"Rockman Diver" Released For Mobile Phones In Japan

If you love dodging spikes by the thick of your teeth, then you're gonna love this new mobile title from Capcom Japan: Rockman Diver.

Now available for docomo, au and SoftBank phones, Rockman Diver has you navigating the Blue Bomber as he dodges a bevy of spikes while plummeting down a deep blue abyss. Your score is based on how far you dive before making contact with the spikes: the longer you live, the higher the score. Along the way, you'll find recovery items that provide additional points.

It's a simple little game, one clearly designed as a time killer. Currently only available in Japan; priced at 315 (per month) via the Capcom Party service.

If you've got the means to do so, you can purchase the game by scanning a QR-Code at Capcom's mobile site here.

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Mega Man Tribute Deadline Extended

Rushing to complete your entry for UDON's Mega Man Tribute? You can rest easy... for now. UDON Entertainment announced earlier today that they are extending the deadline to this Friday, February 4th at 1:00 PM EST.

A few extra days can go a long way. You can use this time to polish or, if you're the lazy type, actually begin creating your entry. Also, UDON are willing to accept revision pieces at this time so if you aren't satisfied with a piece you recently submitted, you're more than welcome to re-submit a revised entry.

For completion's sake, here's the link to submit your pieces:
http://www.megamantribute.com/

See that link for all information concerning rules and regulations. I can't wait to see the final book! Best of luck to all!

Rockman 4 Set To Hit Japan's PlayStation Store

Joining the ever-growing library of PlayStation Network PSone games is none other than the Complete Works version of Rockman 4. Sony has announced the game will release on the Japanese PlayStation Store on February 9th for the cool low price of 600 Yen (roughly $7.31 USD).

The game is reportedly 395 MB in size and as with all PSOne classics, it's compatible for play with both PS3 and PSP systems.

With the North American PSN currently receiving the Complete Works titles every-so-often (Rockman 2 set for release this week, actually), it's safe to assume Rockman 4 is in our future, too.

I'll keep you posted.

Credit: CapKobun

Bandai Planning More D-Arts Mega Man Figures

Not a huge surprise, but it's nice to get a confirmation. Speaking with Adam Newman, a representative from Bandai's Toy Department earlier today, I was told to pass this little tidbit of interest along in regards to future Mega Man D-Arts action figures:

"Based on the positive reactions we have received to the D-Arts Mega Man X upcoming release, we are currently planning for additional Mega Man releases in the D-Arts line. Zero is certainly under consideration for a future release."

Was there really any doubt? Still, this is great news! So, any characters in particular you'd like to see rendered in high quality plastic? It remains to be seen if future figures will be strictly X series related, but it really couldn't hurt to be hopeful for anything.

From here on out, Adam will keep us in the loop regarding any upcoming release announcements. 

Thanks, Adam!

NT Warrior Prototype Figures Up For Grabs

Hot on the heels of my canceled Jazwares toy post, come these neat little treasures: prototype Mega Man NT Warrior action figures.

All three figures -- Burner Man, Shade Man and Elec Brother Mega Man -- never made it to store shelves. Today they are mere remnants of the canceled Series 3 line which would have seen the likes of a number of Net Navis and Mega Man "Styles."

Somewhere down the line, sample molds managed to find themselves in the hands of a few lucky collectors. It would seem these folks are now willing to part with them as all three are up for grabs on Ebay.

Being rarities, they don't come cheap: The seller is asking for a hefty $299.99 per figure. Yikes... well, I guess that's reasonable (to a degree). When dealing with prototypes, big price tags are quite common, so you should always be prepared to shell out some serious dough.

Interested? Click on the respective links above to purchase.

Mega Man Olympics Round 7: Heat Man Stage

A jalapeno pepper eating contest awaits jgonzo and Uccy-san in the seventh round of Capcom's famous Mega Man Olympics. We're in the second to last challenge now and things are heating up... literally.

One challenge remains! One can only wonder what the final stage will entail...

Looking for the previous rounds? Look no further: Round 1, Round 2, Round 3, Round 4, Round 5, Round 6

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Tune In To Capcom Live Stream To Win Mega Man On PSN

It's Friday at the Capcom offices and that can only mean on thing: Play Against Capcom. This week, the Capcom crew are live streaming a playthrough of Mega Man 1 -- the newly released PSone import on PlayStation Network.  Audience members will have the opportunity to actually win a free download of the game during the show via a PSN voucher. Tune in below, join the chat and snag a download!

The Mega Man portion of the show lasts until 3:30 PST. Stick around... there might be more than one or two chances to win!

Mega Man X3 Composer To Perform At Video Games Live

Japanese composer Kinuyo Yamashita, perhaps best known by fans for her Mega Man X3 score, will be among many composer at Video Games Live in Brooklyn, New York this Saturday at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts.

