Mega Man 9 new info

[dairugger]

http://www.maxconsole.net/?mode=news&newsid=28490

http://kotaku.com/5016414/mega-man-9-rated-surely-coming

http://gaygamer.net/2008/06/mega_man_9.html

seems we may get Mega Man 9 after all. Its been rated & is set for a multi platform release, though that may end up being via digital distribution, ie PSN network, WiiWare, Live.

Personally im pretty excited!, but i dont want digital distribution. As a collector i want the actual physical game to set on my shelf.

Wonder where the story will go..? After so long between the last installment it should be good.

Thoughts?

[ShinobiMan]

Best gaming news I've heard since the announcement of the new Castlevania. This is exciting. A long time coming. Mega Man 8 was a solid addition to the series and I always wondered why it stopped there.

[Sudo]

I'm a huge Mega Man fan, so this is great news to me. I'm glad they're going back to the original numbering scheme, which to me seems like they're taking the franchise back to its roots, which it really needs. I hope it's released as a retail disc for either PS3 or 360, since those are the two consoles I own this gen. ;)

[SpaceHarrier]

That's so awesome! I was just lamenting the lack of a MM9 a mere couple weeks ago, and went so far as to start sketching out new bosses.. (lame right? I know but..)

Anyway I came up with: Cyber Man (old school CRT monitor for head, emoticon face), Thunder Man (you gotta have some kinda electric one, right? He has a round, glass body with one of those electrode things in the center --the ones that you touch the orb and all the electricity arcs toward your hand), and finally Chainsaw Man (two chainsaw arms and large body and thick legs, head kinda looks like its covered by a mask --ala Texas Chainsaw Massacre, of course [or RE4]). I'm sure someone else already thought of all of those before me; I just felt like sharing :P

[Press_Start]

Although the MM Fan in me is ecstatic as heaven, but wonder how Inafune will execute this? Will he similar Megaman Powered-Up or trace back his roots and go with the same approach for Megaman 8 and Megaman & Bass (who some debate as Megaman 9)? Speaking of MM8, will they continue the story was where they left off? I feel it is an interesting element inserted into the Megaman universe as something that could trigger the events leading up to MMX and the perfect thing to start filling in the blanks between MM and MMX.

[dairugger]

i too think they should continue the storyline from MM8, the artbook R2 (rockman 20 years) has a very interesting picture of what the stardroids (duo and the bad robot) looked like before they crashlanded and dr. light rebuilt them.

[Jorpho]

Yes, surely we need more Duo!

[Tommy]

Mega Man 8 was the S**T! Can't wait for this. @_@

[Kitsune Sniper]

Knowing Capcom, this will be the bridge game between the original Mega Man series and the shittacular Battle Network series. Bah.

[jcalder8]

I've only played the MMs on the NES so I'm not too excited for it since I'm not a big MM fan. But my question is: since when have MM games had stories?

[jajaja]

i dont want digital distribution. As a collector i want the actual physical game to set on my shelf.
Thats what i'm thinking as well :) I think its ok if Mega Man 9 only gets a digital distrubution, but i would love to have a physical copy of the game on my shelf as well as you said :)

[kainemaxwell]

Best news I've heard all week!

[izarate]

I've only played the MMs on the NES so I'm not too excited for it since I'm not a big MM fan. But my question is: since when have MM games had stories?

Huh? Since the first one, but you had to look in the manual. I think that Mega Man 4 was the first to have story sequences in game.

[Nirvana]

This is really awesome. I'm a huge fan of the Mega Man series, and I'm definitely looking forward to this.

[exit]

[url]
Personally im pretty excited!, but i dont want digital distribution. As a collector i want the actual physical game to set on my shelf.

Well if they really wanted to, they could possibly release it on a disc for a fair price (yeah right), or release a compilation disc later on with all of their DLC titles on it.

First Street Fighter 4 and now Mega Man 8, this is indeed fantastic news.

[Chuplayer]

OH HELL YEAH!!!

