The Best Mega Man Games For Beginners, Ranked

Key Takeaways

• Mega Man franchise offers a mix of 8-bit charm and intense difficulty, attracting millions of dedicated players worldwide.
• Mega Man 11 offers a modern take on the classic formula, including a Newcomer mode for easier gameplay.
• Mega Man 2 stands out as a timeless classic in the series, striking a perfect balance between difficulty and enjoyment.

In 1987, a video game legend was born. Mega Man is an enduring franchise with one of the most recognizable characters in the medium, and the many, many titles bearing its name have inspired devotion among millions of players around the world. The games combine cutesy 8-bit-inspired visuals with an earworm-heavy soundtrack and difficulty levels so unforgiving that Elden Ring feels like Kirby by comparison.

Created by visionary game designer Keiji Inafune, who would go on to make Dead Rising, the mainline games in the series combine action with platforming and intense boss battles. There are also a host of spin-offs and remakes across different genres and platforms, so the final tally of published Mega Man games, combined with their notorious difficulty, may be off-putting to newcomers. Luckily, help is at hand courtesy of this list, which offers a ranked guide to the best games for beginners.

This list focuses on platform-action games in the franchise, omitting titles like
Mega Man Legends
and
Mega Man Battle Network,
which utilize different types of gameplay.

6 Mega Man 11

A Fresh Take On The Classic Offers Some Respite

The most recent mainline Mega Man game makes for an ideal entry point for anyone who is wondering what all the fuss is about. With more modern 2.5D visuals and voice acting, it was a departure from the dominant 8-bit style, a trademark of the series for decades. Otherwise, the core experience is left intact – run from left to right, avoid pits and spikes, shoot baddies, and use the enemy’s weaponry against it.

Capcom hoped to attract new followers to the series and made an effort to present a less punishing experience, so a Newcomer Mode was added, which gave players a drastically easier game to enjoy. Mega Man himself also gets some new abilities to sweeten the deal even further for new players, such as Speed Gear, which lets the player slow down time to dodge attacks, and Double Gear, which increases the power of ranged attacks. While a good time all-round, it doesn’t take the series forward so it sits at the bottom of this list.

5 Mega Man 10

Take It Easy With This 8-Bit Love Letter

Fans were in Mega Heaven when, after an 11-year gap, they got not one but two Mega Man games in the classic mold. The second of these, Mega Man 10, did the same work as its predecessor and brought back fan-favorite character Proto Man in the process. It also shook things up by introducing something none of the previous main games had done before; Easy Mode. The decision was controversial, as some die-hard fans felt Capcom was selling out by making life easy for players.

However, it’s worth remembering that while the Mega Man games contain plenty of charm, they can also be deeply frustrating experiences that challenge even the most experienced gamer. Rather than watching play-throughs on YouTube, this time people had the opportunity to actually finish a Mega Man game and try a harder difficulty setting if they relished the challenge. While the sense of achievement on Easy isn’t as big as other games, it’s still an ideal entry point for gamers.

4 Mega Man 3

Settle A Debate Via An NES Classic

There’s an ongoing debate among Mega Man devotees: which is better, Mega Man 2 or its sequel? While the third game on the NES shares a lot in common with the two before it, and even adds a slight increase in difficulty, it also has some new mechanics and tactics. This means that while the game is always firm, it is also fair in how it castigates players for any slip-ups that they make while playing.

The player can slide across the ground, a handy move for tight spots and dealing with especially irksome enemies. Also, a new player assist was introduced – Mega Man’s faithful robot companion Rush, one of the best dogs in video games, who can be summoned at any time and provide support through a spring coil which lets the players reach higher platforms. Not only that, he can also transform into a vehicle for greater mobility. If beginners want a game that will keep them on their toes but won’t leave them biting their controller in anger, this is the best choice.

3 Mega Man Powered Up

A Legendary Creator Returns For A Top-Tier Remake

Some big guns were brought in to work on this reworking of the very first Mega Man. Keiji Inafune himself is credited as a designer of the game, which was released for Sony’s PlayStation Portable. It made several changes to the source material, with 3D visuals and super-deformed designs for all the characters in the game, giving it a more cartoonish appearance. Most notably, it addresses some big game design issues.

The original Mega Man was arguably the most difficult of the series, so much so that some moments feel like broken design rather than genuine challenges, as evidenced by the headache-inducing encounter with Yellow Devil near the game’s climax. These have been cleaned up for the remake, and there are also unlockable characters to enjoy. Players can choose between different difficulty levels if they want a challenge more similar to the NES iteration. All in all, a joyful reinvention that is perfect for Sony’s handheld.

2 Mega Man X

An Upgraded Mega Man Makes His SNES Debut

After a solid run on the Nintendo Entertainment System, Mega Man made a next-gen jump with Mega Man X, widely recognized as one of the best games in the entire franchise and a standout title for the SNES. The console’s processing horsepower meant that along with vastly improved gameplay and sound, the player could also enjoy radical new abilities and gameplay mechanics that could not be found in any of the previous games.

Players still had the time-honored task of traversing different levels before fighting the devilish robot master boss, and levels could be tackled in any order. This time around, however, they had a far more agile onscreen avatar as the player had the ability to scale walls and dash along the ground. He could also get valuable armor attachments so he was less vulnerable to attacks. If beginners want a Mega Man game that maintains the vintage feel but feels a little more up-to-date, look no further.

1 Mega Man 2

A Goat Proves That You Can’t Improve On Perfection

A vintage that only improves with age, Mega Man 2 is one of the greatest video games ever made, even 35 years after it was released. It was a labor of love for its development team, which didn’t even have a green light to make it but put in extra hours and even slept under their desks in order to work on it in secret before unveiling the finished product to Capcom, who put it out after the first game did decent numbers.

The second Mega Man game earns the number one spot thanks to its perfect balance of difficulty and reprieve, easing players into each level and making sure they understand the mechanics before gradually amping up the challenge. With intuitive level design and a perfect learning curve, the game constantly hits the sweet spot needed to keep players coming up even after dying several times. The perfect Mega Man experience that everyone can enjoy.