Tag: Mega Man

SDCC 2017: Updates Abound At the World Of Capcom Panel

by Natalie Kipper

At San Diego Comic-Con’s World of Capcom panel, con attendees were regaled with news from the gaming realms of Monster Hunter, Marvel Vs. Capcom, Street Fighter, Mega Man, and Resident Evil. The panel was basically a “here’s what’s next” showcase and there was a lot of applause when each new title was brought up.

The first on the docket was Monster Hunter: World, launching globally in early 2018. This portion started off with a trailer for the game after which one of the panelists, Tristan Corbett, briefly explained what makes this title stand out. Of course, there will be brand-new monsters to hunt along with old favorites. The game’s ecosystem, with its vegetation and where monsters graze or hunt, is now crucial to survival and hunting strategy. The different environments will affect how the player chooses to hunt. This new title will also feature global online servers as well as drop-in online multiplayer. For more information on Monster Hunter: World, attendees were encouraged to stick around for its dedicated panel coming up after the World of Capcom one (you can read all about it here).

Next up was Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite. They opened this section by revealing several new additions to the game’s roster. Joining the already diverse group of fighters are Spiderman, Haggar (Final Fight), Frank West (Dead Rising), Nemesis (Resident Evil), Gamora, and Thanos. They noted that pre-ordering the game will net you exclusive costumes.

The story revolves around the Infinity Stones from the Marvel universe.  The developers felt that it was a good time to return to that plot line because, thanks to current films like Guardians of the Galaxy, more people were aware of their existence. The two villains of the series, Marvel’s Ultron and Capcom’s Sigma, have merged to create the title’s big bad guy, Ultron- Sigma.

Ultron and Sigma aren’t the only things that have combined. Fighting stages are now mash-ups from Marvel and Capcom worlds. One example given was the Xgard stage (seen above), a mix of Thor‘s Asgard and Mega Man‘s Abel City.

Companion comics will also be released, with variant covers. The pairs featured in the comics share personality or background traits. For example, Ryu and Hulk both have anger management issues.

After that, the panel moved on to reveal some updates coming to the already-released Street Fighter V. They unveiled a surprise fighter joining the game, Abigail from Final Fight (yes, that burly dude in the screenshot above is named “Abigail”). This hulking colossus is the largest character in the game to date.

New stages were also announced. The first one shown, the Metro City Bay Area, pairs with Abigail and like the character, originated from Final Fight. The other stage was an oldie-but-goodie, Suzaku Castle.

The panel also announced the release of Mega Man Legacy Collection 2, which will contain games 7 through 10. The collection will include extras, like challenges and online leaderboards. It will launch on August 8 for the Playstation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

For those who don’t remember much about these titles, the panel gave a brief refresher. Mega Man 7 is 16-bit. Mega Man 8 was the first 32-bit game in the series as well as the first to have voice acting (extremely awkward voice-acting but I digress). Mega Man 10 returns to its 8-bit roots and introduces the character, Bass. Protoman will be playable in both 9 and 10. Mega Man 10 will also feature stages themed to the Killers (Enker, Punk, and Ballad).

The final game discussed was Resident Evil: Revelations. I say “discussed” rather than “shown” because there wasn’t footage of the game. Instead, attendees were treated to a message from the game’s director, Kōshi Nakanishi (seen above).

We were also given a brief synopsis of the game along with a description of some gameplay features. The game takes place between Resident Evil 4 and 5 with players assuming the role of Jill Valentine, who is searching for Chris Redfield. He was taken captive inside an abandoned cruise ship, the Queen Zenobia, by a bioterrorist organization. There will be a traditional story mode as well as a Raid Mode, which features co-op gameplay.

The panel wrapped up with a trivia contest. And there was much rejoicing.

‘The Misadventures Of Tron Bonne’ Receives ESRB Rating For PSN!

by Josh Jackson

Good news for all those long lost fans of Megaman, the Legends spinoff series, or believers that games shouldn’t cost more than rent. Based on a recent ESRB rating, The Misadventures Of Tron Bonne seems to be on its way to PSN!

Serving as a prequel to Megaman Legends 1 and 2, this PS One gem puts players in the shoes of Tron, the brains behind the infamous Bonne family of Sky Pirates, as they loot and pillage towns in their quest for riches. The game was a delight to play, but received a small release, leading copies to soar into the triple digits while making it a cult classic in the process. If this rating actually does lead to a widespread digital release, gamers in the West will finally have the chance to experience it without having to sell their children to do so on their PS3, PSP, and Vita, (for the few who still have it.)

