Capcom's Giving Out Mega Man 10 Codes

Capcom's celebrating the release of the Xbox 360 version of Mega Man 10 tonight with a little contest. Dropping a comment over at this post could warrant a free download of the game. All you have to do is tell Capcom why you deserve a code...simple as that! Capcom will be selecting ten winners tomorrow so you've got all night to to mull over what you're going to say.

Be on the lookout for a similar contest on my end...

Mega Man 10 Releases On Xbox 360 Today

Good news, 360 owners: the wait is over. A bit later today, Mega Man 10 will be made available for download straight off the Xbox Live Market Place across all three regions (North America, Europe and Japan) for 800 Microsoft Points.  Further, to compensate for the near month long wait, the Xbox is being graced with a downloadable premium theme:

The theme will set you back a mere 240MS Points.

And with that, do enjoy Mega Man 10! Feel free to share your opinions and the like in the comments.

Zero Collection Playable At WonderCon

If you're attending WonderCon 2010 this year, be sure to hop on over to Capcom's booth for a little Mega Man Zero love. The company announced via press release that Mega Man Zero Collection, among other titles, will be playable to the public:

"Once again, Capcom sports the biggest booth (#833( on the show floor as we present demos of hot, upcoming new games (many for the first time anywhere) to the public including: Super Street Fighter IV, Lost Planet 2, Monster Hunter Tri, Final Fight: Double Impact, Mega Man Zero Collection, Street Fighter IV for the iphone, and Dead Rising 2!"

Hopefully, the demo will end the Zero Collection news drought and bring forth some new details.

WonderCon takes place in San Fransisco from April 2-4. Check out the convention's official site for more details. Also, be sure to read Capcom's full WonderCon post for the lowdown on other activities and events.

Mega Man and Rush Like You've Never Seen Them Before

Ever wondered what Mega Man and faithful robo-canine Rush would look if portrayed in a more serious, realistic manner? Wonder no more...

Artist Jason Hazelroth writes, "I wanted to try my hand at redesigning MegaMan as a live action character. I had designed some suits before for something unrelated, but a friend mentioned that it looked like MegaMan. With a few tweaks I decided to render him up and this is what I got."

Totally awesome. I'm getting a Tron/BayFormers vibe from the illustration, which isn't a bad thing. Like what you see? Head on over to Jason's blog, check out some more images and leave some feedback.

Credit: Capcom-Unity

'D.I.Y' Mega Man Minigame

WarioWare D.I.Y (Do It Yourself) finally hit stateside over the weekend, and with it comes what will likely be the first of many homemade Mega Man tribute minigames:

Simply put, 'D.I.Y' allows players to make their very own minigames and upload and share them with other players throughout the world. Although the game has just hit the U.S, Japan has had it for quite some time and has been churning out a plethora of impressive Rockman-themed games since this past year or so. Check those out here! (warning: one of the last few ones there is a bit on the NSFW side)

Mega Man ZX Manga Preview

Despite a listed March 29th release date on Amazon, the first volume in the Mega Man ZX manga series isn't slated to release until April 28th, according to UDON's managing editor Matt Moylan. To keep you busy till then, Matt has graciously provided eight preview pages from the book! Click the thumbnails below for full size.

With a blend of over-the-top action and a pinch of humor, Shin Ogino's Mega Man ZX manga looks to be a must have for any fan of the series.  Pre-order your copy at Amazon!

3D Mega Man & Mettaur Origami

Apologies for not posting this up earlier: 3D Mega Man and Mettaur origami! Built by DeviantArt user “DreamMyst”, Mega Man here is made up of 1,250 pieces and another 252 for the Mettaur.  An impressive display of craftsmanship, to say the least. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Check out more of DreamMyst's origiami creations at DeviantArt

Zero Complete Works Back In Stock (Updated)

It appears that Amazon.com has restocked a small quantity of the much sought after Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works art book, which for the past several months, has been fetching a ridiculous $150 and up on the Amazon Marketplace. The book is now retailing for a reasonable $25.83, but stock is limited to a mere six copies [Update: For one reason or another, the book is now $43.88, down to four copies]. If you've been desperately trying to obtain the book, jump at this opportunity while you still can! Purchase here.

Thanks for the tip, Slash.

MM10 Package Design Contest Prizes Detailed

A few weeks back, Capcom announced the Mega Man 10 package illustration contest where fans from around the world were tasked with designing the box art for Mega Man 10. Submitted designs would not only have their work featured on Nico Nico Seiga for public viewing, but according to a recent update on the contest's official page, the best designs would receive a boatload of truly awesome prizes. Three "teams" will choose a different winner:

The winner of "Team Mega Man 10" wins...

