The Many Secrets of Mega Man 9

This is impressive: YouTube user Rockman2900 created three videos compiling every known secret, easter egg, glitch, etc. in Mega Man 9. Well worth a watch, you might just learn a few tricks:

Mega Man Rush Marine iPhone Bound?

Mega Man Rush Marine is coming down the pike, a brand new side scrolling shooter for mobile platforms. Which mobile platform? Unfortunately, Capcom's fact sheet didn't specify, but if the the screenshots are any indication, Rush Marine might be headed to Apple's iPhone.

According to 1Ups Jeremy Parish, the screenshots for the title run 480 x 320 in size, the precise resolution of an iPhone/iPod touch screen.

"I couldn't help but notice that the resolution on these Mega Man: Rush Marine screens I found over at Siliconera just happen to be sized at 480x320. By a funny coincidence, that's the exact resolution of the iPhone's screen."

"In case you didn't know, the iPhone has some pretty solid shooters available for it. Rush Marine seems like a perfect fit, don't you think? Its retro-favored graphics (taken largely, though not entirely, from Mega Man 3) would be super-crisp on the iPhone's screen. Plus, unlike all your crazy Japan-only superphones, the iPhone is available to just about everyone in the world... and for those who can't own one, there's always the iPod Touch."

An iPhone release sounds likely, but bear in mind that the screenshots for RM are conceptual images according to Capcom's press room; it might not reflect the final product.

Whatever the case, Capcom's mobile group will be at E3, so expect to hear more Rush Marine info within the week.

Mega Man 9 Is So Good It Sucks

GameDaily recently compiled a list of "good games that actually suck." Making the cut is Mega Man 9:

" Last year, Capcom delivered yet another Mega Man sequel to its long-standing franchise, but with a twist. Instead of revamping the blue bomber, the developers went "old school" and gave his adventure an 8-bit feel, complete with simplistic 2-D sprites, retro music, slowdown and nearly impossible to beat enemies. We literally cannot go three minutes of continuous play without dying (What's the fun in that?). Everyone else, including our reviewer, must have secret cheat codes, because despite this ridiculous artificial intelligence, Mega Man 9 has an 82 percent average on Gamerankings. "

So.... the game "sucks" because it's too hard? Really now...

Watch Mega Man Walk On Water

It's a miracle!


This trick is not easy to pull off in the least; you'll either need a turbo controller or some nifty emulation tools.

Mystery Game To Be Unveiled Tuesday Morning

Come Tuesday morning, June 2nd 2009, Capcom will finally reveal their "mystery" title to the world:

"Capcom Mystery Game #2: all (well, some) secrets will be revealed Tuesday morning! No more hints!" -- Capcom's Twitter

Mega Man related or not, I'm looking forward to whatever it may be.

Mega Man Rush Marine Announced

Today, Capcom announced Mega Man Rush Marine, a traditional side scrolling shooter for mobile phones:

"Take the plunge with Mega Man® and his shape-shifting robot dog, Rush in this original side scrolling shooter set in the deep blue sea. In the year 20XX Dr. Wily sends his robot minions to the seabed in order to drill for oil causing earthquakes and destruction to the surrounding islands. Only Mega Man and the newly submersible Rush Marine have any hope of stopping Wily’s nefarious plan.

* Exciting side-scrolling aquatic shooter.
* Explore three aquatic environments including Shallow Water, Volcanic Reef and Deep Water.
* Battle through ten levels and defeat as many robot masters, each with a unique weapon that you can capture and use for good.
* Fight your way through expansive levels teeming with 14 enemies and numerous hazards. "


Rush Marine is looking to release in Q3 2009.

Credit: Mega Man Network

Ariga Q&A Session Up For Vieiwing

Yesterday, Daletto TV hosted an exclusive Q&A session with Rockman Megamix's Hitoshi Ariga and Keiji Inafune. Viewers and fans were capable of sending Ariga and Inafune questions via StickCam.

For those that missed out on the live broadcast, StickCam Japan is currently featuring the show in archive format, three parts in all. Yes, it's entirely in Japanese, but still fairly entertaining. Check it out here.

Inexpensive 10th Ann. Statue Hits Ebay

In case you're still looking for a limited edition 10th anniversary resin statue and didn't drop a thousand smackers on this, then Ebay is currently listing another at a reasonable $60 starting point; drastically cheaper than the former which, by the by, was not only overpriced, but broken!

As an added bonus, winners will receive a Marvel VS. Capcom 2 Mega Man action figure! Darn good deal if you ask me.

Check out the complete auction here for more details!

Another Look At Mega Man 2.5D

Avid Mega Man fan Peter Sjostrand brings us another look at his Mega Man 2.5D fan-game, an attempt to render MM2 in 3D...sort of. This particular footage shows off the intended co-operative mode:

Star Force 3 Satellite Server Update

The Satellite Server received a slight update the other day, enabling visitors to view character profiles of the SF3 cast. The profiles are available on the "third level" of the server. Clicking on one of the six icons gives you detailed schematics on that character's respective Wave Form and abilities.

