Battle Network Creators Want Your Questions

In celebration of the tenth anniversary of Mega Man Battle Network, Jgonzo of Capcom Unity is inviting questions from users for the men behind the Mega; scenario leader Eguchi and character designer Ishihara.

Simply leave your burning questions about the games at this Unity post, and Capcom will have the two gentlemen answer the best of the lot. The winning questions and subsequent answers will be revealed in a follow-up post shortly after Captivate.

There is usually no shortage of questions that members of the community would like to ask, so use this opportunity to get 'em off your chest.

So... anyone care to wager how many will ask, "is there gonna be a seventh Battle Network?"

Mega Man Universe Cancelled

Nearly sixth-months of silence has finally come to a head. Mega Man Universe, the D.I.Y Mega Man game for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, has been cancelled. Capcom Japan dropped a message announcing the news over at what remains of the game's official website earlier last night.

Capcom didn't divulge into specifics, merely citing "various circumstances" for the game's cancellation. Unfortunate news indeed, given that the title's status was recently confirmed as alive. But, hey, that's game development for you.

The developer left no indication if the title would resume development at a later date, either, so it's pretty much dead. It's a shame, really, because the title did offer some pretty near concepts. Hopefully those will carry over into a future Mega Man game.

Farewell, Universe. We hardly knew ye.
(Ironic this all comes just minutes after this report. I swear, that was not intentional!)

Credit: Andriasang

Tiny New Bits of Mega Man Universe Art (Updated)

While scrummaging through the likes of Japanese Rockman blogs, I stumbled upon a couple pieces of Mega Man Universe artwork that I haven't seen before. They're rather small (and a tad blurry), but it's something to chew on as we await future MMU news. (UPDATE: High quality scans added. Thanks, RockmanPR!)

The art in question: Mega Man in an action pose with buster drawn (left), and a full body shot of MMU's Roll (stockings? Ok.). A MUCH closer look at Roll, possibly the best yet, is available here.

The artwork is exclusive to a set of decals originally distributed at last year's Tokyo Game Show. To my knowledge, these two pieces haven't been released publicly. In fact, they're not even at Capcom's press room, which houses assets of all known MMU artwork ever released. There's no doubt it's official, but it would have been great to see these up close.

If anyone happens to have this item, please do scan it in. I, for one, would like to see these in higher-res.

Source

Zero Collection Price Slashed

Following Japan's lead, it appears Zero Collection is going budget in North America... at least at Amazon.

To compensate for the lack of Rockman Zero Collection: Best Price! on this side of the pond, residents of North America can snag and equally cheap copy of the game for $19.21 exclusively through Amazon.

With only twenty two copies remaining, this deal can only last for so long. If you've yet to pick up Zero Collection, now might be the time to act! Click the above link to order.

Thanks for the tip, Twitter!

Rumor: Mega Man X Slated For Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 DLC

Even after its release, rumors of Mega Man's inclusion in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 simply won't die. And so, here we are again but before you write this one off from the post title alone, take heart this tidbit has a pretty decent credence

Word has it that Mega Man X, among the likes of a handful of other  Capcom and Marvel characters, will be included as future DLC -- this according to none other than Lupinko, the very individual who accurately leaked the complete on-disc roster in the fall.

The full DLC lineup includes: Mega Man X, Frank West (Dead Rising), Phoenix Wright (Ace Attorney), Gene (GodHand), Jon Talbain (Darkstalkers), Strider Hiryu (Strider), Gail (Dino Crisis), Dr. Octopus (Spider-Man), Juggernaut (X-Men), Elektra (Dare Devil), Apocalypse (X-Men), Iceman (X-Men), Thanos, and and Ms. Marvel.

Doc Oc, Phoenix Wright, Frank, and Juggernaut are said to be officially revealed at Captivate next week, and a new court room stage will coincide with their release. It would appear that Capcom also intends on offering new stages as well.

While most of this sounds too good to be true, name of Lupinko alone is enough to offer some hope -- still, April 1st is just around the corner, so...

We'll see how this plays out, but, as per usual, take these rumors with a grain of salt.

Source: Gamrfeed

Captivate 2011 Kicks Off Next Week

Once every Spring, Capcom USA holds their annual pre-E3 press event: Captivate. The show, exclusive to members of the gaming press and select Capcom Unity members, is home to new game reveals and updates on currently in-development projects. Come next week, that time will be upon us once more.

According to a post by jgonzo, Captivate 2011 will begin some time next week in Miami. While we don't know for sure just what titles will be shown off, the least we can hope for is some mention of Mega Man Universe and perhaps even Legends 3. Of course, there's always the possibility of something new surfacing, too, but I'm not counting on it.

The exact date of when Captivate will take place is unknown, but there's been some whispers of April 4. Also, don't count on news from the event to hit next week; there's usually a NDA set in place that prevents news from trickling out until the following week.

Hopefully, the Unity crew will drop a few hints as to what we can expect from the show. I'm holding out for an MMU update, myself. If not then, perhaps at E3!

Got Questions About Archie's Mega Man?