1) 10 copies of their artwork as a video game box. One of them will be signed by Mega Man 10 Producer Takeshita and director Tsuru
2) Rockman10 Original Soundtrack
3) E-CAN Pillow
4) Rockman10 Original Baseball Cap
5) Mega Man 10 Original T-shirt

The winner of Team NicoNico (the contest's sponsor) wins...

1) 10 copies of their artwork as a video game box. One of them will be signed by Mega Man 10 Producer Takeshita and director Tsuru
2) NICONICO DOUGA goods set
3) Mega Man 10 Original T-shirt

Finally, the winner of Team Capcom Japan gets...

1) 10 copies of their artwork as a video game box. One of them will be signed by Mega Man 10 Producer Takeshita and director Tsuru
2) ROCKMAN KUBRICK & 1UP BE@RBRICK SET
3) BLUES KUBRICK & 1UP BE@RBRICK SET
4) Rockman10 Original Baseball Cap
5) Mega Man 10 Original T-shirt

The contests ends April 20th and winners will be declared shortly after. Want to enter? Read up on this post at Capcom-Unity for full contest details!

Entire Mega Man 10 Soundtrack Remade In NSF

Now this is impressive. Unlike most YouTubers out there, user Tssf didn't set out to remix or arrange Mega Man 10's soundtrack -- instead, he remade it in NES Sound Format, recreating the tunes with actual Nintendo Entertainment System sound software. The end result: more authentic, genuine 8-bit music....

Additional Kotobukiya Rockman Figure Details

Capcom's Rockman 10 site updated with a small page that provides a few additional details about Kotobukiya's forthcoming Rockman figure.

According to the blurb, the figure will stand at 1/10 in scale (around 5 inches in height), with 20 points of articulation. Furthermore, a set of accessories will be included such interchangeable buster projectiles ('normal' and 'charged'), an E-Tank and some decals.

Capcom is still mum on a price and a specific release date, but the page does allude to a release sometime this September. Of note, the page indicated that the design featured is still a prototype, and as such, the final product may slightly differ in appearance.

Thanks for the tip, Nicholas.

Get An Exclusive Mega Man 10 PS3 Theme Today

A bit later in the day, Capcom will offer the following PlayStation 3 XMB theme for $2.99, which can be purchased straight off of the PlayStation Store.

 Pretty neat, but $2.99? Really?

Credit:Capcom-Unity

Fully Painted "Super Model Spirit" Rockman Figures

Coming from the pages of an unknown hobby magazine, here's a closer look at Bandai's upcoming "Super Model Spirit" Rockman trading art figures, now fully painted:

Being trading art figures, you'll never know which character you'll end up with -- it's entirely random. The 6~10cm individual figures (11 in all) will run ¥650 ($7.19 US) a pop, or ¥6140 ($67.98) for a boxed set of 12. No guarantee the boxed set will contain each character, mind you.

Still no specific release date of the figures, but numerous online retailers such as Amiami, are looking to stock them in late May.

Source: Green Grass Gradation

Rockman 10 Soundtrack On Sale Now (Updated)

The official Rockman 10 soundtrack went on sale today in Japan, and import shops like CDJapan have already begun shipping it out to those who pre-orded.

The soundtrack consists of 46 tracks, and will come packed with a 12 page full color booklet jammed pack with commentary from the game's developers and composers. E-Capcom customers who purchased the soundtrack will also be getting an exclusive Inti Bonus Disc CD, which contains an arranged version of Rockman 10’s title theme, a chip-tune remix of Nitro Man's stage, and a "non stop remix" of Rockman 9's RobotMaster stage themes.

Update: See the complete tracklisting after the break...

More MM10 Bass Mode Details

Capcom's Jgonzo has come through with a handful of details in regards to Mega Man 10's Bass mode in the form of a Q&A session between fans:

Ash: I have a question! Does Bass have the same weaknesses he does in Mega Man & Bass -- namely, he can't run while shooting (he has to stay still) and his shots can't travel through walls (except when in Treble Boost mode)?

jgonzo: Bass plays almost exactly as he did in Mega Man & Bass, so of course, he inherits all of his weaknesses from that game. First off, his damage per shot is roughly half that of Mega Man’s (to compensate for his rapid fire ability). He also can’t run and shoot like Mega Man, which makes him “stickier” to play as. Finally, Bass’ shots do not travel through walls a la Mega Man’s.
In short, yes, the weaknesses from Mega Man & Bass carry over.

