main Characters
Lan Hikari
Lan Hikari is the son of the famous scientist, Dr. Yuichiro Hikari. At birth, he had a twin brother named Hub
who passed away from a heart defect known as "HBD", however Lan's father was able to implement the latest
in Net Navi technology to transform Hub into a data format that eventually became Lan's Navi, MegaMan. Lan
learned about this at the end of the first Battle Network game. Despite living a mostly carefree life, Lan has
saved the Internet from threats numerous times.
Megaman.exe
MegaMan.EXE, also known simply as MegaMan, was originally a human boy named Hub Hikari, the twin
brother of Lan Hikari. However, he succumbed as an infant to a fatal heart condition known as HBD. While he
lay dying, his father, Dr. Hikari, conceived of a way to combine human DNA with Navi programming to create a
new type of artificial intelligence, thus MegaMan was born. MegaMan accompanied Lan on his many
adventures, including the first battle against the WWW crime syndicate.
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Mayl Sakurai
Mayl is Lan's neighbour and childhood friend, one who would always see to it that he walk to school with her
every day. In the first title, she is trapped on a bus rigged to explode by the WWW, starting a series of
scenarios where she would be thrown into a dangerous situation and rescued by Lan over the course of the
series.
Roll.exe
Roll is the personal Net Navi of Mayl Sakurai, and one of the few female Navis in the series. She shares a sisterlike intimacy with Mayl, making her Mayl's closest confidant. She is very kindhearted and sweet and is good
friends with the Navis of Mayl's friends, especially MegaMan.
Dex Oyama
Dex Oyama was a bully at first, constantly using his NetNavi, GutsMan.EXE to beat down others in school
NetBattles. He met his match when Lan's own Navi, MegaMan.EXE, beat GutsMan.EXE in a fight. Since that
time, the two grew to become close pals.
Gutsman.exe
GutsMan is the personal Net Navi of Dex Ooyama. With a large body and large fists, GutsMan prides himself in
his immense physical strength. He has similar a personality and traits to his operator; he's not very bright but
possesses a strong, manly spirit. GutsMan considers himself to be MegaMan's greatest rival, although he
frequently loses to him in battle.
Dr.Hikari
Dr. Yuuichiro Hikari is the father of Lan and Hub Hikari, and husband of Haruka Hikari. A renowned scientist
like his father, Tadashi Hikari, Dr. Hikari is responsible for many of the great advances in Networking and
NetNavis, having created the Style Change, Navi Customizer, among other things.
Wily
Dr. Wily is the leader of WWW, and the primary antagonist of the MegaMan Battle Network series. He is a
mad, evil scientist bent on the destruction of all network society, and revenge against the Hikari family. While
Dr. Wily is not the main villain of every Battle Network game, he is almost always connected to the events to
some degree.
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ACDC Town
ACDC Town is the first town you see, and the hometown of most of the main characters. It looks just like a
typical neighbourhood, containing houses, a playground and park area, shops, a subway station to other
locations and a high school. Most of the early game takes place in and around this area, be it visiting NPCs in
their houses, taking lessons at the school, and buying new battlechips from the store.
Area
Description
Lan’s House
This is the home of the main character, Lan Hikari. Lan lives here with his mother Haruka and his
father Yuichiro, along with his Net Navi Megaman. A very commonly visited area, this is the place
where Lan accesses the ACDC town Internet and goes to sleep, which indicates the end of a chapter.
Lan's computer also eventually functions as a hub for every Internet zone, once he has collected their
homepage keys. The house consists of 2 areas, Lan's bedroom and the kitchen/living room area. While
Lan's parent’s room is implied to be on the opposite side of the house, the player is unable to access
this area.
There are some hidden extras in this house, such as a battlechip under a kitchen plate and kitchen
appliances that can be jacked into.
Mayl’s House
This is Mayl's house, Lan's childhood friend and implied love interest. Mayl's house is relatively simple
in comparison to Lan's house, containing only a single large room partially walled off to seperate the
bedroom from the rest of the house.
Jacking into Mayl's computer allows access to her website, containing Mystery Data an Entrance to
ACDC 2.
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Yai’s House
Yai's House is the second largest building in ACDC Town, which represents how rich she is. While the
house is large on the outside, entering Yai's house takes the player directly to her bedroom. This is
because Yai plays a very little part in the game despite being one of the main protagonists. Jacking
into Yai's Laptop gives the player access to her website, along with another entrance to ACDC 3.
There are numerous hidden jack-in locations such as a telephone which sends Megaman to an area
with a Blue Mystery Data.
Dex’s House
The smallest house in ACDC town, and also the messiest. Dex's House lies on the outskirts of the town,
next to the subway. Containing little except a computer and games consoles, this area is rarely visited
except to jack into his computer, leading the player through his website and eventually to an entrance
to ACDC 2. Jacking into his Nintendo Gamecube reveals a secret area containing a Mystery Data.
Higsby’s Shop
A regularly visited area in the game due to the items that you can obtain as you progress. Higsby's
shop sells rare battlechips and can order battlechips that you have previously found.
There are also 2 machines in the shop called the Number Trader and the Chip Trader: The Number
Trader allows codes to be entered which can be found in hidden areas throughout the game and
rewards rare and powerful battlechips, the Chip Trader allows 3 battlechips to be put in, and 1
random chip is rewarded.
High School
The largest building in ACDC town, ACDC High School contains multiple class rooms and corridors each
with different objects to jack into and NPCs to interact with. The game starts in this building,
specifically class 5-B. This area also contains the first "dungeon" of the game, with Lan breaking into
the school at night time to stop a WWW member from stealing important data from the school.