Give it a heavy metal soundtrack... give it a heavy metal soundtrack... give it a heavy metal soundtrack...

[diskoboy]

Finally!! Back to basics, Mega Man.

There is a god, after all.

[Jorpho]

Finally!! Back to basics, Mega Man.

If they insist on throwing in Roll, Bass, Treble, Duo, Rush, Proto Man, and whatshisname from the shop, it's a far cry from the "basics" of yore.

[Chuplayer]

If they insist on throwing in Roll, Bass, Treble, Duo, Rush, Proto Man, and whatshisname from the shop, it's a far cry from the "basics" of yore.

Proto Man was in MM3...

Oh man, I hope they get the Guilty Gear guitarist to do the music for this game. He did this Mega Man 8-bit arrange edition album, and it was wonderful. I can't stand all this techno remix bullshit that proliferates on the internet and in the official collections.

It's like what they did to the music in F-Zero GX. F-Zero X enhanced the sound the first F-Zero set out to do, creating an awesome metal soundtrack, and then GX went and cocked it all up by making it techno. All they needed to do was take the music straight from the F-Zero X Guitar Arrange Edition album and slap it on the GX disc, and they'd have perfection, but no...

[Cryomancer]

If they actually have the balls to call in Mega Man 9 (well, Rockman 9 I suppose...unless it's some english-speaking studio making it...), it should be similar to the older games. When they want to try something radically different they make a new branch. They wouldn't be so dumb as to come back to 9 after all this time and fuck it up, I hope.

[Overbite]

oh wow thanks capcom, we really want another regular megaman game instead of, you know, mega man legends 3. the one the megaman creator himself wants to make but noooo you need to make the 9th game in the series that should have stopped after 3.

[Chuplayer]

oh wow thanks capcom, we really want another regular megaman game instead of, you know, mega man legends 3. the one the megaman creator himself wants to make but noooo you need to make the 9th game in the series that should have stopped after 3.

Mega Man 6 is highly underrated.

[Red Warrior]

oh wow thanks capcom, we really want another regular megaman game instead of, you know, mega man legends 3. the one the megaman creator himself wants to make but noooo you need to make the 9th game in the series that should have stopped after 3.


Mega Man 6 is highly underrated.

My favorite is actually Mega Man 5. Call me crazy.

[kainemaxwell]

Huh? Since the first one, but you had to look in the manual. I think that Mega Man 4 was the first to have story sequences in game.

Actually it was 3 with the story sequence between fighting the Robot Masters and after the Doc Robots (and the ending).

[layzee]

Assuming this game exists, is this a Capcom-USA or Capcom-Japan developed game? Because I can't find any info on Capcom-Japan's website and the Japanese game news links only mention Australia and its ratings body (i.e. OFLC) with no mention of CERO, Japan's ratings body.

By the way, this is the same Australia that is a complete shithole when it comes to game selections/library and game price (not as much the former these days), so I wouldn't trust whatever's coming from there.

I'd rather a Rockman X9 anyway.

[notoriusvig]

I'm one of the few that would play and love every new MM game, even if they released them everyday! Keep everything the same with great graphics and inventive bosses, and I'll be happy. Either that or Capcom should make 9 a Wii exclusive and a FPS.

[Jorpho]

Either that or Capcom should make 9 a Wii exclusive and a FPS.

That would be thoroughly pointless.

[joedick]

http://wii.ign.com/articles/884/884605p1.html

It's coming to WiiWare.

And it's 8-bit :O

[TonyTheTiger]

Splash...woman? Splash...WOMAN!!!! What abomination is this!!!!!

The rest is bliss. Mega Man is one of my favorite series of all time and the thought of getting what amounts to a new NES entry is unbelievable.

[Sudo]

Some more info here. (http://www.rockmanpm.com/) I really hope it comes out on PSN/XBLA as well, since I sold my Wii back in February and don't want to have to get another one just for this.

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

Its classic graphical style is a wonder to behold in this day and age.

