 "Axess" was meant to promote the Japanese release of "Mega Man Battle Network 4" and prominently features characters and concepts from this game.However, it also uses many of the "Mega Man Battle Network" video games as source material for the almost entirely original plot (including obscure characters from "Transmission").The series is also known for having a much darker tone, more violent battles, and a much less constant cast of characters (for example, "EXE" regulars Dex and Yai are reduced to guest appearances).