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SciLab
Scilab is a huge science and technology complex accessible from the Subway in any other town. Scientific
advancements such as the PET, Net Navis and Worldwide networking were created and developed here, with
Lans father Yuichiro responsible for most of them. SciLab has also had its share of accidents, resulting in the
creation of Bass, the antagonist of Megaman Battle Network 2, and Alpha, the last boss of Megaman Battle
Network 3.
Area
Description
SciLab Lobby
The first room you enter when arriving at SciLab. Little in terms of interaction, but leads to the Virus
lab and the upper floor. Areas of note are the reception desk and drinks machine, although they do
not serve a purpose in-game. Also contains the Job board, where Lan can take up minor missions to
help people find an item, defeat a specific virus or deliver something, with handsome rewards.
Virus Lab
The Virus Lab contains an interesting feature in the game: The virus breeding machine. Similar to
Pokemon, some Viruses can be captured when defeated, and sent to this machine, and Lan receives a
battlechip based on the respective virus. These captured viruses can be strengthened by giving them
Bugfrags, which in turn makes the battlechip stronger. The viruses that can be captured are Mettaur,
Bunny, Spikey, Swordy, Jelly, Mushy, Momogra, KillerEye and Scuttlest.
Dad’s Lab
This is the area that Lan and his class visit on the school trip at the start of the game. Surrounded by
computers, this room is obviously the brainpower of the entire building. A huge computer sits in the
middle of the room.This area is visited frequently mid-game and contains a jack-in port to access the
Internet.
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Yoka
Yoka is a rural village that Lan and his class visit early on in the game. Famous for its zoo and hot springs, this
seemed like the perfect place to take it easy. The first day Lan and his class were at Yoka, they visited the zoo,
and later on retired to the Inn. During the night, the zoo’s network was hacked by a WWW member causing
the animals to rampage. Lan and Megaman jack-in to the zoo’s computer and eventually stop the perpetrator
and delete Beastman, an enemy navi that caused all the problems.
Area
Description
Zoo Entrance
The large area that Lan and his class first arrive at when they first step foot in Yoka. While none of it is
very interactive, there are decorative machines for zoo tickets and rustic stalls. From here Lan can go
inside the zoo, or head towards the inn. On the blue version of the game, a character called Mr.
Famous stands nearby, challenging Lan to a netbattle with his navi “Punk”.
Zoo
A large area containing cages and fenced off areas with animals inside. This area is where a lot of
scenes take place, and is where Lan has to go to jack into the zoo’s main computer. During the zoo
hijacking, all the animals escape and have still not returned once the trouble has ended. This area
leads to the dungeon Zoo 1, Zoo 2 and Zoo 3, eventually leading to the boss navi Beastman
Hotel Front
The front of the “Ura Inn” where Lan and his class rest after visiting the zoo. This area is little more
than a path leading to the front door of the Inn, but a stall owner named Tamako stands outside and
offers to netbattle Lan later on in the game.
Hotel Lobby
The reception area of the Inn. Empty most of the time apart from decorative chairs and ornaments,
but acts as a backdrop for the scene when the zoo is first hijacked. All of class 5-A wait here worriedly
while Lan sneaks out and sorts out the zoo trouble. There is also old samurai armour in the corner of
the room which can be jacked into, containing the hidden boss navi Japanman.
Guest Room
Two large rooms where class 5-A attempts to sleep during the night of the zoo attack. They are all
awoken during the night, and locked in the room for safety. Lan manages to find a hidden exit at the
back of the room which leads directly out of the hotel and allows a sneaky entrance into the zoo.
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Beach Street
Beach Street is part of a large city in Electopia that Lan visits to attend the net battle tournament. It is home to
the DNN TV Station where the first round of the tournament takes place, as well as the Seaside hospital. A
boat also sits at the port that later takes Lan to Hades Island for the later stages of the net battle tournament,
and at the end of the game takes Lan to the WWW headquarters.
Area
Description
Beach St.
The main area of Beach Street. Contains decorative shops, and the ocean is visible at the southern
side of the area. Contains paths to the hospital and TV station, and also features a small port where a
boat is docked.
DNN TV Station
The TV station that is hosting the N1 Grand Prix, a net battle tournament that has netbattlers from all
over Electopia taking part. There are a number of studios to explore, and during the tournament, the
netbattler Tora is waiting in the lobby to challenge Lan to a Net battle.
Seaside Hospital
Situated to the west of Beach Street, Seaside Hospital is a large building spanning many floors and
jack-in locations. An immense tree grows in the centre of the hospital, which is powered by machinery
at the bottom of the building. A number of major characters have been treated here during the game,
including Lans father and Mamoru, a character from the second game. This building is also home to a
number of dramatic events during the late game, where WWW member Anetta and her navi,
Plantman, attack the hospital.
Hades Island
Hades Island is a dangerous island situated off the coast of Beach Street. Net battlers who passed the
first round of the N1 Grand Prix were taken here to compete against each other to decide the victor of
the tournament, but it is revealed at the end to be a trap by the television producter, which turned
out to be WWW member Sunayama and his navi, Desertman.
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Internet Areas
While Lan explores and navigates the “real world”, Megaman can only traverse the Internet. There are many
Internet areas, split up into Areas that often reflect on real world equivelants.
Area
Description
Viruses Within
ACDC Net
The network for ACDC Town, the first place Lan can jack
into. Contains three areas and low level viruses. Basic layout
and no puzzles for easy navigation.
