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It may not be the most popularMega Mantitle, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth looking into.Mega Man Battle Chip Challengeis one-of-a-kind!
10Battle Chip Challenge Released In Japan Under Another Title
In Japan,Battle Chip Challengewas actually released asRockman EXE Battle Chip GP. This isn’t the first Capcom franchise that has undergone a name change. TheResident Evilfranchise, for example, was originally entitledBiohazardin Japan. In that case, this change was primarily due to Capcom having issues registering the nameBiohazardin the United States. That, and there was a band calledBiohazardtoo. If we look back at the original release ofMega Man, his Japanese moniker is actuallyRock Man. When you combine that with the fact that the in-game tournament is entitled the “Battle Chip GP,” it starts to make sense where this second name came from. This is just another funlink between theMega ManandResident Evilfranchises.
9It Was One Of The Last Games To Release On The WonderSwan Color And Swan Crystal
WhileBattle Chip Challengewas released on theGame Boy Advanceworldwide, the game was also released on WonderSwan consoles simultaneously andexclusively in Japan. The WonderSwan wasBandai’s attempt at a handheld console and was the last piece of hardware Gunpei Yokoi worked on before his death in 1997. Sadly, it did not have a very long life andRocketman EXE Battle Chip GPwas actually the fifth-last game released on the console! Fans may never know if this is what killed the console, but the reviews would suggest that this might be the case.
8The Notorious Bass.EXE Is A Secret Boss At The End Of The Game
Also known as Forte.EXE in Japan, Bass.EXE features throughout theBattle Networkseries. In the first couple of games, he appears as a hidden boss. However, as the series goes on he begins to play a larger role. InBattle Chip Challengethough, he appears as a post-game secretboss fight.
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It turns out, Bass.EXE has been waiting for the conclusion of the “Battle Chip GP.” As someone who wants to fight the strongest NetNavi, he will appear once the player has been declared the winner.
7The “Battle Chip GP” Is Actually An Elaborate Trap
Bass.EXE is, by all accounts, a scourge on NetBattlers. As a rogue NetNavi who doesn’t need an Operator, Bass.EXE has developed a deep-seated hatred for humankind. He feels betrayed, particularly after his creator attempted to delete him after being blamed as the source for a series of errors on the Net.Battle Chip Challengeis the next step in this betrayal of humankind. The “Battle Chip GP” was actually organized as a way to lure Bass.EXE out into the open. His desire to assimilate the most powerful NetNavi meant that the winner of the tournament would be a sure-fire target.
Battle Chip Challengefeatures sixplayable protagonistsin total. Lan Hikari and Mega Man, Dex Oyama and GutsMan, Mayl Sakurai and Roll, and Eugene Chad and ProtoMan all feature in other Mega ManBattle Networktitles.Battle Chip Challengealso features Kai Todokori and Turboman, alongside Mary Towa and Ring as exclusive characters! Kai idolizes Lan after he unknowingly saves him inMega Man Battle Network. Mary is an exchange student who’s enlisted into the “Battle Chip GP” by her NetNavi, Ring. She tells herself she prefers to be alone, but soon finds herself friends with Lan, Mayl, and Dex.
5The Game Has A Whole Lot Of Battle Network Bosses
With the “Battle Chip GP” being the basis forBattle Chip Challenge, the game features nearlyevery bossfrom the first several titles in theBattle Networkseries. You can even come up against MegaMan if you’re not playing as him!
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The only bosses missing fromBattle Chip Challengeare almost all of the SoloNetNavis, NetNavis who don’t have a human operator. There are only three of these who feature. Bass.EXE and DesertMan.EXE feature as SoloNetNavis, while FreezeMan.EXE features with Operator Sean Obihiro.
4"Battle Chip GP" Battles Are Only Ten Turns Long
InBattle Chip Challenge, there are two ways to win a “Battle Chip GP” battle. The first way to win is to fully deplete your opponent’s HP. This can be done by using your Battle Chips to deal damage to your opponent and their Battle Chip Deck. However, if a player finds themselves in a stalemate with their opponent… The battle will end after ten turns. Dodging attacks is purely luck-based, so this may not be the case. If it does happen, however, a winner will be decided based on how many chips they have left in their deck.
3Battle Chip Challenge Is Currently The Lowest Rated Mega Man Game On Metacritic
There are a few Mega Man games on Metacritic that sit in the 50s.Mega Man X7, Mega Man Star Force 3: Black Ace,andMega Man 64all sit in the top half of the 50-ratings. However,Battle Chip Challengeis the lowest rated Mega Man title of all time, despite its favorable User Score.
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A lot of the negative reviews suggest that there isn’t enough player interaction to merit a higher rating. However, many find the game to be wholly addictive and a fantastic love letter to link battler games.
2You Can Trade Battle Chips With Your Friends, Sort Of
One feature that players might not expect BattleChip Challengeto have is multiplayer. Through this, players can actually trade Battle Chips with one another. It is a long process, though. When battling another player, the winner will get several randomly chosen chips from the loser. This won’t take any away from the loser, though. It is more like duplicating chips. A Game Link Cable is required to host these Net Battles, though. However, if a player still registers their friend’s NetNavi code, they can appear in their tournaments as a Battle Holding Player. Pretty neat!
1The Random Battle Chip Selection Isn’t That Random
When battling inBattle Chip Challenge, the game selects three of the Battle Chips placed in the Program Deck at random for the player’s NetNavi to use. However, this may not be as random as it first seems. There are actually slots that are chosen more frequently than others. Setting your strongest Battle Chips in panels B, C, and E should give the player a better chance of victory as these are reportedly chosen more often. It is also worth noting that Guard Chips are most likely to be chosen by the Program Deck when they’re placed in panels B and C.
