Cast - Common Robot Types
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Mettaurs The original Mettaur was developed by Light Labs as a supervisor for industrial robots, but its low price, extreme durability, expandable design, and positively adorable appearance have made it a massively popular choice for just about any task that requires a brain but not hands. In many robotics courses for beginners, the first project is to upgrade a Mettaur with flight or underwater maneuvering capabilities. |
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Pickman (a.k.a. Pickelman, Picket Man) Although technically just an aftermarket upgrade for a Mettaur, a Pickman (which has been sold by several manufacturers under slightly different names) has a full humanoid body, making it functionally more akin to a Joe. The usual reaction is "why not just use a Joe, then?" but some prefer Pickmen for their cuter look, and for those who are already using large numbers of Mettaurs anyway, converting a few of them into Pickmen can be a cheaper alternative to buying Joes. |
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Joes Joes are a mass-production variant on the physical body of Proto Man (though with lower-level AI), originally developed by Dr. Wily at Light Labs for the military as the "Sniper Joe." Since then, consumer versions of the Joe have hit the market, and are frequently used for tasks like piloting vehicles where the path of least resistance is to simply provide a humanoid robot with the tools a human would use. Owing to their military origin, Joes are compatible with several widely available armor and weapon add-on kits, and as such a "mindless" Joe chassis is a not-uncommon starting point for low-budget Robot Masters. |
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Roaders Roaders were developed by Dr. Cossack for racing, and historically these robots, little more than a wheel with eyes, have been seen as useful for little more than that. Hobbyists fell in love with them at first sight, developing increasingly odd variants on the theme, and thanks to this interest various types of Roaders see use as messengers and low-speed couriers. |
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Robot Masters Originating with Dr. Light's DLN series, Robot Masters are generally humanoid robots with advanced AI that approaches true humanlike sapience. While they aren't necessarily cutting-edge technology in every aspect, their closeness to the long-standing dream of true sapient robots and the ease with which they interact with humans means they tend to be the "face" of state-of-the-art robotics. It's not uncommon to see Robot Masters used for tasks that could be handled by lower-level robots, either for their ability to handle unusual situations or just because it's cool. |
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Hero Robots Almost from the beginning of the Wily Wars, people have worried about what they'd do if Mega Man wasn't up to the task of defeating the mad scientist, worries that have only grown as his opponents become more advanced. In response, more than a few enterprising scientists and engineers, with motivations ranging from benevolent to purely selfish, have tried to create "the next Mega Man." These creations are politely called "Hero Robots" after a comment by Rock himself, and less-politely called "recolors" for their tendency to simply be a proverbial fresh coat of paint over already-established designs. Many don't survive their first forays into combat, and none approach being able to dethrone the original, the closest ironically being Dr. Wily's own Bass. The more successful Hero Robots, however, have found a niche as a support organization of sorts. |