Mega Man 2's Brilliant & Historic Ending | Gettin' Super Nerdy [SSFF] 

Would you believe that this is how my own father explained it to me when I was seven years old and playing the game? I did not understand the shifting scenery or the lonely walk, but my father spoke to me about it, saying, "Megaman fought a long battle son, and he's going home. He has to."

The ending could also be how the developers felt about their creation. As you say, they probably didn't expect this to go over so well. They probably thought this would be the end of Mega Man's journey at the time. A somber farewell for the hero who is a hero simply because he had the power to be one. Regardless, I loved this ending.

The Archie Comic kinda paints the melancoly in a deeper level with Megaman actively hating having to destroy fellow robots like him for reason beyond their control. While now no longer running due Archie comics closing doors, I really recommend to anyone who is a Megaman fan to give it a read, its pretty good.

Yeah people need to remember that Megaman was originally a utility robot created to wipe floors. Suddenly gaining a cannon for an arm and being sent off to fight robots with more powerful weapons to save the world was supposed to be a very surreal experience for him.

I always thought the ending was Mega Man walking home through all four seasons. He decided to walk home instead of teleporting because he wanted to think things over. The Wily battle ends in October and he gets home around June. Makes sense.

Akira Kitamura, in an interview with Hitoshi Ariga; "For example, in the backstory I wrote, Mega Man alone is equipped with the functionality to turn himself off. That very fact imbues him with a sadness. The other robot masters were made for some kind of specific job or work, so there’s no need for them to have an “off switch” they can control. However, a robot helper like Mega Man can make his own judgments, and therefore can decide whether he’s needed or not. That bit of backstory also reflects the serious feeling in the writing that you mentioned you liked. The sadness of being a robot is having this inorganic existence." Just wanted to share that, :)

I always interpreted the sadness of the ending in that Mega Man is forced to kill his "brothers". The closing credits include the robot masters each with their production numbers, #9 through #16, a reminder that Mega Man is also included in that numbering sequence, and that he has had to destroy every other one (except Roll). That's his loneliness. Then in Mega Man 3, they do a roll call of the Mega Man 1 bosses who were Dr. Light's creations that Mega Man had to destroy. Not often an NES game makes you feel sympathy for the enemies you kill.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who honestly didn't get the end boss of this game. I was, like, 'uh, the alien was captured in a bottle and now I'm in a secret room? in space? Yeah, took me a bit.

Remember at the end of Mega Man 7 when Mega Man got so tired of Wily he tried murdering him, almost break the rules of robots. That was pretty interesting.

What if the Helmet is how the player controls megaman? It gets put on his head the second you press Start and gets taken off once the game is over.

You’ll come up with ANY reason to bring up Splatterhouse, and I appreciate that.

Such a fresh and wonderfully thought out video on one of my all-time favorite games! Great work SSFF!!

As great as MM2's soundtrack is, the ending theme is easily my favorite, and the cover made by the band The Megas is just amazing

I always thought of the helmet on the hill being just another one of those sitcom-like tropes when you walk in and hang your coat and your hat on the rack by the door, and say 'Honey! I'm home!' (cue laughtrack).

Everyone. Support Megaman 11 if you want to see more games in the future. Great video.

I can only hear “Lamentations Of A War Machine” by The Megas: Tell me Dr. Light, Why did I fight? Tell me Doctor (tell me Doctor) Was I right?

The megaman tribute band "The megas" made an amazing song based on the ending theme of Megaman 2 called "Melody from the past". I think its something you would enjoy as it really brings out the emotion of the tune, with lyrics sung from the perspective of Protoman. Its an amazing culmination of the story built up in musical form through "History repeating blue" and "history repeating red". Honestly whenever I listen to the albums that ending song always gives me chills.

"Hot take! One of the best, most celebrated game's in the franchise is great!" - Derek "Ain't no Jabroni" Alexander

Amazing analysis, somebody understands. :]

My two cents on the ending: I remember there was an interview where they said Mega Man was slightly inspired by Tokusatsu shows (Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, Kikaider, etc.) and that's where the idea for color changing came from, even Protoman's design was inspired by the anatagonist Hakaider from the Kikaider show. But one of the things a lot of these shows had in common was the idea that the protagonist was a reluctant hero that fought for justice even if it takes some sort of toll on them. That the idea of fighting against evil may not be easy and can go on forever but they'll still fight anyway. Kamen Rider contemplates this a lot and given how popular these shows were around the time Mega Man 2 was being made I wouldn't be surprised if they were inspired to put those particular themes in the game.

