Monday, November 30, 2009

Mega Man Promotes Megadeth

Mega Man and metal band Megadeth together at last.  The band's most recent concert in Fort Lauderdale was promoted with a rough, tough bearded Mega Man-like hero, who headlined a series of posters illustrated by Basilio Mendez.

The designs are not sponsored or endorsed by Capcom, so don't expect seeing this on any T-shirts, hats, mugs, etc. 

More shots of the poster here, and more of Basilio Mendez's work on his official MySpace page.

Credit: GameSetWatch, GoNintendo.

MMOCW Delayed Again?

Amazon.com is sending out the following message to those who pre-ordered Mega Man Official Complete Works:
"We're writing about the order you placed on September 1st 2009 (Order# XXX-XXXXXXX-XXXXXXX). Unfortunately, we are unable to ship the item(s) as soon as we expected and need to provide you with a new estimate of when the item(s) may be delivered:

Capcom "Mega Man: Official Complete Works"
Estimated arrival date: January  7 2010 - January 20 2010
Last we heard from UDON's Matt Moylan, the book was due to ship by the end of November.  But, if Amazon is correctly, we're in for a bit of a wait.

Until we hear otherwise, hang tight.

Thanks, Julian, Riot and Anon.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Operate Shooting Star is a Flop; Already In Bargain Bins



Well, that was fast. Rockman EXE: Operate Shooting Star hasn't been out for a month and, according posts on 2ch, the game is already finding itself within Sofmap's "wagon sale" bargain bin for a low 1,980 Yen (original 3,280 Yen). 

More often than not, Sofmap's bargain sales consist of games that are overstocked but, in the case of OSS, the price slash is due to lower than anticipated sales.  Good news is price drops sometimes help a game sell better. Sometimes.

Thanks for the tip, Mike.

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Want Legends 3? Get Ready To Make Your Voices Heard!

Looks like Capcom is getting ready to finally consider our pleas.  After years of waiting, Capcom is responding to the Mega Man Legends 3 demand through the creation of an official outlet to let our voices be heard:

"We’re working on a way for you to be able to do just such a thing (voice your opinion), and hope to have the new Unity feature available soon-ish. The bad news is that you’ll have to compete with the Powerstone 3 and RE: Outbreak psychos for attention! :D Seriously though, I know that having such a clear outlet is important, and we’re working on even more direct ways for you to let your voice be heard internally here at Capcom.” - Capcom Community Manager Seth Killian

No word when such an outlet will be available to fans, but knowing the guys over at Unity, you'll see something soon enough.

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Friday, November 27, 2009

Mega Man Meets His Doom

An unofficial Mega Man Doom mod is in the works, and based off of the few available screenshots, it's going to be utterly awesome:



"Megaman 8-bit Deathmatch is a new multiplayer mod that aims to puts Doom and Megaman into a blender and spew out a fun new way to blast your buddies online."

"Megaman 8-bit Deathmatch will play as if Megaman suddenly turned 3D. Everything will play as if it was being played back in 1987. Levels will use purely 8-bit textures and sprites. Megaman will jump high and take damage recoil. Weapons will behave exactly as they did back then, only from a 3d perspective. The plan is to eventually have all the levels and weapons from Megaman 1-6 (and maybe 9). Obviously some weapons will have minor changes because there are a lot of clones throughout the series."
An alpha build of the mod was publicly released by creator Cutmanmike not too long ago, and is still available to download via the game's official website. It's in the early stages, so everything you see is likely subject to change. The final game won't be available till 2010.

For more information, check out the following links:
http://forum.zdoom.org/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=23441
http://cutstuff.net/blog/?p=1677

Operate Shooting Star Tournament Announced

Beginning January 17th, 2010, the winter World Hobby Fair will play host to the first of four Rockman.EXE Operate Shooting tournaments.


Players of all ages within Japan are invited to compete at the Osaka Dome to win a variety of prizes, and a position in the follow-up tournament in May. The tournament will also feature activities, and free giveaways.

