Manik Battle Network

The Manik Battle Network series (Melody.exe in Japan) is a spin-off series created by both Sega and Capcom as a collab project between the two companies. The series started in 2003 with the release of the first game, Manik Battle Network. The series was primarily released to the Gameboy Advance.

## Plot

The series is set in a parallel universe from the original *Manik the Hedgehog* series, where the Internet has become integrated with almost every piece of electronic equipment in existence (from TVs to ovens). In fact, it's become so complicated that special programs called Internet Navigators, NetNavis for short, are needed to efficiently process all of the data. NetNavis are stored in hand-held devices called Personal Terminals (PET). These devices act as phones, pagers, instant messengers, news beams, and hacking devices all rolled into one, essentially making them portable computers.

The main characters of the series are a fifth-grader named Helen (ヘレン *Heren* in Japan) and her NetNavi Melody.EXE, this universe's incarnation of Melody Prower. Although Melody.EXE has no body (unless the PET device itself counts), she can wander around in cyberspace and explore computer systems as if they were alternate worlds. Together, Helen and Melody cooperate to fight off cyber criminals and viruses.

## Manik Battle Network

The relative peace of Station Square, Helen's hometown, is shattered when the infamous net terrorists “World Three” (“WWW”) begin to spread chaos. Melody and Helen decide to tackle the problem from two sides—the real world and cyberspace, meeting interesting new people and digital versions of classic bosses along the way. But they have no idea just what the WWW plans to do.

The first *Battle Network* game set the framework for later series to expand on. It was later re-released for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii as *Manik the Hedgehog operation Battle Network (Manik the Hedgehog: Melody.EXE)*, an enhanced port which retell the stories of the first six (seven if we count Manik: Countdown to Chaos) games from the prime freedom fighters' (as well as Helen and Melody.EXE, and Chris and Manik.EXE's) perspective and crossover with it's sequel series, *Shooting Star*.

## Manik: Countdown to Chaos

Drake and Techno, who live in Central City, got caught up in some form of chaos within Station Square. Netnavis in the Station Square areas has begin to go crazy after the destruction the WWW. Drake and Techno will have to face friends and foes alike an order to get to the bottom of this ancient problem.

The only *Battle Network* game to be on a home console, *Network Transmission* removes *Battle Network*'s overworld and random encounter system in favor of the platforming style the *Manik the Hedgehog* series is known for.

It was later re-released for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii as *Manik the Hedgehog operation Battle Network (Manik the Hedgehog: Melody.EXE)*, an enhanced port which retell the stories of the first six (seven if we count Manik: Countdown to Chaos) games from the prime freedom fighters' (as well as Helen and Melody.EXE, and Chris and Manik.EXE's) perspective and crossover with it's sequel series, *Shooting Star.*

## Manik Battle Network 2

Peace has been broken again, but the culprit is not WWW, it's a new Net Mafia called Gospel. Helen and Melody work to stop crises as they pop up, and eventually learn Gospel's plan: to create a Super Navi and rule the Net. Can our dynamic duo stop them in time?

This game refined the *Battle Network* series' game mechanics and also introduced Style Change, an all-new power affecting Melody's abilities.

It was later re-released for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii as *Manik the Hedgehog operation Battle Network (Manik the Hedgehog: Melody.EXE)*, an enhanced port which retell the stories of the first six (seven if we count Manik: Countdown to Chaos) games from the prime freedom fighters' (as well as Helen and Melody.EXE, and Chris and Manik.EXE's) perspective and crossover with it's sequel series, *Shooting Star.*

## Manik Battle Network 3 White and Blue

WWW is back, but this time their plans seem completely random, ranging from driving animals in a zoo berserk to a phony tournament. Helen and Melody must figure out what the WWW is up to and stop them. Along the way, they will learn some shocking secrets involving their family, SciLab, the Undernet, and the Net itself.

This game introduced the Navi Customizer and further refined game mechanics.

It was later re-released for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii as *Manik the Hedgehog operation Battle Network (Manik the Hedgehog: Melody.EXE)*, an enhanced port which retell the stories of the first six (seven if we count Manik: Countdown to Chaos) games from the prime freedom fighters' (as well as Helen and Melody.EXE, and Chris and Manik.EXE's) perspective and crossover with it's sequel series, *Shooting Star.*

## Manik Battle Network 4 Red Sun and Blue Moon

As the world's scientists secretly scramble to stop a meteor that threatens to destroy the Earth, Helen and Melody as well as Chris and Manik enter a series of tournaments in hopes of proving their abilities. However, Nebula, a new criminal organization, has been spreading an alluring power that threatens a Navi's very soul. Can Melody and Manik resist the temptation of the dark power?

