Personal Bias: I’ve always liked the character of Mega Man, maybe I’ve got a thing for robots. The story of dueling mad scientists making robots to take over or save the world speaks to my inner geek. Dr. Willy was one of my favorite villains as a kid. In some ways, he is like the classic Lex Luthor. On the other hand, a plumber who gains power from mushrooms was just a little too abstract for me. The following movie didn’t clear anything up either.

I do admit, the Mario titles were more fun to play. Super Mario 3 was the best game of its day. Even now, the Mario game for the DS is one of my favorite titles. Mario also was the first to lead me into a digital 3-D world with Mario 64, which is still one of my all-time favorite games.

Ground rules: Each character can use a wide variety of powers based on power-ups. It wouldn’t be fair to put Mario up against a Mega Man with full access to all the various boss power-ups across all his titles, so I will limit his powers to those available in the classic Mega Man 2. Likewise, Mario will have the abilities he sported in Super Mario 3. No dinosaurs or robot dogs allowed. The arena is similar to the first level of Super Mario Bros. sans baddies.

Fight! Mario uses a mushroom right out the gates to become Super. Mega Man jumps onto the highest green pipe to survey the land. He spots Super Mario and fires his blaster. The first shots miss the target due to the great distance between them. Super Mario takes cover behind bricks where he finds a kopa shell.

Mega Man takes control of Air Man’s power and uses a gust of wind to blow his rival out of his hiding spot. At first the wind isn’t strong enough, but Mega Man keeps pushing until a small tornado forms. Super Mario launches the kopa shell into the tornado and watches it sling shot directly toward Mega Man. The shell’s impact knocks Mega Man off the pipe as he loses Air Man’s power.

Pushing his advantage, Super Mario takes the high ground of the pipe and leaps onto Mega Man who accesses Wood Man’s power for defense. Super Mario is deflected off of the leaf shield and now on level ground with his adversary. Never missing a beat, he become Fire Mario with a pick of a flower and hurls three fireballs into the leaf shield. The shield ignites and Mega Man is forced to discard it.

Seeing no way to completely avoid taking damage in the enclosed area between pipes, Mega Man takes the next round of fireballs to the body, but not before connecting a Crash Man bomb to the pipe behind Fire Mario.

The bomb explodes taking the pipe and Mario’s Fire power with it. The two face off in close combat, both needing a power-up. Mario takes on the Taokkie Suit and spins his newfound tail towards Mega Man–who is already out of reach. Quick Man’s speedy powers have once again put a distance between them. Taokiee Mario withdraws to the sky, Mega Man fires upon him with his plasma cannon. Taokie Mario turns to stone to shield himself from the blast, which also causes him to fall from flight.

Mega Man can think of no way to harm Mario in his solid state, so he decides to keep him that way. Using Flash Man’s ability to freeze time, Mario is unable to transform from his stoney self.

Results: Mega Man wins by immobilizing his opponent indefinitely. No doubt Mario will make a fine conversation piece in Dr. Light’s trophy room.