Volt Man Factory

Chapter 2: Volt Man Factory Make a Good Mega Man Level: Episode Zero

Looks like Zero is taking the day off. Let's motivate Zero with a controlled shock.

Overview Creator(s): Buster Composer(s): symfonikev, CosmicGem Statistics Rank: Chapter 2 Collectables: 005: Dr. Wily 070: Volt Man the Real Enemies: Biribaree Electric Gabyoall Hum Sparky Zap Sparky Gimmicks: Battery Lift Floor Light Reflect Block Thunder Striker Bosses: Volt Man the Real

Theme Music Stage 41 (original track) Boss: Mega Man Sunrise - Boss Battle Stage Order Previous: Projectile Party! Next: Lightningrod Lab

"At least one child has gone missing in the area, and no evidence of their fate was ever found."

―Volt Man the Real's CD

Volt Man Factory is the fifth level on the path to the Zap Chip in Chapter 2 of Make a Good Mega Man Level: Episode Zero. In a stark contrast to the happy, if deadly, party-themed location he went through earlier, Zero's quest takes him to a dark and mysterious factory, which has produced not just robots, but a litany of rumours and horror stories surrounding the site. Inside, a far more real danger is present in electrical hazards - from large electric bolts and electrified battery lifts, to multiple robots that use electric attacks. In the background, a set of Volt Man copies are being produced, with their grand architect, Volt Man the Real, hiding out in a dark corner of the factory.

Strategy

By going to the left at the start, Zero will find a CD on the other side of a long gap; airdashing over to it will show it is protected by a set of invisible blocks. To reach it, he needs to climb up to it from the other side by using Floor Lights to darken the room and locate hidden blocks. The true start to the stage introduces rail-travelling Battery Lifts, as well as Electric Gabyoalls and Biribarees. If Zero didn't go for the CD at the start, he is also introduced to Floor Lights and their invisible blocks soon after. After jumping over a set of spikes, two custom enemies are introduced one after the other: first the purple Zap Sparky that jumps away from Zero, and then the green Hum Sparky that prefers to stand still. The latter is first encountered in a room with Floor Lights that obscure the terrain when stepped on.

Beyond the first checkpoint, a Thunder Striker is introduced, periodically firing electric bolts down into a pit. Close by is an E-Tank behind a wall of Reflect Blocks, and a Zap Sparky that jumps from one set of Reflect Blocks to the next, each time shielded from attack. By jumping onto these blocks at the end of the section, Zero can backtrack and grab the E-Tank. The next room has two Hum Sparkys in a room with invisible blocks, followed by a Battery Lift on a rail with a gap - when the lift goes over the gap, it becomes electrified and will damage Zero. This comes into play in the next few screens, which have him ride Battery Lifts while avoiding a Thunder Striker, Electric Gabyoalls, and even the lifts themselves as they pass over gaps. One lift is constantly electric, and must be avoided entirely. Past this is a checkpoint, which features death spikes covered by invisible blocks, and a set of Volt Man copies in the background.

The next screen has two Thunder Strikers in the ceiling, with a bottomless pit below and set of invisible blocks in the centre; their placement needs to be memorised, as the only Floor Light onscreen is atop a high ledge. A room with two Battery Lifts has two exits; the left leads to a single screen with a CD (reached by jumping on Battery Lifts and avoiding two Thunder Strikers), while the right leads to a screen with more invisible blocks, as well as death spikes and a Hum Sparky shielded by Reflect Blocks (its sparks help signify the presence of a pit). After a few screens filled with enemies, a series of Battery Lifts over a chasm precede the boss door. This final gauntlet can be intense, as many of the lifts are on rails that have gaps, and some are right next to a Thunder Striker. Rushing through it is ill-advised, as careful timing is often needed to ensure each lift is in an ideal place before jumping.

Z-Phone Dialogue

	Contact	Transcript
	Dr. Wily	Volt Man Factory? Uhhh... get out of there. Quick. Unless you have a death wish. There's so many horror stories surrounding that place that I'm shocked it hasn't been detonated. That place gives even me the creeps. Just grab the Element and leave!
	Agent Krantz	Krantz: Volt Man Factory? That area has some invisible tiles that only appear when stepping on certain floors. There's also battery lifts that'll rotate you as you stand on them, but if they carry an electric charge, they'll shock you! Zero: Is there anything else I should know about this place? Krantz: What else is there to say? I guess there's the ghost stories, but they're just that: ghost stories. Stern: C'mon Rosie, we both know there's something fiendish about that place... Each time I get called to investigate that place, I get chills down my spine...
	Galaxy Man	(CD #1): Always remember this old adage, Zero: "Go left at the start!" You'll be surprised at the kinda stuff you can find if you always check! (CD #2): Look out for a really high ledge on the left at some point in that creepy factory! Then, the CD should be right there, yours for the taking!
	Yamato Man	Yamato Man: Volt Man the Real? He's just a story parents tell children so they behave! Like that one other Robot Master that doesn't exist... Uh, his name escapes me... Sweets Man? Confectionary Man? Sugar Man? Zero: Well, I am facing it off right now, so the stories seem to be real, to an extent. Yamato Man: You're facing off against Bonbon Man?! No, that's not it, it's Pastry Man... Dessert Man? Zero: No, I am facing Volt Man. The Real. Yamato Man: Oh, right, right! He keeps his shield up for a long time, so I hope you have some Z-Saber ammunition! He has increased vulnerability to all your weapons though. Every time he lands with his shield up, he'll create two electric sparks that move across the floor, so don't stand still for too long! Also, sometimes he'll concentrate his shield into an orb that'll explode into a huge pillar of lightning upon hitting a wall, so get as far opposite to the way it's going if he-- OH, I JUST REMEMBERED THAT NAME! It's Cand- Zero: I am returning to the fight now. Thank you.
	Knives	Knives: Hahahaha!! I like this!! But you'd toootally go missing if we stayed in there for too long. Zero: Why? Knives: They'd grab you, that's what! And then you'd never be seen again! And I don't think mysteriously disappearing for a reason other than me makes for a good date. You're mine! So I'm the only one that can make you vanish. Hehehe.

Trivia

• As a shout-out to the horror game Five Nights at Freddy's, if the player dials "1987" on the Z-Phone in Volt Man Factory, a yellow Volt Man screams randomly-generated text before closing the game. The scream is taken from Golden Freddy's jumpscare in Five Nights at Freddy's, which appears if the animatronics' AI levels are set to 1-9-8-7 in the game's Custom Night mode - and like "Golden Volt Man", it forcefully closes the game.
• Despite the aforementioned Five Nights at Freddy's reference, SnoruntPyro claims the spooky ghost story lore was actually inspired by the often macabre Pokédex entries in the Pokémon series (typically those belonging to Ghost-type Pokémon).
• Yamato Man's Z-Phone call obliquely references Candy Man, the non-existent boss of the Make a Good Mega Man Level 2 entry Candy Panic.
• One screen has silhouettes of fellow DOS Mega Man Robot Masters Sonic Man and Dyna Man standing next to a computer; presumably, this is a nod to CRORQ.