Ruby-Spears Mega Man Now Available to Stream in Japan for the Very First Time

 

Thirty years after debuting in the U.S, the indelible Ruby-Spears Mega Man cartoon has been released in Japan for the very first time. Rebranded as Rockman USA, all 13 episodes of the show's first season are now available for purchase on Amazon Japan, Video Market, Fuji TV, and other streaming platforms. The second season will probably follow in no time at all.

Although a single episode was previously included in a 2003 promotional DVD set for corporate investors, this marks the first time the entire series has been officially accessible in Japan. Capcom is marketing it as “A Rockman that no one knows about!” The release includes Japanese subtitles, though character names remain consistent with the U.S. version.

While this news might not be particularly groundbreaking for longtime English-speaking fans (although I've got some news for you about the show to share in 2025 that I think you'll like), it’s a pleasant surprise for our friends overseas. No doubt, they'll be joining us in the affectionate ribbing we’ve all come to enjoy about the show.

Mega Man World 4 DX Colorization Hack Now Available

I’ve been wanting to cover the "DX" series of colorization patches for a while, but due to an agreement with the powers that be, I can’t cover fan-mods for games that are newly released (or re-released) until a certain amount of time has passed. With the Game Boy Mega Man games now available on Nintendo Switch Online, that window has finally closed. I’m happy to report that the Mega Man World 4 DX colorization project is complete and ready for download!

The patch, created by Marc Robledo and Kensu Williams, delivers a full colorization of Game Boy Mega Man 4, aligning its presentation more closely with the NES version. Additionally, it includes some quality-of-life improvements, such as an NES-style pause menu, the elimination of slowdown, and a toggle option for the Charge Shot recoil.

You can download the patch from Marc's site here. While you're at it, be sure to check out the DX patches for Game Boy Mega Man 3 and 5!

Proto Man and Dr. Wily Join Mega Man in Funko Fusion

If you've been playing as Mega Man in Funko Fusion and found yourself wishing for more Mega Man content, you're in luck! A brand-new DLC pack is now available, introducing Proto Man and Dr. Wily as playable characters.

Both characters feature designs inspired by their Funko Pops, with a little extra flair—Dr. Wily comes armed with a zappy gun to help him get straight to business. Notably, this marks the fourth time in the franchise's 37-year history that Dr. Wily is fully playable in a game, following his appearance in Mega Man Soccer (and even then, accessing him required codes or mods), RockBoard, and 2017's Puzzle Fighter

You can grab the Mega Man DLC Pack here.

Mega Man Development Team Adds Shingo Izumi and Hiroshi Ito

Since Kazuhiro Tsuchiya's departure in 2023, the makeup of Capcom's internal Mega Man development team has been unclear. Masakazu Eguchi, fresh off Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, emerged as a public face for the team back in April, though his exact role remains unknown.

Fast forward to today, and we can add two new names to the mix. In the credits for Secret Level episode Mega Man: Start, we see Shingo Izumi and Hiroshi Ito. Izumi, who joined Capcom in 2018, was the producer behind Monster Hunter: World and the recent Ghost Trick HD remaster. Ito was a producer on Monster Hunter Stories, its sequel, and the Sunbreak expansion for Monster Hunter Rise. The other two names, Makhoul and Abe, oversee Capcom's TV and film operations. While not directly part of the internal Mega Man development team, they are credited on Start by association.

Izumi and Ito have not worked on any known Mega Man game before, so their association with the development team, which oversees the production of Mega Man software at Capcom Japan, signals the arrival of new talent in the post-Tsuchiya era. While we can only speculate on their exact roles, their experience as producers may indicate leadership positions.

With Capcom's recent push to revive dormant IPs—seen in the unexpected reveals of an Okami sequel and the long-delayed Onimusha—a path forward for the 37-year-old Blue Bomber may be taking shape. At the very least, rest assured that the Mega Man dev team not only remains intact but continues to evolve.

Mega Man's Secret Level Episode is Now Available on Prime Video

The next batch of Secret Level episodes has arrived, including the much-awaited Mega Man entry, Mega Man: Start. This standalone episode reimagines the Blue Bomber's classic series origin—familiar yet sprinkled with some twists to make it its own. 

At eight minutes, Start is the shortest episode in the animated anthology series (closer to five minutes minus the intro/credits). As expected, it ends just as things are about to kick off, leaving room for hope that, if Secret Level gets a second season, it could see a follow-up. In fact, Tim Miller, the show's executive producer, recently mentioned that if any episode were to get a continuation, it would be Mega Man.

You can stream Mega Man: Start on Amazon Prime Video. Be sure to share your thoughts in the comments after watching!

NebulaJoy Changes Alia's Design for Rockman: Time Rift

Rockman: Time Rift, the Chinese localization of Mega Man X DiVE by NebulaJoy, began public testing today in preparation for its official launch. However, players were surprised to encounter a title screen noticeably different from every other version of the game.

Mr. Mega Man, Little Mega Man Volume 1 Delayed to January 2025

The latest English-translated Mega Man manga have been hit with a slight last-minute delay. Mr. Mega Man and Little Mega Man are now scheduled to ship on January 28, 2025. Originally, Mr. Mega Man Volume 1 was set to release today, but for better or worse, both books will now arrive on the same day.