More details within the coming weeks.

Credit: CapKobun

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

So, How's OSS Doing?

Media Create has updated with the latest game software weekly sales rankings, and Rockman EXE Operate Shooting Star, contrary to good first day sales, isn't doing so hot.

During its debut week (Nov. 9 - 15), OSS placed 9th with an estimated 22,744 units sold.  Not too bad considering that's only three days worth of data (OSS released on the 12th).  However, the following week's worth of data from Nov. 16th - 22nd, OSS plummeted to number 24 with an unspecified amount of units sold.  This is a rather severe difference to the later EXE titles, which would stay in the top ten for many, many weeks.

More updates as they come in.

Legends 3 Still On Inafune's Mind, Definitely Not Dead

On the latest 4 Guys, 1Up podcast, Capcom's own Seth Killian had the following to say when asked about the possibility of a Mega Man Legends 3...

" It’s definitely not dead and Inafune says, I saw him yesterday, and he always says that.  He knows that’s a question from fans all the time and he talks about it all the time: ‘you know when I finally get some time, I’m going to work on a Legends 3 or something.’ He definitely would like to see it happen."

Pretty much more of the same response we've heard over and over, but it's incredibly reassuring to know Inafune is still adamant on getting L3 out the door.

Full podcast available here.

Credit: Sega forums

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Rockman 7 For Nintendo Power

Not too many people know of this little bit of trivia, but their exists a slightly alternate version of Rockman 7 -- a version designed for Nintendo's now-defunct Nintendo Power service.

Apparently, RM7 was actually one of the very first games offered on the Nintendo Power.  In Japan, Nintendo used to produce a game copier kiosk by the name of Nintendo Power, where you could download Nintendo games onto a blank Super Famicom cartridge for a fee.  Initially, very few non-Nintendo titles available, but a year or so into the service's lifespan, third parties hopped aboard; Capcom leading the way with Rockman 7.

The NP version of RM7 is practically the same as the retail version with a couple notably differences: The prologue cutscene, and the secret Vs. mode min-game were removed in order to accommodate for limited NP cartridge space.  In place of the prologue, Capcom added a generic "Capcom presents" screen, which led directly into the title screen.  Nothing replaced the versus mode, so the password used to access it led nowhere.

There are a few rumors floating around that the NP version is slightly harder than the retail build. Supposedly, the NP version has a few extra enemies showing up in strange spots, while the bosses have tweaked A.I mechanics. In other words, they're smarter.

 Other than that, it's the same game we all know and love!

For collectors of everything and all things Rockman, where might one find the Nintendo Power version of Rockman 7 today?  Your best bet is Yahoo! Auctions Japan where NP cartridges are all but uncommon -- the hard part is finding one that has RM7 on it :D

[via RockMega, ロックマン7 wiki]

Monday, November 23, 2009

Just In Time For Winter: Mega Man Caps

Remember those awesome handmade Mega Man hats from not too long ago?  Well, they're back, and they're for sale!  Crafter Ginrei is offering a new line of crochet Mega Man headwear for purchase at her Etsy store.  Now, you too can look stylish and keep your head cozy warm this season with Mega Man, Proto Man and Hardhat:




Pricing varies by design, so head on over to Ginrei's shop and see if anything fits your budget.  BTW: Also available, E-Tank drink cozies.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Mega Man: Upon A Star Hits iTunes

The North American anime distributor Anime Network, are offering all three episodes of the Mega Man: Upon A Star OVA on Apple's iTunes store.  Episodes cost a $1.99 each, and the first episode comes with Mega Man wallpapers and themes.
"A power-mad genius and his gang of evil robots are trying to take over the world, and no one can stop them but Megaman. He’s a young action hero with nerves of steel, a robot body,the power to mimic any weapon he sees and use it for the forces of good. Together with his robot sister Roll, and their faithful cyber-pooch Rush, Megaman jets into battle with fists and plasma-bolts flying."
The app. is compatible with both the iPhone and iPod Touch.  Wi-Fi connection is required for "additional content."

