Tron Bonne Once Rated Teen?

Years ago, several online vendors used this particular stock photo for The Misadventure of Tron Bonne branded with an ESRB "Teen" rating (13+) instead of the current "E" rating. A simple error perhaps? Maybe, but when you take a close look at the content within the game, it's reasonable to believe Tron originally carried the preliminary teen rating. Let's take a look at some of the more "questionable content" the game has to offer:

• -The "Bank Mission" allows players to demolish the homes of innocent bystanders who can be tossed off the side of the harbor to their presumed deaths. In addition, public places such as Hospitals and Banks can be destroyed.
• Civilians can be shot at until they're "burnt to a crisp." It's comical in a sense, but can be viewed as "violent".
• -Policemen are classified as "common foes," obscuring the player's progression  as they try to stop Tron from wreaking havoc. Like bystanders, the policemen can be shot at.
• -The "Torture Room" allows you to physically discipline Servbots through poking and prodding, burning, and other antics that come straight out of your typical Looney Tunes episode. Again, comical, but you know how people just love to blow things out of context.
• If you thought the animal abuse in Rockman DASH was bad, then you're going to love this one: Animals such as cats, dogs, foxes, and rabbits can be stepped on, shot at, and tossed.
• Japanese versions of the game contained several sexual references, particularly, the demeanor of Servbot #40 and the presence of an  "erotic magazine" item. These tidbits aren't present in the final Enlish version, but might have been featured in a preliminary build that the ESRB reviewed at one point.

In the end, Tron Bonne was awarded with a "E" rating (7+) most likely out of Capcom's insistence: if the title carried a teen rating, then a majority of the target audience (ages 7-12) would be put off. Marketing at its finest.

Did the PS3 Influence the Link PET Design?

Ever notice the design similarities between Sony's PlayStation 3 and Rockman EXE 6's "Link PET EX?" I sure did...

When you put both devices side by side (horizontally), you'll notice a couple similarities:

-Both are convexed in shape, the bodies resting upon a "base:" The PET's being the battery compartment, the PS3's being the optional output sources (USB ports, HDMI port, etc.)

-Both the PS3 and the PET have a cutaway for the disc slot/Battle Chip slot, conveniently situated in the far right side of the convex.

The Link PET EX was unveiled in August of 2005, three months after the PS3's official revealing at E3. Coincidence? Maybe...maybe not.

Pulseman Coming To the Virtual Console...Who?

Not Rockman news per se', but noteworthy nonetheless:

Pulseman, the cult classic Sega Mega Drive ("Genesis") game by Game Freak, has been rated by the ESRB; a sure fire sign the title is coming to the North American Virtual Console.

So...how does this remotely relate to Rockman? I believe VOLTECCER! stated it best:

"[The game]stars Pulseman, appropriately, a miracle boy who is half human and half digital. Because of this he is able to freely move between the real world and the digital word (i.e. going into machines and computer networks. Think Tron or Mega Man Battle Network). He has taken it upon himself to battle against Doc Waruyama, leader of Galaxy Gang, a group intent on taking over the world, and the whole galaxy seemingly. Rather trite storyline, yes, but ten years ago that was the bar for many games.

Pulseman attacks electrically, using slashes, charged shots and of course his trademark Volteccer, which essentially turns the hero into an electrified pinball that can bounce off walls infinitely, smash through enemies, and perform various useful tasks to make it through stages.Some have said the game is a crossover of Mega Man and Sonic the Hedgehog, and that's a fairly good way of looking at it. On the Mega Man side you star as a robot (well, robot-looking) boy in a slightly futuristic time who must protect the world from a mad scientist and his deadly creations/suboridnates, and on the Sonic side, much of the gameplay is speed centric; Pulseman moves quickly and he needs to in order to charge up. Nevertheless, these elements combine together in a way to create something that's entirely unique, and not a shadow of something else."

I absolutely loved Pulseman and I guarantee, you'll enjoy it as well. So please, do check it out when it comes our way!

The "Secret" of Mega Man 9: Still Holding Out?

Since late October, Mega Man fans have been in a tizzy trying to uncover the "final" Mega Man 9 secret revealed by Capcom's very own, Seth Killian:

"There's only one undiscovered Mega Man 9 secret that I know about.."

"I'm not revealing it here just yet. And go nuts--I don't predict anyone will discover this one for quite a while yet..."

We're well on our way to March 2009, and still no discovery has been made...

Seth doesn't seem like the kind of person to pull people's legs, I'm sure of it (especially after reading this). Are we not looking hard enough? Or has it been in plain site all this time and we've yet to notice it? What say you? Still eagerly awaiting it's discover?