"some people even think I'm a fake dog gamer" oh my goodness you are doing holy work of the most laudable degree :0

Did you really just make me cry because of a mega man video? Hats off to you

Dude, when I finally beat MM2, the ending made me want to cry. I was probably not even in junior high yet. It was an amazing experience.

Damn Derek, I remember watching this one when it came out and loving it, but I really think this is one of your must underrated videos. Megaman 2 is a favorite between one of my best friends who I haven't seen in a long time and myself, and seeing the ending the way you describe it makes the game even better. Thanks for being freaking awesome dude.

one thing that you didnt mention was the credit crawl at the end. that blew me away as a 10 year old. it felt like the ending to a movie and had an amazing triumphant variation on an earlier theme! credit crawls were brand new to games at this time. it was a great touch

Oddly enough, the books of power novelization interpreted this ending as mega man becoming a REAL BOY

I first saw this as a child, after a tiring knock-up with Dr. Wily and maybe 15 minutes before the school bus came. I was with my friends. It was the greatest thing we had ever seen.

I never thought about how much of a change this ending was compared to games around the time and before, really makes the ending stand out more for me. I also get the same vibe with Mega Man 3 and the Whistle Concert theme, but of course MM2 did it first and it deserves the recognition.

Thank heavens for Squarespace! Now we have a website to celebrate good boys!

Flashman theme is burned into my brain still to this day. When i was young i always started with Woodman & Metalman followed by Flash. Good times

Having been a fan of the band "The Megas" for years, I am super into your interpretation of the ending

Thank you for making such a great analysis on my favorite ending in any game ever. Megaman means a lot to me, and the ending of 2 always got to me and I'm glad I'm not the only one who felt like that somber walk meant something more. Thank you for this.

That Sans hiding in the corner 8:01

I suppose we take for granted in hindsight that Mega Man 2 was a huge success and that the series may well continue indefinitely in some form or another. At the time, though, the development team must have though it just as likely (if not more so) that it would also under-perform, so they crafted an ending that would be open, yet still work as a bittersweet farewell to their robot friend if the worse case scenario did come to pass. I think the sequence is much more about the team's affection and hope for their creation rather than anything going on inside the head of the character himself. It's sort of "meta" in that sense and, yes, brilliant.

As a kid the bit with wily begging always got me in awe. The background looked like wily was siphoning the elements of the world like fire, rain, air etc. And plant life with wood. Sure quick and crash etc are a stretch but when the blue bombers walking home it’s like he was ‘returning’ what wily siphoned away all the while wondering if it would happen again. Obviously now the somber music means more as an adult as it can be contextualised into so many things. The ends of part 1&2&4 are quite intriguing as there’s something different. 3 is quite mellow with Protomans head in the sky and the wily ship there and 5 and 6 just doing very little. But now I’m babbling. Great video. 👊

MM2's ending was so sublime. Even seeing it as a kid after my older brother beat it for the first time, I thought it was melancholic. It was awesome though. Now MM3's ending: it(especially Blue's Theme) still chokes me up to this day. That last info reveal...😹

I don't know... I came to MOST of these conclusions at the end of the game back when I was little... but I was also writing stories at an early age. I'm glad that someone else appreciates Megaman 2's ending too! It was SUCH a shift in momentum. It was like the end of Incredible Hulk stories. You get SO caught up in the action, that you forget every thing that the main character has to go through emotionally until the end. Also... That picture of Billy "Big Bang" Blitz behind you is BALLER!!!!

This is, by far one of the most well thought out and cleanly presented analyses of a video game (segment) I've ever seen. I just happpened to stumble upon this vid due to my love for the Blue Bomber, but I wasn't expecting something so... existential. Thanks for a great watch. You've definitely earned this new sub.

I randomly stumbled upon this video via suggestions (I no longer really play video games or watch content surrounding) and instantly recognized you from being the "Happy Video Game Nerd" - which I watched all the time about a decade ago! So glad to see you are doing well!

I love Megaman 2, but my heart and soul belong to my nostalgic favorite, Megaman 3 Sliding/Rush/Protoman

I think Mega Man manually does that with his helmet rather than it just appearing. Various depictions of him have him warp parts of his armour or his buster onto him. It doesn’t really make anything you said wrong, but instead of the helmet appearing when it’s time for him to fight the good fight again, he’ll pick it up. I think that’s even more emotional- he does have a choice, but he would never choose the option that lets evil win. So he dons the armour again, regardless of his own doubts, for everlasting peace.

