Mega Man is an action game released by Capcom for the NES on December 17, 1987, and the first entry in the Mega Man franchise. Known for its high difficulty and innovative gameplay, it lets players control Mega Man to defeat six Robot Masters under Dr. Wily and foil his world domination plan. The game features non-linear level selection, so players can choose the order of stages freely. Each defeated Robot Master grants Mega Man a special weapon, with a rock-paper-scissors weakness system that encourages strategic stage order planning. Developed by a team of just six people, it had Reika Kitamura and Keiji Inafune as lead artists, Nobuyuki Matsushima as programmer, and Manami Matsumae as composer. Though not a huge commercial hit at launch, its unique design and challenge made it a classic of the NES era.