A human being put in harm's way by a robot in the classic MM series. One of many examples. MM shoots Wily out of the sky in this one.
Now I'll be the one quoting myself:
It's not that Asimov's three rules of robotics don't apply to Rockman/MegaMan, it's just that they don't apply in the same way as Asimov uses them; instead of being literally coded into a robot, they're rules that are kept in mind when making robots.
Asimov's rules practically apply, except
not in the same way as Asimov!
Robots can harm humans, robots can disobey humans, robots can end their own existence. But they're not meant to be. In other words, they're rules that the creator follows when creating their robots, they're not coded commands.
Right programs them to be robots that do no harm to humans, Right programs them to obey and work for humans, Right programs them to enjoy life and preserve it.
Dr. Thomas Right programs his robots to have free will whilst trying to avoid breaking those rules at the same time; he is not trying to create disobedient robots, he's not trying to create homicidal robots and he's not trying to create suicidal robots.
However, just because he and everyone else doesn't intend them to, doesn't mean that they can't. And it surely doesn't make them more than what Right always intended for them.
Blues is specifically programmed to be as independent as possible; he's programmed to have free will. Therefore, he's the first of his kind to work differently. Rock and others use that same basic programming but adjusted to avoid another repeat of that incident. Blues himself even reflected on the matter of himself the only robot that truly stands in opposition to the second rule:
"Robots are machines that follow order, then what does that make me?"
The simplest of robots all follow the three rules pretty strictly before they are reprogrammed by Wily. They're hardworking autonomous robots that can not think outside of the boundaries of their programming. Blues and the other robots are programmed in a completely different manner, and follow those rules in a completely different manner. But they still follow them, one way or the other.
However, of course they can shoot at Wily piloted machines to save the world, of course they can ignore orders from a mad scientist, of course they can sacrifice their lives for the sake of a friend. If they weren't capable of that, Right's robots would be nothing more than tools instead of actual characters, people, children, friends. They were always meant to have free will. And they were always meant to follow the rules of robotics because those rules are nothing more than common sense.
You speak of X1 as an anomaly. But weren't you the one that went on about not ignoring any detail about the continuity? It's there and it applies. Trying to act like it's a plothole gets you nowhere. Only when you're open minded enough not to immediately discard it can you see what's truly going on.
Besides, even if you don't like the way the game itself words it, there's more than one version of that warning that shows the amount of thought they put behind it. Most other versions of that scene are much more elaborate and therefore are a much better indiciation of the true meaning of Right's words.
“X” presents many problems inconceivable in existing robots. There is a danger he may worry over or question even the absolute requirement for robots, “Do not harm a human.”
The act of worrying in “X” marks a new epoch in robotics and is the first time this experiment has succeeded, but if it extends to matters that by their nature must not be questioned, it would be disastrous. In the worst case, if a robot were to harm humans deliberately, humankind would tremble with fear the like of which was unknown even in the days of the “Dr. Wily” incidents…The difference between X's worrying (Suffering Circuit, Kunou Kairo) and Rock's conscience (Conscience Circuit, Ryoshin Kairou) should be as clear as day; To be able to determine right and wrong for oneself, that which Dr. Right himself says in Power Battle robots can not do yet. That which he himself says robots must learn in order to become truly happy.
Let's reverse my wording; Right says that robots can not determine right and wrong for themselves. Right implicates that robots themselves can not determine such things as the three rules of robotics; it is something they have to be told. Right also says X is the only robot that can truly determine this for himself. However, simply mentioning the three rules is an oversimplification if there ever was one; right and wrong extends to many things that the three rules simply do not cover. Those other factors taken into consideration form a robot's conscience, and allow free will.
Either way, Power Battle, that right there is a classic game outright mentioning the facts that tie together both series and the infamous warning sequence, so where do you come from saying it's a plothole and there's simply no practical application?