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Super Fighting Realtor

What's Ruth Shiraishi, the voice actress of Mega Man in MM8 and MMX4, been up to these days?  Selling real estate in Tokyo, so it seems.  Below, a video of Ms. Shiraishi hard at work, providing a tour of various office across Tokyo.  Listen carefully and you'll hear the Blue Bomber!



For comparision's sake, Ruth as Mega Man in Mega Man 8:



Say what you will about her performance, but I always felt she fit the demeanor perfectly.
To see more of Ruth and her guided tours, check out her official YouTube channel.

Thanks to Keiji Dragon for the discovery.

Friday, November 20, 2009

Mega Man Rush Marine Now Available

Following yesterday's vanishing act, AT&T has re-listed Mega Man Rush Marine on their MEdia Mall website, and is now available for download.

The official press release:
" Take the plunge with Mega Man® and his shape-shifting robot dog, Rush in this original side scrolling shooter set in the deep blue sea. In the year 20XX Dr. Wily sends his robot minions to the seabed in order to drill for oil causing earthquakes and destruction to the surrounding islands. Only Mega Man and the newly submersible Rush Marine have any hope of stopping Wily’s nefarious plan.
  • Exciting side-scrolling aquatic shooter.
  • Explore three aquatic environments including Shallow Water, Volcanic Reef and Deep Water.
  • Battle through ten levels and defeat as many robot masters, each with a unique weapon that you can capture and use for good.
  • Fight your way through expansive levels teeming with 14 enemies and numerous hazards. "
The full game will run you $6.99, while a subscription version costs $2.99 a month. Snag your copy here!
If you do download it, anyone care to share a few impressions? I'm sure those of us who aren't AT&T customers (such as myself), would appreciate to know what we're missing out on.

Auction - Custom US Wily Wars

As you may recall, Mega Man: The Wily Wars only saw a retail release in Europe and Japan, while North America got the game in digital form via Sega Channel.  A peculiar release for back in the day, but somebody saw fit to right that wrong with this homebrewed Wily Wars Sega Genesis cartridge:

What we have here is the English Wily Wars EPROM embedded on a US Genesis cartridge, complete with handsomely-made custom packaging and instruction manual.  Designed to play on US Genesis consoles, this custom creation is a dream come true for anyone who's longed for a physical Wily Wars copy without the hassle of region hacking your system.

The whole kit and caboodle are currently up for grabs on Ebay for a $100, free shipping.

More shots of the packaging/cartridge, and items details here.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

TMMN's Operate Shooting Star Review

The Mega Man Network is featuring a nicely detailed review over Rockman EXE Operate Shooting Star, which covers everything you could possibly ever want to know about the game -- and more. A portion of the review below:
"Now, there’s something I want to make clear right away about my impression of Operate Shooting Star. It is not a remake of MegaMan Battle Network. It IS MegaMan Battle Network, with some additional features thrown in. If you have played MegaMan Battle Network before, you have essentially played this game already. “Plus alpha” is a Japanese expression that roughly means “a little something extra,” and in Operate Shooting Star’s case the emphasis is on “a little.” I can’t say this is a bad game though, because I do like the original MegaMan Battle Network. But I cannot understand why this game needed to be made. It is truly disappointing just how little new content was put in this game when you consider the whole package....

"...In the end I can only recommend Operate Shooting Star to people who have never played the original MegaMan Battle Network, or to fans who are just really excited over Geo and other Star Force characters entering the game, however briefly it may be. And again, it’s not like Operate Shooting Star is a BAD game. It’s just hardly a new game, and I don’t think it lives up to the hype Capcom of Japan drove up for it."

Click here for the full review.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Capcom Touts New Mega Man Merchandise



Brand spankin' new Mega Man merchandise from FAB Starpoint are heading our way; journals, wallets, memos and baggies.  What more could you ask for?