The ending boss fight is quite remarkable. It delivers such a wtf moment followed by a explanatory reveal all without words. I can't really think of any other piece of media that does that just as well.

Referring back to your theory of contemplation, the band " *The* *Megas* " actually wrote a song about this called " *Lamentations* *of* *a* *War* *Machine* "

Mega Man 2 was my favorite game for 30 years. The reason was that ending. A year or so before it came out, I beat 1942. It took 24 hours and I had to leave my Nintendo on all night and pray that my mom didn't find it on, because she would have turned it off. I didn't even sleep that night because I was so nervous about losing the distance. Sometime in the afternoon of the second day, I crossed that glorious finish line only to find out it wasn't glorious at all. I was greeted with a black screen that simply typed out "Congratulations!" and then was promptly returned to the title screen. I remember sitting there just staring ahead like, "Really?" I felt so cheated. Fast forward a bit and there I was playing the final levels of Wily's Castle. Beat all the bosses AGAIN? With multiple chances? So fun. Then that final level after you thought the game was over but then found out it wasn't? Cool as hell. And finally - The ending. Man oh man. I remember thinking that was the best ending ever. I felt like that ending had suddenly made up for the void that was 1942. I just wasn't expecting it at all, but to have something that felt so weighty and cinematic, and back then there weren't emulators so you couldn't just watch it again, even though that's all I wanted to do. So what did I do? I hit start again and played right back through. And I did it again the next day. (Then I had to return it to the video store, because I didn't actually own it.) Everything about that experience was unforgettable. Way to give that ending the love it deserves.

I'm starting to suspect that you guys aren't even trying to stop skeletons from fighting.

The video just ended, and I immediately hit the replay button to watch it all over again. Absolutely fantastic work.

This is the best content I’ve seen in a long time. *I’ll elaborate when I have time

I cried when i beat the game. That walk with that music did feel sad. God bless Megaman. 20+yrs later listening to this video driving im teary eyed again.

The Megas' cover of this song is titled "Lamentations of a War Machine", which I feel is so potent as an interpretation, even the title alone. Thanks for making this video, I really enjoyed it :^)

"So this hit game's big secret reveal is aliens that can only be killed with water...I have an idea!" - Mysterious Shyamalan

Wow. Very interesting perspective to look at this ending at. For years, I was basically surrounded by people saying "What is this random nonsense lulz" but proper context and analysis really does make a big difference. Can't believe I hadn't taken the time to really think about this before. (I blame the countdown community. It was unfortunately full of contrarianism and shallowness, and I guess it rubbed off on me.) Great video, Derek!

There is a song by The Megas called "Lamentations of a War Machine" that I had kept in mind while watching this. "'Is this what you were made to do?' He removed his helmet, dropping it onto the soft grass. 'Will this quest ever end,'" Heck, even the first song of the album for Mega Man 3 (History Repeating part 1) went over Mega Mans thoughts towards not wanting to fight again, yet "the player says 'it's time to pick a stage'"

I always assumed that the walk was his victory walk and that he was done with his mission for good...until Megaman 3, where he's been unceremoniously called back into action. Good episode!

Very few people know about this but there was actually a short paperback book released in 1990 that gave some color to the backstory of Mega Man 2. There was a series called "Worlds of Power" by author F.X. Nine which gave backstory to lots of 8-bit classics such as Ninja Gaiden, Bionic Commando, and Metal Gear to name a few. In the Mega Man 2 book, the author not only describes the ending of the game in a very interesting way but also provides color to Mega Man's backstory and motivations. I wont spoil the book here but look it up on Amazon, or if you like, The AVGN actually did a fireside reading of the book which is on the Cinemassacre channel.

I never thought of it in exactly this way. My meaning I took from this before seeing this video was that Mega Man was needed to be a hero, and once Wily was taken down (for the time being)...what was his purpose after that? The long trek through the seasons was trying to figure that out, and removing the helmet meant he was acknowledging that (again, for the time being) there was no longer a fight, and he was a fighter without a fight trying to figure out his place in the world. It drew a very specific parallel to part of my life a few years ago, and this video turned that upside down seeing an entirely different aspect to his character.

