31. Mega Man 7 (SNES)

For players new to the Mega Man franchise, Mega Man 7 is a great place to start: a pure platforming experience in contrast to the more complex Mega Man X, and colourfully inviting without the harsh challenge of earlier core Mega Man entries. It's by no means the best title in the series — gigantic sprites make the game frustrating at times and lead to more generic level designs to accommodate the character models — but it's nevertheless a solid addition to the library.

30. Mega Man Star Force (DS)

An action RPG starring the blue bomber, Mega Man Star Force is similar to the Battle Network series of games. Following the exploits of Geo Stelar (you can rename the player character, but why would you?), the plot is a colourful melange of aliens, missing parents, keys and space agencies which makes the deep 3D battle system seem simple by comparison, but the love for the Battle Network series ensured that this game has a solid base of devoted fans.

29. Mega Man 6 (NES)

Probably the worst thing you can say about Mega Man 6 is that it plays it safe.

It follows the same basic idea of eight Robot Master stages followed by castle stages, and doesn't really bring any big new gameplay features. The level design (save for Plant Man's stage), music, and everything else are all pretty good, but if you've played all the previous entries, you can't help feeling that the sixth game is a bit by-the-numbers.

Capcom didn't really go out with a bang with this final NES Mega Man game, then, but it did create one final enjoyable entry on the console which birthed the series. And a 'just good' Mega Man is still better than most other video games, so mustn't grumble.

28. Mega Man Battle Network 6: Cybeast Falzar & Cybeast Gregar (GBA)

Mega Man Battle Network 6 doesn't reinvent the wheel, but makes some slight alterations to keep fans of the series interested. It's still Mega Man Battle Network and it's still as solid as ever, so if you enjoyed the previous games you're almost guaranteed to enjoy this one as well. And if you got a little tired around 3 or 4, probably best to sit this one out.

27. Mega Man Battle Network 2 (GBA)

Mega Man Battle Network 2 expanded upon the first game in the series, serving up more fun chip-based gameplay with a bit more refinement. The series' card and board game-styled influences make for some exciting encounters and collectability, although you might have to fight the temptation to break out those gift chips you're granted to burn everything down early. If you just want to jump right into the series and find out what it has to offer, number 2 is a great springboard.

26. Mega Man 5 (NES)

When people ask about the best Mega Man game on the NES, Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 3 tend to get the lion's share of love. However, Mega Man 5 deserves attention, too.

It doesn't quite reach the stellar highs of the bombardier bleu's earlier outings, but with a host of novel additions to its levels — gravity switching, and even a vehicular section — it's another fine entry in Capcom's series.

Yes, it might be 'just' more Mega Man, but who doesn't fancy a bit of that?

25. Mega Man Battle Network 3 Blue & White (GBA)

Mega Man Battle Network 3 is very much the point where the series hit a peak. The gameplay systems and presentation are on point and it meshes together to form a very satisfying and unified whole. There are occasional issues with random encounters and corny dialogue, but it doesn't detract from the overall experience in a major way. When it comes to RPG-lite virus-busting Mega Man action, it doesn't get any better than this.

24. Mega Man X3 (SNES)

By no means a bad game, Mega Man X3 is just a disappointing one. From a design standpoint, there's simply too much that feels lazy and incomplete compared to X or X2.

Unremarkable weapons, illogical solutions to environmental puzzles, and repetitive boss fights take some of the shine off the series, although franchise fans will find enough here to warrant a playthrough.

Those looking to dip a toe, however, would be much better served by either of its predecessors.

23. Mega Man Zero (GBA)

Mega Man Zero kicks off a series that will challenge you endlessly, but is very rewarding to master. Its brutal difficulty is bound to turn off a lot of gamers, but those who stick with it will find the richest world in any Mega Man series, populated with interesting characters and pulsing with a predictably brilliant soundtrack. Its sword-heavy combat and Cyber Elf approach to upgrades aren't going to resonate with everybody — and the grinding is a genuine obstacle to enjoyment — but if you have even a passing interest in Mega Men, it's worth seeking out. Just don't expect to be very good at it for a long time.

22. Mega Man ZX Advent (DS)

The sequel to Mega Man ZX, Inti Creates built upon the game's predecessor with more of everything, turning in a great Mega Man game in a period that was otherwise fairly quiet for the blue bomber. With a host of other Mega Men to take down and various minigames to unlock, it's still a blast all these years later.

21. Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 (Switch eShop)

All told, Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 feels like a letdown compared to the stellar presentation of its predecessor. Missing features and the lower quality of games easily make this the more skippable of the two, although that doesn’t necessarily mean that this is a bad collection. Entries 9 and 10 just about justify the collection on their own, but those who are looking to get their feet wet will want to pass on this and jump in with the first collection. Good, but not great.