Contest: Win Every Edition of Mega Man Mastermix Issue #1

Udon Entertainment's Mega Man Mastermix is slated to hit shelves in late January, 2018. To celebrate the end of the year and the start of the next, I'm holding a contest to win all six issue #1 covers (these five covers + the very limited "Fried Pie" variant).

To enter simply shoot an email to rockmancornercontests@gmail.com with the subject "MASTERMIX". One winner will be randomly selected at 12:00pm CT on January 31st, 2018. Entry is open to everyone – shipping is all on me. So wherever you are in the world, you're more than welcome to participate.

That's all that needs to be said I think. My inbox is open and ready – good luck!

Super Robot Wars XΩ x Rockman Event Teaser Trailer

Bandai have released a teaser trailer for the upcoming Super Robot Wars XΩ x Rockman collaboration event. Though the event itself doesn't begin until January 1st, 2018, players can start gathering special "Rockman tickets" right now. These tickets can be redeemed for SSR versions of Rockman units (Rockman, Blues and Forte and various Robot Masters) when the event launches.

Oh, and this is interesting too: Rockman, Blues and Forte will be portrayed by veteran Rockman voice actors. Rockman will be played by Ai Orikasaka (who hasn't voiced Rockman since Rockman 8 in 1997), Blues will be voiced by Ryutaro Okiayu (he played Blues in Battle & Chase; Zero in X4) and Forte will be voiced by Nobuyuki Hiyama (he voiced Forte in Rockman 8). Is this casting a clue into who will be playing who in Rockman 11? Who knows! It's something to think about.

Source: 876tv

Every Mega Man-Thing to Look Forward to in 2018 (So Far)

2018 is a big year for our blue boy. From Mega Man 11 to a new animated series, there's a little something for everyone. Here's a recap of what's coming down the pike.

Rockman Xover Fan-Game Released by UltimateMaverickX

 
To commemorate Mega Man's 30th anniversary, UltimateMaverickX rolled out his very first fan-game: Rockman Xover Reborn. Inspired by the now-defunct mobile game, Rockman Xover Reborn should feel familiar to those who played the classic or X series games. In other words, it's nothing like the real Xover.

There are a couple hiccups and glitches, which are expected at this stage. The controls are different, to say the least. The setup is unusual but not impossible to master.  You can play the game in your browser here. Beat it once to unlock a fun little surprise!

In his free time, UltimateMaverickX is hoping to add more content to the game – additional stages, bosses and armors. We'll be keeping an ear out for sure! In the meantime, head to UltimateMaverickX's DeviantArt for more details.

More Mega Man 8 Animation Cels Up for Auction (All Gone!)

Looking for the perfect gift for that Mega Man-maniac in your life? Heidi Kemps is auctioning off another batch of authentic Mega Man 8 animation cels, just in time for Christmas. They are:

• Mega Man (1)

• Mega Man (2)

• Pharaoh Man 

• Duo 

• Trio

Heidi will be auctioning off more cels every so often, so don't fret if you miss out. What's more, she informs me there could be opportunities to win a cel or two from upcoming charity events. We'll have more news on that front soon. For now, happy bidding!

Designing the Sounds of Mega Man 11

If I wasn't a teacher, I'd be a Foley artist. So I'm pretty jealous about today's Game Informer Mega Man 11 feature, which introduces us to the game's audio director/Foley artist Ryo Yoshii. Yoshii is creating audio for the game using real-world sounds; a first for the Mega Man franchise.

“Because the visuals have been updated, it’s a more 3D look and a little more realistic, we figured that incorporating previous sounds wouldn’t jive well with the visuals," said Yoshii. "We didn’t want there to be a disconnect, so we felt that in order to match the visuals we needed to make sure that the audio was a little more modernized. We didn’t want to just use synthesized sounds. We wanted to mix it with Foley work to create a more authentic sound.”

Four short (but very entertaining) videos at Game Informer show off this process. In the first video, for example, Yoshii uses a real hard-hat to design the sound for the Mets. Once the desired raw audio is found, Yoshii dumps it in a synthesizer to create a futuristic sound.

Hop over to Game Informer for more!

Today is Mega Man Legend's 20th Anniversary

20-years-ago today, the first 3D Mega Man debuted on the Sony PlayStation – Mega Man Legends. It's a series that's near and dear to the hearts of many (myself included). And sure enough, to mark the occasion, these passionate fans are putting together something pretty special. 