Check it out here.

Tatsunoko VS. Capcom - Seth Killian Interview

Featuring footage of the North American build in action:



Thanks, GoNintendo

One More E3 Hint From Capcom's Twitter *UPDATE 2*

"This franchise has never appeared on this hardware" says Capcom's official Twitter.

Oh such a tease! Well, let's take a look at the clues we got, shall we?

- It's from an established IP (franchise)
- It is an action game
- Game is produced by Capcom Japan
- It is not a remake


The MM franchise has appeared on all current gen consoles thus far, so the probability of it being related to MM is, unfortunately, rather slim.

UPDATE: Sven has withdrawn his recent statement:

" Update... and apologies.

The thing I thought was the other game we were announcing is in fact, not being announced at E3 (the plan changed, it's being announced later). So that last game is not something you know anything about and hopefully, it will be a complete surprise. So I was wrong. You may resume speculation/your frenzy of excitement. "

Does this change anything for you?

UPDATE 2: Yet another hint, one that totally slipped under my radar; on May 21st, Capcom told CuriousGamer the following:

"It’s a title fans have been waiting for, everyone will have to wait until E3 to find out what the secret title exactly is but we can tell it is definitely not Devil May Cry 5."

Oh boy.

Blast From The Past: Mega Man V (GB) Promotional Trailer

Mega Man Legends Debug Code Discovered

TauVertex of Legends Station recently whipped up a code that enables exploration of areas in Mega Man Legends that cannot normally be accessed. Pictured is an example of the code in action: here, we have Rock exploring the Servbot Kitchen on the Gesellschaft, a room that is only seen in a cutscene. Nifty, no?

For complete instructions and more examples, check out this topic right here. If you find anything interesting, be sure to post your findings in the comments!

"Rokujoman"

Over the weekend, a friend of mine introduced me to a little known Dreamcast game by the name of Segagaga, aka "SGGG."

The year is 2025, and Sega is in pickle. The company is losing money and market share to the likes of the sinister Dogma Corporation. (What? Sega in financial trouble? Unthinkable!)

Desperate for a help, the company concocts a brilliant scheme of turning over the entire operation to a teenage boy. With the fate of the company resting on his shoulders, "Tarou Sega" sets out to increase the company's market share to 100% within the span of three years. How? By defeating rival game producers in typical RPG fashion.

Throughout the course of the game, Tarou is able to "produce" games for Sega, some of which have no relation to Sega but bear a semblance to games featured on the Sony Playstation, Sega's biggest contender at the time. One such title is Rokujoman, a reference to--you guessed it, Rockman. Apparently the name "Rokujoman" is a pun on Rockman, with "rokujo" meaning an "arrangement of tatami mats." Yeah, pretty bizarre.

While many of the games created within SGGG can be played, Rokujoman cannot, it's limited to artwork only (pictured). As such, one is left only to imagine what kind of hilarity the game would have brought us.

For more info about SGGG, read up on Hard Core 101's writeup here.

Unnannounced Title Is Something We Already Know About

"The other "unannounced title" is something you guys all already know about already really. Won't say more than that." -- Christian Svensson

And so ends the hope of a "new" Mega Man title making its E3 debut. Possibly....

We'll see what Capcom has in store for us in a couple of weeks!

Source

Kobun Coffee Mugs!!

In honor of Dead Rising's release in Korea, Capcom distributed over 500 exclusive Kobun coffee mugs featuring Keiji Inafune's autograph and a little Rockman doodle on the under side. Simply adorable.

Unfortunately, there's no mention if the mugs will make their way outside of Korea. With any luck, the folks at Capcom-Unity will feature the little guys in the prize catalog.

Is Mega Man 2 The Best Game Ever?

GameFaqs' "Best. Game. Ever" contest is heating up as we enter the division finals. Tonight, the beloved Mega Man 2 joins the fray, contending against the likes of Tetris, Super Mario Bros. and The Legend of Zelda. VERY tough competition!

If you're love for the game is strong, show your support and vote here!

Auction: Mega Man 3 Tiger Handheld

A true gem has popped up on ebay; the highly uncommon Mega Man 3 Tiger Handheld game. Although it remains package-less, the system is in tip top condition, complete with working buttons and battery pack door.

For a simple LCD game, MM3 remains pretty faithful to the NES classic, featuring an array a familiar foes and challenges. It's not the greatest of ports, but its still very satisfying nonetheless -- and it makes a great collector's item. Read up more info on the game here.

The game will run you $99.99 plus and additional $5.99 shipping. If you feel that's a bit overpriced, the seller is willing to negotiate via the "Make Offer" option.

