#rockman ability

1.) Lever Man - When you think of a lever in pachislot, it’s like a slot machine. It’s got a round ball on top of a long metal bar, and you pull down on it to make the slots go. Lever Man has that for a hand, but he’s also a Guts Man clone with a fire element. So…that’s different. They do the best they can to make a lever something intimidating. But he sorta punches and charges with it. That’s not really how a lever works. He should just be pounding down on Rockman’s head with his ball. 

The weapon equip is a flaming ball, that can shatter shields. But I still don’t think it functions like, you know, a lever actually functions. 

So Lever Man, while you are memorable for being a flaming Guts Man clone with a ball for a hand, you do not really live up to your name much. He is weak to a sword slice, because if he was a real lever, you could totally break the lever by chopping it off. Yep.

2.) Replay Man - Replay Man looks like a duck with a water globe for a stomach and a wheel valve on his head. However, he is actually modeled after the Japanese water turtle imp demons known as Kappa. Let’s hope Replay Man doesn’t act like them, because I won’t type the things they are known for doing! 

He can create a shield simply by spraying water jets out of his hand. He is weak to Lever Man’s great ball of fire. Which makes sense for the ball crushing the shield, but not for fire putting out water. They didn’t think the element through, did they?

A Kappa’s weakness is politeness or losing in sumo wrestling. Rockman does neither to defeat Replay Man. That is highly disappointing. All Rockman should have to do is bow, and Replay Man should be defeated. And if his name is Replay Man, wouldn’t he just restart the battle against Rockman again, anyhow? And shouldn’t Rockman just receive a weapon that just generates extra lives, for more replays, instead? Poor name, poor design reference, poor character.

3.) Coin Woman - Finally, the good boss. Coin Woman is essentially Shadow Woman. So of course I love her. She attacks by throwing money at you. Take that!! Makin’ it rain Chuck E Cheese tokens!!

Apparently, if you have Replay Man’s shield, the coins bounce back and destroy her. It’s like Metal Blade apparently, so you know her quarters are the deadliest weapon in the game. They’ve got shuriken designs on them, and the weapon equip is like a launcher that you just rocket coins out of. They also lock-on. It is awesome. A++++

4.) Choice Man - Choice Man is our Elec boss. He has a cool top hat, because he made that fashion choice. He can move very fast because he goes at the speed of light, and create clones of himself. That should be something Coin Woman does…

So again, it’s a boss who’s name doesn’t really match up to his ability. He should essentially be a walking, talking stage select. Or at least a character with multiple personalities that struggles to make a decision in battle without some gimmick that makes him choose what to do. Instead, he’s quick magic dude, with no good magic tricks. I doubt he can even do Trucy Wright’s ‘Magic Panties’ act! 

Throw coins at him and boo him off the stage, and he dies pretty quick. Guess that makes sense. If you throw coins at magicians in real life, I think they are pretty hurt physically and emotionally, too. 

His weapon is basically a sparky electrode arm that fires off lightning strikes. I still don’t know what that has to do with a choice. Lightning strikes by chance…but this is not Chance Man’s weapon. 

5.) Reverse Man - Reverse Man is a little bat child. He flies around and annoys you. 

Interestingly enough, he flies forward, and not in reverse. Also interestingly enough, he cannot make Rockman move in reverse. So once again, what is up with these terribly-named bosses who have little to no connection to what they are named for?!

He electrocutes easily, so lightning storms bring him crashing down. His weapon is a blade, which sorta resembles the tip of his tail? Because, because…yeah, I’ve got nothing on this. 

Nana nana nana nana nana nana nana nana Bat Child!!

6.) Chance Man - Chance Man is just Napalmman.EXE, but he is heavily into his Daft Punk phase. He shoots lasers out of his cannon arms. Only harder. Better. Faster. Stronger. 

He is only weak to a charged shot, because in order to even face him, you need to Get Lucky. There is only a small chance you will encounter him, so…hey, finally another boss who at least has a tiny bit of connection to his name. But that’s about it. Because I don’t know what else strobe light laser cannons have to do with chance. But he gets to be the second coolest Robot Master, because he is Daft Punk Napalman.EXE.

So there you have it. My impressions of the Pachislot Robot Masters. 

If you are also asking about the other characters, I still don’t mind either Rockman or Pokeball Blues’ designs. Despite being somewhat generic, they are unique enough of a mashup, but still feel like a callback to other versions of themselves. 

Roll and Trancy I’m mostly indifferent on. Trancy having bumpers on her head are at least an amusing and thought-out pachislot design. Roll’s design doesn’t do much for me - the Sailor Moon skirt and tie combo doesn’t feel like the best choice for her - but at least she has a bit more to her as a character in the game, and gets a chance to fight. 

Wily with bangs feels worse than Wily having a deeply-receding hairline. That gaudy scarf and suspenders…he’s a special Wily. Charles Nelson Reilly Wily.