Punish Servbots On-The-Go In New Mobile Game

Starting today, mobile phone savvy Rockman fans in Japan can get equipped with an all new Servbot centric mini-game entitled "Punish Kobun."

It's a fairly basic game: players control a Servbot as they attempt to avoid a barrage of falling weights while running along a conveyor belt. Move too slow and you'll either end up squashed or pierced by spikes! Once your life depletes to zero, it's game over.

Punish Kobun will run you a cheap 315 Yen (or roughly $3.74 US) and is only available through phones subscribed to SoftBank, Au or Docomo providers. If you happen to have the means of obtaining the game, we'd love to see some footage of this one in action.

Update: Apparently, this is actually a remake/re-release of a title from 2002 of the same name.

Source: Punish Kobun Official website

Capcom Announces Rockman Sound Event

On December 4, Capcom plans to hold a Rockman Sound Event Roppongi T-Cube Hall, Tokyo. Few details exist at the moment, but according to the event's teaser site, Ippo Yamada, Hally and Seiko Kobuchi will be in attendance, performing before a live audience.

Ippo Yamada is the lead sound producer at IntiCreates, and a veteran musician of many Rockman titles. Hally is a popular chiptune artist in Japan who recently pioneered the development of the Chiptuned Rockman soundtrack, while Seiko Kobuchi previously contributed to the music of various Rockman/X games.

Other special guest appearances are expected as well, and perhaps the event will even play host to the unveiling of a new Rockman soundtrack; speculation, of course. More details are expected to surface on the event's official website.

Credit: SquareEnix Music (via GoNintendo)

Even Without Inafune, Mega Man Will Live On

News of Keiji Inafune's resignation from Capcom has naturally caused a bit of a knee-jerk reaction from the fanbase. Many are under the impression that a Capcom without Inafune means "no more Mega Man." This, thankfully, isn't the case. Capcom US's Joveth Gonzalez stepped up to the plate to quell these fears in a post at the Capcom Unity forums:

"Please try not to freak out! Legends 3 is not canceled. There were already producers and directors working on the title and they will continue to work on the game as planned. Same goes for the Street Fighter franchise.

There are entire teams that actually create the Mega Man games. Capcom has been working hard on restructuring its operations over the past few years in order to build a development organization that is not dependent on any single individual. While Inafune will be missed, we can’t ignore the fact that there are teams and producers working on these Mega Man games already."

The staff behind the likes of Mega Man Universe and Mega Man Legends 3 seem like a promising bunch so despite Inafune's absence, I'm sure those titles and the franchise as a whole are in good, passionate hands. Indeed, it is sad to hear Inafune wont see MML3 to completion, but take to heart that he got to see it green-lit and will now be able to enjoy the game as a player -- one of us.

All we can do at this point is continue to wish Inafune well, and support the individuals who will carry on the franchise from here.

Credit: GoNintendo (via The Mega Man Network)

Keiji Inafune Quits Capcom (Update)

Talk about breaking news...

Kotaku reports the father of Mega Man has announced on his official blog that, after 23 years with the company, has quit Capcom affective at the end of the month.

"A manager's work means evaluating your subordinates and speaking your dreams," Inafune writes.

"There's nowhere higher for me to go. I'm leaving Capcom with the intention of starting my life over."

"People that really know me, can see where I'm coming from. I'm not a regular dude. It's probably because I'm strange."

The message ends with a simple "thank you" and a reassurance that he'll do his best. Inafune wasn't clear what he'll do now, unfortunately.

The red flags of his resignation were evident as early as late September. In an interview with Excite, Inafune expressed his disgusts in his work at Capcom, and even earlier he's shown an increasing distaste and bitterness towards the Japanese game industry. As such, his leave may not be all too surprising to some, but for me, at least, this comes as a shocker.

 Full story  at Kotaku. Thanks to everyone who sent this in!


UPDATE: Come November 1st, Jun Takeuchi will take over Inafune's position as corporate officer, as well as deputy head of consumer games and R&D Division, and general manager of R&D production.

The Winner Of The Legends 3 Heroine Contest Is...

Shinsuke Komaki!

Komaki's design won with a total of 6,202 votes, a combined total from both the English and Japanese polls. Komaki's design will make it into Mega Man Legends 3 where the character will play the role of a new heroine by the (tentative) name of Lilly.

Komaki, pleased with winning, kindly requested the team to "Dash-ify" his design; in other words, spruce it up to make it better fit in with the world of DASH/MML.

Details on Lilly's specific role in the game are scarce, however, some initial, albeit scant details on her character were revealed on the dev room a short while back. You can read up on that here.

Source: Capcom Unity

Build Your Kid A Proto Man Costume

If you're looking for a last minute Halloween costume for young siblings or children of your very own, perhaps a Proto Man suit will do the trick...

Remember that insanely awesome Mega Man costume Kevin made for his son a couple years ago?  Well, the greatest dad in the world is back and this time he's whipped up a handy guide on how to build a Proto Man costume for the youngsters: shield, shades, buster gun -- the works.

