Mega Man 2 is widely considered the best in the classic video game franchise and certainly deserves to be remembered as one of the NES games that have aged very well. It was the game that essentially put the Blue Bomber on the map, far exceeding the success, reach, and scope of the original game. With eight Robot Masters to fight out the gate instead of six, Mega Man 2 offered players a little more freedom when it came to progression.
There is no perfect order to take on the bosses in the game, which allows for quite a bit of experimentation. That being said, first-time players not used to the immense difficulty curve of the Mega Man games may wish to tackle the bosses in a particular order, before challenging themselves with a different order later on.
8 Metal Man
Mega Man’s Mega Buster should get replaced with the Metal Blade early on, and that means defeating Metal Man before any other boss. The Metal Blade doesn’t sap a lot of energy, it deals a ton of damage, and half of the game’s Robot Masters are inexplicably weak to it, including Metal Man himself. It’s often counted as one of the best weapons in the Mega Man series.
He’s the perfect candidate for a first boss, and the Mega Buster can take him out with relative ease. While the Metal Blade makes the rest of the game a breeze, it’s an opportunity for green bellies to learn the ropes of combat in Mega Man 2, so they can start with a different boss next time.
7 Bubble Man
There are a lot of games that take place underwater, but thankfully Mega Man 2 only stays there for one stage. Bubble Man awaits at the bottom of the ocean, unaware of the terror Mega Man is about to put him through. Having bested Metal Man, the Metal Blade will comfortably decimate stage foes in preparation for the boss fight, which shouldn’t be too difficult at this point.
Firing the Metal Blade diagonally allows Mega Man to stay safe from the arena’s spikes and Bubble Man’s bubbles, while actively fighting back. Things can get dangerous as the player gets too close to Bubble Man, but the Metal Blade attack should be enough to keep the pressure on.
6 Flash Man
Flash Man is weak against the Crash Bomber, but the Metal Blade is actually his secondary weakness. The Metal Blade not only does more damage, but players have more than enough energy to tear through the stage, and subsequently obliterate Flash Man as well.
Like Bubble Man, he’s a boss who’s made much easier when the player can keep their distance and fight from afar. Those who opt to fight him using the Crash Bomber should be mindful to do so when he’s not moving, as it will score more hits as opposed to when he’s on the move.
5 Wood Man
Wood Man isn’t weak to the Metal Blade. However, there’s a separate attack in the game that will actually take him out in one hit. Also, the Air Shooter serves as a decent alternative to Atomic Fire here too. That said, those weapons require players to stray from the easiest order. Therefore, for beginners, it’s best to stick with the Metal Blade formula for now.
Although it does half as much damage, the Metal Blade is fast, reliable, and helps keep the player out of danger. It’s a great alternative to both the Air Shooter and Atomic Fire, but the Metal Blade’s speed will make quick work of Wood Man in the right hands. This is ironic, given that Wood Man is widely regarded as one of the toughest bosses in classic NES video gaming.
4 Air Man
From this point on, the Metal Blade begins to lose is efficiency, but it will make a return later on. With Wood Man defeated, Mega Man will now have access to the Leaf Shield, one of Mega Man 2’s better weapons alongside the Metal Blade. Making it through this stage shouldn’t be too tough with the Metal Blade in tow.
Air Man is going to put up a fight, more so than any boss up to this point, but he’s not impossible. While the Leaf Shield won’t get rid of his tornadoes, they can reliably hit him. Should players run out of the Leaf Shield, the Mega Buster can get the job done with some effort.
3 Crash Man
Crash Man’s stage is long, but not particularly difficult. Impatient players may find themselves struggling to keep going, but that’s part of the punishing fun of a Mega Man game. If players end up using their Air Shooter, Crash Man dies in a mere four hits here, so be aware.
Crash Man doesn’t have a particularly complicated pattern, so it’s easy to just run in and overwhelm him right off the bat. Experienced players may wish to start the game with this stage, and try their luck moving forward, with a new approach.
2 Heat Man
The Bubble Lead is one of the first weapons obtained in this route, but it doesn’t get its time to shine until the end. Heat Man’s stage is arguably the most difficult of the eight Robot Master stages, thanks to its lava and vanishing blocks, but Air Man’s stage also nets players another goodie – Transport Item 2.
With this item, players can circumvent some of the hardest platforming in the game with little to no effort. Upon arriving at the boss room, Mega Man need only brandish the Bubble Lead and start unloading. While the damage factor is lower than expected, it’s more than enough to take out Heat Man.
1 Quick Man
Another contender for hardest Robot Master stage in the game is Quick Man’s, but the whole affair is easier if players use Flash Man’s Time Stopper weapon, allowing them to breeze on through. The Time Stopper is also Quick Man’s weakness, and there’s no other easy way around him.
It’s important to note that Time Stopper can’t kill Quick Man if it’s used in the first half of the fight, since it only takes away half of his health. After running out of Time Stopper, players will be forced to use whatever they have on hand, but Atomic Fire seems to get the job done the fastest. Patience is key in this fight.
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