Happy 30th Anniversary, Mega Man! Glad to Have You Back

Heads up: It's December 17th in North America and that means Mega Man is officially 30-years-old. And sure enough, this is the first anniversary in many years that actually feels like a celebration. No longer do we sit, ponder and long for better days – they are here.

2018 will bring us Mega Man 11, all eight Mega Man X games on current-gen consoles, Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 and 2 on Nintendo Switch, a brand-new animated series and remastered Hitoshi Ariga comics. But wait, there's more! At this very moment, legitimate hope actually exists for new entries in the Mega Man X, Mega Man Legends and the Mega Man Battle Network series. That's something that couldn't be said a year or two ago.

At long last it's an exciting time to be a Mega Man fan. And, oh my god, I finally have actually news to report again. You better believe I'm sticking around.

Here's to the new year!

Capcom Talks About Mega Man's Future and the Potential for MM12, New MMX and Legends Games

In a Game Informer interview with the Mega Man 11 development team, Capcom had some interesting answers to five burning questions about the franchise's future. Here's a couple excerpts you might be interested in:

Can We Expect A Mega Man 12?
Sequels are usually dependent on the success of the game that came before them, so the fate of a Mega Man 12 will largely depend on the success of Mega Man 11. However, Capcom is hoping that Mega Man will come back in a big way.

Kazuhiro Tsuchiya: This is definitely not just a trial balloon, we’re definitely not experimenting. We don’t even have the bandwidth to experiment. This is all about pouring everything we have and everything we know into one project and making it happen. We’re using our prior experience and knowledge to strengthen ourselves and reach the next level. From the start of the project I’ve been saying, ‘Mega Man 11 needs to be a true resurrection of the franchise.’ I really want this title to be something that veterans can pick up and say, ‘Yes, Mega Man is finally back.’”

What about The Mega Man X And Legends Series?
Obviously, Capcom isn’t ready to announce any new games outside of Mega Man 11, but if this game does well it could lead to a revival across the brand. In fact, we specifically asked members of the team if they were interested in also working on any of Mega Man’s other side franchises.

Koji Oda: “I’m one of those people who thinks that actions speak louder than words. I could say all kinds of things, but at the end of the day, I’d like fans to see that we’re taking it seriously by starting to resurrect the brand in the way that we are and to continue to prove ourselves moving forward. I love reading survey data. It’s a great pastime, and I’m well aware that there is a voice out there that wants something new for games like Mega Man Legends and Battle Network.”

It really sounds like Capcom are going all in on Mega Man 11. They know they have high expectations to meet. At the end of the day, though, money talks. The fans will have to snag Mega Man 11 when it launches in late 2018. The future depends on it!

Head to Game Informer for the complete interview.

There's a New Line of Mega Man Plushies Coming Next Year

In case you were wondering, nothing is going to stop the proverbial Mega Man "merchandise train" – not even Mega Man 11. In addition to a number of commemorative 30th anniversary goods, a new line of licensed Mega Man plushies are headed your way in 2018.

Though I can only show you Mega Man for the time being, manufacturer Pop Buddies say there are three more characters in the works. Mega Man (and our three mystery friends) will stand at 9.5 inches tall (7.5 when sitting). The full line will be revealed at the International Toy Fair on January 31st. They're working on a cute little Reflector, too.

If you're a resident in Europe, you can actually pick up this cuddly guy right now from Omoi.

New Rockman X: Mega Missions 4 Details and Images (Updated)

UPDATE: Additional story info, card breakdown added.

Twenty five years later, Bandai are reviving the Rockman X & Rockman X: Mega Missions collectible cards. Mega Missions 4 is set to launch in March 2018 with brand new cards, characters and an original storyline inside a big 'ol package called "Rockman X & Rockman X Mega Mission Selection Box". Here's what's inside:

• 126 Normal Cards (reprints of the original Mega Missions 1-3 cards)
• 9 NEW Foil Cards (two of nine pictured above; couple more here)
• 33 reprinted Foil Cards (from the original Rockman X carddass series)
• Collectible Binder (holds every card)
• Booklet (16-pages; chronicles Mega Missions storyline and includes an original Iwamoto comic taking place after X5)

Rockman X & Rockman X Mega Mission Selection Box will be sold exclusively through Premium Bandai. Though some Premium Bandai items are available to ship internationally, that doesn't seem to be an option for this set right now. I'll let you know if anything changes.