Instructables has the complete step-by-step guide on how to build the costume for yourself, with some nice images of each step included. Hit the link and check it out!

Fair word of warning: this costume is not for the faint of heart. It requires a lot of materials, time and the utmost devotion.  Nevertheless, if you're not up to the challenge, there's nothing stopping you from admiring a few pictures of the completed suit.

Should you have the patience to complete the costume in time for trick-or-treating, feel free to send in a photo or two! We'd love to see how it turned out!

Source: Instructables

Mega Man Legends 3 Team Want Your Feedback

To tide things over until the results of the heroine contest are revealed (October 29), the Mega Man Legends 3 team are looking to fans and non-fans alike to answer a couple of questions in regards to the series as a whole. Details below:

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 "In mid-November we will open up the "Dev Room" that we announced at the New York Comic Con. This will allow you, the co-developers interact with the team and each other uploading images, exchanging ideas on the message boards (topical / general discussion), etc.
 
We want to share information with you, and you to share information with us, because we believe that by communicating closely with you is how we'll best be able to make the Legends 3 that you want! 

...So in the spirit of the project, today there are a few things I'd like to ask you.

1) Mega Man Legends fans
2) Visitors who have never played a Mega Man Legends game

If you belong to one of these groups, we like to hear what you have to say. Please go to this thread to discuss these questions....

1) Legends fans, what is it that you liked most about Legends? And how would you like to participate in the development of Legends 3 going forward?
You may have already submitted similar comments earlier, but please let us hear them again for the record.

2) Those of you who have never played Mega Man Legends, what exactly was it that brought you here? And what expectations do you have of the Legends 3 project?
Please let us hear from you even if what you say isn't exactly an answer to these questions.

Please leave your comments in this forum thread. When leaving a comment, please indicate which group you belong to (1) or (2).

--------

Capcom notes group two is fairly underrepresented, so if you definitely fit in the category, please speak your mind.

Fan interaction is key to the development of Mega Man Legends 3. Despite the "dev room" not officially opening up until mid-November, your input is still very important.

Drop your comments in this thread!

Operate Shooting Star Translation Patch Update

It's been a while since we last discussed the proposed English translation patch for Rockman EXE Operate Shooting. To recap, a friend of mine has been considering translating OSS into English... only if the idea was met with a largely positive response. The readers have spoken and yes, work has begun on the project but we've hit a bit of a roadblock...

The translator, Rock X has dropped out of the project for the time being due to other, more important personal obligations. As such, the translation patch is on hiatus. He doesn't know for sure when he'll be able to resume, but if things progress smoothly for him, the patch should be complete by late summer of 2011.

Unfortunately, Rock X didn't make much progress before he had to stop, only getting around to ripping the English script from the original MMBN1 (which, in order to save time, would act as the source material for the translation). OSS itself hasn't been touched yet, unfortunately.

In the meantime, Rock X encourages other fans capable of patching the game themselves to not "wait for him." In other words, if you've go the resources to create an English patch of your own, by all means do so. You'll probably have it finished long before his patch.

I will be keeping you posted should things pick up again, however. And if you're working on a patch yourself, contact me and I'll get to "promoting" it.

SD Vile Packs A Punch

Reader Irregular Falcon spent his weekend crafting this little guy: a super deformed Vile model who's just deadly as he is cute..

Falcon constructed Vile's frame from a variety of SD Gundam model pieces, most of which yielding from the "Brave Battle Warriors" line. An SD customizer enthusiast, Falcon plans to create even more X-inspired models with his next work being High Max of Mega Man X6 fame. After that, it's all up in the air.. he might even take requests from you guys.

Thanks for sharing, Falcon!

The Long, Long Wait For Legends 3 Summarized In Song

This pretty much made my weekend. If you're a die hard Legends fan whose suffered the anguish of the near ten year long wait for Legends 3, find yourself five minutes and watch (and listen!) to this:

I can't even begin to tell you how true those lyrics resonated with me. Huge, huge props to Dashe of the Mega Man Legends Station for this. Excellent work!

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 News Tidbits

Bit of a quiet weekend so here's a couple small Mega Man-related MvC3 news bites, for those interested..

Producer Ryota Niitsuma has been tweeting all kinds of MvC3 info this weekend. Though much of the tweets center on character deconfirmations, Niitsuma had a few brief words about Mega Man series reps, going on to say "Mega Man fans have to wait a little longer" before the next character unveiling.

He didn't say much more than that, unfortunately -- but hey, further reassurance that Tron won't be the only MM representative. Who could it be? Niitsuma continues to be as tight lipped as ever, but the general consensus from the fanbase is it will be either or classic Mega Man/Zero. We'll just have to wait and see.

Speaking of Tron, the feisty pirate's MvC3 theme song, a new arrangement of "Flutter vs. The Gesellschaft",  has hit the web courtesy of the game's official Japanese website. Event Hubs are currently hosting the song over at their page, so hit them up for the download links.