Funimation Gets Upon A Star?

In addition to the possibility of acquiring the Ruby Spears cartoon, word has it that Funimation Entertainment also gained the license to distribute the long out of print Mega Man Upon A Star OVA, originally released by ADV Films in 2002. According to Sylar, a Funimation representative implied the acquisition at Anime Boston. Both the RS cartoon and Upon a Star were said to re-release in late 2010.

Apparently, Funimation has acquired the rights to several ADV properties over the last year, a possible indication that the company is planning on an eventual buy-out of ADV as a whole. The addition of the RS cartoon and the Upon a Star series further fuels that possibility.

Funi has yet to announce such plans via press release. Hope to hear more from this soon.

(edit: added a little clarity)

Funimation Acquires Ruby Spears MM Rights?

Little bit of unconfirmed news for you: according to PRC reader Sylar, Funimation Entertainment announced at Anime Boston today that it has acquired the distribution rights to the Ruby Spears Mega Man cartoon, formerly held by ADV Films. The license entitles Funimation to release the show online and possibly on DVD.

More news as it comes in.

Up Close With Ariga and Iwamoto

Comic artists Hitoshi Ariga (Rockman Megamix) and Yoshihiro Iwamato (Rockman X) show off their respective workplace environments in a super old "Capcom Friendly Club" video. Well worth a watch if you're a fan of either of the two's work.

Capcom Teases Mystery E3 Title Via Twitter

Capom's official Twitter seems to be the go-to source for status regarding the company's final "mystery" E3 title. Will it be Mega Man related? Feel free to speculate on the following hints:

-It's from an established IP (franchise)
-It is not Devil May Cry 5 (contrary to rumors)
-It is an action game.
-It is NOT a remake
-It is produced by Capcom Japan

Best not to get your hopes up, this could be anything (except DMC5). E3 kicks off June 2nd, 2009. Stay tuned.

MM9 Shirts Going For $5

Now this is what I call a bargain: For a mere $4.99, you can purchase the hideous yet awesome Mega Man 9 t-shirt from Hot Topic's online clearance sale-- originally retailing for $19.99! (Shipping varies depending on location)

Only a two sizes remain; small and youth large.

These are going fast, so if you want one don't hesitate!

Thanks, asiansteev

Capcom Cooking Over 10 iPhone Games

According to Reuters, Capcom's mobile division plans on releasing more than 10 titles for Apple's iPhone (and iPod Touch) between now and March 2010.

Well, that definitely leaves room for more Mega Man. Let's just hope future MM iPhone titles won't be in lieu of the dreadful Mega Man 2 port. Maybe next time we'll get something built from the ground up a la Resident Evil Degeneration.

Credit: Joystiq

Custom Guts Man and Fire Man 'Joes

Jin Saotome returns with two new G.I Joe/Mega Man mods: Guts Man and Fire Man.

"The attack was sudden and destructive, our MOBAT tanks and Armadillos being tossed about like tin cans. That's when we saw what was doing the damage. It was a single soldier calling himself 'Gutsman'. After a long battle Rock and Protoman were able to drive him into a retreat. We later learned that Zartan had stolen our plans so that Cobra could create dimensional gateways too. Beings known as Repliods were joining their side under control of a mad doctor that Cobra Commander had formed an alliance with...some fellow named Wiley."

More Guts Man pics here

"The phrase 'out of the frying pan and in to the fire' was never more true than with our most recent battle with the mysterious Reploid forces that Cobra and Dr Wiley were mounting against us. This hot-headed fellow gave Barbecue and Blowtorch a hard time with super-heated plasma flames, melting his way through the PIT's defenses. Suddenly there was a burst of light and the slashing of metal, someone cutting through Fireman's armor and sending him running. Whoever saved the day must have been using a sword that burned hotter that that guy's flames. Let's hope he's on our side!"

View more of Fire Man here.

Unfortunately these guys haven't hit ebay just yet, but when they do, I'll let ya know.

Credit: GoNintendo

New Rockman Megamix Reprint Details

Courtesy of Capcom of Japan's online store e-Capcom, we have a couple more details concerning additional content in the upcoming Rockman Megamix reprints:

- Both volumes will contain new commentary by Keiji Inafune, Ippo Yamada (series composer) and Yoshihiro Iwamoto (Rockman X comic illustrator).

- Panels/illustrations of lower quality from previous editions have been corrected by Ariga himself. (pictured)

All in all, the new editions of Megamix are shaping up to be a real treat. With any luck, we'll get these on our shores someday...

Roll Gets Fixed For US Tatsunoko vs. Capcom

Seth Killian recently confirmed that one of the more annoying exploits in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, Roll's "69 infinite combo", will not be an issue in the upcoming US version.