Canondumb,
Mettaur,
Boomer, Bunny
SciLab Net
The network for the SciLab building. Contains two areas and
low level viruses.
Boomer, Canodumb, Fishy, Quaker,
Swordy, Ratty
Yoka Net
The network for Yoka, doesn’t include the zoo area.
Contains more complex maze like navigation and some
areas only accessible with the “compression” navicust
program.
Canodumb2,
Mettaur2,
Shrimpy, Slimer, Windbox
Beach Net
The network for Beach Street. Contains mid level viruses
and one way paths which require the player to think about
which path to take. Also contains areas only accessible with
the “compression” program.
Beetle, Fishy, Quaker, SnowBlow,
Swordy2, Trumpy, Yort, Mettaur2
Undernet
The network for the Undernet, a dark area containing evil
navis and high level viruses. Contains 7 areas of increasing
difficulty and a number of puzzles required to be solved to
progress. Forms the basis for most of the late-game
gameplay.
Fishy3, KillerEye, Metrid, Shrimpy2,
Shrimpy3, Slimey, Spikey2, Spikey3,
Jelly, Swordy3, TuffBunny, Deetle,
Swordy2, Volcano, Yurt, BrushMan,
Dominerd, Gloomer, Mettaur3, Ratty2,
DemonEye, LowBlow, Heavy, Totam,
Tuby, Viner, Canodumb2, HeatJelly,
Momogro, Poofball
Secret Net
A secret network that can only be accessed once the game
has been completed. Contains very high level viruses,
puzzles, and obstacles requiring the player to complete
tasks such as finding every battlechip. Contains the hidden
final boss, Serenade.
ColdHead, Doomer, Eleglobe, Geetle,
Heaviest,
JokerEye,
Metrodo,
Mettaur3, Ratty3, Swordy3, Totun,
Yart,
VacuumFan,MoBlow,N.O-2,
Smasher, Shadow, Volcaner, Volcano,
Breaker, Dominerd3, Fishy3, Momgre,
N.O-3, Scuttle, Scuttler, Scuttlest,
Scuttzer, Scutz, Shrimpy3, Spiker,
Spikey3, Tromby, Volcaner, Volcanest
School Net
The first net dungeon. Containing two areas, Megaman has
to find keys to pass gates and eventually reach Flashman.
Contains low level viruses.
Canodumb, Eleball, Mettaur, Bunny
Zoo Net
The zoo network where Megaman defeats Beastman.
Contains a puzzle where Megaman needs to carry viruses
pretending to be animals to their matching animal,
revealing the path ahead.
Boomer, Mettaur, Mettaur2, Ratty,
Spikey, Spikey2, Swordy
Hades Net
A single area Megaman visits during the N1 Grand Prix
tournament, the player has to once again find keys
scattered around the area to proceed. Contains mid level
Fishy3, KillerEye, Metrid, Shrimpy2,
Shrimpy3, Slimey, Spikey2, Spikey3,
Jelly, Swordy3, TuffBunny, Deetle,
Eleball,
Pengu,
10
viruses.
Swordy2, Volcano
Hospital Net
A large network for the Hospital in Beach Street. Megaman
needs to use fire element battlechips to burn down trees to
eventually reach the evil navi, Plantman. Contains mid level
viruses.
Canondumb2, HardHead, Mettaur2,
Mushy, Needler, Totem, Viney, Pengi,
Pengon, Puffball, Swordy2
WWW Net
The final dungeon in the game, the WWW network contains
4 areas that each contain aspects of previous areas and
puzzles, and also stronger versions of navis that Megaman
had deleted earlier in the game. A reference to classic
Megaman games where Megaman has to re-fight all of the
previous enemies before challenging the last boss.
Canodumb3,
EleSphere,
Elebee,
Hardhead, KillerEye, Megabunny,
Momogra, Nailer, Viner, Vinert,
Slimey, Metrod, Basher, Fishy3,
Gloomer, Momogro
Progression Overview
Chapter 1: Flashman
o
Lans class is on a trip to Scilab, where they learn about virus busting
o
They return back to school, and Yai asks the group if they want to chat online later on
o
Meeting up at the park, the group are approached by a man who asks them if they want to compete
in the N1 Grand Prix, a netbattle tournament. The group agrees and heads home to sign up online
o
Megaman reaches ACDC Square, and completes a quiz to pass the preliminary round.
o
Lan jacks Megaman out of the Internet, and the group all meet at Yais homepage to chat. Lan and Dex
are reminded that they haven’t done their homework yet.
o
The group sneaks into school in the middle of the night, and find out that the doors are already
opened
o
They meet a stranger inside who is trying to steal data from the computers. The stranger’s net navi,
Flashman, hypnotises everyone apart from Lan and Lan has to save them.
o
Megaman accesses the principles computer, reaches Flashman and deletes him. The group snap out
of confusion, but Flashmans explosion causes Megaman to collapse. The stranger disappears after
taking the data.
o
They all go home; Lan finishes his homework and goes to sleep.
Chapter 2: Beastman
o
Chapter opens with the stranger and a shadowed character discussing matters. The stranger hands
over the data and the shadowed man is elated. It is then revealed that the shadowed man is Wily, the
leader of the WWW.
o
A scene transition, a young boy is looking for his brother, the no.1 net battler in ACDC
o
Lan wakes up, and Megaman tries talking to Lan but the explosion from last night has caused damage
to his programming. Lan decides to meet his father at Scilab to fix him.