*Battle Network 4* greatly changed the series, abandoning the art style and basic game system of the first three games in favor of an all new one. It introduced Double Souls and the Karma system, as well as more extensive version differences. This is also the first time (not counting Network Transmission) to have the ability to play as another character even if it's just for a limited time with each character getting their own series of Double Souls and Battle Chips for each respective navi.

It was later re-released for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii as *Manik the Hedgehog operation Battle Network (Manik the Hedgehog: Melody.EXE)*, an enhanced port which retell the stories of the first six (seven if we count Manik: Countdown to Chaos) games from the prime freedom fighters' (as well as Helen and Melody.EXE, and Chris and Manik.EXE's) perspective and crossover with it's sequel series, *Shooting Star.*

## Melody.EXE 4.5 Real Operation

The story is much closer to the original series' where Robo Robotnik, a netnavi version of the WWW leader Dr. Robotnik is causing trouble in the Cyberworld and it's up to the player and their chosen netnavis to stop him.

In this Japan only release, the player can choose a NetNavi from a sizable cast of characters to play the game as. However, unlike other games where the player has full control over their Navi, this time the Navi will move on its own while the player simply selects attacks to use. This was done to simulate what actually operating would feel like.

This game has been officially stated[*Citation needed*] to basically be a test version of *Battle Network 5*'s ability to play as other Navis in battle.

## Manik Battle Network 5 Team Sonic and Team Manik

The Black Comet returns to earth every 50 years to spread it's dark influence against the world and begin their invasion by taking over several areas of the net and corrupt several netnavis along the way. Nelson and Sonic (Team Sonic), and Chris and Manik (Team Manik) form their own individual teams of Freedom Fighters to fight against the Black Comet and Miley Robotnik, Dr. Robotnik's daughter who revival the WWW to take over the net and fight against the Black Aliens. This game expands on *Battle Network 4*'s Dark Chips, rebalances basic game mechanics, and introduces Chaos Unisons and Liberation Missions. Unfortunately, just like its predecessor, legitimate E-Reader bonuses are Japan only.

Like *Battle Network 4,* the players have the option to play as other characters during Liberation Missions however, Helen and Melody, and Chris and Manik are still the primary characters of the game and are the only characters you can play outside of Liberation Missions, attend Double Souls, use character suspicious battle chips, and can use Dark Chips and Chaos Unison. In the Team Sonic version Double Souls and Chaos Unisons are not available to the player since none of the netnavis of the game can use them, only Manik and Melody can and their not playable in this version of the game.

A remake for the DS, *Double Team DS*, was later released, expanding on the Team mechanic with features such as the Party Customizer and Navi Assist and It was later re-released for the Xbox 360, PS3, and Nintendo Wii as *Manik the Hedgehog operation Battle Network (Manik the Hedgehog: Melody.EXE)*, an enhanced port which retell the stories of the first six (seven if we count Manik: Countdown to Chaos) games from the prime freedom fighters' (as well as Helen and Melody.EXE, and Chris and Manik.EXE's) perspective and crossover with it's sequel series, *Shooting Star.*

## Manik Battle Network 6 Cybeast Falzar and Cybeast Gregar

The final game of the *Battle Network* series has Chris and his family move to Central Town in Cybeast Gregar, Helen and her family stay in Station Square. But, despite the new (or old) environment, their old foe the WWW shows up, this time with the goal of awakening the legendary Cybeasts that rampaged through the Net years ago. Manik and Melody manages to capture them of these beasts in a last ditch attempt to stop them, but now theymust face both WWW and the beast inside them. This game introduced the Cross System and Beast Out and Beast Over, and also revamped much of the customizable features of the series.

## Other Media

### **Anime**

The games lent themselves to anime adaptations. The English language version, known as *MegaMan NT Warrior*, has many edits resulting from Americanization. The first season is very loosely based on the first two games with few story events in common. It also takes some cues from the third *Battle Network* game such as the PET designs, the jack-in sequence and the tournament concept but with only a few of its cast and none of the plot-relevant characters introduced in the game appear. The series has spawned four sequels, *Axess*, *Stream*, *Beast*, and *Beast+*. *Axess* is loosely based on the fourth *Battle Network* games, *Stream* is loosely based on the fourth and fifth *Battle Network* games (the latter due to the prominence Liberation team members), with some *Battle Network 3* elements. *Beast* has shown fairly heavy influences from the sixth *Battle Network* game(s).

Though *Beast* was half the length of the previous series, another series premiered after it called *Beast+,*taking elements and characters from*Network Transmission*such as the existence of Zero.EXE. At this point, the series had become part of the Oha Coliseum programming block in Japan, taking up only a 10 minute time-slot. *Beast+* focused on the more obscure, left-over elements from the games that were previously ignored, such as *Transmission* and the Japan-only mobile game, *Phantom of the Network*. The twenty-sixth episode of *Beast+* marked the series finale, and an anime based on *Mega Man Star Force* took its place immediately afterwards.