Veering left into a whole new genre, Mega Man: Battle & Chase (Rockman: Battle & Chase in Japan) brought the beloved franchise to the world of racing games. Featuring 10 playable characters from the original series—including friendlies and Robot Masters alike—the game combined racing with combat. Players could attack competitors during the race with character-specific attacks or drive them into the walls to slow them down. Various obstacles on the track yielded special items that would often prove critical to winning.
The game’s Grand Prix mode consisted of eight tracks. Winning races earned players new car parts, making it possible to customize the appearance and performance of a given vehicle.
Mega Man: Battle & Chase was supposed to release in North America only a month after its Japanese release but was denied approval by Sony Computer Entertainment due to an abundance of mascot-themed games in the market. Fortunately, North American gamers were able to finally play it on the PS2 and GameCube as part of the Mega Man X Collection in 2006.
Mega Man’s Rush Roadstar and Proto Man’s Red Striker appear as toys in Mega Man ZX.