Mega Man 5: Blues' Trap!? is an NES action game released by Capcom on December 4, 1992, the fifth entry in the classic Mega Man series. It retains the two-castle system from the prior game, with 8 Robot Master stages, 4 Blues Castle stages, and 4 Wily Castle stages, totaling 16 levels. Unique stage designs like space and anti-gravity sections boost challenge and fun.
Set in 20XX, two months after Mega Man’s fourth battle with Dr. Wily, Blues suddenly leads 8 robots in a global rebellion: Gravity Man, Wave Man, Stone Man, Gyro Man, Star Man, Charge Man, Napalm Man, and Crystal Man. Blues also kidnaps Dr. Light, leaving a yellow scarf behind. To uncover Blues’ true motives, Mega Man sets out to fight and find the truth.
In terms of gameplay, the Mega Buster is upgraded to the Super Mega Buster, with shorter charge time and wider range, but taking damage mid-charge resets it. Special weapons deal base damage to non-weakness bosses. Rush’s spring jump height is increased, and Rush Jet works underwater, replacing Rush Marine. Hidden in the 8 Robot Master stages are 8 letter circuit boards: R, O, C, K, M, A, N, 5. Collecting all unlocks the new support robot Beat. A new M Tank fully refills health and weapon energy, but only one can be carried. On the weapon select screen, special weapons are labeled with the boss’s first initial plus the move name. Rematches with the 8 Robot Masters remove the exit teleporter; defeating them auto-exits the stage.
In 1999, a PlayStation port launched with a redrawn cover, plus Original Mode and Navi Mode. Navi Mode features rearranged music, waypoint guidance, memory card saves, difficulty settings, and a redrawn boss gallery.