Summary
The blue-suited superhero from Japan, who was translated fromRockmanintoMega Manfor American audiences, has been the star of some of the industry’s best games. His starring roles in the eleven mainlineMega Mangames have paved the way for hundreds of action-platform games,influencing numerous indie devsto this very day. It’s a franchise built on difficult stage design and spectacularly-designed bosses. But for as good as the main series is,Mega Man’strue gems lie within its numerous spin-off titles.
But for as good as the main series is,Mega Man’strue gems lie within these spin-off titles. These range from quirky little sports titles to 2D fighters, all the way to 3D entries, as Capcom has shown that the Blue Bomber has quite a bit of range over the years. They also have done their part to expand the lore of the series in more interesting ways than the mainline games, as titles likeMega Man XandZerohave explored the latter stages of the timeline and introduced some fascinating characters. Meanwhile, games likeMega Man Legendshave taken him out of the world of 2D to see how he would fare in a full-blown 3D action title.
Updated on August 04, 2025, by Maddie Fisher:Mega Man has a deep history of spin-offs, beginning with the X series in 1993 and growing to include multiple different genres over the years. This list has been updated to reflect that even more, adding some new entries and expanding on the already established games. This long-running series has one of the largest number of spin-off games in the industry, alongside the likes of Final Fantasy and Pokemon. As one of the most iconic franchises in gaming, Mega Man has produced some of the best games the industry has ever seen, but its spin-off titles have consistently been more entertaining and complex than the mainline ‘jump and shoot’ games.
First released as a Japan-exclusive arcade fighting game in 1996, bothMega Man 2: The Power Fightersand the previous game,Mega Man: The Power Battle,were released in North America on home consoles. Their latest release was in theCapcom Arcade 2nd Stadium, with updated visuals and filters. It’s one ofMega Man’smost interestingand oft-forgotten spin-offs.
The Power Fighterspresents multiple stories, featuring Mega Man, Proto Man, Duo, and Bass as playable characters. It also has some pretty spectacular music, with remixes of many of the franchise’s best tracks and is filled with driving beats. With chaotic battles against some pretty famous robot masters from the franchise, and a slick fighting system,The Power Fightersis a worthy entry in this vaunted series.
Set before theevents ofMega Man Legends, this classic PS1 title features multiple styles of play and is one of the most overlooked titles on the console.The Misadventures of Tron Bonnestars one of the most popular anti-heroes fromMega Man Legends, the eponymous Tron Bonne. The Bonne family is initially introduced in Mega Man Legends as a family of pirates and criminals, but the character of Tron became quite popular and Capcom decided to capitalize on that.
However, what really makes this title stand out is how unlike other games in the series it is.The Misadventures of Tron Bonneis one part shooter, one part RPG, and one part puzzle game. Additionally, it also has a delightfully quirky script that sets it apart from both the mainline games and the other spin-offs. Among Mega Man’s multiple spin-off titles, theLegendsandTron Bonnegames are still some of the absolute best that one can find. It’s charming, cute, and a blast to play.
TheMega Man Xspin-offswere in full-swing by 1997, having transitioned from the SNES to the more powerful fifth-generation consoles. WithX4, Capcom opted to deepen the series' lore even further and take the story into some pretty dark territory. Opening with a massive disaster that results in hundreds of deaths,Mega Man X4explores some pretty meaty material for a game of its era.
Outside of that,X4retains everything that made this wonderful spin-off series so good. The stages are excellent, the music is outstanding, and the boss battles are some of the best in the entire series. Add in Zero as a playable character for the first time, and this is one absolutely stellarMega Manspin-off.
As theMega Manseries began to progress even further past the classic games, the spin-offs started to explore some truly fascinating parts of the universe. With the compact nature of the Game Boy Advance, Capcom was keen to see exactly what would happen in the hypothetical future of theMega Manseries. Theresult wasMega Man Zero, a phenomenal series of side-scrolling action platform games that was a perfect fit for the GBA.
Set in the distant future of the series, roughly 100 years after theXgames, this 2D hack-and-slash series sees a resurrected Zero put back into the spotlight. Every part of what made Zero so much fun to play as in theXgames is present, with some satisfying sword-fighting action and some killer music. It also features some of the most interesting lore additions, especially the Elf Wars and how they tie into the end of theXseries. Thankfully, it’s easily accessible today on every platform and is still just as much fun as it was in 2002.
