Ranking the Battle Network Games

For the longest time, Battle Networks 1 and 3 remained blind spots in my time with the series. I don't know why I never went back and played those through emulation or grabbed some old carts. But now, thanks to the Legacy Collection, I have played those!

Ideally, I'd make this ranking after replaying all 6 games in the series, but I've only finished Volume 1 of the Legacy Collection so far, so I'll have to rely on my distant memories of Battle Networks 4–6.

Here we go, in reverse order, from least favorite to favorite:

6. Battle Network 1

Look, it's a first draft, it was always going to be down here. It just feels like small-scale proof of concept in so many ways compared to the games that followed.

The soundtrack is smaller and more repetitive, the battle system isn't all there yet, the locations are bland and annoying to navigate.

If I can mix some metaphors, the bones are there, but it's not quite done cooking.

5. Battle Network 4

Version played: Red Sun

It's entirely possible that I'm placing 4 so low on the list because I haven't played it in a while, but I also don't remember being super fond of it.

I don't love the locations, music, or story as much as any other game in the series. The whole game being a series of repetitive tournaments isn't the most exciting thing to begin with. Add on top of that the weird choice to require multiple playthroughs to acquire everything, and it all falls apart for me.

I seem to recall more than once being confused by which main menu option to choose to start my next playthrough but keep the previous playthrough's progress, and accidentally erasing all of that progress.

This is also the split point in the series where the audio and visuals change drastically, and I'm not sure how I feel about those changes. Why is MegaMan so tiny now? Really curious why those changes came about.

I'm not really looking forward to replaying this one in the Legacy Collection, but it does feature the series' first Boktai crossover, and a story that hews pretty close to that of the anime, so that's fun.

4. Battle Network 6

Version played: Cybeast Gregar

I honestly keep flip-flopping on whether to put 6 above or below 4. I'm putting it above for now because I like some of the music more, I think the battling might be more fun, the final final version of ProtoMan you get to fight in the post-game is cool, and for the emotional ending of the series.

Outside of that, I don't remember loving the story, I don't know how I feel about Lan randomly moving in literally the last game, the new characters in Lan's new town are pretty generic, and I don't remember liking any of the new navis (either enemies or the allies that you can Cross with).

Also, they're called Crosses now instead of Souls? Okay.

I dunno, I'm very hot and cold on this one from what I remember. Very curious to see how I end up feeling about this one and 4 after replaying them again.

3. Battle Network 3

Version played: Blue

I wasn't sure what to expect from 3, coming into it for the first time as an adult. But honestly, I was really pleasantly surprised.

At first, it seemed like a weird, in-between mashup of 2 and 4. It has the bigger character sprites of 2, and some of the same battle music, but some UI and mechanics that I recognized from 4, like the start menu and Navi Customizer.

But after playing, it's clear that 3 has a robust identity of its own. This is largely thanks to its story, which pulls in threads and characters from the previous two games, and hits some effective emotional beats. The world is also varied and fleshed out, with a sizable cast of new characters.

I didn't expect to get sucked into 3's post-game, but after the credits rolled, I wasn't ready to be done!

2. Battle Network 5

Version played: Team Colonel

I have such a soft spot for everything 5 is doing, and it's doing a lot.

Putting together a super team in a secret base is a cool and fun conceit. The set dressing for your base(s), and for the game as a whole this time around, is top notch.

Liberation Missions — big weird board games that play out over entire areas of the net, in which you liberate those areas one square at a time — add an extra layer of strategy, team management, and timing to the combat (achieving a 1-Turn Liberation is so satisfying).

Getting to play as other navis for the first time in the series, a final assault on the bad guy's hideout in a volcano, a deeper Boktai crossover featuring crosover multiplayer, a touching story exploring the histories of SciLab and the Hikari family, and of course an expansive post-game, the game has it all. I love every bit of it.

I love that 5 really goes for it in terms of trying new things, and all of those new things really work for me. The vibes are good, the music bangs, and this is even the entry in the series that got an early re-release on DS, so I can't be wrong in placing it so high.

1. Battle Network 2

I am absolutely, completely biased towards this game because it was my first and I played the absolute heck out of it. But it's really good! It's got a lot going for it!

The lack of Souls or Crosses limits the combat options, there aren't any Dark Chips, etc, etc. But to me, that just shows how solid the combat system is on its own, with tons of quality-of-life upgrades from the first game.

The navis are cool, the music rocks, the locations are fun, the progression is satisfying, the cyberworld is colorful and varied, and the endgame is jam-packed and fun to explore.

Everything in this game is, to me, the rock-solid, base-level, platonic ideal version, from music to characters to world-feel to mechanics. It's not the flashiest or prettiest, but it's a perfect foundation. This is where the series found its footing, and built from there.

It's the only MMBN game I've 100% cleared, and it will probably stay that way! I love this game.