The details according to Capcom's Chris Kramer:

"Dunno about you, but as a Mega Fan, I'm constantly jealous of all the killer Blue Bomber goods produced in Japan that are near-impossible to find in North America. That's why I'm very happy to bring you a preview of some Mega Merch currently in production by new Capcom licensee FAB Starpoint. FAB Starpoint are in the process of signing distribution deals with retailers across the continent (hopefully including our own Capcom eStore), with an eye towards the products reaching your hot little hands in the beginning of the year."

FAB Starpoint will also be keeping an eye on the comments section of the Capcom Unity blog for feedback, and might just take into consideration ideas of your very own.

Full details at Kramez's blog.

Mega Man X Official Complete Works Has 3D Cover Art

The Mega Man Network is showing off some sample shots of the upcoming MMXOCW cover art, which touts special embossed 3D art:



The source of the images, Udon's own managing editor Matt Moylan, dropped the community the following hint regarding future Mega Man artbooks:

"Also, not ready to announce future art book dates yet, but if fans like the STARs on their favorite television NETWORKs to speak English then, they’d be advised to wait a bit before buying certain Japanese versions of art books."

Mega Man Star For and Mega Man Battle Network Official Complete Works confirmed?

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Behold, The Gold Rockman 4 Cartridge

In an episode of Game Center CX, host Shinya Arino (and guest host Sarina Suzuki) paid a visit to famed Japanese retro gaming retailer Super Potato, the retailer for anything and everything retro gaming.  While scoping out the goods, one item in particular caught Arino's attention: the gold Rockman 4 cartridge...



Retailing at 590,000 yen (approx. $6,000), this very shiny cartridge is one of only eight in existence.  The carts were issued as prizes for those who won the RM4 boss design contest back in 1991.  Word has it that this particular cartridge in Super Potato's possession has been on display for the past four years, and has yet to be sold. 

The whereabouts of the remaining gold carts have remained largely undisclosed, but it's safe to assume their respective winners either held onto them, or sold them at one point or another.  Actually, in the case of the former, Yoshitaka Enomoto, creator of the Bright Man design, once told former MM fansite Atomic-Fire that he still treasures his gold cart, and has no plans to sell it.  Well, that was nearly five years ago, so...

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Rock Coliseum In Action

An overlooked addition to Rockman EXE: Operate Shooting Star is the all new multiplayer mode, Rock Coliseum.  Here, up to six plays can join in wirelessly (only one game cart. required) and duke it out head-to-head or engage in cooperative play.  For those who've yet to experience this neat mode for themselves, check out the video below to see it in action:



The goal in this particular mode is to defeat Forte in the allotted time. Forte chases you throughout the field, and you must avoid him using a barrage of items such as bombs and traps. When two or more players play, things become a lot more hectic as you scurry to not be the player targeted by Forte's attacks.  If you're hit, you have to wait it out until another player revivse you before you can get back in the fight.  In single player, however, once you're down, you're down for good. Game over.

It's a lot of fun, and I truly hope that this mode is expanded upon in the future; would have been great to have Wifi play or a better variety of items.

Monday, November 16, 2009

Gigamix Makes The Charts

According to Oricon charts, Rockman Gigamix, the newest comic anthology from Hitoshi Ariga, is performing quite well since its release in early October.  The book has sold a total of 35,000 copies, and continues to find itself among the top 50 comics in Japan.

Rockman Gigamix contains two new stories in Ariga's Rockman canon that focus on the happenings of Rockman 3 and Rockman 7/Battle & Chase respectively.  Rockman Gigamix 2 and 3 are currently in production, the second volume will release in early 2010. 

Credit: TribeKing

'Rockman Vs' At A Glance

Earlier this month, a brand new Rockman EXE comic debuted in Coro Coro Special, sister magazine of Coro Coro Comics.  Info was a bit on the scarce side, but fortunately, we now have ourselves a fairly detailed summary courtesy of Tarbosan.


