<s>
is	O
a	O
2002	O
action-platform	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Capcom	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
(	O
GBA	B-Device
)	O
handheld	B-Application
game	I-Application
console	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
first	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
series	O
,	O
the	O
fifth	O
series	O
in	O
Capcom	O
's	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
video	O
game	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
set	O
100	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
X	I-Application
series	O
and	O
follows	O
Zero	O
,	O
a	O
Reploid	O
awakened	O
from	O
his	O
sleep	O
to	O
aid	O
a	O
human	O
scientist	O
named	O
Ciel	O
and	O
her	O
resistance	O
force	O
in	O
a	O
fight	O
against	O
the	O
utopia	B-Application
of	O
Neo	O
Arcadia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
was	O
produced	O
as	O
a	O
commission	O
product	O
by	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
for	O
Capcom	O
,	O
who	O
was	O
given	O
free	O
reign	O
on	O
the	O
project	O
's	O
direction	O
and	O
premise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
development	O
,	O
the	O
developers	O
aimed	O
to	O
make	O
Zero	O
among	O
the	O
most	O
challenging	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
franchise	O
,	O
and	O
to	O
bridge	O
the	O
gap	O
between	O
the	O
mechanical	O
feel	O
of	O
the	O
X	O
series	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
human	O
feel	O
of	O
the	O
Legends	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
has	O
enjoyed	O
a	O
mostly	O
positive	O
press	O
reception	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
storyline	O
,	O
graphics	O
,	O
and	O
tweaks	O
on	O
the	O
franchise	O
's	O
classic	O
action	B-Application
formula	O
,	O
though	O
many	O
were	O
put	O
off	O
by	O
its	O
high	O
difficulty	O
level	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
garnered	O
strong	O
sales	O
upon	O
its	O
debut	O
and	O
went	O
on	O
to	O
produce	O
three	O
direct	O
sequels	O
on	O
the	O
GBA	B-Device
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
two	O
titles	O
in	O
a	O
sequel	O
series	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
re-released	O
on	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
's	O
Virtual	O
Console	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
October	O
22	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
narrative	O
of	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
is	O
presented	O
through	O
text	O
dialogue	O
cutscenes	O
with	O
2D	O
sprites	O
and	O
hand-drawn	O
,	O
anime	O
images	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Roughly	O
100	O
years	O
following	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
the	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
X	I-Application
series	O
and	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
Maverick	O
Wars	O
,	O
the	O
heroic	O
Maverick	O
Hunters	O
X	O
and	O
Zero	O
have	O
long	O
since	O
vanished	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shocked	O
at	O
this	O
revelation	O
and	O
filled	O
with	O
doubt	O
about	O
his	O
own	O
identity	O
as	O
the	O
Maverick	O
Hunter	O
of	O
legend	O
,	O
Zero	O
helps	O
Ciel	O
escape	O
and	O
joins	O
her	O
Resistance	O
to	O
fight	O
against	O
X	O
and	O
the	O
utopia	B-Application
known	O
as	O
Neo	O
Arcadia	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
midst	O
of	O
the	O
chaos	O
,	O
Ciel	O
confesses	O
to	O
Zero	O
that	O
she	O
helped	O
create	O
Neo	O
Arcadia	O
as	O
a	O
utopia	B-Application
where	O
humans	O
and	O
Reploids	O
were	O
finally	O
able	O
to	O
live	O
in	O
peace	O
with	O
X	O
as	O
their	O
leader	O
,	O
but	O
her	O
plans	O
fell	O
apart	O
when	O
an	O
energy	O
shortage	O
crisis	O
began	O
and	O
X	O
mysteriously	O
disappeared	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Believing	O
that	O
the	O
Reploid	O
race	O
posed	O
a	O
danger	O
to	O
humans	O
,	O
Copy	O
X	O
began	O
an	B-Protocol
operation	I-Protocol
to	O
brand	O
any	O
Reploid	O
whom	O
he	O
believed	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
menace	O
to	O
humanity	O
as	O
a	O
Maverick	O
and	O
annihilate	O
them	O
without	O
a	O
fair	O
trial	O
,	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
reduce	O
energy	O
consumption	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
adopts	O
the	O
action-platforming	O
gameplay	O
prescribed	O
by	O
its	O
predecessors	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
and	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
X	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
in	O
the	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
X	I-Application
games	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
dash	O
along	O
the	O
ground	O
,	O
cling	O
to	O
and	O
scale	O
walls	O
,	O
or	O
perform	O
a	O
combination	O
of	O
these	O
abilities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
previous	O
titles	O
in	O
the	O
franchise	O
where	O
separate	O
stages	O
are	O
selectable	O
from	O
a	O
menu	O
,	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
is	O
presented	O
as	O
a	O
single	O
,	O
interconnected	O
overworld	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
player	O
has	O
only	O
three	O
lives	O