Thanks for the tips, Jesús!

New Rockman Online Area Revealed, Game To Make First Public Appearance Next Month

The official Rockman Online blog has updated once again with details on a new environment: the Kronos Forest (pictured). The artificial fortress was once under the control of the UCA but has recently been seized under the URA's influence. Those who enter the forest are attacked by a seemingly invisible foe, Sting Chameleon if the silhouette on the blog is any indication. Despite the dangers of the forest, the UCA is preparing to take back the Kronos and the survivors who may reside within its domain.

In related news, it appears NeoWiz are done with the easing; come mid-November, the developer will finally reveal Rockman Online at gaming trade show G-Star 2010.

From November 18 through the 21st, the event in Seoul, South Korea, will play host to a public playable version of Rockman Online. Footage of the game in action is expected, so be on the lookout for the inevitable gameplay videos around then.

If you plan on attending, we'd greatly appreciate your own videos and impressions so please do send those my way!

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Capcom Talks Legends 3 On 3DS

Here's a subject that's definitely been on the minds of many Legends fans: why the Nintendo 3DS for Mega Man Legends 3? Why not a current home console, or even the regular ol' DS or PSP?  MML3 producer Tatsuya Kitabayashi answered this query a couple days ago, but we now have ourselves a more elaborate answer via an IGN interview with Capcom USA's Christian Svensson:

"With the 3DS for Mega Man Legends 3, one of the things you'll find about new hardware are early adopters tend to be more core. They're passions and informed about things. Anytime there's a new piece of hardware, there's an opportunity to either establish new IP or reboot IP that maybe should have done better last time around. That was really more of the strategy with the 3DS, to reach a new early adopter audience. We won't be there at launch with the game, but there are some interesting things that we're doing that will hopefully be perceived as visionary and really fan embracive."

It all comes down to economics, it seems. For Mega Man Legends 3 to sell efficiently, Capcom is hoping to reach out to early system adopters by releasing the game on a new platform fairly early into its lifespan, though not at system's launch.

The way I see it, if Capcom can get MML3 out the door shortly after the launch of the 3DS, then the game will have a much better chance of selling simply because of a lack of competition. Summed up nicely by Unity member Deva-Princess, "this means that customers looking for quality games will have less options to choose from and are more likely to pick up Legends 3, improving it sales, getting the series more potential fans, and improving the chances of a possible Legends 4 or Legends-like MM game."

What do you think? Agree with this strategy or do you have a rebuttal? Feel free to sound off in the comments.

Credit: GoNintendo

Megamix 3 Dated; Udon Teasing New Projects

As per usual, our pal at Udon Entertainment, Matt Moylan, sends word that the anticipated Mega Man Megamix 3, the third and final volume in Hitoshi Ariga's Megamix series, will be hitting comic stands on November 17. Other  retailers, such as Borders and Amazon, will stock the book within two weeks after that; but otherwise, volume 3 is good to go on the 17th. In the meantime, you can check out a couple sample pages at the official Udon blog here!

Additionally, Matt also wants me to pass along the following message: "UDON will soon be announcing a bunch of new Mega Man projects. We’ve got new books being localized from Japan, new UDON original projects, and yes you will finally get to see the UDON crew drawing our take on the blue bomber."

Matt didn't divulge into specifics, but these projects are kicking off in 2011. That final tidbit certainly sounds like a hint that Udon will be produce their own, original MM comic, which is something I think would be greatly appreciated.

I would not be surprised if Gigamix turned out to be one of the new localizations; I wonder what else they might be bringing over. More art/source books? The much demanded Iwamoto X manga? Who knows!

More details in the near future, hopefully. Thanks for the heads up, Matt!

Megafy Your Walls With Mega Man Decals

Want your home office or bedroom to have a Mega Man inspired backdrop? Blik, makers of high quality wall decals, have partnered with Capcom to bring retro adhesive fun with a slew of officially licensed Mega Man decorative stickers.

The decal set, now on sale directly through Blik, consists of twenty five pieces which include 8-bit renditions of Mega Man, the MM1 Robot Masters, a variety of "effects" (explosions, projectiles) and even a full blown health bar. 

At $50, the set certainly isn't on the cheap side, but there is a little compensation: the first ten customers will recieve a Mega Man 10 Xbox 360 download code for free, courtesy of Capcom and Blik. Not too bad of a deal and, best of all, the decals literally went on sale an hour ago so there's a good chance the codes are still up for grabs.

Purchase your set here!

Reminder: MML3 Heroine Contest Ending Soon

Just a friendly heads up: the first community-wide Legends 3 event, the heroine contest, is coming to an end on October 25. That's roughly five days left to place your vote in you haven't done so already. Time flies, so cast those votes ASAP via the Legends 3 Devroom. Capcom will be announcing the winning design on October 29th -- the winner will go on to star in Mega Man Legends 3, assuming the role of "Lilly."

