Capcom has announced in a trailer that Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection is coming to Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 (PS4), and PC via Steam with a 2023 release date, being a collection of all six games in the Game Boy Advance franchise. It will be released in two volumes, with the first containing Battle Network 1, 2, and 3 and the second containing 4, 5, and 6. On Nintendo Switch and PS4, it will be possible to buy both volumes of Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection in a package together.
The games have received assorted tweaks and additional features, which you can see in the announcement trailer. There is a gallery with over 1,000 illustrations and a music mode with more than 150 songs.
The original Mega Man Battle Network launched for Game Boy Advance in 2001 as an action adventure RPG where you play as the human boy Lan and his digital companion, MegaMan.EXE. Lan gets wrapped up in a bunch of wacky adventures that always involve sending MegaMan.EXE to physically battle and delete viruses that are invading the net, often due to the nefarious plans of Dr. Wily. The games take place in the year 20XX, but in an alternate continuity to the classic series.
Combat involves grid-based action and the use of “Battle Chips” to activate special abilities. There are many Battle Chips to collect, and starting with Mega Man Battle Network 3, the games released in two versions for each release, Pokémon-style, with slight differences in enemies and collectibles between them. This tactic worked well for Capcom, as Battle Network became a lucrative Mega Man sub-franchise for Capcom. Most notably, Mega Man Battle Network 4 sold 1.35 million copies between its two versions; only Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 11 have sold better in the franchise.
With the 2023 release date announcement of Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection on Switch, PS4, and PC via Steam, those Capcom sales are only poised to skyrocket further. That’s good news for the brand and for Mega Man enthusiasts alike. Stay tuned for more potential Battle Network franchise news in the months ahead, because it is coming.
For more Direct announcements, check out Persona 3, 4, and 5 and Nier: Automata on Switch.