Unfortunately, there's no mention if she'll be performing pieces from X3; however, the show's official press release notes there will be new Mega Man music present, so it does seem likely.

Even though there's a chance we won't get to hear some of those snazzy X3 tunes live, this is a grand opportunity to meet Yamashita in person. More often than not, VGL attendees can easily score a few autographs from performers... that is, if you hang around long enough after the show. Might want to bring a copy of X3 just in case!

Full details on location, pricing and more available at the official Video Games Live webpage.

Thanks for the tip, Andrew!

Mega Man Gigamix News Blowout

We saw the leaked retail listing a few days back, but now it's official: Mega Man Gigamix is heading to North America.

• "Off against the Robot Masters of Mega Man 3, as well as the gigantic Gamma robot!  The space setting of this tale acts as a prelude to Gigamix Vol.2 & 3, where all robots good and evil alike must join forces to defend the Earth from the ultra-powerful Stardroids! This two-part epic features every single Robot Master from the first eight Mega Man® games, plus fan favorites like Bass, Treble, Proto Man, Duo, the Stardroids, Rush, Beat, Roll, Dr. Wily, Dr. Cossack, Dr. Light, and of course the blue bomber himself – Mega Man!

• All together, Gigamix is over 600 pages of pulse pounding Mega Man action that no fan will want to miss out on! Mega Man Gigamix Vol.1 arrives in stores May 4, 2011."

Pre-order your copy at Amazon!

Exciting, no? And it gets better: preview pages! Yes, we've got a sizable amount of preview pages available for your consumption at UDON's official blog. No dialogue, currently; I assume the translation is still in the work-in-progress phases.

On a final note, Matt will be lurking around on the blog for the next few days, so if you have any questions or comments concerning Gigamix, please do share them in the comments! Keep it kosher!

Thanks for keeping us in the know, Matt!

Blues Makes His Rockman Online Debut (Update)

Spotlighted in tonight's Rockman Online blog update: Blues! Yes, like many classic series characters before him, the bot with the shades has been resurrected and he's looking as sharp as ever.

While there is no confirmation that Blues will be among RMO's playable characters, the blog does seem to imply that he will at least be a very important character when it comes to plot. Shame, really, because I'd love to play as that. ---->

Anyway... nothing hugely major mentioned over at the blog. Just a recap of Blues' history: his conception, his faulty core, etc. Nothing new, really.

Of course, this is based off of an initial translation. There might be a few more striking details I might have missed, but we shall find out soon enough I'm sure.

 UPDATE: As anticipated, more details. Hit up The Mega Man Network for the full scoop

Source: Official Rockman Online blog

Mega Man As DLC? Not Likely

Following up on his comments made yesterday, Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 producer Ryota Niitsuma shared a few words with Fantasy Mundo on the likelihood of Mega Man being offered as a future downloadabe character.  In short, you might not want hold your breath:

"It is almost certain that he is not going to be DLC. Mega Man is a character difficult to adapt to MvC because you only have Megabuster as a weapon and a good character for this fighting game needs more variety. That is the main reason that we chose Zero; apart from the Megabuster, he also carries a sword.

Everything we've announced is that there will be DLC with new characters, but we have not yet decided which and how many will be there, but then we didn't say they're "definitely a no" but "not currently, and it is very unlikely."

...okay.

What's confusing here -- bewildering, almost, is that Niitsuma has overlooked the fact that numerous incarnations of Mega Man can utilize an array of weaponry. It's the characters trademark, after all. Sure, arsenal mostly spawns from the Mega Buster, but I think Capcom could have easily adapted popular boss abilities into useful attacks.

All in all, nothing is set in stone when it comes to future downloadable characters. However, it's probably best not to get your hopes up for Mega Man.

Thanks for the tip and translation, Ivan!

Source: Fantasy Mundo

MvC3 Producer Talks Zero's Inclusion Over Mega Man

Whatever hope was left for Mega Man in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 has pretty much diminished. MvC3 producer Ryota Niitsuma, in an interview with Spong, discussed why Capcom chose to go with Zero over an incarnation of Mega Man for the game's final roster:

"I assume you’re talking about the original Mega Man. There was a Mega Man slot for this game – we had room for a character from that series. But when it came to the propriety of that character being in a fighting game, Mega Man has some problems.

If we were to adapt the original Mega Man character into a fighting game he would have to have a lot more extra moves and abilities, and that would then create a different Mega Man entirely. You couldn’t retain his original character as he is. So we looked into other Mega Mans, and decided that Zero had the best list of moves already in existence when it comes to fitting into a fighting game."

-------

I dunno about that... I mean, Mega Man seemed to work for the past two MvCs, right? And, hey, as The Mega Man Network noted, some bright chaps managed to whip this up. It's not like it's 100% impossible.