So, who's "winning"? Currently leading the Capcom Unity poll is Suetsugu's design (pictured) while Komaki's is dominating in Japan. You can find more detailed statistics on your favorite heroine at Unity and Andriasang.

The heroine contest has generated over 15,000 votes since its inception on the 11th, according to Capcom Japan. That's a combination of votes cast both in the U.S and Japan. Still some room for growth...let's see if we can push it to 20k!

Credit: Andriasang

Beta Imagery Discovered In Command Mission E3 Demo

A PRC reader by the name of Metalman has succeeded in picking apart the contents of the recently leaked Mega Man X Command Mission E3 demo. To his surprise, beneath layers of code rested a series of hidden screen shots from a very early, beta version of the game...

Above, a small sampling of the unearthed beta goodies. On the left, we've got a screen depicting a prototype battle field (and proto battle menu) featuring X in his normal armor (not in final game). The right image not only reveals Command Mission was once simply referred to as "Rockman X RPG", but also displays an entirely unused armor. The extra guns and barrels may even suggest sub weapons were considered at one point in development.

There's a whole slew of other hidden assets for you to ogle at below. Again, all of this was hidden inside of the E3 demo! Click the links to check them out:

• Normal Armor X outside of battle 
• Normal Armor X mugshot
• Test battle field 1 and test battle field 2
• Prototype Jango Battle  
• Unused Sky Room Ferham image
• Unused Sky Room Aircraft image
• Unused NPC collage
• Strange Marino image
• Early version of Chapter 2 title card
• Prototype Spider Action Trigger cards
• Incomplete Marino Action Trigger sprites
• Tentative chapter title cards
• Unused "DNA Chip Get" message
• Unused save screen

Why these beta screen shots were hidden within the E3 demo (a demo that represented a near final build, mind you) is beyond me. Regardless, it's all a truly fascinating discovery that offers a nice look into XCM's early days.

Again many thanks to Metalman for churning these up and xdaniel of the Unseen64 forums for the additionally imagery.

Kotobukiya Pays Tribute To Rockman 2

Kotobukiya's hobby shop in Osaka, Japan is featuring a tantalizing display of custom Rockman models, each outfitted to represent the eight weapons from Rockman 2:

Of course, there is a bit of an ulterior motive to this colorful homage; it's a promotion for a series of acrylic paints that work especially well with Kotobukiya's plamo model kits, such as Rockman here.

Pretty spiffy display, wouldn't you say? If I had a spare model on me, I'd like to try whipping one of these up myself!

Source: Kotobukiya blog

MMX Command Mission E3 Version Released

Reader Psyren recently came into possession of a Mega Man X Command Mission E3 demo, a build of the game originally intended for exhibition purposes. Rather than hogging this rarity all to oneself, Psy has chosen to share the game with the Mega Man community.

Download the game here! The pack consists of both a RAW version of the ISO and special ESR patched version for use on modded PS2s.

Though I've yet to play it myself, reader Aubrey (who also takes credit for making the game playable) pointed out the following differences:

• The demo takes place in Central Tower, taking you through slightly alternate Spider and Wild Jango scenarios (click for gameplay).
• Lots of unused dialogue between characters, specifically Cinnamon (who isn't even supposed to appear this early in the game) and various NPCs.
• All spoken dialogue is in Japanese with English subtitles.
• Zero and Axl are in your party; you can take both to fight Spider AND Jango. Not possible in the final.
• Axl's boss forms he takes on have different, likely then-tentative names (Silver Horn was Silver Hound, Incentas was Ancientas, etc.)
• No radar in bottom right corner.
• Hyper Mode is inaccessible. 
• The cel-shading on Zero's hair is much thicker and more vibrant than the final (only noticeable during the Wild Jango fight). 
• Various graphical glitches are present throughout.
• Once demo is completed, you're greeted with the message, "Mega Cool Timez! Coming Your Way 2004!"

Despite being an early build of Command Mission, it is, unfortunately, not the much sought after "normal armored X" build from late 2003. Still, this version is pretty neat in its own right.

As for any behind-the-scenes stuff such as unused textures, music and the like, nothing's turn up yet. No one's taken the initiative to scrummage through the game's files so if you've got the capabilities to do so, please let us know if you unearth anything significant!

Enjoy! Thanks again to Psyren, Aubrey and the members of the ASSEMbler Forums Skaarg, crediar and DreamTR.

Kotobukiya Blues Price Guide

For your convenience, here's the traditional cheat sheet of import intending to sell the Kotobukiya Blues model, set to ship out in early 2011. This post will be updated as more shops continue to accept pre-orders:

• Amiami - $26.64 US
• Hobby Search - $29.46 US
• Rakuten USA - $34.00 US
• Hobby Link Japan - $34.99 US
• JBox -- $35.00 US
• Play Asia - $39.90 US
• Big Bad Toystore - $39.99 US
• Yes Asia - $47.69 US
• Toys Logic - $88.99US (Seriously? Seriously.)

