Template:Short description Template:About Template:Good article Template:Use mdy dates Template:Main other{{#invoke:infobox|infoboxTemplate | child = | subbox = | bodyclass = ib-video-game hproduct {{#ifeq:|yes|collapsible {{#if:|{{{state}}}|autocollapse}}}} | templatestyles = Infobox video game/styles.css | aboveclass = fn | italic title =
| above = Mega Man 4
| image = {{#invoke:InfoboxImage|InfoboxImage|image={{#invoke:WikidataIB |getValue|rank=best|P18 |name=image |qid= |suppressfields= |fetchwikidata=ALL |onlysourced=no |noicon=yes|Megaman4 box.jpg}}|size=|sizedefault=frameless|upright=1|alt=|border=|suppressplaceholder=yes}}
| caption = {{#if:Megaman4 box.jpg|North American box art|North American box art}}
| label2 = Developer(s) | data2 = Capcom
| label3 = Publisher(s) | data3 = Template:Vgrelease
| label4 = Director(s) | data4 = Yoshinori Takenaka
| label5 = Producer(s) | data5 = Tokuro Fujiwara
| label6 = Designer(s) | data6 = Template:Ubl
| label7 = Programmer(s) | data7 = Tadashi Kuwana
| label8 = Artist(s) | data8 = Template:Ubl
| label9 = Writer(s) | data9 = Template:If first display both
| label10 = Composer(s) | data10 = Minae Fujii
| label11 = Series | data11 = Mega Man
| label12 = Engine | data12 = Template:If first display both
| label13 = Platform(s) | data13 = Template:Ubl
| label14 = Release | data14 = Template:Collapsible list
| label15 = Genre(s) | data15 = Action, platform
| label16 = Mode(s) | data16 = Single-player
| label17 = Arcade system | data17 = Template:If first display both
| data30 =
| below = Template:EditOnWikidata
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Mega Man 4Template:Efn (stylized as Mega Man IV) is a 1991 action-platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fourth installment of the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan on December 6, 1991. The game was released in North America the following January, and in Europe in August 1993 by Nintendo.
The game's story takes place after the third defeat and supposed death of Dr. Wily in Mega Man 3, and features the Earth coming under threat from a mysterious scientist named Dr. Cossack and his eight "Robot Masters". Fearing the worst, Dr. Light sends Mega Man to save the world once again. Mega Man 4 carries on the same action and platforming gameplay as the first three games, in which the player completes a series of stages in any order and adds the weapon of each stage's boss to Mega Man's arsenal. One notable added feature is the "New Mega Buster" (often shortened to "Mega Buster"), an upgraded arm cannon that lets the player charge a regular shot into a much more powerful blast. The development team was mindful that this innovation would change the overall feel of the game.
Similarly to its predecessors Mega Man 4 was remade for PlayStation in Japan. In later years it appeared on mobile phones and as part of game compilations, including Mega Man Anniversary Collection. The emulated versions were also released through PlayStation Network and Virtual Console. A sequel, Mega Man 5, was released in 1992.
PlotEdit
Mega Man 4 takes place in an unspecified year during the 21st century, described as the year "20XX". One year after the events of Mega Man 3, a mysterious Russian scientist named Dr. Cossack unleashes an army of robots with the intention of world domination, much like Dr. Wily before him. Dr. Light calls upon his own greatest creation, the hero Mega Man, to go after Cossack's Robot Masters, who have seized control of eight cities.<ref>Rockman 4 Aratanaru Yabō!! manual, December 1991, Capcom.</ref> He also equips Mega Man with the New Mega Buster, which he developed in secret.<ref>Template:Cite video game</ref>
Upon defeating the eight Robot Masters — Toad Man, Bright Man, Pharaoh Man, Ring Man, Dust Man, Skull Man, Dive Man, and Drill Man — Mega Man makes his way to Cossack's icy fortress. However, in the middle of his battle with Cossack, Mega Man's brother Proto Man teleports in with Cossack's daughter, Kalinka. The girl begs Mega Man to stop fighting her father and explained that Dr. Wily had kidnapped her, forcing her father to build an army of robots and antagonize Mega Man as ransom.<ref>Template:Cite video game</ref> With Wily's plan undone by Proto Man, he steps out of the shadows.<ref name="npfeature">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Mega Man pursues his nemesis and fights through the scientist's Wily Castle, but Wily manages to escape in the end. Mega Man escapes as the fortress begins to self-destruct, and rides home on the top of a passing train, where he is greeted by Roll and Rush.