LBD_Nytetrayn: Here's my question: does Bass get a story mode to call his own? Or is he simply "there" just because?

jgonzo: Yes, Bass gets his own story later on in the game.

Travis: Why doesn’t he have his Double jump?

jgonzo: Bass is a 16-bit era creation. With Mega Man 9, and now Mega Man 10, we wanted to go back to Mega Man’s 8-bit roots and present a true 8-bit retro experience. Bass had to be redesigned for this 8-bit world and unfortunately, his double jump was a victim of this process.

Specs: How is the dash performed? Double-tap a direction? Down + Jump? Both? Will Dash + Jump carry him further than a normal jump?

jgonzo: Down and jump! No double tap in this one, but yes it will carry him further than a regular jump.

More after the break!

Another Look At The Mega Man Killers

Hot on the heels of yesterday's news,  Famitsu has come through with some full-body artwork of MMKillers Punk, Ballade and Enker -- the bosses for Mega Man 10's upcoming special stages.

You can check out a gallery's worth of screenshots of each Killer's stage here, and some sprites and additional art at 4Gamer.net. Thanks for the tip, Jimb0!

R10 Image Soundtrack Track Listing

Rockman series composer Ippo Yamada revealed on his blog the complete track listing for the Rockman 10 Image soundtrack earlier today. The arranged soundtrack, slated to hit stores April 30, contains twenty one tracks. The listing after the break...

Capcom Reveals Mega Man 10 Special Stages, Bosses

After much anticipation, Capcom finally pulled the wraps off of the upcoming download special stages for Mega Man 10, which feature the Mega Man Killers of GameBoy Mega Man fame as bosses:

According to Capcom, the time attack special stages will be available throughout April beginning April 5 (along with Bass DLC). Stages cost 100 WiiPoints, 80 MS points, and $1.00 on PSN. Below, the official press release description for each special stage:

• Special Stage 1 will be available the week of April 5th. For Special Stage 1, we have Enker, the first of the Mega Man killers. He was created by Dr. Wily and has completely devoted himself to Mega Man’s destruction. Some of you might remember him from Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge where he appears after the second set of Robot Masters. Mirroring his pokey appendages, there’s a variety of spiky hazards Mega Man will have to avoid in this particular stage. The drill robot for instance will launch a threat from underground, so watch out!

• Special Stages 2 and 3 will be available the week of April 26th. Special Stage 2's boss is second Mega Man Killer Punk, also created by Dr. Wily. He was designed to be bigger than Enker in size and his special attack is a rapid spinning tackle. Now folks are going to be tempted to rush through on these stages because they are timed, but be careful because the Parabombs in this stage will make life hell for you. 

•  And finally for the Special Stage 3 we have Ballade, the third Mega Man Killer created after Enker and Punk.  This robot is enormously proud of himself and he will not give up easily, even he’s close to death! Make sure to watch out for the fierce attacks he unleashes from high jumps. His stage requires smart decision-making because a series of conveyer belts and diverse traps will challenge the most masterful Mega Man pro.

[via Capcom Unity]

A Single New Zero Collection Screen

While the flux about Zero Collection news might be slow for the time being, here's a little something to keep your appetites whet. Online retailer Rakuten has gotten a hold of (small) screenshot from the game's Collection Mode (right), and from the looks of it, depicts a menu screen from the Mod Card Collection sub-mode.

As previously reported, the Mod Card Collection mode not only features illustrations from the games, but can also be used in Zero 3 to modify gameplay elements and graphics. The card depicting here is said to alter Zero 3's title screen when activated.

Check out a detailed listing of all of Z3's mod cards here. See the effects of the modification cards in action here.

Kotobukiya Rockman Action Figure Revealed (Updated)

Kotobukiya, makers of toys, model kits and collectibles, showed off a prototype of a planned Rockman action figure this weekend at their store in Akihabara:

Price and release date is TBA at the moment.

Kotobukiya is known for selling their products not only in Japan, but in the US and Europe, too, so there's a good chance the figure might actually be released elsewhere.

Credits: Ngee Khiong via CyberGundam (thanks, Paul!)

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Updated: More pictures!

Image credit: The Mega Man Network

Technical Difficulties Preventing PSN Powered Up Release

If you may recall, Mega Man Powered Up was scheduled to become a digital download on PlayStation Network back in November 2009. It's late March now and the game has yet to release on either North American or European PSN services. What's the hold up? Christian Svensson, Capcom’s Corporate Officer/VP of Strategic Planning & Business Development, had this to say:

"There are technical problems that neither we or Sony are able to get around. The game doesn't run properly when put in digital form.  So it's physical only for the time being (hold onto those UMDs, they're gonna be valuable)."