In the meantime, I'm working on getting an accurate translation of the general plot/character information posted here. From what I've gathered so far, it appears iX is back alongside a pair of new cronies: Himmel (a Reploid that rules the skies) and Berg (a Reploid that controls the land). To combat this new threat, X dons a new armor called the "GrowUp" armor. Yes, that's the name they're going with.

Lastly, X and Zero will be mounting a new Ride Chaser dubbed the "Gazelle". This puppy can transform from a Ride Chaser to a Ride Armor on the fly, significantly boosting X and Zero's strength and mobility. Bandai actually planned to produce the Gazelle as a real accessory in 1996. A prototype of the unreleased Gazelle can be seen in the link above. Unfortunately there are no plans to revive it.

More news and updates on this front soon. Stay tuned! (thank to Sensei Hanzo, Reploid_21XX and #20 for the info)

Here's Everything Announced During Capcom Japan's Rockman 30th Ann. Stream

A Super Robot Wars collaboration, Mega Mission 4 and more were revealed during last night's Nico Nico Rockman 30th anniversary stream.

Nendoroid Zero Now Available to Pre-Order

Pre-orders are live for Good Smile Company's Zero Nendroid from Ami Ami. This little Maverick Hunter will set you back 3,980 yen (roughly $34.99). The figure ships with a set of interchangeable faces, Z-Buster and Z-Saber with two different blade parts. A plastic base is included too for all your posing needs.

Nendroid Zero is expected to ship in July, 2018. Grab him here!

Yuji Ishihara Talks About Mega Man's New Look

Game Informer's month-long Mega Man 11 coverage continues with a three-minute video segment on the game's art director, Yuji Ishihara. Here, Ishihara talks about what aspects of Mega Man's character he looked at in redesigning the blue bomber for Mega Man 11 and what he hopes to achieve. Additionally, we get a nice look at some of Ishihara's past work and some new MM11 concept art. It's definitely worth a watch.

Head over to Game Informer for the video!

Monster Hunter World x Mega Man Collaboration Announced

Over the weekend Capcom launched a special trailer for Monster Hunter World titled "Third Fleet." At the tail end of the trailer, it was revealed the game will have a Mega Man collaboration in the form of an 8-bit style Palico and Hunter gear. Skip to 2:45 in the video above to see it in action.

Source: PlayStation

More Mega Man 11 Details – Physical Release Confirmed, Star Force Composer & More

The Game Informer staff recently took some time to chat and reflect on their Mega Man 11 coverage. In the process, the revealed a couple new details. The Mega Man discussion begins at 4:00. I've summarized the interesting tidbits below:

• After you defeat a Robot Master, you're taken to a blueprint-like screen where you can test out the weapon. It's a bit like a tutorial – you can see what every weapon does before resuming the game.

• Mega Man 11 has a certain feature/mechanic that changes the gameplay up more than any feature/mechanic throught any mainline Mega Man game. This mechanic is described as "helpful" and completely optional. But when you do use it, it "changes the moment to moment gameplay". That's about all Game Informer could say on the subject. We can infer this mechanic has something to do with the gears beneath Mega Man's health and weapon energy.

• The composer of Mega Man 11 is an individual that worked on the Star Force series. Game Informer couldn't say who it was, but it could be Akari Kaida, Yoshino Aoki, Marika Suzuki, or Mitsuhiko Takano.

• Mega Man 11 will receive a physical release. Capcom could not comment on how much the game will cost, though it will be less than the typical $59.99 MSRP.

Source: Game Informer

Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 On Switch Will Include 3DS Museum Content & Amiibo Challenges

Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 developer Digital Eclipse took to Twitter to field a few questions about the upcoming Nintendo Switch port. In addition to Amiibo support – which will unlock the 11 Amiibo-exclusive challenges – Digital Eclipse confirmed that all the Nintendo 3DS-exclusive Museum Mode images will be making the jump to the Switch version.

