Capcom is releasing some totally great stuff to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the first Rockman game (way back when it had scores). We're happy not just because it's rad, but because it focuses on the for-real Blue Bomber and not on one of the scores of Mega Man-litesCapcom has spun off over the years.
Unfortunately, we can't tell if the limited-edition items -- including t-shirts, scarves (!) and phone straps -- will be made available online or only at the special Rockman event held in Ikebukuro on the 18th. We would at least like a shot at ordering one of these jackets. We're cold.
So long as we're spending a whole week assailing you with links about Link, we thought we'd share with you one of the best fan-made art pieces we've seen for the green-capped adventurer. Jainai Jeffries created this amazing realistic envisioning of Link last year, posing him on a tree porcupined with red-fletched arrows. Past the post break, you can check out an uncolored version of the above image and several other video game reinterpretations Jainai has illustrated.
The DS "punch card" is such an elegant idea for a card input. Rather than requiring a card reader or a camera to take pictures of the cards, you just stick the card on the screen and touch the screen through holes in the card. Spectrobes and Monster Rancher both take advantage of this extremely inexpensive feature, and Capcom has picked up on the idea for their sequel to Mega Man Star Force. Two such cards will be given as a preorder bonus in Japan, each of which unlocks a suit (and corresponding weird animal-head arm).
Capcom was smart enough not to include the positions of the holes on the preview images, so unscrupulous people like us can't print out the cards and do it ourselves. Not that it really matters with a free bonus item.
One lucky fan got his black DS Lite signed by Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune at the recent New York City event, and thanks to him, another "lucky" fan will be able to buy it. Not only did Inafune scribble on the device incomprehensibly, he drew an adorable rendition of one of the series' signature enemies, the Metool/Mettaur/Hard Hat/whatever they're calling the little guy these days.
The current bid is only $50, which is a steal for any DS Lite, much less one bearing the mark of one of the most influential figures in game history. The price will no doubt change as people like us publicize this.
Capcom announced that the new Mega Man series website has launched, and, well, it's a little bit small in scope. Mega Man Star Force's iteration of the Blue Bomber is front and center on every page, and almost all of the downloads and activities feature that guy, instead of a real Mega Man. Not that Star Force isn't great, but this is supposed to be a 20th Anniversary thing.
That said, there are some cute features on here, like a character-art matching game, downloadable book covers and a wallpaper generator that lets you arrange characters and choose your own background image. Take advantage of the fact that you have a regular hand instead of some kind of robot head, which should greatly benefit your computer use!
With this week's releases consisting of different games starring a robotic boy, if you're looking for a new game then you best be a fan of Capcom's Mega Man franchise. If you aren't (we'll pretend we didn't hear that), what games will you plan on rocking this weekend? We know if you live in Japan, you'll have plenty to play. Then again, if you live in Japan, you're probably a spoiled jerk.
Sorry, our jealousy gets the best of us sometimes.
Dr. Light is a terrible parent. If we were taking care of a boy robot, we'd tell him to stay out of Dr. Wily's castle, because it's dangerous and full of those springy helicopter-head things. "Don't forget your Crash Bombs," we'd tell him as he headed out to Flash Man's level. We'd always pack a couple of extra E-Tanks in with his lunch.
Most importantly, we'd make sure Mega Man had a warm, cozy blanket, possibly with his own likeness on it. We don't want our poor fighting robot child to get cold. We love you, Mega Man.
Tonight, Keiji Infaune (you know, the guy who created Mega Man) will be on hand to sign autographs and meet fans. This is all going down across the street from the Manhatten mall, so if you have a good lay of the land, we suggest you head on over and get the man's John Hancock. We would, if we happened to live in NYC.
Want a little Mega Man in your life? We sure hope so if you're looking for a new game this week, because it seems that's what there is. And perhaps Pet Alien, which didn't seem to make it out last week.
Mega Man Star Force Dragon
Mega Man Star Force Leo
Mega Man Star Force Pegasus
Pet Alien
To see what's coming out in the rest of the world this week, take a stroll past the break.
Alright, troops, here's the situation. Capcom has put up a poll on its Rockman 20th Anniversary site, asking readers which system they'd like to see the Blue Bomber appear on next. Normally, we'd leave these matters to the general public, but our arch-enemies, the villains at PSP Fanboy, saw fit to invade the ballot, tilting the vote in their favor.
Despite a long-standing peace with our handheld opposites, we will not stand for this aggression. As Americans -- no, as DS owners -- it is our duty to ensure that our portable has a fighting chance to receive every worthwhile title. Also, according to reports from our intelligence sources, we have reason to believe that the next Mega Man game is in possession of LMDs.
Some would reason that the Nintendo DS already has enoughMega Mangames, and that the PSP deserves this opportunity to build upon its software library. Well, let's just say that we still haven't gotten over not receiving Mega Man Maverick Hunter X. We assure you, Capcom will greet us as liberators! Check past the post break for instructions on how to cast your vote and win this war!
