Mega Man 3DS XL Case Coming to the Capcom Store

Hot on the heels of the successful Monster Hunter Nintendo 3DS XL case, Capcom Unity are readying a brand-new Mega Man 25th anniversary case.

On the front you've got Mega Man's 8-bit shootin' sprite, while the back has the 25th anniversary logo. The case isn't on sale yet but Brett Elston assures they'll be good and ready in time for the San Diego Comic-Con. They'll be up on the Capcom Store soon after.

For more images, swing on by Capcom Unity! (Thanks for the tip, James!)

Mega Man 1 Hits Wii U eShop in Europe This Week (Update: NA Too)

Official Nintendo Magazine Editor in Chief Chandra Nair has confirmed the original Mega Man will be released on the Wii U eShop Thursday, May 2nd for £3.49. As a Wii U Virtual Console game, Mega Man boasts off-TV play, save states, and a dedicated Miiverse community.

No word on North America. We'll keep an ear out. UPDATE: Confirmed!

Thanks for the tip, Mark!

D-Arts Ultimate Armor X in the Wild (Update)

Pre-orders can't come soon enough! Update: Spoke too soon; GG Infinite has him up for $39.09.

Source: Trash Box

Mega Man Saves the Mushroom Kingdom Again in Super Mario Crossover 3.0

Everyone's favorite video game mash-up is back, and it's bigger than ever! Check out the debut trailer for Super Mario Crossover 3.0. The third installment brings a batch of new character skins to the Mushroom Kingdom, including Cut Man, Ice Man and Quick Man.

Hit up Exploding Rabbit for more details!

Mega Man 3 and Mega Man 4 OSTs Hit the Capcom Store

Capcom U.S brings us a double dose of official soundtracks this week with Mega Man 3 and Mega Man 4. You can download each digital album for just $8.95.

Mega Man 3 contains 39 tracks (left) composed by Capcom sound designer Yasuaki Fujita (aka "Bun Bun"). Meanwhile, Mega Man 4 clocks in at 66 tracks (right), weaved by a personal favorite Minae Fujii. Fujii was also responsible for the soundtracks to Mega Man 10, Duck Tales 2, TaleSpin, and Breath of Fire.

I have a hunch we'll be seeing MM5 and maybe MM6 next week!

Capcom and Bandai Hold D-Arts Character Poll

It's that time again. Capcom Japan has opened up a new poll for fans to vote on who they want to see made into Bandai's next D-Arts. There are 24 total characters ranging from various series.

You can only select up to three choices. Further, Capcom has provided a field for you to suggest any other character not listed. You must provide your age and your favorite series (Mega Man, X, Legends, Battle Network, Zero, ZX, Star Force). Survey ends on May 16th.

Although this poll is intended for Japanese audiences, there's no telling if Bluefin Tamashii Nations will follow through with their own. I'll keep you posted.

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Mega Man 4 Now Available on Nintendo 3DS eShop

As promised by Capcom, the NES game Mega Man 4 is now available for $4.99 on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in North America.

Next up, Mega Man 5 sometime in May.

Tremble with Terror! Figuarts ZERO Sigma Unveiled!

Hot on the heels of D-Arts Ultimate Armor X, the official Tamashii Nations Facebook has pulled the wraps off of the enormous Figuarts ZERO Sigma. As a Figuarts ZERO figure, Sigma has no points of articulation. But as a trade off, you're getting a fine-sculpted, towering beast. No joke, he stands seven inches tall.

Sigma will go on sale in North America in September/October wherever Bandai products are sold. In Japan, he will retail for the equivalent of $58 USD. Pre-orders should open up in the coming days.

Hit the jump for more images!

Mega Man 25th Anniversary Statue Gets Much Needed Face Lift

Pointed out by the official Capcom Store Twitter, the 25th anniversary statue has seen another revision. As you can see, the eyes have been completely revamped. They're more proportionate to Mega Man's face, which looks significantly less gaunt. Just compare it with this. Yeah, I think it's a step in the right direction.

You can see more images of the update figure at the Capcom Store. While you're there, why not pre-order? The deadline is in two short days!

Source: @CapcomStore

Behold: D-Arts Ultimate Armor X!

By way of Tamashii Nations, here's our first official look at the upcoming D-Arts Ultimate Armor X. The product page anticipates an August release in Japan. If tradition holds true, we could see him on our shores no less than a month later.