There's quite a variety in pricing so If you're looking to purchase the model, choose which shop best fits your budget and order away! (Shipping fees vary depending on the retailer and your location.)

Price guides for the Rockman and Roll Kotobukiyas can be found here and here.

Mega Man Legends Meets Minecraft

It's a match made in heaven. Combine the "Digger" mythos of the Legends series with that of Minecraft -- the cult PC hit that's quickly taking the world by storm -- and you've got yourself a rather awesome concept.

Seeing the potential of such a concept, a small group of ambitious fans got to work on a Mega Man Legends mod for Minecraf. Incorporating textures from MML1 and MML2, the mod would allow players to explore the vast Ruins of the Legends series (alone or with friends online) on a cubic scale, Reaverbot action included.

Now, some weeks later, the "Block Man DASH" mod is complete and ready for download. It's a tiny file and, from what I've heard, is well worth the download. Do check it out if you're an avid Minecraft player and/or an MML fan. Click here to download!

More screens and info available via the Minecraft Forums.

Thanks, Joseph.

Mega Man Legends 3 Kitabayashi Video Interview

A rather insightful interview with Mega Man Legends 3 producer Tatsuya Kitabayashi has surfaced, filmed at Comic Con last weekend and streamed live over Ustream. I'm very glad Capcom saved these because it brings up a lot of interesting tidbits about the game that really haven't been touched upon before.

Because both video interviews are roughly thirty minutes in length, I figured I'd just pull out the most noteworthy tidbits in case you don't feel like sitting through the whole thing. Click here to watch, or read up on the details below:

•  Capcom is well aware of the demand for the original voice cast to return, namely Rob Smith (Teisel Bonne). They want to involve these voice actors in some way but will be revealing more details about this soon.

• The game's story is still in development; nothing is set in stone. However, Kitabayashi did confirm  the game will continue after the events of Legends 2; he promises we won't be left hanging. On a related note, Capcom is considering having fans that are writers come up with "episodes" for the game. (Episodes? First time we've heard about that...)

• Kitabayashi couldn't talk about how big of a role the new heroine will have but alluded that she's just as important as Roll and Tron.

• Why Legends 3 on the Nintendo 3DS and not a home console? Simply put, Capcom thought the title would work well with the system's various elements. That and apparently the 3DS is fairly easy to develop for, according to Kitabayashi.
•  The game will utilize the 3DS touch screen; wouldn't divulge how it would be used. Bear in mind, the touch screen does not support 3D.

• L3 will retain a lot of familiar gameplay elements from its prequels, but because games have progressed so much in the last ten years, expect to see some advancements.

•  Monster Hunter staff members will be lending a hand in L3's development; as such, don't be surprised to see some MH flare thrown into the gameplay.

• The character designs have improved since ten years ago, but they're still the same characters you all know and love. Capcom will actually be releasing images of the cast very soon.

• Yes, Tron and the Servbots are back.  Kitabayashi (jokingly) said there might be more Servbots this time around...

•  Kitabayashi will look into getting Mega Man Legends 1 and Legends 2 on the North American PlayStation Store. It's unlikely Mega Man 64 will make it to the Virtual Console, however.

-------

Pretty interesting stuff, if you ask me. Hopefully, more L3 details to come... the sooner the better!

More Art From Archie's Mega Man Comic (Updated)

A few new pieces of artwork from Archie's upcoming Mega Man comic have been revealed courtesy of Comic Book Resources and The Sonic Stadium. One piece in particular focuses on more of Spaz's work (middle image), while the rest are from Chad Thomas.

UPDATE: TMMN scored some more pieces. Check them out here!

Chad's involvement with the comic is a bit sketchy right now. I've seen some sources say he'll be working on it as a penciler along with Spaz, while others say he isn't involved at all. I guess this will be one of those wait and see things.

Anywho... whose art do you prefer? Just out of sheer curiosity...

Thanks, RockX.

Last Week News Round-up

When it rains, it pours. With a flurry of Mega Man Legends 3 news dominating most of last week, it greatly overshadowed a few smaller news stories -- stories that slipped past my radar, unfortunately.  For convenience sake, I decided to round-up all of those previous uncovered stories in a single post, the one you're reading write now:


Mega Man 8-bit Deathmatch Released - At long last the much anticipated full version Mega Man: 8-Bit Deathmatch finally hit the web. The complete version supports a multitude of new modes including single player and offers a plethora of new weaponry not available in the demo build. If you haven't done so already, you can download the game from its official website here.

New Rockman Online 'Gaia' Details -The official Rockman Online blog updated last week with some new info about 'Gaia', the massive military city that serves as the hub for online players. The details reveal the history behind the base's establishment and its current involvement in recent affairs. Check out 200 Percent Protagonist for all the details.


