Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Are More MML Ports In Our Future?

If Mega Man Legends 3 were to pick up right after the events of its prequel, how will Capcom get players, specifically, series newcomers, up to speed?

The original PlayStation games are fairly difficult to obtain in this day and age (especially if you live outside of Japan,) and the fact that there's yet to be any digital re-releases doesn't help, either. This is an issue many have pondered even long before MML3 officially came to be and is certainly something Capcom is thinking about.

Capcom's Christian Svensson recently responded to a similar inquiry posted on the Ask Capcom forums regarding the possibility of porting the original Legends games to modern-day consoles in an effort to get the original games back in the public eye:

"No news to report at the moment but I agree it would make sense to if there's a way we can get people back up to speed on the franchise. I'll see what we can do."

Sven has been pushing hard to get Legends on PSN for quite site time, but his efforts have yet to come to fruition. Still, would PSN re-releases really be the best way to reach this new Legends 3 audience?  The gamers who've taken an interest in the title but haven't experienced its prequels?

A popular suggestion among fans is bundle Legends 1 and Legends 2 together on a single cartridge for the Nintendo 3DS. Capcom would take the Ocarina of Time 3D approach, clean up the graphics a bit, and throw in some 3D/touch screen functionality. The theory is it would be convenient to have all three main Legends series entries on the same console, something that I definitely agree with.

Regardless, it does sound like Capcom is working on some way of getting people caught up with the series. What do you think? Should Capcom offer up more MML ports? If so, in what form should they take?

Source: Ask Capcom

38 comments:

  1. I would much rather see it on 3DS than PSN bundled as you say. Plus that would make more sense considering Legends 3 is coming to 3DS

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  2. I wouldn't mind downloads on the PSN, but I was hoping we'd get that collection that Japan got...

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  3. The_Devilus@hotmail.comOctober 5, 2010 at 1:02 PM

    No no, well.. not no to the ports but a cleaned up version with better graphics on the wii would be awsome!!

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  4. There's one thing I'd like to point out: there IS a digital re-release available, for the first game at least. The PC port of Mega Man Legends has been available for purchase as a download for quite some time now. A console appearance would be nice, of course, but there's an alternative right there to get you started. :)

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  5. I think it'd work well enough as a plain DS port. The hardware is similar enough in capability to the original Playstation. This would also give it a broader audience; not everyone is going to have a 3DS off the bat.

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  6. I'm trying to play MML1 on PC, for MML2 I'll have to try emulating it I think... I don't have a playstation lol. Having ports on the 3DS would be cool, kind of like MegaMan Zero Collection/Metroid Prime Trilogy, just with Legends? Sounds like a good idea to me :3 It'd certainly make MML3 look more attractive to buy for newcomers (like me, but I'll probably get it anyway), while providing nostalgia (?) to people who played them already.

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  7. Why not two releases? Upgraded Legends pack for 3DS and vanillaware for the PSN

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  8. Wouldn't flooding the market with MML games just ruin the hype for MML3? I like MML but too much of it in a short time could make the series go dull quickly.

    I like the idea of MML1 and 2 port to 3DS and MML could get a Virtual Console release. But I think if they are going to reach there new audience then it would have to be on a Nintendo console/hand held. It doesn't make much sense to push PSN ports now since the game is going to be on a the 3DS. It seems like the only way to do so would be to port the game on the 3DS.

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  9. I'd also like to add:

    If they choose to make MML 1 and 2 ports might as well throw in Mis Adventures of Trone Bonne as well. =)

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  10. 3DS ports would be nice. Just straight ports; no sense in messing with the games now. (although tossing in RMD2 Episode One, à la Rockman DASH 2 PSP, would be nice)And 3DS can probably handle it. After seeing how amazingly fluid the PSP ports were, I don't think a regular DS (2DS?) port could do the games justice. I wouldn't want a watered-down DS version of that any day, and neither should you!

    I don't know whom Capcom should aim to please. PSN ports would be nice for the people who insist MegaMan Legends belongs on Sony consoles. But 3DS would be nice for the Nintendo camp and for people who already plan on buying 3DS/MegaMan Legends 3.

