Needle Man

<-- DWN-016	Robot Master Serial Numbers	DWN-018 -->

Robot Master Info

Artwork from Mega Man 3.
Select portrait(s).
Appearances
Game(s):	None
Character Details
Name(s):	Needle Man, Needleman
Creator(s):	Dr. Light and Dr. Wily
Weapon(s):	Needle Cannon
Weakness(es):	Gemini Laser
Stage(s):	Needle Man's stage (Mega Man 3), Needle Man's stage (Mega Man II)
Behind the Scenes
Designer(s):	Nobuhiko Akatsuka

Needle Man (or Needleman) is a Robot Master first appearing in Mega Man 3. He is one of the Robot Masters created by Dr. Light and Dr. Wily to search alien worlds for energy crystals so they could power their peace-keeping robot, Gamma. Like his fellow Robot Masters, he becomes part of Dr. Wily's evil plan, and has since been cast as a villain in most of his appearances.

Needle Man is a blue robot with no distinct head, his eyes being located in his torso instead, which also features a round, red crystal in its centre and a spiked "crown" on top. Though his signature weapon is the Needle Cannon, which fires spikes from his arm cannon, he can also use his crown to attack by launching it forward on a chain before retracting it again.

In the Games

Mega Man 3

Boss sprite from Mega Man 3.

In Mega Man 3, Needle Man is one of the main bosses that can be selected from the start and the third listed on the stage select screen, in reading order. His stage is set on an airship with sporadic themed obstacles, like the Needle Press and hedgehog-like Hari Harry.

In battle, Needle Man is an aggressive opponent who jumps around and alternates between two attacks. He will either launch his spike crown straight forward while standing still, covering roughly 1 1/2 times his width before retracting it again, or jump straight into the air and stop at a random height to fire four consecutive Needle Cannon spikes while he falls back down. Though all the shots are aimed at Mega Man, the way they are staggered while Needle Man falls causes a spread that can be difficult to avoid.

Needle Man is weak to the Gemini Laser, which deals 7 damage to him and can bounce to hit him in the air, and has a minor weakness to the Shadow Blade for 2 damage. Like all of Mega Man 3's Robot Masters, he also takes 4 damage from his own weapon during his Teleporter Room rematch. Defeating him grants Mega Man the Needle Cannon, which only shoots forward, but can do so rapidly while holding down the button.

Mega Man II

Boss sprite from Mega Man II.

In Mega Man II on the Game Boy, Needle Man is one of the second batch of Robot Masters, accessible via the bottom-right teleporter hatch in Dr. Wily's fortress. His stage is fashioned after his original one, and his fight remains essentially the same.

As the Gemini Laser does not appear in this game, Needle Man's new primary weakness is the Top Spin, which deals 5 damage to him. He also has a significant weakness to the Air Shooter from the first Robot Master batch, taking 3 damage from its tornadoes, which makes him a sensible starting choice when Mega Man has no weapons from the second batch yet. As before, defeating him yields the Needle Cannon.

Battle Network era

Main article: NeedleMan.EXE

Needle Man has a NetNavi equivalent in NeedleMan.EXE (also called SpikeMan.EXE in the English dub of the anime), a somewhat different take on his Robot Master design that gives him more spikes and a proper head shaped like a giant spike. He only appears in Mega Man Network Transmission and his operator is as unnamed and unseen gardener.

Official Data

Mega Man & Bass CD

Needle Man's CD in Mega Man & Bass is located in Ground Man's stage, who has some thematic similarities due to his drills. It is found in one of the Mukamukade rooms, fittingly at the edge of a spike pit, and requires an aid like the Ice Wall or Bass's double jump to safely reach.

017	Needle Man
		A robot created to work in energy mines. His Needle Cannon can pierce a ten-inch brick.	GOOD POINT: Pointy head
			BAD POINT: Spiky personality
			LIKE: Sewing
		"Feel the eye of the needle!"	DISLIKE: Injection

Mega Man Legacy Collection Database

Needle Man appears under "Mega Man 3" in the Database in Mega Man Legacy Collection and is the first Robot Master listed for the game. Like other Robot Masters, he can be fought by pressing a designated button while viewing his data.

			Needle Man
			Equipped with a body like Air Man's and an advanced form of Metal Man's movement programming. Gain some distance and fight back.
HP 28	AT 06