Rare German Mega Man 4 Commercial

Yet another buried treasure from the depths of YouTube. Here, we have ourselves a very bizarre TV spot for the German version of Mega Man 4, starring some kind of cyborg thing...Mega Man I presume? In addition, the commercial is mostly comprised of Mega Man 2 footage. Why? Don't ask:

Third Party To Develop For DSiWare--Will Capcom Follow Suite?

According to a recent IGN report, Namco-Bandai is gearing up to support DSiWare, Nintendo's downloadable service exclusively for the Nintendo DSi:

"Timed nicely (although most likely coincidentally) to coincide with the announcement of the DSi's US release, Namco Bandai revealed itself to be the first third party publisher to support the DSiWare download service. The company shared first details on three upcoming titles with the latest issue of Weekly Famitsu. "

It was previously believed the service was only limited to first party applications, so this comes as great news. Is this a sign of what's to come? If so, can we expect Capcom to hop aboard the bandwagon? If Wednesday's announcement is any indication, I say it's a possibility.

Speaking of DSi, anyone planning on picking it up?

Mega Man Star Force 3 Coming In June

Today, Nintendo of America announced a boatload of release dates for Wii and Nintendo DS (Punch-Out!! Coming in May!), with Mega Man Star Force 3: Black Ace and Red Joker noted for an unspecified June 2009 release.

Not too bad of a wait, better than the preliminary August release.

Auction: Rockman Battle & Fighters Trial Cart

Collectors grab your wallets: Yahoo! is hosting an auction for a Rockman Battle & Fighters trial cartridge, a rare item that was stationed at Neo Geo Pocket kiosks for demonstration purposes only.

Like most trial/sample/demo cartridges out in the wild, there's a possibility this particular build of the game contains an array of differences from the final build. Won't know till it's in our hands, eh?

The seller notes it's in great shape with very little wear. The price? 9,980 Yen ($100). Ouch. I'd definitely go for it, but I wouldn't have the chance to play it as I'm Neo Geo Pocket-less. That said, feel free to have at it.

Roll Caskett Costume In Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop

Here's yet another reason for Mega Man fans to pick up Dead Rising Wii: a Roll Caskett costume.

Freakishly adorable.

The screenshot comes from the depths of 2Channel (NSFW) with no information regarding a source. To my knowledge, the costume hasn't been officially revealed, so we might be looking at a leak or a fake...a good one.

Hopefully, more details soon.

How To Make a Mega Man Mii

Direct link

Capcom to Pump Up DS Support

According to Capcom's third quarter Q&A session, the company is looking at the possibility of increasing their Nintendo DS support, releasing more games that don't bare the title of Ace Attorney:

"One of our leading titles is ‘Monster Hunter 3 (tri-).’ If we can gain recognition of this product in the European and North American markets, our market strategy will see a noticeable change. Meanwhile, we are reviewing the possibility of releasing new titles besides ‘Ace Attorney’ for Nintendo DS.”

What does this mean for us? Hopefully more Rockman games! Maybe not the likes of ZX3, but something. Anyone else up for a 5 Island Adventure port?

News Credit: Siliconera, Heat Man

Dennis Farina: Born To Play Wily

In honor of this past weekend's Oscars, PWN Or DIE has compiled a dream list of actors whom they felt would be best suited to play video game characters in live action adaptions.

Hypothetically speaking, If Warner and Capcom ever produce a Mega Man film, PWN Or DIE felt that the honor of portraying the nefarious Dr. Wily, should go to none other than Dennis Farina....You know, Joe from Law & Order?

Farina sure does have the demeanor, but I still say the only actor best suited to play Wily is Christopher Loyd...

Most Expensive Telephone Card You'll Ever See

Yahoo!, is hosting an auction for a limited edition Rockman Zero telephone card, featuring original artwork by Toru Nakayama not seen anywhere else.

According to the seller, this practically unattainable prepaid telephone card is but one of 200 made, distributed as a promotional item at Capcom's Yamagawa festival for 10,000 Yen (little over a hundred dollars).

The seller is auctioning off the card for a whopping 98,000 Yen ($1,088.00). For that much, I certainly hope it's got a ton of pre-paid minutes.

Check out the complete auction here.

Capcom Plans More Co-op In Future Titles

I know I'm not the only one out there wishing for a faithful co-operative/multiplayer Rockman title. Thankfully, this wish may one day be fulfilled: According to an interview with Capcom's own Chris Kramer regarding Resident Evil 5, Co-op game play will be a big feature in future Capcom games:

"Co-Optimus: Does Capcom see co-op as the future of gaming and plan to include co-op in future RE games? Would that hinge on the success of RE5?

Chris Kramer: You’re definitely going to see a much larger emphasis on co-op in many Capcom titles over the next year or two."