Her Name Is Lilly  - The Mega Man Network got to translating some official DASH 3 materials from the game's Japanese development room, which reveal a bit more about the heroine contest's character. This new female protagonist is apparently going by the name of Lilly (tentative), whose personality lies somewhere in between defiant and cute. She's a positive person but is somewhat careless; acts without thinking. More details available at The Mega Man Network.

Scrumptious MMU Cake - Not news, news, but rather cool in its own right. A fan attending Comic Con dropped by Capcom's booth and shared with them this delightful, home cooked Mega Man Universe cake. The cake is pictured above, but you can catch a better glimpse over at Capcom's Twitter.


Star Force Official Complete Works Delayed - Surprised? The upcoming art book has been bumped from December to January 2011. Amazon has re-listed the book for January 11, though Udon themselves have yet to announce a specific date.
 

NYCC Mega Man Legends 3 Panel

We saw only a portion of this the other day but thanks to the Capcom Unity crew, here's a video recap of the Mega Man Legends 3 Comic Con panel in its entirety. Well worth a watch if you've got thirteen minutes to kill:

Yup, you heard right: Legends 3 will be the last in the series. Time to go all out and make this game awesome. Let's just hope this won't be Inafune's final hurrah with Capcom, either. (Click for story)

Edit: On second thought, maybe not. Read it carefully: "If you guys do not help us build that rocket we are never going to go to that planet to save Mega Man. That will be the last chapter in the Mega Man Legends series."

"THAT", I believe, refers to Mega Man being stuck on Elysium -- if we don't help, that (i.e MML2's ending) would be the last event in the series. At least, that's what I'm getting at.

Hop on over to Capcom Unity for more Legends 3 goodness!

Mega Man Universe Details From NYCC

Yeah, we've had our fair share of Mega Man Legends 3 news from NYCC, but I think it's time we paid some attention to Mega Man Universe...you know, the other game at the show.

Anyway, some interesting new tidbits about the upcoming title have surfaced via 30Ninjas. The batch of details were covered in the site's impression of the playable demo, summarized below:

• Mega Man X and Zero are possible playable characters. All characters in the game consist of four body parts, so it would be very easy to implement the two.

• Despite the potential for X and Zero, there are no plans to support other Mega Man series gameplay aspects such as wall kicking, dashing or hovering. 

• Rush type items may be in the game; the exception to the no hovering rule.
• Ryu and Arthur (Ghost n' Ghouls) are reconfirmed as being playable, each with their own unique weaponry (Arthur’s lance, Ryu’s hadouken).   

• You can make your own bosses using a variety of body parts.
• Capcom will be establishing some sort of algorithm in order to ensure customized stages are both playable and beatable. 
• Overheard by the author of the post, MMU may support the ability to put custom graphics into the game. The demo featured banners with the Comic-Con logo embedded into stage backgrounds.

• Players will be able to vote on their favorite user created stages and bosses via a community interface. The best ones will be featured.
• Capcom is striving to create a "Mega Man game that never gets old." This will be made possible by the imaginations of its players.

 For all the details, read up on 30Ninjas MMU impressions.

Thanks for the tip, Alastor.

Here's The Rocket That Will Rescue Volnutt

Thought this was rather cute:

"We need the help of everyone to make the rocket to go save Mega Man!", uttered Keiji Inafune to a crowd of passionate Legends fans at Comic Con on Sunday, while blueprints for the ship were displayed before the audience.

His words are not only synonymous with Legends 2's cliffhanger ending -- wherein Mega Man Volnutt is left stranded on the surface of Elysium  -- but also resonate as a profound message to the fanbase; a call to duty to make Legends 3 the very best it can be, with the rocket standing as a symbol of unity -- the eventual culmination of ideas pooled together from fans around the world to form L3.

Help is on the way, blue boy!

[via Rockman Unity]

Ian Flynn Discusses Archie's Mega Man Comic

The Sonic Stadium recently held a video interview with Archie's upcoming Mega Man comic's writer Ian Flynn and cover artist Patrick Spaziante. Although a majority of the interview is about the Sonic the Hedgehog comics, the end of part two and most of part three largely focus on Mega Man. You can check out the videos here, or read up on some of the more noteworthy tidbits Flynn had to say about the comic below.

Do keep in mind, most of these details aren't set in stone and still need to be approved by both Capcom and Archie -- they could be turned down at any second, according to Flynn:

• The comic will primarily follow the games, and will have both adaptations and original stories.
• First issue will focus on Dr. Wily's betrayal and Rock's transition to Mega Man.
• The Robot Masters won't just be killed off, and Ian wants to show what happens to them after Mega Man defeats them.
• Mega Man will have to use strategy to beat each Robot Master.
    
• Ian wants to do adaptations of the main entries in the classic series, the Game Boy games, and the two Mega Man & Bass/Rockman & Forte games.
• No Mega Man Soccer adaptation.  
• The book will hopefully spin off into the other series (X, Zero, etc.) if it proves successful.
• If there are original characters, they will be supplemental.
• There COULD be a Sonic and Mega Man crossover at some point, but don't hold your breath.