Rockman EXE Vs. Operate Shooting Star, depicts a heated battle between Rockman.EXE and Shooting Star Rockman. RockEXE's operator, Raito Amino, is determined to become a strong Net Battler after having lost a battle with his friend.

On his quest to become stronger, Raito comes across an elder Net Battler who criticizes Raito's fighting style, noting his lack of strategy as his one true weakness.  Challenging him to a duel, Raito finds himself pitted against Shooting Star Rockman. The bout comes to an end when SSR is defeated. The end.

It's a simple story, one that may or may not continue in the following issue due to it being touted as a "one-shot." Still, there's definitely room for more stories.

A few more scans of the issue available at Tarbosan's blog.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

OSS Event Chips Revealed

According to Mui Mui's findings, Operate Shooting Star will continue the tradition of offering promotional in-game items through Capcom sponsored events.  Two secret battle chips, Forte F and Burai B, were recently uncovered via hacking:



Details on how to obtain the chips for yourself available here, and video of the cards in action here.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Grab Your E-Tanks Now!

According to Amazon.com, Toy Wiz is offering the Mega Man E-tank sports drink a bit ahead of schedule.  Individual cans are now on sale for $3.99 a pop (gulp!).  Shipping fee varies based on location.

It's pricey, and will likely be a bit cheaper at retail when it hits stores, so let your wallet determine your time frame.

Grab yours here.

Friday, November 13, 2009

Guest Post: The Operate Shooting Star/Ace Attorney Connection

Guess the game I'm describing:

It's a DS "port plus alpha" of a GBA Capcom hit which spawned a successful franchise, marketed as a 'revival' of the series.  In it, a blue-suited hero proudly wearing the symbol of his profession on his chest does battle in an unusual environment to protect the innocent.  This DS update adds a new scenario near the end of the game where the main character comes in contact with a new villain.  However, the graphics and music are much the same as the GBA version.  Budget-priced, the game is clearly meant to appeal to the fans, and sells about 50,000 copies its first week.

If you guessed Operate Shooting Star, you're right.  Or maybe I should say "wright".

Because everything above I mentioned describes one of Capcom's other DS series, the Ace Attorney (Gyakuten Saiban) series.  The first game, originally for the GBA, received a DS update in 2005 under the headline "Yomigaeru Gyakuten" (Turnabout Revived), eventually released stateside as Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney.  The game's pretty much the same as its GBA incarnation (though, to be fair, PW:AA has much better remixed music on the DS) besides its new content.

Granted, the new content in OSS probably won't take the average player as long to get through as the extra scenario in PW:AA, but that's not important.  What this comparison reveals is simple: Capcom's going for OSS the same they were going for PW:AA.  Yes, PW:AA became a cult hit in the US, but this was far from expected - indeed, early sales were quite low, with only a few thousand units sold per week, and it's doubtful they would have updated/translated AA2 and 3 if not for such surprising sales figures.

Capcom's aiming to do with OSS what they wanted to do with PW:AA; hold the fans over and revive interest a bit at minimal cost.  Busting out an entirely new BN or SF game is too risky given SF's low sales, but with OSS Capcom can revive the BN fanbase and set the stage for future releases, with only minimal sales needed to recoup costs.  PW:AA was essentially a holdover game while the series was on hiatus; AA4 wasn't released until 2007 in Japan, a year and a half after PW:AA's NDS update - but in the meantime, they translated and ported AA2 as well.  Had the series been left languishing between AA3's original GBA release in 2004 and AA4's 2007 release, it's likely interest in the series would have significantly declined.  PW:AA neatly sidestepped the problem by renewing interest at low development cost, and even if AA2 hadn't been translated and re-released Japan would still have more interest in the series than if it had vanished off the face of the earth until TGS 2006.

