User:AutumnZX64/Data in the Mega Man Series

Introduction

The following is for an comprehensive explanation of something overlooked in Mega Man (mainly cause Capcom realistically doesn't care about this and just made it as an excuse for what saving is in universe), but it's data. No, not the dancing monkey (well sorta cause he's important to this).

Explanation

So in the Mega Man series, there's some games that try to give an in-universe explanation for the save system. Initially this blog was going to discuss why save and load works, but it expanded even further to data having various different abilities in the Mega Man franchise giving the characters a lot of different abilities.

Mega Man Legends

In Legends Data notes that he can save your progress for you. Now this is further explained in the manual, that Data "backs up your data files", otherwise known as "SAVE". He does the same thing in Mega Man Legends 2. Data also acknowledges storing Volnutt's data files as a major plot point as shown here. So from Legends we gather that what happens when Volnutt dies is that his data files are backed up and he is essentially sent back to the last time he stored his data files.

Mega Man Zero/ZX

This also applies to the Z Series.

Mega Man Zero 1: Ciel acknowledges Zero not taking a break and proceeding without saving after completing a mission in neo arcadia shrine.

Text: Ciel: You have disrupted the area. The Trans Server near your current position has been activated. You should return to base now to take a rest... (If Zero moves on) Ciel: You want to proceed without saving? Good luck, Zero...

Ciel also asks Zero if he wants to save before major missions multiple times.

Mega Man Zero 2: Ciel acknowledges that she manages Zero's data to save.

Text: Ciel: Anyway, I'm going to manage your data for you, if you need me, come and talk to me anytime, okay?

Elpizo even acknowledges saving midway through the game.

Text: Elpizo: Thanks to you, we have completed our preparations for our all-out attack. Now leave everything to us. You can save your current data, and take a rest. You deserve it.

Phoenix Magnion also summons the data of Zero's past foes from the X-Era to attack similarly to Metal Shark Player. He summons the data of specifically Vile, Agile, Bit, and Colonel to attack.

Mega Man Zero 3: In the beginning of the game, We see Fairy Levithan and Fighting Fefnir fight against Omega. However, they were hit and overpowered so hard that they got sent to Cyberspace and meet Cyber Elf X and Phantom who encourage them to continue to fight. However, they can still return to their old bodies themselves as they are not destroyed.

Remember Hidden Phantom? In his fight in Zero 1, he self-destructed in an attempt to take down Zero but failed. Right after that, he drifted off the Cyberspace which also serves as an afterlife where all data flows to and met Cyber Elf X.

Mega Man Zero 4:

Ciel saves Zero's data and asks him to drop by whenever he wants to store his data.

Text: Ciel: Thanks Zero, I just need a little more time. Now might be a good time to drop by Cerveau's for some maintenance. After that come and see me in the commander's room. Oh, before that... I'll save your data! (If YES) (Ciel saves Zero's data) Ciel: All saved! I'll be here in the commander's room. If you ever want to store your data, just drop by.

If Zero denies her saving here, she still acknowledges that she can still save whenever and that she is in charge of his data.

Text: Ciel: Thanks Zero, I just need a little more time. Now might be a good time to drop by Cerveau's for some maintenance. After that come and see me in the commander's room. Oh, before that... I'll save your data! (If NO) Ciel: You sure? Don't overdo it. I'll be here if you change your mind. I'm in charge of data. Just drop by if you need to save.

In his first phase, Dr. Weil has an attack with 2 variants where he summons the data of the Eight Gentle Judges who were all previously slain by Zero.

Mega Man Zero Series:

The way to save is referred to as processing, managing, and storing data throughout the entire series.

Ciel also manages other type of data involving Cyber Elves so this also would make sense to do in verse. She even is the creator of the Biometals which hosts the data which is considered the consciousness and souls of the legendary heroes within which includes Model Z who is Zero.

Rockman Zero Collection Timeline:

The Rockman Zero Collection is the collection of the Zero games that released on the Nintendo DS and they released a timeline on its website detailing several events and a full translation can be found here.

