Mega Man covers and box arts have been astonishing, surprising, and horrifying fans since the 1980s. Mega Man and Mega Man 2, peculiarly, have infamously bad covers in both Northward America and Europe. Sure, the 1980s was a dissimilar fourth dimension, simply the regional variations in cover design continue to this day.

The anime-inspired Blue Bomber has been in a number of different series, each with its own unique aesthetic. The myriad designs and interpretations of Mega Man, his friends, and his foes continue to inspire gamers and artists akin. Moreover, information technology often gives players useful info on what separates a given Mega Man game from other titles.

x Mega Man X6: What Could Have Been

Mega Man X6 Cover PlayStation

Mega Man X6 might be i of the most controversial games in the serial gameplay-wise, only the cover is null brusque of spectacular. It has a darker, grittier tone than any of its predecessors, and for good reason.

Spoilers: At the end of Mega Man X5, Zero was killed off. While fans were used to having to cull between 10 and his X Blaster or Cypher and his Z Saber, the cover of Mega Man X6 showcased X wielding the deceased Zero'south Z Saber.

This gave long-time fans that OH MY GOD moment! Players were finally going to become to dual-wield the X Blaster and the Z Saber. It turned out that using the Z Saber with X was a huge letdown. Nevertheless, this encompass still lets players imagine what could have been.

9 Rockman 8: Mega Man's Here To Stay

Rock Man 8 cover Japan PlayStation

Fans in the The states got a pretty lame cover for Mega Man eight featuring a blue-suited Mega Man shooting a blue nail in forepart of a generic blue background (It's simply manner too much blue). The Japanese Rockman viii cover was much more in line with past Rockman covers (showcasing Rockman and the robot masters from the game).

Rockman (Mega Man) 8 is also a less beloved entry in the franchise, only its cover was brilliant, beautiful, and filled with stuff to look at. If nothing else, it allowed fans to run into that classic Mega Man wasn't going anywhere.

8 Mega Man seven: Blending Aesthetics

Mega Man 7 Cover SNES

Mega Homo 7 was the only SNES entry in the original series and fabricated some bold changes. The cover likely divides fans since information technology is tonally unlike than the first few X games, which were also released on the SNES (and inverse the direction of the franchise).

Unlike the X games, which featured a tougher, more mature-looking aesthetic, Mega Man 7 opted to keep the more cutesy Mega Man wait from the NES era. Something about the cartoony characters and ominous cityscape actually brand this i stand out, every bit if Bladerunner was invading a Sabbatum-morning cartoon.

Whether or non players bask Mega Man seven, it has an inspired cover that took the best of both worlds approach and really worked.

vii Rockman 2: Motion-picture show Perfect

Rockman 2 Cover Japan NES

The kickoff ii Mega Man titles are infamous for having some of the worst box art of all fourth dimension. Certain, they have a certain charm for players who grew up with them, but they also induced nightmares on many 80s children.

The Rockman games in Japan had completely dissimilar box art. Instead of the creepy cyborg man Americans and Europeans saw, Japanese players saw a more anime-inspired version of the Blueish Bomber and his dreadful foes.

Rockman two'south encompass art has a neat color palette. Wherever y'all expect, whether it be at the hovering robots in the back or the lineup of robot masters next to Mega Man, it's cute. It helps that Rockman 2 is also i of the all-time entries in the series (with 1 of the best soundtracks in gaming history).

6 Mega Man Null two: Ready To Slice Through Some Serious Tail

Mega Man Zero 2 Cover GBA

The Mega Man Zippo games had a grimmer tone than whatever other Mega Human franchise. That said, Zero also looked younger, and maybe fifty-fifty... ambrosial (in a chibi kind of style).