11
o
Lan reaches the trainstation, but sees the young boy. Lan wonders who this “no.1 netbattler” could
be, and it turned out to be Dex trying to impress his younger brother.
o
Dexs little brother, Chisao, asks Lan to netbattle Dex so he can see his brother in action. Lan can either
lose or win this battle for a different response at the end
o
Before Lan meets his father, he runs into the N1 Grand Prix announcer from before, who tells him
that the second round is starting. Lan quickly jacks into the Internet to participate.
o
Megaman has to pass a three round survival battle to pass this round. At the end of the battles, Lans
PET messes up once more and Megaman cannot jack out without leaving the way he entered.
o
Megaman eventually reaches Lans computer and returns to the PET. At dinner time he asks his dad to
take a look at the broken PET. Dad says that he will need to bring the PET to Scilab tomorrow for
repairs.
o
That day, Lan goes with his class on a trip to Yoka Zoo. Ms. Mari, Lans teacher, realises that the Zoo is
closed. They explore Yoka until its bath time instead.
o
Later that night, Lan receives an email from his dad. He fixes the PET and gives Lan the NaviCust
program, and explains how to use it.
o
The next day, Lan and his class arrive at the zoo. During the trip, the animals somehow break free of
their cages and attack the visitors.
o
Lan jacks into the Zoo network, and finds that a WWW navi, Beastman, has hijacked the computer.
Megaman deletes Beastman and the Zoo security and animals return to normal. Beastmans operator
manages to escape with more data, revealed to be a Tetracode.
o
Lan and his class return back to school safetly, and the day ends.
Chapter 3: Bubbleman
o
Chapter opens with Wily cursing Lan for deleting two of his Navis.
o
Lan is in class, learning about the “compression” program which can shrink Navis down. At the end of
the lesson, Lan receives an email from Higsby, the owner of the battlechip shop. He wants Lan to run
an errand for him because he has a cold.
o
Lan delivers the package to a Navi on the Internet via Megaman. After that, he receives an email
stating that the final preliminary round for the N1 Grand Prix is starting today. Lan jacks into the
internet and Megaman heads to Yoka Square, where it is being held. After finding the hidden navis
throughout the Internet and real world, he passes the preliminary round and gains a spot in the
tournament.
o
Back home, Mayl asks Lan if he wants to go to her house tomorrow to help install a Bubblewash
program. Lan agrees, and the day ends.
o
The next day, Lan arrives at Mayls house. Ms. Mari is also there to see how the program works.
o
They start the Bubblewash, and it malfunctions, trapping Mayl and Ms.Mari in a giant bubble.
o
Lan jacks into the Bubblewash, and meets another WWW navi who caused the problem: Bubbleman.
Megaman chases Bubbleman around the Internet while fighting off WWW subordinates.
12
o
During this encounter, Megaman receives his first Style Change. The element gained at this point is
random, and the style based on how the player controls Megaman during a battle (see: Style Change
section)
o
Megaman eventually reaches Bubbleman and deletes him. Just like Flashman, he attempts to
detonate in order to damage Megaman, but Protoman appears and slashes him before that happens.
o
Lan jacks Megaman out of the Internet and Mayl and Ms.Mari are free. Lan returns back home and
goes to sleep.
Chapter 4: Desertman
o
Tomorrow is the day of the N1 Grand Prix, and the scene opens with Lan in bed. Megaman tells him
that he has received an email stating that the tournament will be held at Beach Street, and that a
special TV show is being recorded on site to celebrate. They decide to go.
o
They attempt to invite their friends to go along with them, but everyone is busy except Dex and
Gutsman. They head to Beach Street to introduce themselves.
o
During the introduction, the reporter is alerted that netbattle fans have erupted in a frenzy on the
Internet. Megaman and Gutsman arrive on the scene to delete the intruders. They get overwhelmed,
but are saved once again by Protoman. The scene calms down and they jack out.
o
The scene transitions to Wily in his base. He is aware of Chaud and Protomans power and considers
him a threat. An unknown person replies to Wily that he will give Chaud a public execution.
o
The scene transitions back to Lan in his house. He is sent on an errand by his mother to deliver a
datadisk to his Dad.
o
Lan heads back home and sleeps, ready for the tournament tomorrow.
o
Lan arrives at beach street and registers for the tournament. Later on he is instructed to get on a ferry
with the other competitors to Hades Isle. During the boat trip, sleeping gas is released and they are
all knocked unconscious.
o
They wake up already on the island. They proceed inside a large mountain and jack into tournament
machines, with the objective being to collect special data before the other competitors.
o
Passing the test, Lan makes it to the semi-finals. They head back to Beach Street. Chaud and
Protoman are nowhere to be found, but Lan begins competing anyway.
o
The scene transitions to Protoman fighting a commercial Navi, and losing. The navi reveals himself to
be Desertman.
o
Lan leaves the tournament to find Chaud, who has also dropped out from the tournament. He finds
Chaud and Protoman still fighting against Desertman, and helps delete him.
o
Lan heads back home and goes to sleep.
Chapter 5: Alpha
o
The scene opens with Wily, not disappointed despite the failures from his subordinates. He has
obtained all of the Tetracodes and can now unlock a dark power.
