Thursday, July 31, 2008

DASH Beta...Dumped!


Nobody likes a beta hoarder. No sir.

Instead of hogging the DASH Beta all to myself, you'll be able to download the ISO for your gaming pleasure. Feel free to do whatever you want with it: play it, hack it, exploit it...whatever!

Vixy has kindly saved me the time of dumping the beta. Big applause to her and her mad dumping skills. :3

Without further ado, here are the download links:

Host 1: Megaupload
Host 2: RPM
Password: greenbikerdude

ISO has been tested successfully on both PC emulation and and a modded PSone.

Enjoy!

Again, thanks go out to Vixy!

RUMOR: R20 Official Complete Works Volume 2 Preorder?


PRC reader “banana phone” claims that his local Japanese bookstore (Kinokuniya Bookstore, New York) is taking preorders for a second volume of “Rockman & Rockman X Official Complete Works (R20)”, slated for a February release.

A second volume of R20 shouldn't come as no surprise, Hitoshi Ariga previously confirmed Kodansha would be releasing a follow up in the future. One has to wonder just what the second volume would contain as R20 seems is fairly complete as is. Artwork from more of the 'obscure' titles? Who knows.

In any case, this is classified as a pure rumor until I see 'preorders' from other sources.

Thanks for the tip banana phone

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Rockman DASH CFC Demo


I am happy. Extremely happy. Today, my mail man delivered a small package. Inside was my prized item that I have searched eight years for: the Rockman DASH beta in its entirety. Packaging, disc, everything. All of it right before my eyes. Within moments, it became the holy grail of my collection.


But, why all the fuss? What's the big deal behind the demo build of the game? First and foremost, the demo contains a vast amount of differences from the final retail version, specifically in the graphics and audio department. (Witness most of the differences for yourself)

Secondly, this specific version of the demo is,  one of the most rarest and sought after Rockman items. The beta build was only given out to new members of the now defunct "Capcom Friendly Club" who joined the club at the right time. Thus, it is rumored that only ten to fifteen copies exist.

So yes, I am quite happy. However, I wish to spread my happiness to those who have searched high and low for the beta as well. Therefore, I am considering publicly releasing a .iso of the beta to Rockman community. However, I currently lack the tools necessary to successfully rip the disc's image, so it will take some time.

In the meantime, here is the disc's specs. Searching for the specs may lead you to an already existing .iso of the game:

NAME: Rockman_das
CODE: SLPM 80158
SIZE: 128 MB
CODE: NTSC-J
MOD PROTECTION: No
PS2 COMP: Yes

UPDATE: For a great walkthrough of the beta and all its differences, head down to MegaMan Legends Station's guide and PRC's previous look at the beta

Monday, July 28, 2008

Inafune Talks RM9, Follow Ups Might Follow 8bit Trend


MTV Multiplayer had a chance to interview Keiji Inafune regarding the anticipated Rockman 9/MegaMan 9. The interview covered much of what we already know about the title, but there were a couple of points that caught my eye:

Multiplayer: And I heard someone suggest that “Mega Man 10″ should be a 16-bit game. What do you guys think of that?

Inafune: Well first we have to see how fans react to seeing “Mega Man” in the 8-bit version first. We think this is where “Mega Man” really belongs and we really wanted to go in this direction for any possible follow-ups to “Mega Man.” But once we gauge fans’ reactions and what they have to say, maybe we’ll see another version “Mega Man” in the 16-bit form. For now, we’d like to see how he does in his classic form.


Multiplayer: I’m just wondering — because there have been so many “Mega Man” games — do you think there have been too many “Mega Man” games? There need to be more “Mega Man” games or you’d like it to be streamlined? What’s your opinion on the franchise as a whole?

Inafune: Well, there are a lot of “Mega Man” games. But most of them are what fans have requested of us. And we try to make follow-ups to the games that fans request. I mean, I’ve been involved with “Mega Man’ for over 20 years now, and there are games that even I forgot that I had made. When you think of it in those terms, yes, there might be a lot of “Mega Man” games. But it’s a franchise that the fans love.


I'm all for an 8bit RM9, however if follow ups continue this 8bit trend, how long will our enthusiasm last? Surely I'm not the only one who wants to see a new 16bit or 32bit Rockman title.

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Castlevania's Igarashi Watching RM9 Closely


Could Rockman 9 start a 'retro revolution?' The return to the more simplistic style of games? Creator of the Castlevania series, Koji Igarashi believes so.

Igarashi is watching the success of Rockman 9 closely to determin if the next iteration in the Castlevania series would return to its 2D roots.

"I’m watching that very closely to see how it does. Myself, I’m a big retro gaming fan, so if it is successful that definitely opens up doors for what I can do."

Like the Rockman series, releasing a new 2D Castlevania title is risky, financially. If a new 2D Castlvania were to be made, it would follow the path of RM9, a downloadable title possibly in 8- bit.

Original article

Look! Up In the Sky, It's Japan!