Rockman 11 Famitsu Preview (Concept Art, Screenshots)

This week's Famitsu includes a meaty Rockman 11 preview. While there's no new details to be found, this issue brings us a nice batch of clean concept art. We've got a really good look at Dr. Wily (who's looking fly with that black shirt/red tie combo), Rush, Sniper Joe and more. I would like to point out a new enemy that shows up in one of the conceptual screenshots illustrated by Yuji Ishihara. It looks like a new Mettaur variant with a pointy nose. It might be a drill? It's a little too early to say if these guys will show up in the final game, though.

Other than that, Famitsu's coverage includes a couple new screenshots too, though most of them already showed up in the latest Game Informer.

Source: Nintendo Everything

Check Out the 15-Minute Mega Man 11 Analysis From GameXplain

GameXplain (with a little help from my friend Ash Paulsen) posted a 15-minute in-depth exploration of all the footage and screenshots we have so far on Mega Man 11. It's pretty neat and points out a lot of little tidbits you might have missed. For example, the immediate presence of the Special Weapon gauge from the get-go may suggest Rush's abilities are available by default. In other words, there might never be a need to switch to Rush specifically.

All in all, there's some interesting stuff going on here. Kick back, relax and give it a watch!

Mega Man 11 Details From Game Informer's January Issue

The digital version of Game Informer's Mega Man 11 cover story is now available to read online for subscribers. The story covers a lot of ground and reveals a couple new, interesting details about the game.

I am a subscriber and I took some time to jot down some notes you might find interesting. You can read those after the jump. I will not, however, be republishing ANY images from this issue. You'll have to pick it up yourself or wait for screenshots to drop online officially.

Your First Look at Mega Man 11's Robot Masters (Updated)

This is the title screen from a demo version of Rockman 11, as seen on the 30th anniversary hub. And would look at that – behind a list of difficulty options, there's some funny looking silhouettes. I'm not a betting man but I'd wager they're MM11's Robot Masters.

Now, let's enhance that image a bit...

Mega Man 11 Announced (Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC), Late 2018

Surprise! Coming in late 2018 to all current-gen platforms.

Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 and 2 Coming to Nintendo Switch

Just announced on stream, Legacy Collection 1 and 2 are headed to Nintendo Switch in Spring 2018 with Amiibo support. It's unknown at the moment if both games will be sold together or individually.

More news soon!

Mega Man X1~X8 Coming to PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PC

Just announced on the Mega Man 30th anniversary stream, Mega Man producer Kazuhiro Tsuchiya announced that all eight Mega Man X titles are coming to current-gen platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC.

At this time, it remains to be seen if this will be a collection or individual re-releases. More news as it comes.

Watch the Mega Man 30th Anniversary Stream Here (Pre-Show 10AM; Main Event 11AM PST)

We're just a couple hours away from Capcom Unity's Mega Man 30th anniversary event. What's gonna happen? What will we see? Tune in and find out!

Your First Look at Nendoroid Zero

Swallowed up by yesterday's tantalizing 30th anniversary stuff, Good Smile officially revealed Nendoroid Zero at the Tokyo Comic Con. First teased some months ago, "Nendoroid Zero X2 Version" is painted and just about ready for retail. A release date has not been announced, though it shouldn't be too far off.

Stay tuned!

Source: Good Smile Co.

PlayStation Received a Mega Man 30th Anniversary Invite, Too

Siliconera isn't the only one "invited" to Mega Man's 30th anniversary bash on December 4th. The official PlayStation Twitter account is teasing the celebration, too.

Mega Man 30th Anniversary Live Stream Announced ("You Won't Want To Miss It")

Siliconera received a curious package from Capcom today: a card inviting fans to tune in to a special 30th anniversary live stream on Monday, December 4th. The card reads:

Celebrate the Blue Bomber’s big 30th with us. Watch live on December 4th!
You won’t want to miss it.
What: Mega Man 30th Anniversary livestream
When: December 4, 2017 — 11:00am – 12:00pm PST
Where: Twitch.tv/capcomunity
#MegaMan30

"You won't want to miss it" is a pretty bold statement. What, if anything, are they going to announce? Sounds like we won't have to wait too long to find out.

I will be hosting the stream on Monday and posting what may (or may not) be announced. For now, remember out mantra: no expectations, no disappointments.

X and Zero Getting Ver.Ke-Inspired Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite Costumes

Along with new fighters Venom, Black Widow and Winter Solider, a fresh batch of premium "cosmic crusaders" costumes are headed to Marvel vs Capcom: Infinite on December 5th.  Maverick Hunters X and Zero will receive two new costumes, respectively – and they look smashing.