13
o
Lans father sends Lan to the Undernet on behalf of the Netbattle Officials to secure a program to stop
Wilys efforts, called Giga Freeze. He meets with the rank 1 navi of the Undernet, Serenade. Due to the
extreme power of the program, Megaman appears to have crashed, but soon takes hold of the
power.
o
Just as Megaman obtains the program, an alert rings out that the TetraGate has been destroyed and
an “Alpha” program is being stolen. Lan heads to Scilab to stop the intruder before its too late.
o
Lan finds Drillman, armed with all of the Tetracodes Wily had stolen, and breaks through the barriers
to steal the Alpha program. Megaman follows Drillman and deletes him, but before he can obtain the
Alpha program he is stopped by Bass. Megaman launches the Giga Freeze at Bass, but Bass merely
catches it with one hand. Bass is impressed by the power that Megaman holds, and leaves Megaman,
taking the Alpha program for himself.
o
Upon returning back to Scilab, Lan is told that Alpha is more than a program, and is actually a
precursor to the original Internet. He learns that in the wrong hands, Alpha can destroy the entire net
society.
o
Lan decides to stop Wily and Alpha before that happens. Lans father, weakened from the stress of
what has happened, reveals the location of Wilys base.
o
Lan takes the ferry at Beach Street to the base, and overcomes many Internet based and real
challenges to reach the inner sanctum of Wilys fortress.
o
Lan reaches the main computer, and jacks in. He finds Wily, now in digital form, and the physical form
of Alpha. Bass is already there fighting against Alpha, but gets swallowed up. Targeting Megaman
next, Alpha attacks. After a long battle, Alpha is destroyed and the entire network begins to collapse.
Chapter 6: The End
o
A door opens where Alpha once stood, and Megaman goes inside. He finds an image file of Scilab
many years ago, along with an avatar of his Grandpa. Lans Grandpa tells him all about how Alpha was
first formed, and what it meant for the net society. At this point, the entire mainframe is falling apart,
and Lans Grandpa tells them to get out before its too late, and hands him a note to give to his son.
Lan promises his Grandpa he will help create a wonderful net society, and runs back to the entrance..
But Alpha reappears and swallows Megaman.
o
The scene transitions to darkness, with Megaman stating that they have been swallowed and will
probably be deleted soon.With both Lan and Megaman trapped, Megaman says that he will selfdestruct to open a hole in Alpha and save Lan. While Lan says not to, Megaman still does and the
screen flashes white.
o
Lan wakes up back at Beach Street, where everyone is waiting for him. Megaman is gone, and while
everyone is happy that Lan has returned safe and that the Internet is also safe, Lan is depressed. A
few days later, Lan tells his father about what happened inside Alpha, and shows him the note. Lans
father is surprised, and tells Lan that the note contains encoded data. Lan goes about his days without
a net navi for a while, but realises that sixth graders must have a net navi for their work. On the night
before Lan starts sixth grade, his father comes home from work and tells Lans mother that the
encoded data was finally decrypted, and contained some interesting data, which he will install in Lans
PET before heading out to work tomorrow. The next day, Lan wakes up from the alarm clock, and is
greeted by Megaman saying “Good morning, Lan!”
14
Game Mechanics
Viruses
There are many viruses’ species in the game, with stronger variations within each species. Each has their own
unique attack and damage.
Virus
Attack
Virus
Attack
Virus
Attack
Mettaur
Shockwave
Shrimpy
Bubbler
Yort
Yo-yo
10 damage
Canodumb
Cannon
Spikey
10 damage
Fishy
Dash Attack
Longsword
Bunny
Ratton
Windbox
Cannonball
Puffball
Wave
Mushy
High Magnum
Wind 0 damage
PoisMask
BadSpice
Dominerd
CurseShield
Beetle
Green Rope
panel
Bomb
20 damage
Metrid
Meteor
40 damage
KillerEye
Killer’s Eye
50 damage
Momogra
100 damage
Viney
Panel Change
Changes
types
50 damage
50 damage
Basher
Brushman
50 damage
60 damage
Jelly
ZapRing
Dark Weapon
50 damage
Blows Megaman
backwards
20 damage
Hardhead
Shadow
15 damage
30 damage
Ratty
Heatshot
30 damage
30 damage
Swordy
20 damage
30 damage
Momo Attack
40 damage
Needler
Needle
15
50 damage
Heavy
Shake
60 damage
Boomer
30 damage
Scuttlest
Green Rope
200 damage
30 damage
Boomerang
30 damage
Elebee
Bee Arrow
30 damage
Volcano
Pyroclast
40 damage
Megaman Battle Network 3’s mechanics are mostly the same as its previous incarnations, except they have
been refined for a deeper and more fun experience. It is also more users friendly to appeal to a younger
audience.
New mechanics are added to the game such as the “NaviCust” program, which allows much more
customisation to Megaman than in the previous games. He can be programmed to have large attack or hit
point boosts, which can be swapped over depending on what the next battle requires. Another new feature is
the ability to change Megamans looks and combat abilities with a mechanic called “Style change”. This changes
Megamans charged attack, and even changes his armour and element. He can go from a neutral style to Fire,
Water, Grass and Electric element styles, with an extra perk based on how Megaman fights and what battle
chips he uses. For example, a “FireGuts” style gives Megaman a fire element, and Guts increases his buster
cannons attack by a large amount. Each style has their own advantages and disadvantages and players can
unlock more styles by padding variation to their battle style.
Lan can interact with characters all around Electopia and their electronic companions can be interacted by
jacking in to the Internet with Megaman. While online, Megaman will battle with viruses and evil net navis in
the form of random battles by using “battle chips” that Lan and Megaman find on their travels. A lot of
characters that featured in previous games are back in this game too, some playing more important roles.
The Navi Customizer
This is a new feature in the Megaman Battle Network series. In
previous games, Megaman would get stronger by collecting
PowerUps to boost his attack and speed. In this game, Programs
can be added straight into Megaman in a grid interface. With
proper organisation skills and planning, Megamans power can
increase by an immense amount.
