Which Mega Man Battle Network game should I play first (not MMBN 1)

[UnDubious]

About a year or two ago I played a least halfway through the first MMBN. I liked the setting and the battle system was cool overall, but I couldn't stand how long and especially convoluted the dungeons were. Random encounters get incredibly annoying when you're always dealing with some annoying puzzle that sends you all over the place. Even the network itself was a confusing mess of a maze, navigating it was a pain. So in the end I dropped it. But I heard the sequels improve on that. I also hear lots of opinions about which one is best. Some say 3, others say 3 has lots of backtracking. If I'm going to beat just one of them, which one should it be, knowing I don't want anymore headaches?

 

[Nebulon_Galaxy]

Start with the first one?

 

[Graw]

I'd second playing them in order. The stories are connected from what I remember and they're all kinda the same. The only thing I really remember getting better is the battle system but it's been a long time since I played them.

 

[Glimbo]

If you only want to play one then I recommend Rockman.EXE Operate Shooting Star.
It's an enhanced port of the first game to the DS with refinements from the later games and some extra crossover story from the Mega Man Star Force series.
Japanese only but there is a fan translation patch available.

 

[UnDubious]

I literally said I dropped the first one in my post and why. Some of y'all need to start reading the posts.

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

About a year or two ago I played a least halfway through the first MMBN. I liked the setting and the battle system was cool overall, but I couldn't stand how long and especially convoluted the dungeons were. Random encounters get incredibly annoying when you're always dealing with some annoying puzzle that sends you all over the place. Even the network itself was a confusing mess of a maze, navigating it was a pain. So in the end I dropped it. But I heard the sequels improve on that. I also hear lots of opinions about which one is best. Some say 3, others say 3 has lots of backtracking. If I'm going to beat just one of them, which one should it be, knowing I don't want anymore headaches?

The first. The games have an ongoing story. You will be confused as shit starting with 5 or 6.
BN4 is where the games really connect their stories, but that's also widely considered the worst one, do not start with that
For the gameplay, a lot agree that 3, 5, and 6 are pretty fun

 

[UnDubious]

I don't care if I miss some references, I'll figure it out. I am not playing the first one with its horrible dungeon design and convoluted network.

 

[Evaccaneer Doom]

I don't care if I miss some references, I'll figure it out. I am not playing the first one with its horrible dungeon design and convoluted network.

Then in that case, maybe 5 or 6

 

[fake-kun]

Just so you know, we have a dedicated Mega Man thread for questions like these.

 

[Yousef]

Just so you know, we have a dedicated Mega Man thread for questions like these.

Golly gee! I can’t wait to post another ian rant!

 

[fake-kun]

Golly gee! I can’t wait to post another ian rant!

I'm always happy to see those. : )

 

[SpcDaicon]

Well, the Battlenetwork series can be divided in two trilogies 1-3 and 4-6.

Short answer: Battlenetwork 3 (preferbly White Version), for all its faults it has good level design, good costumization and loads of content on the main campaing and post-game

Long answer:

• 1 has a very frustrating level design but this was adressed on the DS remake (its an japan-exclusive but got and fantraslation).
• 2 has improvements from 1 but lacks as much content as 3.
• 3 is the best of the first trilogy.
• 4 was a "soft reboot" but the story is all over the place and much of the gameplay is fetch quests. Feels like a filler arc in a anime.
• 5 adresses the problems in 4 and changes the gameplay adding tactics elements.
• 6 is the culmination of the franchise. It takes all the good points of the past games and has a very satisfying story. A very good sendoff to the series.

If you want to just play the good ones with an cohesive storyarc then go: 3 White Version, 5 Team Colonel, 6 either version

 

[Bakuma1997]

PLay the fourth one, especially Blue Moon, it has the best gameplay, the best translation and is the most bug-free version

 

[bubbyrude]

i like 4 the best, even though everyone hates it. you could also skip battle network and play star force on the ds, bypassing a lot of growing pains. there's a hack on the repo that even makes workarounds for the few touchscreen things so you can just use buttons. and there's only 3 of them compared to 6 MMBN games.

 

[Raziya The Seeker]

I've played 3 and 4 myself. Much as I really loved 3, a friend of mine had played it last year for his Youtube channel. In his words: for every step forward that Battle Network 3 takes compared to the first two games, there's at least one step back. One of the late game scenarios is a bit frustrating, as is one of the stage gimmicks of the last world.

I would thus personally suggest Battle Network 2, if you don't want to start with the first game. I will note that there is some spoiler territory for the finale of 1 that may be confusing if you start with a later entry of the series. That said, it's also something that doesn't really come up in 3.

Gun-to-my-head answer though? 2 or 3. In my defense, I hadn't played 5 or 6, and can attest to the em, "quirks" of 4. I liked one of the gameplay gimmicks of 4 with the Soul System or whatever, and the expanded battle chip types that went with it. 4 is basically one big tournament arc though, so take that with a grain of salt. The N1 Grand Prix first debuts in 3 but personally, it feels like it's mostly in the background compared to other adventures before the tournament.

 

[Noobert91]

About a year or two ago I played a least halfway through the first MMBN. I liked the setting and the battle system was cool overall, but I couldn't stand how long and especially convoluted the dungeons were. Random encounters get incredibly annoying when you're always dealing with some annoying puzzle that sends you all over the place. Even the network itself was a confusing mess of a maze, navigating it was a pain. So in the end I dropped it. But I heard the sequels improve on that. I also hear lots of opinions about which one is best. Some say 3, others say 3 has lots of backtracking. If I'm going to beat just one of them, which one should it be, knowing I don't want anymore headaches?

If this is the game im thinking about from years ago then the packafudge level really had me stressed.