to	O
successfully	O
complete	O
a	O
mission	O
before	O
receiving	O
a	O
game	B-Application
over	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
previous	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
games	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
would	O
obtain	O
new	O
weapons	O
from	O
defeated	O
bosses	O
and	O
could	O
in	O
turn	O
use	O
those	O
weapons	O
against	O
other	O
bosses	O
and	O
minor	O
enemies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
,	O
defeating	O
some	O
bosses	O
earns	O
the	O
player	O
elemental	O
chips	O
(	O
thunder	O
,	O
fire	O
,	O
or	O
ice	O
)	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
used	O
during	O
a	O
charged	O
attack	O
to	O
further	O
damage	O
foes	O
weak	O
to	O
a	O
specific	O
element	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
also	O
introduces	O
"	O
Cyber	O
Elves	O
"	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
found	O
hidden	O
in	O
certain	O
missions	O
or	O
dropped	O
by	O
enemies	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
,	O
a	O
company	O
established	O
in	O
1996	O
by	O
several	O
former	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
publisher	O
Capcom	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Prior	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
conception	O
,	O
Capcom	O
had	O
developed	O
numerous	O
games	O
in	O
its	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
franchise	O
beginning	O
with	O
its	O
classic	O
series	O
in	O
1987	O
,	O
then	O
expanding	O
to	O
its	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
X	I-Application
spin-off	O
series	O
and	O
two	O
non-platformer	O
series	O
,	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Legends	I-Application
and	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Battle	I-Application
Network	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Up	O
until	O
the	O
development	O
of	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
,	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
was	O
not	O
a	O
successful	O
venture	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
company	O
's	O
vice	O
president	O
Yoshihisa	O
Tsuda	O
had	O
wanted	O
to	O
create	O
a	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
game	O
and	O
would	O
often	O
attend	O
game	O
conventions	O
to	O
express	O
this	O
interest	O
to	O
Keiji	O
Inafune	O
,	O
an	O
artist	O
and	O
producer	O
for	O
the	O
franchise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
was	O
developed	O
as	O
a	O
commission	O
product	O
by	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
,	O
who	O
were	O
given	O
a	O
free	O
rein	O
on	O
its	O
design	O
and	O
premise	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
goal	O
for	O
the	O
developer	O
was	O
to	O
make	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
the	O
most	O
challenging	O
out	O
of	O
all	O
the	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
franchise	O
up	O
to	O
that	O
point	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
model	O
and	O
characters	O
act	O
as	O
extensions	O
of	O
the	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
X	I-Application
series	O
,	O
which	O
itself	O
expands	O
upon	O
the	O
original	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Zero	O
was	O
a	O
secondary	O
protagonist	O
in	O
the	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
X	I-Application
storyline	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
started	O
developing	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
without	O
the	O
character	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
focus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inafune	O
had	O
originally	O
intended	O
for	O
2000	O
's	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
X5	I-Application
to	O
be	O
the	O
final	O
game	O
in	O
its	O
own	O
series	O
,	O
ending	O
with	O
Zero	O
's	O
death	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Based	O
on	O
Tsuda	O
's	O
ideas	O
,	O
the	O
artists	O
wanted	O
to	O
bridge	O
the	O
franchise	O
's	O
timeline	O
gap	O
between	O
the	O
"	O
mechanical	O
feel	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
X	O
series	O
and	O
the	O
"	O
more	O
human	O
direction	O
"	O
of	O
the	O
Legends	B-Application
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Finally	O
,	O
because	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
Four	O
Guardians	O
had	O
similar	O
body	O
structures	O
and	O
were	O
each	O
initially	O
colored	O
blue	O
like	O
X	O
,	O
Nakayama	O
was	O
forced	O
to	O
color	O
them	O
all	O
differently	O
,	O
so	O
as	O
to	O
make	O
it	O
easier	O
to	O
tell	O
them	O
apart	O
as	O
GBA	B-Device
sprites	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ippo	O
Yamada	O
composed	O
all	O
but	O
one	O
track	O
of	O
the	O
musical	O
score	O
for	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
;	O
the	O
remaining	O
track	O
"	O
Theme	O
of	O
Zero	O
"	O
from	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
X	I-Application
,	O
which	O
composed	O
by	O
Setsuo	O
Yamamoto	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yamada	O
wanted	O
to	O
differentiate	O
the	O
style	O
of	O
music	O
of	O
the	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
series	O