GameplayEdit
Mega Man 4 features similar gameplay to the previous three games.<ref name="egm">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The player must complete a series of eight stages in an order of the player's choosing. The protagonist, Mega Man, is able to run, jump, shoot, and climb his way past obstacles and enemies; the game also retains the slide ability which debuted in Mega Man 3. At the end of each stage is a Robot Master boss. Upon defeating a Robot Master, Mega Man gains the Robot Master's signature weapon, which can then be used by the player in subsequent stages.<ref name="egm"/><ref name="manual">Template:Cite book</ref> Once all eight Robot Masters are destroyed, two separate sets of linear stages must be completed to finish the game. One major addition to the gameplay in Mega Man 4 is the "New Mega Buster", an upgraded version of Mega Man's arm cannon. By holding down the firing button, the player can now charge a shot, resulting in a blast far more powerful than the standard shot.<ref name="npfeature"/><ref name="egm"/><ref name="manual"/><ref name="gameprorev">Template:Cite magazine</ref> This feature was later used in subsequent incarnations of the franchise.<ref name="steps">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
The hero's dog Rush makes a return from Mega Man 3 with the ability to transform into "Coil", "Jet", and "Marine" modes for navigating different environments.<ref name="egm"/><ref name="manual"/> Aside from Rush, two additional support items called the "Wire Adaptor" and the "Balloon Adaptor" also aid the player in reaching areas not normally accessible. However, these hidden adaptors must be found in the stages rather than being awarded for defeating a Robot Master.<ref name="npfeature"/><ref name="egm"/><ref name="gameprorev"/> Like the Master Weapons, the three Rush modes and the two adaptors are each limited to an amount of weapon power that drains when in use. The character "Flip Top" Eddie is introduced in Mega Man 4. Eddie, who went on to appear in later Mega Man games, provides the player with a random item (such as health, ammunition, or an E-Tank) at designated points in some of the levels.<ref name="npfeature"/><ref name="manual"/>
DevelopmentEdit
Mega Man series artist Keiji Inafune, credited as "Inafking", stated that the development team had very few problems while working on Mega Man 4.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Inafune designed Dr. Cossack and Kalinka as two new storyline characters for the game. Cossack, who was originally named "Dr. Vice", was made much younger than Dr. Light and Dr. Wily. Inafune also considered giving him American traits, but decided upon influences from Russia instead.<ref name="r20"/> Kalinka was created because so many male characters already existed in the series at this point. However, Inafune did not intend for players to compare her to Mega Man's sister Roll.<ref name="r20"/> The idea for Eddie originally came about during the development of Mega Man 2. Eddie was designed as a supporting character that "would behave like a lottery", either pleasantly surprising or disappointing the player with the item he gives Mega Man.<ref name="r20"/>
Mega Man 4 was the first game in the series for Hayato Kaji, credited as "K. Hayato", a prominent designer for many later Mega Man games. Kaji was responsible for the chargeable Mega Buster, a gameplay mechanic that would become a staple of the series.<ref name="r20"/> "We knew adding a two-level or three-level charge would change the whole flavor of the game in some respects, and we were very mindful of that," Inafune explained.<ref name="r20"/> The Robot Masters in Mega Man 4 are a result of a design contest for fans held in Japan. With over 70,000 character submissions, the development team spent an extended period of time narrowing them down to only eight bosses.<ref name="r20"/> According to Kaji, the team was very satisfied with many of the chosen designs and almost no changes were made to their original illustrations. They were so impressed with Skull Man that they scrapped an entire level being created just so they could restart it and devote it to that Robot Master.<ref name="r20"/> The winning eight contestants of the design contest were each issued a special "golden cartridge" edition of Mega Man 4. As there are only eight of these cartridges in existence, they are extremely rare and fetch a large collector's price today.<ref>Template:Cite episode</ref> The musical score for Mega Man 4 was composed by Minae Fujii, credited as "Ojalin", while the sound programming and sound effects were handled by Yasuaki Fujita, credited as "Bun Bun", who had composed the soundtrack for Mega Man 3 the previous year.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Reception and legacyEdit
