A New Look at Rockman EXE's First "Test Build"

We've seen bits and pieces of the original Rockman EXE's famous test build over the years. You know; the one where WoodMan.EXE is a bad guy trying to steal the "homework program" from the school's network...

 

...And now, thanks to a freshly preserved issue of Dengeki Nintendo 64 magazine (November 2000), we have even more new-old screenshots to admire!

 

The One About Halloween Pandora & The Unused Design

Following Halloween Sigma and Halloween Roll, the third "spooky" character is none other than Pandora. What's more, this week's update includes the return of Rush's Chip Recycling Station and a new guild boss event.

Find all the details after the break!

eReady Reveals Official Zero Rockman X DiVE Motorcycle Helmet

Taiwan-based company eReady, makers of electric motorcycles and scooters, have revealed a Zero themed Rockman X DiVE motorcycle helmet. This is a follow-up to their open-faced X themed helmet that made the rounds back in August. 

As you can see, it's also an open-faced helmet based on Zero's iconic helmet design. It sports the Rockman X DiVE logo on the side and Capcom and eReady logos on the rear. I'm sure buyers will find ways to incorporate Zero's ponytail somehow. 

eReady haven't released any pricing or release date info at this time. However, they did confirm that the helmet will be distributed exclusively in Taiwan. Other stores, namely Suzuki Motorcycles Taiwan, already started advertising it. eReady may not be the only distributor, in other words.

It's a shame these won't be coming stateside. But if Capcom and their license partners saw some demand, would this be something you'd buy? Let us know in the comments below! 

Dive Into Rockman-san Chapter 12!

In Rockman-san's previous chapter, a "Light Dental Clinic" client invited Rock & Roll to a Robot-Resort. There, they met Bubble Man and Charge Man, enjoyed Gemini Man's two-for-one comedy act and watched Elec Man put on an illusion show.

In this week's new entry, our special Robot Master guest is none other than Dive Man. You can dive right into this new chapter here! And don't forget, you can finally read chapters 2 and 3 in English (and Spanish) here.

"The Men Who Made Rockman" Manga Available for the First Time in English

Originally published in Comic BomBom as a two-part manga in 1995, "The Men Who Made Rockman: Rockman Birth Legend" tells the story of how the first two Rockman games were made.

The manga was kept inside the pages of Comic BomBom for almost 15 years with no other way to read it but that changed when Wedge Holdings reprinted Rockman Megamix in 2009 with additional content where the story surfaced once more.

The first part of the manga covers the trials and tribulations of Akira Kitamura (Shinmei), Keiji Inafune (Kenji Izumi), Nobuyuki Matsushima (Honda) and Manami Matsumae (Momonai) developing the first game in the series. Highlights include Kitamura's first meeting trying to get the game development approved, the untold story of Robot Master Bond Man, and the team's advocacy for Rockman 2 despite Rockman 1's lukewarm reception.

 

Thanks to the efforts of Windii Gitlord and Speeps, we can read the first part of the manga in English! Part 2 isn't available yet, though. In the meantime, I recommend checking out the lengthy interview between Akira Kitamura and Hitoshi Ariga for more stories on the first two games' development. That piece was published in Rockman Maniax in 2011.

 

Enjoy!

"Halloween Sigma" and "Halloween Roll" Join Rockman X DiVE

It's almost that time of the year again! Rockman X DiVE will kick off their Halloween event this Wednesday, which brings "Halloween Sigma" and "Halloween Roll" to the game.

Find all the details after the break!

New Mega Man 11 Chibi Keychains Announced

 

Wowza! There's some new Robot Master merch on the block! Didn't see that one coming.

Eighty-Sixed have revealed a set of new Mega Man 11 chibi style keychains. As you can see from the image above, the Blue Bomber himself, Roll and Dr.Wily are present. But the biggest surprise are the Robot Masters. Blast Man, Fuse Man, Block Man and Bounce Man are also up for grabs! 

These keychains are available to order now if you live in the U.S. or Canada. They're priced at $10.00 a piece. 

Not much else to say than that, really. Head on over to Eighty-Sixed's store for the full lineup of Mega Man 11 merchandise here!

Rockman-san Chapters 4 to 6 English Translation Now Available

Our friend Midori has been working hard to bring Rockman-san English translations to the community as fast as possible. And so here we are: translations for chapter 4, 5 and 6 are all done! You can download them from the links below.

Chapter 4 · Chapter 5 · Chapter 6

 

In these three chapters, we get to see the lives of even more Robot Masters in a post-Dr. Wily world. Familiar faces include Air Man, Guts Man, Stone Man, Flame Man, Pharaoh Man and Wind Man. We even learn why Rock and Roll don't look like they did in the games too.

Also, if you need to play catch-up, you can find English translations for chapter 1 here and chapters 2 and 3 here. Enjoy!

Behind iCO's Design: An Interview with Yuri Kataiwa

Following a lengthy interview with Keisuke Mizuno in 2019, we've been granted the opportunity to hear the thoughts of another Rockman X DiVE's character designer: Yuri Kataiwa.

Kataiwa was an illustrator for Mega Man Star Force 3 and one of the artist invited to the Capcom vs. Osamu Tezuka Characters exhibit. Her work also frequently guest starred on Rockman Unity's App wallpapers, and she's behind the fan-favorite "Rolls" piece.

Kataiwa was in charge of desinging iCO. And thanks to the official Rockman X DiVE Japanese Twitter account, we can read a short interview that covers the process. It's been translated by our friend Windii Gitlord. Check it out below!

Rockman-chan Chapter 13 Available Now

With five of the "Men's 6" henchman defeated and one destroyed by accident, only two remain to be toppled: "Kaiten Shiisuu Man" and "Plasma-TV Man".

In Rockman-chan's previous chapter, Rockman approached the next Men's 6 base to find the place plagued with robots designed by Gekiga, based on a Showa era motif. In true spirit Rockman-chan spirit, the chapter ended with no boss battle. Gekiga was too busy making the lesser robots in the base and forgot about it!

Now, in the latest chapter, Rockman faces "Kaiten Shiisuu Man" and heads towards the final confrontation against Dr. Wily!

Check Out the Original Mega Man DOS Design Documents

It's been a little over thirty years since the debut of Mega Man 1 & 3 on DOS, and both titles are undergoing something of a renaissance. With Owlboy creator Simon S. Andersen's amazing "remake" mock-up making the rounds and The Gaming Historian's in-depth history on the subject, these delightfully crummy games have found new appreciation.

So to keep the ball rolling here, I'm happy to present you with this: Stephen Rozner's original Mega Man DOS design documents. The thirteen pages within include Rozner's handwritten notes, sketches and level design concepts. Unfortunately, Rozner threw a lot of other pieces away over the years. But at least we can study and admire this!

The documents come to us courtesy of the Gaming Historian himself, Norman Caruso. Some of these pieces were featured in Norm's "The Story of Mega Man on DOS", which brought us a wealth of previously unheard history. I highly recommend giving it a watch. You might just find yourself viewing these games in a different light.

Enjoy and thank you, Norm, for the generous donation!

Review: Kotobukiya Mega Man X Fourth Armor Rising Fire Ver.

Kotobukiya is back at it again with their latest release in the Mega Man X line: Mega Man X Force Armor Rising Fire Ver. Is this kit just a recolor, or is there more to it? Find out after the break!