Rockman 7 For Nintendo Power

Not too many people know of this little bit of trivia, but their exists a slightly alternate version of Rockman 7 -- a version designed for Nintendo's now-defunct Nintendo Power service.

Apparently, RM7 was actually one of the very first games offered on the Nintendo Power.  In Japan, Nintendo used to produce a game copier kiosk by the name of Nintendo Power, where you could download Nintendo games onto a blank Super Famicom cartridge for a fee.  Initially, very few non-Nintendo titles available, but a year or so into the service's lifespan, third parties hopped aboard; Capcom leading the way with Rockman 7.

The NP version of RM7 is practically the same as the retail version with a couple notably differences: The prologue cutscene, and the secret Vs. mode min-game were removed in order to accommodate for limited NP cartridge space.  In place of the prologue, Capcom added a generic "Capcom presents" screen, which led directly into the title screen.  Nothing replaced the versus mode, so the password used to access it led nowhere.

There are a few rumors floating around that the NP version is slightly harder than the retail build. Supposedly, the NP version has a few extra enemies showing up in strange spots, while the bosses have tweaked A.I mechanics. In other words, they're smarter.

 Other than that, it's the same game we all know and love!

For collectors of everything and all things Rockman, where might one find the Nintendo Power version of Rockman 7 today?  Your best bet is Yahoo! Auctions Japan where NP cartridges are all but uncommon -- the hard part is finding one that has RM7 on it :D

[via RockMega, ロックマン7 wiki]