Mega Man 2’s North American box art once again depicted Mega Man as a middle-aged adult firing a gun, rather than using his Mega Buster. The art was done by veteran commercial illustrator Marc Ericksen. Having no knowledge of the game itself, Mr. Ericksen asked the art director from Capcom of America what Mega Man used to shoot. He was told, “He must have a pistol, because I don’t see a rifle,” and so that was what he painted.
Energy Tanks
As a way to make the game a bit more accessible, an Energy Tank was added that could completely refill Mega Man’s health meter at any time. Although the game’s director was initially hesitant to include them, “E Tanks” became a persistent element throughout the Classic series, eventually being joined by Weapon Tanks and a variety of other consumable Tank items.
In Japan, Energy Tanks are referred to as Energy Cans and are often depicted as being small soda-type cans from which Mega Man drinks to restore his health. Due to their size in-game, Capcom of America interpreted them more as tanks.
Certain secrets were intentionally designed into the game so that they could be included in Nintendo Power. Metal Man being ridiculously vulnerable to his own weapon was one of these, with the Pipis replacing the stars in the background during the Robot Master intro sequences being another.