Originally released only on the Super Famicom in Japan,Mega Man & Basswas translated to Englishand released in North America on the Gameboy Advance in 2003. It may be the most similar to the mainline series of any game on this list, at least in terms of gameplay, offering fabulous side-scrolling platforming and shooting. But it’s not missing out on anything, as it’s just as much fun as those older games without the bells and whistles that future spin-offs would introduce.
What really makes it worth checking out is the ability to play as Bass, the slick anti-hero created by Dr. Wily. This fan-favorite character gets a chance to shine as both Mega Man and Bass are available, adding to the franchise’s growing roster of playable characters. It features steep challenges and fantastic music, and it’s still worth playing today. It has unfortunately not been re-released on any of Capcom’s collections, but hopefully that will be changed in the future.
5Mega Man ZX
Outstanding 2D Action Game Is One Of The Best DS Titles
Mega Mandidn’t have as much of a presence on the Nintendo DS as it did on other handheld platforms, but it was the home of one of the more overlooked spin-offs in the entire series. Set 200 years after theZerogames,Mega Man ZXis an absolutely spectacular entry in the franchise and features one of the best stories in the entire series.This slick 2D platformeris one of the best games on the Nintendo DS, a tall order considering the strength of that platform’s library.
It introduces two new playable characters to the series in the form of Alie and Vent, allowing the player to pick a gender for the first time in the series. Whichever character the player picks, the other remains a part of the story, and it changes how the game unfolds.Mega Man ZXhas some excellent sprite work and outstanding stage design, backed by a pumping techno soundtrack that ranks among the best. It is readily available on every platform today, making it easy to check out.
Developed by Inti Creates, theMega Man Zerospin-off series has experienced a surge in popularity once more thanks to Capcom releasing all four titles via a compilation in 2020. Starring the massively popular Zero, it focuses more on sword slashing than shooting. This spin-off series gives a different feelingto theMega Manuniverse, as Zero slices through enemies and robot masters.
Mega Man Zero 2is set one year after the first, chronicling Zero’s journey across multiple stages. The fluid feeling of combat is some of the best in the entireMega Manfranchise, with gorgeous 2D-pixel art and a terrific soundtrack. It also features an extended appearance by the character of X, tying it deeper into the mainline andMega Man Xlore.
First released in 1993for the Super Nintendo,Mega Man Xwas the first spin-off for the Blue Bomber and in some ways became even more popular than the mainline series. It was so ravenously popular that it eclipsed the original games in nearly every single way, as theXseries started to impact and add to the growth of the universe in some pretty important ways. Characters like X, Zero, Sigma and Dr. Cain became important not just to this series but other spin-offs in the future.
Set 100 years after the main games,Mega Man Xintroduced the eponymous X and established a mythology that was much deeper than fans had realized. It establishes X as a robot created by Dr. Light for a police force of sorts known as the Maverick Hunters, leaving some mystery as to what happened to the original Mega Man. The darker, more complex mythology mixed with a beautiful science fiction world made for a very special game.
By the timeMega Man X3was released in 1996, Mega Man had already become a bonafide superstar in the industry. The 7th mainlineMega Mangame had just been released a couple of months prior, and theXfranchise was thriving, withX3being Capcom’s most stellar effort. It was further proof that theXseries was intent on creating a much richer, more complex mythos for the franchise. Everything aboutX3feels darker and more meaningful than its predecessors.
X3features some of the best-designed and most challenging levels in the series, even making Zero playable briefly for the first time. The story is fantastic and centers on theongoing conflict with Sigmaand the creation of the Sigma Virus, further cementing him as one of Mega Man’s greatest villains.
In an effort to produce a type ofMega Mangame that would be completely different from the others and help usher them into the burgeoning 3D market, Capcom optedto createMega Man Legends. This beloved third-person action game allowedMega Manto become one of the first true success stories of a 2D game transitioning into 3D, with lush and colorful art direction and spectacular design.
Taking place at the very end of theMega Mantimeline,Legendsenvisions a world of robots and humans living together. It introduced Mega Man Volnutt, a digger whose job is to excavate ruins and caves. Over the course of the game, Mega Man Volnutt gets into conflict with a group of pirates known as the Bonne family. This winning combination of incredible third-person action and a charming story makesMega Man Legendsone of the Blue Bomber’s finest hours.