Template:Video game reviews Mega Man 4 has received mostly positive critical reviews. Reviews contemporary with the game's release by the United States magazine Nintendo Power and the United Kingdom publications Nintendo Magazine System and Total! all found Mega Man 4 to have high quality graphics, sound, and gameplay.<ref name="nintendomagazinesystem"/><ref name="nprev"/><ref name="totalrev"/> However, they also noted very little improvement over previous entries in the series. GamePro was satisfied with the lack of changes. "Mega Man 4 continues the tradition — crazed robot baddies, good character graphics, great background art and warped, mechanical music," the reviewer said. "When you have a good game, why make radical changes? Capcom sticks to the blueprints in Mega Man 4 — guaranteeing happiness for Mega Man fans everywhere."<ref name="gameprorev"/> Mega Man 4 made it into IGN's "Top 100 NES Games" list at number 95, with staff writer Matt Casamassina praising its attempt at better narrative and an essentially similar experience to the first three Mega Man games.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Lucas M. Thomas of IGN stated that, as a stand-alone title, the game is one of the best experiences available from the NES library, although not when compared to its superior predecessors. He enjoyed the use of a second set of castle levels to significantly extend the length of the game, a tradition carried on by the next two titles in the series.<ref name="ignrev"/>
Numerous video game journalists and enthusiasts including Thomas, Craig Skistimas of ScrewAttack, GameSpot editors Christian Nutt and Justin Speer, and 1UP.com's Jeremy Parish, refer to the fourth installment as a turning point for the quality of titles in the Mega Man series.<ref name="steps"/><ref name="ignrev"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="gamespot5">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="1up">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Nutt and Speer admitted that the series was beginning to deteriorate with this game, likely due to the growing reputation of the more powerful Super Nintendo Entertainment System at the time of its release.<ref name="gamespot5"/> Parrish proclaimed, "Here's where the series starts to go off the rails a bit -- the Dr. Wily fake out was silly, the music was terrible, the bosses and weapons were uninspired, and the ability to charge up the Mega Buster is often cited as a game-breaking innovation."<ref name="1up"/> Thomas identified the chargeable Mega Buster as disrupting the balance of the game and rendering many of the Master Weapons useless, one of the concepts that set the Mega Man games apart from other action-platformers.<ref name="steps"/><ref name="ignrev"/>
Mega Man 4 was re-released for the PlayStation as part of the Rockman Complete Works series in 1999.<ref name="completeworks"/> This version of the game features a special "navi mode" that guides players through each level and has arranged music remixes.<ref name="gamespot29">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> A port of the Complete Works edition was released on the PlayStation 2 and GameCube in 2004 and the Xbox in 2005, as part of the North American-exclusive Mega Man Anniversary Collection.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The NES version has also been re-released on Japanese i-mode mobile phones in 2005, worldwide on the Wii's downloadable Virtual Console service in 2010, and on the Japanese PlayStation Network in 2011.<ref name="mobile"/><ref name="vcjapan">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="vcpal">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="vcamerica">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="jppsn">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Template:AnchorA fanmade ROM hack of Mega Man 4 known as Rockman 4 Minus Infinity (R4MI) was released in mid-2012.<ref name=ponce>Template:Cite news</ref> Created by developer PureSabe, the ROM hack has received positive reception for its extreme difficulty and creative transformation of the original game's source material.<ref name=ponce/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>