Mega Man 2, All Hacked Up

If you've never played a Mega Man hack, you're missing out on some good times with the blue bomber. Since Mega Man 2 is in many people's eyes, the best game in the classic series, it doesn't come as a surprise that it's the most hacked Mega Man game. This isn't a list of every Mega Man 2 hack. I'm sure somewhere out there people are working on more of theme as I type this up. I've just decided to talk about a few of the ones that really stand out. Like the official games in the series, these rom hacks all have catchy music. Some of the tunes are 8-bit versions of themes from the Mega Man X games, 8-bit songs of the old GameBoy Mega Man games, or 8-bit versions from games that aren't Mega Man. Really cool stuff.

Rockman no Constancy

This MM2 rom hack completely redesigns the levels, and the weapons you get from the robot masters, making MM2 practically a whole new game. There are no conveyor belts in Metal Man's stage but there are plenty of tricky jumps. The bosses also have different attack patterns so you'll be in for a few surprises when you walk in a robot master's chamber. This game comes in two flavors, normal and hard. Hard makes the game a nightmare since there's no temporary invulnerability and some enemies do even greater damage. Oh and the boss theme is freaking sweet! My hats off to IKA for a killer musical score.

Rockman no Constancy

Rockman Exile

The only thing that's the same from this hack and MM2 is the robot masters and if you think they'll fight the same, thing again. If you're looking for a brand new MM2, Rockman Exile has you covered. Sniper Joes shoot Crash Bombs at and a few of the other normal foes in the game are packing serious firepower. You know the Hot Dogs in Wood Man's stage? They can kill you in one hit. Same for the jumping mechanical rabbits. Be quick on the trigger finger, or be dead. You can expect music from some of the GameBoy Mega Man games and tracks from other NES games while playing this one.

Rockman Exile

Rockman Exhaust

What we have here is a game with custom levels, new music, and wait for it... bosses that don't attack in the way you remember from Mega Man 2. Take Quick Man for example. The little punk is actually invincible when he runs! Isn't that wonderful? And instead of force beams, his stage has these trippy-looking yellow zig-zag wires, but they still serve the same purpose as force beams; instant death. You can get this one from the hacker's site here.

Mega Man Ultra

How about that, a MM2 hack that actually goes by the blue bomber's American name! Mega Man Ultra is considered one of the best hacked games out there. The picture I've posted is actually from Wood Man's level, so there's some sprite mixing from other games. Like the other rom hacks I've mentioned, you're getting a new MM2 experience here.

Mega Man Ultra

Rockman Deus Ex Machina

No disrespect to the other rom hacks I've listed, but it seems extra care went into Rockman Deus Ex Machina. There are multiple versions and one even modifies the weapons. I recommend you go with the easy version of this hack because, but even on easy, some stages can be pretty difficult. But I finally made it through Flash Man's stage and killed him after a few days of playing so the game isn't impossible. IKA, the developer of Rockman no Constancy handles the music for Deus Ex Machina and it may very well be some of the best I've heard in a MM hack. The music in this game is all over the place. There's Robo's theme from Chrono Trigger, Donavan's theme from Super Puzzle Fighter II, and my favorite Guilty Gear X song, Blue Water Blue Sky. Deus Ex Machine is worth playing for the music alone. Oh and don't try to be a hero and tackle Quick Man's stage without killing Flash Man. That level will DESTROY you without the Flash Stopper.

Rockman DEM