Mega Man Battle Network 5/Regional Differences
This is a sub-page of Mega Man Battle Network 5.
Title Screen
| Japan | North America | Europe |
|---|---|---|
 |  |  |
This game was the final Battle Network title screen change with the European logo, which was not done for the DS port. Compared to previous games in the series, the change in logo between Japan and North America was far less drastic, although ProtoMan became less saturated and the 5 was redrawn. For whatever reason, despite Japanese Team of Blues being the only version of the game to release in 2004, its copyright date was not updated for international releases.
Progress Chip Gate
All versions of Battle Network 5 are compatible with the Progress Chip Gate, an add-on that allowed real life Battle Chips to be used; despite the add-on never releasing outside of Japan, it is fully functional in international versions with no modifications needed to the hardware or game. When the game starts, it does a long check for if the Progress Chip Gate has been inserted; if the check succeeds, an option for Operation Battle is added.
The player then needs to insert a Navi Chip for that specific version (meaning the player can't, say, play as ProtoMan in Team Colonel), after which they are free to start playing Operation Battle, which functions much like Rockman.EXE 4.5 Real Operation. If the player lacks any actual Battle Chips, they are able to choose a folder to play with; unlike Battle Network 4, Operation Battle in BN5 is entirely a boss-rush. Beating Operation Battle as any character adds a star to them specifically.
If the player decides to play the game regularly, they unlock the Navi Change mechanic, in which Navi Chips can be slotted in to play as that specific character for one battle. It is also possible to do so in NetworkDuels with the TeamBattle option. Note that what Navi Chips can be used depends in the player's progress and what Navis they have already unlocked.
e-Reader Content
Like with 4, the lack of popularity surrounding the e-Reader resulted in its removal in the international versions; despite this, all the content accessible with it is still functional, and can be re-enabled using cheats. This includes:
- Mod Cards - enhances MegaMan's abilities and unlocks a battle with Bass XX. Many of these cards are balanced out by inflicting MegaMan with (in-game NaviCust) bugs, and only allowing up to 80 MB worth of "cards" at once.
- Interestingly in the Japanese version, the bugs these Mod Cards added could be prevented with the BugStop NaviCust program in the Japanese version but the English version, despite rendering this entire function being unavailable, changed BugStop to not prevent bugs caused by Mod Cards. This was presumably a result of the combination being exceptionally overpowered to the point BugStop was banned from official Japanese tournaments entirely, with the English behavior also being applied in Battle Network 6.
- Item Cards - gives the player a random item or amount of Zenny; this include the Leaders Raid and Chaos Lord Giga Chips.
- BassCross MegaMan - gives MegaMan a pseudo-Double Soul form with Bass, giving him several buffs while still allowing him to enable other DoubleSouls; it was later made accessible in the DS version by slotting in the GBA versions with an already completed save file.
Map Changes
| Japan | International |
|---|---|
|
|
The homepages from Lan's friends have an unique design in Japan. In other versions they are similar to Lan's homepage. While this improves navigation, the unique details they had were lost, like the ramp shaped like a piano in Mayl's homepage and the pictures of GutsMan in Dex's homepage. GargCastleHP was also simplified, but its design is similar to the small generic maps.
The Japanese version has an additional small map with a blue background. In the international versions they were replaced by the common green maps. While this gives less variety to the small maps, it improved navigation speed as the blue map lacks a straight path. Maps that use the blue version include some of the SquirrelCmps (2, 7, 9, 12 and 14), RadarComp, AirConComp, and ScrewComp.
ShipComp1 was removed in international versions, with ShipComp2 being slightly modified to include an entry point, and all ShipComp maps having the number in their names reduced by 1. Similarly, GargoylComp2 was removed, and GargoylComp3 and 4 had their numbers reduced. This also resulted in four Blue Mystery Datas being relocated, and one Green Mystery Data.
| Japan | International |
|---|---|
 |
 |
In Team Colonel, the painting inside Queen Bohemia is The Last Supper in Japan. The international versions changed it to a painting of fireworks; the DS version retained this change, while all other map changes were undone given its higher storage capacity.
Also in Team ProtoMan, Lan's house would have rolled sushi rolls being prepared in the Japanese version, while the international version instead has beef stew instead.
Glitches
 | To do: A lot more. |
The Japanese version has several oddities, suggesting it was rushed to completion; the international versions fixes all of these, as does Double Team DS:
- Exiting a Liberation Mission results in bizarre effects depending on MegaMan's maximum HP; this also includes being able to soft lock the game.
- "No" still activating a Twin Liberation when using Meddy; in addition, this does not consume order points.
- Dark Chips deducting your karma and HP twice when running from battle.
- CrossDivide not functioning during the Colonel fights, as well as having a command code sound if a command code is attempted, despite it having no effect.
- An out-of-bounds clip when collecting Purple Mystery Data in Oran Area 1; it was fixed by simply moving the PMD to a different location.
- Activating a Double Soul in the same turn after swapping from a Navi Change resulted in the BassCross palette being replaced with the default MegaMan palette; despite the e-Reader functionality being disabled in the international version, this bug was fixed regardless.
- In the FactoryComp4, right before CosmoMan; if MegaMan is standing right where the gate was and the gate is put back up, he will be pushed past the cutscene marker. MegaMan is able to talk to the CosmoMan NPC, resulting in freezing the game.
- ShadowMan’s Bakuen fire attack does not reduce mood. Because of this, it can’t remove Full Synchro. In later versions, it reduces mood as it should.
- During the Chapter 5 cutscene in which MegaMan spots the fake NumberMan/SearchMan, the game never respawns his HP or current area until a screen transition occurs.
- It's possible to delete your DarkSoul by using LifeSync (generally with any boss with 500 HP), then two AntiRecovers; fixed in international.
