Monday, August 30, 2021

New Rockman EXE Goods Head to Tokyo Pop-Up Shop

 

The drip feed of "new" Rockman EXE stuff continues! A small batch of brand-new EXE-themed goods will be sold at a pop-up shop September 10th at Tokyo Station Ichibangai, Capcom announced. These include acrylic stands (pictured), leather notepads, tote bags and more.

Older EXE-themed goods from a 2019 GraffArt event will be sold as well. Those items have appeared at different online stores long after that, however. It's stands to reason, then, that these new goods will appear online at some point as well!

You can see everything the pop-up shop will offer here.

A Brand New Armor Joins X's Arsenal in Rockman X DiVE This week

Since it began, one of Rockman X DiVE's main features is the ability to equip armor pieces to boost the player's stats. Now, one of those sets is becoming a playable character in itself: DiVE Armor X.

The armor, which was originally distributed as the level 70 armor set, will arrive this Wednesday. You can find all the details after the break!

Sunday, August 29, 2021

Rockman ZX Advent Aile and "Halloween Sigma" Coming to Rockman X DiVE?

The global version of Mega Man X DiVE launched roughly two weeks ago. And while the team at NebulaJoy are seemingly working day and night to fix the numerous bugs the game has, their on-going, misleading ad campaign still needs to be "patched", so to speak. 

So here we are again. NebulaJoy are leaking characters that have yet to be announced by Capcom Taiwan.

Find all the details after the break!

Friday, August 27, 2021

"Mega Man X: Mavericks" Fan-Shorts Are Pretty Amazing

The Mega Man X series is long overdue for a fresh animated adaptation. Until then, artist Nikodem Bredlich is here to remind us how perfectly suited the esteemed series is for film or TV.

Created by Bredlich, "Mega Man X: Mavericks" is a series of shorts that strives to answer a fun question: What if all eight Mavericks from X1 survived? 

Bredlich published two episodes so far: Launch Octopus and Storm Eagle. He hopes to create 2-3 minute shorts for each Maverick. The final two episodes will reportedly bring all eight together. A final, 8-against-1 showdown with X, maybe? Oooh!

Needless to say, it's an interesting concept. I'm genuinely excited to see how it'll all play out. The Storm Eagle episode took four months to render alone, so don't expect to see additional entries so soon. "Mavericks" is a marathon, not a race.

Hit up Bredlich's YouTube channel for future episodes, behind-the-scenes clips and more!

Thursday, August 26, 2021

eReady Announces an Official Rockman X DiVE Motorcycle Helmet

Taiwan-based electric bike and scooter company eReady are partnering with Capcom Japan to develop an official Rockman X DiVE helmet, the company announced.

The open-faced helmet will be based on X's own and features a clear visor. It'll sport the game's logo on one side and Capcom's logo on the back. You can find more high resolution images here.

Details on price and release date were not included. The helmet will most likely be distributed exclusively in Taiwan, however.

Avid Rockman X DiVE fans may not be unfamiliar with eReady, actually. Two of their scooters were part of a raffle during the Baby Star Dodekai Ramen ✕ Rockman X DiVE collaboration earlier this year.

Although importing may not be an option, would you buy one if you had the opportunity? Let us know in the comments!

Wednesday, August 25, 2021

Forte Crashes Dr. Light's "New Year" Celebrations in Rockman-chan Chapter 9


Previously on Rockman-chan, Rockman found himself on Nankai, an uninhibited island in control of the "Men's 6." He was cornered by the likes of "Beaujolais Man Nouveau" and "Nostra Man Damus".

This deadly two-against-one battle was devised by "Tori No Hose", an old acquaintance turned rival from Dr. Light's scholar days. However, Rockman defeated Beaujolais Man Nouveau with ease. But now the battle continues in this week's chapter!

The chapter picks moves at a lightning pace, resolving the fight in a brief flashback. The story then moves on to more exciting stuff with the Light family celebrating Christmas and New Year (The good doctor celebrates this events three times every year, don't ask why)... until Forte shows up to cause trouble!

You can "read" the chapter here!

Monday, August 23, 2021

Yoshiki Okamoto Wishes He Could Have Stopped Mega Man 1's Box Art

The North American Mega Man 1 box art is nothing short of terrible. And yet it's become something of a cultural icon; a source of parody across the ages. But what if we lived in a world where the "worst box art of all time" never existed? 

That's the question on the mind of a one Yoshiki Okamoto. The former Capcom designer, best known his work on 1942, Final Fight, Street Fighter II and Resident Evil, often imagines a world where his younger self had the authority to reject the now-infamous box art. Had the decision been in his hands, he would have killed "Bad Box Art Mega Man" on the spot...

"Festive Leviathan" Joins Rockman X DiVE's Fireworks and Lantern Festival


The summer festival is hitting Rockman X DiVE a little earlier this year. Last year's Fireworks and Lantern Festival took place in September; it brought us "Festive Zero", "Yukata Pallette" and a few weapons.
 
