Mega Man 7

Players control Mega Man through side-scrolling stages using jumping, shooting, climbing, and the charge shot. The game follows the classic route of defeating four initial Robot Masters before unlocking the second half of the campaign. Beating bosses awards their special weapons, and elemental weaknesses matter heavily in both stages and boss fights. Bolts collected in stages can be spent on support items and upgrades, while the Energy Balancer helps refill weapon energy when switching arms.

Mega Man

The main hero who fights Robot Masters with the Mega Buster and acquired weapons.

Dr. Light

Mega Man's creator, who provides technical support and equipment.

Dr. Wily

The recurring villain who schemes behind the Robot Master attacks.

Bass

A major new character introduced in this game who becomes central to the story.

Rush

Mega Man's robotic dog companion who provides utility and support.

Choose your Robot Master order with weapon weaknesses in mind to reduce difficulty early on. Search stages carefully for hidden walls and bolts so you can buy useful recovery and upgrade items as soon as possible. In boss fights, avoid overcommitting to attacks; learn each pattern, punish openings, and save special weapons for the stages or bosses they counter best.

Tips and tricks

• Try new weapons in earlier stages to uncover alternate routes and hidden pickups.
• The Energy Balancer is one of the best early purchases because it reduces resource management stress.