The glitch can can only be performed on Hakushon Daimaō, and lasts till Roll lands 69 consecutive hits. At that point, the player is free to thrash a defenseless Hakushon in any way that they please. Talk about cheap!

"Denpa Henkan! On-Air!" Footage, Info

The goddess of Rockman Perfect Memories, Vixy, has put together a massive post chronicling everything you'd ever want to know about the mini games in Denap Henkan! On Air!, the little known RnR TV plug-n-play game.

A small snippet from the post:

Ox Fire Power Battle
This is an arm-wrestle against Ox Fire, where you have to defeat him before time runs out.

Controls
Shake very fast: Arm-Wrestle.
Press Play (or watch it here if it's broken)

For many more videos and info, check out the full post here.

The Evolution of "Plugging-In"

A compilation of every "Plug-In" sequence from the very first Rockman.EXE all the way to the series' final outing in 2006:

Daletto TV To Celebrate Megamix

In honor of the upcoming Rockman Megamix reprints, Daletto TV, a live streaming talk show, will feature a special fan Q&A session with author Hitoshi Ariga. Interaction will be carried out via a Stickcam.

For those who wish to view the broadcast and do not live in Japan, there appears to be no region restriction for the stream. The program airs Thursday, May 28th from 7PM to 9PM. A rerun is planned to air at a later date for those who miss out.

Mega Man Rocks The Robot Hall Of Fame

God speed Mega Man; the little guy continues to rise in the official Robot Hall of Fame induction poll, currently placed at number two with 22% of the vote. Yes sir, we've come a long way from that less than stellar 2%.

If you want to dethrone the current leader, Bender (36%), then add your tally to the vote here.

Capcom Now Taking Preorders For Star Force 3

Capcom USA's online shop is now taking preorders for Mega Man Star Force 3: Black Ace and Red Joker. Both titles will retail for $29.99 and are planned to ship June 30th, 2009 (according to GameStop and Amazon's listings). Click on the respective links to preorder!

For the heck of it, here's Capcom's official product description:

"Geo Stelar and the rest of the gang are back in an all new adventure. How can Geo Stelar and his friends fight with the threat of “Meteor G” closing in on Earth? Moreover, what power can Mega Man harness by using the “Noise Change” system which controls the power of “Noise”?

Mega Man Star Force® 3 blends a unique formula of RPG exploration elements with fast-paced action. As players travel and battle between coexisting worlds, the physical world and the virtual Wave World, they will encounter enemies in the virtual Wave World, battling them on three-by-five battle grids with their Battle Card deck. Mega Man Star Force® 3 also adds a new feature called “Rezon,” which allow players to fill in profiles about battles and their team name/symbol.

• Two co-existing worlds – explore the real world in human form and transform into Mega Man to maneuver through the virtual “Wave World”
• The main theme is ‘Noise’. The Noise Ratio increases in different situations. As it increases different effects occur
• Cyber battles feature an immersive third-person view as players engage enemies in a 3x5 battle grid
• Cards now stack and are scattered randomly. Only the top card can be used when stacked. Mega-class and Giga-class cards have greater surface areas and are more likely to stack
• Each version has different “Noise Change” probabilities and unique final transformations with more than 100 Mega Man forms (transformations) possible by utilizing
• Each character has their own customizable Personal Page in the game where Battle Cards and information can be viewed and traded with friends to compare progress
• Two types of ultimate transformation – “Black Ace” and “Red Joker”

Thanks, Kyouya Garyuu

Mega Man, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom At Anime North 09

Anime North, a Tornoto based anime convention, is hosting two activities you might want to check out: (that is, if you're in the Tornoto area)

This Saturday (May 23rd), from 4 to 5PM, a Tatsunoko vs. Capcom tournament will be held where attendees can compete for a plethora of goods (bring your own controllers!). Then, at 6PM, a Mega Man panel is going down, where you can meet local Canadian fans. The panel is said to include a "history of Mega Man" slide show and a Q&A session. Fun!

For more information, head on over to Anime North's official website.

Thanks, Josh

Capcom Japan Might Not Attend E3 2009

In fear of the recent H1N1 outbreak, (aka "swine flu") Capcom Japan is mulling over the decision to pull out of E3 2009. Apparently, the company has a new policy that restricts corporate travel during the course of the pandemic of which is slowly ravaging its way throughout Japan.

This is by no means an implication that Capcom will skip out on E3 all together -- just the folks from the Japanese branch such as our main man Keiji Inafune. (Speaking of Inafune, he too has fallen victim of Capcom's new policy as his trip to the Nordic Game Conference has been canceled)

The press is currently awaiting Capcom Japan's decision.

