If I had to classify this game into solely one category, it would probably fall under the "RPG" category. Many of the elements of an RPG are here: levels, random battles, lots of collectible items, and a deep storyline. In this game, you play not one, but two roles. First, you play as Lan, the computer-elite fifth grader who is one of the game's main forces against the villains. Secondly, you play NOT as the Mega Man we know and love, but as Lan's net navigator cyberfriend Mega Man.EXE. Together, these characters have the power to overcome any obstacles that gets in their way.

As the story goes, you are placed in a world where the internet plays an integral role in everyday life. Everyone carries a PET (PErsonal Terminal), which is what the manual calls an "advanced personal digital assistant". This PET stores an immense amount of data. Every PET also has its own personality program (a "Net Navi") which will allow you to communicate in more ways with the PET -- including speech! Lan's particular PET, in conjunction with the Net Navi, is Mega Man.EXE! However, all is not well in this new network age. An organization known as "WWW" (aka the World Three), which consists of computer hackers and virus programmers, is performing constant network crimes, and it's up to Lan and his pal Mega Man.EXE to save the networked world from the havoc of the World Three! There's also a lot of mumbo-jumbo about Battle Chips and Virus Attacks and such, but you'll have to play the game to get THAT experience. All you need to do is find a place to "jack-in", and send Mega Man.EXE to the rescue!

If you check out some of the backgrounds in the cyberworld parts of this game, you'll think that you've been influenced by some wonderous drug. Sometimes you'll see strange letter e's floating around, or sometimes it's just weird shapes that some cola-hyped programming genius plugged in. Other than that, the game sets a pseudo-3D kind of stage where you're walking on a plain similar to that of Super Mario RPG. However, this is cooler.

I think that the majority of the music was well-composed, but some of the tunes, I will openly admit, are corny. The town tune is a bit low on technoficiency. That's not a word, but hey, that's not my problem. Nevertheless, the corned-up score fits the mood of the city and the goings-on in the game just fine.

Not much else to say, except that you must BUY THIS GAME! I can say that this is the best Game Boy game I have played to date. Even though it's an RPG, anyone can enjoy this. Whether you're an avid Mega Man fan, whether you're an RPG addict, or whether you just don't have a clue, everybody can pick up this game and enjoy it. (You may need a Game Boy Advance first though.) I strongly STRONGLY recommend this, so go for it. Fight, Mega Man.EXE, for everlasting peace!

It is true that only a small amount of copies of Mega Man: The Power Battle were bought and shipped to American shores, yet don't think it is impossible to find. The game is mainly a one-on-one (or, if you have a partner with some coins on hand, two-on-one) battle game in which you battle six robot masters from older Mega Man games, and then go after a mini-boss, and finally after Dr. Wily himself. When you play the game, you (and a second player) can choose to play as either Mega Man, Proto Man, or Bass. You also choose which "series" you'd like to play through. The series you choose will affect the game -- Selecting "1-2" will allow you to fight robot masters from Mega Man 1 and 2; "3-6" will get you bosses from Mega Man 3-6 and "7"...speaks for itself. At the end of the six battles, you will get either the Rock Monster or a Giant Pumpkin to fight, depending on which series you chose. After a heavy battle like that, you'd hope and pray that the game is over...but you are shot straight into the final showdown with the master of ceremonies...Dr. Wily! Use whatever weapons you wish, that you think do the most damage and cross our fingers (or toes if the fingers are busy) that you will destroy his maniacal machine before it destroys you! The boss battles in this game may seem hard, but if you have the right weapon, nothing is as hard as it seems...

The game is chock-full of delectable and colourful graphics. The sprites themselves look as if they were pulled from Mega Man 7, but with an extra bit of detail, and there are many frames of action involved in each character so you don't think they're too choppy. The backgrounds, you may notice, are just as well done as the sprites -- the screenshots speak a thousand words. Excellently-plastered backgrounds fit each robot master's natural setting almost perfectly. The cold robots, for example, find themselves in an area with plenty of ice and even a giant animated whale in the background. A superlative display of animations can show you that Capcom went over the top in this category.

Most of the music in this game is a reflection of past tunes, but this is not a bad thing. This apparent rehashing of tunes does its best to bring in da nostalgia, bring in da funk. The composers have brought the musical scores up to par with today's video game sound capabilities and now they really bring in da noise, bring in da funk. Sound effects also have this effect on players, as the sound effects in this game are reasonably close to what the battle would sound like if it was really happening in your backyard.

If you are fortunate enough to live in a big city, you may be able to find this game in a really large arcade if you are very very lucky. Yet most likely, you may have to live with having to cry in your pillow at night when you find out that this game is not available to suck in your coins. It's a shame too -- this is one Mega Man game that could've really caught on. It's like a "Street Fighter goes techno" type of game, and that certainly could've caught the eye of all who walked by it. Mega Man: The Power Battle is a top-notch addition to any arcade...it's worth every glance it gets.

The game is based off the SNES X games. In fact, the first stage of the game IS a shrunken version of the opening stage of Mega Man X. The Mavericks (robot masters) are rehashes of SNES bosses (ie. Chill Penguin, Flame Stag, etc.). But who knows; maybe they've been resurrected for an encore quest to destroy Mega Man X.

Graphics are once-again shrunken X-game standard fare. However, on a Game Boy Color system, it will indeed dazzle the eye. The FMV sequences are well-rendered in terms of not only the sprites, but the large close-ups of the characters, although some will say they are a little too Japanese-anime style. Que sera sera.

As for sound, once again we return to the SNES X series. The tunes are versions of the original stage tunes which have been remixed for an 8-bit sound speaker. Sound effects are not in large quantities, but perhaps they would've overcome the music. Music is funky, but the tunes probably won't make you get up dance. You probably have trouble hearing it really well anyway.

I found myself without control flaw! I was able to do what I wanted to do when I pressed the button! A lot of games seem to have certain play control bugs in them that annoy some people to the full extent (Star Tropics, anyone?). But hey, no complaints, no worries.

Finally, did I find myself having fun, or throwing the damn system halfway to Timbuktu? Well...seeing as how I have a bad throwing arm, I found myself having a great time. Mega Man games always seem to peak my interest, and this is no exception! You'll have a good time when you find yourself immersed in the glorious nature of the game itself, but you probably will not find it as easy as you might be expecting.

All in all, when the game is featured in a superstore near YOU, be sure to either purchase or, if you don't trust my word, rent it as soon as you can, because this game will keep your thumb on the button and your heart a-racin'! Fight, Mega Man, for everlasting pocket peace!