    It seems more reasonable to me for them to play up the consistency angle and go 3DS, giving people who're going to buy DASH 3 even more reason to spring for one of those. But then again, people who are uneasy about buying a 3DS for DASH 3 may like the opportunity to try the originals on a different console.

    Tough call, really.

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  11. I think the way to go is quite clear: Legends Collection for the 3DS. Legends 1 and 2 and Tron Bonne in a single cartridge. Straight up ports, no need to change anything (aside from 3D).

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  12. Well, in Japan, and I have said this numerous times all around, already has a "Legends Collection" if you will for the PSP. Now, I also wouldn't be opposed for Legends 3 to also be released for the PSP (and who knows what other Sony handhelds in the future could utilize 3D?). But having the bundle ported to the 3DS, possibly cleaned up, isnt so bad. I just really don't see the need for 3D or touch screen functionality for the other 2 Legends titles. We dont know exactly what's in store for MML3 so maybe they'll be used specifically there. I just say make it easier for everyone and simply port the already created collection from Japan on the PSP which more consumers already have to play it on. From what I can tell the 3DS isnt going to be anywhere near affordable for casual, middle class or lesser audiences. I also wouldnt be opposed to a PSN Playstation release because they also double as playable on the PSP. It just...seems more sensible, easier and affordable on the already established Sony path for now.

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  13. @Alfredo MisAdventures of Tron Bonne is a tricky one to consider because I don't think they can port that one. Have you ever tried emulating that game? (from your 100% legal copy of the PSX disc, of course ;)) It's tricky business.

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  14. @MM Model Q

    Port != Emulation

    If they have the resources, then they can easily port the game onto another piece of hardware without issues.

    What you experienced was problems with emulators and not the game.

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  15. But why release it with Sony only to switch to Nintendo? I would assume there would be some sort of "alliance" going on for the release.

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  16. We'll probably see all three on 3DS down the road. In what form, who knows?

    I could go for a US release of the PSP versions. Or better yet, DS versions.

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  17. Capcom's best interest right now would be to make a profit, while avoiding the issue of second-hand market (gamestop). While porting the games over to the 3DS would prove efficient for those who buy the 3DS, it also means redoing the games with a completely new experience, which I'm sure Capcom is not willing to put money into so suddenly. That means hiring people to do "the job". Mind you, I am not against this idea at all.

    The easiest/ quickest way for capcom to do this would be to put them on sale via Xbox LIVE and PSN. This avoids having to redistribute the games through discs, and eliminates the second-hand market entirely. Surely, many "newcomers" would already have access to XBOX Live and PSN. This is 2010, after all; the digital age.

    Perhaps they can do both; PSN/XB Live as well as a revamped 3DS version. Make money where it's at, Capcom. Come on.

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  18. @Port!=Emulation

    The headaches emulating Misadventures are almost universal between emulators, and it doesn't even run stably on the PSP's official emulator. There is some problem with that game that Legends 1 and 2 don't have, at least. It seems to me that a better explanation for the fact that Misadventures has never been ported is that there's some problem with the game itself, not that the idea of porting it hasn't crossed Capcom's mind.

    Yes, with enough resources they could port the game — you can do anything with enough resources — but not easily, I'd wager. At least not as easily as they've ported Rockman DASH 1 and 2.

    But I'll admit that it was an error on my part to say that the emulation headaches are the reason it hasn't been ported — that's just my guess, really.

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  19. It would probably be smarter if Capcom did bundle Legends 1+2 for the 3DS (of course with cleaning the graphics up and such) since that's what platform MML3 is going to be released on, so it would make the most sense, putting it anywhere else would be great too of course, but probably wouldn't be the best idea to get attention to MML3 with new comers

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  20. Semi-colon violation!

    I hate you. XD

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  21. @Omar: Then you have the people who don't have a 360/PSN or cannot get internet access onto them.

    I own a 360, but I cannot get LIVE on it because my house still uses the damn wired internet and not wireless, and unfortunately it's beyond my control.