This year, however, the stage is being rerun this week. It'll feature "Festive Leviathan" and the weapon "Thunder Sword".

Find all the details after the break!

Sunday, August 22, 2021

Footage of Lost Rockman EXE Arcade Game Surfaces 19 Years Later

Footage from an obscure, nearly-20-year-old Rockman EXE arcade game has appeared online. And while it's not the most exciting thing to watch, it's still a piece of history, now preserved. 

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Rockman X DiVE's Guild System Set to Debut in September

Originally announced back in April, Rockman X DiVE's Guild System will debut on September 8th if we believe the Official Japanese Twitter account. The Guild System will provide players with new means to cooperate, gain rewards and defeat bosses.

Find all the details after the break!

Thursday, August 19, 2021

Bomb Man is Having an Existential Crisis in Rockman-san Chapter 7

In last week's chapter of Rockman-sanwe learned that Flame Man, Pharaoh Man and Wind Man found new life at "Karakuri", a restaurant famed for Chinese roast. But not every Robot Master found their "purpose" in a post-Dr. Wily world so easily.

This week, Bomb Man sits down with Rockman and Roll at "Robot Bar 8-Bit". After unwittingly causing an accident at a mine, Bomb Man is faced with an existential crisis: what is life without mining? What good is a Robot Master who throws bombs for?

You can check out the latest chapter and find the answer here!

Wednesday, August 18, 2021

Rockman X DiVE Reveals New, Original Character: iCO

There's a lot happening with Rockman X DiVE this week. Coinciding with the on-going X-Hunters event, the latest update delivers new Story Mode chapter that significantly advances the plot. Further, there's a new weapon based on Rockman X5's Maverick Izzy Glow, new cards, and raised level cap among other things.

Find all the details after the break!

Monday, August 16, 2021

Mega Man X DiVE Official English Version Now Available


More than a year after the initial Taiwan version and nine months apart from its Japanese counterpart, Rockman X DiVE has finally touched down on Western shores.

Rechristened as Mega Man X DiVE, the game is available to download in the US, Canada, UK and Ireland for Android and Apple devices. The title will slowly reach other regions with additional languages to come such as Spanish, French and Portuguese, to name a few.

You can download the game through your phone's app store or via Google Play or the Apple App Store.

So here we are -- the day has come at last. Enjoy!

Sunday, August 15, 2021

How Over-Ambition and Mismanagement Killed Mega Man Universe

Mega Man Universe was cancelled ten years ago on March 31st, 2011. The would-be "Mega Man maker" title was poised to launch on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 that same Spring. 

And curiously enough, Capcom never explicitly stated why production was discontinued. The initial announcement cited "various reasons". A statement so vague that many fans at the time wrote the whole thing off as an off-kilter April Fool's joke. Of course, we know now that wasn’t the case.

Look - I get that Mega Man Universe is often considered the lesser of the five cancelled 2010 Mega Man games. But something has always felt off about the whole thing. I mean, we were led to believe this was a title mere months away from release. If something was amiss, why not delay it? What was going on behind-the-scenes - with Keiji Inafune and his team - that led to... nothing?

Well, there's an 'ol saying: Like sands through the hourglass, so are the days of non disclosure agreements. Ten years after Mega Man Universe's demise, a few individuals related to the project are ready to tell the story. 

Thursday, August 12, 2021

Mega Man: The Wily Wars Mobile "Port" Announced for "Au Smart Pass Premium"

Our friends in Japan may have missed the official reproduction cartridge, but they're getting a Wily Wars mobile port. Sort of.

Mega Man: The Wily Wars (known as Rockman Mega World in Japan) has been added to the ever-expanding classic game lineup on "Au Smart Pass Premium", a multimedia service for au, NTT docomo, and SoftBank subscribers. Much like previous Capcom Au Smart Pass ports, The Wily Wars is a 1:1 port with no additional features or improvements. It can be played directly in-browser; no app needed.

And honestly... there's not much else to say than that! I do, however, think it's interesting we're seeing an uptick in Wily Wars lately. From the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis mini to the recent Collector's Edition, someone at Capcom must really like it.  It's too bad a current-gen port isn't on the burner... that we know of. 

I dunno, man. Just give me a "miscellaneous" Legacy Collection and I'll be happy.

Source: Au Classic Games

Mega Man X: Maverick Hunter's Field Guide Gets a Teeny Delay

Don't worry! It's only a small one. Mega Man X: Maverick Hunter's Field Guide has been delayed from August 17 to Tuesday, August 31st.

The amended release date recently appeared on Amazon's product page. UDON Entertainment's Matt Moylan confirmed its legitimacy, too. August 31st is reportedly the "market date", and as the distributor just got their copies in yesterday, in-store retailers might get it a tad later. Beyond that, though, the book turned out great!

For the uninitiated, Maverick Hunter's Field Guide is the successor to the Robot Master Field Guide. It features 176 pages of detailed profiles for every major X series character. The book also includes an in-depth appendix for X's armors, vehicles and various Sigma forms. There's even a dozen pieces of brand-new art for several Mavericks! You can sample those here.

