Toggle Background Color
Part 5: Do I Feel Lucky?
One month after Inukai's crimes against animal-kind, we resume with Lan and friends at school where Ms. Mari is teaching the class about compressing programs.
Did anyone else just feel a chill up their spine or was it just me?
Ms. Mari assents that it's possible, but it'd be a rather difficult procedure to have done.
Lan laments that he can't shrink MegaMan whenever he asks him to do his homework.
MegaMan says he won't wake up Lan in the morning tomorrow and Lan begs for mercy.
I guess they both forgot that
tomorrow is the weekend and they have no class.
Then again, I guess Lan could oversleep and waste his weekend.
Most NPCs are talking about the N1, or Lan's friends mentioning how they're busy tomorrow.
This NPC mentions that she's afraid of animals after that experience. I recall having a similar reaction after I visited an aviary in California.
Also, Chisao took another 10-hour flight back to ACDC to spend time with Dex.
I hope he gets frequent flyer miles.
Seeing as everyone is busy, a good amount of this scenario involves helping Higsby with a few errands.
He's come down with a cold, so he can't do them himself.
Class 5-B continues the trend of mundane field trips.
These children are my spirit animals.
Will we ever have PETs in real life?
I doubt it, but it'd be neat to!
Higsby's shop is the same as in Battle Network 1, albeit with a notable change to the machine that houses NumberMan.
Instead of being a device that lets you Net Battle him at will, it now accepts "lottery" numbers!
Most of these numbers tend to give powerful chips or free SubChips, though some also give Navi Customizer programs. You can also get Mr. Famous' wristband.
Some of the really valuable ones wind up giving these, though: Spin Programs! These allow you to spin programs of certain colors on the Navi Customizer so that you don't have to set them in their default position. The Number Trader gives you Spin Blue, Green, Red, and White, which are unobtainable anywhere else.
SHARK indeed.
The cut-out of NumberMan can be jacked into, incidentally.
Inside is a Mr. Prog who is doing an impression of Higsby that MegaMan is unimpressed with.
I thought it was pretty good.
There's also these Trumpy viruses that make all enemies on the field (except themselves) invincible when they play their music. When MegaMan uses their chip, he instead gains the benefit of invincibility himself.
This segment is pretty blase, so I'll gloss over it. Higsby's sick and needs Lan to do a favor for him.
Lan is initially worried about it, but MegaMan nudges him into it. You then have three jobs to finish.
- Pick up an OrderSys from a guy at the Metroline. As it turns out, he left his briefcase at the Yoka Inn and you have to go and get it. Despite the fact that Lan is 11, he believes that Lan is Higsby.
- Get 1000 zenny from a Heel Navi who hasn't paid Higsby for his chip. Apparently, if you try to talk to Higsby without confronting the guy, Lan will try to offer his own money, though Higsby turns him down.
- Give a Ratton1 C to a pink Navi in SciLab area. This is the easiest one unless you decided to do something dumb like putting the chip into a trader or something.
This line was pretty funny, at least.
And curiously enough, Higsby managed to sell this girl a Ratton1 C for 100,000 zenny.
Those aren't even hard to get! There are Ratty viruses in this very area that you're standing in!
While doing jobs for Higsby, I went around to see some NPC dialogue.
Haruka's getting a little spicy.
Apparently, DNN has plans to use the SciLab for the N1.
Not a lot is going on in Yuichiro's Lab, aside from him being busy as usual, but you can talk to some people there, including him.
This kid wonders about Inukai's motives.
Hey, let's be fair now. I'm an adult and I also enjoy it.
On a more serious note, the inn guests think Kimie is awesome.
Kimie directs you to the OrderSys if you're on that quest, incidentally.
And Mr. Famous has also taken up a spot nearby the power lines!
...In Blue version. In White version, you instead get
this guy, who is much less cool! He's just some nerd who gives you random factoids, some of which are actually incorrect.
Mr. Famous gives you factoids and also challenges you to a Net Battle!
Boss Fight: Punk
Punk is something of an oddity in MegaMan Battle Network. For one thing, he never drops Navi Chips when you fight him, not even in his later versions. That said, he DOES have a Navi chip that was exclusive to an event. If you happen to have it, getting Mr. Famous' wristband from the Number Trader will power up its damage.