So while OSS likely won't make huge sales, it doesn't need to - all it needs to do is remind people EXE is still around.  Remember all the talk of doing more with EXE down the road if OSS does decent and of the many plans for Rockman's 25th anniversary?  One way or the other, I have a feeling we'll be seeing the electronic incarnation of the Blue Bomber again sometime in the not-too-distant future.
-----------------------------
Post author: GSR

Mega Man Accessories Hit Solia Online

PRC reader linkfreak131 informs us that Solia Online, an avatar based web community, recently released a "Eastern Hero Costume" pack that allows users to wear some very familiar accessories...


Your eyes aren't deceiving you; those are Mega Man accessories.  From left to right: Zero's hair (or Proto Man's scarf?), Z-Sabre, X's helmet, Zero's helmet (Zero series) and Model ZX's helmet.  I'm not entirely sure where the white helmet is from, but it does look a bit like Ken's from Gatchaman.

I wonder if these are officially licensed...

Click here for more pictures of each accessory!

OSS Off To A Good Start

According to early reports, Rockman EXE Operate Shooting Star racked up an estimated 25,000 units on its first day on sale - a 41% sell through of the initial shipment.   Among Nov. 12th game releases, OSS charted fourth, just behind Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers and DragonBall Raging Blast.

2channel estimates the title could top at least 70,000 in sales by its first week if things remain steady.  Just have to wait and see, but so far so good.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Retro Roto Figures Seeing Re-release

Speaking with a Jazwares rep. early today, I learned the company has a few interesting Mega Man products coming down the pike.  In addition to the urban vinyl figures (due in early 2010), the company plans on re-releasing their popular 6'' Retro Roto series in a four-pack box set.  BigBadToyStore has already begun accepting pre-orders:


According to Jazwares, the set is exclusive to online retailers, and won't be sold in-stores.

Estimated arrival is in December, with a follow up box set consisting of "wave 2 figures" in the Spring of 2010.  Jazwares did not specify on what will make up the "wave 2" line,  however I can't help but think that this would be a grand opportunity to finally release the much delayed Heat Man, Wood Man and Ice Man roto figures.

More details soon.

Operate Shooting Star Releases

Reports are coming in from Japan that Rockman EXE: Operate Shooting Star has been released and is officially on sale. Copies will be going in the mail sometime now for those who pre-ordered online via Play Asia or elsewhere.

To commemorate the release, Capcom updated practically every section on the game's official web site, the most noteworthy being the addition of a new "download area". There, you'll find a plethora of Rockman EXE related assets to download such as official artwork, movies, sprite icons, and a flash based clock/timer.

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

ENC Operate Shooting Star Trailer

What's perhaps the final trailer before the game's release, here's the exclusive Everyone's Nintendo Channel preview for Operate Shooting Star:



Credit: The Mega Man Network 

Online Listing Reveals 'Rockman EXE: Official Complete Works' (Update)

Gaming retailer Play Asia are currently taking preorders for a "Rockman EXE Official Complete Works" art book, due to release on December 21st, 2009.  The suggested price is $36.99 with 176 pages in A4 format.

If previous OCW art books are any indication, expect the book to be chock full of illustrations, game info and interviews with Capcom staff.

Hope to hear more details soon!

UPDATE: It's official now. Click the link to check out a tiny preview of the book's contents. Thanks, Huffy!

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

OSS Invades Sofmap

In anticipation for OSS' official release tomorrow, Japanese retail store Sofmap gave their DS section a bit of a Rockman makeover:



Directly adjacent to the display, a single kiosk for demoing the game:


Play the demo, walk away with a pretty sweet mini-poster:

EDIT: Sorry, Sofmap -- not BicCamera :)

[via RockMega]

Operate Shooting Star Releases Ahead Of Schedule?

So says YouTube user Namazutei, who recently uploaded this unboxing video:



Online retailers such as Amazon.jp and BicCamera have yet to ship the game, but according to a few reliable Japanese sources, some stores have already stocked the game as early as this morning.

