Somewhat confusingly, it’s a Neo Geo Pocket Color version of two games in one bundle
Mega Man Battle & Fighters is now available on Switch is not something I ever thought I would be able to say out loud. But given the massive success of the platform, I guess it shouldn’t surprise me.
Thanks to a tip from a reader, it’s come to our attention that the game is now available on the eShop for $7.99, with no fanfare and no official announcement from the publisher or Nintendo’s weekly eShop drop. This edition is actually an “arrangement” of two games (Power Battle and the sequel, Power Fighters), in the form of a Neo Geo Pocket port. The gist of the “Power” spinoffs: you take Mega Man, Proto Man, and Bass (with Duo as a fourth option in the sequel) against a gauntlet of boss enemies (robot masters from the series, and some endgame bosses), culminating in a showdown with Wily. There’s even a bit of original story involved (perhaps most famously, one ending with Bass serves as a tenuous link between the classic series and the Mega Man X timeline)!
In its full arcade form, it’s kind of like a “co-op” fighter of sorts, with limited movesets, the ability to acquire abilities from downed enemies, and an emphasis on closed arena battles. Both games span multiple generations, comprised of bosses from Mega Man 1-7.
Mega Man Battle & Fighters is a unique take on the Mega Man formula
Both of these “Power” iterations have actually seen the light of day via various “collections” straight from Capcom, which are usually ports of the arcade version. They even both arrived once again in digital form thanks to the Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium compilation, which just launched a few weeks ago. But the Neo Geo Pocket Color version with two games in one is not quite as widely available.
Curiously, it’s also published by SNK on Switch. As a fan, I recommend getting the arcade editions (including through Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium) if at all possible.
[Thanks John!]