Credit: Develop via Reploid20xx

'Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All Stars' Officially Confirmed, More Details At E3 *Updated*

Capcom's Chris Kramer puts all TvC doubts to rest in his latest blog entry:

"We've been teasing you about our E3 line up for the past two weeks, citing two surprise games as part of our show plans. Well, surprise, here's the news on Mystery Game #1: it's Tatsunoko VS Capcom: Ultimate All Stars! The game that many thought would never make it to North America is actually in the works and will be at E3 for all of you lucky Unity members to get your hands on. It's no secret that Seth and I love this game, and we're looking forward to bringing you more information going forward, from bios on the fighters to tips on going big with combos and special moves. We'll have a more official announcement closer to E3 (which happens June 2 - 4 in LA, as if you didn't already know) along with some extra cool details. Hang in there, more soon! "


With TvC officially revealed, that leaves us with only one more unknown E3 title. What could it be?

UPDATE: Great news for Europe too; TvC is heading your way. More on this as it comes in.

A Look At The Mega Man X8 Prototype

The very first trailer for Mega Man X8 never ceases to amaze me as it is filled with all sorts of subtle differences from the final version of the game. Can you spot them?



A breakdown:

- One of the more interesting differences is that of the "flashes of dialogue" seen throughout the trailer, phrases presumably spoken by the main cast during the course of the game.To my knowledge, none of those lines are ever spoken nor referenced in the final -- a possible indication that the footage was based around an early draft of the script. That or the dialogue was thrown together specifically for this trailer.

-The lighting in "Noah's Park" (prologue stage) varies depending on which character the demonstrator is playing as:

• X: lighting is very "afternoon-ish", bright and bland.
  
• Zero: lighting is glorified in an orange/red tint, almost as if a sunset is occurring nearby, Sky is orange.
  
• Axl: "dawn" type of lighting; very soft, kind of foggy. Greenish tint. Sky is a light blue

Seems like that, at one point, X8 had a sort of "passage of time" system where the appearance of a stage altered to reflect specific times of day. A gimmick or an actual integral part of gameplay?...

- At 1:12, you can briefly see X and Axl attacking onscreen at the same time. Such a maneuver is impossible to execute in the final as two teammates cannot attack onscreen at once, the "scramble system", the act of switching out one teammate for another, does not allow it. There are, however, certain times in the final where two teammates appear onscreen at once, but not in this sense. Pictures of this strange technique can be seen here and here.

- Zero's "dash-slash" animation is a bit different, he appears to perform a jab rather than a quick slash. (0:34)

- Zero appears to run a bit faster than the final. Frankly, I like this speed better, always thought he moved a bit too sluggish in the final.

- Although it's kind of hard to tell from the video quality, the character models of X, Zero and Axl contain a thick "cel-shaded" style that was not used in the final game. Example seen here.

- The HUD (heads up display; health bar, combo counter, etc.) is absent.

- Enemies appear in spots that they normal don't appear in.

- The Land Torpedo enemy does not attack the player, merely paces -- a behavior not in the final version.

- Finally, Lumine's voice near the end of the trailer is not spoken by Elinor Holt, rather a temporary actor who gives the character a much lower and less menacing voice.

Custom Proto Man G.I Joe Is Absolutely Stunning

Sorry Mega, this Proto Man G.I Joe takes the cake. Takes it with great vigor.

Jin Saotome brings us another custom G.I Joe auction, this time in the form of the Red Rocker himself:

"This auction is for a custom made 3 ¾” Protoman with removable helmet, shield, and arm cannon. He has all the regular articulation of a 25th Anniversary GI Joe figure and will fit right in with your current collection. "

Just as before, Jin has included a little back story for the character:

"With the experimental temporal aperture a stable gateway between realities, more beings began coming through. This fellow was designated as a prototype of Rock and was dubbed 'Protoman' by the team. He exhibits the same bizarre ability to create functional weapons and even an impenetrable shield from his limbs. Quiet but cocky in battle, Protoman is a valuable ally when paired with Rock. Something worries the Joes however. If these are the warriors of good in their world...what were they fighting against? "

Bidding starts at a penny, shipping is $5. You can click here to bid and check out more images of the figure in a multitude of poses.

Thanks, Mac.

Rockman Megamix Bonus Items

Fukkan has updated their Rockman Megamix preorder page to include a tiny photo of the bonus collectible card by series artist Hitoshi Ariga. The item is said to be limited to the first 500 copies of Megamix volumes 1 and 2 (ships May 27th).

In addition, there appears to be a new giveaway were 20 customers will be eligible to win one of four 20th Anniversary themed "clear files." The sweepstakes for these begin May 25th.

More Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Info From Nintendo Power

Following yesterday's leak, we have a few more details about the game's localization directly from Nintendo Power.

