Mega Man Timelines #1 Online Exclusive KeenBiscuit Cover Variant Revealed

Another week, another Mega Man Timelines cover! Udon Entertainment has announced that pre-orders for Timelines #1 open Wednesday, April 2nd, at 9 AM PT on UDONStore.com. A very snazzy exclusive cover variant by Ken Gabriel (aka KeenBiscuit) will be available, and all pre-orders of this variant include a free Mega Man Schematics Collectible Metal Card. 

What do you think of this one? It's a real surprise to see Splash Woman—and even more so, Battle & Chase's Plum—after all these years. We'll have to wait and see if they'll appear in the pages of issue #1 itself when it goes on sale May 28th.

Source: Udon Entertainment

Another Look at Jada Toys Mega Man Wave 3 (Update)

Spotted at Jada Toys' WonderCon booth (via The Figure Report), we have a fresh look at their Wave 3 Mega Man figures. These have seen significant progress since their last showcase, now featuring finalized packaging and a first glimpse at their respective accessories. 

• Mega Man: A helmetless variant that includes a Met, a smiling helmeted headpiece, a Mega Buster, a Charge effect piece, and two alternate hand parts.

• Bubble Man: An alternate headpiece, three hand parts, and a Bubble Lead effect piece.

• Wood Man: An alternate headpiece, two hand parts, and a Leaf Shield effect piece.

Bubble Man and Wood Man’s packaging is a pleasant surprise, highlighting their status as the bulkiest Robot Masters in Jada’s lineup yet. If you plan to keep them unboxed, you might need to rearrange your display shelf to make room.

There's no word yet on when Wave 3 will hit stores, but we're keeping an ear to the ground.UPDATE: In an interview with The Figure Report, Jada Toys' lead designer, Juhn, confirmed that Wave 3 is essentially complete, with pre-orders expected to go live in time for San Diego Comic-Con. Juhn also hinted at a possible SDCC exclusive and news on additional figures. Additionally, they have a year and a half’s worth of unannounced Mega Man toys planned.

Source: TheFigureReport

Rockman DASH: Great Adventure on 5 Islands English Translation Patch Released

Hey Mega Man fans! I’m RockmanCosmo, a game preservationist dedicated to saving lost games from Japanese feature phones. A little over one year ago, SciLab Secrets preserved Rockman DASH: Great Adventure on 5 Islands, a previously-lost entry in the Mega Man Legends series released for Japanese feature phones. Today, I’m happy to announce that 5 Islands has an English patch, courtesy of a one Mega Alex! Read on for more details and how you can play it right now! 

Mega Man X: Corrupted Cyber Lab Gameplay

What better way to kick off the weekend than with new gameplay from Mega Man X: Corrupted? Developer JKBGames has released several minutes of footage showcasing Zero battling through the Cyber Lab stage, ruled by Warp Vulpex. 

While JKBGames has yet to announce a release date for Corrupted, you can stay updated on the fan game's progress and connect with the dev team on the official Discord. If you're new to the game, be sure to check out their YouTube channel for past gameplay footage.

16 Additional Pages From Mega Man 1's Design Document

Now that The Great Capcom Exhibition is open to the public, visitors have discovered a large display featuring 16 previously unseen pages from Mega Man 1's original design document, written and illustrated by Akira Kitamura. 

While we’re still waiting for an English translation, the pages reveal fascinating details, including early story concepts, unused gameplay mechanics, and even a glimpse of Roll as a boss. Check 'em out below!

Mega Man X Timelines #1 Covers and Solicitation

Courtesy of Previews World, here are the three cover variants and solicitation for Udon Entertainment's Mega Man X Timelines issue #1. 

"The X-generation of Mega Man adventures is here! In this wall-jumping, buster-blasting one-shot, X and Zero track down a rogue Maverick Reploid - the ice cool Chill Penguin! Plus, secrets revealed! How will the future change once X learns what he's truly fighting for!?"

This issue is written by Daniel Arsenault with art by Edwin Huang, who also illustrates covers A and C, while Hanzo Steinbach handles cover B. 

A Sneak Peek Inside "The Great Capcom Exhibition"

The Great Capcom Exhibition opens its doors today at the Nakanoshima Museum of Art in Osaka! Running from March 20 to June 22, this massive showcase dives deep into Capcom’s legacy, featuring everything from its game development process to displays of rare archival materials.

