Monday, November 3, 2014

Rockman Xover's Soundtrack Was Pretty Great - Let's Listen


For better or worse, Rockman Xover is coming to an end. We can debate the quality of the game until our keyboards are tired and battered; cheer in its demise or sullenly sit as another game bites the dust. But I think both sides of the fray can settle on one thing: Xover's soundtrack was top-notch. I would argue Masahiro Aoki's arrangements were some of the best we've had in years.

For your listening pleasure, here's the entire soundtrack courtesy of MidniteW. All twenty of Aoki's tracks are here - some ripped straight from the game, others collected from the Capcom Special Selection CD. If you haven't played Xover, let alone glanced at it, you owe it to yourself to check these it out.

Thanks, MidniteW!

18 comments:

  1. This and some character designs. That's the game xD I'm still not sure if in my headcanon MM Xover ever existed.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love this track. Looking at that screen shot of X and Zero, I can picture that arrangement playing in the background of X3 perfectly.

    I never really noticed how small X was in comparison to Zero. Zero's leg is like the entire lower body of X.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Possibly the best/worst part of Xover in one package. The music is pretty good, but for me at least, I can't help but also think of how it was... Well, wasted on Xover itself. I hope one day, probably by fans, Xover is revisited as a more traditional MMX game and the music, some designs, and the overall concept are given a better game to stand beside. But til then, there's always the music to enjoy on its own :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. here, have some fangame demo

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4YG98jeD5E&

      Delete
    2. Oh, neat! Beats the gameplay of the real Xover already. Even the auto scrolling part. I'll have to keep an eye on that.

      Delete
  4. "Debate" is a strong word. The game was garbage. It had two good elements, artwork and music, and both were utterly wasted on Rickman Xover. Seeing these two good elements should not make anyone leap to defend Xover, it should make them realize how horrible the game itself truly is/was, Just imagine what Rockman Xover could have been if Capcom didn't outright despise Mega Man and his fans right now. Big budget, current gen consoles, music like this, a massive crossover of the Mega Man franchise. Wow.

    Instead we got this poorly animated, poorly designed, cell phone exclusive mess so terrible that half of Capcom is ashamed of it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As if anyone at Capcom knows shame.

      Delete
    2. Meanwhile it was successful anyway in Japan. Everyone claims Capcom despises megaman and it's fans when really if you think about it - perhaps Capcom really couldn't do anything and right now they are trying to start right from the ground up again.

      There is too much bias towards Capcom from those who don't actually think more in depth about their situation. Why they are cancelling Xover's server, we don't know. All we know is it isn't necessary and doesn't benefit them in any way unless they had another plan for Megaman.

      Instead of constantly bashing Capcom like a drone, it's better to acknowledge what they're trying now instead of their past. am I still sour over MML3? Absolutely, but the more you think about it, especially with how Inafune has been acting lately - I forgive them and understand where they're coming from.

      Delete
    3. What exactly are they doing right now? What should I be focused on here? Am I missing something? Because I can come up with NOTHING.

      Delete
    4. To the first Anonymous:
      Those at Capcom USA who made the call to keep Operate Shooting Star and Rockman Xover un-localized quite clearly know shame and actively move to avoid it.

      To the second Anonymous:
      Justin Bieber is successful. Twilight and "Friday" are successful too. Success does not denote quality. If you truly think that somehow Capcom's hand was forced and Rockman Xover or something else of it's lackluster caliber is all they were capable of creating while Monster Hunter, Street Fighter, and Resident Evil are treated like kings for the past five to eight years, I don't know what to say.

      A lot of Inafune's actions lately, particularly where community "management" is concerned, is a bummer. It has ruined my anticipation for Mighty Number 9, but I have little reason to see Capcom in any positive light just because Inafune isn't all we hoped he'd be independent from Capcom.

      You call me a "drone" for addressing what you call "their past". Exactly what part of this ongoing silence and consistent ridicule is suddenly in the past? Killing Legends 3 was wrong, no matter how you slice it. People were looking forward to it and Capcom pulled underhanded tactics and even lied in an effort to worm out from under their own promises.

      Let me ask, what is Capcom "trying now" that I'm supposed to be addressing rather than their "past" misconduct? I'm not seeing anything at all. Rockman Xover is gone, and now there's -literally- nothing going for Mega Man, as opposed to figuratively nothing. We aren't waiting for a Mega Man title to be announced, we're hoping for one. There's no indication that anything serious is or ever was in development after the 2011 cancellations. All we ever heard was that "top men" were creating a ten year roadmap for the franchise, and that was nearly four years ago now. Capcom's three years of complete silence on the issue isn't helping anything.

      As I've said in my video series, it's looking as though Capcom's ten year plan is to do nothing for ten years.

      Delete
    5. "Killing Legends 3 was wrong, no matter how you slice it."

      Capcom cancelled Legends 3 because they thought it was a proper business decision, based on online community observations, and the history of past games in the series not selling as well as expected. Before you say some crap like 'was Xover a good business decision' yes, yes it was. It was a cheaply developed free to play cellphone app. Legends 3 and Xover are in two completely different ballparks, yet Xover is successful in its field.

      But I guess good business is wrong, no matter how you slice it.