Monday, November 9, 2009

BA Responds To E-Tank Sports Drink Inquery

Boston America, you're so missing the novelty of the E-Tank sports drink.  It's supposed to look like an E-Tank.  That's why everyone wanted them in the first place!  Why the change to something a bit more generic?  Read their response to the issue and find out:
" I understand why that Japanese version had such a tremendous appeal to the hard core Megaman fan but when we showed this to the buyers here in the US they didn’t know if the majority of their customers would understand the product. They felt that if we created a branded drink that this would have a broader appeal.
That being said, our strategy with this drink is to create a demand for the brand with the attached design and then follow this up in 2010 with a design similar to the one you suggested below." -- Boston America Rep.
Well, it's something to be hopeful for. I'll keep you posted if anything new comes up!

Thanks, Flame.

First OSS Review

Unconfirmed at the moment, but according to a few posters on 2channel, Japanese magazine Dorimaga reviewed Operate Shooting in their latest issue and gave it an overall score of 6.0 out of 10.

The review praises the addition of the Rockman Colosseum, citing it as a fun mini-game anyone can enjoy, but other than that, there wasn't enough content to truly separate the title from its original 2001 counterpart.

No scan of the review, so take this one with a grain of salt.

Thanks, RockMega.

Saturday, November 7, 2009

OSS Homepage Easter Egg - Golden Mr. Prog

A neat little easter egg was recently discovered on the official OSS homepage...



Apparently, there's a slight chance of running into a golden Mr. Prog at the "brain section." His appearance is at random, so just keep tapping that F5 key until you got him.

As a reward for finding the hidden area, the little fellow offers an exclusive piece of conceptual Rockman.EXE artwork:
[via Ricake6000]

Friday, November 6, 2009

Brand New Tees

Hot on the heels of the Mega Man E-Tank sports drink, AAA Distribution brings to light more upcoming Mega Man products: T-shirts.



"Mega Man Classic" and "Run, Jump, Shoot," two new tees ODM manufacturing, are set to release on November 30th, 2009 for $17.99. No specifics on retailers, but you can order directly from AAADistribtuiton. More details including sizes, available here.

Alternate Cover Jackets With Purchase Of OSS

Announced on the OSS homepage, select retailers in Japan will offer alternate DS cover jackets for use with the Operate Shooting Star box.  Two versions will be available; a "light version" featuring Rockman.EXE vs. SSRockman, and a "dark version" featuring Forte amidst a crowd of baddies.

Both jackets will be limited in supply, so once stock runs out, they're out for good.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

"E-Tank" Sports Drink Coming Stateside

According to AAA Distribution, the popular Rockman E-Tank sports drink is heading to our side of the Pacific. Manufacturer Boston America intends to release a pack of 24 E-Tanks on December 31st, 2009 for $72.00 USD:


Meanwhile, BigBad Toystore plans on selling individual cans for $2.99; estimated to ship in January, 2010.

Information is obscure for the time being. More updates as they come in.

...a shame they aren't implementing the original design.

EXE Web Comic Volume 1 (UPDATE)

For those interested, Capcom has posted the first of eight Rockman EXE web comics on the official OSS homepage It's entirely in Japanese, so you'll have to use your imagination to figure out just what the heck is going on.  Courtesy of the Mega Man Network, an English translation:
"As you can tell, this comic’s humor is derived from wordplay. Net Battle, written in Japanese, is “netto batoru” (ネットバトル). However, we find out in this last frame that is is actually a “nettou” (熱湯) battle, which means boiling water. In Japanese it seems there’s little else to pun “netto” with. But what’s funnier than some wordplay and scalding your friend horribly with boiling  hot water?"

Lol....

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Sales Figures For Mega Man/Rockman

Capcom recently released the totals of sales statistics for their major franchises as of September 30th, 2009.  So, how does the good ol' Blue Bomber stack up?

Mega Man tied 2nd place with the Street Fighter franchise with an astounding 28 million units sold since the series' inception in '87.  However, when it comes to to titles in each franchise, Mega Man trumps all with 125 games.  Of note, this number includes re-prints, and multiplatform releases.