Again, most of this isn't official just yet, but still pretty neat to hear some initial details.

Check out the full interview at The Sonic Stadium.

Thanks, GenericOverlord!

Mega Man Legends 3 Teaser Trailer (No Gameplay)

For those who weren't there in person, YouTuber icehawk1011 recorded a good chunk of the Mega Man portion from Capcom's Comic Con panel the other day, which includes footage of the special Mega Man Legends 3 teaser trailer.  Please, bear in mind: there is no gameplay. It's merely a brief announcement trailer to get you hyped up. Despite being rather short, it's worth a watch for the audience's reaction alone.

Gotta love the guy that got the last laugh.

Thanks for tip, anon!

MM9 And MM10 Still Have Undiscovered Secrets

Shortly after the release of Mega Man 9, as die hard fans began to discover a batch of secrets and easter-eggs, Capcom's Seth Killian began to tease fans with a hidden nugget in the game -- a secret that remains undiscovered till this day.

Knowledge of the secret has apparently been passed down from Mr. Killian to community manager Joveth Gonzales and, like his predecessor before him, continues the tradition of keeping it in under wraps, even from the press:

"While demoing the upcoming downloadable title "Mega Man Universe" Joveth confirmed that he knows what the "Mega Man 9" secret that has spawned numerous threads all over the internet (including an 88 page discussion via the Ask Capcom forum) is, and that it is, in fact, still at large. He also coyly added "there's a reason that people haven't found it yet." Apparently, Seth bestowing the knowledge upon him was part of his initiation as Community Manager, where he joined the ranks of, by his best guess, two other people who probably know what is still hidden. "

What's more, Joveth also let loose that Mega Man 10 has an ominous secret of its own that, like Mega Man 9, has yet to be discovered:

"When I asked if anything was hidden in "Mega Man 10" a look of concern overtook Joveth's face, and he attempted to brush off the question. However, it very quickly became apparent that whatever is still hidden in "Mega Man 9" has a counterpart in "Mega Man 10." In fact, as I pressed the issue, Joveth actually confirmed that there is something hidden in "MM10" and that the two secrets are, in fact, related to one another."

And thus the hunt continues, possibly with a reignited sense of duty. Keep at it, friends. And go bother Joveth.

Source: MTV Multiplayer

Your First Look At Mega Man Legends 3

A brief clip of Mega Man Legends 3 was shown earlier at Comic Con today. No gameplay, rather, a behind-the-scenes tease with footage consisting of work-in-progress graphics of a Servbot model, an enormous city, and a rather large Reaverbot. Check it out below!

Alternate YouTube link (no pesky ads!)

Inafune noted the game isn't far along in development to showcase actual footage, so we'll have to make do with this for now.

Source: Joystiq

Capcom Announces Mega Man Legends 3 Heroine Design Contest

Hot on the heels of the opening of the Legends 3 development room comes the community's very first assignment: design the next MML heroine.

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"With over 10 years of fan requests, Capcom is pulling out all the stops to ensure that Legends 3 will be beyond awesome.  Designers famous to the franchise have submitted concepts for the design of the next heroine character to be featured in the game.  Any Mega Man game would be lucky to have even one of these big names contributing to the project, but Legends 3 gets an unprecedented NINE, including the father of Mega Man, Keiji Infaune himself.

Please visit www.capcom-unity.com/devroom to view all the different designs, and vote for your favorite. As you can see, the nine different heroine designs take nine very different approaches, and the design you pick could have effects on her personality and other parts of the game. Needless to say, this is a major element of the game, so feel free to discuss the pros and cons of each option in the forum* before making your final selection."

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Again, you can find all nine ladies right here. Voting begins today and ends on October 25.

Let the voting commence!

Wanted: Mega Man Legends 3 Developer Room Liaison

Coming from Capcom Unity....

"As you may know, the Mega Man Legends 3 Project is the first ever game to be co-developed by the fans, and to help facilitate that, we created the Developer Room. This will be your resource to help provide input on the design of Mega Man Legends 3.  There will be two sites, one that supports Japanese and one that supports English.

To show we are serious about involving fans from all over the world in the game’s design, we need one of YOU, a Mega Man fan, to help manage the site. As such, we are excited to announce a new temporary position in our San Mateo, California campus: The Mega Man Developer Room Community Liaison!

Whoever receives this position must:

- Manage the relationship and translation between the Japanese and English versions of the Developer Room.

- Be an avid Mega Man fan.

- Have written and verbal fluency in Japanese and English.

All other requirements will be described in the full job description which will be available Monday, Oct 11th on our official Capcom website at: www.capcom.com/us

If you think you are qualified, please send your resume and cover letter to resume@capcom.com.

