I think a common question is lingering in our head's right about now: what is Capcom scheming? The unveiling of Clock Genius spurred quite a few sparks yesterday; there are those of us believe we're onto a new Shooting Star Rockman title while others believe something entirely different is on the burner. With very little to base anything on, it looks like we'll have to wait it out for future Coro Coro information. Until then, let us speculate with what we've got.Here's the way I see it: Clock Genius himself is a given of what's to come, his design possibly carries the SSR tradition of basing characters off of constellations/star systems. With a little research, we can pen Clock Genius' inspiration on the "Horologium" system, a distant constellation associated with a pendulum. (In fact, if you look at Clock Genius's torso, you can see what appears to be a pendulum). Does this necessarily entitle Clock Genius' presence to a SSR continuation? Maybe not.
Consider this: previous characters in the Rockman EXE series had a sort of space/interstellar theme too such as Astro Man, Laser Man , Cosmos Man, Star Man -- hell, even Duo! (two of those named -- Laser Man and Cosmos Man, were winning boss designs mind you.) Who's to say Clock Genius doesn't belong to some sort of EXE revival (ignoring the fact he lacks the "Man.EXE" suffix) or even better, something completely fresh? His relation to a space theme would only be coincidental in that case. Again, we have too little information as Coro Coro left us hanging, deeming the game Clock Genius correlates to as "undecided."
Regardless, I can't shake the feeling this is something SSR related. I realize we have a couple conflicting reasons as to why a fourth title shouldn't be made such as the release of "Official Complete Works", SSR3's less than stellar performance and the general climatic mentality of the the third game's plot. Those reasons aside, something along the lines of SSR4 seems like the most likely case-scenario at this point.
PLEASE!! No more SSR!!
ReplyDeletegive us ZX3 even! freshen up the bosses instead of the usual "element animal" formula! Mix up the boss designs to show how progressive the world setting is in ZX3 and give it a shot! Just less "power rangers" stuff and more jump, shoot, an' loot!
At least ZX plays like a Rockman game! More build-up to Legends couldn't hurt!
I want ZX3 as much as the next person, but it a new SSR is made, it's got me backing it up.
ReplyDeleteCapcom would have to be pretty dumb sink even more money on SSR after the last game bombed.
ReplyDeleteTime to regroup and either go back to the drawing board or another series.
Sure, Clock Genius could be based on Horologium. Or, just possibly, the design could be based on a clock.
ReplyDeleteBecause we've never had characters from various series based on random objects, right? ;3
Protodude! I'm a frequent reader of your news site, and regarding the secret on Megaman 9, I'd like to speak to you about something I'm currently working on to possibly figure it out. Where could I contact you personally?
ReplyDelete@Cloudy: rockman20xx(AT)yahoo(DOT)com
ReplyDeleteI dunno. I like the Star Force series, so another one wouldn't really bother me (perhaps a prequel, even?)
ReplyDeleteHowever, "Clock Genius" doesn't really look like a denpa-henkan form. He looks kind of like his own thing. That, and if he was Star Force based, wouldn't the artist also have drawn the FM seijin?
I'd say this could either be ZX, Z, or X series.
Awesome. I hope it is SSR4, though I would REALLY prefer X9 first.
ReplyDeleteStill, beggars can't be choosers. SSR4!
As much as I wish it's an EXE boss, the naming means it's either MMX or RnR. Given all the data, it's obviously RnR4 or a new series altogether--if it were a new series, I have a feeling it would have an altogether new method of boss naming. Something drastically different. And it would have been announced in the corocoro magazine. These kids are automatically assuming RnR4, since that's what would logically come next. Capcom wouldn't have a boss contest with no given rules and THEN start game development based on entries...
ReplyDeleteThe (rather pathetic) name actually makes me think of a steampunk Rockman, which is all the rage right now.
@Oren: Why is RnR more power rangery than ZX3? :P "Progressive world?" XD! What the heck does that mean and how is it more so in ZX than in RnR?
ReplyDeleteGood grief. I think I'll just start posting, "No more ZX/MMX/classic! I have deemed that they are not Rockman series!"
Ryuusei 3 DID NOT bomb. 2 was awful, but 3 is the best game in the series.
ReplyDelete"@Oren: Why is RnR more power rangery than ZX3? :P "Progressive world?" XD! What the heck does that mean and how is it more so in ZX than in RnR?"