      Delete
    6. It's also worth keeping in mind that both Universe and Rockman Online were being developed too. If Inafune is asking so much for MN9, a 2.5D Game. Imagine how much he was demanding from Capcom, especially considering that it was a full 3D Game. Capcom had to cut things down to slowly make budget for Legends 3, and Inafune probably still demanded an overbearing amount of money that Capcom knew they wouldn't get back. Megaman needs more attention again before doing anything major. Xover was successful - and it's cancellation is very odd because Capcom knows it's successful and isn't harming them in any way. Over the past few years, Capcom has "rebooted" the franchise in a sense bringing it to a new audience while at least still having something left for the old. Capcom made a smart business choice, and it's beginning to show. Now all we can hope for is this support from Nintendo giving birth to something good. With Xover's cancellation - it will be interesting to see where Capcom goes next because they have now re-established Megaman's popularity and can go from there. Sounds like part of a wise plan they can benefit from. So yes, all this merchandise and all these cameos, contribute. Because when you throw Megaman into Smash, when you throw Megaman into Monster Hunter, you are going to get people's attention. That's exactly what MegaMan needs right now and it's working. If you can't see that or dismiss it then you honestly aren't looking deep enough.

      Delete
  5. The soundtrack was probably the only good thing about this game. It's a shame though that it had to be wasted on Xover.
    - Dr. Jerk.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Truly though, this soundtrack is excellent.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I was not aware this existed. Now I'm glad I've been made of its existence.

    Mega Man X3 is probably my third-least favorite game in the series, but this track has always been awesome. The arrangement of said track here though? Even more awesome! I'm really diggin' it.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I HATE this ''celebration'' mentality that the fans are having about this game's termination. Holy shit guys, you're so uncivilized. I know this is the internet but come on, you guys don't make the Mega Man fanbase look any good or any better than the Sonic one.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Knock off the condescending attitude. You use that when you’ve made a point. Xover did harm, and Capcom figured that out, hence the cancelation that you admit you see no logic in. Let me break this down.

    Legends 3: A game that Mega Man fans wanted, anticipated, contributed too, and put money down for when they bought gaming hardward for this one game alone.
    Rockman Xover: Garbage that did nothing but further damage the fanbase's trust in Capcom and the Mega Man franchise. It damaged the way real gamers perceive the cell phone gaming scene, and again, half of Capcom itself remains embarrassed that Xover exists.

    With nothing on the Mega Man horizon, you tell me how dealing damage to your own reputation for a shot at the cell phone dollar is a good business decision. Capcom has proven time and again that they have no idea how to keep up in the modern gaming industry. They refuse to fix any of the problems with their development style and continue making those problems worse with every passing day and that has lead to their current quite dire financial straits.

    Quit spouting Legends sales figures. You look dumb. The team, Inafune, and the fanbase knew Capcom was uneasy with Legends continuing. If you were there you'd know that those fears were addressed. 'Mega Man Legends 3 - Prototype Edition' set for the eShop for a low price. If people showed interest in Legends via purchase, Capcom would greenlight the final product. They gave their word in official statements then went back on it with no explanation other than “f*** you, it’s your fault we cancelled it”. Further hurting the company reputation with gamers, and the already dwindling number of fans remaining at their side.

    Now I'll repeat myself:
    -Canceling Mega Man Legends 3 was WRONG, no matter how you slice it. People were looking forward to it and Capcom pulled underhanded tactics and even lied in an effort to worm out from under their own promises.-

    There's no evidence that Inafune strong-armed Capcom for money on an un-greenlit game that already had it's criteria for a future set in stone - said prototype edition. You've come up with a ridiculous theory based on Inafune's budget request that he made when he had no boss and the sky was the limit. He was prepared to develop MN9 on 1/4 the budget he received. If you believe that SFxT, MH4, RE5/6/Rev2 or DMC took less than that to develop, you're insane. Capcom spends that much every time they ship to stores.

    As for cameos, Mega Man had cameos even in his heyday. Tatsunoko, PocketFighter, StreetFighterAlpha, you name it. Mega Man models appeared on Myth Busters. Mega Man in Smash hasn't “re-established popularity”. Xover, which again never left Japan, didn’t either. There's nothing to “re-establish”. Mega Man was always popular. Capcom is the problem.

    Poisoning the brand with twenty Network games when Inafune wanted to stop at three:
    Wasting Maverick Hunter/Powered Up on the PSP rather than somewhere it could make money:
    Wasting Inafune’s resolve on 10 years of cheap sequels even as DeadRising/LostPlanet sold millions:
    Ruining a franchise reputation/story by continuing without the creators for quick cash (X6 onward):

    Capcom decisions.

    Look at Capcom’s history this past decade. Compare where they were to where they are. Your eagerness to blame Mega Man for being too “unpopular” is a strange position. The cheers for Mega in Smash Brothers and for his Final Smash at tournaments doesn't come from nowhere. Mega Man He’s in Smash because everyone already knows his name, not because it’s one they need to learn.

    Long comment. Sorry. If you’d like an in-depth look at how the Mega Man franchise got here you can watch this. I put it together to explain things to those unfamiliar with the way things went down. It isn’t extraordinary, but it’s something. I’ll warn you in advance, if you’re a Battle Network fan you will not be happy.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J7R1G9eQnbs

    ReplyDelete
  10. What's more condescending than someone who took assumptions from Capcom's decisions to naysay someone else just because?

    ReplyDelete

Keep it friendly. Disparaging, belittling and derogatory comments are not permitted.