Check out more images after the break!

Another Look at Rockman Xover's Winning Bosses

Not too long ago the winning boss designs for Rockman Xover were announced. Today those designs have resurfaced; polished and all pretty thanks to the talents of Capcom's designers. Just look at Arcademan. Is that not spiffy or what?

Click here to check out the designs for the runner-ups, Tabletman, "There" and Dharman.

Source: Rockman Unity (via The Mega Man Network)

Archie's Matt Herms Shows His Mega Man Legends Love

Archie Comics colorist Matt Herms shared this work-in-progress Mega Man Legends inspired piece on Twitter. Mind, it's only fan-art. There's nothing to suggest an Archie Legends adaption is happening. But it's something Herms would personally love to see.

"I would LOVE for this to happen," he tweets. "Aside from X, Legends is my favorite of the spin-offs."

I know I'd be on board. What about you?

Source: @MattHerms

Preorder Deadline Extended for 25th Anniversary Statue

If the Capcom Store's official Twitter is to be believed, the preorder deadline for the Mega Man 25th Anniversary Statue may have been extended from April 21 to April 26. That would give you folks a few extra days to gather up the zenny for the $99.95 price tag.

While we're on the subject, are you still on the fence about this one? I am. I think most of us are really hung up on the face. It could be better honestly. Unfortunately, it sounds as if it may be too late for additional revisions. If that is indeed the case, would you still buy it or save the cash for another day?

Source: Tomopop

Matt Herms Posts Clean 'Worlds Collide' Cover Artwork

Want to get a look at some raw, unobstructed "Worlds Collide" cover artwork? Well, do yourself a favor and swing on by series colorist Matt Herm's deviantART! You'll find clean covers for the following issues:

• Mega Man #25
• Sonic the Hedgehog #248
• Sonic Universe #52
• Sonic the Hedgehog #250 
• Sonic Universe #53
• Mega Man #27

If you fancy hi-res art from Patrick 'SPAZ' Spaziante (without all those pesky logos), by all means check out the links above. And hey, the black-and-white, inked versions make great coloring pages for the kiddos.

Source: herms85

So About That D-Arts Iris...

Word of D-Arts Ultimate Armor X's production was met with mixed reactions, to say the least. Of the "fake" figures presented, many had their hopes set on Iris being immortalized in plastic. Even Capcom’s own Ryuji Higurashi was disappointed. He drew this saddened Iris in response.

But the prospect of D-Arts Iris is not a lost cause. Not yet. Rockman Unity's Ucchy has vowed to reignite "that plan," with everyone's support.

The "plan" is purposely left vague, but it's largely assumed he means another character poll to gauge interest in which products fans would like to see next. If so, then Iris could find herself among the choices... and, with a little support, become a figure.

Would you buy it?

Source: Rockman Unity (via The Mega Man Network)

Mega Man is Coming to the Wii U Virtual Console

During today’s Nintendo Direct, company president Satoru Iwata revealed the highly anticipated Wii U Virtual Console update will arrive next week. The above sizzle real shows off a handful of upcoming games, including the original Mega Man. It remains to be seen if it will be a launch title...  but hey, at least it's on the way.

Wii U Virtual Console games will support off-tv play on the Wii U GamePad, save states, and individual Miiverse communities. I'm most excited about the latter; a Mega Man Miiverse community is going to be amazing.

Source: Nintendo Life

MTV Geeks Previews 'Worlds Collide' Part 2

Believe it or not, "Worlds Collide" part two debuts in tomorrow's Sonic Universe #51. For those of you who can't possible wait any longer, MTV Geek has an exclusive five-page preview up on their site. Hit the link and check it out! Oh, and be on the lookout for a non-canon Bond Man reference.

Subscribers should be reviving their copies any day now. For every one else, newsstands will have you covered tomorrow.

Source: MTV Geek (thanks for the tip, Karl!)

Rockman Tanjou Begins 'Remastered' Rockman & Forte Manga Translation

Some years ago manga translation group Rockman Tanjou set forth to translate Koji Izuki's manga adaption of Rockman & Forte. Today, they're revisiting their work; adding a few touch ups and tweaks for an improved reading experience.

