Mega Man Battle and Chase

In the Next Wave for Mega Man 8 for the PlayStation (see last ish-ed.), we mentioned that there was a polygon Mega Man racing game coming out in Japan. Now. we've found out that the game. Mega Man Battle & Chase, is being released in the U.S.

Simply put, Mega Man Battle & Chase is like Mario Kart with the Mega Man characters. There are a few new features to keep the game fresh and unique.

There are three different modes in it: Grand Prix Mode. Versus Mode and Time Attack Mode. There are a total of eight tracks in Grand Prix Mode and 12 in Versus Mode.

Fans of the Mega Man series will be seeing a variety of familiar faces who they can race as, or against, in the game. Racers include Mega Man himself (racing in a modified Rush), Roll (who rides in Beat, Mega Man's robot bird ally) and Protoman. In addition to the series' heroes, you can also play as the bad guys. Shadow Man, Gutsman. Iceman, Napalm Man, Spring Man, Quick Man and Bass (riding in Treble).

Hindering you in the race are some of the more minor characters from the series. You will run across such familiar faces as Sniper Joe and the giant Rock Monster. Even giant Mets will try to slow you down.

Each of the major racers has his/her own weapon that he/she can use to fight his/her way to the front of the race. You can also let the weapon charge itself up for a more powerful shot.

There are special weapons that are earned by collecting the cones and Mets that are scattered all over the course. These weapons include a shield, mines and the ability to disable the enemy's weapon.

A Mega Man game just wouldn't be a Mega Man game if you couldn't somehow gain an enemy's powers after you beat them. After you win a race in Battle & Chase's Grand Prix Mode, you get to steal a part from your fallen foe's car. You can collect parts such as tires, spoilers and turbo engines to create your own customized car.

Since this is Mega Man's 10th anniversary, it is good to see so many games coming out starring the Blue Bomber. Battle & Chase may stray from the Mega Man formula, but it still maintains the fun of the series.

Mega Man has spent the past 10 years battling Dr. Wily and his legions of robotic henchmen. Let's face it after doing the same thing for so long, even Mega Man needs a break. A few years back, he even played soccer against Wily's 'bots. Now, Mega Man, his friends and his foes are taking their conflicts to the race track in Mega Man Battle & Chase.

There are a total of 10 characters playable in the game. Each one is riding in a vehicle that reflects his or her personality. For instance. Mega Man rides in his robo-dog Rush, who apparently can now transform into a race car.

There are three modes available to play in. The Grand Prix Mode is the primary mode where you choose a character and challenge all the other racers in an attempt to beat all the tracks. The Time Attack Mode allows you to challenge yourself by trying to beat your quickest time on each of the tracks. The final mode is the Versus Mode. Here, you challenge la friend in a split-screen race to The finish. While you have a full Parsenal of weapons at your disposal. this is played like a normal race instead of like Mario Kart 64 Battle Mode.

Speaking of weapons. Mega Man and his pals certainly didn't forget to bring theirs along.

During each race, there is a weapon meter that automatically charges itself up. The weapons vary depending on your choice of character. Mega Man. Bass and Protoman all have the standard Mega Buster weapon, while Gutsman tosses giant rocks. Others are more unique such as Quick Man's speed burst and Roll's jumping ability.

In addition to the standard weapons, there are also special weapons that can be earned and exploited. To gain a special weapon, you need to collect the traffic cones and Mets that are scattered on the courses. When you collect the necessary amount of items (a meter is shown on the screen), you'll earn a random weapon which can be fired at will. The special weapons range from a spinning shield to an electric shock.

The best feature of Battle & Chase is the ability to steal parts of your opponent's car after you defeat them. Going back and repeating races allows you to gain multiple parts and create your own custom car.

Mega Man Battle & Chase is a change from the normal Mega Man games. Still, it is fun to play and a definite change of pace from the usual racing game.