On the Cyber-Elf Description, which the Mega Man Zero series shows is a characters data form and functions exactly as they would in the real world, "will%20of%20a%20non-lifeform." it says that it refers to a Reploid's will, consciousness, personality, and many more aspects which is consistent with the portrayal of data.

Mega Man ZX: Devices called transervers that are scattered throughout the country are acknowledged to save your data.

Text: Fleuve: Okay, we'll provide backup then. You may already know this, but these devices known as transervers are scattered throughout the country. With these devices you can save your data and check mission requests. Let's start with saving data.

Despite Zero destroying Hidden Phantom's data and Cyber Elf X seemingly dying for good, they both come back as Biometals P and X and Biometals contain their data which is considered the consciousness and soul of them.

Mega Man ZX Advent:

Transervers are once again acknowledged to save and it is advised to do often.

Text: Nicol: Oh, brother! There's just no changing you. If you want to go that bad, I won't try to stop you. Before you go, why don't you save your data, just in case? There's a transerver next door. Follow me!...

Nicol: Once you use it, a license will be issued for you. Don't forget to save often.

Mega Man X Series

All of this is even consistent with what we see in the X series.

Mega Man X

This is a more of a minor point but on Storm Eagle's stage, when you reach him he destroys the ship as shown here. if you die to Storm Eagle on his stage, the ship remains destroyed when you come back with another life.

Mega Man X2

Context: Zero sacrificed himself in Mega Man X1 and his explosion greatly damaged and destroyed his body.

In Mega Man X2, Zero is still able to be resurrected from his control chip despite his entire body being destroyed.

Text: Dr. Cain: X, Zero's control chip is still stored here. I doubt it is possible to resurrect him without it.

Once X claims Zero body parts from the X-Hunters, Zero is able to be resurrected in a new body of his. He also was able to casually destroy his copy that Sigma made because there's only one true Zero in the end.

Text: Zero: Sigma, you should have studied the blueprints closer! There is only one Zero!

Sigma's Virus form can also generate enemies from nothing and is more then likely from their data as well.

Mega Man Xtreme

The entire plot of the game is Sigma trying to reproduce the fighting data of the past with the Mother Computer to set its data to bring chaos and destruction to the world from the data of the past. It is also stated that X's past data is stored here. with X going on past stages such as the X1 intro stage, fighting and defeating Vile once again, fighting several mavericks he has beaten before on the same stages they were originally on, and even Sigma's old bodies. Mavericks destroyed in the Mother Computer can still come back for the rematches at the end of the game despite X destroying their data form in their own stages. (The text goes decently slow in game so it is recommended to read the transcript below or speed up the videos linked)

Text Part 1: X: Zero, you must tell me! Tell me what's going on!

Zero: X, now we see terrible confusion all over the world. Someone broke into the Mother Computer System of the Hunter Base and set its data to sabotage the world order.

X: Who is doing such a thing!? I won't allow anyone to disturb the peace we have tried hard to maintain.

Zero: It seems that they are... reproducing the fighting data of the past... X, your data is contained in the past data in the Mother Computer. And the one who brought you back from the data world is...

Text Part 2: Middy: X, so... Let me explain what we should do. In order to put the past data back, we need to fix a data in the "core" of the Mother Computer. This is the core of the Mother Computer. But the way to the core is "protected." Unless you clear the protection, you can't enter the core. The guardians of the protection is the boss data of the past.

Zero: To break the protection, there is no other way but to go into the computer as a data form and then crush them all.

After beating the game, Hard Mode unlocks the second part of the story where Sigma tries to use the past data in the Mother Computer to bring chaos and destruction to the world's order once again, with X having to fight Vile once more despite destroying his data previously here, going through new past data stages with more mavericks he has beaten before, and fights and defeats Sigma once again. It is also stated that X can only go in the Mother Computer in his data form. Mavericks destroyed in the Mother Computer can still come back for the rematches at the end of the game despite X destroying their data form in their own stages. The fact that the same things are happening again are also constantly acknowledged in the dialogue. (The text goes decently slow in game so it is recommended to read the transcript below or speed up the videos linked)

Text 1: X: Zero, you must tell me! What's happening!

