The Mega Man Mania Revival Pitch

Ah, Mega Man Mania. It's hard to forget such a promising collection: all of the original Game Boy Mega Man titles, I-V, in a single cartridge, complete with newly added color pallets and extras.

As fate would have it, Mania wasn't meant to be. Originally announced in 2003, the anthology was met with a plethora of delays until the project was eventually canceled in 2006, due to a misplaced source code.

Though the project may be dead, the passion from the fans to see this baby green-lit remains, unwavering. Our pal Heat Man over at The Mega Man Network whipped up this truly inspiring pitch for a revived Mega Man Mania... a pitch that has gone so far to catch the eye of Capcom.

Game Center CX Features Rockman 4

The latest episode of Game Center CX aired in Japan last week, and Rockman 4 headlined the popular segment "Arino's Challenge" in which host Shinya Arino attempts to best a classic video game, or meet a set challenge.

The Rockman 4 portion, broken into three parts, is available to watch online, albeit in raw Japanese format. Thankfully, Arino's shenanigans transcend the language barrier, making the experience enjoyable for all. Part one's below; hit up this link here for the rest!

March Release For Battle Network Official Complete Works

Lately, there's been some confusion in regards to the North American release date for UDON's Mega Man Battle Network Official Complete Works. Some sources say the art book won't be out until July, while others say it already released this past week. To shed some light on the situation, UDON has come forth with some official news.

The Mega Man Network has confirmed with UDON managing editor Matt Moylan that the book will release in March. Comic book stores will have it in stock on March 9th. Online? Well, dates have always been less precise on that front. If the past is any indication, online retailers like Amazon and Barnes & Noble usually ship their UDON books out a few days afterwords.

So, no need to fret about that July release in the slightest. Just a few more weeks, folks. Hang tight and do look forward to the inevitable flood of preview pages!

Credit: The Mega Man Network

Mega Man Invades Gameplanet

New Zealand's go-to hub for all things gaming, Gameplanet, is touting a lovely new display at their headquarters entitled Invaded.  The artwork consists of 46 6"x6" canvases, each with their own unique character from Solid Snake and Doomy guy all they way to, you guessed it, Mega Man.

In turn, each canvas represents the pixel on a Space Invader's invader sprite. You can see each and every individual tile at Gameplanet; it's truly a sight to behold!

The artist behind this colorful display is none other than Becky Dreistadt from Tiny Kitten Teeth (http://tinykittenteeth.com/). I'm a pretty big fan of her style, and I'm sure I'm not alone. Plenty more of her artwork can be found at her official website in the above link.

Thanks for the tip, Velguador!

Upon A Star Promo Will Make Your Ears Bleed

I don't know what it is with Mega Man and promotional spots -- they're awful. These brief thirty second ads almost always feature children professing, no, screaming about their love of the blue bomber. The idea sounds cute on paper, but its execution comes off as, well, pretty annoying.

Continuing this tradition is a recently unearthed promotional spot for "Mega Man: Upon A Star", viewable below. This ad, like many before it, once again features children (or at least adult voice actors attempting to sound like children) as they gloat about how spiffy Mega Man is. It gets real bad towards the thirty second mark...

Yikes. Well, thankfully, this promo did not hit airwaves; it was originally attached to programs released on DVD by ADV Films.

One of these days, we'll get ourselves a real commercial. You know, something on par with the quality produced by Japan; those are soooo much cooler than the ones we get in the west.

Thanks for the submission, Jake!

First Look At Zero Minimate

We've seen the schematics, but now it's time for the real deal. ComingSoon.net has scored a sneak peek at Art Asylums' upcoming Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 minimate line, bring us our first look at the Zero figure in the flesh -- er, plastic.

The MvC3 line is looking to release some time in July, according to this display here. It's worth mentioning that Zero will likely be sold in a box set among other MvC3 characters, so don't expect to purchase the guy as a standalone.

Still no sign of the Tron minimate, but she's supposedly on the way, too. I'll keep you posted!

Source: Minimate Multiverse

Zero Collection Goes Budget In Japan

Just one year after its release, Rockman Zero Collection is heading back to market under a new budget price.

On April 21, 2011, Rockman Zero Collection will be re-released under Capcom's "New! Best Price!" label, priced at 2,000 Yen (roughly $23.95 USD). The game itself will remain unchanged from its original 2010 release, save for a slightly alternate packaging.

Usually, Capcom does these best price things in groups so it's a little odd to see Zero Collection all by its lonesome; where's Operate Shooting Star's budget re-release? No sign of that at the moment, but do recall the game was already marketed far below the standard DS game price tag... that and it wasn't a hot seller to begin with.

News Credit: @Rockman Unity

English Voice Recording Begins For Legends 3

Ah, now this is the news I've been waiting for! It goes without saying, but the Mega Man Legends series is home to some of the best voice work ever done for the Mega Man franchise. Ever! That said, I really can't wait to hear the work done for Mega Man Legends 3 -- with, or without the original cast.