There's always a chance for DLC, but Niitsuma's comment makes me feel like even that's a no-go. Guess we'll have to settle for Tron and Zero, for now.

Thanks to everyone who sent this tip in. Apologies for not getting on this sooner!

Source

Legends 3 Rocket Development Continues

Slowly but surely, Tron and Roll's efforst to rescue Mega Man Volnutt from the surface of Elysium wage on...

As of January 21st, the rocket's launchpad has been completed -- updating the project's total progress to 11% (an increment of six percent since December). Coinciding with this update, the devroom posted the above bit of concept art of the launchpad.

Rocket progress updates are offered once a month, viewable at the Devroom. It has been stated, or at least speculated, that the rocket's development is synonymous with Mega Man Legends 3's progress. Once at 100%, the game will go gold.

Hey, no rush.

The more time invested in a game's development, the better the final product.  All we can do at this time is to continue our support of Legends 3: join the Devroom, pitch ideas in the forums, and participate in events.

Though I highly doubt we'll see Legends 3 releasing within that 3DS launch window of March to early June, I am hopefully of word of a release window soon. Maybe not a specific date but a general idea at best. We shall see!

 Source: Mega Man Legends 3 Devroom

Mega Man Gigamix Heading Stateside

Well, well, this is a pleasant surprise. According to a listing over at Diamond Book Distributors, UDON's North American distributor, Mega Man Gigamix -- the followup to Hitoshi Ariga's popular Megamix series -- will release in the U.S in May, 2011.

"The original blue bomber is back for more action-packed adventures in Mega Man Gigamix! In this volume, Mega Man travels to outer space to tangle with Dr. Wily’s Robot Masters, as well as the mysterious Break Man! Then, it’s the ultimate race! Mega Man, Bass, Roll, Proto Man, Ice Man, Guts Man, and even Dr. Wily himself go head-to-head in a race that spans halfway across the globe!”

Gigamix Volume 1 is said to span 224 pages, retailing for $12.95, and has an expected shipping date of May 4th, 2011. Gigamix 2 and Gigamix 3 will ship bi-monthly thereafter.

The Gigamix manga series recently wrapped in Japan, so it was only fitting for it to make the jump stateside.

Rockman Gigamix, written and illustrated by Hitoshi Ariga, made its debut in 2009 as a bit of a homage to the revitalization of the classic series with Rockman 9. Gigamix 1 contains all new stories based off of the events of Rockman 3, Rockman 7 and Battle & Chase. Gigamix 2 and 3 focuses heavily on an intergalactic battle of epic proportions, featuring the likes of Duo and the Star Droids.

Needless to say, this is exciting news. UDON seems very, very committed to getting us more manga-goodness. I wonder what's next?

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Mega Man 2 Hitting PlayStation Store In February (Updated)

Looks like we might have ourselves another PSone Import hitting the North American PlayStation Store soon. Next Gen News reports that Mega Man 2 (aka Rockman 2: Complete Works), the PSone enhanced port of the NES classic, will release on the service within the first week of February.

Next Gen News -- whose been pretty spot on with these reports in the past -- notes the game, among other titles, will go on sale February 1st, priced at $5.99 ($3.00 for PlayStation Plus members). Sony have yet to confirm these reports, but, seeing that Mega Man 1 made its debut on the service last week, it would be fitting for subsequent games in the series to bubble up our way over time.

UPDATE: Oh, silly me. Yes it is official: Mega Man 2 on February 1st.

Thanks for pointing that out, Josh!

Subscriptions Are Go For Archie's Mega Man

As of today, Archie's official online store have begun offering subscriptions for their upcoming Mega Man comic series. A one year subscription -- twelve issues a year -- costs $22.50 USD. Regularly, subscriptions go for $35.88.

The shop notes that it can take up to six to eight weeks in order for a subscription to start up. If you subscribe now, it's more than likely you'll get issue #1 just in time for the planned May 4th release. Subsequent issues will arrive between two to four weeks later.

Currently, subscriptions are only being offered to residents of North America. However, according to tipster Generic Overlord, Archie briefly had the option for an international subscription -- but that has since been removed. Could be a glitch or something, so do pop your head in here every once in a while and see if it comes back.

So, yeah, this is the news many of you have been waiting for. Head on down to Archie's and secure yourself a subscription!

Thanks, Generic Overlord

The Greatest Bits Presents: Mega Man 2 Tribute Album

Here's something for you Mega Man audiophiles. Artist The Greatest Bits contacted me earlier today to let me know about his latest album themed solely after Mega Man 2. Described as a "chiptune crossover", each song from the game has been remixed, combining 8-bit retro-style sounds with "real instruments of the 21st century."