Rockman & Forte Volume 1 'remastered' is a shiny new version of Tanjou's original translation. They've updated the fonts, the text is bigger, and everything is far easier to read. With that said, you can find the first four chapters here. More 'remastered' chapters will follow, so check back every now and then.

I'd also like to add the Tanjour team are always on the lookout for more translators. If you'd like to lend a hand, drop them a line.

Brett Elston Working Towards More 25th Anniversary Goods

On the Ask Capcom forums, community manager Brett Elston had this to say on the prospect of future Mega Man 25th anniversary goods:

"As far as other promotional efforts in the US go - pins, statues, figures etc are things we can do (relatively) quickly and make sure there's activity during this important year. I'm doing everything I can to get some cool MM goods out this year, and thankfully I work with a ton of equally passionate folks who feel the same.

We hope to have more giveaway items and Capcom Store goods throughout the year, and for what it's worth I am working on other promotional items beyond what's been announced. As soon as they're ready to show, I certainly will."

I'm pretty confident we'll end up seeing more neat trinkets before year's end. Brett's the man behind the USB Mega Buster and commemorative statue, after all.

What sort of merchandise would you like to see next?

Last Chance to Grab Maverick Hunter X Free on PlayStation Plus

Beginning tomorrow, Maverick Hunter X will make its way to the "Last Chance" subsection of the PlayStation Store’s PlayStation Plus section. The game will no longer be available to download for free come April 23rd.

As a reminder, free PS Plus games will continue to work as long as your subscription remains valid, which can be renewed at any time.

Source: PlayStation Blog (thanks, Baust)

Mega Man 2 OST Now Available on Capcom Store

Continuing the effort to make all the classic series soundtracks legally available for digital download, Capcom has added the Mega Man 2 OST to the Capcom Store. For $8.95 you're not just getting the original NES tunes, but the entire Complete Works tracks, too. The entire soundtrack in DRM-free MP3 format, exclusive to North America and South America.

Stay tuned for the Mega Man 3 OST. The soundtrack should be up for grabs sometime this week.

Source: Capcom Unity (thanks for the tip, Jon)

Covers and Solicitation for Mega Man #28

When the "Worlds Collide" crossover event comes to an end, we'll have ourselves a brand new story arc to look forward to. The enigmatic Ra Moon is back to wreak some havoc in "The Return"!

(W) Ian Flynn (A) Gary Martin & Various (CA) Ryan Jampole & Various

‘The Return.’ Mega Man is back! After wrapping up a history-making adventure with his pal Sonic the Hedgehog, Mega Man has returned to all new danger and excitement in Mega-City! Meanwhile, Dr. Wily has sixteen Robot Masters under his command, not to mention the mysterious Break Man – so what has got the evil doctor so terrified? Find out as the full might of the ancient alien Ra Moon is unleashed upon an unsuspecting world! The prelude to the next Mega Man epic ‘Blackout: The Curse of Ra Moon’ starts here with an ending that will leave you breathless! Featuring an up-close-and-personal variant cover by artist Tristan Jones!

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Rockman Xover Boss Contest Winner: Arcade Man

The winner of the Rockman Xover boss character contest held earlier this year has been revealed on Rockman Unity. Say hello to Arcade Man, created by a one Mr. boss13. Arcade Man will soon appear in Xover as an original Master Boss and Battle Memory. As the name implies, he uses attacks based on numerous Capcom arcade games. Creative, no?

The runner-up winners, Tabletman, "There" and Dharman will appear as original Battle Memory cards in the very near future. Head over to Rockman Unity and check them out!

Thanks for the tip, Mac.

Get Equipped with "Worlds Collide" 11 and 12 Covers

We're just now diving into the "Worlds Collide" crossover, and Archie wants to remind us that all things must come to an end. Kotaku brings us our first look at the last two issues of Mega Man and Sonic's adventure: Sonic Universe #54 (Part 11) and Sonic the Hedgehog #251 (Part 12).

Along with the two standard covers, we've also got a look at the third "Evil Friends Forever" variant for Worlds Collide part 12. A campfire scene with marshmallows and a scary story... it's so quaint, so good.

Source: Kotaku (thanks to Mega Monthly for the tip!)

Project X Zone: First English Language Trailer, Bonus Goodies Announced

Lo and behold the first English language trailer for Project X Zone, due out in North America on June 25 and Europe on July 5. You'll note a lack of voices, but it's already been confirmed the final game will retain the original Japanese voice track.