Megaman first receives the NaviCust program early on in the game,
just before the chapter 2 zoo incident. Lan’s father includes the
program in an e-mail and instructs Lan how to use it, and include a few basic programs to try out within the
NaviCust. When the NaviCust is first obtained, it is merely a 4x4 grid, referred to as a “Memory Map”. The
middle row is called the “Command Line” and one program must always be touching it for the rest of the
programs to work. Later on in the game, Lan and Megaman can find “ExpMemory” upgrades, which expands
the grid to 5x5.
16
There are three rules when using the NaviCust, otherwise bugs and errors will occur, which can cause
Megaman to act erratically during battle, and sometimes to not act at all:
o
Rule 1: Program parts must touch the Memory Map’s Command Line.
o
Rule 2: Plus Parts with a square pattern must NOT touch the line.
o
Rule 3: You cannot place same colour programs next to each other.
When programmed correctly, Megaman can have a huge boost in his HP and attack power. When all the
blocks have been placed in a satisfying order, pressing the “RUN” button executes the program, and hopefully
Megaman replies that everything is okay. If not, a number of bugs can occur:
o
HP Drain: During battle, Megaman will quickly lose HP. The effect of this is determined by how badly
the Customizer is bugged.
o
Buster Lock: Every so often the buster cannon will click and no bullet will shoot out.
o
Metal Buster: Whenever a charged shot is fired, a Metal Block is placed on the field.
o
Empty Buster: Trying to fire will produce no results.
o
Liquid Buster: Whenever a charged shot is fired, water spills out of the mega buster. The water does
nothing and is merely a joke effect.
o
Enemy Attract: Random encounter rate of viruses is greatly increased.
o
Shield: A shield is created around Megaman when three shots are fired. This is a beneficial bug.
o
Unlimited HP: For a short period of time, Megamans HP will not decrease. This is a very beneficial
bug.
o
Super Buster: A Megamans buster cannon becomes 2x stronger. This is a beneficial bug.
In conclusion playing with bugs can be both problematic and beneficial. Another plus of battling with bugs is
that eventually you unlock the “bug” style, which nullifies all NaviCust issues but also causes its own random
bugs during battle.
NaviCust Programs
Name of Program
Found at
Description
Sneakrun
Zoo Comp 1
Reduces random encounter rates
Airshoes
Numberman Machine
Allows Megaman to step on empty panels
PresData
Bubbleman Scenario
Allows Megaman to compress and fit on narrow pathways
Humor
Reward from Job #16
Changes Megamans hints to joke statements
BlckMind
Drillman Scenario
Grants Megaman access to deeper regions of the undernet
Fish
Beach BugDealer
Attracts aqua-element viruses
Oilbody
Hospital Comp 1
Attracts heat-element viruses
17
Jungle
WWW Comp 3
Attracts wood-element viruses
Battery
Undersquare BugDealer
Attracts elec-element viruses
Rush
Undersquare BugDealer
Renders enemy invis chips useless
Beat
Email from Dad
Increases odds of rare chip after battles
Tango
Hospital Comp 1
Healers during critical status during battles
Alpha
Numberman machine
Allows Megaman to see Alpha Puddles
ChngEnrg
Email from Dad
Converts chips to elemental energy
FstGuage
Cliff Console at Wily Castle
Speeds up rate that the custom guage refills
UnderSht
Under 6 BugDealer
Ensures that you have 1 HP left even after sustaining a deadly hit
Collect
Numberman Machine
Always earn a battlechip at the end of battle
BusterMax
Undernet 7
Maxes out buster power, but creates bugs
SetSand
Numberman Machine
Turns all panels to sand
GigFldr1
Undernet 7
Allows two giga chips per folder instead of one, but creates bugs
HubBatch
Secret Net 3
Grants abilities of all styles, but comes with a ½ HP glitch
Attack+1
Various Locations
Enhances Megamans attack rating by 1
Rapid+1
Various Locations
Enhances Megamans rapid rating by 1
Charge+1
Various Locations
Enhances Megamans charge rating by 1
HP+100
Various Locations
Gives Megaman +100 Max HP
HP+200
Various Locations
HP+300
Undersquare Dealer
HP+500
Secret Net 2
Regular+5
Beachsquare Dealers
Adds 5 Regular Memory Points
WeapLvl+1
Various Locations
Adds 1 Attack rating to a charged shot
SprArmor
Levelling up Guts Style
Stops Megaman from being stunned
BrakBust
Regular buster shots pierce armour and obstacles
BrakChrg
Allows Megaman to break objects with charged shots
Block
Levelling up Shield Style
Create a deflective shield by pressing B and left on the d-pad
Shield
Reflect
Custom1
Levelling up Custom Style
Draws one extra chip during battle
18
Custom1
Draws onr extra chip during battle
Custom2
Draws two extra chip during battle
MegFldr1
Levelling up Team Style
Allows +1 Mega chip per folder
MegFldr1
Allows +1 Mega chip per folder
MegFldr2
Allows +2 Mega chips per folder
BugStop
Levelling up BugStyle
Stops bugs and mod code bugs from appearing
DarkLcns
Allows instant use of Dark Chips without use of Hole or Darkman
SetGreen
Grass Panels wherever Megaman stands
SetIce
Ice panels wherever Megaman stands
SetLava
Lava planels wherever Megaman stands
SetHoly
Holy panels wherever Megaman stands
Megamans Style Changes
First appearing in Megaman Battle Network 2, Megaman can change his elemental attribute and type. The first
time this occurs is during the Bubbleman scenario, and is a fixed event. Later on, style changes will occur after
260 random encounters. The element is randomly chosen, and the style is based on how you fight, what battle
chips you use etc.