Who knows, maybe the inevitable Rockman 10 will have some form of co-op?

News Credit: Jim

New Batch of Wavemasters Videos

The newest batch of Wavemasters videos appear to be the last, dating back to February 8th's tournament.

As usually, we have a total of four videos, one for each class (Junior, Senior, Kaizou Off, and Survival).

The "DASH" To "Legends"

When a game is translated, many changes are made to meet various protocols and standards, particularly to meet a desired ESRB or OFLC rating. DASH's localization was no exception as it contained a meager amount of edits, cuts and censorship:

1.) In Mega Man Legends, Rock innocently walks in on Roll while she's changing, becoming deathly frightened by what many presume is full frontal nudity. Upon leaving her room, Rock apologizes and goes about the rest of his day.

What Was Cut? If you've managed to collect all the required items to gain Roll's affection in DASH, Rock, upon leaving Roll's room, will strike a "heroic pose."

2.) In Uptown, Rock comes across a young woman outside of the "YAG Computer School" who states that she wants to "go here and learn how to make really cool games like 'Resident Evil!' "

What Was Cut? In Rockman DASH, the girl's dialogue remains the same, the only difference being is that she doesn't mention Resident Evil. Instead, she gives out a phone number belonging to a real life game design school in Japan, the Yoyogi Animation University.

3.) One of the many side quest in the game is to obtain a innocent comic book for Jim and his gang.

What Was Cut? In Rockman DASH, Jim wants you to find an "erotic comic."

4.) Finally, we have the array of animal abuse scenes here, which were obviously cut to avoid any sort of controversy. Strangely, Rock can still punt the guard dogs in Old City in the later half of the game. Why? It's believed that, since these particular dogs can actually cause damage to you, then it's "acceptable" to hit them back.

Capcom's New Title Revealed... *UPDATE*

Looks like the new game announcement on Xbox Live has been leaked. According to Capcom USA's twitter page, "Taint" is the name of the game. Details are very vague at the moment, expect more information and a trailer in the morning.

Don't be bummed Rockman fans, we'll have ourselves a new game one of these days.

UPDATE: Turns out it wasn't taint, but Lost Planet 2!

Animal Abuse In Rockman DASH

When a game is translated and released in other countries, many changes are made to meet various protocols and standards. Rockman DASH's localization is no exception. The transition from DASH to Mega Man Legends brought forth a number of cuts, the most significant being the infamous "animal abuse" actions:

Interesting, no? What I find truly amazing is that such actions weren't cut in Legends 2; it was possible to "attack" an array of animals ranging from rabbits and foxes, to a duck decked out in winter clothing.

The Lost Mega Man 20th Anniversary Book

Back in 2007, it was reported that Chronicle Books was working on a Mega Man 20th anniversary book said to include concept artwork, developer commentary, and other interesting tidbits. The best part? The book was going to come packed in a mock NES sleeve (pictured).

The project, headed by I-Am-8-bit editor Matt Robinson, was slated to release in the fall of 2008--well here we are in February 2009...what happened?

I've done some detective work and well, have com up empty handed. What I do know for a fact is this book is in no way related to R20, regardless of its scheduled localization.

In any case, there's been no news about the book since its announcement post, which has mysteriously disappeared. Is this an indication of the book's cancellation? Maybe, or the project might just be on hold...

Hope to see this one day.

Rumor: Mega Man Cameo In New Street Fighter Film

According to an anonymous tipster, Mega Man will have a very tiny role in the upcoming film, Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li in the form of a cameo:

"Just got back from a preview screening of the flick, 'twas pretty neat, especially Megaman's small appearance. It's nothing big, but still pretty neat: in the first twenty minutes of the film, you can see a computer screen displaying an over sized 8-bit Megaman sprite, it lasts for a few seconds."

I'm a sucker for little cameos/easter eggs, so I'll definitely be on the lookout for this. Still, it's just a rumor--we'll know by next week when the film premieres.

Thanks, anon.

What? More Beta Findings?

Indeed, indeed. This time, unused enemy behaviors and objects from Mega Man X1~X3.

The Masses Have Spoken: Consumers Prefer Retail Games

For those who've always felt iffy about Rockman 9 being a digital title instead of a disc based game; you're not alone. According to a recent NPD Group poll, a vast amount of gamers still prefer boxed games over digitally distributed titles:

- 75% of gamers surveyed prefer boxed retail games
- 58% of gamers surveyed have never downloaded a games
- 77% of those that downloaded games said it was just as good as boxed retail
- 65% of gamers surveyed said they would be more likely to purchase a digital version of a game if it cost 10% less than a boxed retail copy.

Where do you fit in?