It's amazing to think that in just a little over a month, a new on-going Mega Man comic series will be upon us. Yet, there is still some mystery about Archie's latest gaming foray, and for those wanting to know more about the comic, here's you chance to get an answer from the source.

The Mega Man Network is holding an exclusive interview with Archie soon, and they want your questions! Simply shoot an e-mail to the.mega.man.network @ gmail.com with the subject “Archie Mega Man Interview”, or leave a comment at this post here.

You've got until midnight Sunday to get those questions in, so don't delay for too long. Think of something good; this is quite a rare opportunity!

Archie will be answer your questions via the interview, which is said to appear online shortly after the deadline.

For more details, hop on down to TMMN!

Rockman Zero "resonnant vie" Soundtrack Announced

Ippo Yamada was expected to unveil his latest soundtrack this week, and it looks like E-Capcom has let the cat out of the bag: Rockman Zero -resonnant vie-

Resonnant vie will release nationwide in Japan on April 21st (April 30 for E-Capcom) for 2,000 Yen or roughly $24.48 USD. The album contains a grand total of 13 acoustic arrangements of a variety of Rockman Zero songs, a concept reflected in the very term “resonant vie", which is said to use organic, non-electronic instruments to express the outlook of machine based lifeforms.

In first, Ippo Yamada will be standing in as producer while Luna Umegaki will be responsible for arranging the music. Further, it is said the album will include a special jacket illustrated by series artist Toru Nakayama, and a 12 page full color booklet featuring commentary and notes from Yamada and Umegaki.

Keep an eye out on Inti Creates for the inevitable track samples!

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Amazon Japan Preparing For DASH 3 Pre-orders?

Make of this what you will, but according to a few tweets from some keen-eyed overseas fans, Amazon Japan created a page for Rockman DASH 3 over the weekend -- a possible sign that the retailer is gearing up for pre-orders.

Though it is pretty bare bones at the moment, the very existence of the page certainly seems to warrant the above notion. There's no indication that pre-orders will be accepted soon; however, customers are encouraged to sign up to be notified when it's a-go.

Admittedly, It's a little peculiar that Amazon would list a game that's supposedly not even green-lit into production yet... but it couldn't hurt to keep an eye out on this one. After all, Amazon is a pretty reliable source when it comes to release date/window leaks.

Thanks for the tip, Jason!

Rumor: Mega Man 25th Anniversary Project

There's a gnarly of a rumor currently floating around on the web, and since it's a rather slow news day, I figured I'd go ahead and share it here. Prepare your salt.

According to the PaulGaleNetwork, a Capcom representative confirmed the publisher is hard at work developing a new Mega Man game, in addition to Mega Man Legends 3 and Mega Man Universe. The game, said to be revealed at this year's Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), will celebrate the franchise's impending 25th anniversary (December 17, 2012). Concurrently, the rep also said the show will play host to the unveiling of a new Street Fighter and a "big splash" from Devil May Cry, likely the return of DmC.

While it's entirely possible Capcom has something up their sleeves for Mega's big 25th, I highly doubt we're going to see (or hear) from it at this year's E3. Capcom's got there hands full with Universe and Legends 3 as is, so anything else at new at point seems almost trivial.

We'll watch where this one goes, but I wouldn't get you're hopes set too high. Pre-E3 always ushers in waves upon waves of rumors; some true, others not.

Sources: Event Hubs, Cosmic Book News, N4G

Rockman X Coming To Virtual Console

At long, long last, the original Rockman X (i.e Mega Man X) is FINALLY headed to the Wii's Virtual Console... in Japan.

A report at over Siliconera indicates the SNES classic was recently added to Japan's April Virtual Console release schedule, in addition to another beloved classic, Chrono Trigger. As with all SNES/SFC games, Rockman X will run you 800 Wii Points ($8).

As for a release outside of Japan, we can certainly be hopeful for the game to arrive a short while after the Japanese release. Usually (but not always) games released on the Japanese VC make their way to the rest of the world from anywhere between a week to a couple months later. Best to keep an eye out on the ESRB; impending Virtual Console releases often get "leaked" there. 

Fingers crossed for a release sooner rather than later!

Ippo Yamada Prepping New Soundtrack (Update)

Ippo Yamada is at it again; dropping vague hints about his next project via Twitter. In his latest tweet, the producer behind the music of the Zero and ZX series says he's working on a new Rockman album, set to be officially unveiled next week.

The contents of the album are left entirely up to speculation, unfortunately. However, there's been a curious amount of attention focused on Rockman Zero recently; with the re-release of Zero Collection in April and Kotobukiya Zero in summer, perhaps Yamada's project is something related to the Zero series? New remastered tracks, maybe?

UPDATE: Yamada has confirmed it is a Rockman Zero soundtrack of some sort. We'll have all the details next week!

Credit: The Mega Man Network

3D Mega Man Posters Spotted In The Wild

While 2011 may be lacking in terms of actual Mega Man games, the year is definitely looking to trump '04 when it comes to merchandise. Comic books, manga, art books, apparel, birthday party supplies, model kits, action figures and now... posters. Yes, it's one of those news days.