There are six types, and four elemental attributes that can be obtained, resulting in a total of 24 different
styles. Each style has a unique attack, and affects battle chips differently. Each style can level up through V1,
V2 and V3 and grants Megaman even more power, and rewards NaviCust programs upon levelling.
Element
Buster Charge Damage
Description
Heat
V1: 50 damage
Fire elemental attacks, and weak to aqua elemental attacks. Inflicts
double damage to wood elemental enemies. Lava panels will cause no
damage when stood on, and buster cannons charged shot becomes a
flamethrower that damages the three adjacent horizontal panels. Slow
charge rate.
V2: 80 damage
V3: 100 damage
Wood
V1: 10 damage
V2: 15 damage
V3: 20 damage
Elec
V1: 10 damage
V2: 20 damage
V3: 30 damage
Aqua
V1: 20 damage
Wood elemental attacks and weak to fire elemental attacks. Inflicts
double damage to elec elemental enemies. Grass panels recover HP
when stood on, and buster canoons charged shot becomes a twister
nd
attack on the 2 adjacent panel, which hits multiple times.
Electricity elemental attacks and weak to wood elemental attacks.
Inflicts double damage to aqua elemental enemies. No benefit from
elemental panels. Buster cannons charged shot becomes a ZapRing
that stuns enemies for 1 second.
Water elemental attacks and weak to elec elemental attacks. Inflicts
double damage to fire elemental enemies. No benefit from elemental
19
V2: 40 damage
panels. Buster cannons charged shot becomes a Bubbler that damages
an enemy and the panel behind it. Fast charge rate.
V3: 60 damage
While the first style obtained happens at a fixed scene, subsequent style changes will only happen after a set
number of random battles. While the element obtained is random, the style is based on the type of battle
chips you use during those battles.
Program Advances
Also originating from Megaman Battle Network 2, Program Advances are a way of combining battlechips inn
such a way that they combine and form a much stronger attack. There are 32 in total, and are triggered by
using 3-5 battlechips in specific order. When a Program Advance is first used, it is saved in the PA section of
the library for later reference.
Interface
In Megaman Battle Network, the game is controlled a number of different ways depending on what you are
doing. Moving around the maps, navigating through menus and battling all require that the Gameboy Advance
buttons do different things.
When Controlling Lan or Megaman
Starting with the overworld, Lan is controlled with the d-pad buttons. While the graphics are isometric, holding
the up key will make Lan move directly upwards. This is easier to understand for younger gamers as opposed
to moving upwards following the perspective, which would be the north-east direction. The same goes for the
other d-pad buttons, the down key makes Lan move directly down and the left and right keys make Lan move
directly left and right respectively.
Lan can communicate with other people or objects by using the A button. When asked a question or given an
option of how to proceed, the up and down d-pad buttons allow selecting, with A used again to confirm the
selection. the B button is used in this situation to cancel the selection, or close the chat window prematurely.
While walking around, the L button can be pressed to speak to Megaman. Megaman often offers hints to
puzzles and guidance to the next storyline progressing location. Pressing R at a computer or object can often
allow jacking-in, which is Lan connecting his PET to the Internet via a jack-in port on the computer or object.
There are a lot of hidden jack-in locations throughout the game rewarding Mystery Data and rare battlechips,
which motivates the player to explore off the given path. Finally, pressing the Start button opens up the menu.
20
While in a Menu
There are a lot of options to choose from while in the menu. Navigating the menu can be done when pressing
the up and down buttons on the d-pad. By pressing the B button, the menu goes back its previous selection.
Menu Option
Navigation
ChipFolder
This is where folders of battlechips can be arranged for battle. Lan initially starts with
only one folder, and can edit the folder by pressing the A button and replacing it with a
battlechip from the collected chips. By pressing select, a regular chip can be selected to
appear at the beginning of every battle. This can be changed by simply pressing the
select button on anoth
Subchip
This menu contains useable items that can help Megaman while on the Internet. Some
items available are FullEnergy, which restores all of Megamans Hit Points, and Unlocker,
which unlocks a purple Mystery Data. The A button is used to select and use these
items.
Library
A list of all the battlechips collected throughout the game. The menu starts with the
Standard Chips, and pressing the right d-pad button moves the library to the Mega
Chips. Subsequent presses of the right d-pad moves the library to obtained Gigachips
and Program Advances.
Megaman
A menu showing Megamans status, showing stats such as Megamans Hit Points, Mega
Buster power, and Style. Later in the game, Cannot be interacted with until an addition
called NaviCust is added, allowing further customisation.
E-mail
Emails recieved from NPCs during the storyline or during a mission are listed here.
Pressing A reads an email and B closes the email.
Key Items
Key items collected during the game. Pressing the left and right buttons scrolls through
all of the items.
Communications
The place where two Gameboy Advances can connect and netbattle. A link cable in
required to connect the two consoles. There are three options, Netbattle, where you
can press A to start a netbattle with the connected opponent, See Library, where you
can view the battlechip library of your opponents and Trade Chips, where you can trade
chips with your opponent.
Save
The save game menu. Megaman asks Lan if he wants to save, with the option of Yes or
No. Pressing A selects one of the options and the game is saved if "Yes" is chosen.