In other Project X Zone news, Namco Bandai confirmed the game will include a mini-art book, poster, and music CD. The whole package will run you no less than $39.99.

Source: Siliconera (thanks, MAX!)

New Images and Details of Revised 25th Anniversary USB Statue

By way of Capcom Unity, here's the lowdown on the revised (but still work in progress) 25th anniversary USB Mega Man statue:

-Darker blue with more metallic finish
-Both feet are flat so the figure can stand on its own
-Revised base now reads Mega Man instead of Capcom
-Intensified LEDs for buster and helmet
-On/Off switch for base lights
-Slightly revised face
-Finished item will come inside E-Tank packaging
-Still a WiP so final-final is still to come

Indeed, there's some nice updates in there. But by golly, the new face leaves me a little unsettled. Something isn't quite right there, IMO. The "life-size" statue really looks amazing by comparison, doesn't it?

As a friendly reminder, you have until April 21 to pre-order from the Capcom Store. More units will be available to purchase at the San Diego 2013 Comic-Con later this summer. For more images, swing over to Capcom Unity.

Here's the Animated Trailer for Sonic & Mega Man: Worlds Collide

Following a few technical hiccups, IGN has at last uploaded the animated teaser for the Mega Man/Sonic the Hedgehog "Worlds Collide" crossover. Almost feels like a video game trailer, no?

The crossover event kicks off with Mega Man #24, in stores tomorrow. If you subscribe by mail, your copy should be in your hands right now!

The Gritty Mega Man X First Person Shooter That Almost Was

Ready for today's crazy news story? What you see above is a concept pitch for a Mega Man X first person shooter, dubbed Maverick Hunter. The game was in development at Armature Studio back in 2010. Polygon has a huge scoop on the title, including a handful of videos and details. Hit the link and check it it out.

"Codenamed Maverick Hunter, the first-person shooter had the blessing of Mega Man's creator and a talented team tasked with attracting a new generation of fans. But the departure of Keiji Inafune likely killed the most interesting take on the 25-year-old character to date.

Mega Man's foray into the first-person shooter genre looked, at least on paper, like a formula for success. One of a handful of collaborations with Western developers kicked off by Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, the Mega Man first-person shooter was in development at Austin-based Armature Studio, the promising developer founded by Metroid Prime's creators. The new Mega Man would have been redesigned by the concept artist responsible for adapting Iron Man's armor for Marvel's successful film franchise. Thematically, the game would have built upon the mythology of Mega Man X, a series that was a darker, more mature spin-off of the cuter, classic Mega Man franchise.

The game would have stayed true to core Mega Man X gameplay concepts, re-imagining his X-Buster arm cannon, his dash and his ability to appropriate the special powers of his fallen enemies. Platforming elements, including X's wall jump, and classic Mega Man X characters would have been re-imagined in new ways."

As it turns out, Armature and Capcom planned to produce an entire TRILOGY of games, culminating in a complete protagonist switch. In the third game, players would assume the role of Zero, forced to take down Mega Man X who had grown ridiculously powerful and intelligent over the course of the trilogy.

Personally speaking, Maverick Hunter presented some interesting ideas. I really, really like the potential of first person platforming/shooting (a la Metroid Prime). Cosmetically, however, I think it needed to be more grounded in the source material. A bit too far removed from the Mega Man X we know and love.

Seriously, read the full Polygon report. Afterwards, drop your impressions in the comments.

Rockman Xover Android Update Brings PVP

Did you know the Android version of Rockman Xover never had the moderately enjoyable player vs. player mode? It's true. Fortunately, Capcom rectified this earlier today. Thanks to the latest patch, Battle Arena mode can now be experienced by Android player's everywhere. For good measure, the catchy BGM composed by Masahiro Aoki is also included.

Thanks to BluesDriveBuster for the confirmation!

Project X Zone Dated for North America

Admittedly, I'm running a bit behind on this one. But for those who haven't heard the news, Namco Bandai has confirmed the North American release date for Project X Zone, due out on June 25th. No word on Europe at the moment; however, they're eying a vague "Summer 2013" release date.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in! [via IGN]

Life-Size Mega Man Headed to E3 2013, San Diego Comic-Con

So about that USB Mega Man statue... yeah, Capcom also commissioned a life-size version for convention photo ops. San Diego Comic-Con and E3 2013 attendees will have the chance to pose with the big guy later this summer. How cool is that?