Curiously, things seem to be A-OK with the game's Japanese counterpart, Rockman Rockman, which has been available on the JPN PSN for quite some time now...

Source: Capcom-Unity

New 8-bit Deathmatch Footage: Wily Stage Gameplay

CutmanMike's multiplayer Doom mod, Mega Man 8-bit Deathmach, looks as awesome as ever. Still no word on a release date yet, unfortunately. Stay up-to-date with the project's status over at the game's official website and FAQ!

Udon Talks Mega Man Manga, Artbooks

Over the past couple months, UDON's managing editor Matt Moyaln has been answering user submitted questions at the Ask UDON forum of The Mega Man Network. Topics covered all sorts of bases like when is UDON distributing the Star Force/ Battle Network artbooks in the U.S, and the company's stance on as-of-yet untranslated Rockman manga (Mega Missions, Remix, etc.). Read up on the answers after the break...

Mega Man Volnutt Papercraft

It's been a while since I posted a good papercraft, and this one definitely deserves some attention. For your crafting pleasure, here's a a new papercraft featuring the polygonal version of Mega Man Volnutt of Legends series fame. Download the template here!

Be careful, Volnutt's a bit on the tricky side so if you're new to papercrafting, you might want to steer clear of this one.  For better results, always print your papercraft on cardstock. Much easier to work with and it holds way better than your standard sheet of paper. Enjoy!

[via Paperkraft.net]

The 'Turnaround' Point

An article over at Press the Buttons exams one of the more prominent level designs patterns featured in the Mega Man series known simply as the 'turnaround' point.

Described as the point where "the path will force [the protagonist] to drop into a room from above, make a quick jog to the left, drop down to the ground, and continue onwards to the right", can be found in not only practically every classic series game, but a number of other Capcom 2D sidescrollers, too. Have a look at some of the other 'turnaround points' from the classic series:

It's an interesting design, makes me wonder if it's a level designer's trademark or something. There's plenty more where that came from: click here for a complete rundown of every know turnaround point.

Mega Man X2 Promotional Postcard

Mister Zero posted this Mega Man X2 postcard over at Retro Mags a while back, and I thought I'd share this neat little blast from the past with you all here. Apparently, Nintendo used to advertise upcoming games with postcards among other promotional mail goods, and X2 just so happened to be featured. Have a look:

I used to get stuff like this all the time back in the day, though nothing Mega Man-related. Thanks to Jim for the tip.

I'm Giving Away Mega Man 10 PSN Download Vouchers! (CLOSED)

Courtesy of the folks at Capcom-Unity, I've gotten my hands on four Mega Man 10 PSN download vouchers, which I intend to give away to you! Winning is relativity easy: simply drop a comment about your thoughts on a hypothetical Mega Man 11; would you prefer another 8-bit entry, or something different? What kind if bosses would you like to see? Playable characters? Whatever. Just talk about Mega Man 11!
 
After I've seen a sufficient amount of feedback, I'll be updating this post with the vouchers. That's right, this is a first come, first serve deal so these will go fast. I'll be posting the codes one at a time throughout the remainder of the day, so check back often!

Oh, and I'm not the only one giving away codes today. Our friends at The Mega Man Network are holding a similar contest, so this won't be your only chance to win ;)

A big thanks to Capcom-Unity for this gracious opportunity. Be sure to check out their Mega Man 10 collaboration fan-art contest, which is definitely something artsy fans should take a gander at. Sounds like a lot of fun!
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UPDATE: Alright, here's the first code. Grab it while you can: LFNF-RRB9-PEBB
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UPDATE 2: Second voucher -- CQRE-MRB9-2NNL
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UPDATE 3: Third voucher - D9ML-JABP-5TR7

With one voucher left, I've decided to change the subject for the sake of variety. This round, I'd like for you guys to discuss what you think the Mega Man series as a whole should do next: continue on with more classic series sequels, or go back and revisit some other ones like X or Legends, or maybe even a brand-new series? New collections? Which anticipated games/sequels would you like to see come to fruition one of these days? X9? Legends 3? ZX3? MMPU or MHX2? Keep those comments going!
----------------------------
FINAL UPDATE: This it, the last voucher! R2KJ-M2B5-JHH6

Ah, what fun! Hope you all enjoyed, and congrats to the winners. Again, many thanks to Capcom Unity for the codes!