Scan 1, Scan 2, Scan 3, Scan 4, Scan 5, Scan 6

In brief:

- name being changed to Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars
- online play may be added
- new characters might happen
- due out before the end of this year

"The fans and marketing/sales teams outside of Japan showed a great interest in [Tatsunoko vs. Capcom] and contacted us to find out more about the game," relates producer Ryota Niitsuma. "Such an enthusiastic reaction convinced us that the game could succeed even overseas as a new [entry in the] Vs. series. We listened to feedback from our fans and marketing/sales teams in other territories in order to implement new features to the game this time around. I am very happy to announce that this title is coming to North America for those fans who have long waited for this to be made... and were disappointed last time by its unavailability overseas."

"Asked if there will be any new characters for this version of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, Niitsuma remains coy. "Please stay tuned for a later announcement," he comments.

[...]

One feature notably missing from the Japanese version, however, is online competition -an omission that may be corrected for North America. "We are still working this out, but stay tuned for more information coming soon," teases Niitsuma. "

Credit: Shoryuken

Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Coming To North America

Regardless of the licensing issues Capcom has long touted, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is, believe it or not, coming stateside according to the latest issue of Nintendo Power:
For the uninformed, Tatsunoko vs. Capcom is the latest title in the long running "vs." series, pitting famous Capcom characters against Tatsunoko properties such as Yatterman and Casshern.

Why does this matter to do you? Mega Man Volnutt and classic series Roll are playable characters. 'Nuff said

More news as it comes in.

Credit: GoNintendo

Auction: Capcom 'Arekore' UMD

To celebrate Capcom's "Arekore" PSP line up, the company released a special UMD containing exclusive trailers for upcoming PSP titles -- presented by none other than Rockman and Rush themselves.

Included on the disc was an obscure promotional video starring animated renditions of Rockman and Rush, chronicling their adventure of "infiltrating" Capcom's Osaka HQ. Along the way, the two would present the viewer with trailers and previews for upcoming titles in the Aerokre line and interviewing the games' developers. Sounds fun, no?

Unfortunately, the feature can only be found on this particular UMD of which only 500 exist. Apparently, the item was an exclusive prize in a special sweepstakes in 2004. Guess that explains why we've yet to seen the promo on the web.

Fortunately, one copy is up for bidding on Yahoo! Auctions Japan for 5,000 Yen ($50), ending in a day or so. Care to bid?

If you win, be sure to share the video with us!

Mega Man Rises In 'Robot Hall of Fame' Poll *UPDATED*

It's amazing what a little word of mouth can do. Two days ago, it was announced that Mega Man scored a nomination for induction in the Carnegie Mellon University Robot Hall of Fame, representing only 2% of the vote. Since then, the Blue Bomber jumped drastically in the rankings, all thanks to you.

As of this writing, Mega holds the number three position with 11% of the vote, just behind Maillardet's Automaton (13%) and Futurama's Bender (42%). An astounding leap indeed.

Can we get him all the way to number one? Do your part and vote!

UPDATE: Mega Man has risen to number two, holding 15% of the vote. Keep it up!

Epic Fan-made Marvel vs. Capcom 2 Splash

In honor of the upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom 2 360/PS3 re-release, Steven Chase whipped up this truly epic promotional splash, worthy of gracing just about anybody's desktop:

A portion of Steven's commentary:

What were my resources?
• The art of Wolverine and Ryu are the promotional images drawn by Udon Entertainment for the re-release.
• All of the portraits along the bottom are from the original Arcade/Dreamcast/Playstation 2/Xbox releases of the game, found on Creative Uncut's art archive. Some characters were missing, and I found the rest through Google Image search.
• All of the logos were found on Google Image search.

What did I do?
• Aside from Storm and Magneto, all of the portraits below were very crisp and clean. I had to sharpen Storm and Magneto up myself, and it's noticeable if you're looking for it.
• I added all of the lightning effects, inserted the lightning radiating from Ryu's palms and the clash separating Wolverine and Ryu down the middle, and did some basic hue/transparency altering to give everything the same tone and shade.

Hankering for a download? You can find two variations of the splash at right here.

Thanks for pointing this out Steven, awesome job.

Mega Man "J.U.V.Is" Coming In Late June

A Jazwares representative informs me that the Mega Man Urban Vinyl line, now referred to as "J.U.VIs" ( Jazwares Urban VInyl), will hit store shelves in late June. The initial run will consist of Mega Man, Proto Man, and Elec Man figures, more to come if sales meet expectations.

Out of blatant curiosity, which classic series character would you like to see get the J.U.VI treatment next?

GT Anthology - a Look Back On Mega Man

Newcomers to the Mega Man franchise will certainly appreciate GameTrailer's latest anthology outing, a look back on the first Mega Man game in the classic series, focusing in on little factoids and trivia in relation to the title.

Last Call For Autographed Mega Man 9 Press Kit

Tonight is your last chance to bid on an autographed copy of the Mega Man 9 press kit, signed by Keiji Inafune himself. The item, hosted at Capcom-Unity auctions and raffles, currently stands at 6,500 Unity points with 65 bids - ending tomorrow, May 15th.