I sincerely hope this sparks a new trend of TRULY retro-looking downloadble games on the Wii and elsewhere.

[TonyTheTiger]

I think the only downside is I won't have an actual...game. Just what amounts to a rom on my Wii's internal flash. Like the phantom Mega Man game.

[Red Warrior]

I'm downloading that! I don't care if it's 50 bucks! I'm DOWNLOADING IT!!

The only thing that could POSSIBLY top this would be a new 8bit or 16bit Metroid title in the same fashion. A man can dream I guess...

[Frankie_Says_Relax]

I think the only downside is I won't have an actual...game. Just what amounts to a rom on my Wii's internal flash. Like the phantom Mega Man game.

You could buy a 2nd Wii, download only that game onto it, delete all the other Wii channels and paint the outside to look like an NES cartridge.

[ShinobiMan]

I am SO EXCITED. This is one of the most amazing developments in gaming history. A company like Capcom, making a NEW Mega Man 8-bit game. This reaks of awesomeness.

[Chuplayer]

Crap, now I've got to get a Wii.

[vintagegamecrazy]

That's great news. Maybe it'll even play off of MM & Bass. As soon as I jump on the current console bandwagon I will get this.

[Amnion-Chorion]

Holy crap. I'm so incredibly excited for this. Now all we need is Mega Man X9 in SNES-style and I'll be in gaming heaven.

[ShinobiMan]

I found the whole article about it here:

http://wii.kombo.com/article.php?artid=12136

Dreams do come true. The new issue of Nintendo Power is hitting mailboxes, and inside is the scoop on what we've been waiting for: Solid, concrete proof of Mega Man 9.

While there is no confirmation yet of its existence as a game for Xbox Live Arcade or the PlayStation Network, at least we do now know that it will be a downloadable game in a place where it most makes sense: WiiWare.

Further, the rumors of an 8-bit artstyle were not only true, but quite literal: So far, this looks just like one of the NES games, rather than the later fare of Mega Man 7 and Mega Man 8, each of which has its fans and detractors.

http://blue-bomber.jvmwriter.org/MM9/1.PNG

So what's the story? Apparently the rumor of a more "standard" story holds true as well, as robots are on the rampage, and Dr. Wily is back; only this time, he says that the robot attacks are the fault of Mega Man's creator, Dr. Light. And so it falls to Mega Man to prove his creator's innocence.

So who are the bad boys of metal musculature causing this high-tech havoc? The roster reads thusly: Magma Man, Galaxy Man, Jewel Man, Concrete Man, Hornet Man, Plug Man, Tornado Man, and Splash... Woman?

They each inhabit a trap-filled lair that reflects their respective themes, leading to Mega Man traversing molten material in Magma Man's domain, while Tornado Man's stage features spinning magnetic platforms which allow the Blue Bomber to defy gravity. And Plug Man's stage features certain walls that will force the Titanium Titan to square off against shadowy dopplegangers when he walks past.

http://blue-bomber.jvmwriter.org/MM9/3.PNG

And of course, when a Robot Master gets pwned, Mega Man will acquire their special weapons for his own personal arsenal, such as Galaxy Man's Black Hole Bombs, for which he'll have to find the next boss in line to whom it works against. Hmm, Black Hole Bomb? I bet Hornet Man might have a hard time escaping that...

The article also provides some insights from franchise mastermind Keiji Inafune of Capcom, who these days is perhaps better known for such fare as Onimusha, Dead Rising, and Lost Planet. According to Inafune, the simple fun of a classic Mega Man game "doesn't fit into the grandiose and expansive world that the consumer gaming industry has become, and so you have to make games that match the current expectations."

He goes on to say that if he did push to have a new game like the classic Mega Man made, it would be criticized for things like being simplistic, outdated, or too expensive, thus making it too difficult to bring it out in the current climate. And that's where programs like WiiWare come in, from which the popularity of retrogaming services such as the Virtual Console lead to the group to decide to make a new "NES" game.

http://blue-bomber.jvmwriter.org/MM9/8.PNG

The new game is being developed by Inti Creates, who have a wealth of experience in the Mega Man franchise with their creation of the Mega Man Zero and ZX titles, plus MegaMan Battle Chip Challenge. In addition, to celebrate Mega Man's 20th anniversary, Mega Man ZX Advent featured a mini game of three levels made in the NES Mega Man style.