ReplyDeleteI didn't say that RnR is power rangery, I meant that the ZX series is, sorry for the confusion. As for progression, you have to understand that the different Rockman series take place at different times in earth's history. The world of Classic is the same Earth as the one in Legends, it's just WAY in the past. The whole of it is about Dr. Light's legacy, how seemingly small events cause large change, and how rampant use/pursuit of of technology could have dangerous consequences regardless of intent.
I'd love to have another Classic or X game to play, but I'd also love to see what further events transpire in the ZX era that might help us to see how the course of history "progresses" along into the era that Legends takes place in. It's an interesting, rich world, with lots happening.
In contrast, the EXE, RnR don't take place in the Rockman timeline and are separate. RnR takes place after EXE, but could just as easily exist without EXE. I'm not saying that they aren't fun, or don't capture a lot of Rockman elements. It's just that they are simply borrowing the name Rockman, and are separate entities unto their own. I've often been curious about something. What if it EXE had been given a different name? Capcom would have been praised for having yet another successful series, with a rich, diverse, creative universe and exciting gameplay. It was a good marketing move to name it Rockman though. I've always been curious though.
I'd like to see the main line developed more is all.
"Good grief. I think I'll just start posting, "No more ZX/MMX/classic! I have deemed that they are not Rockman series!""
They are named Rockam, and so they are "Rockman series", but they have nothing to do with the Rockman series of games. They were always called an "alternate reality" series from the beginning. A way to grab some of the Pokemon dollars that seemed to be growing larger every day by the time EXE came out.
I don't know if I would've liked EXE if it didn't have the Rockman name. I like the ****man character names and everything just fits together nice... One of the things I liked about the EXE series was its symmetry. It's hard to explain.
ReplyDeleteI see what you mean, though. :)
@Spike: To be fair, the artist of Moon Disaster didn't draw a denpa seijin form for their character.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, pretty clear it's an SSR character to me. As cool as a new series would be, it seems silly to me to have the contest before the game itself is even revealed. It may ALSO be an X series, though that doesn't seem as likely as an SSR game, since the name doesn't exactly match up with the naming (Icy PENGUIGO, Launcher OCTOPULD, Boomer KUWANGER, etc. Essentially "element animal" as opposed to Clock Genius' "animal element" name).
I would like to say to the people saying that Ryusei no Rockman 3 bombed that Ryusei no Rockman 3 did not bomb. The third game simply didn't do incredibly well, it made it's quota. You also need to take into account that America's sales could determine the starforces' fate.
ReplyDelete@JDAManson : "...since the name doesn't exactly match up with the naming (Icy PENGUIGO, Launcher OCTOPULD, Boomer KUWANGER, etc. Essentially "element animal" as opposed to Clock Genius' "animal element" name..."
ReplyDeleteWhile the X series started out with that pattern (X1-X6) the later games evolved the pattern to include "adjective noun" in the list of accepted boss names. Tornado Tonion, and Optic Sunflower instantly come to mind. Expanding on that, the Command Mission style of naming was even more vague with many of the boss characters not following any naming pattern.
That aside though, it's probably another in the EXE/RnR line. :(
-Age
@JDA: Yeah, I totally forgot about him and Goat Kung-fu.
ReplyDeleteStill, they've been using just nouns instead of actual animals since at least X2, with Wire Sponge. Then you had Split Mushroom in X4, Spike Rosered/Axl the Red in X5, Tornado Tonion in X7, and Optic Sunflower in X8. So, I'll give you that they've been few and far between, but there have been some rather abstract concepts with some of the X series bosses for a long time.
I am aware it doesn't seem very likely, but I'm holding out hope for an X game. Or maybe that Scramble Battle that was rumored about so long ago?
I know it really doesn't matter, but I'd like to correct the last comment - a sponge IS an animal.
ReplyDeleteDon't hold your breath, it ain't happenin'.
ReplyDelete"Element animal" was the wrong choice of words. As Ageman put it, "adjective noun" is better. Since yeah, there's also plants in the mix in X.
ReplyDeleteAnd thinking about it, to give the folks pulling for X some hope, maybe Clock is the adjective here and Genius is the noun. We could be taking it in reverse. It's a reach, but it's something, right?