The tricky thing about trying to prove you're one of the biggest Megaman fans around is your argument will rely either on intangible claims of astronomical replay counts, or (*ahem*) Buster-measuring displays of swag. And while I'm about to be guilty of these myself, I thought there should be something more to it. So I've decided to share a few personal memories, in an effort to make this something more than shoving elbows with other fans.

I'd played videogames before MM2 of course, but it's pretty safe to say I didn't care about them. I beat the original trilogy in reverse order, and in the process became so dedicated to games that I alienated my designated Big Brother of the time and he dropped out of the program in disgust.

Starting with MM4, new games seemed to come out every January, coinciding nicely with my birthday. I was able to get a light discount on MM4 with the $5 coupons Nintendo was impelled to disburse to their consumers, and when tight money made going on cross-country school field trips impossible, I got permission each time to buy a Megaman game instead.

I was enraged and crying conspiracy at every oppurtunity when MM5 lost its deserved Best NES Game Nester Award in Nintendo Power to R.C. Pro-Am II, a game which I remain convinced today that no more than 4 people have ever played in the history of the world (I will claim now the title of biggest MM5 fan ever and battle any challengers to the death).

I spent entire classes doodling new bosses in my notebook, and was pretty disappointed when my Simoom Man lost the bid to be in MM6.

MMX was the first game in which I was able to defeat all bosses with only the standard Buster. I then tried to do the same for the Classic series and got completely ravaged by Shadow Man.

Megaman Legends was the first one I was able to get on its release date, and skipped school the following day to nearly complete it in a single sitting.

The Misadventures of Tron Bonne singlehandedly saved an April vacation otherwise ruined by sudden sickness, and one of my sister's favorite memories was squeaking "SPAGHETTI" behind me (when the order was B Lunch) and botching my Level-3 Cafeteria Duty.

Clearing Powered Up's Roll Mode on Hard this year has convinced me that EVERY MM game from here on needs Playable Roll. Still time to add her to MM9, I hope? Or better still, a Powered Up MM9 release?

Well, now I'm just rambling. But suffice it to say, Megaman has been the franchise I've devoted myself to all these years, and if they were suddenly stop, I'd probably give up on gaming altogether. No, really. Whether I win something in this contest or not, I reject the notion that there's a more devoted MM fan than me. More eloquent, maybe. Most insane, definitely. But bigger? No.