Review: Kotobukiya Axl

The X series has brought us plenty of fun and unforgettable characters over the years—whether it’s Gate’s over-the-top personality, Berkana’s striking design, or the enduring legend of Green Biker Dude. But while the series is packed with fantastic characters, if you’re not X or Zero, getting merchandise is pretty unlikely. That said, since 2003, there’s a third major character who hardly ever gets the spotlight... until now.

Kotobukiya has thrown their hat into the ring by finally bringing us the first new character in their Mega Man X  line: Axl. Is this kit worth the wait? Stick around, and we’ll dive into everything it brings to the table!

Another Look at ThreeZero MDLX Mega Man Metal Blade Version

Originally revealed in December, ThreeZero has posted a handful of new images of Mega Man Metal Blade. It includes two saw blade parts, a number of hand parts, an open-mouth face part to complement the original face plates, and a Mega Buster which can be attached to either the left or right arm. Additionally, a Weapon Tank accessory is included, whos design comes from Mega Man 7.

The figure will be available for pre-order on Tuesday, January 14th at 9am HKT at ThreeZero Store and select retailers worldwide (Big Bad Toystore, HobbyLink Japan, etc.) It's expected to ship in Q2 2025.

Source: ThreeZero

My Arcade Reveals Mega Man Pixel Pocket Pro

On display at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, the My Arcade Mega Man Pixel Pocket Pro is a keychain gaming device small enough to fit in your pocket or hang off your backpack. It includes—you guessed it—Mega Man 1 through 6.

With a 2-inch screen and a questionable A and B button layout, the Pixel Pocket Pro may not be the ideal—or even comfortable—way to play these games. It's more of a novelty than anything. But if you're interested, it'll you back $19.99 when it hits retailers later this year.

My Arcade is also re-releasing the larger Mega Man Pocket Player Pro from a couple of years ago, bundled with a new carrying case. It’s a more practical choice for longer handheld gaming sessions, but if you’re not drawn to the novelty, there are better ways to play the first six NES games.

Image Credit: lordkatsuhikojinnai | Source: GenXGrownUp

Kotobukiya Bass.EXE Available to Pre-Order

Bass.EXE, the latest entry in Kotobukiya's line of Mega Man Battle Network model kits, is now available to pre-order from HobbyLink Japan and Big Bad Toystore. This marks his first-ever model kit and his first new figure in nearly 20 years.

The kit features three alternate face parts (forward-looking, smiling, shouting), two Busters, three interchangeable hands, a Dark Arm Blade effect part, and a snap-on Shoulder Cloak. It's even articulated!

Scheduled for a June release in Japan and a July launch in the U.S., you can secure your pre-order through the links above!

Officially-Licensed Hand-Drawn Game Guides: Mega Man Announced

Philip Summers, an artist known his hand-illustrated guides for classic '80s video games, is launching a Kickstarter for a brand-new project: an officially licensed Mega Man 1 game guide!

Philip's previous Kickstarter campaign for Hand-Drawn Game Guides made waves a few years back, raising over $322,000 from more than 4,700 backers. Unfortunately, that campaign had to be canceled due to licensing issues. Now, after three years of refining his craft, he’s partnered with Nintendo Force and Capcom to publish an brand-new strategy guide for Mega Man 1—everything is 100% official this time.

Mr. Mega Man and Little Mega Man Volume 2 Available to Pre-Order

With Mr. Mega Man and Little Mega Man set to make their English language debut later this month, Udon Entertainment are wasting no time preparing their second volumes. Mr. Mega Man Volume 2 and Little Mega Man Volume 2 are now available to pre-order from Amazon, due on June 9th and June 30th, respectively. The cover art isn't available yet, but it's expected to match the Japanese versions shown above.

Here are the official solicitations:

Mr. Mega Man Volume 2 - When Mega Man grows up, he must face his greatest challenge of all... life as an adult! The battles with Dr. Wily are in the past, and Mega Man has grown up in a peaceful world. Now spending his days as a dentist, Mega Man has begun to notice a rise in strange, robot-related incidents. As a result, he must once again use his great power to protect the world and uncover the mastermind behind this mystery…

Little Mega Man Volume 2 - The endless battle between Dr. Light and Mega Man continues! The Blue Bomber encounters more wacky new robots such as… Demon Man! Sushi Man! Plasma TV Man…? Plus, meet the very shiny European Mega Man! And is that… X and ZERO!? It’s all-out zany adventures in LITTLE MEGA MAN!

It's worth mentioning that until Udon makes an official announcement, the release dates listed may be placeholders and subject to change. However, a five-month gap between the first and second volumes seems reasonable. If that holds true, we can expect the third and final volumes around November-December.

Mega Man: The Wily Wars Mod Lets You Play as Roll

There's a grocery list of fan-demands for things they'd like to see more of in Mega Man, with one of the most popular being more opportunities to play as Roll. Not one to wait for Capcom to answer the question, a new mod by Zynk Oxhyde is out that allows you to play as Roll in Mega Man: The Wily Wars. 

This isn't just a simple sprite swap hack—cutscenes and titles have been reworked and renamed to highlight Roll's role, complete with fun additions like the Tango Coil replacing the Rush Coil. The mod comes in three variations featuring Roll's outfits from Mega Man 1, Mega Man 8, and Mega Man 11.

You can download the mod from Zynk's Ko-fi page here, and it's available in multiple languages! 

Thanks for the tip, J. Collins!