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.
Regarding the early "lanky" art, I remember that quite well, and it almost made me roll my eyes and ignore it, until I remembered that I really wasn't big on the earliest Mega Man X art we had, either, where he was all blue, and had little color to a face under a mask.
ReplyDeleteThat worked out well in the end, so I figured I'd see how BN would play out.
--LBD "Nytetrayn"
Man, I miss EXE so much. What a wonderful series (save for EXE 4).
ReplyDeleteI'm glad they decided to end it on a high note and not run it into the ground (even more, some might say), but I do miss it. It was home to an awesome universe with one-of-a-kind characters. :)
In before "EXE and RnR sux im glad their dead lol!"
I'm sure Battle Network was originally going to be called EXE. Not only because of that logo,but that's also the name that was used by magazines here in Mexico when it was revealed.
ReplyDeleteI remember an IGN article about EXE6 Beast Link ages ago. I think there's a Proto Shield about it in the Legend Force archives.
ReplyDeleteYay, I'm feeling nostalgic about it too, glad the news-digger is looking for some interesting stuff about it. ;D
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize all the little changes in the first EXE game, because I honestly didn't know anything about the series until my brother got the first game when it came out. Needless to say, I kept close tabs on the development of the sequels. The little details of the development of the first one still remain an elusive piece of history of my favorite series.
Interesting that they might have kept the name Netto. The lanky art is a bit weird, but I kind of like the art style of the head and hair...
Keep digging for cool EXE stuff, Protodude! :D
The "lanky" picture reminds me that they didn't use the battle mask thingy enough in the anime...
ReplyDeleteCool finds! Hope you find more.
Whoa, 4-way battles? Sweet! This gets me itchin' for another EXE game or an SSR crossover.
ReplyDeleteI already commented, but I must again after reading the IGN preview...
ReplyDeleteApparently everyone has their own "Megaman EXE's" in this "Megaman-obsessed society"
You apparently "buy" weapons...
And a few other laughable things.
Makes me wonder how many different ways the EXE series could have gone... Ah, nostalgia.
I dunno about you, but Mega Man EXE sounds so much more marketable than Mega Man Battle Network.
ReplyDeleteI mean... Anyone who has touched a computer knows that EXE is a very recognizable file format and can instantly link that to "Oh, something about Mega Man and computers." But "Battle Network" is a lot more vague and generic and mostly just emphasizes the hobby/collection aspects popularized by Pokémon... ultimately what became one of the series's biggest handicaps in our region, responsible for drawing hardcore fans from the Mega Man/X franchises away from this spin-off.
I agree with Seiko. Adding the "Battle Network" and dropping EXE wasn't the smartest of moves... Megaman Battle Network just sounds like a hooby-style game. Megaman.exe would have been good methinks.
ReplyDeleteThey also didn't use the EXE suffix enough in-game.
I've seen the lanky art before, especially in the Japanese games (I remember seeing it the EXE WS manual, I believe, but I'd have to dig it out). Here's another pic along those lines:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.capcom-central.com/Onimusha/OnimushaBladeWarriors/images/character/megaman.jpg
Keep digging up these fun things!
@Brahman: So that's where that picture comes from... Cool. Protodude, you should see if you can dig up some stuff on Rockman EXE WS... like some box art (wikipedia has that) and info about the game (maybe some history) and maybe some manual pics? :D That would be awesome.
ReplyDeleteWouldn't the sentries be those Lock-On viruses that were only in BN1? The ones that fired machine guns at you... and the Chip was called Lock-On. Not sure if that's the same thing they were talking about.
ReplyDelete