Rockman Poker Released in Japan

A new bite-sized Rockman game hit the mobile market in Japan this morning: Rockman Poker. The name of the game says it all, really. It's poker with Rockman characters. No gameplay gimmicks, snazzy music or sound. Bare bones in every sense of the word. At least the sprites are nice (they're animated, too!)  UPDATE: Additional screenshots available at Gamer, for those interested. It appears Bass is a challenger, too.
 
Subscribers to Capcom's Capcom Party mobile service can snag Poker for free, so it's at least worth a shot. Could be fun, I suppose. The again, I think we'd all much rather pay good money for a quality game that took some effort to develop. Not knocking anybody who worked on Poker, but... c'mon, guys. We're long overdue for some real blue bomber gaming.

Source: Capcom Mobile

Blast from the Past: Unreleased Star Force Figures

Compared to its predecessor, the Mega Man Star Force series received very little merchandise aside from a few electronic doodads and collectibles. At one time, however, a line of high quality, non-poseable figures were in the works courtesy of West Kenji.

For one reason or another, these plastic heroes fell by the wayside. Like so many other Mega Man figures before them, production ceased before they saw retail. Our only glimpse of the canned series came from the 2006 Tokyo Game Show, where protoype molds were displayed for show-goers. Geo Stellar in his Mega Man duds, Harp Note and Taurus Fire made up the line. There's no record if any other characters were planned, but it's not a stretch to think otherwise.

And, really, that's all there is to it. So little information exist beyond their one and only public appearance that the line pretty much fell into obscurity. It's quite unfortunate; we could have used some more Star Force figures. Thankfully, we will always have these photos to admire and wonder what could have been.

You can check out more images of each figure (save for Taurus Fire, he's been through an earthquake) here.

Give a Warm Welcome to Deneb and Phoebe

The results of the latest Rockman Online event have been announced, and the winning names for the game's two human NPCs are Deneb and Phoebe by Rockman Corner contributor Amunshen. Congratulations!

Amunshen's reward is an all access pass to Rockman Online's upcoming closed beta test. And because she's such a swell fellow, Amunshen will provide us with all sorts of inside info and reports about the beta. Hopefully, non-disclosure agreements won't be a problem, so keep those fingers crossed for some real in-depth coverage.

But I digress! So, what's in a name? Well, according to The Mega Man Network, Deneb's name hails from the character's high admiration of Reploid commander Signas. "This was derived from the fact that Signas sounds a lot like (and may be named after) Cygnus, a mythical swan that a constellation is named for, " writes TMMN's Heat Man. "Deneb is the brightest star in Cygnus, hence the name." Phoebe, meanwhile, holds no significant origin. However, the name more or less reflects the character's cute characteristics; a convergence of brightness and purity.

Again, another congratulations to Amunshen. We'll be keeping you posted with new Rockman Online beta information as it becomes available.

Robot Master Field Guide Redated

There have been some whispers going around that the Mega Man Robot Master Field Guide from UDON Entertainment has been delayed. Today, we can put some of that chit chat to rest. UDON has updated their upcoming release schedule, with the guide now penned for release on April 11th, 2012.

Before you start celebrating, it should be noted that this is a projected release date, albeit the most accurate according to the UDON crew. Nothing is absolute just yet, so it might do well to keep your fingers crossed, too. I've reached out to UDON for further confirmation, but I've yet to hear anything back; I will update with new information as it becomes available.

The Robot Master Field Guide will serve as a handy compendium of the classic series universe -- chock full of character profiles of every major Mega Man character, hero and villain. It's a very special book that's being carefully prepared; for fans, by fans. Hopefully, it will be in our hands soon enough.

Source: UDON Entertainment Blog

Hudson Must've Really Liked Mega Man Battle Network

Whether by way of deliberate tribute or lack of originality, the visual similarities between Mega Man Battle Network and 2007's Zettai Onkan Otoda Master by Hudson Software have not escaped the keen eyes of PRC contributor Mega Rock. Otoda Master, an obscure little RPG for the Nintendo DS released only in Japan, is home to a rather familiar overworld and sprite style.

(Get a load of these screenshots, while you're at it!)

Beyond uncanny aesthetics, the game shares little in common with the tried and true Battle Network formula (and Star Force, for that matter). Actually, it's fairly unique in its own right: the game is all about training and battling "Otodamas", little creatures you discover based on the different kinds of sounds your DS picks up. The bark of a dog, the honk of a horn, and even a bloodcurdling scream all produce some kind of Otodama to be used in battle.

Pokémon seems to be the big inspiration here; however, the Battle Network inspired art direction truly sticks out like a sore thumb. But as they, "imitation is the highest form of flattery" -- perhaps more so in other cases. Nonetheless, Hudson has done an admirably job at capturing MMBN's trademark style, maybe even a little too good.

For more Zettai Onkan Otoda Master gameplay, swing on over to YouTube.

Mega Man X Hits Europe's Virtual Console Next Month

Well, that certainly took long enough. Mega Man X is finally being released in Europe on the Wii Virtual Console, nearly a whole year after its North American and Japanese release in the Spring of 2011.

The Super Nintendo classic is slated to blast onto the service sometime in March, according to a release schedule from Nintendo of Europe. I expect we'll here confirmation of a specific day soon as more information trickles out. The game is anticipated to run you 800 Wii Points.

All in all, this is great news for our friends in Europe. Hopefully, Mega Man X2 isn't too far off... but then again, we're still waiting for that one here in the states. I'll be keeping an ear out, of course.

