Honestly, if you grew up playing the original NES Mega Man, you probably have a very specific, heated memory of DLN-007. Fire Man isn't just another Robot Master. He’s a brick wall. Most players remember him as that red-and-grey nightmare who just doesn't stop shooting. You walk in, the music starts—that legendary, driving track by Manami Matsumae—and suddenly the screen is just a blur of orange.
You've probably heard the "Flames of Justice" mantra if you’ve played the Powered Up remake on PSP. It’s funny because, in the lore, he’s basically a trash incinerator. Dr. Light built him to handle waste management at a massive facility. Then Dr. Wily showed up, tweaked a few circuits, and turned a literal garbage man into a hot-tempered vigilante who thinks he’s a superhero.
But here’s the thing: Fire Man is actually broken. Not in a "he’s too hard" way, but in a "his AI is literally a loop" way. If you know how he thinks, he becomes the easiest fight in the game. If you don't? He’s arguably harder than the Yellow Devil.
The Fire Man Loop: Why Most People Fail
The mistake most of us made as kids was trying to dodge. It sounds counterintuitive, right? It's a platformer; you’re supposed to move. But Fire Man’s AI in the 1987 original is programmed to react specifically to your inputs.
Specifically, he fires when you fire.
If you stand still and spam the shoot button, he will spam back at the exact same frequency. Because his projectiles—the Fire Storm—leave a little flame on the ground (an "ember"), moving backward usually just lands you right in a pile of fire. The "pro" way to handle him is a bit weird:
- Walk into the room.
- Stop moving. 3. Jump straight up and shoot at the peak of your jump.
- Land, wait half a second for the ground fire to dissipate, and repeat.
By doing this, you're timing your shots so that he fires his counter-shot while you're still in the air. You sail right over the flame, and the ground-ember dies before your boots hit the floor. It turns a chaotic bullet-hell mess into a rhythmic dance.
Is he actually 8,000 degrees?
The internal database for the Mega Man Legacy Collection claims his flames reach 8,000 degrees. To put that in perspective, that’s hotter than the surface of the Sun (which sits around 10,000°F, or 5,500°C).
Despite being a walking sun, he’s surprisingly fragile. He takes massive damage from the Ice Slasher, which makes sense. It’s the classic rock-paper-scissors logic that defined the series. What’s less known is that he also takes decent damage from the Rolling Cutter (Cut Man’s weapon). Most players forget that because they're too busy panic-jumping into lava pits.
The Stage Design Most People Miss
Fire Man’s stage is a masterclass in 8-bit intimidation. It’s full of "Changkeys"—those little fireballs that jump out of the lava—and those vertical fire pillars that seem impossible to time.
There’s a weird detail in the stage background, too. Notice how the orange metal disappears whenever there’s a complex fire obstacle? That wasn't an artistic choice; it was a technical necessity. The NES could only handle so many sprites and colors on screen at once. To make the "lava waterfalls" look smooth, the developers had to strip the background to pure black to save memory.
Key Stats and Weaknesses
- Model Number: DLN-007 / DRN-007
- Primary Weapon: Fire Storm (provides a protective orb and a forward projectile)
- Main Weakness: Ice Slasher (Ice Man) - Deals 4 damage.
- Secondary Weakness: Rolling Cutter - Deals 2 damage.
- Personality: Hot-blooded, charismatic, hates rainy days.
Why Fire Storm is the Secret MVP Weapon
When you finally put him out and take his power, you get the Fire Storm. In my opinion, this is the most underrated weapon in the first game.
Unlike most weapons in the 1987 original, Fire Storm does two things at once. It shoots a fireball forward, but it also creates a rotating fire shield around Mega Man for a split second. This makes it a "get out of jail free" card for those annoying flying enemies (like the Screw Drivers) that usually chip away at your health.
If you’re struggling with the Wily Stages—specifically the sections with the "Killer Bombs"—just hold onto your Fire Storm ammo. The shield will detonate the bombs before they touch your hitbox.
How the Remakes Changed Him
If you play Mega Man Powered Up, the fight is totally different. They gave him a personality that’s... well, intense. He screams about justice and speaks with a bizarrely confident tone. In "New Style" mode, he doesn't ignite the ground anymore, which removes that "trapped in a corner" feeling from the NES version.
They also added a "Fire Chaser" move where he sends a wave of flames across the floor. It’s much more "modern boss" and much less "glitchy AI." Honestly, it’s a bit of a shame. There was something special about the raw, unpolished aggression of the original Fire Man.
Actionable Strategy for your next run:
If you want to beat the original Mega Man without losing your mind, go to Bomb Man first. Then take those bombs to Guts Man. Use the Guts Power to crush Cut Man. Take the scissors to Elec Man. Use the beam to fry Ice Man. Finally, take the Ice Slasher to Fire Man.
📖 Related: Duke Nukem Game Boy Color: Why This 1999 Port Is Actually Better Than You Remember
By the time you reach the fire stage, you'll be able to freeze those annoying fire pillars mid-air with the Ice Slasher, making the platforming a breeze. When you reach the boss gate, just stand still, find your rhythm with the Ice Slasher, and watch the "Flame of Justice" flicker out in about six hits.