Happy 27th Anniversary, Rockman!

It's December 17th in Japan, and today marks the 27th anniversary of Rockman. Sadly, there really isn't much going other than a bevy of classic titles hitting the Japanese PSN and Wii U. Hopefully we'll be seeing some of that on our end. Mega Man Zero might be up on the North American eShop this week but other than that, we're probably in for a quiet one.

I wanted to keep this post light and breezy, so I'll just say that despite the lack of new games and such, I'm thankful for Mega Man's appearance in Smash. It's been great to see this icon thrive among Nintendo's best, and I hope it will pave the way to a brighter future. Nintendo did a damn fine job here and I know I'm not alone when I say, "I want more."

I leave you with the above celebratory piece from Rockman Megamix author/illustrator Hitoshi Ariga. For comparison, here's Capcom's.

Peace out, home-fries.

Covers & Solicitations for Mega Man #47

By way of Arcade Sushi, here's our first look at Mega Man #47. Serving as the penultimate entry in the "Ultimate Betrayal" story arc, this issue pits Mega Man against a most diabolical foe: Doc Robot.

"The penultimate chapter to the ultimate Mega Man epic is here! “The Ultimate Betrayal” Part Three: Mega Man must brave the many difficult challenges of Dr. Wily’s newest castle! Awaiting Mega Man in the trapped-filled halls of the ferocious fortress is the vicious and super-powerful Doc Robot! 

After seeing the pure destruction from this ferocious machine at Light Labs, does our hero even stand a chance? Or is the dreaded Doc Robot truly unstoppable?! The answers to these questions and more, plus cover art from the legendary Patrick “SPAZ” Spaziante and a special new variant cover from fan-fav T.REX, all in this latest MEGA-issue!

On Sale Date: 3/18 | 32-page, full color comic | $3.99 U.S. "

Source: Arcade Sushi

Rockman EXE 3 Black & White Hit JPN Wii U This Week

December 17th, 2014 marks the 27th anniversary of Rockman, and Capcom is readying another classic for digital distribution. On top of five PSN PSone classics, Rockman EXE 3 Black and White is set to hit Wii U in Japan on the 17th. They will run for 650 Yen a piece.

In all, that's seven individual Rockman games launching on a single day. It remains to be seen if Capcom USA or Capcom EU will follow suit... only time will tell!

Source: Capcom Retro

Archie's Mega Man X is Crossing Over With Sonic Boom

Well here we are: another Worlds Unite teaser. It's not just classic Mega Man this time -- look, there's X! And, and... oh dear. Sonic Boom's Sticks the Badger. 

So yeah, further confirmation Worlds Unite is a four-way-crossover with classic, X, Archie's traditional Sonic series and Sonic Boom. It'll be interesting to see how this pans out, for better or worse.

See the full teaser image at IGN UK. Sonic and Mega Man: Worlds Unite story arc kicks off Spring 2015.

Source: IGN UK

Giant 13-Inch Mega Man Figure Due in March

By way of Rockman Unity, X-Plus Toys will be launching a giant classic Mega Man in March, 2015. It's 13-inches!

You can see more images at this post. Even in the early stages it looks promising. The build appears to a lot better than the 25th anniversary statue. It's made of soft plastic, except for the Buster power strip and helmet "ears" (those are transparent plastic). The whole kit and kit and kaboodle will cost 8,424 Yen, which is about $71.00 USD.

More updates as they come.

Source: Rockman Unity

New Mega Man Goods Are the Most Random Yet

We've seen a lot of random Mega Man paraphernalia over the years... but some of these, man, I don't even know. We're really scraping the bottom of the barrel now.

The Mega Buster Replica is Now Available to Own

First announced in June, ThinkGeek's officially licensed Mega Buster replica is now on sale. That's right, you can have your very own ambidextrous (non solar-powered) arm cannon for a cool $79.99.

What do you get for your money? Well, it fits on your right or left hand, with light and sound effects straight from the classic series. Quickly pull on the trigger for a single fire sound; hold it down for a charged shot and watch the power meter fill!

Those interested can pick one up from ThinkGeek while supplies last. As an FYI, this is on my holiday wish list. Hint hint.

Tron Bonne, Rockman 8 and More Coming to JPN PSN

Just in time for the franchise's 27th anniversary, Capcom Japan is rolling out not one but five PlayStation Rockman classics on PlayStation Network. Rockman 8, Rockman Battle & Chase, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, Rockman X4 and Rockman X5 are all due on December 17th. You read that right. Tron Bonne on PSN. Hallelujah.

Here in the U.S we have X4 and X5. It'd be great to see Tron Bonne, Mega Man 8 and even Battle & Chase on PSN. Pending official word from Capcom, though, all we can do is keep our fingers crossed.

The good news is you can buy these titles even if you don't live in Japan. Simply create a Japanese PSN account and secure some Yen via a Japanese PlayStation Network Card. You can get these from sites like Play Asia. Most will email you the code quickly and directly so you won't even need to wait for the mailman.

We'll keep an ear to the ground. Hope to hear more soon!

Source: Capcom Retro

First 4 Figures Mega Man X Statue Now Available to Preorder

As promised, First 4 Figures has opened up preorders for their 17-inch Mega Man X statue. It's due out in the third quarter of 2015, priced at $259.99 U.S. From the website:

"First 4 Figures is proud to unveil the first piece in our high-end Mega Man X collectibles: X! X is charging his X Buster, whilst he hovers above a platform in the sky stage from the original Mega Man X game on the Super Nintendo. The implementation of LED lighting not only brings added life to the jets from X’s boots, but to the X Buster and his helmet. 

The piece is made from high quality polystone resin that is hand painted, allowing for a simply stunning finish. Standing in 1/5 scale at over 17 inches tall, the statue is an essential part of any collection of Mega Man or Mega Man X merchandise. 

Comes in deluxe full color packaging, hand numbered base, and an authenticity card that will allow you to register your statue with First 4 Figures. This will enable you to collect the same product number for future statues in the series!"

The statue is reportedly limited to 1,000 pieces so orders are first come first served. If you're interested in reserving or if you simply want to check out more images, head to First 4 Figures. You can even try your hand at winning one for free, too. Who doesn't love free?

Thanks for the tip, Eric.

You've Been Waiting 10 Years for Mega Man X9

Today marks the tenth anniversary of Mega Man X8, which first released in North America on December 7th, 2004. A decade later, fans are still waiting for a successor.

First 4 Figures Reveals Mega Man X Statue

First 4 Figures, makers of various video game statues and figures, has revealed on their Facebook page the next Mega Man character to be immortalized in resin: X. This cover page banner is the initial glimpse of the statue, the full reveal coming Tuesday, December 9th.

Pre-orders go live on the same day. No word yet on the price tag, but I think it's safe to say it won't be cheap. Stay Tuned!

Source: First 4 Figures

Mega Man 2 OST Remade With the VRC6 Chip

Atlantan-based chiptune artist RushJet1 has completely remade Mega Man 2's soundtrack with the power of the VRC6, Konami's super slick NES sound chip. With three additional channels, the chip brings out some seriously rich audio. For example, this is the original Heat Man theme, while this is the VRC6 remake.

The above video is a complete gameplay run of Mega Man 2 using the new soundtrack, but you can listen to or purchase it from Bandcamp as well. If you love Mega Man or chiptune music, it's worth checking out. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Thanks to Tony Ponce for the tip!