Zero: The Mother Computer, which was restored, is now not working again.

X: I don't believe it!

Zero: We found illegal access record in the Mother Computer... Someone must have accessed the data secretly. That person has been reproducing the fighting data of the past. In order to fix the Mother Computer we will need to fight our enemies in their data form...

Text 2:

Zero: X, it was Sigma again who was behind everything. We're going to destroy Sigma's hiding place completely. To scatter their power, we'll split up from now!

X: OK, let's go!

Sigma: You're here again! We had fun last time... But playtime is over! Hahaha! Get ready to be destroyed!

Mega Man Xtreme 2

In Mega Man Xtreme 2, many Mavericks that have been destroyed by X before have been resurrected and this is done with their DNA soul data.

Text 1: X: Yes I found something! The island is filled with the Mavericks that I thought we had destroyed.

Zero: WHAT?! Did they come back by themselves, or is there someone behind their resurrection? We must find out.

Text 2: Iris: They seem to have been resurrecting enemies by somehow utilizing DNA.

Zero: They are erasing the Reploids' DNA in order to create items?

Iris: It seems so. A Reploid's DNA is like that of a human's soul. From now on, let's call it a DNA Soul. We may be able to create something useful from Mavericks' DNA Souls.

The manual also stated that stages contain memory devices that save their data as directly shown here.

Mega Man X6

The information on DNA soul data and the resurrection of reploids with them is once again brought up again in X6.

Scan 1:

Text: Alia: You got the Metal Anchor! A bounding weapon used on the ground. You got the Rakukojin! Press Attack + Down buttons in the air. Metal Shark Player. An ex-investigator of Recycle team. He studied recycling in order to create a new Reploid from Parts of disposed Mavericks. His most important work was to analyze and control DNA data of the Mavericks. His analysis ability was so great, that he succeeded in resurrecting dead Mavericks. Since DNA resurrection is explicitly prohibited, the law instantly dealt with him. Gate was also interested in DNA resurrection, so he encouraged him to collect the DNA data instead of stopping him. Metal Shark would have continued if Gate had stopped him.

Metal Shark Player also temporarily summons the data of destroyed mavericks to attack as they originally did.

Helper Attack (助つ人攻撃)

Metal Shark Player jumps to one side and casts his arms out, temporarily resurrecting one of three Mavericks from a previous game. The clones are invincible and must be avoided until they disappear. If the player is X, Player summons Magna Centipede. He stands on the ceiling and attacks with Shuriken. If the player is Zero, Player summons Sting Chameleon. He clings to the background and lashes with Iron Tongue. In Xtreme mode, Player may summon Blast Hornet. Hornet uses Mini Bee Summon, deploying three bees that home in on the player. They can be destroyed, but doing so may cause Hornet to deploy another set.

Scan 2:

Text: Alia: The investigator sent to this area is Shield Sheldon. Make sure to get your wea...

X: You said Shield Sheldon? Oh no, has he been resurrected? And he has become an investigator?

Mega Man X7

Alia saves X's, Zero's, and Axl's data, which is consistent to how Ciel does in Z era and makes sense considering she is a navigator who deals with data.

Mega Man X8

Vile returns once again despite being destroyed in X1 and X3, and even have his data form destroyed twice in Xtreme.

The New Generation Reploids are also made with the data of hundreds of older generation Reploids, bringing more consistency on everyone's data, along with even their past data being stored.

In the Troia Base stage, their is an unknown data titled "CM" which is right after revealed to be none other then Cut Man from the classic series.

In Lumine's first phase, he has gemstones containing the data of the Mavericks of the game that grants Lumine their powers while absorbed, but in return their weaknesses as well.