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  22. @MM Model Q

    Again, I can't stress enough that issues that occur during emulation has no relevancy towards a port being possible or not. Those headaches are at the hands of the people writing the emulators and the people trying to run games on those emulators when they were never meant to run on it. To put it simply, it's the emulator's fault and not the game.

    Considering that Capcom has ported multiple Playsation 1 games on to the PSP hardware, I don't think difficulty has anything to do with it but rather profitability. Porting the main two entries of a series makes a lot more sense financially then porting that one quirky spinoff.

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  23. Personally I've long wondered why Capcom and Nintendo haven't at least released the N64 port of MML1 on virtual console.

    It's a decent port, not perfect but it got me interested in the Legends series back then, so that much would be a start.

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  24. @Dr. Jerk

    Don't stores sell a wireless tap mechanism that allows you to connect you're currently wifi-incapable 360 to the internet? In retrospect, was it wise to buy a 360?

    Just joshin' man =p. I like Halo too sometimes. There are ways around your issue:

    1.) Buy a really, really long extension cord, or

    2.) Buy that wifi tap mechanism, or

    3.) Buy that shiny new black 360. It is wifi-capable.

    Realize that you are in the minority, my friend; most people these days that have a 360 or PS3 also connect them to the internet. Heck, it's impossible to play some PS3 games without updating the firmware.

    PS, I love my semicolons.

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  25. And you also love "you're".

    Haha.

    /annoyinggrammarnazi

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  26. Legends 1, Legends 2, Tron's Misadventures and BIG-5 ISLAND on 1 3DS game

    4 games in 1. How can anyone resist a deal like that????!!!!


    http://www.capcom-unity.com/go/suggestion/box <----- vote for my idea, please XD

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  27. Why couldn't they just come out with Rockman Strategy 2 or Megaman Soccer 2? D8 Or even ZX 3? They left us hanging at the end of ZX 2... D:

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  28. I'm still rocking my PS1 copies of the Legends games, so I'm set. But I agree wholeheartedly that regions besides Japan should definitely receive ports of the Legends series in some form or another before Legends 3 hits shelves.

    Whether a person needs new copies untarnished by time, or missed out on them when they were new, or simply weren't around during those years and want to get caught up/see what the big deal is about...it seems like the right thing to do.

    If it happens, as has been said before, it'll most likely be in the form of a PSN and/or XBLA release, since that seems like it may be the simplest route for Capcom to take at this point. Personally, I agree that it'd make a lot more sense to have them available on a DS-branded system in some form, making the entire trilogy playable in similar formats, but I guess we'll have to wait and see whether or not Capcom feels the same.

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  29. Re:Re: Port!=Emulation

    Considering how successful the Rockman DASH 1 and 2 PSP ports were, I don't really think Capcom would intentionally neglect to release Misadventures alongside those.

    But hey, I hope I'm wrong if it means having a chance to get that game at a reasonable price. (have you seen what people ask for that on amazon? yeesh)

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  30. @Enzan Ijuin

    They left us hanging at the end of MegaMan X8 too. =(

    (Hint: Click my name, lol)

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  31. I agree that re-releasing the other Legends games on 3DS in some form is a good idea, though I'm not quite sure of the legal procedures surrounding the switch from a Sony console to a Nintendo handheld. I think the best way to avoid any sort of red tape would be a total remake, especially since they're already having enough trouble finding the original voice actors to renegotiate their contracts for a PSN release of the first games.

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  32. @Omar: We did managed to get the 360 online because of a cable I think. But you know what, I really do not want to buy points to renew LIVE. Still hating the 360 for that.

    Also, I'm very certain those wifi tapping mechanisms wouldn't work here...

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  33. Frankly I would never argue with *ANY* port/re-release of Legends, but yeah I guess the 3DS makes the most sense.

    On the other hand, for those who are on the fence with the new handheld, maybe making a splash on the existing home console base wouldn't be a bad idea.

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  34. I think the other two being on PSN might work, but since 3 is being released for the 3DS, it would make more sense for the other two to be on some form of DS. :p

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  35. How about: ROCKMAN DASH MARIO PARTY. ALL MAJOR CHARACTERS PLAYABLE. FUCK YEAH.

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  36. @anon It's called Megaman Universe. >_>

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