The result are pretty satisfying, if I do say so myself. Have a listen to the soundtrack yourself: samples of the soundtrack can be heard directly from The Greatest Bits official site.

Chiptune fans will be all over this one, but I must admit that some of the songs could have used a little more of a "kick" to stand out above the ever-growing crowd of MM2 remixes. Nevertheless, it's a great compilation with a lot of heart.

Like what you hear? You can purchase the full album (or individual songs) directly from iTunes, Amazon or CD Baby. Enjoy!

Thanks for the heads up, The Greatest Bits!

Have A Look At Some Cancelled Jazwares Figures

Digging through some of my files earlier today I stumbled upon these photos from Toy Fair 2005: a slew of unreleased Jazwares Mega Man toys. Yes, these bad boys were highly anticipated back then; but alas, they never made it to market.

Multi-colored six-inch classic Mega Man. According to my notes, these (and the following products) were scheduled for release throughout 2005.

Proposed Retro Roto wave 2 AND the rarely seen wave 3 concepts. Looks like Bass was set to be included for the wave 2 line, and Metal Man and Skull Man for wave 3. Unfortunately, unlike the unreleased Ice Man and Wood Man, we don't have any photos of the actual toys for Bass, Metal and Skull. It's safe to assume they never made it off the drawing board.

Zero vs. Sigma play set. Curiously, the toys feature a rather interesting gritty aesthetic that's a tad out of place with Jazware's other Mega Man toys. What's up with the impaled classic Mega Man? No idea. (OMG, Cataclysm theory!)

Hankering for more canceled goods? You can check out plenty more scrapped product after the break. Hit the jump!

"Roll! Roll! Roll!" Jigsaw Puzzle Kit On The Way

Remember that lovely Roll-themed coffee mug from the other day? Kotobukiya, seeing that the collage of Rolls would prove to be popular with the fans, are using the artwork for an upcoming 300 piece jigsaw puzzle set aptly titled "Roll! Roll! Roll!"

For those wondering, there's five iterations of Roll in this illustration. From left to right: Powered Up Roll, Roll Caskett, classic Roll (Pre-Mega Man 8), classic Roll in MM8-MM10 attire, and Roll.EXE.

The set will be available for purchase at next month's Winter Wonder Festival in Japan for 1,890 Yen (or or roughly $22.76 USD).

Unfortunately, there's no word if this will be sold outside of the event. Kotobukiya's supposed event- exclusive coffee mugs will be sold at E-Capcom in late February, so perhaps the puzzle will see a similar mass production, too.

If you're looking to score the puzzle or the mugs, I suggest checking out your favorite proxy bidding service; these Japanese-exclusive items usually find their way on the auction block sooner or later.

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Design A Reaverbot For Legends 3

Who didn't see this one coming? Capcom tonight officially announced the fourth event for the Mega Man Legends 3 project: build a Revearbot.

The Devroom is encouraging all fans to participate in the task to design a four-legged Reaverbot. Similar to the Bonne Mecha Proposal event, designs must adhere to a set of specific guidelines laid out by the development team. Before you even jump at the opportunity, please do read what Capcom is asking for. Click the preceding link for the full instructions.

Entries will be accepted from now until February 1st at 5:00PM PST. All who enter the event will receive a complementary 5,000 Unity points. The runner-up will be awarded an additional 10,000 Unity Points and a special Reaverbot badge. The grand prize winner will be taking home quite a few prizes: 30,000 Unity Points, an exclusive badge, a premium Servbot Number, and their name in the game's credits! That's a lot of bragging rights!

Although the deadline is a bit far off, it couldn't hurt to get started or at least brainstorm.

Full guidelines, rules and regulations here!

More Archie's Mega Man Tidbits

Archie Comics has released a set of new info for the first issue in their on-going Mega Man series today in the form of a very small press release. Nothing hugely major, just some details concerning pricing and release date(s):

• Shipping Date: 4/27/2011
• On Sale at Comic Shops: 5/4/2011
• Newsstands: Week of 5/17/2011

• 32 pages, 40 Ib
• Glossy stock, full color
• Price: $2.99

The "shipping date" may be an indicator that a subscription will be offered before late April, early May -- however, Archie has yet to comment on that. News on that front will probably bubble up around next month.

Regardless, I'm pretty excited about this. The series is planned as an on-going, so hopefully we can look forward to many, many Mega Man stories from Archie for years to come.

Source: Archie Comics

The Many Faces Of D-Arts Mega Man X

Okay, not many... just a few. Tamashii recently posted a few shots of D-Arts X's interchangeable faces, which you can scope out below:

Idle, angry, and pissed. Well, who didn't see those coming? Until now, we haven't seen these much touted interchangeable faces so if you were hoping for a smug X, well, I'm sorry.