21
When in a Battle
When a battle first starts, Megaman is presented with the battlechip menu. By using the A button he can
select up to 5 battlechips initially, and press B to deselect them. Then, by pressing the start button, the battle
starts and Megaman can use the battlechips during combat. By pressing B, Megaman shoots out a single
bullet. By Holding down the B button, Megaman charges up his buster cannon and can launch out a charged
shot, causing 10x more damage. By pressing A, Megaman uses a battlechip.
The Battlechip order is determined by the order chosen during selection in the battlechip menu.After 10
seconds, the battlechip menu becomes available again and by pressing the L or R shoulder buttons it can be
accessed and Megaman can choose 5 more battlechips.
22
Marking Information
While the Megaman franchise has been around since the 1980s, Capcom had never released a game of this
type or genre before, instead sticking to platform-based Megaman games. Director of Capcom, Masahiro
Yasuma has stated that “it was a challenge to create the game because no successful precursor of its type had
been made before” and that he struggled to “achieve the kind of fun you get from a Pokemon game”
indicating that the Megaman Battle Network series was aimed at kids and teenagers that enjoyed the
Pokemon games.
Keiji Inafune, creator of Megaman and producer of this game stated that “its concept was to develop a new
Megaman by adding the card game feature to the “action taste” unique to the Megaman franchise. He adds
that the development team wanted to add a real world feel to the Megaman series by placing the protagonist
of Battle Network in a location where the Internet is prevalent, which kids and teenagers today can associate
with.
With the release of the portable Gameboy Advance console, Inafune and his team felt that they should target
modern gamers, specifically children, as an audience for the new series.
The reason for Inafune’s decision to take the series in this direction was that “the character would be both
successful and relevant because these younger gamers grew up with and utilized such technology on a daily
basis.”
Marketing
As the game was originally developed and produced in Japan, the majority of the advertisement was shown
there and only there. Just like the previous entries in the series, Megaman Battle Network 3 had both posters
and television advertisements shown in Japan.
Because of this, the Battle Network series recieved a large amount of sales; The game appeared within the
Japanese videogame magazine Famitsu as one of the top 30 best-sellers for twelve weeks following it’s
23
release, and had 461,426 units sold by March of 2003. An updated version of the game, “Megaman Battle
th
Network 3 Black” was released the same month, and was the 11 best-selling videogame in the region during
its release week with 28,708 units sold. By the end of 2003, the original version had sold 500,001 units and the
Black version had sold 168,946 units in Japan.
While profits were not as high in Western continents such as USA and UK because they did not have such
advertisement, enough profit was made to port the sequels and even the DS series inspired by the Battle
Network series, “Megaman Starforce” and its sequels.
Game History
The Megaman franchise has been around since 1987, and it’s incarnations over the years have since sold over
twenty eight million copies worldwide. Megaman is up there with Mario and Sonic when it comes to
popularity, so any announced sequel is taken very well with the fanbase.
There are 5 main Megaman series: Megaman, Megaman X, Megaman Legends, Megaman Zero, and Megaman
Battle Network. There are also two spinoff series, “Megaman ZX” based on the Megaman Zero universe, and
Megaman Starforce which is the spiritual successor of Megaman Battle Network, taking place 200 years after
the Battle Network series ended.
Megaman Battle Network began life in 2001 on Nintendos Gameboy Advance Handheld. It was created as a
way to branch away from the well-known console series and join the handheld role playing game market. The
th
game also released on the same year as Megamans 15 anniversary. Just like Megaman Battle Network 3, the
original game featured the protagonist Lan Hikari and his netnavi Megaman as they tackle viruses and other
Internet based threats.
Megaman Battle Network 2 was released in the same year, further refining the basic gameplay and mechanics
that the first game established. This game contained such features as the Style Changes and an improved
battle system, and was much more highly regarded in terms of gameplay.
In Japan and USA, a Megaman Battle Network cartoon was also shown on television. “Megaman NT Warrior”
Spanned 209 episodes and also a 50 minute movie adaptation, Megaman Battle Networks popularity soared.
Megaman Battle Network 3 was released on western shores in 2002, using a similar sales method to the
Japanese games, and releasing two versions at the same time: Megaman Battle Network 3: White and
Megaman Battle Network 3: Blue. Both versions are more or less the same, apart from a couple of different
NPCs, netbattles and battlechips. Similar to the Pokemon games, players would need to connect the two carts
together to be able to collect 100% of the content.
24
References
Character Information
List of main characters in Mega Man Battle Network - The Mega Man Universe. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.themmnetwork.com/wiki/index.php?title=List_of_main_characters_in_Mega_Man_Battle_Netwo
rk
[Accessed 19 November 2011].
Sprite Images
Sprites INC - The Megaman Sprite Rip Archive. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.sprites-inc.co.uk/files/EXE/.
Battlechip Statistics
GameFAQs: Mega Man Battle Network 3 White (GBA) Chip Database by Nekomancer. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/gba/562255-mega-man-battle-network-3-white/faqs/21252
Virus Statistics
GameFAQs: Mega Man Battle Network 3 White (GBA) Enemy Virus FAQ by Asakura Yoh. [ONLINE] Available at:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/gba/562255-mega-man-battle-network-3-white/faqs/31106
Program Advance and NavCust info
2011 [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.themmnetwork.com/wiki/images/0/0c/Mmbn3whiteguide.txt
[Accessed 19 November 2011]
Megaman Battle Network 3 marketing information
Wikipedia. 2011. Wikipedia. [ONLINE] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaman_Battle_Network_3
[Accessed 19 November 2011]
25

Games Design 1A - Art of Jordan Preston

Transcription

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