Mega Man X Command Mission

In Command Mission, we can see data terminals that are called Save Devices that do exactly what they are called as shown here.

Mega Man (Classic)

After looking at things even deeper, it really does end up being in every single series.

To start off simple, Robot Master rematches are in each main platforming game which starts the reoccurring tradition through X and even the Zero Games.

Mega Man 3:
Dr. Wily builds a new robot, Doc Robot K-176 which contains the data from the Mega Man 2 Robot Masters and uses their different attacks by switching their contained data to use their attacks as explained in the Rockman & Rockman X Daizukan and Rockman 7 & Rockman X3 Chouhyakka books.

Mega Man Soccer:
In Mega Man Soccer, Dr. Wily restores past Robot Masters to ruin soccer games. In the game, we see that Mega Man's data can be spread across several bodies to form his team, along with the Robot Master he is facing.

Mega Man 7:
The Robot Museum contains spare bodies of dozens of past Robot Masters. This alone is minor but will be expanded upon in other games.

Mega Man 8:
Lives are now referred to as spare bodies instead of 1 ups, and are built through screws and materials Mega Man finds.

Mega Man & Bass:
In the start of the game, Mega Man goes to the Robot Museum in which King downloads all of the data of the battle robots to create his robot army. This also is stated in the manual and Mega Man Official Works. This includes Astro Man who he was able to resurrect with their data King stole as stated in the manual. Lives are once again also called spare bodies and are built with screws and materials Mega Man finds.

Rockman & Forte: Mirai Kara no Chōsensha
Rockman Shadow's data comes out of his deceased body and appears again at the very end post-credits of the game.

Mega Man 10:
Sheep Man's stage takes place inside of a computer and Mega Man fights several data based enemies within it.

Dr. Wily is even able to materialize the data enemies in the real world in his own stages.

The Weapons Archive Bosses A, B, and C replicate the attacks of past Robot Masters by using their data.

So with these three things in mind, what can we gather from this? The way saves are canonically handled in-universe is characters storing the data of a character into something and the character coming back to life through going back to the last time they stored their data files.

Mega Man V

If Mega Man dies too much, Dr. Light would further upgrade his Buster to be even better then before.

To conclude, his is without doubt how Robot Masters and Mavericks come back for rematches throughout the Mega Man series and can be easily resurrected by other characters. It is even further solidified in an interview:

"Q. I have a question for you, Doctor. What happens to the boss characters after they are defeated by Rockman? Are they just scrapped…? Or, do they get rebuilt?

A. Ha ha ha… Not to worry! The robots’ parts are normally recovered and recycled.

Especially boss-class robots, as long as their IC (Integrated Circuit) Chip’s “cognitive circuit” is not completely destroyed, it’s possible to rebuild them any number of times."

Of course, Rockman takes great care never to damage the “cognitive circuit” of his enemies even while he’s battling them!

Lives
One last thing I want to cover here is lives. Not only does in make sense in verse with all the explanation on data given above, but it is acknowledged to exist in verse. Mega Man 8 and Mega Man & Bass both call them Spare Bodies that are built with bolts and parts Mega Man finds. There is more then that however, In Mega Man 9, there are enemies named Camouflametall, a type of Met that disguises themselves as a fake 1-Up to trick Mega Man as shown here and here. We aren't done yet though, Mega Man 11 has a new enemy called Anti-Eddie which taunts Mega Man by holding a useful item and running away so he can't obtain it. These items are said to be items it has snatched up which includes the 1-Up as shown here further confirming its existence. This is also consistent with him being an anti version of Eddie, a character who grants Mega Man many useful items such as the 1-Up and E-Tanks. Lastly, The Rockman Daizukan further supports Mega Man 8 and Mega Man & Bass by calling them a spare body transfer system.

Mega Man Battle Network

(WIP) Yup its here as well.

Near the end of the game you are asked to save as the top WWW navi will disable your ability to save. Data is also stated to make up memories and personality.