Tamashii has plenty more where that came from. Their official D-Arts hub has a nice collection of photos showing off some of the figure's poses, accessories, and such. Check those out right here.

D-Arts X is slated to release in Japan in April and in North America around May-June at select retailers.

Bonus Goods To Coincide With Kotobukiya Blues Release

Capcom's obssession with coffee mugs continues! To commemorate the release of the Kotobukiya Blues model kit (officially on sale this Friday), Kotobukiya's direct store in Japan will play host to a special event where attendees can score two exclusive coffee mugs.

The mugs, featuring an E-Tank theme and a collage of Rolls, are currently exclusive to in-store Kotobukiya outlets. Unfortunatly, it remains to be seen if either mug will be sold elsewhere.

Also of interest, event attendees can enter a lottery to win prizes. For every 2,000 Yen spent of Rockman-related goods, that's one ballot in the raffle bin. The more you spend, the better your chances at winning!

On a related note, Kotobukiya also posted up a picture of the Mega Man-branded Blues model kit, which we're expecting to see go on sale later this year. Check that out here.

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Rockman Complete Works Coming To U.S PlayStation Store (Update)

According to the official PlayStation Blog, Rockman Complete Works, the enhanced port of the Mega Man 1, is set to release on the North American PlayStation Store this week.

The title will release under the PSOne Japan Classics label, so do expect the game to retain its original Japanese presentation (in other words, the game won't be translated into English). A price wasn't specified, but if previous Japan Classics are any indication, it will be a tad higher than the usual PSOne classics. UPDATE: According to jgonzo, the game will cost you $5.99.

Pretty exciting news, if you ask me. This marks the first time a Complete Works title has released outside of Japan (and no, Anniversary Collection doesn't quite count). The game should be up for download tomorrow afternoon.

Thanks to everyone who sent this in!

Kotobukiya Rockman Line Ends With Blues...For Now

If you haven't heard already, Kotobukiya's 1/10 Blues model kit is now on sale in Hong Kong(?), and already units are arriving within the hands of fans overseas.

While the figure itself is something to behold, we cannot, however, ignore this little tidbit of interest. Coming from The Mega Man Network:

"First and foremost, however, it seems that Blues is the end of Kotobukiya’s Rockman line for the time being. In the space on the box where future figures are advertised, Blues’ box only remarks that Rockman and Roll are also on sale. So, if you’ve been holding out for a Forte or, I dunno, Bubbleman model kit, there’s no confirmation for you. Bandai will have the spotlight for the foreseeable future."

As I always say, if enough people are buying something, there's bound to be more.

If Kotobukiya were to produce more model kits based off of the classic series, which characters would you like to see next? Me? Well, I've always wanted Quint figure. C'mon, the guy rarely receives the toy treatment outside of some old gashapons.

Anywho, you can check out a gallery's worth of images of the figure, and some impressions of at The Mega Man Network.

If you imported, look forward to a package arriving sometime very soon!

Rare Rockman DASH 2 Commercial Unearthed

Now this is something I've never seen before, and I'm pretty sure you haven't seen it either. I'd be surprised if you did. From the depths of Nico Video (the Japanese equivalent of YouTube), comes this rare, traditionally animated TV-spot for Rockman DASH 2 from '99.  Because the commercial yields from a rather old tape, the quality is "okay." We're looking into enhancing it, but for now, do enjoy what we have:

Low-quality aside, that was delightfully awesome.

Currently working on a high-res version; stay tuned!

Aero's Model Fully Revealed

After weeks of behind-the-scene peeks, the Devroom has finally revealed Aero's 3d character model in it's entirety and man, does it look smooooth.

Aero's model exhibits a little something called cel-shading, which Capcom experimented with in previous Mega Man Legends titles. If this is a preview of what's to come of the game's visual style, then color me excited!

For a more detailed report bounce on over to Capcom Unity.

Mega Man Olympics Round 6: Guts Man Stage

So it's come to this: a feat of strength. Round six in the Mega Man Olympics pits jgonzo and Ucchy-san in a good 'ol arm wrestling match....with a foam Mega Buster twist.

Two challenges reaming. This is getting hectic!

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Townspeople Event Results Posted; Yours Truly Among The Winners

Not long after the unveiling of Aero's voice actress, Capcom also happened to pull the wraps off of the results for the Townspeople Event -- a month long competition to design a personality or piece of dialogue for Mega Man Legends 3 NPCs (Non-player characters).

In total, there were 3,000 entries. Capcom staff hand picked 30 of those to have their concept appear within Mega Man Legends 3. The winning concepts for both the North American and Japanese sides have been posted at Capcom Unity,

As mentioned in the post headline, my entry was among the North American Devroom winners, which also included: Alex, Austin, Megamanmegafan, Dashe, Cleveland Rock, Mimi, David, Nightshade, Kyle, Antumbra, MegaMac, Ryan, Orbulon, Antubmra, and liquidcross.