At any rate, since Punk is just a fight for fun/money, you probably don't need to worry about your ranks against him unless you're doing it for bragging rights. Punk is a bit annoying to rank well at this point, at least, given that most of his attacks afford him invulnerability. Strangely enough, using any of the Yo Yo series on him will cause him to take damage, but the Yo Yo only hits him once and breaks immediately upon that hit.
- Mad Roller: Punk spins on the top or bottom row, moves into the column MegaMan is currently located, and returns to his area in the opposite row he came from. He can't be harmed while using this attack.
- Wave Mad Roller: Punk spins throughout the area in front of him. He can't be harmed while using this attack.
- Shield & Chain: Punk uses his right shoulder as a shield and stretches his left arm to attack MegaMan from behind.
- Double Go Round: His shoulders spin through the area and he uses Punk Chain.
- Punk Chain: Punk appears in front of MegaMan to slam him with his arms.
Mr. Famous is a better sport about losing in every game after 2. I like to imagine he's testing his Navis against Lan for self-improvement at this point.
Incidentally, in case you were wondering, none of the other MegaMan Killers from the Classic series show up as Navis. This is also Mr. Famous' only Navi that isn't fan designed.
The zoo is quite grateful to Lan for his part in thwarting Inukai.
Though this woman raises a good point.
Unfortunately, the condor did not return to the zoo. Keeping it in an enclosure that it can fly out of probably wasn't the best idea.
There's actually a request on the job board to find it later.
It also seems like the Mr. Prog at the zoo might be forming a union.
The Metroline conductor also mentions that, in spite of the attack by Inukai, the zoo's popularity has actually gone up since.
After finishing Higsby's errands, he rewards Lan with a Snake R battlechip. You may remember this as the snakes that SnakeMan would shoot from the holes on his side of the field.
Higsby mentions that he studied programming when he was gone in the last game and that if Lan ever needs help, he can ask him for a favor anytime.
Neat.
For now, though, it seems that Lan will be busy looking for the location of the last preliminary.
Above is the provided hint.
Around this time, Yai makes a shortcut on her page to SciLab Square just to show up Dex.
Oh, now what's this?
As it turns out, there's a yellow Normal Navi here that wants a LongSword E given that she apparently lost one of her own.
She mumbles to herself for a bit before asking MegaMan. You will have one at this point since it comes from a BMD in ACDC Area 3. If you pawned it for the Chip Trader, though, you'll probably have to look for Swordies and hope they drop it!
In exchange for the Chip, the Navi gives MegaMan a pass for the Metroline that leads to Yoka Area.
As it turns out, she was an actor hired by DNN.
I rather like this new Normal Navi design, incidentally. It's kinda neat how we went from the static faced generic Navis in the first game to ones with more humanoid features in 2 and 3.
Said Navis might not be too enamored with them, though!
This one cites women's intuition as the reason for her comment.
quote:
SciLab: Battle BBS
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------
| Brake | Ice Panels
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------
| The secret to the Pengi's freezing ability lies in the
| panels. When it's on an ice panel, it freezes up and
| guards against attacks! The obvious solution is to
| attack it when it's not on an ice panel, but I know some even
| better methods! You can use a chip to change the panel
| type so it can't freeze, or just crack the panels. You can
| also use a Breaking Attack!
| What's a Breaking Attack, you say? Hehe! It's a secret!
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------
| Sakasso | Custom Navis!
+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------
| Attention please. The Navi Customizer that we've been
| working on here at SciLab will go on sale very soon.
| The Navi Customizer is a program that lets you customize
| your Navi with parts of your choice. It is
| an easy-to-operate, technological work of art.
| Be sure to pick one up-you won't be disappointed!
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+--------+-----------------------------------------------------------------
| Yusuke | RE:Custom Navis!
+--------+-----------------------------------------------------------------
| That Navi Customizer ("NaviCust") sounds awesome! The timing
| is perfect, with the N1 going on and all!
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------
| Takayan | Mole virus
+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------
| I recently ran into a scary virus that could move
| underground like a mole! It only surfaces once in a
| while, making it hard to hit! Breaking the panels while it was
| underground seems to hurt it.
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yoka Square!
As this nearby Navi points out, it being right next to the Metroline tracks is pretty snazzy.
Another nearby Navi mentions that MegaMan is the final participant in the final preliminary. We might just go all the way!
How curious.
Yoka has its own BBS, incidentally, which is getting to be a bit much to keep up with!
quote:
Yoka: Chat BBS
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------
| Junko | I got it!