If you've got enough Unity points, take your chances and go for it! You may never see something quite like this again.

Rockman X2 Re-released Onto Japanese Mobile Phones

Gpara is reporting that the mobile phone version of Rockman X2 saw yet another re-release in Japan today, this time for SoftBank and EZ Web services.

Based on the screenshots, the title looks largely unchanged from its home console counterpart other than the expected reduction in aspect ratio. If you so happen to have the means of obtaining the game, you can do so for a measly 315 Yen (plus tax).

I wonder, will mobile phone services outside of Japan ever get some X series love? We've got plenty of classic series ports, it's high time we got something.

About that X8 GBA Cartridge...

PRC contributor Jesse took the liberty of purchasing the oddity that is Mega Man X8 for the Game Boy Advance, a pirated cartridge that popped up on ebay a while back.

Essentially, the game is nothing more than an emulated copy of Mega Man 4 (NES) with two minor oddities:

- The boot up screen is a strange modification of Mega Man Zero 4's. (pic)

- The real title screen, that of Mega Man 4's, is a slight edit of the original source, lacking the roman numerals "IV." (pic)

Other than that, the game is MM4 through and through. Truly unfortunate too as I was expecting something along the lines of an adaption of X8, similar to what they did with the common Rockman 8 Game Boy pirate,an 8-bit "recreation" of the PSX/Saturn title. Seen below:



Thanks, Jesse.

MvC2 Tron and Servbot Cosplay Up For Bidding

How friggin' cool is this? Ebay is featuring an auction for two very well done Tron (w/Gustaff) and Servbot costumes, intended for cosplaying purposes. Both are entirely homemade, featured at the Anime Central 2009 Masquerade contest. Portions of the item description:

"The cosplay took about 5 months to make with over 200 hours of work. I wore the costume and I'm 5'2 inches. My husband wore the servbot costume and he is 5'6 inches tall. I'm including EVERYTHING! that you see in the pictures (excluding Tron's black leggins which you can find anywhere) as well as extra materials."

"The green gustaff if about 20-25 pounds but it comes with straps so you can secure it in your shoulders as well as your waits. The yellow lights turn on and the gun rotates at 6 cycles per minute. The rotating machine was a disco ball motor in which I attached it to the rotating gun rounds. There is a thick clear plastic diving the battery and the motor so you can use it at your disposal. "

Full details and photos of both outfits can be found at the auction's page here.Bidding begins at hefty $850.00 with $177.25 shipping.

If you've got the cash, bid to your heart's content over here.

Credit: GoNintendo

Rockman Gigamix?

Japanese online shop Fukkan is taking preorders for a mysterious "Rockman Gigamix" comic, described as having some sort of relation to Hitoshi Ariga, author of the Rockman Megamix comic series. Ariga's personal blog seems to indicate that Gigamix will be a follow up to Megamix.

Volume 1 of Gigamix will ship in late July, followed by volume 2 in late December. Both volumes will retail for 1,680 Yen.

In other Ariga news, Fukkan has launched a special giveaway in which the first 500 copies of the Megamix reprints will come with a limited edition postcard. Even better, 10 books will be eligible to receive an autograph by Ariga himself. How cool is that?

Mega Man Nominated For Robot Hall Of Fame

Stop what you're doing and do a little dance: Mega Man is now an honorable Robot Hall of Fame candidate.

Carnegie Mellon University's Robot Hall Of Fame have begun nominating new bots for the renowned exhibit including but most certainly not limited to, Optimus Prime, GIR and everybody's favorite dysfunctional robot, Bender Bending Rodriguez.

Currently, Mega Man holds 2% of the vote, while Bender leads the competition, standing at an astounding 45%. Want to change that? Jump on over the the official site and vote away.

Credit: The Mega Man Network

The Mega Man X Collection Dilemma: Why It Failed to Live Up to Its Promise

As awesome as Mega Man X Collection was, it could have been a lot better. At one time, in fact, it almost was.

In mid-2005, Capcom sought fan support to create the collection, hoping to incorporate feedback on what sort of content fans would like to see. A collaborative effort between Capcom and The Mega Man Network was formed wherein readers of the fan-site were asked to submit ideas for bonus content and unlockables in Mega Man X Collection.

As expected, Capcom's inbox was flooded with requests. Due to the sheer volume of ideas, The Mega Man Network were then asked to personally handpick the good requests from the bad. This did the trick; a short time later Capcom representatives returned with the top four requested features:

•  Remixed soundtracks for Mega Man X1 and X2.
•  Corrected X5 Maverick names (i.e removal of Guns 'N Roses references).
•  Revised script for X6, intended to rid title of infamous "engrish" and inconsistencies.
•  All new English vocal tracks for X4 and X6 courtesy of Ocean Group, the team behind the acclaimed voices of Command Mission and X8.