Here’s a quick refresher on what these stories are about: 

Mr. Mega Man: "When Mega Man grows up, he must face his greatest challenge of all... life as an adult! The days of battle against Dr. Wily are long since gone. The world no longer needs Mega Man, and a grown-up Rock now leads a peaceful life working as a dentist. The Robots Masters have new careers as well... Cut Man is a barber, Flame Man is a chef, and Top Man is an online influencer. Yet as these dreamlike days pass by, a shadow of turmoil lurks on the horizon..."

Little Mega Man: "The endless battle between Dr. Wily and Mega Man begins! In this wacky new take on the Blue Bomber’s early days, our hero encounters “classic” robots such as... Platform Man! Nostra-Man-damus! Comfy Chair Man! Wait... why is Rush a real dog!? And is that... “Bad Box Art” Mega Man!? It’s all-out zany adventures in LITTLE MEGA MAN!"

You can pre-order both volumes from the links above.

Rare Ryuusei no Rockman TV Game Has Been Preserved

After years of anticipation, Ryuusei no Rockman: Denpa Henkan! On Air!, a rare, Japan-only TV plug-and-play game from 2007, has finally been preserved.

Thanks to the efforts of MAME community member David Haywood, the game’s data has been successfully dumped from its original hardware. While it’s not yet ready for MAME emulation, this marks a major step forward in the preservation process. As with many XaviX-based devices, extracting and reverse engineering Denpa Henkan! On Air! has been a complex challenge. Now, with its data safely archived, the game is no longer confined to obscure, aging hardware. The next hurdle is making it fully emulatable and playable—updates will follow as progress continues.

For those unfamiliar, Denpa Henkan! On Air! is a collection of mini-games based on the characters and world of the first Star Force title. It featured a Rock Buster-shaped motion-sensing controller, allowing players to interact with the game through simple gestures. Curious how it plays? Check out some direct feed gameplay here.

ThreeZero MDLX Mega Man Metal Blade Version Revealed

Over the weekend at Singapore Comic Con, Threezero unveiled a prototype for their latest MDLX Mega Man variant: Metal Blade! This figure showcases a new battle-ready face design and the iconic Metal Blade itself. Although not officially confirmed, it appears the Metal Blade is attached to the Mega Man's hand as an accessory, similar to the standard figure’s interchangeable hand parts and Mega Buster.  

Details on price, release date, and availability were not revealed at the event, but updates are likely coming soon.

Source: Threezero

Amid Poor Reviews, Secret Level's Mega Man Episode Emerges as a Bright Spot

With less than a week until Secret Level debuts on Prime Video, early reviews are rolling in—and they're not great. While the visuals are earning praise, many episodes are being criticized for shallow storytelling, flat characters, and an overly brooding tone. However, the Mega Man-focused episode, Mega Man: Start, is receiving notably positive impressions.

The Washington Post, Collider, The Gamer, Kakuchopurei, Looper, and Paste Magazine are a few outlets that praised the episode, noting its respect for the source material, along with its charm and wholesomeness—qualities that sharply contrast with Secret Level's darker tone. Some have even described it as an ideal watch for kids and families. But one recurring criticism is the episode's short runtime.

“Start is the perfect title for the episode because it feels like the start of a Mega Man series I’d love to see," writes The Gamer. "Is it its own series? Is it a Sonic the Hedgehog-style movie? I’d love to see this episode grow into something more someday because it nails the Mega Man vibe." Similarly, Paste Magazine notes, “Both 'The Queen’s Cradle' and the Blue Bomber-centric episode, 'Mega Man: Start,' play things exceedingly straight and end on a cut to black that makes them come across like the opening cinematic of a video game rather than a self-contained journey."

Indeed, Mega Man: Start is very short—I can confirm the story itself runs just 5:20 minutes, excluding the intro and credits. The ending leaves viewers wanting more, but whether it will lead to a follow-up in a potential second season remains uncertain. 

Mega Man: Start will be available to stream on Tuesday, December 17th (same day as the series' 37th anniversary) as part of the second batch of Secret Levels episodes. 

Development Disks for Game Gear Mega Man Soundtrack Discovered

Video game archivist MrTalida recently uncovered a trove of disks from the archives of veteran game musician and programmer Dave Lowe. Known for his prolific work during the 1980s and 1990s, Lowe's collection includes materials from a variety of projects, including two disks tied to his work on Game Gear Mega Man.

Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection Steam Update Breaks Online Play (Update)

Capcom has released an update for the Steam versions of both volumes of Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection, primarily addressing behind-the-scenes adjustments. Unfortunately, the update has unintentionally taken the game's online functionality offline. Multiplayer battles, online trades, and other online features—including the ability to earn a specific completion star in BN2— have been down since yesterday, with no word from Capcom on the issue so far.

Fortunately, there are a couple of things you can do while waiting for an official fix. First, if you haven’t updated the game yet, head to your Steam settings and turn off auto-updates. Second, if your copy has already been updated, you can use a quick workaround. Prof9 has shared the following tip:

• Open the Steam Console by pressing Win+R and entering steam://open/console.
• Run these commands:
• Volume 1: download_depot 1798010 1798011 6583874429443952093

• Volume 2: download_depot 1798020 1798021 7279312862268001028

• Once the files are downloaded, copy them over the game’s local files.

This should get the online functionality back up and running. We’ll keep you posted as soon as Capcom provides an official fix.

UPDATE: Capcom has rolled back the online-breaking update. Allowing Steam to update the game will restore it to the previous working version.