Finally fulfilling Mega Man’s destiny of having an airborne companion, Dr. Cossack created a bird-type support robot named Beat. Beat’s designer at Capcom imagined a bird that was also a helmet, and the rest came together from there.
In Mega Man 5 and 6, Beat can be summoned after collecting a set of plates (eight in Mega Man 5 that spell out M-E-G-A-M-A-N-5 and four in Mega Man 6 that spell out B-E-A-T). While on the screen, Beat drains energy and homes in on enemies as long as Mega Man is standing still. Beat is especially formidable in Mega Man 5, as his attacks will also target bosses; this function was removed in Mega Man6.