Capcom Bar to Celebrate Rockman's 30th Anniversary With Themed Menu

What's a birthday party without some food and drinks? Starting December 7th, the Capcom Bar will be serving up Rockman-themed eatery for the franchise's 30th anniversary. Delicacies included a three-layer Roll cake, Rush salmon pasta, Dr. Cossack and Kalinka berry vodka, Dr. Light milk shakes, and Forte coffee floats.

Additionally, participants will receive an exclusive Rockman birthday card (left image; bottom left) and one of eight collectable badges. The gang's all here except for reps from Zero and ZX. Strange, but whatever.

Source: Capcom Bar

Get Equipped With The Cookie Jar Mega Buster

Time and again I ask myself, "what weird Mega Man thing will they come up with next?" ThinkGeek answered the call with this officially-licensed Mega Buster cookie jar. They write:

"While we may occasionally find ourselves jumping over spiky obstacles, dodging hammers, climbing ladders, and performing various other feats to bring about everlasting peace, we lack one significant advantage Mega Man had. Mega Man was a robot. He didn't have to eat. WE DO!!

That's why we made the Mega Man Cookie Jar. Fighting Dr. Wily's violent robot threats takes energy, and lots of it. We need a convenient, easily-recognizable place to store compact energy delivery systems so we'll have enough power to support and protect mankind's existence. likeyado."

The Mega Man cookie jar will set you back $34.99 (cookies and milk sold separately). Hey, it's a great gift for the holidays! Grab it here.

Super Mighty Power Man Kickstarter Cancelled; Publishers Interested in Funding the Game

The Kickstarter campaign for Super Mighty Power Man, a Mega Man-inspired platformer for Nintendo Switch, 3DS and PC, has been cancelled – but it may turn out to be a good thing for everyone involved.

Bandai Resurrecting Rockman X Mega Missions Cards

Starting today, Bandai are accepting entries for a Giga Armor Rockman X design contest. The winning fan-created armor design will appear in a new or reprinted line of Rockman X Mega Mission cards. You read that correctly: Mega Missions is – in some shape or form – returning.

Bandai are asking fans to create an original design using this template. Submissions will be judged by none other than Yoshiro Iwamoto, author and illustrator of the famed Rockman X manga. The winning design will be redrawn by Iwamoto as a smartphone wallpaper to promote the resurrected Mega Missions cards.

The contest starts today and concludes on January 12th, 2018. A winner will be announced a few short weeks later. Sadly for us, participation is limited to residents of Japan.

At the moment it's difficult to determine if these are actually *new* Mega Mission cards or a reprint of the original 1995-'96 cards. Rockman Unity's own Ucchy-san seems to be in on this surprising revival, too, whatever it turns out to be. Regardless, this is an interesting development. Hopefully we'll have more news from this front soon!

Thanks for the tip Vhyper1985!

8-Bit Mega Man Funko Pops Headed to GameStop on Black Friday

Love 'em or hate 'em, Funko's Pop vinyls are here to stay (for now). So it should come as no surprise we'll be seeing more Mega Man Pops – and soon at that.

According to a leaked GameStop Black Friday ad clipping and photo, the 2017 Funko Mystery Box will play host to "8-Bit Mega Man" and "8-Bit Magnet 'Missle' Mega Man" Pops (yes, they misspelled missile). There's no guarantee you'll get those two Pops in one go, mind you. The mystery box is, as the name implies, entirely blind. You get what you get. Of course if you REALLY want these things you could always hit up eBay after Black Friday.

Thanks for the tip, Julian!

Rockman 30th Anniversary Postage Stamps Coming to Japan

Japan Post announced they will be launching an official set of Rockman stamps for the series' 30th anniversary. Further, the set will ship with exclusive 30th anniversary t-shirts seen here and here. Reservations will begin on November 20th for 5,400 yen.

Surely there's a stamp collector among you that might find this interesting? I dunno. I can't say these are particularly exciting commemorative stamps – nowhere near as charming as, say, Mario's set. Bummer.