Capcom representives informed The Mega Man Network's community that they would actively pursue these requests and put them into the game. Needless to say, everyone was pretty excited. The X Collection wasn't even out yet and already it sounded a lot better than the effort that went into the Anniversary Collection.

Unfortunately, our excitement was short-lived. As X Collection's release drew near, disheartening news began to circulate: early press copies of the game indicated that these features where "missing". Sure enough, proof of these claims were in the pudding: when the Mega Man X Collection finally released on January 10th, 2006, none of the requested content was there. What happened? Well, the answer may surprise you.

I direct you to an old editorial written by The Mega Man Network in 2005 that explained the whole conundrum in full. It's a bit long but, dammit, is it a good read:

"We've been told that all the extras promised were, in fact, completed. X1 and X2's music was remixed. X4 had the voices redubbed, and X6 had the script revised, retranslated, and was dubbed in English. So why, then, if this stuff was done, did it not make it into the Collection?

The answer is pretty simple. Keiji Inafune and Irregular Hunter X.

But how could one man and one game affect the outcome of an entire Collection? It's rather easy, especially if said man is the mastermind behind the entire X series, and in a high-up position at Capcom. Back in early November, we heard that there were problems with the MMXC - Inafune was "concerned" that the Collection's extra content for X1 would interfere with what he wanted for Irregular (Maverick) Hunter X (it was inferred that the XC would use the same remixed music that appears in IHX). When we spoke with representatives from the X Collection production team, they were able to shed a lot more light on things, and after hearing it all, I have to say I'm a little less disappointed with the MMXC than I was, and a bit excited for what might come as well.

What we've been told is that Inafune wants to retool the X series up to Mega Man X6. Irregular Hunter X2 is already on the books, we're told, and Rockman Rockman 2 is in the pre-planning stages (incidentally, we were told that if the Powered Up ports are successful, they might be remade all the way up to Mega Man 8). As for the work we did for the X Collection, the suggestions we took were examined and reviewed by the CoJ staffers, and they have been set aside to be used in consideration as each X series remake is done. The extra features that were done - remixes, dubs and script revisions - will be used for the North American versions, provided circumstances don't force revisions of the revisions already done (such is the case for X4, which, if IHX1 is any indication, will probably get a new script). CPS1 was pretty much told to keep the X Collection as close to the originals as possible, and that's why we received what we did." 

Hold on, folks. It gets better:

"We got a few explanations on why certain elements of the X Collection remained as they were, or got changed, what-have-you. Below we've compiled the list of applicable changes we asked about.

Mega Man X:
- Script revised to include "Damn!" in the intro stage. This was done while X1 was being retrofitted, and left in there after the remixes were pulled.

Mega Man X2:
- Music was remixed, but then pulled for use in IHX2.

Mega Man X4:
- Original voices were reinserted after the redubs were removed (this lends to the slightly different sound quality of the in-game voices).

Mega Man X5:
- We got no word on whether the names of the Mavericks were at any point actually changed, but our Capcom representative expressed disappointment at the fact that they remained the Guns'n'Roses names. When the time rolls around for IHX, we're told, they will be changed.

Mega Man X6:
- Oh, the horror of the Sentsuizan. There's actually an interesting story behind this one. The move, originally mapped to Up+Attack while in the air, HAD been fixed, as evidenced by the "Got weapon" screen telling you to press Down+Attack in the air. This was changed for an unknown reason in post-production when one of the programmers mistakenly remapped it to the original button combo. *sigh* 

- We're told that pulling the voices from X6 was an executive decision made by Robert Johnson. He reasoned that if the voices were left in, people would complain. If he took them out, people would complain, so he went with the choice to minimize the Japanese and removed them."

And so, the rest is history. Irregular Hunter X/Maverick Hunter X was a commercial failure, thereby spelling the end to future Mega Man X remakes and squandering any chance of enjoying the "shelved" X Collection content. At the time of this writing, Capcom have no plans of resuming the MHX remakes as indicated by Inafune himself.

All in all, the X Collection could have turned out to be something fantastic – a true example of a fan influenced production. It is my wholehearted hope that Capcom, in the future, will re-release an updated X Collection, one that will contain all the removed extras.

Oh, and before I forget, it appears a bit of conflicting information has recently come to light:

TMMN's writeup indicated that redubs for X4 and X6 were recorded (presumably by Ocean Group). However, according to Lucas Gilbertson, the voice of Ocean Group's Zero, no such recording took place:

"As far as I know nothing was recorded for X4/6. But the actors are pretty much the last people to get filled in. I first learned of the possibility of those rerecordings through you guys on the internet! You bastards got me all excited and then....... nothing."

It's possible Ocean Group was not hired for the redubs, but that would seem a little inconsistent considering the fact that Capcom continued to use the team for future Mega Man related dubbing afterwards. We may never know.