Now this is a fun little easter egg:

Apparently, in Rockman DASH (1), you can find a hidden image Japan within one of the "Sub-Cities." Where can one find the image in the Sub-Cities? Just look up!

If you look closely, you'll find what appears to be a "galaxy" floating about the sea of stars. If you flip the galaxy upside down, it becomes the land of the rising sun, Japan.

However, it is implied that this particular easter egg only exists within the PC version of RMD. I've yet to check it out on my PSX copy, but I'll get around to it.

Credit for the discovery and images go to Rockman Memorial Hall

Thursday, July 24, 2008

The Fate of ZX3: TBD


Capcom's Corporate Officer/VP of Strategic Planning & Business Development, "Sven", recently commented on a a fan's concerns for a third entry in the ZX series.The "official" status of ZX3:

"To be determined..."

I figured as much, however it's reassuring that Capcom is looking into the issue. My guess is that Capcom is waiting to see how well the "National" version of "ZX Gigamix" fairs in August. (National version is being sold in stores nation wide across Japan, previously Gigamix was an online only purchase)

If Gigamix is succesful, that could be a sign that interest in the series still exists, thus increasing our chances of seeing a third ZX title. So pretty much, the fate of ZX3 is riding of fan support.

We'll just have to see what happens. After all, IntiCreates has their hands tied with Rockman 9, so development of ZX3 will likely happen (if it ever does happen) after RM9's release.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

RnR3 Promotional Trailer



The Ryuusei no Rockman 3 trailer shown at the World Hobby Fair is now available online for your viewing pleasure!

The trailer goes over the basic plot details and displays a plethora of gameplay, giving us our first look at Noise Change and some very dynamic battles.

RnR3 is looking to be quite different from its predecessors. I have to admit it, I'm fairly excited about this.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Hey Guess What? MegaMan 9 Is Very Hard


The earliest MegaMan/Rockman games were no walk in the park. I can't even begin to count how many times I've died from the disappearing platforms. Major headache.

In this day an age, its become a custom to include multiple difficulty levels for the varying types of players so they can fully enjoy their gaming experience without frustration. However, MegaMan 9 won't be catering to players who enjoy easy mode. MM9's producer, Hironobu Takeshita had this to say about the game's difficulty level:

"Mega Man 9 is very hard. We didn't want to do Mega Man, but easy. We want players to get better, we want them to remember. I've always tried to challenge players, and I think there are gamers who miss being challenged by games."

Oh Yes. I am so looking forward to dying time after time again.

Takeshita also expressed his interest to continue creating Wii games, however it wasn't specified if these "games" are remotley related to the Blue Bomber. MM9 wouldnt be the first time Takashita made his mark on Wii, he served as executive producer for the highly underrated title "Zack & Wiki (Treasure Island Z)."

Credit: Kotaku

MM9 T-Shirts Are Headed Our Way


According to Kramez's blog, Capcom USA plans to stock the infamous MegaMan 9 T-shirt at their online shop. Now we can look just as stylish as Inafune, who was seen wearing one of these "beauties" at E3. No definite date at the moment, we'll know first when they come in stock.

I'm very pleased. So pleased I felt that this was necessary:




Thanks to Jmanx24 for the tip!

RUMOR: Command Mission Beta Leaked

Yesterday, I received word of an interesting discussion going on at the infamous Japanese board, 2chan. 2chan users are claiming that a former Capcom of Japan employee has leaked a beta build of Rockman X Command Mission onto the internet.

The beta build is described to be significantly different than the retail version:

-An "armorless" X (as seen on the right)
-No music, various unheard sound effects
-A "trimmed" plot
-The absence of Marino, Cinnamon, Massimo and Spider
-Bosses appear in unusual locations
-A different logo on the title screen written entirely in kanji/katakana
-Same group of enemies in every battle
-X, Zero and Axl have different "Final Strikes." X's is described to be a "fire" based Charged Shot.
-There is no customization of abilities whatsoever
-The game is approximately two hours in length
-File size is said to be 393MB in PS2 format
-Compressed in a Torrent

The 2chan topic has disappeared since its conception yesterday, so this is pretty much all the info my source was able to get. I personally looked around the net for the supposed leaked beta build, but I've yet to discover where it's hiding.

Until such a file can be found, I'm classifying this as a rumor.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

A Retro Controller You'll Most Likely Want


Wouldn't it be totally awesome to play Rockman 9 with a classic Famicom/NES controller? You know, relieve the thrill of a small square edged controller? Datel has your fix.

Datel plans to release a collection of retro Classic Controllers for Wii, suited to play every Virtual Console game that supports the Wii remote as a controller. Speculation leads us to assume RM9 may support the Classic Controller, so it might be kind of fun to invest in these controllers.

Currently, the controllers are slated to hit Japan only. However, folks outside of Japan can easily purchase the controllers from numerous online vendors such as Play-Asia.(My personal favorite)

All four variations of the controller are slated for a September 10th release, retailing for about $15.00 USD.

Credit: GoNintendo

Saturday, July 19, 2008

RnR3 News From Dengeki Online...Lots of News


Dengeki Online has updated with new Ryuusei no Rockman 3 information, information that covers practically everything we wanted to know.

Courtesy of The Undersquare:

-Something definitely worth noting is that the top screen is now the over-world screen while the touch screen is now the "Pop-up Window" of the Hunter VG. This is now possible since the touch screen is no longer used to wave into network spaces like in the first game of the series. As usual, menus will appear on the screen when the game is paused. Also worth noting is that the War-Rock menu is now gone and has been replaced with a "Rockman" menu. Speculation may lead us to believe that Noise Change may work like Style Change in that only one can be equipped at a time and the Rockman screen will be used to determine the Noise Change used.

This is only a guess and we'll have more information as it is revealed. Also, it seems from these screenshots that Subaru's homeroom teacher, Ikuta Michinori, formerly Libra Balance, will return in this game after his notable absence from the last game.

-Larger images of Magnets and his corrupted form, Spade Magnets, have been posted. Magnets is described as a Wizard used in the Rocket room of Kodama Elementary School's science department. When he is affected by the Noisy Waves and turned into the fiendish, dual sword-wielding Spade Magnets, his combat efficiency increases greatly, putting him on the level of a Battle Wizard. It is written that Denpa Viruses will also be affected by the Noisy Waves. There are also in-game screenshots from Spade Magnet's scenario, including in-battle screens and shots that confirm that the Kizuna Ryoku System and Attack Star system will both be returning. We also get a glimpse at the War-Rock battle card that was mentioned in an earlier news post.

-We have a good look at the new battle Custom Menu, though there is no new information yet on how it functions. It seems that cards will now float around the display rather than stay arranged in aligned rows and columns. Also, despite having the possibility of different angles in battle, it seems that, based on these images, movement will still be limited to only a single row.



Head on over to Dengeki to feast your eyes on all the RnR3 goods.

Friday, July 18, 2008

'Rockman Strategy' Reappears on Ebay


The incredibly rare PC game, "Rockman Strategy" has resurfaced on ebay once again, going for a whopping $129.99 (not including shipping!) The auction comes complete with box, manual and discs.

For the uninformed, Rockman Strategy (aka "The Rockman War") is a Taiwanese PC game officially licensed by Capcom in 2001. For many years, it was believed the game was nothing more than cheap knock-off, but it was later discovered it was indeed official, licensed under the "Dreams Come True Brand."

Guess Who's Earned Themselves a 'Best Of E3 Nomination?'


According to Christian Svensson, Corporate Officer/VP of Strategic Planning & Business Development for Capcom, MegaMan 9 has been nominated for a couple of "Best of E3 2008" awards. Isn't that lovely?

Sven didn't specify who nominated the Blue Bomber, but in due time, we'll find out.

Source: MegaMan Network

Thursday, July 17, 2008

IGN To Feature Live MM9 Footage

The MegaMan 9 news just won't stop. Today, IGN's "Live Wire" will feature a live stream play through of MM9 at 3:00PM PT.

In related news, Kotaku had sometime to pester MM9 producer, Hironobu Takeshita to "justify his MegaMan 9." Worth a viewing. Oh yeah, be sure to take note of the shirt Takeshita san is wearing.

MM9 Boxart-Can't Unsee! (Now with added clarification)


Is this awesome or what? A raygun and a Buster? Win!

Time for some clarification: The boxart is a joke on Capcom USA's part. The artwork was featured on t-shirts worn by Capcom staff at their E3 booth.

I don't know about you, but I would pay good money to have that shirt.

Credit: Jeremy Parish

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

MegaMan 9 Video Walkthrough/Opening Video!

All I can say is....Beautiful!





MegaMan 9 E3 Impressions

Courtesy of GoNintendo:

When I first step foot on the E3 show floor, I wanted to do a quick walk-around. The plan was just to survey the available titles, and then drop in on something. That idea worked just fine…until I spotted Mega Man 9. The demo unit was empty, and I couldn’t help myself from taking the opportunity to jump in and check the game out.

I am was very pleased to see that the game is absolutely brutal. I don’t think that Mega Man 2 is all that challenging, but Mega Man 1 kicks my ass all the time. While Capcom may be trying to reach Mega Man 2 levels of greatness, they are definitely bringing us Mega Man 1 style difficulty. There were only two levels to check out in the demo, and in the time I had to play, I couldn’t manage to make it through either of them. Punishing is the perfect word to use. This is a big throwback to classic gaming in a great way. Until I got my hands on Mega Man 9, I had almost forgotten what old-school, NES-style abuse was like. This is the kind of stuff that will have you slamming down your Wiimote in frustration, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Other than that, this game plays exactly how you would expect. While it would be very hard for Capcom to screw up controls, finding the right responsiveness is crucial to the gameplay. Mega Man 9 doesn’t just mimic how the original Mega Man 9 games were, it feels like it was ripped direct from the days of the NES. Everything from Mega Man’s reaction time to jump height has been nailed. So many games come out that try to recapture classic feelings. It’s great to see a title that really could be stacked-up next to the titles that inspire it, and see that it can more than stand on its own.

Unfortunately, the show floor isn’t exactly the best place to check out the audio portions of games. I really, REALLY wanted to hear some of the music, but with the booms, bangs, and explosions of other games on the floor, I couldn’t hear one blip out of Mega Man 9. I guess that aspect of the title will just have to remain secret until Capcom releases a new trailer…or the full game.

All I know is, I’ve had my taste of Mega Man 9, and I definitely want more. This game is just what I wanted it to be…even if that means having my ass handed to me by a giant, ball-tossing elephant, over and over again.


VGChartz's Impressions:Dr. Wily wants your cash. Robots are going wild all over the world, wreaking havoc and disrespecting public property, and the infamous Dr. Albert Wily has called a primetime press conference to claim that he's not responsible – but he'll happily step in to stop the madness, for a price. Just call his toll-free number and make your pledge today.

That's how Mega Man 9 begins, and the Blue Bomber leaps into action once again to clear the good name of his creator, Dr. Light, who Wily also takes the time to blame for the current robot rampage (in-between his appeals to his watchers' wallets). The game's full 8-bit cutscene intro sequence was completely intact here at E3, which was refreshing – because the rest of the demo was, sadly, limited.

There were no bosses. There were no special weapons. There were no profile pictures placed in the classically styled eight-window stage select screen, and even then there were only two stages you could select. It was about as limited a look as you'd ever get at any game.


But yet, even having experienced only a fraction of what the full release of Mega Man 9 will present, it's still easy to report that this new old game is on the right track to recapture that retro feeling. I spent the week before E3 purposefully playing through each of the first six classic Mega Man titles from the NES, and with that context established it's easiest to classify Mega Man 9 as something of a mash-up of those 8-bit adventures.

The gameplay is firmly rooted in Mega Man's earliest adventures, Mega Man and Mega Man 2 – you can only run, jump and fire, while more advanced techniques like sliding and charging your Mega Buster aren't included. But the style of the game is more in line with the later NES editions, Mega Man 5 and Mega Man 6. The enemy designs feel more similar to those series installments, and effects like the explosions that result from a large foe's destruction are taken straight out of those last 8-bit titles.

The mish-mashed feeling gets even stronger when you consider the inclusion of collectible bolts, which are ultimately used as currency in Auto's shop – that's an element that wasn't introduced to the series until it had already left the NES, as its first appearance was in the SNES Mega Man 7. The character of Auto even makes his 8-bit debut here, looking intentionally less detailed and colorful than ever before. It makes you wonder what Bass and Treble are going to look like in NES style. (They didn't show up anywhere in this demo.) The two stages available to play in the E3 Mega Man 9 demo were Concrete Man's and Plug Man's. Concrete Man's level was a mix of a forest and a construction site, like an old-growth nature preserve that's in the middle of being leveled to make way for a parking lot. The foes you'll face there include rock-tossing birds that always seem to be annoyingly out of reach for your blaster, diamond-shaped turrets that leap out of bottomless pits to take shots at you, and the enormous ball-rolling elephants that you caught a glimpse of in the game's official trailer. The powerful pachyderms attack you in a group of three – you destroy one, and the next screen over presents another one. You destroy him, and the very next screen presents a third. It's like the giant robot dog sequence from Wood Man's stage in Mega Man 2. You know the one.

Plug Man's stage is also reminiscent of Mega Man 2, but it's Crash Man's stage that it references – though the theme of the level is primarily electrical, it's also overly populated with the Telly-spawning pipes first made popular in Crash Man's level's opening area. The slow, floating, wide-eyed foes always seems to be hovering right in the worst possible spots, making navigating over and around them especially tough. Nevermind that most of the floors in the level are either lined with instant-kill spikes or simply have no floor at all.

In the second half of Plug Man's level, the lights go out. The rooms get dark, and you're faced with some weird static-filled panels placed in the background that you're forced to run past to advance. And, when you do so, a black-colored Mega Man clone is spawned out of the static. The dark doppelganger runs quickly after you, and while it doesn't have the power to fire at you, its running and jumping is more than enough to make it a dangerous and annoying adversary. This enemy, as it turns out, is what that "mysterious Black Mega Man" was all about in the trailer and early magazine articles about the game.

Finally, it wouldn't be Mega Man without the infamous disappearing block sequence – and Plug Man's stage had that too. A pretty deviously patterned one, too, as certain blocks would intentionally mislead you into jumping to a "safe" platform, only to find that another invisible block would then appear in the very space you just tried to leap to, causing you to be blocked off, knocked back, and killed by falling into a pit. The disappearing blocks have always been a Mega Man staple, but it's already apparent that in Mega Man 9 they'll be more sinister than ever before.

It would be my absolute joy to continue to go on and on about my first experience playing Mega Man 9 here at E3, and it's amazing just how much there was to see and reflect upon in just two of the game's levels. And old-school gamers like me that grew up playing Mega Man's first adventures in the 8-bit era have probably been tracking right with my far-too-specific old game references all the way through this piece. But I'll reign in my nostalgic enthusiasm for the game now to conclude and say that Mega Man 9 is getting it right. It's a little bit off and doesn't feel quite like a perfect companion to the original NES Mega Man games, thanks to its mish-mashed approach of presenting a grab bag of different elements from each of them. But even still, after over a decade and a half since the release of the last game made in this style, it's an incredibly enjoyable and valiant return to form.

Whether you own a Wii, Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3, I'd highly recommend setting aside a couple of bucks now to be able to download it when it goes live on each system's respective digital distribution service later this year. Better that your money go to Capcom, you see, than that old double-crossing Dr. Wily.


WiiFanboy's Impressions:

While Capcom's press conference was going on elsewhere in the LA Convention Center, their meeting room harbored a poor, neglected Mega Man 9 station. Due to the unique situation, I was able to stand and play Mega Man 9 for a good 20 to 25 minutes. The demo was limited to two levels, which weren't named. Judging from the bosses' appearance in their intros (which are straight out of Mega Man 2), I played Plug Man's stage and Concrete Man's. Concrete Man looks almost exactly like Guts Man from Mega Man. Whoever they were, they had some damned hard stages.

First I should talk about the presentation. It looks just like an NES game in motion. It is exactly like a new Virtual Console game appeared out of an alternate history. The look is clean and colorful. It's the real thing. And the music comes straight out of classic Mega Man compositions. The stage intro music is the classic Mega Man 2 tune, and the rest of the music I heard was original compositions in the style of the series. The only hint of newness was found in the control explanation sheet -- the minus button will eventually go to the "Challenge List," a feature that wasn't yet revealed.

The stages remind me a lot of Mega Man 2. The Concrete Man stage starts off looking like Wood Man's stage, and then moves into a girder-based design. It's absolutely, one hundred percent classic Mega Man in design. Jumps lead into unavoidable Metool hits, birds fly by and drop exploding eggs, and enemies pop up out of chasms just as you try to jump.

Both stages relied a lot -- a lot -- on the disappearing blocks. VWOOP VWOOP VWOOP! They've been used to make false paths and deviously-placed blocks guaranteed to kill every player many, many times. These disappearing-block sections are a lot harder than before -- at least, it seems that way.

In fact, overall the difficulty seems a bit higher than the classic series. The Metools seemed to be placed especially meanly, and the enemies extra tough. Maybe it's because the Mega Man Zero team is involved. Or maybe it's because I haven't memorized the layouts. Like all good action/run-and-gun games, each successive failed run leads to a better run next time, until, eventually, triumph. Not that I managed to triumph in either of the levels I played. One level ended (for me) with a giant robotic elephant that rolled a big metal beach ball at me. I got through two of them, but the third elephant took me out. Repeatedly. The other level ended, consistently, with an extra long jump from one disappearing block to another under a low roof.

If I could, I'd spend the rest of E3 in Capcom's meeting room, trying again to meet (and lose to) a boss.



Tuesday, July 15, 2008

MEGA MAN 9 PRESS RELEASE


LOS ANGELES, CA — July 15, 2008 — At the 2008 E3 Media and Business Summit, Capcom®, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, announced Mega Man 9™ for Xbox LIVE® Arcade for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, Nintendo WiiWare™, and PLAYSTATION® Network. The original 2D classic Mega Man returns, bringing the series back to its core with retro-action platform gameplay and NES-inspired old school graphics. Relive the Mega Man experience with maniacally themed environments, a host of power-ups, and classically inspired bosses, each with their own unique weapons and weaknesses. Mega Man is currently scheduled for a simultaneous launch on all three platforms this Fall.

Mega Man 9 is a continuation of the original Mega Man series and will feature the classic gameplay fans know and love focusing on defeating bosses and acquiring a diverse arsenal of weapons. Mega Man 9 will feature over a dozen new challenging levels, a horde of new enemies with designs directed by Keiji Inafune, the original Mega Man character designer, online leader boards and a gamerscore achievements system.
In the year 200X, as the advanced science of the era has created industrial robots that co-exist with humans. However, an evil genius, Dr. Wily, plots for world domination and creates his own robot army to take over mankind. Luckily for humanity, Dr. Light outfits one of his domestic robots “Rock” to fight Dr. Wily’s creations. Mega Man is born.

Set after the events of Mega Man 8, multiple riots have sprung up all over the world. Whilst many people suspect that this is another plot from Dr. Wily, Dr. Light is stunned to recognize that some of the robots rioting on the TV screen are his own creations. Even more stunning, Dr. Wily appears on television to proclaim that Dr. Light is the evil mastermind behind these latest catastrophic incidents and it’s up to Mega Man to clear his creator’s name!

Launching this Fall for all three major platforms, Mega Man 9 is the must- buy Mega Man for both old and new fans alike. Its retro look and feel will draw old fans back to the series while its intuitive controls and the 80’s retro style gameplay will open up the game to a broader audience.

Capcom Press Breifing: Live Blogging (Ended)


The conference is well under way! Keep refreshing the page for more details. Thanks to the aid of a "reliable source" I'm able to keep up with the conference as if I'm there!


- Capcom is currently discussing plans for a Lost Planet film adaption. It's being written by David Hater the voice of Solid Snake of MGS fame

-David Hayter is an avid fan of the LP franchise. It's their goal to convey an "environmental" message throughout film.

- Keiji Inafune comes up on stage.

-Inafune talks about LP.

-Infaune is delighted to have LP made into a movie. Concept art is shown.

-I'm currently eating a delicious cookie!

-Capcom staff is involved in the LP film.

-Possibility the conference will strictly focus on LP.

-Discussing Capcom films in general.

-Capcom plans to turn more franchises into films.

-Well, the conference is done.

-Capcom games including MM9 playable on show room floor.

-Official MM9 press release to come out tomorrow.

-And that's a wrap!

Capcom's Press Conference Just Around the Corner

Sony just wrapped up their briefing, nothing of real interest there.

Capcom's presser is just around the corner and I believe G4TV.com will be showing live footage of the conference in a few hours.

PRC will be delivering you all the information you need to know about MegaMan 9 and any other sudden surprises.

E3 08 Round 2: Nintendo Press Conference


The big N kicks off the second day of E3 this morning. What will they deliver?

I've heard a few possibilities that RM9 will actual be mentioned during the briefing, so be sure to watch the Live Stream of the event here. (Doesn't start till 9:00AM PT)

Check back at 4:30 PT for Capcom's press conference where they will unveil everything we need to know about RM9

RnR3 Official Site Is Live


Capcom has officially opened the doors to the official Ryuusei no Rockman 3 website. Inside, you'll find tons of new art, information and a few other tidbits.

From The MegaMan Network:

A system running rampent that's making the frequently appearing EM viruses around the world to grow ferocious and causing the Noise ratio to climb. What could be this cause of this calamity? Above the heads of Geo and the Satellite Police, who are working to resolve the situation, an unbelievable thing comes into sight: the mysterious giant meteor "Meteor G."

As Meteor G approaches the Earth, the EM world begins to decay due to the effects of the Noise. Just how will Geo and co. be able to hold back this giant meteor?

And, just who or what is guiding Meteor G towards the Earth!?

"The mysterious giant meteor "Meteor G." It is a thing which causes Noise to break out in the EM society. Its true form is an enormous server of accumulated Noise data drifting in space, and at its core it's said the Noise is a beast-like EM being that possesses intelligence."



Alongside this, the updates also reveal a new boss called Spade Magnets;

Spade Magnets: Rocket's Wizard Magnets goes wild due to the effects of the Noise. His gentle face turns to a fiendish one, and both his arms transform into swords.

The new transformation system mentioned in the last news update is also expanded upon and are revealed to be Noise Changes;

Noise Change is a sudden mutation which happens when the malevolent Noise produced by Meteor G resonates with the Noise Control Program installed into the Hunter VG. The Noise of FMians is contained within the data absorbed by Meteor G in outer space, and when it resonates with Omega-Xis's frequency, Mega Man's former appearance seems to imitate the one of an FMian after encountering fierce combat.

When performing a Noise Change, Mega Man's outward appearance changes in a big way. Take point that along with the change of his appearance, Mega Man also receives different kinds of abilities.

Furthermore, the ability to Noise Change seems to be related closely to the Noise ratio, and this number is shown during battle in the upper-right corner of the screen. You could say that the influence the Noise ratio has on battles is pretty big.



Credit: Heat Man, MegaMan Network

Monday, July 14, 2008

Rumor: MegaMan 9 Coming Sooner Than We Think?


Ahh, it's been a while since we've had ourselves a good rumor!

Minutes ago, I received a tip from "C2" claiming to have a plethora of Capcom E3 announcements in hand. One announcement was the official US release date for MegaMan9: Monday, August 18th.

It's been suggested that MM9 and RM9 would see a simultaneous release sometime in the fall, but C2's "sheets" say otherwise.

There was no mention of MM1 or 2's Virtual Console release.

We'll most likely find out if the rumors are true tomorrow.

E3 Begins! Microsoft Press Conference *UPDATE*


E3 kicks off today with Mircosoft's press conference.

Capcom is said to have a large presence during Microsoft's briefing, so chances of MegaMan/Rockman related goods are high.

Check out a live feed of the meeting here.

No Rockman stuff, but some pretty darn good footage of RE5.

Anyway, I had myself a good lol witnessing Sony loose yet another exclusive. (FFXIII)

Tomorrow is Nintendo, Sony and Capcom's conferences, so expect to hear something. Later!

I Have No Idea WTF Is Going On In This Video

"MonaMan 3."

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Splash Woman's Sprite Revealed

The recent Rockman 9 trailer gave us a vague look at the newest Robot Masters, showcasing a series of silhouettes. The most notable, was none other than the very first female Robot Master, Splash Woman

Thanks to the efforts of Heat Man, we now have a better look at Splash Woman in all her 8 bit goodness:



Awesome indeed. Anyone else getting a Leviathan vibe?

Credit: MegaMan Network

Rockman 9 At Summer WHF '08



World Hobby Fair attendees got their lucky chance at playing a demo of Rockman 9. The demo showcased two playable stages, Concrete Man and Plug Man's stages in all their glory.

Japanese Rockman fan, Gyroman_Black managed to spend some quality time with the demo:

"The game felt just like a Famicom Rockman game does, a perfect rendition of a Rockman game. I also played the game by holding the Wii Remote sideways and it didn't feel discomforting at all.

The first stage available was Concrete Man's stage and the second stage was Plug Man's stage. On the boss select screen, the mugshots has a R number mark on it. Does this indicate that Dr. Light is the villain this time?

Concrete Man's stage was a very tough level with unpredictable attack patterns from enemies, and not to mention a elephant midboss that I faced three times, and from whom I got lots of damage from in the process. Plug Man's stage looked more like the stage that aims at instant death type elements, where the disappearing blocks are present, hovering so gallantly over spikes and pits. The first stage was a slow stage, where this stage on the other hand was very quick, at least that's how it felt!

I stood in line three times so I could play Plug Man's stage, and beat it a second time, but when I manage to beat it, there wasn't a boss at the end.

It was embarrassing to die on the same spot three times in one try, so I went and asked Mr. Horiken (Capcom producer Takeshi Horinouchi) if I could give it a second shot, without any mistakes this time. I went and stood in line again and try what I thought was Concrete Man's stage, but it was in fact Plug Man's stage again... I ended up beating the stage again and hand the control over to the next person in line.

I lacked the energy to stand in line again, so I had to call it a day and went home again."


For more WHF pics and info, head on over to Dengeki Online.

Friday, July 11, 2008

RnR3 Coro Coro Report: Transformations, Return of EXE "Side Camera?" (UPDATED With Scans)


No scans at the moment, but COCOROGs blog contains an abundant amount of info from the latest Coro Coro.

From The Undersquare:

Transformations in this game are referred to as "Noise Changes" and are described as mutations that are allowed by attaining a certain level of Noise and are the result of Noisy Waves coming from Meteor G (a giant meteor headed toward earth). When the level of Noise decreases, Rockman will automatically revert to lower level forms during battle. So far, there is a mention of Noise Changes based on a large amount of FM Seijin from the first game.

-Ox Noise is described as a fire-based form that will boast high attack power and use of the fire element.
-Libra Noise is described to make use of a fusion of fire and water and will also boast high defense properties.
-Cygnus Noise will grant high speed as well as wings, which will likely grant Float Shoes.
-Ophiuchus Noise uses the power of poison and snakes and is labeled as the strategic form.
-Gemini Noise a powerful form that makes use of electricity and probably boasts extra special abilities regarding Battle Cards, such as Side Select.

There are said to be more transformations, and next month's CoroCoro will supposedly reveal the ultimate transformation.

It is mentioned in the report that Subaru will have a new catchphrase when performing Denpa Henkan and becoming Rockman. He will now say "Trans Code! Shooting Star Rockman!".

Not totally confirmed, but it seems there is a mention of the side camera view that we all love from the EXE series? Let's keep our fingers crossed.

Finally, the report mentions a change in appearance for the custom screen. Perhaps the custom screen selection will be a lot more complicated than merely selecting down a column. There is also a new Mega Card with an attack power of 100 that features War Rock cutting and tearing through enemies.

The threat in this game appears to be a large meteor headed on a crash collision with Earth, referred to as Meteor G.

A character referred to as Spade Magnets will appear in this game. He is described to be a a Wizard, originally meant to help people, but he has become corrupted by Noise radiating from Meteor G. Sounds like a first boss.


RnR3 is sure sounding better and better. Stay tuned for scans.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Rockman 9 Trailer Debuts, NOT Wii Exlcusive

IGN has put up the debut trailer for Rockman 9, displaying a wide array of in game cutscenes, stages and glorious 8bit music. Joy!



Plus, IGN has confirmed with Capcom that RM9/MM9 will be headed to all three home consoles, PS3/360 users won't miss out (unless you lack an internet connection)

Finally, IGN confirmed RM9/MM9 will contain leaderboards where you'll be able to track your time and score against other players.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

So, How Much Will Rockman 9 Cost?


1,000 Wii Points, approximately $10.00 USD. Not too bad.

I was expecting the game to go for a minimum of 500 Points ($5.00) since it's basically a NES game, but I'm more than willing to pay an extra five.

Can't fall come any faster?

Credit: Famitsu

Revving Up For E3 2008


It's hard to believe it's that time of the year again. E3 is just a week away and I'm already excited!

As usual, myself along with my numerous E3 peers will be keeping you up to date on the happenings at Capcom, specifically information regarding the Blue Bomber. What can we expect from Rockman this year? RM9 is a given, but their is always that possibility we'll see other surprises.