The exhibit is divided into four "rounds," each with its own theme: Capcom Game Chronicle, Evolution of Technology and Ideas, Fantasy and Reality, and The Capcom Way of Life. We've combed through Twitter and various outlets to track down some of the Mega Man-specific items featured in each round—check them out below!

Mega Man Timelines Writers and Artists Revealed

Street Fighter Prime #0 from Udon Entertainment recently hit comic shops, and inside, you'll find a two-page preview of all five Mega Man Timelines one-shots, from Classic to Mega Man Legends. 

I can't share the cover art previews from the second page, but I do have the complete list of writers and artists for each issue:

• Mega Man Timelines #1 (May 28th) - Tavis Madien (story), Kenny Ruiz (art)

• Mega Man X Timelines #1 (June) - Daniel Arseneault (story), Edwin Huang (art)

• Mega Man Zero Timelines #1 (July) - Ian Flynn (story), Hanzo Steinbach (art)

• Mega Man ZX Timelines #1 (August) - Matt Moylan (story), Dax Gordine (art)

• Mega Man Legends Timelines #1 (September) - David Oxford (story), Mic Fong (art)

There's a few familiar faces here! Ian Flynn, known for his work on Archie's Mega Man, is back to script Mega Man Zero, while the venerable David Oxford aka LBD Nytetrayn—longtime Mega Man fan, writer, and all-around great guy—is tackling Mega Man Legends. He’s teaming up with Mic Fong, whose past work on Dreamwave’s Mega Man comics might ring a bell. 

More updates on Mega Man Timelines soon!

Mega Man Timelines #1 Cover Concept Art by Kenny Ruiz

This month's issue of ImagineFX spotlights Mega Man front and center, featuring Kenny Ruiz's cover art for the debut issue of Mega Man Timelines. Inside, Ruiz breaks down his process, detailing the techniques and tools he used to bring the cover to life.

While I can't share full-page scans, I've cropped a few samples for a peek. During the conceptual phase, Ruiz explored two approaches to "connect with the viewer." One featured a direct, frontal gaze, drawing the viewer in with eye contact, while the other captured a more dynamic pose, frozen in a split second with eyes still locked onto the viewer.

You can grab the digital edition on Amazon or pick up a physical copy at bookstores like Barnes & Noble.

Mega Man Timelines #1 goes on sale May 28th.

A History of Mega Man X9's Short Life on PlayStation 2

Mega Man X8 recently marked its 20th anniversary in Japan, reigniting the long-standing desire for a true successor. Mega Man X9—subject to rumors, fan-art, and even April Fools' jokes—has eluded us for two decades. While I’ve previously explored the history of X9, today I’m bringing new insights to light with the support of a former Capcom USA employee.

Bear McCreary Aspires to Compose a Mega Man Soundtrack

It's no secret that Bear McCreary is a longtime fan of Mega Man. The acclaimed composer, known for his work in TV, film, and games—including God of War, Battlestar Galactica, The Walking Dead, and Godzilla: King of the Monsters—once again shared his desire to compose a Mega Man soundtrack in an interview with Game Reactor.

"I've really enjoyed my time working with Marvel and Star Wars. I did Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., and I did the Star Wars Galaxy's Edge VR experience. I was like a kid in a candy store playing with those IPs. That would be really fun. Honestly, man, I would say the dream would be to do Lord of the Rings. I'm doing it. I've been so lucky. Honestly, the pie-in-the-sky dream for me is a game one. I would love to score a Mega Man game."

"Mega Man 2 is the thing that got me into game music. I want Capcom to go back and make another Mega Man game. In fact, if you listen to a song on my Singularity record called Redshift, Redshift is built from samples that I pulled off NES hardware, Nintendo hardware. Redshift is what my Mega Man score would sound like."

Mega Man soundtracks have traditionally been composed by Capcom's internal sound team or by developers like Inti Creates. But who knows? Maybe it's time to shake things up in future entries. 

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Rockman and Pandoland Collaboration Event Gameplay

Last week, we learned that Game Freak’s mobile game Pandoland is hosting a Rockman collaboration event, exclusive to Japan until March 14th. The event features several Rockman characters and a special Robot Island. Since there's a chance the event won't return when the game launches globally in April, I’ve collected some gameplay footage for posterity.