42. Mega Man: The Wily Wars (MD)

A 16-bit compilation of remakes of the Mega Men 1-3, Mega Man: The Wily Wars can be jarring if you know the NES titles back-to-front, and they certainly don't feel as tight and, well, perfect as the originals, but it's an interesting way to experience them all the same. We're not talking Super Mario All-Stars levels of quality, but the addition of the exclusive Wily Tower made it an expensive collector's item nonetheless, especially in North America where it was only ever released non-physically via Sega Channel.

Worth paying hundreds for a PAL or Japanese cart? Almost certainly not, but if you've got a Mega Drive Mini or the NSO Expansion Pack, it's worth a look just to see a Blast-Processed take on the 8-bit classics.

41. Mega Man (NES)

The first outing for that bluest of bombers, the formula laid out in Mega Man may have been refined in its immediate sequels, but the irresistible mix of run-and-gun platforming and tight controls were there from the get-go. If you're looking to get into the series, this 8-bit beginning is still a good place to start and will give you an appreciation of the subtle improvements Capcom implemented over the first three NES entries.

40. Mega Man III (GB)

Offering gorgeous visuals, a great soundtrack, an excellent new boss, a fun new weapon, and some surprising improvements on the NES originals, Mega Man III is a solid outing. The difficulty might be a bit high, but E-Tanks cushion the blow for all but the most masochistic Mega Man fans.

While Dr. Wily's Revenge and Mega Man II were limited, they had their respective merits; this, however, is the first of the portable series that was a great game in its own right. Fortunately, it wasn't the last.

39. Mega Man Battle Network 5: Double Team DS (DS)

Featuring both of the GBA games plus a dusting of extra content, Mega Man Battle Network 5: Double Team DS is yet another hit of MMBN for anyone addicted to its tactical RPG mechanics with Mega Man stylings, although with not much going on to truly differentiate it from its many predecessors — and there was a sixth game left in the series before it lost steam.

38. Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team Colonel & Protoman (GBA)

It's another Mega Man Battle Network game, what more is there to say? This fifth entry doesn't really change things up too much, so if you enjoyed the previous game — as we did — you're likely to enjoy this one as well. Capcom originally also released both games as one title on the DS just a few months after this release with some extra stuff thrown in for good measure, so there's not too much incentive to track down Mega Man Battle Network 5: Team Colonel & Protoman on the GBA. Not bad, though.

37. Mega Man 64 (N64)

Fondly remembered for admirably taking Mega Man into the third dimension, Mega Man 64 was a port of Mega Man Legends, and while it's a little clunky by modern standards, the PlayStation famously pioneered mechanics like lock-on targeting before Nintendo would give their take on system in Zelda. Ocarina of Time. Mega Man 64, though, didn't arrive on Nintendo's console until the end of 2000 and arguably looked a little creaky in direct comparison to Link elegance and Mario's athleticism.

36. Mega Man Star Force 3 (DS)

Arriving in 2008/09, this third and final entry (pair of entries, actually — with slickly-named Black Ace and Red Joker variants) in the Star Force subseries delivered more of the same. Some new battle system features and minor tweaks gave fans a nominal reason to pick up the last game in the 'trilogy', but by this point everyone knew exactly what they were getting.

35. Mega Man IV (GB)

Mega Man IV improves on its source material to an unbelievable degree considering the hardware it's running on. Alternate routes, optional pickups, a store system, completely redesigned levels, and the meatiest Wily experience yet in the handheld series make this an overlooked outing.

This was the last of the Mega Man handheld entries to remix stages and elements from the NES titles, but it was a brilliant end to that run before the following game branched out into something new altogether.

34. Mega Man X: Command Mission (GCN)

A decent battle system was the standout feature of this GameCube title, although the Nintendo version boasted GBA connectivity which put a radar on the handheld's screen when connected via the bespoke link cable. As a spin-off to the X series, expectations were high; in the end, though, Mega Man X: Command Mission was short, but not overly sweet.

33. Mega Man Battle Network (GBA)

Capcom struck gold with the Battle Network series, creating six main titles and plenty of spin-offs which all sold well. Mega Man Battle Network lays the foundation for its sequels, introducing players to a fun, unique battle system, plus an interesting world and characters. Its successors arguably do the job a little better, but the first game in the Battle Network series is still a great place to start.

32. Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 (Switch eShop)

Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 is a little disappointing, although Capcom deserves credit for doing the best it could to polish up the weaker games in the series. At the end of the day, putting lipstick on a pig can only do so much, and these games unfortunately don’t hold up quite as well as the first four entries in the series. Even so, X5 and X6 are pretty good and, though X7 is a hot mess of confused design, X8 has plenty of fun moments. If you liked the first four games in the series, you’ll probably enjoy these four to an extent, but bear in mind that this is easily the most skippable of the two collections.