Monday, February 14, 2011

Mega Man In The Smithsonian? It Could Happen!

The Smithsonian Institution, one of the largest (and undeniably coolest) museums in the world, is on the verge of paying tribute to the world of gaming with the exhibit "The Art of Video Games." Lots of Capcom games are in the running to be featured, and to the surprise (and dismay) of some, Mega Man 2 is eligible.

The lowdown:

"The Art of Video Games exhibition will explore the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, with a focus on striking visual effects, the creative use of new technologies, and the most influential artists and designers. We want you to help us select the eighty video games that will be represented in the exhibition. Remember, this is an art exhibition, so be sure to vote for games that you think are visually spectacular or boast innovative design!"


The exhibit is being broken down into eras, with Mega Man 2 representing the 8-bit console generation. So, how do we get the Blue Bomber in? Voting, of course. Register at The Art of Video Games (free), and simply place your vote for Mega Man 2 under the era 3 category.The title looks to be facing heavy competition from the likes of classic 1st party NES titles.

Do your part and vote. The Art of Video Games is scheduled to be open to the public on March 16, 2012.

Source: Capcom Unity

19 comments:

  1. Awesome! MegaMan 2! Everything needs to be like - and about - MegaMan 2! Always!

    ...

    Oh well. I'll vote for it. Some recognition is better than none.

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  2. How pitiful. They're using Mega Man 2 as a representative of the entire NES era? You've got to be kidding me.

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  3. Oh this is just TOO GOOD. XD

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  4. No matter what I do. I can only get black screens to show up. :(

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  5. Haters gotta hate. I've played through just about every Mega Man game out there and 2 is still one of my personal favorites. It got me into video games back in the day. Are there better Mega Man games? Of course there are! Doesn't make MM2 any less deserving of being a fine representation of the series.

    The community has to face facts that the one Mega Man game that everyone outside of the hardcore fan base remembers is 2. Deal with it and just be happy that the series is even getting considered for this honor.

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  6. Axem white, I dont think its wise to go to a church and question their religion. If you believe that, I do believe saying something as bluntly offense as that could get on some peoples nerves. Now I would get it if you explained yourself a bit more, but, alas, you didnt.

    Though I wonder how this would work. Just a catridge of the game or something on display?

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  7. Not signing up since I have no intention to vote, but I wonder what is the entire selection of games to be voted on?

    If Mario is among them, there is no way in hell that MM2 even has a chance at winning.

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  8. @MegamanMegafan:

    At the risk of sounding like Krazy Monkey (no offense to him if he happens to be reading this), Mega Man 2 is overrated beyond belief, and already gets more than enough recognition as it is. I think it's already ridiculous enough that it gets so much attention over all the other games in the series (which, in my opinion, are far better; even Mega Man 1) in the first place, but using it as a representative of the entire NES era? That's just asinine. Really, it is.

    It's things like that, which have caused Capcom and/or Inti Creates to milk this game over and over again, and pay very little attention to the rest of the fanbase, which enjoys other games besides Mega Man 2. Don't get me wrong, now; this doesn't necessarily mean that I hate Mega Man 2 or think it's a downright terrible game or anything, I'm just saying that there are other games in the series that could really use this kind of recognition.

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  9. @Axem White

    Do me a favour and name all the games that you can think of that are
    8-bit
    Fun to play
    Popular
    Challenging but not impossible
    Passwords to help newbies to the game
    Sold well
    People still play today.

    Go ahead, try to find any games that fit all of those. Once again, It's extremely stupid to go to a church and question their beliefs. If we think MM2 is the best MM of all time, we have all right to think that. Why dont you go complain about call of duty instead?

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  10. @MegamanMegafan:

    I don't get it. MM4 is WAY BETTER than MM2. Hell, MM3 is a bit better than MM2. And still, you claim the Classic fandom is the MM2 church. It's the stupid mayority that blindly praises it for the sole reason of being THE MM2.

    Since I can't change the mayority's dumb opinion, I chose to not deal with them anymore, and just assume I have a much more profund taste for MM games.

    The problem is basically this: MM2 fucked up Classic series's future games. Because Capcom chose to milk MM2 the same way Squeenix is milking FF7. Fuck the "they appeal to the mayority" argument. I prefer originality over popularity.

    Also, Metroid. And Castlevania 3. And MM3. And Willow, if it sold well.

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  11. I can't believe you people have to come to this. Saying Mega Man 2 "fucked up classic series future games"? That's such a sickening statement. Just because you don't think 2 deserves the praise it gets doesn't mean it's the series' poison.

    The reason why 2 is in such high regard, besides all the hype it gets just for being Mega Man 2, is that it set in stone what Mega Man is all about. It took Mega Man 1, culled unnecessary features (the point system), and left it in its purest form. It cemented the art style, the gameplay, everything. It may not have added much but it absolutely became the core of the entire classic series.

    YES, Mega Man 9 was influenced strongly by 2, so much so to the point that the gameplay had reverted to its most primitive form, but it was Mega Man's back-to-basics. Trying to get at what made the series popular. And it did exactly that-- 9 was a huge success, and 10 would probably have been even bigger if it wasn't for people's disdain for falling back on the retro graphics "gimmick"-- seeing as it probably added many, many features while still retaining the very basic gameplay mechanics. And both 9 and 10 still had 4-6 style gameplay in the form of Proto Man, so even that was not entirely gone.