News Credit: GoNintendo

Mega Man To Cameo In Dead Rising 2

If the leaked footage of Dead Rising 2 is any indication, Frank West looks to be donning the Mega Man "suit" once more: (00:42)




Missed it? Check out a still of the scene here. And no, this trailer has nothing to do with this as Capcom has already formally confirmed DR2.

Thanks for the tip, Trike.

The Mega Man Drought

Are you enjoying the recent "Mega Man drought" with a minimum of two games coming out in a single year? (not including multiple versions)

If you may recall, the market was almost over-saturated with Mega Man games with four to five games in a single year. This was great for those with an undying love for the Blue Bomber, but for the casual consumer, it was a torrent of confusion.

That said, Capcom, at some point, decided to cut back on the number of Mega Man games released in a year, allowing more leverage between releases. In your opinion, do you like this strategy? It allows you more time to enjoy each game coming out and saves you money!

Rockman EXE The Medal Operation

This little known beauty was quite prominent in Japanese arcades in late 2005. Rockman EXE: the Medal Operation marked the EXE series' first foray into the arcade scene. So, uh...what is it?

Players deposit a specific amount of "medals" (arcade tokens) into the machine to initiate the game. Once started, you play a series of EXE 5 themed mini games in order to win a boatload of tokens to trade for prizes. Very little details exist about each individual mini game, all I know is that there's five in all with varying gameplay styles. If you check out the official website, you can sort of conjure up the objectives of each.

Don't you just love these obscure Japanese arcade games?

Another Rockman World "Collection"

Honestly, I'm beginning to think the Rockman World titles are the most pirated RM games ever.

Here, we have yet another multicart auction containing RM World 1~5 entitled "Rockman World Perfect." Indeed, such an item is tempting; after all, who wouldn't want to own all five World titles in a single cart?

For $24.99 plus $15.99 shipping, a pirate of this caliber isn't worth it. So please, wait it out until we have ourselves a true blue World collection

Why did you have to go and let us down Atomic-Planet?

Capcom To Announce New Game Through Xbox Live

Capcom is teasing a brand new game for the Xbox 360, set to be announced February 23rd in the form of a trailer on Xbox Live Marketplace.

Whether this pertains to Mega Man or not is unknown at this time, though a little speculation never hurts.

Mega Man Soccer HD Remix?

Auction: Rockman EXE 2 GBA Bundle

Currently up for bidding on Yahoo! Auctions Japan is the highly uncommon Rockman EXE 2 GameBoy Advance Bundle. The set, consists of a "Hikari Labs" branded GBA and a copy of Rockman EXE 2. It's quite the collector's item as it was sold in limited quantities through Ito Yokado stores in Japan.

Currently, the set is priced at 7,250 Yen ($82.00) with two eager bidders. Definitely worth a look if you're interested in sprucing up your EXE collection.

Snipe Kobuns In Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop

In preparation for Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop's release, Capcom has unveiled an all new Wii exclusive "challenge quest" mode, a collection of sub quests to broaden the game's replay value.

One such challenge is the "Kobun Mask Boom" mission. Here, everyone on screen wears a Kobun helmet and it's up to you to determine who's an innocent civilian and who's a blood thirsty zombie based on their behavior and appearance.

Oh what fun!

News credit: Joystiq Wii

Warner Bros. Planned a Mega Man Movie?

An interesting tidbit of news comes from the archives of Dark Horizons, concerning the possibility of a Mega Man feature film produced by Warner Bros. and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The article dates way back to September of 2003:

"Got a kick out of the recent "news" that Shyamalan's been linked to Superman, no doubt because his name's been heard around Warner's quite a bit lately. So I figured I'd set the record straight. WB's been trying to get their mitts on the rights to the long running video game series Mega Man to turn into a feature film. Capcom, the creators, are wary of letting anyone touch the project, after a few disastrous licensing moves with the property as well as the recent "so so" reaction to other movie adaptations. The most recent move made was that the suits asked Capcom for a "wish list" of directors, and Shyamalan was the one name they came back with.

I dunno what made them think that the nuanced style of M. Night would be perfect for adapting a colorful video game character, but there you have it. I seriously doubt MNS would lower himself to doing a video game adaptation, but who knows? I suspect the big guys upstairs are at least making an attempt, in the efforts to get the movie made... for some reason, they think it will be a big deal and potential franchise".
--Dark Horizons

Shayamlan directing a Mega Man film? WHAT A TWIST! In all seriousness, I can't even begin to fathom a theatrical adaption of MM. Animated yes, but live action? No sir. No matter, it's too late now...

Were You a Part of "Minute Maid Mega Man Mondays?"

Looking back on the 15th anniversary promotions, I stumbled across a very interesting joint venture between Capcom and J&J Snacks.