Officially Capcom licensed Mega Man posters, sporting fancy lenticular 3D effects, have been spotted at a Barnes & Noble in Orlando, Florida. The poster measures in at around 11x17 in dimensions, and (accurately) recreates the classic Mega Man 1 stage select with its yellow and blue motif. Humorously, a quick Google search of the item reveals that poster was produced by Poster Revolution, perhaps best known for their popular and inexpensive replica of 'The Kramer.'

While the item itself may not be hugely interesting, it's worth noting that this really shows just how far Capcom is willing to market Mega Man present-day. It's the little trinkets like this -- the t-shirts, posters, and trading figures -- that help to raise series awareness for the masses. It certainly worked for Mario and friends, and Capcom looks to be following suite.

Sure enough, you don't need to look too far to pick one of these up for yourself; Poster Revolution is selling the poster directly for $8.74 -- quite a steal, really, as the site notes it regularly sells for $20.00.

If this is something up your alley, click the above link to order! Thanks for the tip (and pic), Quick123!

Kotobukiya Zero Revealed

A short while back, Kotobukiya began teasing fans that a Rockman Zero model kit is in the works. Tonight, however, the first image of the figure has surfaced, albeit in grey prototype form.

The attached scan from a nameless Japanese magazine shows off just what we can expect from Zero, which looks to be boasting equal if not more points of articulation than the previous three Kotobukiya model kits (Rockman, Roll, Blues). Details concerning accessories and price are still a mystery, it seems.

The Zero model kit is said to be releasing in Japan at an unspecified summer date. Kotobukiya USA has not announced any plans for this kit, but I think it's safe to assume we'll have Zero on our shores following the release of Rock, Roll and Blues.

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Tentative Release Dates For Mega Man Tribute, Gigamix 2

Amazon has come through with release dates for UDON's Mega Man Tribute and Mega Man Gigamix Volume 2. Having not been officially announced by UDON themselves, these dates are likely tentative and are subject to change upon a moments notice.

Mega Man Tribute
Price: $26.57 (reg $39.99)
Release: July 19, 2011
300 pages
ISBN: 1926778308
Authors (and possible artists): Jeffrey Chamba Cruz, Hitoshi Ariga, Sean Galloway, Omar Dogan, Long Vo, Joe Ng, Sanford Greene

Mega Man Gigamix Volume 2
Price: $12.95
Release: August 2, 2011
220 pages
ISBN: 1926778278

If Amazon is correct, it sounds as if Hitoshi Ariga himself will be contributing to Tribute, in addition to other high-profile artists such as Sean Galloway (Spectacular Spider-Man), Long Vo (Gaia Online) and Sanford Greene (DC Comics). UDON has yet to confirm the presences of these folks, but it sure seems likely.

The UDON crew usual follows up with official announcements shortly after these Amazon "leaks" bubble up. Hopefully, we'll get the official word on release dates and other details soon!

Rockman DASH 3 Demo Event Cancelled (Updated)

Capcom Japan brings us some unfortunate news tonight, though it really shouldn't come as a major surprise. In light of the recent disasters currently taking place in Japan (i.e Touhoku earthquake), Capcom has chosen to cancel the "3DS x Capcom Premium Demo Event" and subsequently the public Rockman DASH 3 playable demo.

The event was originally set to take place on March 29, but, at this time, there is no mention of a reschedule. Capcom staff apologizes for any discontent this may bring its fans, as they are well aware of how anticipated the demo was. Demos of Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition and Resident Evil Mercenaries were also scheduled to make an appearance.

The good news is this has no bearing upon recent news of DASH 3's green-light troubles. At best, the delay is giving the team more time to prep the demo, and it will benefiting from it in the end. Make no mistake, please: this news has no bearing upon DASH 3's development.

Capcom's been canceling a lot of events recently , and it was only a matter of time until 3DS x Capcom was affected. Perhaps as compensation, the dev team can give us a nice, legitimate look at the game in action come the 29th. Hey, it's the least we can hope for.

UPDATE: Capcom USA has confirmed the events cancellation as well.

Source: DASH 3 Devroom

Cover Art For Mega Man Issue 3 Unveiled

A set of covers were revealed today for the third issue in Archie's upcoming Mega Man comic book series. Yes, issue #1 isn't even out yet, and we already have ourselves covers for the third.  No matter, Enjoy!

The covers are being penned by Patric 'Spaz' Spaziante (left) and Ben Bates (right) respectively. Bate's cover looks to be continuing the tradition of a second "villain variant" cover, which spotlights a Robot Master. Issue two's variant is none other than Guts Man.

Collector's looking to score variants can do so by checking out specialty comic shops -- these won't be included with subscriptions, unfortunately.

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Check Out Some Early MMBN1 Previews

To commemorate the tenth anniversary of Rockman EXE/Mega Man Battle Network, I thought I'd share some neat little treasures of mine: images of the very first preview assets for Battle Network 1 -- press releases and such that hail from when the game was first announced! These papers reek of early '00 nostalgia; you might have seen some of them quite some time ago... I know I have.