In-Depth Gigamix 2 Summary/Review

Rockman Perfect Memories is featuring a lenghty in-depth overview of volume 2 in the Rockman Gigamix comic series, which covers largely everything you'd ever want to know about the story, cast and a whole lot more.

High resolution scans and illustrations are provided alongside the plot summary, so this is a pretty good alternative to reading this currently Japan-only anthology (that is to say, unless Udon gets their hands on it eventually).

All in all, it's a great review, totally worth a read if you've got some time on your hands. Check it out here.

RM10 Mobile Wallpapers, Icons and Themes

If you've got a mobile phone capable of scanning QR Codes, you might want to head on over to Capcom Japan's official Rockman 10 website and grab a bunch of mobile phone goodies like RM10-themed wallpapers, icons and sounds.

Scanning the QR Codes in the above links yields a download package that comes with two desktop themes, ten ringtones and an assortment of 8-bit icons.

The download is region free, too, so even if you don't own a Japanese cellphone you can still download stuff -- just be sure you've got a QR code scanner handy.

Thanks for the tip, Jimb0.

Lost Rockman 6 Commercial Unearthed

Now this is a rather neat find. SuperMega233 has found the long lost Rockman 6 commercial, which, for years, was believed to have never existed. Check it out below:

Short, but sweet, right? Animated Rockman commercials traditionally tied with every famicom-era classic series game released in Japan since 1987. Rockman 6, however, was believed to be the exception due to the fact that Capcom, for reasons unknown, failed to include it in official commercial compilations. It was widely believed that they simply never produced a TV spot for the game in the first place, but as evident above, that wasn't the case.

For those interested, you can check out more animated classic series commercials here.

Toys R Us Deal - Buy One Mega Man Vinyl, Get Second Half Off

Reader Terry sends words that Toys R Us' online store is running a special deal on the Mega Man and Proto Man vinyl figures by Jazwares. For a limited time, purchasing one vinyl figure warrants the option of 50% off the price of another: buy one for the full price of $9.99, get the other for $4.95. Not too bad of a deal if you've been looking to buy both figures in one fell swoop.

There's no specific date when the offer expires, but the deal ends once stock runs out. Better hurry!

Thanks again, Terry.

[via Toys R Us]

Polls Open For Solar Man Fan-Art Contest

I've fallen a bit behind in Capcom-Unity's Mega Man 10 fan-art contest. Apologies! Nevertheless, voting has begun for the final Robot Master: Solar Man. Once you've checked out the entries (here and here), be sure to vote for your favorite piece here.

Even though we've run out of Robot Masters, Capcom will hold one more fan-art contest next week, which looks to feature Duo of Mega Man 8 fame.

[via Capcom Unity]

Mega Man 2 In The Wizard

So I checked out The Wizard for the first time the other day, and was pleasantly surprised by a (very, very) brief Mega Man 2 cameo towards the end of the film. I guess 2005's Rockman EXE animated feature wasn't the first time the Blue Bomber graced silver screens.

Check it out after the break....

OSS Battle Chip Up For Grabs On JPN Nintendo Channel

Japanese Wii owners with a copy of Rockman EXE Operate Shooting Star can download the "Burai B" battle chip for free via the Nintendo Channel. The chip, formerly an event exclusive card, summons Burai onto the field and unleashes three consecutive hits (60 damage each) to the closest target. See it in action here.

Burai B will be available till March 30.

[via Inside Games]

Unused Mega Man 10 Robot Masters

Over at Gpara, Mega Man 10 producer Takeshita Hironobu shared a few unused Robot Master concept designs that the Gpara staff sent over to Capcom during the game's pre-production phases. These characters really have to be seen to be believed; some are just so ridiculously weird, that it's no wonder why they were rejected.  Have a look:

On the left is "Tempura Man" (tempura being a Japanese-styled seafood meal) whose torso acts as a deep fryer. The right, "Vice Man" (a parody of the Sonny Crockett character from TV's Miami Vice) whose weapon of choice is a pistol.

More nutty designs after the break...

Mega Man 10 On PSN Today (UPDATE)

Just a friendly reminder that North American, European and Japanese PlayStation 3 owners will be able to download Mega Man 10 later today for $9.99 (actually, the Japanese version should be out now). Not much else to say than that! Enjoy the game!

Click here for a list of trophies!


UPDATE: Yes, it is out now, and yes, there is a (free) demo available for those of you who'd like to try it before you buy it.