You can view the winning designs, concepts, and the honorary staff commentary in full over at Capcom Unity.

Congratulations, everyone!

Aero's Japanese Voice Actress Revealed

About a month or so ago, the DASH 3 Devroom played host to an exclusive event in which fans voted on their favorite of three voice actresses trying out for the role of Aero. Fast forward to today, and sure enough, we've got a victor.

Your Japanese VA for Aero, coming in with a grand total of 3,000 votes is... Akemi Kanda!   Hey, now, that's a name that shouldn't be all too unfamiliar: She previously provided the voice for Nana in Rockman X: Command Mission, and Ice Man in Rockman Rockman.

You can hear her winning audition tape over at The Mega Man Network -- Kanda's is Entry #1.

Can't say I'm surprised. This is the exact kind of voiced I had in mind when I first laid eyes on Aero. As for an English voice actress, well, we're still pretty far away from that point. Hopefully, we'll have a similar event on our end, eventually. I'll keep you posted!


Credit: The Mega Man Network

Crafty Rockman EXE Operator Sculptures

It's not very often we saw artwork -- sculptures, namely -- inspired by the human characters that populate the Mega Man universe. Deviant-artist EnzanEXE set forth to change that: designing a series of highly detailed sculpts based off of some of the more popular, human characters of the Rockman.EXE series; Operators Netto (Lan), Enzan (Chaud) and Laika (Raika).

According to the sculptor, the models were made over a period of three work nights: Fifteen hours per model, and an additional five hours for painting and detailing. The final products sit roughly at four to five inches; standing up, however, they measure in at about nine inches.

Pretty cool, wouldn't you say? So, what does the future hold? Next time around, Enzan's considering tackle a Navi -- Forte.EXE (Bass), possible. What's more, she's also looking at sculpting Gospel (which, I personally, would love to see) and Cross Fusion versions of the above sculpts.

For more images and a peek at Enzan's other work, bounce on over to her Deviant-Art page right here.

Mega Man Tribute Reminder

Hey folks, just a quick reminder for those interested: the deadline for UDON's Mega Man Tribute project is creeping up fast, and you've got roughly three weeks left to get those entries in!

All submissions are due no later than Monday, January 31st at 1:00 PM EST. Once you've whipped up something nice, you can submit your piece for consideration at www.MegaManTribute.com. Remember: your submission must adhere to a set of specific rules and regulations. All the details can be found at the official Mega Man Tribute website in the above link.

New to this whole Mega Man Tribute thingy? Mega Man Tribute falls in line with UDON Entertainment's previous Tribute art books; however, this time around, UDON is encouraging fans to submit their own works of art to be included in the compilation.  They are asking specifically for pieces themed after classic Mega Man, Mega Man X, Mega Man Legends, Mega Man Zero, and Mega Man ZX.  All styles are welcome: hand drawn art, sculptures, pixel-based, whatever! If you've got the talent, UDON wants to see it.

Unfortunately, UDON will not be accepting art based off of the Battle Network and Star Force series. UDON has previously stated that, because BN and SF are partially owned by other companies besides Capcom, they were not allowed to get permission to have either series represented in the book.

So that's pretty much that. Again, you've got till January 31st! Get those entries in!

All the detail at the official Mega Man Tribute website.

Mega Man Goes 3D (But Not In The Way You Think)

We've often heard some say that classic Mega Man should make the jump into 3D, something similiar to Super Mario 64 (and onwards). While Capcom has yet to develop such a game, one fan took it upon himself to do just that.

Mega Man 3D, a fan-game designed by Lierinwait, places the Blue Bomber in a wide-open, fully explorable world, powered by an impressive 3D engine that grafts traditional 8-bit sprites onto a three-dimensional plane. The result is something akin to the famed Mega Man 2.5D or 8-bit Deathmatch. Your standard gameplay is all there, too; there's enough bottomless pits and tricky foes to even make the most experienced players yelp in frustration.

Mega Man 3D is actually part of a trilogy, all created by Lierinwait. Prior to Mega Man 3D, there was the traditional 2D-inspired "Mega Man in Mega City" and the sequel to MM3D, "Mega Man 3D 2: The Siege of Mega City!"

Over the last few days, my good friend Allahweh has written an extensive review of each game in the trilogy over at her blog, Allahweh's Domain. A small sampling of her MM3D review is below, but if you'd like to read up on the rest, bounce on over to her blog:

"Like most 3D games of this type, the game is fun to play, but it suffers from clunky controls at times.  In fact, the nature of the controls reminds me of the Nintendo 64 entries into the Castlevania series, which, while good games, suffered from bad controls (trying to make a simple jump might result in one’s death).  As Mega Man games have always been about precision, and this fan-game is no exception, there are times when making simple jumps becomes a very frustrating affair."