I had a small part in the creation of this book, too. It was a tremendous honor and great fun! I'm sure you'll be pleased with the result. I mean, if you enjoyed the Robot Master Field Guide, you'll really dig this. Pre-order your copy here!

Wednesday, August 11, 2021

Rockman-chan Chapter 8 Now Available


We're back with another weekly dose of "san & chan". After the defeat of V·K Man in the previous chapter, the eighth Rocknan-chan entry offers a flashback to Dr. Light being arrested from the events of Rockman 9
 
We get to see him and Auto working on repairing V·K Man, "Beaujolais Man Nouveau" and "Nostra Man Damus" return - whom we last saw in chapter 4's robot exhibition, there crazy adventures continue, don't miss them! 

Read the full chapter here!

Monday, August 9, 2021

Yoshihiro Iwamoto's Rockman X Manga to be Released in Digital Format

Yoshihiro Iwamoto's famed Rockman X manga is about to get new life! Starting August 11, all five volumes of the 2005 editions will go on sale across digital storefronts in Japan. These include Amazon, Rakuten, Book Walker, and others.

To commemorate the announcement, Iwamoto drew two special illustrations. You can see them here and here!

With over 2,000 pages, Iwamoto's Rockman X chronicles the events of the first four Rockman X games. These stories remain fan-favorites due to Iwamoto's penchant for over the top emotional and violent scenes. Unfortunately, the manga has never received an official English translation. This is reportedly due to the art style and length.

However, hope never dies! You can always tweet your thoughts to UDON and let them know you want it! Fan-translations will forever be a thing, but I think we can all agree we want to support Iwamoto's endeavors in an official capacity.

For now, if you have the means to do so, you can buy the digital versions in a matter of days.

From Figure to Video Game: Rockman X DiVE Brings "χ-kai-" to the Small Screen


Released as a limited edition figure at New York Comic Con 2015, TruForce Collectibles' Ï‡-kai- is due to become a playable character this week. What’s more, a new event called "X-Hunters" is about to begin.

Find all the details after the break!

Friday, August 6, 2021

Rockman EXE and Medarot S Crossover Event Gameplay

In case you haven't heard, Medarot S is holding a big collaboration event with Rockman EXE. From now until September 2nd, players can get equipped with three unique Medarot based on Rockman.EXE ("Rock Trans"), Roll.EXE ("Heart Roll") and Forte.EXE ("Fortate"). Pretty neat, right?

Medarot S isn't everyone's cup of tea, though. It's a gacha RPG first and foremost. So if you have next to no interest in playing but still want to see the EXE content in action, look no further! The above video does a nice job of capturing some of the event's key moments. It's not translated, mind you. I'm sure someone in the community will deliver a synopsis soon.

Enjoy!

Wednesday, August 4, 2021

Rockman-san Chapter 6 Now Available

For the third consecutive week, we have back-to-back brand-new "san & chan" manga chapters! Last week saw the debut of V·K Man in Rockman-chan chapter 7, and now it's Rockman-san's turn. 

Rockman-san Chapter 6 sees the debut of Flame Man, Pharaoh Man and Wind Man. What do these three Robot Masters have in common? Why, running a restaurant of their very own, of course!

Check out the full chapter here!

Tuesday, August 3, 2021

Medarot S and Rockman EXE Collaboration Announced

Nearly a year after the DUEL MASTERS PLAY’S collaboration, the Rockman EXE series is once again crossing over with another IP. Imagineer announced today that their smartphone game MedarotS - Unlimited Nova - will be teaming up with Rockman.EXE and friends starting August 5th.

Find all the details after the break!

Monday, August 2, 2021

Mega Man DOS Remake Mock-up So Good, It Should Be Real

 
 
You know, there's a handful of Mega Man games I'd like to see retouched or remade. It's not grocery list-sized but there's certainly some stuff I'd like to see revisited in my lifetime. Yeah; I'm one of the few guys who'd shamelessly invest in a complete "remake" of Mega Man Soccer, cut content and all. I'd buy that well before, say, DOS Mega Man remakes...

...Or so I thought.

Enter Simon S. Andersen. In a single tweet, the acclaimed art director of Owl Boy completely changed my wishlist with his "remake" DOS Mega Man animation. Sporting a fresh coat of 32-bit-inspired paint, this unplayable mock-up re-imagines Dyna Man's stage as something straight out of the PlayStation-Saturn era. It's incredible.

Yes; unplayable is the keyword here. This isn't a game-game by any means. It's a personal project that Andersen has been toiling away on for a good while. The good news is you can watch it again and again. I'm doing it for the xth-time as I write this! It's so good.

What do you think? Instant buy or no?

Super Bass Joins Rockman X DiVE to Fight "Hell Sigma "

It's time for the 14th DiVE Festival! Bass, the "anti-hero" of the classic series in his Treble Boost form joins the Deep Log! He's arrived in time for the next Raidboss: Hell Sigma from Mega Man X6.

Find all the details after the break!