Source: JP Post

Mega Man-Inspired Super Mighty Power Man Kickstarter Launches

The Kickstarter campaign for Box Hedge Games' Super Mighty Power Man – a Mega Man-inspired 2D action platformer – has gone live. Box Hedge are asking for $58,362 to make it happen. The game is aiming to hit Nintendo Switch, Nintendo 3DS and PC, with stretch goals planned for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions.

Here's a small snippet of the campaign's overview:

Super Mighty Power Man is greatly inspired by the famous Mega Man game series as well as others including: Castlevania, Contra, Duck Tales, Kirby, Super Mario Bros. and more recent ones like VVVVVV, Retro City Rampage and Shovel Knight.

Besides being a true love letter to the NES legendary gaming era, it is above all a tribute to the renowned Blue Bomber and our passion for such games that has stayed with us since childhood.
Take control of Corey, a boy who accidentally finds himself caught in a most unexpected adventure to save the galaxy. Helped by a clumsy extraterrestrial robot named Robby, and armed with a mysterious device called ‘The Power Grasp’, Corey must defend the Earth from the spreading evil forces of General Mok. He will need to fight (and jump) his way through deadly environments, hordes of monsters, and other hazardous traps to free occupied planets from the tyranny of his enemy’s lieutenants.

‘The Power Grasp’ grants Corey superhuman powers, allowing him to merge with other lifeforms and become one of the many forms of Super Mighty Power Man!

Seems pretty cool! Check out the full campaign here.

Mega Man 8 Animation Cels Are Now Up for Auction

Back in May, Mega Man fan Heidi Kemps nabbed a box of Mega Man 8 animation cels from Fanimecon swap meet. Starting today, you have a shot at taking them home.

Right now five four individual cels are up for auction on eBay. Heidi says this is only the first batch with more to come every few weeks. For now, though, here's what she has to offer:

• Mega Man (SOLD)
  
• Duo 1 (SOLD)
• Duo 2 (SOLD)
• Guts Man (SOLD)
• Dr. Light (SOLD)

If you've got the Zenny to burn, don't pass up this chance to own a piece (or two) of Mega Man history. I still can't get over the fact these were found in the first place! Good luck, everyone.

The Mega Man & Rush Kiddie Car You Never Knew You Wanted

For the longest time we thought this Mega Man and Rush display was just that – a big 'ol display. A hunk of plastic. It turns out, though, there's more to it than meets the eye: its an interactive kiddie car.

This revelation comes to us via Popstore. The inside is hollowed out to allow two little drivers to steer and peddle. It talks and plays arranged classic series tunes. The eyes and the side of the helmet are little windows. The manufacturer date is unknown but the various Rockman Complete Works suggests it was produced somewhere around 1999 or shortly after.

We don't know how many of these things actually exist. One used to be at Plaza Capcom. Another, perhaps the very same, was recently found BEHEADED at a recycling center in Japan. That said, it's heartening to see one out in the open actually intact. If you could, would you rescue one?

Frank West Dons Bass Costume in Dead Rising 4: Frank's Big Package

The final batch of Frank West's "Capcom Heroes" costumes for Dead Rising 4: Frank's Big Package have been revealed. The grizzled war photographer will be dressing up as Jill Valentine, Viewtiful Joe, Arthur, Amatarasu, Morrigan and Bass. It is not a pretty sight.

Luna Platz is the Star of November's Rockman Unity Wallpaper

November is in full swing and the Rockman Unity mobile app has kicked things off with a brand-new mobile wallpaper. The spotlight shines on Star Force's "prez" Luna Platz.

Check Out Aki Li's Mega Man Mastermix Variant Cover (And Save 20% on Issue #1)

Focus Attack are offering an exclusive limited edition Mega Man Mastermix #1 variant with cover art by Aki Li. It's going for $24.95 but you can shave 20% with the code MASTERMIX at checkout (applies to all UDON books).

What's more, Focus Attack are holding a sweepstakes to win a PlayStation 4 and a copy of Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 and Legacy Collection 2. Simply pre-order any of the Mastermix #1 variants from Focus Attack – that's it. The contest is open to U.S and international residents. The winner will be announced on Wednesday, July 11th, 2018.

Source: Focus Attack

Rockman EXE: Phantom of the Network and Legend of the Network Shutting Down

December 31st, 2017 will be the last day "dumbphone" cell phone users in Japan can play Rockman EXE: Phantom of the Network and Rockman EXE: Legend of the Network. The service required to play these two games over the internet is shutting down, Capcom announced. Refunds for unplayed chapters and content will be accepted starting January 5th, 2018 to March 31st, 2018.