What a phenomenal video, man. I beat MM2 when I was very young and while I remember thinking the ending was cool, I didn’t really give it a lot of thought. This got me in the nostalgia feels. I think I’m gonna go dust it off this weekend and play through it again.

What a beautiful explanation for Megaman 2's quietly poignant ending. I remember playing this years ago and wondering why Megaman looked so downtrodden on his long journey home. As you stated, Megaman is not a happy warrior. He's the night watchman, doing what he's obligated to do.

Wily's disco-room was unique in the entire series. Every single one after, is always some huge room with a vehicle inside. This one, was a cool bttle.

Excellent video! I clearly remember tearing up my first time beating MM2 and, to be honest, I have each and every time since. Thank you so much for this video

For a 40 year old in 2019, Mega Man 2 was the seminal version. Your interpretation of it and its ending is excellent. I'm happy you made this video. Very good.

This would probably give credence to X worrying so much about having to fight all the time. At the end of the day, his full name is *Mega Man* X, and much like his...well little big brother, the constant fighting wears him down. Only unlike ole Classic here, he more freely expresses these emotions...for better or worse (coughX7). Classic doesn't get much of a chance to speak out in his own series, at least not before he finishes the job. Even with the more dialogue heavy aspects of 11, Light is the one getting that character development instead of Mega.

I always took his long walk with the seasons changing to be that it took a whole year to get home. It really surprised me because at the end of a heroic story, there is usually a smash cut to the hero at home. But with this ending, it made me feel the gravity and scale of his journey. I felt that not only did he go far and wide to destroy the robot masters but he also destroyed any infrastructure that would allow him to get home with any kind of ease. Hence the long walk home.

When i was about 13 in 1991, there was a kid's TV game show about video games, with rather tough questions. I can't recall the name of the show, though. However, one question about Mega Man 2 blew my mind, because i had just recently played this game with a friend, but neither of us had beaten it yet. It was our favorite game to play together in turns, based on either beating one stage or one death cycles. The question was, "What happens to Mega Man at the end of Mega Man 2?" The answer given by one of the contestants froze me in horror, "Mega Man dies." The answer was quickly considered correct by the host and judges without having to think about it. I remember crying after hearing this. I guess the helmet laying on the ground in the field near the town could have symbolized a gravestone to that contestant when he played it. When i told my friend about it at school, he didnt believe me, and i said, "I wish it wasn't true, but thats what the correct answer was on the game show." A few weeks later, we beat it, and saw the helmet on the ground, and realized it was a gravestone. I don't know if any other answer similar to what you are proposing here might have been considered correct or not by the game show's judges, but i am much more inclined to agree with you, because Mega Man did indeed return, thank goodness! Mega Man is, of course my all time favorite video game series in the order of 2, 3, 5, 8, 6, 4, 1, 9, 10, and 7. I havent played 11 yet and im not a huge fan of the X series, but i do enjoy playing a few of those, and just beat X4 for the first time on my PS1 FPse emulator on android, using a few cheat codes. Im also a big fan of watching Mega Man Maker vids, though i dont have a PC at the moment. I also enjoy the knockoff game Rockbot 1, an app for android. Its very well done. I give great thanks for this video also, because now i know the alien was actually only a hologram or something to that effect. One last thing... I've only done this a handful of times and want to see if anyone else out there has accomplished this rare feat, so please reply if you have. After shooting the last bubble at alien Wily, as the screen changes to the computer control room Mega Man is floating in the air with his gun-arm out, like any regular jump and shoot, but he is trapped in the air the entire time as Wily shuts down the computer. I've done it 3 times on NES and 2 times on the PS2 Anniversary game. No codes were used. Has anyone else managed to do that? I attempt it every time i play, but its a very rare occurance.

I actually cried too during the ending. It was also a pretty long and an introspective one at that. Thank you for your spotlight on this amazing moment to this game!

I love your weird peripheral and obscure console vids, but hearing you talk about this is sooooooo fun and interesting

I never thought this through as much as you have: "It's not celebratory: Mega Man is not happy even though he has every reason to be happy. Good has triumphed over evil, the day has been saved...yet, we have multiple indications that everything is not okay." Dang, man...that hit hard. Also, the MM: Legends hint...too soon, dude, lol

Have a look at Ryu's ending in Streetfighter 2 and this. Both are capcom titles, both sequels to games that were not that promising. Megaman and Ryu are both lone wolfs and they know their fight will go on no matter of their choices.

