Difference between revisions of "Z-Phone"

Revision as of 20:27, 4 October 2020

The Z-Phone is a feature in Make a Good Mega Man Level: Episode Zero. A communications device invented by Dr. Wily, he gives it to Zero after the latter arrives at his newest hideout. While in a level, the Z-Phone can be accessed from the pause menu (or from a dedicated option on the world map), with the option to call a number by typing in a four digit number.

There are seven primary contacts, all unlocked throughout the game under various means, and their numbers are saved in an easily-accessible contact list. Each one has a specific function, and can be called on to receive certain information:

• Dr. Wily - Unlocked by default. When called, he gives background lore on the current level, such as what it is and why it was built. After Zero abandons Wily in Chapter 2, this number will stop working until Null and Void is cleared.
• Dr. Hyde - Unlocked at the start of Chapter 2. When called, she explains the abilities of the player's current weapon and/or chip. Sometimes, she will also give advice on how to use the weapon wheel, or will give some background information about her activities.
• Agent Krantz - Unlocked at the end of Chapter 1. When called, she gives advice on what enemies and/or gimmicks are in the stage, and how best to deal with them. In some levels, Agent Stern answers instead, but he still gives the same advice.
• Galaxy Man - Unlocked after clearing Construction of Constructions. When called, he points Zero towards the location of uncollected CDs in the current stage, and provides tips on how to collect them.
• Yamato Man - Unlocked after clearing Mojo Dojo. When called during a boss fight, he will warn of certain attacks, give strategies on how to defeat them, and occasionally hint at their weakness. If called outside of a boss (or when facing a devkit miniboss), he will be noticeably less helpful. Notably, when Yamato Man is called during his own boss fight, Tomahawk Man will answer and fulfill the number's purpose instead.
• Pirate Man - Unlocked by talking to him at Chateau Chevaleresque. A joke contact, when called he will often give useless "Pirate Tips", tell nonsensical stories, or try to posit some inane conspiracy theory. A select few of his calls, however, provide actually useful information, such as the existence of ladder jumping, the effectiveness of the Z-Saber against shielded enemies, and stomp dashing providing a greater speed boost than normal dashing, among other tips.
• Knives - Unlocked by finding out her number and calling her in the postgame. When called, she will judge the current level's suitability as a date spot for her and Zero, invariably finding a reason to reject it. Notably, she can only be called in a specific 32 x 32 area hidden in the level, and her calls cannot be repeated once found.

With the exception of Knives, all these numbers will not work if Zero doesn't already have them registered in the Z-Phone. In addition to these contacts, there are several secret numbers that can be contacted, though some will only work in certain levels.

Trivia

• The numbers for the primary contacts each have specific meaning to them:
  • Dr. Wily's number, 1287, references December 1987, the release date of the original Mega Man.
  • Hyde's number, 1181, is a combination of the atomic numbers for sodium (11), oxygen (8), and hydrogen (1), which make up sodium hydroxide.
  • Krantz's number, 0411, references April 2011, when the first issue of the Mega Man Archie Comics series was released.
  • Galaxy Man's number, 0550, is the escape velocity of the Milky Way from the position of the Sun (550km/s).
  • Yamato Man's number, 1102, references Japan's National Foundation Day, which is celebrated on February 11.
  • Pirate Man's number, 4665, spells "hook" when typed into a calculator and held upside down.