For controlling the Blue Bomber, players will be able to hold the Wii Remote sideways in NES-style, with the control pad moving Mega Man and the two buttons set to Jump and Fire. Doesn't look like there will be any flashy shaking going on here.

But while he says there are no new mechanical devices for Mega Man to obtain, Inafune states that the robodog Rush makes a triumphant return, as they wanted to make sure some of the other classic characters are in.

http://blue-bomber.jvmwriter.org/MM9/9.PNG

The reason for the return to NES-style graphics is due to the desire to please longtime fans who wanted to play a new game that was like the originals. In addition, the popularity of retro graphics on things like t-shirts and other paraphernalia "made it seem like the right time" to bring out an oldschool game. Plus, they wanted to show what the upper-limits of 8-bit graphics could do.

But will we get to see an 8-bit Bass and Treble?

And in addition to the graphics, the music will be styled in an 8-bit fashion, as well as 8-bit styled cinema cutscenes. "I am sure when people see the opening scenes- new content with 8-bit graphics- they're going to be very excited."

In terms of difficulty, Inafune says they aren't holding back for players whose reflexes might have deteriorated over the years, but they will try to keep it as close to that of the NES games as possible. Sounds good to me.

While the "cycloptic monsters" (aka Devils) won't be in, Inafune promises lots of exciting new bosses, plus the return of mainstay series cannon-fodder such as Sniper Joes and Mets.

Rumors suggested that Mega Man's mysterious older brother, Proto Man, would be playable, but when asked of other playable characters, Inafune said that it's classified; "you'll have to wait and see."

http://blue-bomber.jvmwriter.org/MM9/2.PNG

With Mega Man 2 as the most highly regarded of the series, Inafune states that he'd like to surpass that with this game, and hopefully be able to make "a whole lot more."

And finally, to the Mega Man fans, he says: "The moment you've been waiting for is here! We're not just giving you Mega Man 9, we're giving you a new NES game. This is a game that brings back the fun of the old games, and I hope you all enjoy it!"

Be sure to check out The Mega Man Network for the other scans from the article and a peek at the included screens, and check out the new issue of Nintendo Power for the full interview.

[davidbrit2]

This just zoomed to the top of my must-have list in record time. I've beaten all six original Mega Man games for the NES. Now it looks like there's going to be one more to tackle.

I wonder if they'll use the old blue/red dot passwords. ;)

[rkotm]

absolutely amazing. i was thinking a month ago if current game companies made new games for old consoles on wiis VC.. but certainly wasnt expecting this series. im glad Inafune is taking a break from the zero games and getting back to what matters. Floored. Inafune wants to top mM2? and add a playable protoman AND cutscenes??????? i hope it ends the MM storylines and adds closure to what happened to wily and MM, but thatd take away from MM's adventures.

[Atari 5200]

Truly fucking awesome.

[TonyTheTiger]

Seriously. This game is easily #1 of my most anticipated of 2008. Soared past all the other ones the second I saw the first image. I've never gotten into Battle Network but the original and X series have always been loves of mine.

[Rob2600]

thanks capcom, we really want another regular megaman game instead of, you know, mega man legends 3. the one the megaman creator himself wants to make but noooo you need to make the 9th game in the series that should have stopped after 3.

Mega Man Legends 3? Seriously?


Give it a heavy metal soundtrack... give it a heavy metal soundtrack... give it a heavy metal soundtrack...

No way. It needs an 8-bit NES soundtrack!

[kainemaxwell]

I'm excitied for this. It's been a long time coming and good to see Capcom listening to the fans.

Splash Woman...?!

[Jorpho]

Hee hee, Jewel Man.