"J&J Snacks -- Nationwide in-school program called "Minute Maid Mega Man Mondays." Exposure in nearly 20,000 middle schools with opportunity to reach 7.2 million kids grades six to eight with a sweepstakes promotion. The sweepstakes will offer all students a chance to win various prizes including: Mega Man games, video game consoles, a college scholarship and a grand prize trip to the Capcom headquarters to be a game developer for a day. Promotion runs October to December 2003."

I don't recall this promotion ever gracing my middle school at that time, so out of curiosity, did this ever come to your middle school? As odds would have it, one of my close friends, "Tim," actually won Battle Network 3 White through this very promotion.

The Making of Mega Ran 9

The full album is almost here! In the meantime, check out this video Mega Ran put together discussing all the happenings behind the music:



News Credit: Snow via Capcom-Unity

SSR3 Makes Japan's Top Selling Software of '08...

Weekly Famitsu has compiled its annual game sales data for 2008, listing the top 100 selling games of this. So, where do Shooting Star Rockman 3 place? Number 75 with 174,426 units. Ouch. Notably, that number applies only to the Red Joker version, meaning Black Ace didn't even chart. Double ouch. In previous years, Rockman games placed fairly high in the mid thirties to forties.

Look on the bright side, at least it made it in the list.

News Credit: PS3hyper

Additonal Battle Chip Stadium Info

It seems the Battle Chip Stadium footage peaked the interests of many, so as requested, here's a bit more information on the machine that you'll never get to play:

-BCS is the ultimate experience of the "Navi Link System" featured in Rockman EXE 6. The NLS broadened the EXE 6 experience by allowing players to upload their EXE 6 Navis (via Navi Data Battle Chips) into various Takara products such as the Link PET EX and the Battle Chip Stadium kiosk to grow their characters beyond the stat limit within the GBA game.

The Navi Link System remains absent from all localized versions of EXE 6, however some aspects can be unearthed through hacking.

- Once Navi Data is loaded into the BCS, you can fight against computer controlled Navis or play against a friend.

-If you don't have Navi Data, you can choose between twelve playable Navis such as Rockman, Tengu Man, Charge Man, etc. Basically, all the Navis from EXE 6.

-BCSs require a 100 Yen (a dollar) per play. Once you've lost a match, you're required to fork over another 100 Yen to keep going.

- Eight slots are installed in the system where one can slot in Takara Battle Chips in real-time (two of which are used strictly for loading/saving Navi Data). If you don't have any Battle Chips, the game comes with a small library of embedded chips within the Custom Screen.

-Like Rockman EXE 4.5, you do not manually control the Navi. Instead, you control the timing of attacks with a series of buttons.

- You're allowed to slot in three Battle Chips per round (total of three rounds in all). After inputting chips, a roulette wheel appears determining if the attack will deal critical damage or no damage at all (a "miss"). Be sure to time your button presses!

-Program Advances can be executed in real-time as well by slotting in two or more Battle Chips in a specific order. PAs are avoidable if the opponent is using a barrier type Battle Chip or if the roulette wheel has determined the attack will fail before hand.

-Once the battle is done, you're rewarded with experience points that can be redeemed for stat upgrades. (It's possible to reach Navi LV 99 with the BCS) If you're playing off of a Navi Data, these upgrades are saved onto the chip and can be re-uploaded to EXE 6 or the Link PET EX.

-By meeting certain requirements, it's possible to win Battle Chips from the machine. Notably the kiosk would sometimes award players with "colored" Battle Chips (pic)

-Three variations of the BCS exist (V1,V2, and V3), each with little differences. Nothing major, just different kiosk displays and added hardware functionality such as processing speed and different mother board chip sets....oh and new Navis to face. V2 I believe has "Dark Rockman" and "Dark Colonel" while V3 has "Forte Animal" and "Dark Blues."

Thanks a ton to Gyroman_black (pictures and info) and SuperMega for additional information.

Capcom Visa Debit Cards Incoming

Okay, this seriously has to be the coolest news story in a long time. According to the Los Angelas Times, Capcom is planning on distributing franchise themed Visa Cards in the near future:

"Trying to give its gamers a charge, Capcom plans to start offering Visa debit cards on Tuesday. The Japanese developer, which owns popular game franchises such as Resident Evil, Street Fighter and Megaman, is betting that fans will pony up $7 for the card and a $5 monthly service fee in exchange for loyalty rewards." "The card can be the secret decoder ring for fans to get into the Capcom treehouse," Capcom spokesman Chris Kramer said.

Basically, the cards are your key to various incentives such as prizes and goods and privileges. Who knows, maybe we'll see a Mega Man card or two. How cool would that be?

