Destructoid Talks Archie’s Mega Man With Ian Flynn

Destructoid's local Mega Man fan Tony Ponce had a little sit time to chat with the writer of Archie's Mega Man, Ian Flynn. There, Ian strongly hints at incorporations of the classic Game Boy games, giving Roll a more proactive role in the future, and the prospect of seeing brand-new Robot Masters, among other topics.

Here's a small taste of the interview:

Before we begin, I think some congratulations are in order. Mega Man #9 is out this month, which means you've just lapped the Dreamwave comic [short-run series that was cancelled once the studio closed]! Good for you guys!

Ha ha ha! Well, it's easy when you've got such a kickass team to back you up. Have you seen Ben Bate's pages? Good lord, man. He's phenomenal!

I'm glad things are going swimmingly. For a while, I was worried about the comic's future. I had heard something about low newsstand numbers.

If I recall correctly, I think that was MM #3, and that was a shipping issue. Actually, MM has been doing very well -- #2 broke the usual trend in comics by outselling #1. MM is doing very well, so no worries there!

And that's all while Capcom keeps CANCELLING EVERYTHING.
Actually, it was Capcom who brought the idea of a comic to us. They've been crazy supportive of the project. I know the rash of game cancellations looks suspect, but they've been nothing but cool with us.

Hear that? The comic is doing juuust fine. I know that has been a bit of a stresser for some of you, but rest easy; it's not going anywhere.

You can read the full interview here. Thanks for the heads up, Tony!

Mega Man and Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works Restocked

Exorbitant Amazon prices begone! UDON Entertainment's splendid art books, Mega Man: Official Complete Works and Mega Man Zero: Official Complete Works, are now back in stock, fresh from the printer.

The good word comes directly from the UDON crew:

"Mega Man fans Rejoice! The news that you’ve been waiting for is here, as Mega Man Official Complete Works is now back in print. We realize this book is going for some pretty crazy prices right now, and we’re just as happy as you are that there are now copies available for purchase at cover price. We’ve also just reprinted Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works and Okami Official Complete Works.

The books will be making their way to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, an other online outlets within the next two to three weeks. If for some reason you'd rather pick up them up in-store, you can go ahead and request a special order via the Comic Shop Locater. Grab the order codes at the UDON blog here.

Thanks for the tip, Tim!

New Mega Man Plush To Cuddle

GE Animation have been making good use of their Mega Man license with all sorts of little trinkets, posters and apparel. Now their looking to produce what is hopefully the first in a line huggable paraphernalia.

It's soft. It's cuddly. It's downright adorable. It's the official Mega Man Powered Up plush.

This little guy is due for distribution in late April. At present, we've no idea just how large or how small the plush is, so your guess is as good as mine. I imagine size will play a large factor in pricing, which has yet to-be-determined.

GE Animation's Mega Man products tend to surface at specialty pop culture retailers, both in-store and online. Keep your eyes pealed and your radar primed come late April/early May!

Source: Video Game Memorabilia Museum (via GoNintendo)

Mega Man Playable In Street Fighter X Tekken? Seems Like It

Well, we saw this one coming. Jump to 3:09 below for a little tease...

Let's see that again.

No doubt, that's Pac-Man and... an anatomically correct Mega Man? Could be Frank West in his Mega Man duds, but I'm beginning to wonder if Lupinko's "Bad Box Art" Mega Man comment holds some credence...

What say you, keen-eyed fans?

Source: Capcom Europe

Mega Man Saves the Mushroom Kingdom Again In Super Mario Bros. Crossover 2

The sensational video game mash-up that swept the internet in 2010 is back. Mega Man and the likes of other gaming icons return to yield the perils of the Mushroom Kingdom in the upcoming sequel, Super Mario Bros. Crossover 2.

If it wasn't apparent enough, Crossover 2 boast spiffy new 16-bit era graphics, which is just awesome-sauce. The game will be available in a couple of months, playable directly at Exploding Rabbit. If you loved the first, you'll no doubt dig this outing.

Thanks for the tip, Jimb0!

Iwamoto Fan? You Could Win a D-Arts X Comic Version!

Our friends at The Mega Man Network have kicked off a pretty tantalizingly contest for fans of Yoshihiro Iwamoto’s Rockman X manga. Simply prove your Mega Man mastery, and you could win an honorary, free Rockman X “Comic Version” figure!

The rules are quite simple:

"You make whatever you want to show tribute to Yoshihiro Iwamoto’s Rockman X manga. It can be artwork, or a comic, or a video; anything you like! It simply must reference the manga. Show your fandom to win! You have until February 5th at midnight, PST to send us your entry, so get to it!"

By and large, this is a tribute contest, so you're free to whip up anything that best represents your passion for the Blue Bomber. Paintings, sculptures, cosplay; leave no stone unturned! This is your time to shine!

Hit the above link for full contest rules and regulations. Best of luck, everyone! Should time allow, I might go ahead and join in myself!

Vote For The Next D-Arts Figures From Bandai!

Bandai/Bluefin wants to know what direction to take the Mega Man D-Arts line next, and they need your help! The toy manufacturer is now accepting ideas for which Mega Man characters you’d like to see a D-Arts action figure of. Your mission is officially a go!

The event, which will ultimately determine the next D-Arts product(s), is split between two polls:

Poll 1: "We are letting fans add their own choices to vote on possible future figure releases along with some of our choices. Fans will vote on our Facebook page and we will take the top 7 highest polling numbers. We expect to see all sorts of character names thrown on here and will be quite interesting to see since it will be open to ALL megaman games/universes. This poll will be open for 1 week starting Jan 16, 2012 until Jan 23, 2012."