from	O
this	O
predecessor	O
by	O
treating	O
it	O
"	O
more	O
like	O
a	O
television	O
or	O
film-like	O
presentation	O
than	O
the	O
stage	O
system	O
like	O
before	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Capcom	O
did	O
not	O
immediately	O
publish	O
a	O
soundtrack	O
containing	O
the	O
score	O
for	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
was	O
first	O
announced	O
by	O
Capcom	O
on	O
January	O
22	O
,	O
2002	O
at	O
a	O
press	O
event	O
in	O
Las	O
Vegas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
was	O
officially	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
April	O
26	O
,	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
arrived	O
in	O
stores	O
stateside	O
as	O
early	O
as	O
September	O
10	O
,	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
re-released	O
for	O
the	O
Wii	B-Device
U	I-Device
Virtual	O
Console	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
October	O
22	O
,	O
2014	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
was	O
made	O
available	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
Collection	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
,	O
which	O
released	O
on	O
June	O
10	O
,	O
2010	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
and	O
two	O
days	O
later	O
in	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
would	O
also	O
be	O
re-released	O
in	O
2020	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Mega	B-Device
Man	I-Device
Zero/ZX	I-Device
Legacy	I-Device
Collection	I-Device
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
,	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
and	O
PC	B-Device
;	O
the	O
compilation	O
includes	O
the	O
original	O
Japanese	O
version	O
,	O
complete	O
with	O
the	O
blood	O
,	O
which	O
resulted	O
in	O
a	O
T	O
for	O
Teen	O
rating	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
has	O
met	O
with	O
a	O
mostly	O
positive	O
critical	O
reception	O
,	O
holding	O
scores	O
of	O
81%	O
and	O
82	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
respectively	O
on	O
the	O
aggregate	O
review	O
sites	O
GameRankings	O
and	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpot	O
named	O
it	O
the	O
second-best	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
game	O
of	O
October	O
2002	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Avi	O
Fryman	O
of	O
GameSpy	O
states	O
that	O
the	O
ability	O
to	O
give	O
up	O
on	O
missions	O
and	O
still	O
continue	O
the	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
sensible	O
feature	O
of	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
,	O
whereas	O
IGN	O
states	O
that	O
given	O
the	O
difficulty	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
no	O
one	O
would	O
call	O
a	O
player	O
"	O
cheap	O
"	O
if	O
they	O
were	O
to	O
use	O
the	O
newly	O
introduced	O
Cyber	O
Elf	O
system	O
to	O
make	O
boss	O
fights	O
easier	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
's	O
presentation	O
was	O
critically	O
acclaimed	O
;	O
critics	O
lauded	O
the	O
sprite	O
animation	O
and	O
hand-drawn	O
cutscene	O
images	O
,	O
while	O
the	O
sound	O
was	O
well-received	O
for	O
harkening	O
back	O
to	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
days	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
IGN	O
described	O
Zero	O
as	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best-looking	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
games	O
out	O
there	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Capcom	O
reported	O
healthy	O
sales	O
of	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
during	O
its	O
release	O
period	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Famitsu	O
sales	O
data	O
supports	O
that	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
sold	O
135,850	O
units	O
by	O
June	O
2002	O
and	O
231,166	O
units	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
that	O
year	O
in	O
Japan	O
alone	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
popularity	O
of	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
spawned	O
three	O
direct	O
sequels	O
on	O
the	O
GBA	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
games	O
were	O
developed	O
by	O
the	O
same	O
,	O
core	O
team	O
members	O
as	O
the	O
first	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
title	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Beginning	O
in	O
2006	O
,	O
Inti	O
Creates	O
began	O
releasing	O
follow-up	O
series	O
on	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Device
DS	I-Device
comprising	O
two	O
games	O
:	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
ZX	I-Application
and	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
ZX	I-Application
Advent	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
games	O
,	O
other	O
media	O
related	O
to	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
exists	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
art	O
book	O
titled	O
Mega	B-Application
Man	I-Application
Zero	I-Application
Official	O
Complete	O
Works	O
was	O
published	O
in	O
Japan	O
by	O
Capcom	O
in	O
2006	O
and	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
by	O
Udon	O
Entertainment	O
in	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