News Credit: GoNintendo

Old, Unseen Rockman X4 Commercial?

I don't recall seeing this before, pretty neat as it shows the special edition set towards the end:

Mega Man 9 Remix Project Is a Go

The talented members of OverClocked reMix are preparing for their next musical foray: the Mega Man 9 Remix Project. As the name implies the project will aim to remix various musical tracks from MM9, which will hopefully turn out better than the official arranged album.

Those working on the project hail from previous OCR remixes such as Voices of the Life Stream and the acclaimed Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD mix (Capcom approved!).

This definitely sounds fun, be sure to check back April 15th for a sample or two!

News Credit: Rock Miyabi via Rockman Perfect Memories

Your Preference of "Stage Selection?"

Out of blatant curiosity, which method of "stage selection" do you prefer? The ever classic menu based stage selection ("the Brady Bunch") or the more open-ended "exploration" type ala' Zero, ZX?

Hands down, I love the traditional method: nothing beats that spiffy stage select tune, alongside foe's mugshots. At time, I do prefer the exploration method as it's sort of a "stage-before-the stage" thingie.

How about you guys?

Now You Can Play "Rocman X" Online!

"Rocman X," the infamous NES pirate is now available to play online for free at Nintendo8 Online.
It's a strange pirate indeed, baring little resemblance to the source material with a few tidbits that reek of rip off. (yes, the title is actually spelled "Rocman X", not a typo.)

Periodically, you can find a hard copy of the game on ebay under the name "Thunder Blast Man" or "Sachen," usually from anywhere between $15.00~$30.00.

You can learn more about Rocman X here.

Rockman.EXE Battle Chip Stadium Footage

SuperMega233 has unearthed footage of Rockman.EXE Battle Chip Stadium, the little known arcade game exclusive to Japan. Released months after EXE 6, the machine acted as an extension of the game, offering players a more advanced battle system rendered in semi-3D. Each cabinet was equipped with a slot to input "Takara Battle Chips" in real-time. In addition, players can also upload their respective Rockman into the cabinet via the abilities of the Beast Link Gate.

Rockman and Roll Invade Daletto World

According to Japanese PRC reader "555", Rockman and Roll are making prominent appearances throughout "Daletto World" Capcom's Second Life-ish virtual community.

Both Rock and Roll are fully intractable NPCs, offering little conversations about the happenings of Daletto World and giving away items every now and then. Apparently, during the week of Rockman 9's release, the two gave out a special "virtual t-shirts" featuring an 8-bit Rockman on the front and back. Awww.

Daletto World sure seems interesting, though I doubt we'll see something like this on our shores. If you've played Second Life, you're not missing much apparently.

Auction: "Rock N' Roll" Staff T-Shirt

T-Shirt weather is on it's way, so why not celebrate with this neat Rockman shirt?

Yahoo! Auctions Japan is hosting a truly one of a kind auction: the Rock N' Roll 10th Anniversary shirt worn by Rockman event staff during the 10th Anniversary festival in 1997.

At 6,250 Yen ($70), this is one pricey shirt. Nevertheless, five bidders have their eyes set on it. Truly, an item worthy to be worn by the most devoted of fans.

Nothing From Coro Coro

According to Heat Man's sources, the March issue of Coro Coro Comics contained no info whatsoever about the new title, not even a hint or two. In addition, the preview for the next issue (April) makes no indication of any new info either, just promises for more SSR3 coverage.

There's a high possibility the game will be revealed in the May issue--the very issue that will announce the boss contest winner. And yet, there's also a chance we could hear something outside of Coro Coro, after all, we still haven't heard anything from Nintendo Dream...

News Credit: The Mega Man Network

Nintendo Power Deems Mega Man 9 'WiiWare Game of the Year'

What a honor: Mega Man 9, the little 8-bit game that could, cleaned up Nintendo Power's WiiWare awards, beating out the likes of World of Goo, Tetris Party, Lost Winds, and many more "AAA" WiiWare titles:

"The WiiWare service had a great start, with a steady output of quality releases that included some of the year’s best games. Mega Man 9 tops them all because, in addition to its fun and challenging gameplay, the title is a fantastic example of the breadth of game styles made possible by direct download– the game would have been considered too risky to ever sell in stores. Here’s hoping more creative ideas are given a chance thanks to Mega Man 9’s success."

But wait! The acclaim doesn't stop there! Mega Man 9 was also deemed the "best shooter/action game" of the year and nominated for "overall game of the year."

It's definitely great to see MM9 getting the recognition is deserved.

News Credit: The Mega Man Network

Mega Man's Getting Back in Action

Ever wondered how Mega Man was able to get back into shape after a ten year absence?

