Mega Man Legends is a part of the Mega Man series. The main series uses 2D games where players move side to side, and the story is shown through short movie clips. In contrast, Mega Man Legends uses 3D games where players explore and have adventures, and it includes a more complex and detailed story.

Plot overview

The games take place in the far future, when Earth is mostly covered by ocean, with only a few islands remaining for people to live and build cities. According to in-game dialogue, the series is set at least in the 6th millennium. By this time, the original humans have been replaced by robot-like beings that look and act like humans and can create new life easily.

The player controls Mega Man Volnutt, a teenager who explores underground ruins to find Quantum Refractors, which are the main energy source for society. He was discovered as a baby on Nino Island inside the sealed Nino Ruins and was raised by Professor Barrel Caskett and his granddaughter, Roll Caskett.

Causing problems for Mega Man are the Bonnes, a pirate group led by Teisel Bonne. His sister (some sources say daughter) is Tron Bonne, who has feelings for Mega Man. Their baby brother, Bon Bonne, can operate a large mech suit, often saying "Babu!"—a phrase fans of the series remember. The group also includes 41 Servbots, one of whom appears only in The Misadventures of Tron Bonne. Additional challenges come from the Reaverbots, part-machine, part-living creatures that protect the underground ruins and its treasures.

Games

• Mega Man Legends (called Rockman DASH: Hagane no Bōkenshin in Japan) was released for the PlayStation in December 1997. It was the first Mega Man game fully made in 3-D and introduced new features, such as role-playing game elements and a large open world for Mega Man to explore. The game was later released on the Nintendo 64 in 2000, Microsoft Windows in 2001, and PlayStation Portable in 2005.

• Mega Man Legends 2 (called Rockman DASH 2 – Episode 2: Ōinaru Isan in Japan) was released for the PlayStation in April 2000. It is the last main game in the series made by Capcom. Legends 2 is similar to the first game but has smoother 3-D action gameplay and allows players to explore several small islands and sky locations instead of one large island. The game ends with an unresolved ending that leaves Mega Man Volnutt stranded on a distant satellite called "Elysium." The game was later released on Microsoft Windows in 2003 and PlayStation Portable in 2005. It was also re-released in 2015 for PlayStation 3 through the PlayStation Network, along with Misadventures of Tron Bonne and the original Mega Man Legends.

• The Misadventures of Tron Bonne (called Tron ni Kobun in Japan) is a prequel game that takes place before the events of the original Legends. It focuses on the backstory of the series’ antihero, Tron Bonne. The game includes different types of gameplay, such as action, puzzles, and treasure hunting. It was released for the PlayStation in July 1999 in Japan and in April and June 2000 for North America and Europe, respectively.

• Rockman DASH 2 – Episode 1: "Roll's Close Call!" Edition (called Rockman DASH 2 – Episode 1: 'Roll-chan Kikiippatsu!' no Maki in Japan) is a prequel to Legends 2. It was bundled with Japanese copies of The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, released in July 1999. The game includes four missions: "Roll's Secret Training," "Capture Pigs," "Underground Dungeon," and "Jagd Krabbe's Assault," all of which happen before the events of Legends 2.

• Rockman DASH Great Five-Island Adventure (called Rockman DASH: Itsutsu no Shima no Daibōken! in Japan) was first shown at the Tokyo Game Show in September 2007 and released for mobile phones in early 2008. The game takes place between the first and second games in the series.

• Mega Man Legends 3 was announced by Capcom in September 2010. It was being developed for the upcoming Nintendo 3DS. A demo version called Mega Man Legends 3: Prototype Version was planned, but the game and its demo were canceled in July 2011, causing disappointment among fans.

Development

Capcom originally planned to release the 1997 game Mega Man Legends in the United States with different names: Mega Man Neo and later Mega Man Nova. Keiji Inafune, the producer of all three Legends games, has often expressed interest in creating a third game. At the 2007 Tokyo Game Show, he said, "My favorite game is Mega Man Legends, a title that did not sell well in the Mega Man franchise." He explained that making a new Rockman game for next-generation consoles would cost about $15 million.

Mega Man Legends 3 was announced for the Nintendo 3DS on September 29, 2010, during a Nintendo press conference. This was nearly ten years after the American release of Mega Man Legends 2. In September 2007, Inafune said fans had asked if a third game would be made, but he could not proceed at that time. More details about the game were shared at the New York Comic Con in October 2010.

Although Inafune left Capcom in November 2010, the development team for Mega Man Legends 3 said the game would continue. Capcom planned to release a Prototype Version of the game in 2011 for the 3DS eShop. This version would include 10 missions and a new character named Barrett. It was meant to be a prelude to the full game. However, on July 18, 2011, Capcom announced that production of Mega Man Legends 3 was canceled. No full game or Prototype Version would be released, and there were no plans to restart development.

After the cancellation, a fan campaign called "100,000 Strong for Bringing Back Mega Man Legends 3" (also known as Get Me Off the Moon) began. Fans sent letters, emails, and made phone calls to Capcom's headquarters. They also posted messages on Capcom's Facebook and Twitter accounts and used Tanomi.com, a Japanese website for product requests. The campaign was reported by Digital Trends, Destructoid, GamePro, and Eurogamer.

Yoshiyuki Fujikawa, the programming director of Mega Man Legends 3 Project, supported the campaign and encouraged fans to push for the game's release. Capcom acknowledged the campaign and the Facebook group but confirmed they would not change their plans. They stated, "While Capcom values fan feedback, development of Mega Man Legends 3 has officially ended, and there are no plans to restart it."

Potential future

In March 2026, game producer Shingo Izumi said that there are no current plans for a Mega Man Legends collection, but it might be possible in the future.