Source: N-Europe

Pew! Pew! Looking Back at Jazwares' X-Buster Toy

Nightram56 of the Video Game Memorabilia Museum (a nirvana of video game goodies and trinkets) shows off the elusive Mega Man X X-Buster toy from Jazwares. The product is notorious for its poor distribution throughout North America, making it one of, if not the rarest Mega Man product produced by Jazwares.

Aside from glaring packaging inconsistencies, the product itself seems pretty sturdy. Maybe not as high quality as Mattel's similar NT Warrior Mega Buster toy, but it gets the job done. And to answer Nightram56's closing inquiry, yes: Jazwares was working on a classic series variant, seen here. Concurrently, a MMX roleplay helmet was also on the burner. Nothing became of them, however.

The X-Buster is as rare as they come, so the best advice I can give is keep a close eye on Ebay. Best of luck!

Mega Man Unlimited Fan Game Trailer Debuts

If you're a fan of MegaPhilX's work, hoo boy, you're in for a treat. Tonight, MegaPhilX unveiled a brand new trailer for his highly anticipated fan game, Mega Man Unlimited. The game's still a ways away from release, but it's good to see things coming along nicely.

MMU has been in development for three years, formerly titled "Mega Man 10" before the real deal came along. In that time, the project managed to generate a bit of controversy: Capcom unkowingly built the official Mega Man 10 website with Mega Man Unlimited graphical assets! The snafu was quietly swept under the rug, and MegaPhilX was reimbersed with a trip to Capcom's Gamer's Day. Funny thing is, you can still find some bits and pieces of MMU sprites and backgrounds at the site today. Hey, who else but Capcom?

You can learn more about Mega Man Unlimited and stay on top of future updates at MegaPhilX's homepage here.

Thanks for the tip, AudioOut!

This is Maverick Hunter X Running On Vita

We're just a couple days away from PlayStation Vita's North American launch, and among the original PSP games available for download from the get-go is Maverick Hunter X. The above video, courtesy of 1UP's Jeremy Parish, shows off just how spiffy the game looks running on the system. It's bigger, bolder and brighter. In a word, magnificent.

So far, MHX is the only Mega Man title playable on the system outside of Japan. Powered Up is compatible, but it's only available on the Japanese PlayStation Store. All four PSOne import Rockman games, while available on PlayStation Network worldwide, are not Vita compatible at this time. Plans to address PSOne compatibility are said to be in the works, so that's something to keep an ear out for.

Cover and Solicitation for Archie’s Mega Man #14

It's that time again! The new solicitation and cover for Archie’s Mega Man #14 is now available, and it looks like this issue's going to be a doozy. Better hold onto you hats for this one:

‘Spiritus ex Machina,’ Part Two. It’s pandemonium as the Emerald Spears extremist group has taken everyone at the A.R.T.S. hostage! It’s up to Mega Man and Rush to lead Elec Man, Pharaoh Man and Quake Woman to save the day! Meanwhile, Dr. Wily attempts to awaken the power of the mysterious Ra Moon.” (W) Ian Flynn (A) Gary Martin & Various (CA) Patrick Spaz Spaziante

Yes, you read that right: Quake Woman.

Archie's officially entered original Robot Master territory. No images of this mysterious character exist at the moment, but I like to imagine she'll pop up in the inevitable batch of preview pages in the coming months.

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Dr. Wily Hitting the Big Screen in November

Don't let the title mislead you: Dr. Wily is not getting his own movie (interesting idea, though). Rather, the maniacal doctor, among other classic video game villains, will be making an appearance in Walt Disney's upcoming animated feature film, Wreck-it Ralph.

Wreck-It Ralph, due out this November, is a movie about the titular Ralph, a video game villain striving to become a hero. To that end, Ralph must escape the confines of his game, Fix-It Felix Jr., and travel to other video games to prove his worth. The film has been said to feature cameos and homages to a number of characters, but this is our first look at the concept in action.

The above image from Disney’s D23 Magazine is largely assumed to depict a scene where Ralph attends a video game villain support group. Dr. Wily (left), Bowser, Zangief, and Eggman/Robotnik are all present and accounted for. So, yeah; the scene essentially sells itself. Cinema gold in the making.

No indication how large a role Wily and his companions will play in the film's plot, but I definitely like what I'm seeing so far. And who knows? Perhaps Mega Man, too, will make an appearance? Hurray for mainstream exposure!

Source: GoNintendo

Mega Man X iOS Updated For iPad

Capcom's controversial iOS version of Mega Man X saw its first update yesterday. Nothing too major, but noteworthy nonetheless.

The version 1.01.10 update gives the game full iPad and iPad 2 high resolution support. Sprites and menus are now optimized to fit iPad displays, whereas the original version had to be scaled to fit. The other big addition is a brand new mode. For players looking for a challenge, Capcom has introduced Time Attack Mode.

In Time Attack, your life bar has been replaced with a gradually depleting time gauge. The game ends if you fail to complete a stage before your time is up. Fortunately, enemies drop time replenishing items while "T Tanks" completely refill the gauge just before you have to face a boss. Records are logged online via Apple's Game Center service, so feel free at trying your hand to reach the top of the leader boards.

I've also heard whispers that the 1.01.10 update removed the hidden 25th Anniversary logo. Not that it has any bearing on the game itself, but it's interesting to see it up and disappear deliberately.

Thanks for the tip, Mike!