I had never given much thought to the helmet's significance; I love this take on the ending. As you mentioned, most people playing Mega Man 2 hadn't played the first game, which was true for me. It wasn't until much later that I realized that the intro music for MM2 is the same as the ending music for the first game. I wonder if that was a deliberate tie-in to this notion that Mega Man cannot stop fighting: the end of one conflict with Wily will ultimately lead to the beginning of another.

I first beat this game when I was 12-13 yo on my runback round (I had played it when I was younger 7-8, but couldn't pass the gems boss right before the capsules, then I went on a hiatus because I didn't have an NES until I was starting middle school), and it gave me exactly the vibes you describe, so I think is pretty safe to say it's more or less that.

Mega man 2 is probably my favorite game from the NES era, and the ending was one of the biggest factors in that. Even at only 5 years old, I saw this ending as beautiful, but wouldn't fully be able to interpret it (IMO, of course) until much later. With that, what was already beautiful to me became poetic, somber, and a declaration from a silent character to prefer peace to war. I started to view the changing seasons as a reflection of his inner turmoil rather than just a reminder of where he had been, and when it was all over he chooses to live, renewed, like the seasons of nature. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but for me this was a defining moment for my childhood and I still look at it with awe and love.

Good video! The ending of MM2 stood out to me as different when I was about 10 years old. I even wrote to Nintendo Power specifically about it and they responded with a vague non-answer. You actually give a plausible explanation.

Damn bro...this was beautiful... I have a very similar feeling with Super Mario Bros 2 and the ending 💞

That ending always baffled me. I was wondering that did Mega man died originally and that´s why there is the helmet on the grass ? And there was not supposed to be any sequels.

Fun fact: It's possible to beat the sub-boss in Wily's Castle that forces you to use Crash Bombs with one bomb remaining if you aim a shot just right. Then, after that, you can use the remaining one to beat the second phase of Wily's ship in one shot. I learned that from an episode of Gamechamp3000's VG Myths.

Ya know, you're right! You're really, really right! I really wasn't expecting anything at all from this video in all honesty, as soon as you started saying that Megaman 2 is one of the greatest in the series. It indeed it a great, really great game, and picking favorites is only about personal opinion, and I don't have any business in that, but it saddens me that it's rare to find anyone has ever played one aside from it, and end up missing out on the greatness they also have to offer simply because of the description of them being "redundant sequels". I used to be like that. Basically, you got me expecting this was going to be a fanboy thing, y'know, just praising the game because you felt like it deserved more praise, but YOU'VE PROOVED ME *SO WRONG!* You've made some truly solid points which I would have never have noticed by myself, and would really just go as far as calling it "really cool"; I always thought the ending for this game was really cool, but until now, I had never truly noticed _why._ Not knowing the final minutes for this game while my first time completing and beating it, I felt chills down my spine during that final Wily level! The unexpection factor in it is truly amazing, indeed! And more than that, the actual ending in itself, which I never really understood or gave meaning until now. I always thought it was random, and was just trying to be emotional for really no reason just to try and make the game better. I NEVER knew about the story about the development, and even if I did, I still would have never given thought to what it actually meant for Megaman himself, and what the helmet could mean, if it wasn't for you. Thank you, so much, for changing my vision on this game and making me have even more love for this amazing franchise! This was awesome to watch, and it kept surprising me that it just kept and kept going, with more and more information that truly meant! You put much more work into this than what it needed to have, and for that you more than deserve credit for. It's overfilled with effort and care! Awesome, just.. AMAZING job, dude!!

I think you are right about that helmet. It is definitely a "warrior laying down his sword" scene

I'm glad somebody actually made a video about this ending, it's like most players just haven't even understood it at the time. To me, it was always the most beautiful ending of all times, and it still is 30 years later. Despite feeling how beautiful it was, the 6 years old me couldn't quite explain it, not until he turned into a 22-years old who had to struggle not to lose his home (with the view from his bedroom being very similar to that of the ending), and only after he had been a dreamy, if not foolish, high-schooler longing to go out and explore the world, who thought that seeing the same scenery every day was boring. My personal interpretation that I gave it back then: After all the carnage and destruction, Mega Man ends his long journey and heads back to his homeland, only to be greeted by a familiar scene to whom hed had grown accustomed to before being forced into a war he never wanted. That familiar scenery is still there, and it's not boring, for it's actually looking different in every season, in every day (weather). And the moment he turns to look at it it's when he understands it, and realizes that the scenery is still there because he fought to protect it and kept it from being turned into a wasteland, thus realizing that a peaceful life is an everyday treasure greater than any super power.