Despite these shortcomings however, the game does make for a pretty nice substitute for an official 3D title; more so, its sequel due to a vastly improved world and gameplay.

If you've got some time to kill, give these games a whirl! You can download Mega Man 3D and its successors via YoYo Games. 

Thanks, Allahweh!

D-Arts Mega Man X Is Officially US-Bound

I was originally under the impression that Big Bad Toy Store, the first to offer pre-orders for the D-Arts Mega Man X action figure, was merely offering the option to import the figure from Japan. However, this isn't the case.

Adam Newman of Bandai's Collector's Toy Department contacted me yesterday to inform me that, like Kotobukiya, the company intends to sell the D-Arts MMX figure within America. Turns out, Big Bad Toy Store is the first of many hobby retailers to offer the American version of the figure, slated to release in May (just one month after the figure's domestic Japanese release).

Other comic/hobby/anime specialty retailers associated with Bluefin (Bandai's distributor in the US) will carry the figure around then, too. These stores should be taking pre-orders next week.

In short, if you're considering importing the figure, you might want to hold off. You'll be able to score the figure, sans the all-too-often hefty import fees, within the US very soon.

Thanks for the tip, Adam!

Got Questions For The MML3 Staff?

The Capcom Unity Devroom liaison, Greg, is requesting fans to shoot him any and all questions or comments you might have about Mega Man Legends 3, which will then be forwarded to the game's staff.

It's quite simple, really: all you have to do is send Greg a direct message with you query, and he'll send it off to the game's staff in Japan. While there's no guarantee you'll get a reply, take to heart that your thoughts will be observed closely by the game's staff... that's pretty neat in it's own right.

This direct line of communication is being established as part of an effort to better the fan/developer feedback for Legends 3. Greg has assured fans that he sends a regular amount of feedback to the developers already, but Capcom feels that this direct line of communication could better the process.

To contact Greg, you must be a member of Capcom Unity. If you've got that out of the way, feel free to shoot him your thoughts.

Source: Mega Man Legends 3 Devroom

The Greatest Cake Ever Made

Wow, just wow. I've seen my fair share of Mega Man-themed pastries and desserts in my day, but this one really... takes the cake.

The mastermind behind this scrumptious delicate is none other than the Cake Whisperer, aka Cathy Campbell. Ms. Campbell owns and operates the Cake Whisper Gourmet Bakery in Ottawa, Canada, best known for their custom, handcrafted cakes. You can check out a sampling of some of their other designs here -- they've even got a NES cake!

I'm not entirely sure if the Mega Man cake in particular is for sale, but it couldn't hurt to ask. Even if it isn't, at least we can marvel at the photo.

Would you eat it? I don't think I have the heart to consume such a work of art..

Source: The Cake Whisperer

New Rockman 2 Commercial Hits Japan

Capcom Japan's official YouTube account has posted a sixteen second TV spot for the mobile phone version of Rockman 2. The commercial, now airing in Japan, advertises Capcom's Capcom Party mobile games consisting of Rockman 2, Street Fighter II and Ghosts N' Goblins.

Fun fact: This is the first Rockman commercial to air in Japan since Shooting Star Rockman 3 in 2008. Games thereafter, Operate Shooting Star, Rockman 9 and 10, and Zero Collection never had TV spots of their own.  Kind of sad, no?

Mega Man Olympics Round 5: Bubble Man Stage

I'm a tad late to the part on this one, but nonetheless, here's the fifth round in Capcom's ever-popular Mega Man Olympics. Dubbed the "Bubble Man stage", jgonzo and Ucchy-san compete to see who can hold their breath underwater the longest!

...and jgonzo's winning streak continues!

With only three rounds remaining, will jgonzo manage to stay on top? Or will Ucchy-san and Capcom Japan bounce back in the nick of time? Stay tuned!

New Archie's Mega Man Artwork, Plot Synopsis

io9.com has obtained an exclusive piece of artwork for Archie's forthcoming Mega Man comic, whose inaugural issue is said to hit newsstands May 4th, 2011. The piece (pictured) features artwork by the renowned comic artist Patrick "Spaz" Spaziante.

Coinciding with the art, io9 has provided a brief plot synopsis:

"Let the Games Begin!" Part One: The future looks bright when brilliant and benevolent Dr. Light unveils his latest creations: the Robot Masters! But when the nefarious Dr. Wily steals them for his own sinister purposes, there is no one left to stop him. No one – except Mega Man! Don't miss the first issue of this brand new ongoing series!"

Sounds like your standard run-of-the-mill Mega Man 1 plot. Not like that's a bad thing.