If 1UP's Mega Manniversary bonanza last May wasn't enough of the Blue Bomber for you, Capcom has put together a compilation video celebrating two decades of Mega Man titles. The five-and-a-half-minute tribute doesn't go through every last entry of the extensive series, but it does take care to cover dozens of Mega Man's adventures from his infant years on the NES all the way up to his ZX Advent antics on the DS. Thankfully, the movie skips right over Mega Man & Bass.
If you're planning on attending Comic-Con, you might want to pack your copy of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Why? Well, the game's producer Minae Matsukawa, will be on-hand to sign autographs. If you're as obsessed with the lawyer-em-up titles as we are, then such a prospect is reason enough to attend.
Outside of that, Capcom will be bringing lots of their products to the show, apparently. Game stations with DS titles Mega Man Star Force, Mega Man ZX Advent, and Ace Attorney will also be on-hand to enjoy. And, you can even have your photo taken with Mega Man and Harvey Birdman!
While we'd like to attend, unfortunately the airlines won't let us fly with our shackles on (driving is an option, but iron shackles really kill our gas mileage). And, while we'd like to take them off, our Joystiq overlords would never allow it, for we would be free to run away as fast as we can.
Stupid names. Who needs 'em? We never did. Growing up, we never talked about moblins or lynel in The Legend of Zelda. We talked about the spear dudes and those stupid #*@&$^) centaur guys (except with more colorful metaphors). We were dirty, dirty children who shouldn't have been allowed to mix with the other children. But the point is, manual-reading aside, the official names for creatures in video games just never seemed to stick with us. Oh, maybe some (evil) people could summon the precise names for Lakitus and Metools, but we were not those people.
This is why we like Castlevania. You know what a Fish Head is? It's a freakin' fish-headed monster. Even we can remember that. But what about you?
Striking while Mega Man ZX is still fresh in our minds (and our Sales posts), Capcom has two new commercials advertising the action platformer's sequel, Mega Man ZX Advent, for its Japan release this July 12th. The US version won't arrive until October, but we love to oversaturate our minds with previews and media to the point where we lose interest in a game long before it even hits store shelves. Depressing, isn't it?
If you enjoyed the anime cut-scenes that were scattered throughout Mega Man ZX, you'll be happy to see their return with these clips of Grey -- one of the two new heroes in Advent -- dodging about a jillion bullets and lasers. Jump past the post break and defeat one of the Pseudoroid bosses for the video.
Online import shop Play Asia is trying to lighten its stock of mega-robot guys, hosting a week-long sale on RockMan 3 Zero. Capcom's GBA action-platformer has been discounted to $9.90, almost a fifth of its original price! RockMan 2 Zero boasts a similar discount as a limited time offer, but you get an additional dollar off if you bundle the two games together for your order, bringing the total cost to $18.80.
Want a little Mega Man in your life? We sure hope so if you're looking for a new game this week, because it seems that's what there is. And perhaps Pet Alien, which didn't seem to make it out last week. 
If 1UP's Mega Manniversary bonanza last May wasn't enough of the Blue Bomber for you, Capcom has put together a compilation video celebrating two decades of Mega Man titles. The five-and-a-half-minute tribute doesn't go through every last entry of the extensive series, but it does take care to cover dozens of Mega Man's adventures from his infant years on the NES all the way up to his ZX Advent antics on the DS. Thankfully, the movie skips right over Mega Man & Bass.
If you're planning on attending Comic-Con, you might want to pack your copy of Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Why? Well, the game's producer Minae Matsukawa, will be on-hand to sign autographs. If you're as obsessed with the lawyer-em-up titles as we are, then such a prospect is reason enough to attend.
Stupid names. Who needs 'em? We never did. Growing up, we never talked about moblins or lynel in The Legend of Zelda. We talked about the spear dudes and those stupid #*@&$^) centaur guys (except with more colorful metaphors). We were dirty, dirty children who shouldn't have been allowed to mix with the other children. But the point is, manual-reading aside, the official names for creatures in video games just never seemed to stick with us. Oh, maybe some (evil) people could summon the precise names for Lakitus and Metools, but we were not those people.
Striking while Mega Man ZX is still fresh in our minds (and our Sales posts), Capcom has two new commercials advertising the action platformer's sequel, Mega Man ZX Advent, for its Japan release this July 12th. The US version won't arrive until October, but we love to oversaturate our minds with previews and media to the point where we lose interest in a game long before it even hits store shelves. Depressing, isn't it?
Online import shop Play Asia is trying to lighten its stock of mega-robot guys, hosting a week-long sale on RockMan 3 Zero. Capcom's GBA action-platformer has been discounted to $9.90, almost a fifth of its original price! RockMan 2 Zero boasts a similar discount as a limited time offer, but you get an additional dollar off if you bundle the two games together for your order, bringing the total cost to $18.80.