In the meantime, head over to Capcom Unity for more images!

Check Out Heat Man in Mega Man Soccer!

In Mega Man: Official Complete Works, artist Ryuji Higurashi recalled seeing Heat Man and Guts Man in preview screenshots for Mega Man Soccer. To back up part of his claim, here's a newly unearthed screenshot from GamePower #17. Lo and behold, Heat Man is there. The image is a little fuzzy, but that's no doubt our guy, second to the right.

So what can we take from this? For one, Higurashi wasn't crazy. And two, Heat Man might have been cut as late as November 1993 (going by the date of the magazine). Mega Man Soccer would hit Japan three months later. It's likely Guts Man was cut within that time too. We haven't found a screenshot of him yet, however.

After joining Capcom, Higurashi was informed Heat Man and Guts Man would be included in a prospective sequel. For better or worse, that didn't happen. So until someone says otherwise, the mystery of the pair's removal (among other amazing features) will continue to elude.

Thanks for the tip, anonymous!

D-Arts Ultimate Armor X, Figuarts Sigma Confirmed

Well I lost a bet.

Hot on the heels of Rockman Unity's April Fool's joke, the next Bandai D-Arts has been confirmed: Ultimate Armor Rockman X. Further, Ucchy-san confirms Sigma will go into production as a Figuarts ZERO statue. He won't be articulated, but he'll probably end up being fairly big.

More info soon. Thanks, The Mega Man Network!

Marvel's 'Avengers AI' Gets 8-bit Mega Man Inspired Variant Cover

So this is pretty neat.

Matthew Waite’s variant for the first issue of Avengers AI is a direct homage to classic 8-bit Mega Man sprites (with a Contra background, no less). Revealed on the official Marvel Tumblr, the cover depicts The Avengers -- striking a few familiar poses -- in a heated bout with Ultron robots. Click here to see the full piece.

Given the popularity of theme variant covers, Comic Book Resources speculates more 8-bit homages could be coming down the pike. Hey, no complaints here!

Source: Comic Book Resources (thanks, Ivan!)

Mega Man Composer Manami Matsumae Joins 'Shovel Knight'

Manami Matsumae of Mega Man 1, Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 10 fame will be composing two original songs for Shovel Knight, the Mega Man-inspired indie platformer by Yacht Club.

So That's What Bandai's "Talking Mega Man" Figure Looked Like

It's been longed rumored that Bandai almost produced a talking 8 inch Mega Man action figure, based on the Ruby-Spears animated series. Thanks to this promotional poster discovered by Rockman Corner reader Windsor, we can now say with certainly the big guy was actually in the works.

The product description reads, "8" articulated Mega Man with a signature phrase, plus light and sound. Push the activator button on the back and hear him say "Plasma Power". Push the other button to see the Plasma Cannon light up and hear the laser sound."

I can imagine the singular phrase "plasma power" getting on parents' nerves. But I don't believe that's the sole reason this hunk of plastic was cancelled. Reportedly, Bandai also planned to release Mega Man's Land Blazer and several figures based on second season characters and armors. Unfortunately, it's still unclear why these toys were cancelled.

At the very least, it looks like this figure made it to prototype. For all we know he's huddled up somewhere in a lonely, abandoned warehouse waiting for some love.

Thanks again to Windsor for the contribution!

Game Grumps Take on Mega Man X7

So Egoraptor and JonTron, the Game Grumps, decided it was time to check out Mega Man X7. Why? Because the worst games make up some of the best episodes of Game Grumps. As per usual, this one is ridiculously silly. Lots of profanity and shouting. Better keep that volume button at the ready.

(Fun fact: Did you know Egoraptor used to be a contributing staff member for Atomic-Fire, the primordial Mega Man Network? It's true.)

Spark Mandrill's Theme, in Glorious A Capella

Smooth McGroove is a one man band with a fantastic beard. His YouTube channel is home to joyous a capella performances of video game tunes, the latest being Spark Mandrill's theme from the original Mega Man X. It's simply amazing. If you need an earworm for the day, look no further!

Thanks to Destructoid's Tony Ponce for the tip!