I am glad we came to similar conclusions regarding the ending, even though I think your analysis is more sophisticated than I have ever given it. I have always described it as “an abstract antiwar allegory.” I certainly agree with you that it is a milestone in video games’ narrative history. Great video, sir. Keep up the good work!

Can't believe I missed this video! I don't think I've ever seen it before! :D I beat Megaman 2 on original hardware years ago and liked it a lot, but Megaman has never been my favorite series. I always thought him leaving his helmet at the end symbolized him giving up being a hero.

Brilliant and wonderful analysis of one of the greatest videogames of all time. Dude, I first finished this game back in 1989 when I was just 12 years old. There was hysteria on the streets about this game. The ending had the EXACT same profound effect on me back then as well, so much so I actually called Capcom USA to ask what the ending actually meant, they responded, "because that's the ending" and nothing more hahaha

When I was a kid I had the novelization of Mega Man 2, and it adds a surprising new element to the game that of course is non-canonical, but it adds to the ending which the novel actually omits. At the start of the novel, Dr. Light calls Mega to the lab and gives him the lowdown, and the narration emphasizes Mega Man is cold, unfeeling, detached, because he's a robot. He has no reaction to Dr. Light telling him all this but to obediently obey instructions and answer questions. Dr. Light says he's worried that these new Wily robots may be too dangerous, and he wants to try an experimental machine to clone Mega Man. Mega Man agrees and steps into the machine, and steps out... a human. Suddenly Mega Man is feeling emotions for the first time, he begins to feel fear, confusion, anxiety, he's worried now, and Dr. Light is dubious as to his chances because of course a robot would be a better compatant than a human, so conventional scientific wisdom tells him. But due to his human emotions, Mega Man insists on not being turned back and not being cloned, because he has individuality now and wants to please his "father" by completing his mission. Throughout the story, Mega Man is trying to cope with his budding humanity as he fights. When he climbs long ladders he gets winded, he has to take breaks to get his bearings, he's afraid of unknown hazards and enemies, but he keeps chugging along. When he fights the alien he shoots at it to no avail, and starts chucking his special weapons at it out of desperation, trying to find something that seems to hurt it. When he gets to the Bubble Lead he notices that finally gets a reaction, so he keeps shooting it and the hologram shuts down and Wily is revealed. The chapter ends and the next, final chapter, opens on Light talking about how they'll lock up Wily now and he can look at returning Mega Man to robot form and removing the special weapons from his systems, but Mega says right now he'd just like to go home and relax. The video game's ending isn't in the novel, but I'd say that's the segue into it otherwise.

Good conclusion,way thought out and more in depth for something so minor like an ending when there are so many of them

That theme is my youth. I was 8 years old when I finished Rockman 2, and it was a sunny afternoon and I was sweating and disoriented after defeating Wily. But defeating him felt great, but after hearing this theme, I realized I connected with Megaman in a way no game character has ever done. I felt his incredible frustration of navigating through the stages, but unlike him I felt excitement and joy. Rock did not. He walked and contemplated the fact he has murdered his own kind because they were reprogrammed to harm others by the intent of one deranged lunatic. Meanwhile one man, to be side of morality reconfigures Rock from a house boy to a Megaman, his seemly friendly function to mimic household appliances was repurposed to imitate weaponry to kill the machines he once considered friends. Caught between a war of two old men, Light tasking only Rock who was aware of the situation to destroy the hundreds of mindless creations of Wily. As a kid it struck me that Rock had to kill his own kind. The crazy thing it was the game that made me feel this way. Each stage taught me how to analyze each situation, this allowed me to analyze Rocks story. The difficulty made me appreciate the value of persistence and determination, but it was probably the only thing Rock had in order to rationalize his actions. The music empathized the robots and the lore as well as Rocks emotions, from Bubblemans aquatic orchestra to Wilys famous and heroic stage theme. The bosses mirrored an amalgamation of Megaman, and the changes he had to undergo in order to stop Wily... both physically and mentally. With all that, I did not tear up over the ending, but I did respect Rock as he and I went through the same thing if not concluded at the same outcome. To be honest, that’s the best kind of hero, where you have sacrifice everything about yourself for the greater good. Megaman is my hero.