E-Capcom Preps WHF Goods

Looks like E-Capcom updated their Rockman category with some delightful goods straight from the winter World Hobby Fair. The new items include a spiffy Noise Gear folder, a Misora/Luna poster, a Black Ace/Red Joker "drip mat" (?), and much more.

Hopefully, these goods will pop up on Play-Asia in the future; they've been known to stock certain E-Capcom goods every now and then.

Patience Is a Virtue

Phew, what a morning: I woke up to twelve different e-mails asking where's the monthly Coro Coro scoop. Well, it's not here yet. Indeed, parts of the issue have been "leaked" to public, specifically information concerning the newest Pocket Monster game and movie. Other than that, we've got nothing on the Rockman side just yet.

With tomorrow being the official release date for the issue, there's a chance we'll know something over the weekend, that is, if the mystery game is even covered. Now, I don't want to get your hopes up, but I truly believe something is going to happen in this issue. Maybe not an unveiling perse, but a few more hints as to what we're gonna get.

We'll just have to wait it out for now.

G4 TV's Homage To Rockman

A little out dated, but I simply love this special. In honor of the Blue Bomber's 15th Anniversary, G4 TV created a special episode of "Icons" devoted solely to Rockman's history and Inafune's rise to fame. Now, pay close attention to the scenes with Inafune's sketch books; you can see various pieces of conceptual artwork that failed to appear in R20, including, what appears to be, a prototype version of Splash Woman (second video, 9:35 in)

Dog Cosplays as Rush, Laughs Ensue

Auction: Rockman X4 Special Edition

Got a Sega Saturn and $70.00 to blow? The you might want to check the all too uncommon "special edition" of Rockman X4. This little gem is currently up for grabs on ebay, complete with the exclusive Ultimate Armor model kit.

Collectors should also be on the lookout for the PlayStation variant of the pack which is even rarer: same package, different system but released in a smaller amount than the SS version. I've yet to see it anywhere beside Yahoo! Auctions Japan, but you never know.

'Shooting Star Rockman Official Complete Works' Details Surface

Online shop Rakuten brings forth new information regarding the Shooting Star Rockman Official Complete Works art book. Set to release April 1st, 2009, the 176 page book will retail for 2,100 Yen ($23.00 USD) jammed pack with official art from the series.

Hopefully, Udon will bring this one stateside--after M20 please.


News Credit: Gyroman_black via The MegaMan Network

The Unheard Dialogue of MegaMan Legends

Keiji Dragon has stumbled upon a most interesting discovery; hidden vocal tracks within the MegaMan Legends disc:

Capcom Appoints THQ as Distributor in Australia, New Zealand

Following the fall of Red Ant Enterprises, (Capcom's Australian distributor) there was a little bit of tension regarding the fate of various franchises in the land down under. Thankfully, as of yesterday, Capcom has signed on THQ to take up the responsibility.

"London February 10th, 2009 – Capcom® today announced that it has appointed THQ Asia Pacific Pty Ltd., a subsidiary of THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI), as the sole distributor of its titles in Australia and New Zealand. Under the terms of the agreement, THQ Asia Pacific will be responsible for the distribution, sales and marketing for Capcom’s releases in this territory, effective immediately."

Read the complete press release here.

Few More Battle Network Oddities

I don't know why, but I'm feeling very nostalgic about the EXE/Battle Network series lately. So I decided to do some digging of my own and see if I could find anymore EXE mysteries/oddities to compliment the recent findings. Lo and behold, I found a measly amount. Nothing groundbreaking, just interesting:

-An old IGN preview noted the game would contain four player linked play via GBA link cable; final retail build is limited to two players.

-A Capcom USA E3 2001 press release indicates that at one point, Lan was known as Netto in the localized version.

-Another IGN preview noted an attack that activates "automated sentries." A Battle Chip perhaps? I don't recall anything like this in BN1.

-IGN has a very old Coro Coro scan that depicts a "lanky" version of Rockman.EXE; don't remember seeing this before.

-Was the subtitle, "Battle Network" originally slated to be "EXE?" According to an anonymous source, an old Capcom press release contained a mock-up "MegaMan EXE" logo (pictured up top.)

-I noticed a few other oddities within the beta video. First is this screen right here. As you can see, we have ourselves a stop light tucked into the street corner that remains completely absent from the final. And finally, the Mr. Progs in the oven computer are notably conscious. In the final, they are slumped over and overheating.

Well, that's all I've got for now. I'm trying to obtain these old Capcom newsletters for more prototype pictures and whatnot. We'll see how that turns out.

Few More Wavemasters Videos

Capcom has once again updated the Shooting Star Rockman 3 hub with more Wavemaster '09 footage. The newest batch is from the Nagoya tournament, spanning a total four videos. Expect the final set of videos to arrive soon.