Mega Man X DiVE:

This game starts of with The Player playing Mega Man X but suddenly, they got sucked into the completely digital cyberspace called the Deep Log. The Deep Log consists of each game's data and information of the Mega Man Franchise and many other Capcom franchises. Rico can even manipulate the data of the Deep Log itself to manifest Hunter Programs and new armors. It is also made up of every Player's precious memories. There are as many Deep Logs that there is of games and gamers which is noted to be countless multiple times. Each game is considered its own separate cyberspace (which is synonymous with) Deep Log which are each their own universe entirely made up of data. It stated that data makes up the characters' personality. Memories are data pieces that can be used to materialize hunter programs and also have the feelings of the characters. Your data is even what determines your own canonicity in reality. All enemies are considered data alongside each game being made of data entirely and needed to be restored by The Player due to corruption. Capsules use the game's data to materialize weapons within the world. Capsules contain Hunter Programs which are entirely made of data and can be controlled by The Player when acquired. Hunter Programs are materialized by the original game's data to be created as stated multiple times. It also contains Hunter Memories which can be used to materialize a Hunter Program if enough are collected. This also applies to weapons that exist within the games and are also considered files of data. Rico is even able use the data of Zero and X to replicate their powerful attacks for herself. Corrupt Maverick Data that the player completely restored and corrected to normal is able to come back at any time as shown multiple times. Omega is also stated to be able to come back unlimited times even after his defeat and destruction of his data. As there is a Player, saving of course should be natural to exist and is mentioned. Ciel also references her saving capabilities from The Zero Games to The Player. What can we take away from all of this? Literally everything in the entire multiverse of Mega Man within the Deep Log is entirely data along with everything in it, and this includes every crossover as well. The characters are able to exist as long as the memories of the countless players exist and as long as their data in the Deep Log which there are countless of exists. There are also items that let Hunter Programs be recreated upon defeat such as the Reorganization Program. Even complete erasure, destruction, and purification isn't enough to stop their data from coming back as all shown above with maverick data.

Note: Deep Log/Cyberspace can both refer to the entire multiverse that stores every games' Deep Log/Cyberspace or an individual Deep Log/Cyberspace universe of a game stored within it depending on the context of the scene as shown in the intro cutscene.

Abilities Gained from this

All Robots/Reploids

• Consciousness Transferal (Robot Masters can transfer their consciousness into other bodies and machines, with characters like Doc Robots having the Robot Masters programs and data directly installed with them, essentially acting as a more powerful body)

• Immortality (Type 8; All robots "true existences" rely on their data, thus as long as their data is stored they can be remade or come back if their data is specifically "SAVED")

• Resurrection (Robots that are fought and defeated are able to be brought back as long as they still have their data, with this also extending to reploids being able to come back for rematches)

• Regeneration (High-Godly; In Rockman & Forte: Mirai Kara no Chōsensha, Rockman Shadow's data comes out of his deceased body and regenerates a new body at the very end post-credits of the game. In Mega Man Xtreme, Sigma was trying to reproduce the past data of several mavericks in the mother computer to bring havoc to the world's peace and the only way the past data of previously defeated Mavericks from X1 and X2 could be stopped is if X goes inside as his data form. Inside the Mother Computer, X defeats Vile's data form along with the data forms of a bunch of mavericks he has previously defeated. However, despite defeating their data form, their data is still are able to come back for the rematches at the end of the game along with Vile being back in the hard mode's post game story. Despite destroying Vile's data twice, he was still able to come back and better then ever in Mega Man X8. In Mega Man ZX, Omega's soul data along with flashes of the past battle in Zero 3 are trapped in area O and even after defeat, he can come back without limit even after obtaining Model OX which contains his soul data)