The first batch (below) yields from E3 2001 back when BN was first announced for release in North America..

In addition to some nice pre-release screenshots looming in the background on the left page, the booklet also seems to indicate Capcom was once planning on retaining Lan's Japanese name, Netto, for localization. And hey, check out that slightly different abbreviation of PET: Personal Exploration Terminal. Sounds a tad more appealing than PErsonal Terminal, if you ask me.

The right-most images a rare site, these days. It was in an file sent out to the press a couple months before E3, shortly after EXE's release in Japan. The images suggests that Capcom once considered on naming the series in the U.S as Mega Man EXE as opposed to Battle Network, OR it's merely advertising the character MM.EXE himself, although the Roll variant seems to suggest otherwise. Feel free to speculate.

Now, On the other side of the world, Capcom Japan took to Coro Coro Comics to get the word out about Rockman EXE, a partnership that would last for the next decade...

What you see here are the very first Japanese previews for Rockman EXE, which date back even further than E3 2001: fall, 2000.

Keen eyed fans will note a few striking differences from the pre-release version of the game pictured in the above magazine scans. The leftmost scan features a handful of beta battlefield shots, including a small glimpse at an an early Custom screen. Also of note, a slightly alternate mugshot of Enzan (Chaud) is present on the right page. The Middle scan houses one of the more popular beta screenshots, which features the ever-peculiar "A/B" gauge at the bottom of the screen. Finally, the right-most scan... is that concept art of Gow? Why, I believe it is! Perhaps he was originally planned to appear as early as BN1?

I've very fond memories of that middle scan, in particular. IIRC, that was the first time I ever laid eyes upon Rockman.EXE... and I hated it. Colorful, yes, but there was something about his posture -- his lankiness or something, that really irked me initially.  Of course, I grew to love the design; it was different than anything we've ever seen before from the franchise, and for that I admired it.

I'm kicking myself for this one, but since my recent hard drive crash, I'm unable to restore this neat video presentation from E3 2001 which has Keiji Inafune talking about MMBN. Lot of nice beta stuff in there, too. If I can find a backup of it somewhere, I'll be sure to share it!

10th Anniversary Of Battle Network

March 21st, 2001 -- Battle Network: Rockman EXE launched in Japan, better known here in the States as Mega Man Battle Network. Ten years later, the series has gone on to be one of, if not the most successful ventures in the franchise's history, spawning numerous games, merchandise, and multiple television series. Battle Network was, undeniably, a money making machine.

Whether you love it or hate it, we can all agree MMBN was an immensely successful IP for Capcom; one could even say that without it, we wouldn't even have Mega Man today. By Battle Network 4, the series was in its prime, financially. Both games would go on to sell well over a million units, Takara was rolling in the merchandising dough, and television ratings of Rockman.EXE Axess had never been higher.

A similar trend was happening in the U.S as well. NT Warrior quickly became one of the highest rated Saturday morning cartoons on Kids WB!, and Mattel's NTW toy line was quite popular at the time, with PET units often selling out during its first few months of shelf life.

Unfortunately, BN's winning streak would eventually wain, and come 2009 with the release of Operate Shooting Star, the bubble had finally burst. With lackluster sales and largely negative criticism, the "remake" of the original classic is seemingly the last hurrah from the series. Seemingly being the key word here; you never know what Capcom might have up their sleeves.

Battle Network forever holds a special place in my fanboy's heart, for it was this very series that led me to become a leading member of the now defunct PET World and its offspring, Rockman Synergy. When both ended, I went off to my own little corner of the web -- here.

So here's to you, MMBN. Capcom never could keep you down; I'm sure you'll be back again before we know it!

Playing Mega Man Legends In The Name Of Charity

In another instance of gaming for a cause, my good pal ClevelandRock of The People's Republic of Rockman DASH Republic kicked of a Mega Man Legends marathon just a few short minutes ago. Dubbed "Endless Water", ClevelandRock is set to playthrough the entirety of the Legends series all for the sake of raising awareness for the need of clean water throughout the world. Tune into the stream below and, if you're able, make a donation or two at Water.org!

Live Broadcast by Ustream.TV

Rockman's Other, Stranger Brother

It's common knowledge that Blues is Rockman's brother (a fact that's far more blatant in the U.S canon), however, what you may not know is that Rock has another brother... living in Brazil.

Meet "Rockman Brazil", the brain child of Rock & Rush manga artist Sakura. Though not recognized within the official canon, Brazil is prominent in a number of official Rockman and Capcom products in the form of cameos, the most noteworthy being Rockman Complete Works.

#20 of The Reploid Research Lavatory has the lowdown on this quirky fellow:

"Dressed as if he just got done marching in the Mardi Gras parade, Brazil was born when Sakura crossed Rockman with the ganguro fashion and foreign culture fascination that was sweeping Japan’s youth in the 1990s. His trademark look includes a colorful horizontal striped shirt, bell bottoms and a ‘fro-shaped helmet, along with the tan-faced white lips of traditional ganguro style. It probably goes without saying that Brazil is not the most racially or culturally sensitive character, but somehow that just fits in perfectly with Sakura’s off-color/socially inappropriate world."