The Capcom Comic Con Panel Post

Although I personally am not at Comic Con, I'll be closely observing today's Capcom panel from the sidelines with the help of numerous PRC readers who'll be forwarding me updates as they come in. Mega Man Legends 3 info is anticipated to pop up during the event and maybe some MMU info, too.

I will be updating this post with any and all Mega Man related info as it happens. Check back often!

Trading Figures Getting Localized?

In a bit of interesting news, to say nothing of unexpected, Bandai's "Super Model Spirit" Rockman Trading Figures might be making the jump to our side of the pond, if a poster at Comic Con is taken at face value:

Above, a display exhibiting the figures at Bandai's Comic Con booth, with a poster advertising the line under the "Mega Man" name. Considering the figures have been largely available in Japan since May, I see no other reason to have them on public display unless they intend to distribute them in the U.S sometime in the near future. Hey, it wouldn't be the first instance a recent Rockman product was re-branded for English consumers.

In related Bandai/Mega Man news, more candidates for the D-Arts line were revealed. Among the desired Mega Man characters are Zero (X series), Zero series Zero, Mega Man.EXE and Bass. These characters were selected via a poll held by Bandai. Hit up Siliconera for more info.

[Image nabbed from Kotaku.]

Rumor: Classic Mega Man In Marvel vs. Capcom 3? (UPDATE)

So this image has been making rounds:

Artwork of several unannounced MvC3 characters, including classic Mega Man, were spotted sometime yesterday at Comic Con. The images originated at Eventhubs.com but were pulled from the site shortly. So... yeah, that pretty says a lot.

It's speculated these characters will be officially confirmed by Capcom in an event tomorrow but we've gotten no official word if this is the case. Still, it's something to watch out for.

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UPDATE: The legitimacy of the photos are now in question. Many readers have pointed out the artwork featured in the photos belongs to the Udon art from the recent Marvel vs. Capcom 2 re-release.

Don't get your hopes up :/

Credit: Jimbo via TMMN

Archie Comics Mega Man Issue 1 Cover Art (Updated)

Instead of clogging up the previous post with more updates, I decided to give this one a post of its very own. Coming from the Comics Continuum, here's a sneak peek at the cover artwork for Mega Man issue 1 from Archie Comics, illustrated by Patrick Spaziante (UPDATE: one page preview added thanks to Newsarama)

The comics are said to focus on the classic series, with the story being penned by Sonic the Hedgehog veteran Ian Flynn. "Spaz" is confirmed to be illustrating at least issue 1 though it's unknown if he'll be doing subsequent issues.

Issue 1 is set to hit comic book stands in Spring 2011 with new issues being released on a monthly basis. Thanks to being published under the Archie label, it's anticipated the comics will be sold in a wide range of markets and not just comic book stores. This means you'll have an easier time hunting down an issue. No word on subscription services but I suspect we'll be hearing something closer to #1's release.

For more info and artwork, check out the post below or click here!

Credit: The Sonic Stadium

Archie Producing New Mega Man Comics (Update 3)

Well, here's a little surprise that came out nowhere. During the "Archie Comics Means Business" panel at NYC Comic Con today, Archie Comics announced the production of a new Mega Man comic book -- the first since Dream Wave's ill-fated 2003 four issue series.

Details are fairly scarce right now but according to initial info, the book will be based on the classic series and is slated for release in 2011. Ian Flynn (of Archie's Sonic the Hedgehog fame) and Patrick Spaziante will write/illustrate respectively. (UPDATE: sample artwork released, pictured right)

No word if it will be a single issue or the beginning of a series, but this is exciting news nonetheless. Comic Con is just getting started so hopefully we'll learn a bit more about the project in the coming days. I'll keep an ear out!

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UPDATE 2: Pictured above is a sample piece of concept art from the comic via Comics Alliance. Furthermore, a press release for the series just hit the web, too. The write up dates the comic for Spring 2011 and even teases the possibility of branching off to explore X, Zero, and Legends story lines. Select portions of the PR below, full piece can be found in the above link:

"With the aid of his mighty Mega Buster blaster arm and a killer creative team including renowned artist Patrick “Spaz” Spaziante and infamous Archie action/adventure writer Ian Flynn, Mega Man is equipped to blast his way back into the comic book world in his own monthly action. Arriving Spring 2011, the new Mega Man™ comic from Archie Comics promises to build a faithful legacy while exploring a vast universe of heroes, villains, and robots."

“Readers can expect non-stop action, as well as an exploration of the themes of family, choice and loyalty that make the Mega Man franchise a property that connects on a very personal level,” continued Kaminski. “From there, we hope to fully explore not only that classic world, but the other spin-offs including Mega Man X, Mega Man Zero, Mega Man Legends and more!”

"In honor of the announcement at NYCC, Archie Comics and Capcom® will each be hosting signings of an exclusive print with the Mega Man creative team Patrick “Spaz” Spaziante and Ian Flynn."

Attending Comic Con? Hop on over to Archie's booth and get those prints!

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 UPDATE 3: More concept art. Via The Sonic Stadium: