MegaWare Clash

MegaWare Clash (激闘メガウェア) is an action RPG video game developed by Burst Arts and published by Namco. It focuses on a group of young people using the virtual reality hardware, MegaWare, saving the virtual world from certain viruses. Released in May 27, 2010, It was exclusive only to the PlayStation 3.

## Setting

The year is 20XX, where technological advancements have led to the discovery of an alternate virtual reality. Thanks to the invention of equipment known as MegaWare, people are able to witness this digital world using avatars of their choosing. In addition, people can do various things that they could in real life, such as shopping, making phone calls, and checking the news. But not everything is without flaws, as this wonderful new invention also introduces the rise of virtual crime, causing fear in many VR-goers. As a response, dozens of companies (most of which are known for creating gaming hardware) have decided to remake the avatars into being capable of defeating these enemies, from mere viruses to corrupt avatars that would rather place the virtual world in chaos.

## Plot

Pence Enomoto is a boy who lives in Benecity along with some of his friends. Witnessing various Virtual Officials protecting the virtual world, the most well-known being Turbo Gunner of Harley Soft, inspired him to do the same with his avatar, PC Element. PC Element is often underestimated due to his archaic fighting style and broken voice box. However, after fighting off several viruses surrounding an avatar, Pence comes across Turbo Gunner's operator who grants him special updates for his avatar from the company themselves. Later, Pence and PC Element find themselves in a series of attacks carried out by the Hacker Corporation, an organization of hackers hellbent on placing the virtual world into chaos.

## Characters

Pence Enomoto: The lead protagonist of the game. Pence is a young teenager who is the operator of PC Element. He wishes to fight virtual crime that often troubles the world, but because of his handicapped avatar, he was often ridiculed by other stronger avatars. But when he saved an innocent avatar from viruses, he was granted a second chance by Turbo Gunner's operator and was offered new ops for his avatar. Now Pence participates in the schemes of the Hacker Corporation who are about to control the virtual world for themselves.

* PC Element: Pence's avatar. He is a zero-class avatar with keen intellect and strong process abilities. But what holds him back is his poor combat skills and broken speech box, forcing him to make only comically glitchy sounds. PC Element is named after the NEC PC-Engine.

Turbo Gunner: An avatar official working for Harley Soft. Like all of the other officials, his task is to prevent crime from causing any harm in the virtual world, as well as passing down new avatars for the visitors. When he witnessed PC Element successfully defeating the virus that attacked a bystander, he admired his selfless bravery and offered him his new avatar specs from the company he's working for. Later it is revealed that his real-life identity is a former programmer who worked with the others to help form the virtual world. Turbo Gunner is named after the Turbografx-16, the overseas counterpart of the PC-Engine.

Madao Domon: Pence's friend turned rival since childhood. When he first got his own MegaWare equipment, he bragged about how he will be the top "Digital Slayer" in all of the digital world. Above all else, the one thing he dislikes is being inferior, which causes a huge change on his ego when he witnessed his rival Pence defeating the members of the Hacker Corporation with PC Element. Madao aims to be placed back on top, even if it means resorting to more violent measures.

* Mad Driver: Madao's avatar. Unlike his operator, who is at least mellow in his anger, Mad Driver is highly aggressive, willing to delete an avatar out of existence. However, his rage is only justified if his enemy is destroyed. He is based on the Sega Mega Drive, a.k.a the Sega Genesis.

Pascal Saito: A troubled teenager from Parikite, a France-based nation. He was forced by his father to endure several painful virus-eradicating sessions as a means for creating the "perfect virtual savior." Worried about his safety, he moved with his mother to Japan, where they would have been safe if his father did not arrived. After a fight that placed his mother in the hospital, Pascal refused to become the soulless fighting machine his father wants him to be and instead opted for some natural training in the virtual world.

* Platinum Samurai MkII: Pascal's avatar. He and his operator are rivals to Pence and PC Element, often working towards the same general goal but in substantially different manners. Platinum Samurai MkII has a more refined combat style. He is named after the PlayStation 2.

Sumire Fuchizaki: A kind-hearted girl who is the only daughter of a former police officer. Saddened to hear that the rise of virtual crime has led to the stress that caused him to resign, she aims on making her father proud by trying to take down the criminals herself. Much like some other avatars, she has been learning on how to make the virtual world a better place. Sumire has taken a liking to Pence, believing that he possesses more potential than he could ever think of.

* Special Falcon: Sumire's avatar. She serves as PC Element's love interest. While she is a tad more experienced in combat compared to PC Element, she is able to hold her own, proving to be a worthy ally. Speclal Falcon is named after the Super Famicom, or the SNES.

Fuuka Nekotani: A lazy girl who has been raised by scientists. Since she was watched over by them, she was always the subject for their new inventions, most of which where she has been successful. When she first got her new avatar from Nesterno, the scientists offered her a job to promote their inventions throughout the virtual world. However, she preferred living a normal life without being treated as a test subject.

* Fantasia: Fuuka's avatar. Stoic and emotionless, her main objective is the enemy ahead. However, Fuuka states that her programming does get in the way outside of missions, as proven by her scientists. Fantasia is named after the Famicom, a.k.a. the NES.

Eishun Bandai: A teenage boy with an outgoing and friendly personality. His twin brother, Seishi Bandai, was funded by Macroware to be their official as his avatar, X-Battler. Wishing to follow in his brother's footsteps, Eishun decides to create his own avatar from the same company and train with the other Virtual Officials. What he did not expect is when the time would come for him to put aside his optimistic tendencies and actually participate in a fight that could determine the virtual world's fate.

* Cross-Blaster 360: Eishun's avatar. Already designed to be a combat-ready avatar, his appearance tends to strike fear across some avatars. However, he is respected for his prowess and strength. Cross-Blaster 360 is named after the Xbox 360.

Chizuru Daiho: A teenage girl from a high-class wealthy family. Since the family was in a partnership with the company Gandas, she was offered her avatar from them at a young age. While her parents continue to expect a lot from her, she feels she is not completely at her peak. To make up for this, she chooses to end virtual crime herself. Chizuru feels she is lacking in many areas, but thanks to the support of her friends, she continues to be determined.

* Dreamer Core: Chizuru's avatar. Her combat style places a higher emphasis on grace rather than simply violence. She also tends to analyze the statistics of the opponent in front of her. Dreamer Core is named after the Sega Dreamcast.

Tenryo Hoshi: The instructor of Pence's school in Benecity. Most of the time he is seen playing his video games, but he knows he has students to teach and protect, so he wastes no time helping them. Tenryo's avatar is the Power Shifter 3rd, named after the Sony PlayStation 3.

Soichiro Bessho: An eccentric man who often assists avatars in any virtual missions. He is widely known for his light-hearted humor and rapping rhythm. Soichiro's avatar is the Soul Booster, named after the Soulja Boy console.

## Bosses

Shuichi Kazetori: A member of an air conditioning company responsible for the city's air supplies. When it was revealed that he is a member of the Hacker Corporation, he proceeded to suffocate everyone by switching pure air with poisonous gas using his avatar.

* Condition Verser: Shuichi's avatar, responsible for switching the fresh air with dangerous gas, nearly killing everyone. Pence and PC Element were able to defeat them and revert the air back. Condition Verser is named after the ColecoVision.

Chitoge Kusanagi: A bubbly woman who is a member of the Hacker Corporation. She was tasked to reverse the magnetic pulse of the city's metals, causing a fission in the architecture. She did this with her Magnum Thrasher avatar.

* Magnum Trasher: Chitoge's avatar, who is capable of causing magnetic disruptions among the metals of the city. Their plans were halted when Pence, Fuuka, and their avatars rebuilt the collapsed metals. Magnum Thrasher is named after the Sega Mark III.

Rondo Yojima: A stoic teenager whose face is usually concealed in his hood. He was hired by the Hacker Corporation to cause virtual shutdowns with his avatar, the Rockin' Youth. But thanks to Pence, he reformed and abandoned the organization.

* Rockin' Youth: Rondo's avatar which resembles a bear. He has a package that contains any type of weapon imaginable, which he used to cause shutdowns in hardware. He is named after the Nintendo 64 (Rokuyon).

Captain Shadow: The name of a magician known for practicing "black magic." The Hacker Corporation gave him the task of causing a blackout during a carnival show using his avatar, the Umbrasette Vision.

* Umbraset Vision: Captain Shadow's avatar, which can absorb the light of electronics to power himself up. He was defeated by PC Element, who returned the stolen light to the carnival. Umbraset Vision is named after the Super Casette Vision.

Kazamaka You: A monk who has been a part of the Hacker Corporation since its foundation. He has assisted his leader Katsura with most of his plans. He stopped Pence from entering Katsura's lab, which contained the Viral Cannon.

* Pico-Fix: Kazamaka's avatar, which vaguely resemble a martial artist. He tried to prevent PC Element from shutting down the Viral Cannon, but failed. Pico-Fix is named after the PC-FX

Katsura Hanatomo: The main antagonist of the game. Katsura is the self-proclaimed leader of the Hacker Corporation. Originally an optimistic and out-going man with goals, his life changed when a powerful virus attacked him in the virtual world, thus leaving his body comatose. He was later taken in by a man who promised him greater power, and that could be achieved if he destroyed all of the officials of the virtual world, especially Turbo Gunner. To do this, he formed his own group of avatars who hold nothing but evil desires and viruses. Katsura's avatar is unnamed at the moment.

### Optional Bosses

Nankichi Jinmei: A tough teenager with a passion for fighting. He believed that real-world training could have a strong effect in virtual combat, so he took up martial arts training. When it was revealed that his master was one of the officials of the company GLK, Neo Graver, he was inspired to train harder both physically and digitally.

* Neo Grappler: Nankichi's avatar. Acting as a test subject for his operator's theory, he shows signs of improvement on the combat aspect. He is named after the Neo Geo.

Gekka Kyukichi: A cheerful girl who is often very affectionate towards her peers. She is a member of the dance club known as Ninety Grooves, popular among the residents of Benecity.

* Grand Cheer: Gekka's avatar. She is capable of creating cube-shaped organisms that can be used to assist her. She is named after the Nintendo GameCube.

Wazuki Iwai: A clairvoyant young boy known by his peers as the "Digi-Wizard." His avatar can use his staff to do certain actions, such as grabbing objects, pulling them to him, and even attacking.

* Withdrawer: Wazuki's avatar. He assists his operator in performing various magic tricks in the virtual world. He is named after the Nintendo Wii.