As an action-adventure game, Mega Man Legends's gameplay is significantly different from the original series, though it retains some familiar elements.

However, the Nintendo 64 and Windows ports were criticized for lacking improvements over the PlayStation version, whose graphics were considered outdated by the time of their release.

[4] The player controls Mega Man Volnutt throughout the game, completing various missions such as investigating ruins or fighting pirates.

[5] The game features a large world with multiple dungeons that must be explored in a specific order, as well as a town with non-player characters to interact with.

[4][5] Although the player moves through the game solely on foot, once Roll Caskett repairs a support car, she can transport Mega Man to specific locations.

She can also craft weapons for the player using specific combinations of parts found in dungeons or purchased in shops, many of which serve as complements to the Buster Gun.

To meet the growing demand for energy to power machinery, people rely on quantum refractors found in ancient ruins.

[11] However, the ultimate goal for most people is to find the Mother Lode, a legendary item of infinite power that could solve the energy crisis once and for all.

They are assisted by Spotters, who use technology to map the Diggers' paths and help them avoid or defeat Reaverbots, hostile robots that guard the ruins.

[15] The main antagonists are the Bonne family, pirates intent on stealing the secret treasure of Kattelox Island to amass wealth.

The game begins with Mega Man Volnutt exploring a tower ruin in the middle of the ocean, where he retrieves a large blue refractor.

Afterward, their leader Teisel Bonne plans an assault on the Clozer Woods ruins, but Mega Man also defeats him, safeguarding the island.

Concerned about strange activity in the island's ruins, Amelia asks Mega Man to explore them and investigate the increased presence of Reaverbots.

While investigating them, Mega Man encounters the Bonne family once again in the Old City and destroys their newest robot, a colossal monster named Bruno.

Accepting their defeat, the Bonnes retreat, though Teisel plots to steal the treasure of the Main Gate once Mega Man retrieves it.

[28] Juno reveals a chilling plan: the island's population, referred to as "carbons", must be purged to maintain control, as their unchecked growth would eventually become a threat.

[35] Meanwhile, the Bonne family, undeterred by their defeat, sails away on a makeshift boat constructed by Tron out of scrap parts, hauling the giant refractor they stole from the Main Gate.

[36] Producer Keiji Inafune stated that his goal was to create a new Mega Man game that would be entirely different from previous entries in the series.

Aiming to appeal to gamers of all ages, Inafune decided to blend action, RPG, and adventure genres, though he questioned whether Mega Man Legends would still be engaging.

[38] One of the earliest global showings of Legends occurred at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Atlanta, Georgia, in June 1997, where it was titled Mega Man Neo.

[39] A demo of the game, titled "Rockman Neo" (ロックマンNEO), was later included in the Japanese director's cut version of Resident Evil.

[40] In December 1997, Capcom USA's president, Bill Gardner, informed IGN that Mega Man Legends would be ported to the Nintendo 64.

[44] By April 1998, the English adaptation of the game had been completed, but Capcom chose to delay its release until September of the same year, believing it would perform better during the holiday season.

[37] Since its release, Mega Man Legends has received a moderately positive critical response from video game publications, although the ports for Nintendo 64 and PC garnered mixed to negative reviews.

[58][59] Conversely, the game's difficulty received mixed reviews, particularly regarding the boss battles, although the addition of a tutorial mode in the Nintendo 64 port was praised.

[57] IGN commented that the PlayStation game "was a poor experience", questioning "why Capcom [...] decided to make Nintendo 64 owners suffer through it unchanged.

"[64] GameSpot found the graphics outdated and noted that, in addition to lacking updates from the original game, some music and sound clips were lost during the conversion.

[61] The PC version received an even more negative review; GameSpot rated it a "bad" 3.6 out of 10, stating that gamers would find the PlayStation port more worthwhile.