 Brazil's very existence is a mystery, shrouded in a flurry of speculations. Some say he's an urban legend; others believe his true identity to be that of Rockman, dressed up for a rave. Actually, is he even a robot at all?

Unfortunately, we don't have these answers, but there's plenty more info about Brazil to be had over at The Reploid Research Lavatory. Be careful: should he learn of your snooping, you might find yourself as a victim to one of his pranks.

Ariga Talks Mega Man Gigamix

For those eagerly awaiting the North American arrival of Mega Man Gigamix, Comic Book Resources recently published an exhaustive interview with Hitoshi Ariga -- a read that'll surely keep you appetites whet. The interview covers practically everything one could ever want to know about Gigamix, from designs to plot lines. Also, what's an Ariga interview without some gnarly sample pages? They've got that too.

I usually post portions of interviews here, but there's simply too much to choose from this time! Head on over to Comic Book Resources and give it a read!

Mega Man Gigamix Volume 1 is expected to hit the U.S on May 18th, 2011. Thanks to Udon's own Matt Moylan for the heads up!

Legends 3 Devroom Goes On Hiatus

In the wake of the natural disasters that hit Japan, the Mega Man Legends 3 Devroom is going on an indefinte hiatus until further notice. Coming from Devroom web planner Kinako:

"Starting now and continuing for a little while, we will be taking a break from posting Devroom updates, including the Kinako Daily Reports. Events currently in progress will cut off according to original planned schedule (Twitter Event, etc), and I will let you know how things will proceed from there as soon as it's decided."

The decision to halt Devroom operations is due to the recent events currently taking place in Japan, namely, the disasters of the Tohoku and Kanto regions. It remains to be seen if the hiatus will affect the U.S side of things, which includes the Mega Man Legends Game Club and promo-contest.

On a related note, as of this writing, Capcom still intends to hold the public Mega Man Legends 3 demo event in Akihabara despite canceling a plethora of other events. I'll be sure to let you know if I hear otherwise, but at this moment, it's still a-go.

Hitoshi Ariga Shares Condolences For Quake Victims

After months of silence, Hitoshi Ariga, author and illustrator of Mega Man Megamix and Gigamix manga, returned to the blogosphere -- a return brought on by a sense of duty in light of Friday's catastrophe in Japan.

As a man who's spent much of his career drawing heroes, Ariga felt compelled to publicly share his condolences for the earthquake/tsunami victims, saying that the country bared witness to the rise of many heroes -- people, everyday people, being heroes in the hearts of others, especially in the hard hit areas of Japan.

Yet, there are some who found solace from the likes of fictional heroes -- heroes such as Mega Man. A young fan named Aya Takeshi sent Ariga a message following the events of Friday, saying he found comfort from Gigamix, more so, Mega Man himself. Inspired by the actions of the Blue Bomber, a selfless hero who fights for the weak and refuses to bow to the whims of injustice, Takeshi expressed his desire to protect the future from similar catastrophes. Ariga was, for lack of a better word, touched.

Takeshi's words helped Ariga escape a depression bought on by the destruction that ravaged much of Japan. Inspired, Ariga's asks those able to help those in need during these dark days; protect the young and old, help in whatever ways possible; become a hero in the heart of another. It is through through these selfless acts, he believes, that true progress to rebuild the nation can begin.

Realizing there are many people in Japan in need of a distraction, Ariga has chosen to hold a coloring contest with Megamix and Gigamix postcards as prizes. Though not explicitly stated, the contest appears to be aimed at children who need something to do to in order to stay occupied -- an escape from the harsh reality that surrounds them. Children can choose to color from three hi-resolution lineart images of Rockman Remix's front and back cover, each with a varying degree of difficulty (Easy, Normal and Hard Modes). You can check those out in the above link.

This is, undeniably, an immensely generous gesture on Ariga's part. Overseas fans cannot (and probably shouldn't) participate, however, it's an event that's worth some mad props, regardless.

Even in the bleakest of days, Mega Man can still remain someone's hero.

(Thanks, Rock Miyabi)

Mega Man Legends Game Club Is Live

Capcom Unity's first ever Mega Man Legends Club is streaming today, which began a short while ago. Viewers are encouraged to join in on the fun and chat with the Capcom crew via Ustream as they play through the first MML.

Further streams will occur every now and then, so do check the channel often!

They Call Him Pepsi Man

For the last year or so, PepsiCo of France has been seeking to find a talented individual to star in an upcoming Pepsi commercial. The contest, currently airing on TV, garners all kinds of musical talent from across the country. One such fellow, going by the name of Pepsi Man, chose to woo the judges with his rendition of Okkusenman -- the ever popular, Mega Man 2 inspired meme that refuses die.

If Pepsi Man, aka Jerome, wins the contest, he'll be singing Okkusenman on French TV later this year, in a commercial of his very own.

