Style Change

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Style change is a fictional gameplay element in the video game series Megaman Battle Network. It replaced a generic elemental armor used in the first Mega Man Battle Network and MegaMan Network Transmission. It bestowed the player with variable system attributed to their playing styles. Gained as a minor part of the plot, the Style Change allows the player to deal with enemies much more effectively than with MegaMan.EXE's initial form. It was replaced by the Soul Unison system in MegaMan Battle Network 4.

[edit] Description

The Style Change is a downloadable program used by MegaMan.EXE appearing in MegaMan Battle Network 2 and reappearing in MegaMan Battle Network 3. It allows MegaMan.EXE to change his battle abilities based on his performance in battle, or his "style", hence the name. Styles are gained after the player fulfills the conditions of a particular style after 100 battles, and are accompanied with an elemental strength and weakness. In MegaMan Battle Network 2, the player was allowed to sustain 2 styles at a time, and could switch between them at will. In MegaMan Battle Network 3, the player could only keep one, but could earn useful programs after leveling the style up, allowing style abilities to be mixed and matched between one another. This new concept of the Style change was utilized in a program named a "Navi Customizer", a square-like grid that restricted larger, more complex programs, and required the player to choose program enhances carefully.

[edit] Styles

Below are the various styles the player can gain and the descriptions regarding them.

Style	Description	Image
Normal Style	Megaman's intitial form. Is balanced in all areas and features no elemental affinities.
Brother (Team) Style	Gives the ability to choose more Mega-Class BattleChips in the chip selection menu. Gained by using Mega-Class Chips.
Guts Style	Transforms the MegaBuster into a powerful ChainGun and doubles attack rate. Gained by deleting enemies with Buster.
Custom Style	A greater selection of BattleChips become available during NetBattles. Gained by using Program Advances.
Shield Style	MegaMan can reflect or negate enemy attacks with a shield. Gained by using protective and recovery BattleChips.
Shadow Style	Megaman gains the ability to turn invisible as well as use other defensive programs like ANTIDAMAGE. Gained by using chips that prevent damage such as invisibility, shadow, etc. (Only available in Megaman Battle Network 3 Blue)
Ground Style	Gains the ability to break panels with a charged buster as well as gaining programs that alter the field of battle to the player's advantage. (Only available in Megaman Battle Network 3 White) Gained by using field chips that change the terrain (such as magma, sand, ice, Gutsman. etc.)
Bug Style	Randomly gives Megaman advantageous or disadvantaged abilities at the start of each battle such as a maxed out buster, a protective shield, 10 chips at battle screen, invincibility at start of battle for about 10 seconds, or the loss of HP at various speeds, among others. Gained by incorrectly formatting Megaman with programs; ie. getting syntax errors, therefore bugging up Megaman's programming code In the manga, he briefly assumed this form during his battle with Serenade.
Hub (Saito) Style	MegaMan's buster becomes much more powerful, but his HP and rate of fire decreases. In the manga/anime, this is what happens when MegaMan and Lan's brainwaves totally fuse together. It is very difficult to control, and almost costs each of their lives, as well as ProtoMan's when Megaman goes berserk the second time he activates it.
Muramasa Style (Protoman)	This style is only available to Protoman in the manga. In this style Protoman can use a sword called Muramasa (an actual battle chip in the games), which was given to Protoman by Serenade, the lord of the Undernet to fight the DarkPower.

[edit] Elements

Elements randomly accompany any style change and give the buster weapon a new ability and effect. Also, elements are not exclusive to anyone style; for example, the guts style can be 'Aqua' instead of 'Heat'.

Heat - Fire element. Gives Megaman a powerful flamethrower that extends 3 horizontal panels and pierces obstacles. Weak against water, strong against wood.

Wood - Grass element. Turns buster into a tornado blaser that skips a two-panel range and temorarily paralyzes the enemy. Weak against heat, strong against thunder.

Elec - Thunder/ lightning element. Simply gives Megaman a Zapring attack to his buster, paralyzing the enemy with a quick shot. Weak against wood, strong against water.