Issue #2 will debut in June, so it looks like we're getting ourselves a monthly serial.

Full scoop at io9.com (via GoNintendo)

"Rockman DASH: Adventure To Save The Planet" Footage Surfaces

Sporting quite possibly the most generic title ever, footage of the highly obscure Rockman DASH: To Save The Planet, has finally surfaced... twelve years after its release.

 More videos here!

Now the question on everyone's mind: the heck is this?

To Save The Planet is a brain teaser/quiz game released exclusively in Asia for the PC in 1999. While it may scream bootleg, the game is actually an official Capcom product. That's right, this one counts.

TSTP was part of a collection of Asian exclusive Mega Man/Rockman titles release during the late nineties, the most recognizable being Rockman Strategy. The Mechanical Maniacs has a nice break down of each title released in the region and, yes, they're all official.

Bad graphics and poor presentation aside, I think this looks fairly interesting... of course, this coming from the guy who must own everything branded under the DASH name. Can't say I've seen this for sale on Ebay or the usual places -- it's pretty darn rare.

The obscurity continues at ServbotNULL's YouTube Channel; plenty more videos where that came from!

D-Arts Mega Man X Available For Pre-Order

Grab your wallets and get ready to shell out some Zenny: Reader Jason sends word that Big Bad Toystore have begun accepting pre-orders for the highly anticipated D-Arts Mega Man X figure. That was fast, no?

BBTS has priced the figure at $39.99, with an expected release in May, 2011. Shipping, of course, varies depending upon your location.

X is said to include a good amount of extras. The figure's product description reveals several new tidbits about included accessories and such:

"With over 15 years of history the Mega Man series continues to engage fans across various platforms. Now Mega Man will D-Arts advanced action figure series with Mega Man X. Figure set includes a full array of buster effect parts, including rotating effect parts. Figure also includes interchangeable face partsx2, as well as interchangeable hand and arm parts. Figure comprised of composite ABS, PVC, and POM materials for enhanced detail, durability, and articulation."

Size-wise, X is said to stand at approximately five-inches tall. Not a bad size, if I do say so myself!

Well, not much else to say than that. Pre-order yours at BBTS! Thanks, Jason

Aero's 3D Model Part II

Following up on last month's report, the Legends 3 Devroom has published an article discussing more about the creation of Aero's 3D character model. This time around, Aero's looking a lot more lively.

The post, available here for your reading pleasure, breaks down the process of rendering the model, which is nearing completion. Beginning with day four, staff member Koeke-san starts to illustrate Aero's face on the model. Noticing it to be slightly off in comparison to her concept art, day five is spent perfecting her facial features. Day six and onwards is spent on UV mapping the model -- the process of designating where to place the textures and patterns of her clothing.

Well worth a read, it's an eye-opening report to the process of fleshing out a character's model. You can check it out in the devroom!

Get A Load Of Zero's Alternate MvC3 Costumes

It may be looking grim for any more Mega Man representatives, but at least Zero's alternate Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 costumes/colors were thoughtfully made....

Hey, look at that! It's almost like four characters in one! From left to right, we've got Mega Man X, Zero's normal attire, Bass, and Axl. Ideally, I think everyone would prefer to have these characters playable, but hey, it's better than nothing. A little fan service never hurts, right?

Higher-res screens of each costume below:

I'm especially pleased that MMX gets a nod... almost makes up for his MIA status.

News Credits: Event Hubs (Thanks, Tyler), Destructoid (thanks, Arlen!)

Outlook Not Good For Mega Man In MvC3

Mega Man fans might have to make do with just Tron Bonne and Zero when it comes to MM series reps for Marvel Vs. Capcom 3...

The unveiling of two new characters at the Consumer Electronic Show today, Mike Haggar and Phoenix, and the abrupt removal of a leaked Akuma screenshot, support a leaked character roster from a few weeks back that had a few glaring character omissions, most notably Mega Man himself.

The roster leak, hailing from a now defunct Twitter account but archived over at Shoryuken, has been  spot on as of late with a 100% accuracy of all recent announcements. According to the original leak, Mega Man was ruled out early in the game's development because he brought nothing new or unique to the game. To compensate, Capcom put in Arthur as a replacement because he shares a similar play style with Mega Man.

If we seriously consider the accuracy of these leaks, then things aren't looking too hot for Mega Man.  It's a pretty complex saga, all these leaks. Reader Steven Chase has compiled all relevant information in a great post over at his website, so do go their if you're seeking out more, in-depth information concerning the "predictions" of that ominous Twitter leaker.

While Mega Man may be MIA now, there's still a sliver of hope that he might be included as DLC in the future. Maybe. I'm sure if there's enough demand, Capcom will look into it.

Full story available at Steven Chase & His Silly Pretentious Brain

Thanks Charles and Steven!