Maybe not the most talented, but the guy's got a lot of heart... that and he's a Mega Man fan. C'mon, how neat would it be to see Okkusenman forever immortalized in the form of a Pepsi commercial?

If you'd like to support him, simply click on the vote icon on the direct feed version here.

Thanks for the tip, Emmanuel!

Six-Year Anniversary of Rockman Theatrical Film

Six years ago today, the first (and currently only) Rockman theatrical film graced silver screens in Japan. Rockman EXE: The Program of Light And Darkness is nothing short of a series milestone.

The film, an adaptation of the Rockman EXE Stream television series, released in theaters back in 2005, billed alongside the Duel Masters feature film, Curse of the Deathphoenix. Original assumed to be a true-blue crossover, the movie is, for the most part, stand-alone, with a plot based heavily around the happenings of Rockman EXE Stream. As such, the film didn't see an international release as Stream was never dubbed nor syndicated outside of Japan by ShoPro/Viz.

Despite the lack of an (official) international release, the film was a moderate financial success domestically. By year's end, The Program of Light And Darkness went on to garner $7,606,77 at the box office, even beating out the likes of other populated animated features at the time such as Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation. 

The film's success is due in part to a decent sized marketing campaign headed by Capcom. The publisher released a series of official goods and paraphernalia to raise awareness for the film, even going so far as to produce a limited edition version of the then-latest game in the series, Rockman EXE 5.  Dubbed, "Rockman EXE 5: Movie Edition", the game was a re-packaged version of Team Colonel, bundled with some nifty extra goodies, complete with an all new slip on on box cover. Today, the game remains as one of the most sought after collectibles.

For English speaking fans, an unofficial subbed version of the movie is widely available online via Torrent and video streaming sites. Interestingly, Capcom nor Xebec have not taken action against this freely available version. A quick Google search can yield to some surprising results.

Now six-years later, The Program of Light and Darkness proudly stands firm as the only official Rockman movie released in theaters. The lifelong dream for some of us, seeing the Blue Bomber on the big screen, finally came to fruition.  But, let's be honest, this isn't quite the film adaption many were hoping. When word originally hit the scene that Capcom was in the midst of producing a Mega Man film, many, and I mean MANY fans at the time were expecting something along the lines of a classic series movie. Alas, fate had other plans.

With Capcom gearing up to take on Hollywood once again with a new Resident Evil and Devil May Cry films, perhaps we may yet see the Blue Bomber's return to theaters.

Grab Those GBA Mega Man Games While You Can

Looking to snag yourself a used copy of Mega Man & Bass from GameStop?  Well, you might want to act fast -- the Game Boy Advance is on the way out.

With the Nintendo 3DS rapidly approaching release in North America, GameStop is preparing to phase out all GameBoy Advance-related content very, very soon.  Come April 2nd, the retailer will cease all trade-ins for GameBoy Advance systems and games; this according to sources at Joystiq.

The GBA is home to MANY Mega Man games -- sixteen titles, to be precise (that includes multiple versions).  Used copies of most are plentiful, but after April 2nd stock won't be replenished; once they're gone, they're gone.  That said, now might be a good time to run out and pick up any games you've missed in the past, especially those that don't have their own Nintendo DS collection counterpart (i.e Battle Network!).

There's also been some talk of a GBA clearance sale in the future, but nothing's official yet. In any case, it'd be wise to keep an eye out.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to secure a copy of Battle Chip Challenge.

Aero's English Voice Debut

For now, worry not about the fate of Legends 3. Instead, why not have a listen to some clips of Aero's English voice?

Tonight's Devroom update once again focuses on the voice recording session of series newcomer Aero -- this time, however, composer Reo Uratani discusses the process of sound mixing and editing dialogue. Headlining the post, brief samples of both Aero's English and Japanese voices, each fine-tuned to fit a number of different effects (echoes, radio-wave, etc.).

At the moment, I can't embed the samples in the post so you'll have to check 'em out at the Devroom here. Again, they're very brief, but long enough for us to draw comparisons between the two actresses' performances. Aero's English voice is... a little different than I expected. Don't get me wrong, it sounds great thus, but perhaps a little deeper than I imagined.

Capcom is still hush-hush on who exactly is providing the voice of English Aero, but I'm sure one keen-eared fan will probably narrow it down to a few individuals.

Full story at Capcom Unity!

Mega Man Legends 3 Facing Greenlight Troubles

Recently, the Mega Man Legends 3 staff have been very vocal on their quest to get the game green-lit, keying fans in on the trials and tribulations of the process. The "out-of-the-blue" nature of these posts, a general feeling of uncertainty about the game's future from the staff, took many by surprise as we were certain Legends 3 was a sure fire thing. This, however, isn't necessarily the case.

In an interview with Siliconera, Capcom USA's Seth Killian provided some insight behind these recent developments:

"It’s been really cool, but it’s been kind of scary in a lot of ways also. Just recently we had a post where the team talked about how the game hasn’t been greenlit," says Killian.  "They were saying like ‘well, we got an extension, so we’re going to keep working on the game.’ Does this mean it’s actually going to be made? Not 100% and that’s true. It’s kind of weird because we were talking about it internally and maybe we shouldn’t say that. It’s sort of a weird message or maybe it will upset some people. And it did actually upset some people."