So, when exactly will we be hearing some news?

The show room floor doesn't open until the second day of E3 (Tuesday) at 9:00 AM. High probability stuff will pour out from there. If not don't fret, Capcom's press meeting takes place later in the afternoon (four-ish pacific time).

Tuesday is our day. Mark your calenders and get ready for a doozy of a show!

Sunday, July 6, 2008

RM9 Could Be the Savior of the Industry


Can Rockman 9 change the gaming industry?

Jeremy Perish (of Toastyfrog fame) has put together a lengthy article discussing how the industry can learn a few things from Rockman 9.

Perish points out that a successful game doesn't need to contain 1080p HD graphics, surround sound or other bells and whistles. All it needs is solid gameplay to keep us entertained, regardless of graphics and all that other stuff. And that's where Rockman 9 comes in.

Credit: Go-Nintendo

Star Force Coming to DVD-In Europe!


Amazon UK and Play.com are currently listing a 3 disc "Mega Man Star Force" DVD set releasing November 3rd. Discs include 30 episodes with a runtime of approximately 300 minutes. (Wow)

Europe is the first region to get Ryuusei on DVD, the show has yet to have official releases in Japan or America.


Credit: MegaMan Network

Friday, July 4, 2008

News Roundup: RnR3 and RM9 Goodies


Boatloads of news today concerning Rockman 9 and Ryuusei no Rockman 3:


Rockman 9
-Capcom of Japan officially announced RM9. They plan to unveil an official promotional website July 15th.
-To celebrate RM9, Capcom plans to release the original Rockman game on the Virtual Console in July, followed by Rockman 2's release in August. Hopfully, the US will get a similar treatment.


Ryuusei no Rockman 3
-ITMedia posted an article with a little bit of new RnR3 info. The info primarily discusses the four main cast members and hints the title will have a "new transformation" system via the Hunter VG:

"In every Hunter VG the Satellite Police have installed an EM transformation authentication system. In theory, this would allows anyone with a Hunter VG to do an EM transformation like Geo, except the EM transformation program is locked and can only be opened with an authentication code sent by the Satellite Police. MegaMan's appearance after transforming has also changed due to the Hunter VG's Wizard control system. With all of the battle card data stored in the left hand buster, weapons can be equipped more freely than before. There are also other hidden abilities, which are secret for now."


-Capcom announced both Rockman 9 and Ryuusei no Rockman 3 will be on display at the upcoming World Hobby Fair. It's possible new info about both titles will come to light here.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Games Radar's Exclusive Look At RM9: Pics, Info, Interview With Inafune


Games Radar has put together a large preview of Rockman 9, containing new pics and info.

A quick summary:

-RM9 literally is a NES/Famicom game. No fancy tricks or gimmicks

-As stated earlier, the story involved Dr. Wily convincing the public that the new batch of Robot Masters is Dr. Light's doing. Thus, Rockman sets out to prove his father's innocence by defeating the RMs. (There are even Dr. L doors in front of the RM chamber instead of Dr. W)

-Article contains summaries on each Robot Masters stage.

-Splash Woman was designed by Inafune himself,

-You can purchase abilities and upgrades at Dr. Light's shop. Upgrades include the infamous Energy Balancer, Spike Shoes, and the ability to take off Rock's helmet and play the game helmetless.

-No Charged Shot or the ability to Slide. However, you may be able to obtain these maneuvers as you play, Games Radar came across unreachable small tunnels you can only access by sliding.

-Stage Select screen contained options that cannot be discussed until E3.

-RM9 is slated for a fall release.


For more details, head over to Games Radar. While you're there, check out their interview with Inafune.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Get Equipped With Famitsu Scans


The latest issue of Famitsu contains a small blurb on Rockman 9 with a few new screen shots, one in particular depicts a "black and white" Rockman(A Robot Master weapon perhaps?)

RM9 will be released in Japan September-ish under the title, "Rockman 9: Revival of the Wild Ambition!!"

It should be noted that this Famitsu report marks the first time Rm9 has received coverage outside of the US.

The End of Ryuusei: Planned All Along?


Some were quite shocked to hear that RnR3 may be the last title in the Ryuusei series, but we shouldn't be too surprised, this might have been planned all along. Allow me to explain:

When Ryuusei no Rockman (1) was first announced, it was being teased as the series to commemorate the 20th Anniversary of the franchise. Thus, in 2006 RnR1 was released to celebrate the approaching 20th Anniversary, while the follow up (RnR2) celebrated the anniversary in full swing (2007).

From this logic, we can conclude that RnR3 will symbolize the end of the 20th Anniversary festivities this coming winter. As the 20th Anniversary comes to a close, so shall the series that celebrated it.

FUN FACT: Did you know each game in the series represents different intervals of time?


RnR2: The 'past' (ancient relics, Ooparts, etc.)

RnR1: The 'present' (the present experienced by the cast)

RnR3: The 'future' (fighting for the future)