• Information Manipulation & Conceptual Manipulation (Can directly interact with, harm, and destroy a robots data, which all robots "true existences" rely on their data, thus as long as their data is stored they can be remade or come back if their data is specifically "SAVED". All data resides in the Deep Log of each game's data and information of the Mega Man Franchise and many other Capcom franchises, with it being stated that data makes up the characters' personality, memories are data pieces that can be used to materialize hunter programs and also have the feelings of the characters, their data is even what determines their own canonicity in reality, with all characters being considered data alongside all universes being made of data)

Main Character specific ones:

• Save & Load (As characters save their data they can back it up as long as their data stays stored and saved)

Resistances Gained from this

All characters

• Information Manipulation & Conceptual Manipulation (Can take hits from characters that can directly interact with, harm, and destroy a robots data, which all robots "true existences" rely on their data, thus as long as their data is stored they can be remade or come back if their data is specifically "SAVED". All data resides in the deep log of each game's data and information of the Mega Man Franchise and many other Capcom franchises, with it being stated that data makes up the characters' personality, memories are data pieces that can be used to materialize hunter programs and also have the feelings of the characters, their data is even what determines their own canonicity in reality, with all characters being considered data alongside all universes being made of data)

• Plot Manipulation (As data determines one's canonicity in reality and all universes are made of data, one would need to fully change one's data in order to change their narrative. With data further being explored through here)

Possible arguments against this

A possible argument that we all had which is why we didn't apply this for a while is that if the main characters got this, then why do some of them die or are currently dead within the series and why are there some reploids who are permanently dead. Though that's explained away very simply, if they're permanently dead or have died, that just means their data was irreversibly damaged. The other part is for non-save data dudes, some of them are still technically alive, like the Classic Robots for example are by all technicalities "alive", as shown with Cut Man's data still existing, they just don't have anyone giving them new bodies sometimes though they come back for rematches at the end of the game and sometimes even other games entirely usually through Dr. Wily and Dr. Light or in later eras, Sigma and Weil. Iris or Colonel aren't even dead as they both come back in X-Challenge, a story where nearly every past maverick has been resurrected along with Colonel in Mega Man Zero 2, but they likely can't normally come back in their normal selves due to being irreversibly corrupted by when their data fused together in X4. This is also shown in X6, where reploids are considered basically dead for good if irreversibly damaged and infected by the Nightmare Virus. In Mega Man Zero 2, Elpizo was greatly corrupted by the Dark Elf which can manipulate and rewrite data with it likely irreversibly damaging it and he would have died if the Mother Elf didn't save him. In Zero 4, Zero sacrifices himself to save area zero from ragnorok's destruction. Despite it looking to be the end for Zero, not only does the Mega Man Zero Official Works list his status as unknown instead of dead, but Ciel brought him back as the Biometal Model Z with his soul and data later on in the ZX era.

Another argument specifically for Classic Series is they are reliant on their chips to exist and not their data, this is shown in Super Adventure Rockman and also in the same game, Shadow Man is considered dead for good when Mega Man destroyed his body completely. Along with being further noted that their cognitive chip is what keeps them alive. Now with these in mind, we know however that just like if a Reploids data is destroyed they can still come back, even if a Robot Master's cognitive chip is destroyed, they have actually come back. Shadow Man being a primary example of dying in Super Adventure Rockman and appearing back in Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, along with coming back just fine in Rockman Tennis. With it being consistent with Mega Man sports games and racing games being apart of the canon timeline (even going as far as to note things like his hobby is soccer). Along with this, Robot Masters can transfer their consciousness into other bodies and machines, with characters like Doc Robots having the Robot Masters programs and data directly installed with them, essentially acting as a more powerful body. Showing that it's not merely just their chip that's needed for them to exist. This all culminates to Cut Man's existence in Mega Man X8, where he is merely his data form, showing even classic characters have data forms. Even Sheep Man's stage from Mega Man 10, takes place inside of a computer. Powered Up further shows that the IC chip being destroyed isn't then end all be all, as if one gets a game over, it's canonically explained that Dr. Light repairs them. Powered Up also notes that if bosses are defeated through the special weapon weakness, they are destroyed, and even then they still come back for rematches.