"Faberge Egg Man? Rolls-Royce Man? JEWEL MAN!?" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpP_BKPa5Oc)

[Cobra Commander]

It really shows the difference in this place verus somewhere like IGN. Lots of posts hating it already for 8-bit graphics. One guy even called Capcom "lazy". Lazy? You've got to be kidding me. This is some of the coolest news I've heard in ages.
I'm not just going to buy it, I'm going to buy the FUCK out of it.

[RegSNES]

Best. Gaming. News. Ever.

Now how exactly will they torment us with appearing/disappearing blocks and spikes?

[PentiumMMX]

My favorite is actually Mega Man 5. Call me crazy.

I liked MM5 as well. A major improvement over 4.

Anyway, this news on Mega Man 9 has got me excited. Now if only Rareware will announce Diddy Kong Racing 2...

[Chuplayer]

I liked MM5 as well. A major improvement over 4.

Anyway, this news on Mega Man 9 has got me excited. Now if only Rareware will announce Diddy Kong Racing 2...

They're with M$ now.

That "to be continued" pisses me off to no end, too.

[Sudo]

It seems the game is going to be coming to XBLA and PSN (http://360.kombo.com/article.php?artid=13283) as well. I'm glad, as I didn't really want to buy another Wii just to be able to play this.

[RegSNES]

MM5 is a good MM game that is unfortunately underrated. IMO, the classic series really didn't got south until MM6.

[joedick]

whoops....it's back to wiiware only...


Update: Capcom pinged us to let us know that the game is currently slated "for WiiWare only" and that the information data indicating otherwise in the E3 roster was a mistake on its part.



http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/06/27/megaman-9-to-be-the-first-game-to-hit-wiiware-xbla-and-psn

[TonyTheTiger]

MM5 is a good MM game that is unfortunately underrated. IMO, the classic series really didn't got south until MM6.

I find Mega Man 4 to be the real low point in the series. My favorites are 2, 3, and 5. I think I might even prefer Mega Man 7 and 8 to 4. Though they both do that stupid thing with only letting you pick from four robot masters which I find idiotic.

[Sudo]

whoops....it's back to wiiware only...





http://arstechnica.com/journals/thumbs.ars/2008/06/27/megaman-9-to-be-the-first-game-to-hit-wiiware-xbla-and-psn

I'd be willing to bet that it will still come to PSN and XBLA. Capcom doesn't really do exclusitivity anymore these days when there's a buck to be had.

[Icarus Moonsight]

Absolutely spectacular! Pure genius, going back to 8-bit and doin' it right!!!

Hopefully, this sells like gangbusters and we get more BRAND NEW 8 and 16-bit games. Maybe a Bionic Commando I can give two shits about and so much more other goodies! I love the possibilities of the new direction this could bring all us old farts. LOL
Holy crap on a stick... I'm quaking with anticipation! :bday:

[Sudo]

GamesRadar (http://www.gamesradar.com/wii/mega-man-9-wiiware/preview/mega-man-9-exclusive-reveal/a-20080702154756565049/g-20080626165055938021) has the first hands-on and screenshots of the game. It really does look exactly like an NES game. I'm praying that Capcom will announce its release on XBLA/PSN at E3, as I really don't want to have to even bother buying another Wii at this point unless Nintendo announces Kid Icarus and it actually looks good.

[Guru of Time and Space]

Holy SHIT.

-GoTaS

[PentiumMMX]

GamesRadar (http://www.gamesradar.com/wii/mega-man-9-wiiware/preview/mega-man-9-exclusive-reveal/a-20080702154756565049/g-20080626165055938021) has the first hands-on and screenshots of the game. It really does look exactly like an NES game. I'm praying that Capcom will announce its release on XBLA/PSN at E3, as I really don't want to have to even bother buying another Wii at this point unless Nintendo announces Kid Icarus and it actually looks good.

The link isn't working for me.

[captainfrieza]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpP_BKPa5Oc

Thought that was funny. Anyways, I do hope that they make a game similar to the nes versions.