Thanks for the tip Jorge!

Ray Toro Rockin' Out To Mega Man 9

Finally, I have something in common with Ray Toro , lead guitarist of My Chemical Romance: we both love Mega Man 9. According to an entry in his blog, the "Torosaurus" has developed a new found love/hate relationship with MM9:

"In other news, I've started to tackle Mega Man 9. What a genius stroke by Capcom to release this game. If you guys haven't had a chance to try it (or any of the previous in the series) you have to give it a shot. This is pure old-school gaming at its best. So far my favorite "F*&( you" moment from the designers is in Tornado Man's stage, where some clouds offer you safe footing, while others you will pass right through and die a sorry death. Or the part in Plug Man's stage, where the infamous disappearing blocks return. Just went you think a block will appear to stop your fall, "f&^* you!!" say the designers. In your rush to get across the bottomless pit, you forgot to notice the timing of the blocks has now changed. "f*&%(% YOUUUU!!!!" "

I feel your pain Ray, Mega Man 9 gets the best of us.

News Credit: Snow @ Capcom-Unity

Confirmed: March Coro Coro Ships *UPDATED*

According to PRC reader Kyle, Jbox.com has begun shipping the March issue of Coro Coro Comics ahead of the planned February 14th release.

An automated e-mail stated the issue shipped last night and is expected to arrive within the next two weeks. If this holds true, then our Japanese sources will be getting the issue sooner than later and, god willing, we'll get some details concerning the "mystery" Rockman game any day now. Patience...

UPDATED: Yup, it's confirmed. March issue is out according to Serebii.net. hang tight as we await for updates. Thanks to BoltStorm for the tip.

Rockman Inspires 'Robot Ninja Haggle Man'

So, Retro Game Challenge is coming out tomorrow--been looking forward to that for quite some time now. RGC, for the Nintendo DS, is loaded with several retro inspired mini games with a bit of a new gen twist to each. One game in particular, Robot Ninja Haggle Man, piques my interest as it is a direct homage to classic series Rockman:

" Like Capcom's hero, Haggle Man is a robot built by a famous scientist, and has a little sister, a dog, and must defeat an evil scientist. But unlike Mega Man, he must also save a princess (that is to say, "The Princess.")."

Gameplay wise, Haggle Man bares little resemblance to the true blue Rockman formula, as seen here:

Retro Game Challenge 'Haggle Man' gameplay

For more details about Haggle Man and Retro Game Challenge, head on over to 1Up.

News Credit: 1Up

Blast From the Past: MegaMan Mania

Oh the collection that never was, I die a little inside every time I see this.



MegaMan Mania, the complimentary collection to the Anniversary Collection, would have compiled all the GameBoy titles into one convenient GBA cartridge. After countless delays, the project was canceled due to the "misplacement" of the original source code. Regardless, MM Mania producer once stated the collection would make the jump to the Nintendo DS instead, but we've yet to see anything come of it. Sad, sad, sad.

That's a Lot of MegaMan 64s

Here's a fun ebay auction: For a whopping $999.99, you can own six--count them--six sealed copies of MegaMan 64 (aka MegaMan Legends N64 port).

A single sealed copy of MM64 is one thing, but six? Sheesh. Best part is, the games come in their original factory box, so most likely, they've come from Capcom's shipping vendors. Seems like an auction serious (and rich) MM collectors might want to check out.

Place Your Bets!

Now, don't hold your breath but, the possibility of Coro Coro Comics revealing the identity of the mystery Rockman game in the March issue (coming Feb. 14th or sooner) is very probable. With the contest winner being revealed in the May issue, something has to fill the void between now and then; the announcement.

That said, there are so many possibilities for Rockman's newest title. Many circles are leaning towards the revival of an inactive series such as X or EXE, whilst others believe we'll see a new series or even a crossover of sorts. Care to make a little wager?

Rockman DASH 2 Beta Footage Unearthed

Lots o' beta stuff recently, eh? Miyakia13 brings us footage of an extremely rare look at Rockman DASH 2 from V Jump's '99 promo VHS. The most noteworthy aspect of this video is at 1:09 where you can see a town that remains completely absent from the final build. The rest of the video is comprised of footage from Episode 1, a "demo" of DASH 2 bundled with Tron Ni Kobun.

Thanks Vixy!

SSR3 Tops 200k, DASH Value Pack Debuts

Well, it finally made it: Shooting Star Rockman 3 hit the 200,000 sales unit mark last week with the help of an additional 4,000 units. Quite an accomplishment. The Rockman DASH Value Pack also charted last week with a measly 1,900 units. This shouldn't come as a surprise after all, it's merely a repackaging.