Notice how when you're going into depth of the ending at the weather changes and stuff, the music playing sounds a bit like it has Protoman's theme in it too? That's interesting.

I'm reminded of a trope that pops up a lot in Discworld books: the price of being the best. Best witch Granny Weatherwax, best blacksmith Jason Ogg and best policeman Sam Vimes have all had to deal with it. The price is that, when it comes time to do the job, people will come to you, because you're the best. And you'll have to do it, because you're the best. You cannot refuse a commission. Mega Man wants to return to his idyllic existence as a housekeeper, but it's only a matter of time before some new threat appears, and he will have to deal with it. All he can do is enjoy the peace while it lasts.

What a great video, I am always so excited to see an upload. Thanks for the great and thought-provoking content!

Wow that was pretty deep. Man, cant believe we took this one for granted for most of our lives. Thanks for sharing to us your interpretation of that ending! This my head canon now haha

Good vid. I assumed Mega Man had warped away/been obliterated at the end. It's like a samurai who leaves his sword on the battlefield at the site of a great victory. Either way, it didn't make me weep, but I think this video may have.

I love watching the ending every time because this 8bit sprite art - while being overused these days again due to the _indie wave_ - gives a certain charm to characters and cutscenes! Also it expresses very well how much of a fight Wily's second attack was for our blue bomber as he's just happy to get home and to chill out for a while. That said, nice tribute to such a fun game as MegaMan2, still one of my all-time favorites.

Hey, hi, it gave me chills and some emotional shivering, I never stopped that much to think about this ending in particular until now, thanks. By the way glad to see you keep on doing your stuff, I first knew about and watched your videos like at 2011 by lophatjello, which also was significant for me since was how I got introduced to ever know about Mother. Also Sweet Home, Journey to Silius and more fantastic games I had no idea they existed to that point, being an Argentinian guy and all as well, I mean at Spanish speaking levels, there wasn't and even today still isn't much of in-depth videos analizing games like these, to my knowing and estimation. (Not that I think we lack capacity, I guess at least one part of all has been due to language barrier factor, since not many people know English language quite well in here, in my experience, and quite few games would come in Spanish translation to here in the older days.) Anyway just wanted to say hi and that you were some inspiration for me with my own plans and projects, dealing for years with mental disorder as well, through a long period of some sheer loneliness I used to go around your channel a lot, one of actually few things I'd be able to entertain myself with and gave me some smiles and fuel for will. So thanks again, you were a fantastic dude to watch during harsh times. Today I'm quite recovered from that and just starting to build little by little my own content here with my little channel. I finished Earthbound Zero around 2015 and now I'm getting through SNES one, among other games while planning and working on ideas for videos. Take care and keep on rockin'.

As one of the few people who also had the original Mega Man growing up, (and managed to beat it), the ending theme of Mega Man 1 is the same as the opening theme for Mega Man 2, which to me meant that Mega Man thought it was all over (hence the missing helmet), but gets pulled back in again. That goes along with the ending of MM2 with finally settling down for some peace.

That's a pretty nice mm2wood reference That aside, great video, dude! I never really gave this bit much thought, but I really should have. Thanks for putting this out there.

In the original Mega Man, he was not a warrior robot, but was upgraded and stepped into that role after Wily hijacked the robot masters. I see him going back to that peaceful life after MM1, stepping back into the role of hero at the beginning of Mega Man 2, and then once again leaving it behind. He could have been wandering and contemplating just what it is he had become. Maybe he knew that while he didn’t want to be a hero, he was needed to be one...

I find it weird he ends up walking through a sparsely populated countryside, like he wanted to get away from the city and robots

I love these retro games. No matter how advanced games become they just dont have the charm as these old ass games ( sometimes. ) ive seen some great indie games that arm very charming aswell as a few big name franchises.

I love gaming history and game design content, your channel has a wide variety of it 👌🏽

Also fun fact: the first scene of Mega Man II’s ending actually gets spoofed in the ending to the Scott Pilgrim game-when you beat Gideon, the boss room changes to a replica of the hologram chamber from Mega Man II, and he breaks down crying on the floor like Wily.

9:00 I'm crying for real now.

Blinky blankly staring at you from the shelf on the top right creeps me out for some reason.

Awesome analysis. I especially appreciate the juxtaposition of the player's experience of the game versus Mega Man's. Stellar work, good sir.