Mega Man Zero 2 has by far the coolest cover of the Zero games. The logo pops out, and  Zero'south portrait is actually well done. His helmet is glowing, he looks ready for battle, and his lush, long hair is fix to dance and sing to the sound of his Z Saber slicing through a reploid regular army. Having Ciel in the background was as well a dainty touch, actually letting players know that the Cypher games were committed to its story and side characters.

five Mega Man three (Europe): It Isn't Quite Live-Action

Mega Man 3 Cover Europe NES

Mega Man iii might accept had a pretty weak cover in America, but Europe received something much more captivating. Mega Human being, Proto Man, and Rush sit down heart phase, drawn in a more Japanese aesthetic. All viii of the robot masters' portraits are shrouded in lightning, ominously surrounding Mega Homo.

What makes this cover really shine is the more realistic portrait of Dr. Wily in the groundwork. It's creepy, absurd, baleful, and it only oozes with personality. Mega Man iii'due south European cover really gave players a wait at how demented and tortured Dr. Wily might exist if he were real.

This might not be the best Mega Man cover of all time, but no Mega Homo fan will be able to aid merely requite this cover a long second look.

4 Mega Man 11: What'due south One-time Is New

Mega Man 11 Cover Nintendo Switch

Mega Man eleven was a return to class. Instead of going back to its viii-scrap roots, Capcom finally decided to make the original series modern once more. The comprehend certainly fits in with the mix of modern and retro.

Mega Human being eleven's embrace features a tougher-looking Mega Homo that still retains his boyish amuse. All eight robot masters stand behind him, each tossing a unique dab of pigment onto the sheet.

What really makes this cover special is that the groundwork is night and unassuming. It allows the spotlight to stay solely focused on the titular hero and the robot masters. The message with this cover is simple: This might be a new looking Mega Human being game, but information technology'south going to fit right in with the classics.

3 Mega Homo six: Flying Above Cliches

Finally, an American NES Mega Man embrace to be proud of! While the Japanese covers were starting to feel a flake generic, Mega Man 6 got actually neat cover fine art that showed off Mega Human'south new hovering/flying power.

The aesthetic for Mega Man himself looks more pleasing (merely await at that chubby-faced Mega Human on the Mega man 4 or v covers in comparing). Since this game fused Due east and West in its pick of robot masters, it's smashing to run across them in the background.

Mega Man'southward flying/hovering suit in Mega Man six was one of the coolest power-ups in the history of the franchise. This cover let players know that at that place was notwithstanding plenty of creative juice in the tank for a series looking at its 6th installment on the same console.

2 Rockman four: Perfecting The Art

Rockman 4 Cover Japan Famicom

Rockman 4 has the best cover of any title in the original serial. Sure, it's Mega Man standing in forepart of robot masters for the fourth time straight, merely this comprehend is the all-time of them all.

Mega Man is shooting a charged blast from the Mega Buster, and the energy it creates casts him in a  glowing aureola, showing off just how powerful a weapon the Mega Buster is (Rockman/Mega Man 4 introduced the charged shot). This charged blast certainly seems more than impressive than the pellets he was shooting during the first iii outings.

The lightning behind Wily's Castle in the backdrop comes together nicely with the well-fatigued robot masters to make one of the coolest Mega Human being covers of all fourth dimension.

i Mega Man X: Sometimes Less Is More

Mega Man X Cover SNES

The best Mega Homo cover of all time goes to one of the best games in the serial, Mega Man 10. This was the commencement time players got to come across the divergence betwixt Mega Man and 10. Ten looks similar he is here to tell players that the 80s are gone. Mega Homo needs to grab up with the times and newfangled technology.

The groundwork itself is blue in classic Mega Man fashion, only Ten is featured on the encompass with a fully upgraded X Suit. His armor has more color and variation, the X Blaster has more component parts, and the energy emitting from it looks like a beam of white-hot death.

This fourth dimension, the robot masters (reploids) are nowhere to be seen. Instead, Capcom decided to show off X in a hostile environment filled with barren sea and hostile machines. Mega Man X's cover is glorious, and well-nigh every big SNES fan remembers this embrace fondly.

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