Originally released in 2004 and 2007 respectively, Phantom of the Network and Legend of the Network acted as side-story games released in chapters exclusively in Japan. A handful of new characters were introduced between the games: Shuuichi, Hat Man.EXE, Cache, Jamming Man.EXE, Sherrice, Ride Man.EXE, Nobody, and Trojan Horse.

Though the games will no longer be playable, we have lots of gameplay captured online. The entirety of Phantom of the Network is up for viewing here, with an in-complete but ongoing run of Legend of the Network here.

Source: Capcom Japan

Rockman and LINE Rangers Collaboration Announced (Updated)

UPDATE: What do ya know, it's available in English too!

In what will likely be the first of many collaborations for the 30th anniversary, Capcom and LINE announced a collaboration event between Rockman and mobile defense game LINE Rangers.

The event will see Rockman, Blues, Forte and Mets as recruit-able "LINE Rangers", each with their own unique abilities and stats. A fifth Rockman character – none other than Dr. Wily – can be unlocked by collecting eight in-game puzzle pieces. Additionally, everyone who participates in the collaboration will receive a pack of eight exclusive Rockman LINE stickers.

The collaboration starts today and ends on November 30th. Though LINE Rangers is available in English, this promotion is currently exclusive to players in Japan. See more images here.

Source: Rockman Unity, LINE

Shooting Star Rockman, Rockman Zero Official Complete Works Reprints Announced (Japan)

To commemorate Rockman's 30th anniversary, HMV Japan announced they will be exclusively reprinting Shooting Star Rockman Official Complete Works and Rockman Zero Official Complete Works. Both art books are slated to ship in December for 2,916 yen a piece.

The contents of the books will be exactly the same as prior editions, but this is a great opportunity to snag 'em up at a decent price. HMV Japan ships internationally, too. You might want to look into this while you can.

Now if only we can get those UDON English editions back...

"Fried Pie" Exclusive Mega Man Mastermix #1 Variant Revealed

The first issue of Mega Man Mastermix hits shelves this January in four – count 'em – four variant covers. The first three were unveiled by Diamond Comics and the fourth comes to us today via Bleeding Cool: a "Fried Pie" cover by Jeffrey "Chamba" Cruz...

Here's the Next Batch of Rockman 30th Anniversary Goods

Shirts and hoodies and phone cases, oh my! Celebrate the birth of a certain blue robot with these soon-to-be-released things.

Rumor: Mega Man Costumes Are Coming to Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition

Thanks to the relentless work of dataminer X-Kira, we have a pretty good idea of what Capcom "cosplay" costumes will be obtainable in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition's Extra Battle mode. Chief among them are EIGHT Mega Man character costumes: classic Mega Man, Proto Man, Roll, Bass, Mega Man X, Zero, Axl and Tron Bonne.

Mega Man Maker Version 1.1 is Live

A brand-new update for Mega Man Maker (formerly Mega Maker) is now available. Version 1.1 introduces a completely revamped interface and dozens of new objects to play around with. There's a bevy of new weapons – Ice Slasher, Needle Cannon, Time Slow and Oil Slider, to name a few – and a slew of new enemies at your disposal.

You can snag version 1.1 from https://megamanmaker.com/ or the MediaFire mirror here. Happy building!

One Lucky Fan Found a Box of Mega Man 8 Animation Cels

Terrible English-dub aside, I think we can all agree Mega Man 8's animated cutscenes were great. Fantastic, even. You can imagine just how hyped fellow Mega Man fan Heidi Kemps was when she was offered an entire box of Mega Man 8 animation cels.

Heidi snagged the box for a cool $300 back in May at the Fanimecon Swap Meet, according to US Gamer. She says, "the seller, noting my interest in historical [Capcom] material, pulled out a giant box of Mega Man 8 cels and offered me the whole thing. "I couldn’t really refuse that, especially after seeing how cool some of the cels looked."

I guess the inevitable question you're asking is, "how can I get one?" Well, Heidi plans on offering a few individual cels for sale sometime in the future. Before that happens, though, she intends on making a video showcasing the entire collection. Look forward to it! Be sure to hit up US Gamer for more images and info!