is a 2004

tactical role-playing game Tactical role-playing game (abbreviated TRPG), also known as strategy role-playing game or (both abbreviated SRPG), is a video game genre that combines core elements of role-playing video games with those of tactical (Turn-based tactics, turn-b ...

developed by

Capcom is a Japanese video game company. It has created a number of critically acclaimed and List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises, with its most commercially successful being ''Resident Evil'', ''Monster ...

for the

Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...

(GBA)

handheld game console A handheld game console, or simply handheld console, is a small, portable self-contained video game console with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are smaller than home video game consoles and contain the con ...

. It is a spin-off title in the ''

Mega Man Battle Network is a Tactical role-playing game, tactical role-playing video game series created by Masahiro Yasuma and developed and published by Capcom as a spin-off of the ''Mega Man'' series. Released in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance, it takes place in an a ...

'' sub-series of ''

Mega Man ''Mega Man'' (known as in Japan) is a video game franchise developed and published by Capcom, featuring the Mega Man (character), protagonist of the same name. The Mega Man (1987 video game), original game was released for the Nintendo Enter ...

video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...

s. The game was released in Japan on August 6, 2004, but was not localized or released in other territories.

Gameplay

In ''Real Operation'', the GBA acts as a PET, allowing the player to indirectly control various NetNavis from previous games in the series. The game is compatible with the Battle Chip Gate, a GBA accessory that allows players to use real-life toy Battle Chips in this and future games. Users of ''Real Operation'' can also play multiplayer games against ''Battle Network 4'' users and other ''Real Operation'' users. Players select a Navi as their companion at the start of the game. Navis each have unique personality traits, battle styles, and means for growth. Some require mini-games, while others require the player to complete particular tasks for them. Unlike the main ''Battle Network'' games, Navis act independently during battle, and the player provides Battle Chips by either selecting them via in-game controls or manually slotting them into the Battle Chip Gate. The player can also alter the Navi's evasion strategies to guide them closer or further from the enemies and set up attacks. This is to simulate an actual NetBattle experience with the player as the NetOperator, and as such, no human characters appear in the game. The game also features a real-time clock system. Players can set reminders on a calendar tracked by their Navi, and in-game tournaments are held on certain days of the week. Darkloid versions of Navis that appeared in ''Mega Man Battle Network 4'' also appear in cyberspace for the player to battle against.

Playable Navis

There 21 playable Navis, including all 12 Soul Unison Navis from ''Mega Man Battle Network 4'':

Starter Navis

Unlockable Navis

The following Navis are unlockable through gameplay or by using their corresponding Battle Chips in the Battle Chip Gate:

Battle Chip Gate Navis

The following Navis are unlockable only by using their corresponding Battle Chips in the Battle Chip Gate:

Development

Production began immediately after the completion of ''Battle Network 4'' in 2003 and lasted around six months. Since it coincided with the development of ''Battle Network 5'' and the localization of ''Battle Network 4'' (each of which released in two versions), the team has since described this as the most difficult period of development for the ''Battle Network'' series. Real Operation was inspired by the hidden Operation Battle mode in ''Battle Network 4'', which similarly offers indirect control of a NetNavi while using the Battle Chip Gate to send Battle Chips. To build upon the concept and further immerse the player in the world of ''Battle Network'', director Masahiro Yasuma decided to frame the entire game through the PET. This led to the real-time clock, Navi conversations, and the removal of real-world gameplay seen in the rest of the Battle Network series.

Music

The soundtrack was composed by Toshihiko Horiyama and

Akari Kaida is a Japanese video game music composer. She composed various soundtracks for Capcom games, including multiple in the '' Mega Man'' series. She has occasionally been credited as Akari Groves, taking the surname of her husband. Career Kaida was a ...

, both of whom wrote music for prior Battle Network games. Each Navi has a musical theme, which plays on the PET menu when they are selected, and many of these themes are rearranged from their counterparts in the original ''

'' series.

Release

''Rockman EXE 4.5 Real Operation'' sold approximately 14,693 copies during its first few days on sale in Japan. The game remained on the ''

Famitsu , formerly , is a line of Japanese Video game journalism, video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation, Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly f ...

'' top 30 chart for three weeks. Sales topped out at 75,809 copies by the end of the year. The game was re-released for the

Wii U The Wii U ( ) is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4. The W ...

Virtual console The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...

in 2016.

Fan Translation

On 26 October 2019, The Rockman EXE Zone released an unofficial English translation with custom box art, a complete translated manual and localisations for both Europe and North America.

Reception

''Famitsu'' magazine gave it a score of 33 out of 40.

References

External links

Official ''Rockman EXE'' website
{{Mega Man Battle Network series 2004 video games Game Boy Advance games Game Boy Advance-only games Japan-exclusive video games 4.5 Multiplayer and single-player video games Role-playing video games Tactical role-playing video games Video games developed in Japan Video games scored by Akari Kaida