According to the U.S Devroom, voice recording has already begun for the English version of the game, starting with the vocalization of series newcomer Aero.  Although Capcom didn't reveal who will be providing the voice for our newest heroine, the actress in question dropped an interesting tease: she's voiced a character from a previous Mega Man game. Coming from the U.S Devroom:

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Q: What prior experience do you have with Mega Man?  What about the Mega Man Legends series specifically?

A: I have actually worked on another game with the MegaMan characters last year and so I became much more familiar with the series that way. Though I was playing a different character for this title, it was still fun to play in the MegaMan world. My husband told me a lot about the characters and the world when I found out I was cast, since I grew up without a TV and missed many shows (especially Japanese animation). I am excited with what a respected franchise it is though.

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Hm... who could she be? We really didn't have ourselves a "vocalized" Mega Man game last year, unless, of course, she's referring to Mega Man Universe whose production would have taken place within 2010. The possibility that she's referring to Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 is something that shouldn't be overlooked, either.

Now that voice recording is taking place, perhaps we should begin to ramp up our support for the return of some of the original cast members? Huge fan of Rob Smith, here, and I'm praying the man will return to voice Teisel Bonne. I'd be great to hear Caroly Larson (Tron) and Tracy Ryan (Roll), too.

If they can't return, well, that's okay in my book. As long as Capcom can continue to uphold the quality of acting Legends is known for, then I think we'll be alright.

More on this story over at the U.S Devroom!

RUMOR: "First Armor" D-Arts Mega Man X Sighted

For the past couple of days, we've been taunted by this ominous armor capsule appearing along side Bandai's D-Arts Mega Man X action figure. What is it exactly? Some kind of fancy display or something else? Tonight, we've got our answer...

As you can see, the capsule does indeed house X's "First Armor" from the original Mega Man X, thus confirming some of our earliest speculations.

Question is, are we looking at an entirely new figure or just the regular ol' D-Arts X wearing interchangeable First Armor parts? Your guess is as good as mine, but one thing is for sure: we aren't supposed to be seeing this. That little sign at the bottom? Yeah, it's meant to deter photography. Whoops!

Hopefully, Bandai will come out with some official news on this soon.

UPDATE: The legitimacy on this one is now in question. Looking back at the original report, we've actually quite a few shots of nothing in the capsule. This new image could be doctored, however, that's not to say this doesn't come from a completely different display at the same event... perhaps one intended for "press only" (hence the 'no photography' warning).

We shall see.

News Credit: /toy/ (thanks, William!)

Want Mega Man In Marvel Vs Capcom 3? It's Time To Make Your Voice Heard

It really goes with out saying, but the lack of any Mega Man incarnation in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 came as a huge, huge surprise. For a character so closely associated with the Capcom brand, his absence is truly unsettling. Thankfully, we can change that. Maybe.

Beginning earlier this week, the Capcom Unity forums have begun accepting character suggestions for upcoming DLC.  Users can vote on a total of five characters for Capcom and Marvel until February 28th. The thread(s) lock during the night, so if you want to speak up you've got to do so during the day.

You're free to suggest any characters that you want, not just Mega Man. However seeing that he is one of if not the most demanded character on the Capcom side, it couldn't hurt to toss him a vote.

This is a massive effort being fueled solely by the fanbase with hundreds upon hundreds of individuals participating. Join in on the action here! (and be sure to read the rules)


News Credit: everyone

Winning Reaverbot Design Revealed

The results are in and we've got a winner for the Mega Man Legends 3 Reaverbot design contest. Out of a total of 400 entries, this is the design the MML3 staff selected...

Meet "Calamity" by Capcom Unity Devroom member kankan. This towering behemoth will go on to be featured within Legends 3 as an actual foe, though the design and concept seems to suggest it'll be a "boss Reaverbot." We'll just have to wait and see!

Congratulations are in order for not only kankan but the runner-ups, as well. You can check out their designs and developer commentary over at Capcom Unity.

If you didn't place in the event, fret not; there's plenty more Legends 3 events on the way! Speaking of which, the easter-egg event is still going... I gotta think up of something soon.

[Capcom Unity]

Auction: Complete Plug-In PET

To those of you who collecting all kinds of rare Mega Man/Rockman merchandise, it doesn't get much more rare than this. Check out this auction for an original Plug-In PET, which comes complete with all accessories. Current price is at a hefty $250 ("buy it now"), however, the seller is willing to negotiate via the "make an offer option." Shipping is, thankfully, free.

The original Plug-In PET toys are pretty hard to come by these days, complete sets especially. The Plug-In PET boasts a lot of neat little features and gimmicks, all summed up quiet nicely in this video review by reader Amir. I highly advise checking it out if you'd like to know more about the device... or just want to see it in action.

Part one of the review is here, part two here.

Thanks, Amir!