Poll 2: "The top 7 from the previous poll will be put on a new poll in order to measure the level of desirability among those seven. This won't have an official end date."

You're pretty much free to suggest ideas for anything. No matter how obscure the character -- be it Eddie, Nana, iX, or the Green Biker Dude -- Bandai and Bluefin want to hear your voice! Simply drop a comment at this Facebook post and hope for the best.

National Public Radio Interviews Get Me Off the Moon

The 100,000 Strong for Mega Man Legends 3 Facebook group has posted a very special update to their page. In an effort to get the word out about the movement, International Strategies Leader Matt Papa scored an interview with one of the largest radio stations in the country: National Public Radio (NPR).

"While I was not able to secure as many interviews as I would have liked to, we WERE interviewed by easily the biggest name at the entire con: National Public Radio," reports Matt from the MAGFest floor. "That's right dudes, NPR interviewed us about 100,000 Strong AND Mega Man Legends 3 to put in a segment they are doing on MAGFest!"

According to Matt, the MAGFest feature won't air for another few weeks. In the meantime, we're told to keep a close eye on NPR's schedule for when the segment airs. Of course, I'll be sure to give everyone a reminder, too, when the date draws closer.

About 34 million people tune into NPR programming each week. So, yeah; the fight for Legends 3's reinstatement just got a whole lot more interesting. A little mainstream exposure could go a long way. Best of luck, Team Legends!

Source: Get Me Off the Moon

Bandai's Got A Mission For You

I've a bit of an interesting tease for you all this afternoon. Earlier today, I received word directly from Bandai regarding a very special opportunity for Mega Man fans coming down the pike that's, well, pretty awesome.
 
I can't really dig into specifics at the moment, but I will say that you may want to keep close watch on Bluefin Tamashii's official Facebook page. There, an announcement will be made in the near future that will involve the participation of U.S fans. You will be presented with a tantalizing task that will directly influence something Mega Man related coming from the fine folks at Bandai. New D-Arts, perhaps? I can't say.

So, yeah, chew on that for a while. In the meantime, I suggest you scope out Bluefin Tamashii's Twitter. There's a couple clues lurking around there that will help you get a better idea of the forthcoming task. They're not too hard to find, especially if you're well versed in the traditions of Bandai's past cooperative efforts with certain fan bases.

Stay tuned!

Mega Man 25th Anniversary Logo Leaked

Persistent Rockman Corner reader Pedro has made a profound discovery withing the guts of the recently released Mega Man X iOS port. Picking apart the contents of the code, Pedro succeeded in decrypting and opening the graphic files used by the game; he was surprised to discover following images...

Why, it's the official 25th anniversary logo! Spiffy, no? A little plain for my tastes, but for all we know, this could be a work-in-progress/placeholder design. Mind you, we aren't suppose to be seeing this right now.

As per usual, the logo will probably be used to promote products and events related to the Blue Bomber's 25th. Previous anniversary logos have adorned everything from games and books, to commemorative food products. If this is indeed the final design, be prepared to see it grace everything released under the IP throughout the year.

Specific plans for the anniversary have yet to be disclosed by Capcom; however, we do know that things are on the burner. According to Christian Svensson, Capcom are currently in the process of planning "things" to commemorate the occasion:

"25th for MM and 25th for Street Fighter next year. "Both will have "things" to commemorate the occasion. Exactly what is in planning stages but the are solid ideas already being batted around I hope you guys will like. But please bear in mind, they won't happen until some time in our next fiscal year begins mostly (so still a good ways away)."

Next fiscal year officially kicks off around March 31st, 2012.  I advise you continue to keep your expectations in check until we have a better idea of what, exactly, these "things" may be. Nevertheless, the logo is an ensuring sign of things to come.

Mega Man and Sonic Team Up to Fight Cystic Fibrosis

A blue robot and a blue hedgehog working together? It's a crossover Archie Comics have been mulling over, but for now you'll have to make do with this: an original sketch of the dynamic duo drawn and signed by Archie's Ben Bates.

Elveen's Comics and Collectibles has opted to put up the exclusive sketch of Mega Man and Sonic the Hedgehog up for auction in order to raise money for charity. Once the auction is closed and set, all benefits will go to Team Alyssa, a charity committed to fighting Cystic Fibrosis; a debilitating disease with sufferers requiring ongoing support with their health.

The bidding begins at $9.99, with six days and four hours left to go. If you’re interested in taking part, you’ll find the auction on eBay here. It's a splendid sketch that will look great on any collector's mantle! I wish Elveen's the best of luck in reaching their goal for a worthy cause.

Thanks for the tip, Mac!

Rokko Chan Art Book, Soundtrack Now Available (Updated)

Last week, we were introduced to Rokko Chan, a charming Mega Man clone that features a female Blue Bomber. Prompted by the game's success and cult following, developer King has graciously released a pair of goodies you may want to check out.

The official Rokko Chan art book (sampled above) is available for your consumption on this page. Inside, you'll find an abundance of images from Rokko Chan's development. There's some conceptual designs, 3D renderings, sprites, and even a few kooky surprises thrown in. Unfortunately, the 22-page book is entirely flash-based. A high resolution PDF version is not readily available at this time. Even so, it's a delight to behold. UPDATE: Here's a rip, courtesy of GeminiSaint!

If you fancied Rokko Chan's excellent chiptune soundtrack, you'll be pleased to know the soundtrack has gone live. Grab it here and typed the word "rokko" into the blank field at the top, and press the button directly underneath. The page should open a link to download the soundtrack. If that fails after five seconds, click the link that reads "こちら".

Enjoy, folks! And if you haven't played Rokko Chan yet... well, what are you waiting for? Give it a spin here!

Thanks for the tip, Jeff!