    I hate all the crap any small mention 2 rakes up, but I had weigh in, as the comment that 2 "fucked up the rest of the games in series" is completely uncalled for, regardless of personal dislike for the game. Mega Man 2 is the most iconic game in the series, like it or not, and I don't think things such as personal preference should get in the way of an opportunity for Mega Man to get into the most important cultural museum in the United States.

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  12. As far as I'm concerned, it was MM3 that placed the basis of ALL Mega Man games. All they way up to MM&Bass and transcending to the later series. The weapon economy balance principles were established in MM3, the idea for additional moves that improved the character's agility were established in MM3, key characters and a simple, yet sufficient backstory was established by MM3...

    What did MM2 do? Establishing the ruling 8-boss way model, a more concrete AT system, support units, special support weapons that aren't made for attack and... yeah, Wily Stage 1 & 2.

    MM3 corrected almost everything that was wrong with MM2, like a bland level design and an unbalanced weapon consumption.

    Capcom never needed to force Mega Man to go "back to basics". MM:PU already did everything right: a renewed art style (first 3D Classic MM game, BTW), a refreshed gameworld, and cool features that increased the replay value like Time Attack, Construction Mode, more playable characters and downloadble custom stages. So why going "back to basics"?

    "BECAUSE MM2 IS EPIC AND POPULAR. THAT'S WHY. DEAL WITH IT."

    ¬_¬...

    *leaves*

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  13. @MusashiAA

    MM4 is way better than MM2, that's right, MM4 is the game what MM2 wanted to be.

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  14. This is nice and all, but I had serious trouble voting for games in the later era.

    This Smithsonian exhibit could be a bad thing, do we really want to show the public how far video games have fallen from grace? How we've gone from Pac Man and Space Invaders to Megaman II and Mario 3 to DK Country and Sonic CD to Mario 64 and Tomb Raider to FF XIII and God of War?

    What this says to me is that video game programmers got lazier as technology became more advanced. We started emphasizing fancy graphics and story elements over quality and original design. Games ceased to be games and became interactive movies.

    During the onset of CD-based games, I never imagined that FMVs would one day be the dominant genre in gaming.

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  15. I don't care what you THINK set the basis for the rest of the series. As far as Capcom and Inafune are concerned, it was 2, as per the interview Krazy Monkey linked to as his reasoning for hating Mega Man 2. And I agree.

    It's not a matter of what was added-- it's a matter of getting to the core of Mega Man gameplay. Sliding isn't the core. You could even argue charging wasn't, and only became integral because regular shooting was inferior in every way by design, to place emphasis on the charged shot, when things could have and should have been designed to make both viable (like 9 and 10 did). Mega Man 1 established the core mechanics, and Mega Man 2 made them concrete. After that it's just a matter of adding things to refine the gameplay, and no one is (or should) be arguing that the changes other games brought are negligible, but it's not about what was added.

    Capcom wanted Mega Man 9 to go back to basics to help rediscover what made the series popular. It wasn't the sliding. It wasn't the minimal storyline or key characters. It was the core gameplay elements 2 set the stage for the rest of the series. 2 wasn't perfect, but it made the series what it is, and Capcom learned from their stupid mistakes from 2, such as the broken weapon system, in every future game since, so it did absolutely no damage to any others in the series beyond stupid people saying it's the best because we're supposed to think it's the best and ignoring later games. And there will always be stupid people-- it's not Mega Man 2's fault. And the people who hate 2 for stupid reasons such as "fucking up the rest of the series" are just as idiot.

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  16. @JDAManson:

    Screw the slide. I was being more general. And I wasn't even talking about the charge shot, even if it has been THE Mega Men's main ability for almost 20 years.

    I still don't get it. Using copy weapons for a richer game experience and an above-average difficulty level IS the series's main feature, not MM2's lead-like, outdated gameplay and buster bumrushes. And as far as I know, MM3 did nothing but making the core gameplay more agile and smooth, with or without slide.

    Capcom decided to do what the dumb mayority likes. Sticking to the "back to basics" will do nothing but affect the series in terms of creativity. A game like MM:PU did everything right, except for being in the wrong console at the wrong time.

    To just end this convo, I'm gonna say this: we are all entitled to our opinion, yet I still believe I'm right. And Capcom does nothing but proving me right. They're appealing to all of those who bash anything new that isn't "the core gameplay". Thus, showing me how most of the fanbase is ridiculously conservative, close-minded and only like one thing and one thing only, without any variations or deviations or innovations to it. And that really pisses me off!

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  17. I'm probably going to have people on my back about this (as usual), but:

    @Axem White & MusashiAA:

    Amen. You've both taken the words right out of my mouth.

    Regarding Musashi's last paragraph, I couldn't agree more. I know I've brought this up quite a few times, but that's definitely why brilliant games like Mega Man 7, 8, and Mega Man & Bass have gotten so much undeserved hate. People have automatically labeled those games as garbage, simply because they evolved from the 8-bit style, nothing more. It's quite sickening, actually.

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  18. I guess there really is no point in arguing about it. We both have our opinions and it's unlikely either of us will change them because of what someone on the internet said. I just felt like the "2 fucked up the rest of the series" comment was seriously out of line. I don't care that much about 2, but Capcom's own justification for their favoritism seemed like legitimate reasoning for it, and I don't feel like 2 did anything negative to the rest of the series beyond limiting idiots' opinions, and it shouldn't matter what other people think. For the record, Mega Man 3 is my personal favorite, but I can see why Inafune and others love 2 so much, and personally I feel like 2 had great level design overall. My only real problems with 2 is that it's very bland and how badly the weapons were balanced.

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