[Eteric Rice]

This is probably going to remain Wiiware exclusive. For one, it's likely native 480p, and I don't think PSN or XBL accept anything under 720p. Second, since it's native resolution would be 480p, in order to make it an HD game, it would have to be completely redone. I mean completely, not just resized or something.

So yeah, looks like some of you guys shouldn't have sold that Wii.

I TOLD YA NOT TO, BUT YA DIDN'T BELIEVE ME. WHHHHY DIDN'T YA BELIEVE ME!? :P

This, Samba, the new Run Factory, Fragile, Arc Rise Fantasia, Tales of Symphonia sequel, etc, will keep me busy for quite a while. The Wii is finally coming into it's own. :)

[Rob2600]

I TOLD YA NOT TO, BUT YA DIDN'T BELIEVE ME. WHHHHY DIDN'T YA BELIEVE ME!?

That's very funny, a fly marrying a bumblebee. :)

[AVTERA]

im a big fan of maga man i have played all classic & the new one hope this will be the best

[Volcanon]

yes, 2, 3, and 5 were the best. 6 wasn't bad although it just didn't feel as good. 4 was fairly meh. 1 was good but hard (although actually the robot masters had some pretty awful AI once you figured out how to abuse it).

[Eteric Rice]

That's very funny, a fly marrying a bumblebee. :)

Ren & Stimpy reference. :P

[Icarus Moonsight]

To those saddened now, by having sold their Wii;

I'll teach you to be happy! I'll teach your grandmother to suck eggs!

You! You covet my ice cream BAR!!!

Y'all former Wii owners, "No sir... I don't like it."


Ren & Stimpy reference. :P

Sorry, I took that as a request for more. LOL

[Jorpho]

This is probably going to remain Wiiware exclusive. For one, it's likely native 480p, and I don't think PSN or XBL accept anything under 720p. Second, since it's native resolution would be 480p, in order to make it an HD game, it would have to be completely redone. I mean completely, not just resized or something.

There are plenty of ways to upscale stuff. Of course, not everyone likes the results, but it can be done nonetheless.

[Eteric Rice]

There are plenty of ways to upscale stuff. Of course, not everyone likes the results, but it can be done nonetheless.

I'm not sure if it would work really well for something that is 8-bit though.

[Oobgarm]

I hadn't kept up on this, figuring we'd hear more about it at E3. But after glancing through the new Nintendo Power, I was completely and uttery beside myself with joy.

I know this would never run on an NES, but it would be incredibly awesome for Capcom to put out an MM9 NES cart that came with a voucher to download the game, kind of like a 'premium edition' or somesuch. Even if the cart didn't function, I bet you they'd sell a shit-ton of them.

[kainemaxwell]

Actual footage:
http://kotaku.com/5022413/lets-watch-the-first-mega-man-9-footage

[Oobgarm]

Commence pants-shitting.

[GM80]

I noticed that the enemy sprites disappear when the screen scrolls, just like they do on NES hardware due to system limitations. That has me wondering ...

Is this "fake 8-bit" as in "we're using a modern development environment to create a game with a vintage look" or "real 8-bit" as in "we're actually running this game in an NES emulator?"

It's an academic distinction, but seeing the sprites disappear hints at a huge dedication to authenticity if this is "fake 8-bit." They would have actually had to program that effect.

[calgon]

How great would it be if they released this on wiiare AND a NES cartridge. It would probably sell just fine.

I'm suspecting we will see cameo's in robotmasters/level designs from mm 1-6.

[SpaceHarrier]

How great would it be if they released this on wiiare AND a NES cartridge. It would probably sell just fine.



Oh heck yeah! I'm sure if they did though, it would of course be extremely Limited Edition, Japan only *_*

[RegSNES]

Hmm, the sound effects are straight out of MM1-2. Looks like he climbs the ladders fast, though. After climbing ladders fast in MM3-6, slow climbing just sucks. And man, that music is catchy.