[...]

"But, the team really does has this idea that they want to share things with people for real. And they did. There is a chance that we won’t see the game for real, but we are all crossing our fingers. That’s the real story of game development, they get canceled all the time."

I wholeheartedly believe if there was even the slightest doubt that things wouldn't turn out okay, Capcom would immediately cease all Devroom operations -- they haven't. And, hey, let's not forget the playable demo hitting Japan at the end of the month; if things were truly bleak, a highly publicized demo wouldn't be happening.

Still, this is unsettling -- scary, almost, as this is a project many have been waited 10+ years for (myself included). To get our hopes up then suddenly drop it all just like that would be nothing short of unfortunate -- a tragedy. But what can we, the fans, do from behind our desks and monitors? Alas, we can raise our voices; encourage the development team, show Capcom we really want this to happen. A little fan-support can go a long way.

Fingers crossed, folks.

New Mega Man Tees Arrive Just In Time For Spring

Word has it numerous pop culture-centric retailers are stocking two new Mega Man t-shirts this season, each themed after Mega Man 10. They look a little something like this:

Leftmost shirt is interesting; it was once an event exclusive item, given away at past E3s, Comic-con and MM10's launch event at Nintendo World last year. It has since become something of a collector's item, usually going for a pretty penny on Ebay and the like. Thankfully, this one is a lot cheaper! The other shirt continues the tradition of sprite-based apparel with the usual cheeky one-liner. Nothing too fancy, but it'll keep you cool when the heat begins to kick it up.

Where to buy? According to a couple readers, both shirts were recently spotted in-store at Hot Topic and Spencer's. When it comes to online retailers, it looks like MyTeeSpot's got your back, both available for $19.99 USD.

Thanks to Jeni and RockX for the tip!

Udon Shows Off Battle Network, Star Force OCW Preview Pages

For your viewing pleasure, here's a nice helping of preview pics of both Mega Man Battle Network and Mega Man Star Force Official Complete works, courtesy of the Udon Entertainment crew. I've also recieved word that the former, BN OCW, will finally release next week, March 16! Star Force OCW will follow soon after in May.

All the pics and official press release after the jump.

MegaHouse Prepping Rockman Figures (Update)

I know what you're thinking: more toys? Yes, MORE TOYS.

MegaHouse manufacturers are planning to release a series of irresistibly cute Rockman-themed figures later this year under their "Game Characters Collection Mini" line. A grand total of twelve 30mm figures are being produced including Rockman, Blues, Roll, a few Robot Masters, and color Rockman varients (UPDATE: all figures revealed). The twelfth figure, shrouded in mystery, looks to be a helmet-less version of Rockman or another character of similar proportions.

According to speculation, the line may indeed be trading figures, meaning you'll be purchasing them at random (unless you buy a boxed set). MegaHouse hasn't stated this to be the case; however, past mini game characters were released in a similar manner. (UPDATE: a recent listing for a box set of twelve does seem to support the theory.)

The figures are expected to release in mid-June in Japan for 399 Yen ($4.82 USD) per figure. No word on an internationally release but, if I'm not mistaken, some of MegaHouse's products have been sold outside of Japan in recent years.

Pre-order details should be surfacing soon. Stay tuned!

Credit: The Mega Man Network, Jimb0 for new images

Mega Man Versus The Yellow Devil, The Face Painting

It's amazing how anything can become anyone's canvas -- for example, the human face. YouTube user Hkisame shows off this feat with a pretty darn awesome (and somewhat freaky) recreation of Mega Man's battle with the one-eyed menace, the Yellow Devil.

If there's one things Mega Man fans excel in, it's our devotion to celebrate the franchise with art. Creativity truly knows no bounds. Excellent work, Hkisame!

You can check out more equally awesome facial artwork at Hkisame's YouTube channel.

Keiji Inafune: The Book?

The decision on whether or not to cover the recent happenings of Keiji Inafune has been an on/off battle. One one hand, it'd be nice to keep tabs on the fellow who heavily influenced the Mega Man franchise, making it what it is today. On the other, since he's no longer associated with Capcom (and subsequently Mega Man), there's really not too much of a point. However, this news bite in particular may yet have to do with a certain Blue Bomber... maybe.

According to a listing at BK1, the former Capcom executive is writing a book, tentatively titled "Keiji Inafune Concept." Other than a suggested April release date, no other details are known at this time, however, the book's subtitle, "concept", bears a passing resemblance to the name of Inafune's new business, "Comcept."

Back in December, Inafune reportedly distributed a Comcept business card to an industry analyst -- the event taking place just a short while after the Comcept title first reared its head on Infanune's Inafking blog. It would seem this book, whatever it may be, relates to that of his new company.

So, what does this have to do with Mega Man? If it's an autobiography about Inafune's life in the gaming biz, chances are the book is bound to cover much of his escapades with the franchise. After all, he's pretty much had his hands all over it for some twenty-three years, making up a large portion of his career as a game designer.

