izigame.me

I played all of these on GBA when they were first released and it blew my mind. Capcom actually developed a whole new genre with the Battle Network series, so it really was a fresh experience back then.
Basically, these are deck building games coupled with dexterity-based chess.
That means you move Mega Man on a 3x3 grid in real time to land and avoid attacks.
You can always fire your pea shooter, but stronger attacks require you to play chips (cards) from your folder (deck).
Once a chip has been played, it is gone for the rest of the fight. That means your resources are limited and you have to play smart to get the most out of your 30-chip folder. To add an extra layer of strategy, the game uses Uno rules during chip selection. Because of this, drawing 5 chips doesn't necessarily mean you get to play 5 chips. You can either play multiples of the same chip (like the numbers in Uno), or you can play multiples of the same code (like the colors in Uno), with certain, more difficult combinations resulting in combo attacks of varying levels of power. It's a neat system that encourages crafting a folder that flows well, instead of simply stacking chips that deal the most damage (and only being able to play one at a time).
Battle Network 1:
This is basically a tutorial game and arguably the most broken title in the entire series.
If you find this one challenging, it's because you haven't yet grasped the concept.
That's fine though. It's why you're playing Battle Network 1.
Very short and very basic, just like my ex.
Battle Network 2:
A direct upgrade in almost every aspect.
You need to understand advanced systems to make it through this one, as bosses take a lot more damage to kill.
It's also much longer, featuring a proper post-game area with difficult enemies, and a bunch of filler content to slow you down. You will grind, and you will look up other people's strategies. The kid gloves are off. This is the real deal.
DO NOT GO FOR THE 10 SECRET CHIPS.
You can only get these via online PvP.
It takes roughly 500 battles of constant win-trading due to RNG.
Even those that did it typically aren't proud of it and will actively discourage you from even trying.
It's simply isn't worth it, just like my ex.
Battle Network 3 White/Blue:
Basically like BN2, except prettier and more balanced.
Sadly, this one commits the cardinal sin of locking post-game content behind online interactions, forcing players of one version to trade chips/compare folders with players of the other version. It absolutely sucks, and nobody likes it. Still better than grinding secret chips in BN2 though.
It also has a bunch of extra stuff (essentially cheats) in the form of Number Man and Navi Customizer codes that are only available from external sources, so make sure to hit the guides if you want to use those. They won't rock your world, but they do offer tangible advantages, unlike my ex.
And finally, it's time for the game's content warning.
There are some very outdated views and stereotypes in those games.
Personally, I don't think they're all that offensive, but it's enough to make me raise an eyebrow every now and then.
Definitely not okay, but you're probably not going to call Capcom's mom over it.
After all, the games are 25 years old.
What i find way more disturbing is the fact that the plot in all three games is filled to the brim with acts of (potentially) child-murdering terrorism. It starts off harmless enough, but then you get to a bus getting hijacked and turned into a bomb, a plane getting hijacked in an attempt to crash it (with you on it), a friend of you literally getting locked up in a gas-filled house, Bubble Man literally trying to blow up your friend (in an explodey way, not in a funny way), and so on. While the tone is generally light-hearted (you can only help but laugh when Dr. Wily announces his dream of causing a "Cybergeddon"), there are also some incredibly dark elements (like a child suffering from heart failure). While I generally have nothing against that kind of content, I think people with certain histories might want to know about it before jumping in. I know I'm not a fan of heart-related stuff after nearly having lost someone to a stroke (not even gonna make a joke about my ex here).
As for the collection itself, it is by no means perfect, but it is a good (and legal) way to experience those games.
If you don't like the modern font, there's a mod for that (as well as minor text revisions for BN2-4).
The only thing I wish they added would be a set of decent filters (like a dot matrix one).
It's no biggie though.