+-------+------------------------------------------------------------------
| I just bought a BubbleWash. They're all the rage!
| Just jack it in, and presto! It cleans all your dishes!
| We really live in an age of convenience!
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+--------+-----------------------------------------------------------------
| Mayumi | RE: I got it!
+--------+-----------------------------------------------------------------
| You bought one too, Junko? So did I!
| But isn't it funny? It's connected to the Net,
| but you can't jack into the washer itself! Still, it
| looks pretty sturdy. Everything nowadays breaks so easily.
| It's nice to see something built so well!
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------
+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------
| Crosser | *(asterisk)
+---------+----------------------------------------------------------------
| I just had a look at the ACDC Square Chat BBS, and there
| seems to be a lot of discussion about RegularChips. They
| just keep blabbing about attacks and recoveries, though,
| when the important things are the chip codes rather than
| the actual chips! How about using a * chip? (Kitager
| also talks about the advantages of * chips on that BBS.)
| That way, you have the option of using it anytime you want!
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------
The guy next to the BBS also challenges you to a button-pressing Simon Says on a time limit for Bug Frags.
This Official Navi is the proctor for the last test.
He's also a little weird.
it just keeps happening
For the final preliminary, the proctor changes MegaMan's folder to an Extra Folder. The first Extra Folder that Lan gets in this game comes from Yuichiro during the Navi Customizer tutorial. This folder is basically a fail-safe for situations where Lan cannot equip his main folder for whatever reason; for example, if MegaMan gets a Guts Style and overwrites his Team Style, then he can't keep his folder with eight Navi chips equipped.
There is a gimmick that comes up a few times in the game where you are forced to use an Extra Folder to progress.
On an unrelated note, there seems to be female Mr. Prog (Mrs. Prog?) in the A/C controls for Lan's house.
Haruka's also not going to be here tomorrow.
Anyway, as a number of NPCs had been alluding to throughout this part, there are DNN people dressed as Navis wandering around the world. There are two in ACDC, one in SciLab, and two in Yoka.
Over by Yai's house, a guy in a suit complains about how hot his suit is as well as other aspects of his job.
He then notices Lan, who confirms that he's in the N1.
lan please
A virus battle ensues and Lan wins.
Afterwards, the guy asks Lan to please keep what he heard to himself.
There's another Navi in ACDC, but I saved him for last.
No particular reason. I think I was just doing some Job BBS stuff.
A few NPCs in Yoka mention seeing people in Navi costumes near the Yoka Inn and the zoo.
This guy tries to lie to Lan.
Lan then outsmarts him.
And that's not a sentence I thought I'd ever type about Lan.
Kimie informs Lan that there's some DNN people staying here.
An old woman on the way also mentioned seeing a Navi in the bathing room.
This guy is LARPing as a Heel Navi.
Finally, perhaps the most amusing encounter.
A DNN Navi is hiding in the school. An old man in the N1 tries to battle him, but is blocked off by a teacher.
Lan then battles and defeats the guy.
And the old man is disqualified.
Poor teacher. No one understands how hard his job is.
Unrelated to any of this, I finish a job about a pair of brothers who were competing in prices. Brother A hires MegaMan to check and see what Brother B is doing, and Brother B has bugged Brother A. Eventually their father finds out and chides both of them for unscrupulous methods.
I just included this pair of screenshots because it's funny out of context.
After returning to the proctor, MegaMan has three rounds of virus battling before the test is over.
As it turns out, everyone except Roll won the preliminaries. What a shame.
It's not really brought up too much, but apparently Roll isn't decked out for fighting. Which seems odd, because Navis are supposed to bust viruses by design, right? Ah well.
Chaud and ProtoMan show up at this moment to remark that they all seem rather buddy-buddy for people who are competing against one another.
Chaud mentions that he and ProtoMan have gone through a rigorous training montage and won't be defeated by Lan and MegaMan this time.
MegaMan, recognizing shonen rival power-ups when he sees them, realizes that Chaud and ProtoMan are the ones who clear the preliminaries with the fastest time.
Chaud then jacks ProtoMan out.
GutsMan is not impressed.
At any rate, Dex and Chisao are going to the amusement park tomorrow while Yai is going to the opera. And as for Mayl?
She's installing a new dishwasher and we're invited.
Let me just grab something really quick before we go...
Slimers are a cute new Aqua virus that hop into your area until they're close enough to bounce into MegaMan repeatedly, but I'm actually here for something more important.
There we go.
Tune in next time for exciting dishwasher shenanigans.