Complete data available at Capcom's Investor Relations page

'Rockman EXE Beast' Returning To TV

Beginning December 10th, 2009, Kids-Station will air reruns of the popular Rockman EXE Beast anime series. The occasion marks EXE's return to television after a two year absence.

Episodes will air twice a day: once in the morning, and a repeat of the same episode in late afternoon.  According to the master schedule, it looks as if Kids-Station plans on airing all 25 episodes until December 25th.  After that, they'll either rerun the show again or move onto "Beast+", the show's successor.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Zero's Tatsunoko vs. Capcom Move Set Detailed

Courtesy of the Shoryuken forums, here's an in-depth look at Zero's move set from Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars.  Information derives from the latest build of the game which was playable during a recent Capcom sponsored event:


-Special moves-
Hyper Zero Buster: A chargeable buster shot, very similar to Rock's, but seems to have a smaller hitbox when fully charged. Possibly more powerful. The projectile changes depending on what button you hold down. A single hit from the buster will knock the opponent down similar to Batsu's old fireballs.

Ryuenjin: a flaming uppercut in Shoryuken style. It hits multiple times with dramatic hitpause inbetween each hit.

Heinkyaku: a kind of teleport command dash that is similar to Karas when on the ground. It can send him in any 8 directions when he's in the air, so it can be useful for mobility and even to simulate a fast fall.

Hadangeki: a very basic projetile slash special. Comes out very fast.

Sentsuizen: a Mai-style swallow dive that can apparently lead into combos. Has some short startup. If it hits an airborn opponent it slams them down.

-Supers-
Giga Attack (Rekkoha): He pounds the ground with his fist, (which does not stun the opponent, as previously thought) and after a pause the whole screen is filled with rainbow lasers that rain down diagonally. Very big and fairly powerful, but far too slow to really be relied on for results. The lasers also have a weird hitbox and can sometimes miss jumping opponents. Zero is fully invulnerable during the start of the attack. This move is DHC friendly, and as long as Zero hits the ground, the lasers will rain down even if the super is somehow interrupted.

Sougenmu: A genei-jin style super where Zero clones himself, creating a doppleganger. The shadow follow-ups only appear when he's doing special moves, though. Other than this it seems to speed him up slightly.

Level 3 - Dark Hold: Zero dashes forward and knocks the opponent into the air, freezing them in a bubble before he prepares a giant laser sword and runs them through with it in dramatic fashion, doing about 21000bil damage raw. Has a fast startup.

-Other Stuff-
Seems to be a very basic, easy character to use. Surprisingly, his regular movement and attacking speed seems to be erring on ths low side. He also is quite weak when it comes to damage, but will probably make up for this once his longer combos are discovered. A lot of his moves have multi-hit properties. He has many tools for dealing with any situation which would make him a great jack of all trades. His assist is the same fire uppercut. Some people report that he has low defense a la Karas.


More details at Shoryuken

Rockman EXE Cell Phone Games Re-released

GameWatch are reporting that the two mobile phone Rockman EXE titles, 'Phantom of the Network' and 'Legend of the Network' are being re-released today on Capcom's mobile phone network for 525 Yen (approx. $5.80). What's neat about this report is the included imagery. GameWatch is showing off official artwork of both games' exclusive characters:



This is quite possibly our first real good look at these characters who've only made brief appearances in subsequent Rockman EXE art books. Very neat to say the least!

[via The Mega Man Network]

Monday, November 2, 2009

Another Comic On The Way

Starting November 5th, Capcom will begin posting weekly 4-panel Rockman EXE web comics on the official Operate Shooting Star homepage. The series will conclude in December, and will be compiled into a single graphic novel shortly afterward.  A glance at the comic's art style below:

4-panel comics are noteworthy for their lighthearted (and sometimes crude) humor, so expect your typically wacky Japanese antics here. If you're looking for action, then look forward to Ren Takahara's unrelated EXE comic currently circulating in Coro Coro Special.