Top 10 Mega Man Games with the Best Sets of Weapons

This list ranks the Mega Man games which had the best lineup of weapons, from both the classic and X series.

Note: This list doesn't focus on individual weapons but rather the whole arsenal, so one game isn't going to be higher up just because one weapon is so OP, we want a nice balance after all. As it might take me a while I won't cover every weapon in the game, but I'll try and make sure I don't miss out any important ones.

These games will be ranked on how well rounded the weapons are, overall practicality of them, and how fun they are to use.
The Top Ten
1 Mega Man 9

Now THIS is how you do unlockable weapons. Each and every weapon in this game comes in useful at some point or another, and a lot have secondary functions. The Tornado Blow not only acts as a screen nuke but also gives you greater jump height. The Hornet Chaser homes in on your enemies and collects items, and the Concrete Shot not only encases enemies in cement but can also be used as a platform and to block lasers.

The Laser Trident has good coverage and pierces shields. The Jewel Satellite is a shield that obliterates smaller enemies and reflects bullets. My personal favorite is the Black Hole Bomb, which sucks in surrounding enemies and can also absorb projectiles.

I could go on and on, but this arsenal of weapons is simply perfect.

2 Mega Man & Bass

This game had a very interesting lineup of weapons. Some examples are the Spread Drill, which can split up and be a good way of dealing with high and low enemies, Copy Vision, which creates a copy of Mega Man that has rapid fire, and Wave Burner, which can not only light fuses for explosives but underwater can create jets to push mines away.

The cool thing about this game is that before King's Fortress there are rooms with weapon puzzles. Not only do they utilize every weapon in the game, but they can also teach you things about the weapons you may not have known before.

3 Mega Man X

When the new generation of Mega Man came around, this allowed for not only an evolution in the gameplay but also in the weapons. Whilst a lot of these weapons are standard fare, once you get a certain upgrade, you can not only fire your weapons but charge them in the same vein as the Mega Buster.

Some of the standouts include Storm Tornado, a nice blast of wind that has good coverage, Homing Torpedo (no, that's not a typo. That's what the weapon is called), which homes in on enemies, Rolling Shield, which when charged offers a nice defensive barrier, Boomerang Cutter, which fires in an arc and also picks up items, and Chameleon Sting, which fires a spread shot but when charged can give you temporary invincibility.

Out of all the X games, the first one handled the weapons best to me.

4 Mega Man 4

Not only was this game the first introduction to the Mega Buster charge shot, but it also has some good weapons as well. My favorites are Pharaoh Shot, a chargeable ball of sun which can be fired either straight forward or diagonally, and Flash Stopper, which stops time and allows you to shoot enemies easier (and it doesn't use up all the energy in one go).

Other weapons like the Ring Boomerang, Dust Crusher, and Rain Flush, whilst unoriginal, are serviceable and have decent power. The only weapon I don't really like is the Dive Missile, which I swear only works half the time.

5 Mega Man 11

I don't know which weapon selection is the best between 9 and 11. However, just to annoy Mega Man 9 fans who say the charge shot is bad because it overshadows every weapon in the game, I will vote for Mega Man 11. I will explain my reasoning through math.

Mega Man 9 = Mega Man 11 + Charge Shot
Mega Man 11 - Charge Shot = better than Mega Man 9

My point is the charge shot criticism is stupid. Except for Mega Man 5. But more seriously, Mega Man 11's weapon selection is great.

In my personal opinion, Mega Man 11's weapon set is the best.

All the weapons are fun and useful, and I personally think that Acid Barrier is better than Jewel Satellite.

6 Mega Man X3
7 Mega Man 10
8 Mega Man 3

Mega Man 3 has a nice selection of weapons. The Shadow Blade is my favorite, being a ninja star that can be fired straight forwards, upwards, or diagonally upwards. The Magnet Missile can also be useful for locking on to enemies. Search Snake is good for hitting lower enemies, and Needle Cannon has good rapid-fire capabilities.

The biggest joke weapon, though, is the Top Spin, which you hope would fire spinning tops, but instead just makes Mega Man spin in the air. When it's a weakness weapon, it works well, but it's also dangerous to use as it can end up hurting you as well.

9 Mega Man 6

Not the most creative of weapons, but they do pack enough of a punch to give you a reason to use weapons other than your Mega Buster. Flame Blast has good power and leaves residue when it hits the ground. Silver Tomahawk flies upwards, so it's good on airborne enemies. Yamato Spear pierces shields, and Knight Crush has a decent amount of power.

Some of the other weapons are a bit lackluster, though, and don't really come off as original (I'm looking at you, Plant Barrier).

10 Mega Man

The one to start it all, and it has some nice weapons to boot. The Rolling Cutter is a nice little boomerang weapon that can defeat most enemies. Ice Slasher is good for immobilizing Big Eye and freezing fire in Fire Man's stage. Fire Storm not only fires a fireball but has fireballs flying around you as well, and the Thunder Beam fires three massive shots forwards, up, and down. OP? Definitely.

Really, the only duds are the Hyper Bomb, which takes too long to blow up for any worthwhile damage, and the Super Arm, which is practical in a couple of scenarios, but you can retire it once you have the Thunder Beam.

The Contenders
11 Mega Man X4

The other Mega Man X game which used its weapons well is my favorite in the series: X4. Aiming Laser is useful for hitting enemies that aren't directly in front of you. Rising Fire is a good anti-air weapon and can be charged into a shoryuken. Soul Body creates a double that goes in front of you and can clear through enemies, and Lightning Web can be used as a wall to gain higher ground.

Once you get any of the arm power-ups, though, they do become the best weapons, but these ones are still decent.

12 Mega Man X5
13 Mega Man 7

This was where the weapons started to get a bit more situational, but there were still ways they could be used to influence the environment. Freeze Cracker can freeze lava and make Cloud Man's stage snow. Thunder Bolt can power up machines in Junk Man's stage, and Scorch Wheel can burn through trees.

Some weapons can be finicky, but if used properly, they can also achieve things that Mega Man's buster simply can't, like Freeze Cracker firing in multiple directions and Slash Claw being a good close combat attack. Also, these weapons totally break the robot master battles.

14 Mega Man 8
15 Mega Man 5
16 Mega Man 2

We all know which weapon gets used and abused to death: the Metal Blade. Being able to shoot in all eight directions, slicing through hordes of smaller enemies, and using next to no ammo, it's easy to see how this is widely regarded as the best weapon in the series.

Some of the others are good as well. Quick Boomerang is a nice and sharp attack, and Air Shooter is good for taking out big mechs. Bubble Lead is situational but useful.

Unfortunately, the game could place no higher as the Metal Blade is the clear weapon of choice, and some of the others are lacking. Atomic Fire takes too long to charge and eats up too much ammo. The Time Stopper freezes time but doesn't allow you to shoot or change weapons, so you have to use it all up at once.

The reason this game is so low on the list is that the Metal Blade just outshines the other weapons.

17 Mega Man X6
18 Mega Man X7
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