If not a biography but more of an informal guide to game design -- a book housing his design philosophies, then perhaps he'll sneak in some Mega Man allusions in there. All speculations, of course.

Hopefully, we can expect an official comment in the near future. Depending on how things play out, I might continue to follow this. If not, I'd advise you to look elsewhere for future updates.

Credit: People's Republic of Rockman DASH

Rockman 8 Beta Version 2 Released

Hot on the heels of the public release of an early Rockman 8 beta build, comes the much demanded second beta. Downloadable below, v2 is a slightly later build (near final), whose big selling point is the absence of subtle graphical touches.

Rockman 8 Beta v2 download: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=OZ66XUI1

(Mediafire Mirror)

v2 is made up of six stages: intro, Grenade Man, Clown Man, Tengu Man, Frost Man and an incomplete Sword Man. All stages lack little graphical details, mostly within the background (and sometimes foreground). This is clearly evident in the screencaps above, such as the missing circuitry and blinking lights in Grenade Man's stage, and the overall blandness of Tengu Man's flying fortress.  Meanwhile, Sword Man's stage, or what's left of it, is presented in broad daylight as opposed to the orange, sunset motif of the final.

Frost Man's stage has been finalized at this point. Interestingly, part two of his stage actually features some additional highways and roads leading into the background, most of which are clearly hand drawn. For one reason or another, these were ditched in the final.

v2 contains no music, save for the Capcom jingle that plays upon boot-up. The music files are there within the .iso, but nothing plays during gameplay. This could be an error on my end, however, so you'll have to try it out and see for yourself.

Sound effects are a lot closer to the final but when it comes to animation, Rockman still runs like a chicken with its head cut off.

Feel free to give it a download from the above link. I haven't invested too much time in exploring some of the behind-the-scenes stuff so I look forward to anything you might find. As always, let us know via comments!

Thanks again Junkershvn and Henger83 for the release!

Mega Man X Tops MvC3 DLC Vote

The results for the fan-fueled Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 DLC polls are in and sure enough, Mega Man X came out on top.

The Maverick Hunter claimed victory of the Capcom side tonight with a total of 3,110 votes -- beating likes of other popular characters such as Phoenix Wright (2nd) and Strider (3rd), and two other Mega Man incarnations: classic (9th) and Mega Man.EXE (19th). The Battle Network incarnation of Bass and Sigma were other popular choices among fans, but ultimately placed 10th and 13th respectively.

If you intend to celebrate, do so with caution: X's victory does not necessarily guarantee the character a spot as future downloadable content. As stated on numerous occasions, this was a poll set up by the fans, not Capcom themselves. However, Capcom USA's Sven has stated they are well aware of the poll, and feedback may potentially influence future DLC.

With the poll at an end and victors declared on both sides, now's probably the time Capcom will begin to look at things a lot more closely. All we can do now is continue to support the top characters, and keep the hype alive and well.

I'll keep you informed if anything of interest develops.

Source: Capcom Unity

Hidden Stages Unearthed In Rockman 8 Beta

Immediately following the public release of the much sought after Rockman 8 beta, fans quickly began poking and prodding around its innards with hopes of discovering something, anything, that may be hiding among the iso. Sure enough, their efforts have not gone to waste: two more stages have been discovered.

With a little elbow grease, skeleton stages for Clown Man and Tengu Man have been forced out of hiding, revealing more unseen (and unheard) goodness. Both stages, though incomplete, tout drastically different layouts and feature a single piece of unused music:

You can download the beta (and the unused music) within the video's description.

On a related note: I've been hearing a lot of requests for the release of beta v2. I'm currently working on that, but I thought I'd give you all fair warning: it's not as significant as v1.

v2 is near final. The build consists of five and a half stages: introductory, Clown Man, Grenade Man, finalized Frost Man, and an incomplete Sword Man stage. Each stage is nearly identical to the final counterparts, but all lack certain graphical background details. All stages lack boss battles and all end with a dead end. The only way to return to the stage select is to reset the game.

So, yes, beta v2 doesn't contain anything hugely awesome like the unused swamp introductory stage. Still, it's worthy of a release just for the sake of completion. I'll be keeping you posted on that front.

Mega Man Tribute Contest Result Update

February 4th has come and gone, and all entries for Udon Entertainment's Mega Man Tribute project are accounted for. As particpants eagerly anticipate the good word, we have ourselves our first real update on the selection process.

According to a DeviantArt post made by Udon's Managing Editor Matt Moylan, "All the entries have been judged and the UDON crew’s top picks chosen. We are now awaiting artwork approval of the winners from Capcom before we announce the final line-up."

The fate of your piece is now at the hands of Capcom, who, I'm certain, should be sorting those out very soon. In the meantime, Matt has gone and revealed four wonderfully crafted Mega Man Tribute pieces by Udon's own in-house artists. The pieces, viewable below, will be featured in the book:

Stay tuned for future Mega Man Tribute updates! Participants, keep those fingers crossed and good luck!

Credit: The Mega Man Network