But more importantly, they’ll be able to find out where Tron’s moveset comes from in the Marvel Vs. Capcom sequels! They’ll fall in love with the Servbots, who keep popping up as Dead Rising helmets. Who knows, this might also lead to re-releases of the two Legends games if successful enough, which could snowball into a Legends 3 revival! Unlikely? Sure, but a guy can dream. It’s just great to see such a great group of characters endure over the years, and finally be potentially given a second shot at the spotlight.

Want to know more about Misadventures? Check out the first ever Underground Games feature for all the goods, and check back for details if a release is confirmed! We’ll be downing B Lunches and Curry Rice to curb the anticipation.

Tron

Super Smash Bros DLC Detailed; Includes Costumes, Mewtwo and Lucas!

by Josh Jackson

If you thought that Super Smash Bros. has ran its course, think again. During yesterday’s hype filled Nintendo Direct, the company had a ton of news to share for the blockbuster fighter, much of which was completely unexpected.

First, if you’re one of the people who have been waiting on baited breath for the Mewtwo DLC that was announced late last year, you won’t have to wait much longer. For those who registered their copies of the game for both the Wii U and 3DS, the legendary Pokemon will be available for download at no extra charge on April 15th. For everyone else, they’ll have to fork over $3.99 for one game, or $4.99 for both and wait until April 28th. Check out its reveal trailer below, including its Final Smash, complete with its Mega Mewtwo Y form and its signature Psystrike attack!

Next, also on April 15th, Mii Fighters will receive the downloadable costume treatment. Highlights of the first set of outfits include a Link costume, a Majora’s Mask headgear item, Dunban’s duds from Xenoblade Chronicles, Mega Man X and Protoman costumes, along with Smash T-Shirts, cat suits and monkey suits, (seriously, what’s with Nintendo’s animal suit obsession these days?) Each item has four download options, at either $.75 each, $1.15 each for both the 3DS and Wii U versions, or $6.00 and $9.20 for the entire set for one or both consoles.

Third, and easily the biggest surprise to come out of the Smash Bros. news wave, is that Lucas is making his big return! The protagonist of Mother 3 and formerly cut Smash Bros. Brawl newcomer is returning, with most of his moves seemingly intact. Will he get a new Final Smash, different pricing from Mewtwo or any other major changes? We have no idea! What we do know, is he will be released in June and his reveal trailer is pretty sweet. Check it out!

And lastly, if Lucas and Mewtwo aren’t your favorites and you think you could come up with a better downloadable roster, now’s your chance! A trip over to the official Smash Bros. website links to a poll where you can write in who you would want to appear as future DLC for the title, with a deadline of October 3rd.

Our own Eric Francisco has urged us to write in Travis Touchdown from No More Heroes, but we have enough sword users! If you don’t write in Ray MK II from Custom Robo, Chibi Robo from, well… Chibi Robo, or Issac from Golden Sun, then we can’t be friends. I mean sure, Issac has a sword, but at least his character model is complete as a former Assist Trophy and would have unique Psynergy attacks. At the very least, vote Starman from Pro Wrestling! A winner can never be you without him! Then again, while the site says one vote per person, there’s nothing actually stopping us from voting more than once. Just saying…

With so much news, it seems like we’ll be settling it in Smash for a long time. Comment below to tell us what you’re most excited about, and who you’re going to vote in as the next DLC character!

Geekscape Games Reviews: ‘Super Smash Bros.’ For Wii U

by Derek Kraneveldt

Note: At time of publishing, the online functionality of Super Smash Bros. had not yet been activated. Impressions are based on single player and local multiplayer only. I also did not have an opportunity to test out the Amiibo functionality, so I haven’t touched on that in the following body.

Remember when gamers everywhere were whining and groaning that the Wii U didn’t have any games?

Oh, they’re still saying that?

Have they seen the console’s library of freaking exclusives?

Well, Nintendo is about to add another universally-acclaimed title to their roster, and if trends continue, maybe opinionated gamers won’t deem the Wii U such a failure for much longer (well, they probably still will for some reason, but I still love the thing).

Enter Super Smash Bros. for Wii U.

Now, we’ve all been playing Nintendo’s stellar mobile edition of Super Smash Bros. for nearly two months. Many of us have been through blisters, weeks of strained eyes, broken circle pads, or far worse, so I was beyond looking forward to giving my hands (and my overused 3DS) a much needed break. I grabbed my Pro Controller (which never, ever needs charging apparently), popped in the disc, and instantly witnessed near perfection.

The 3DS edition is almost perfect as it is (aside from a few sub-par modes), but the fact that I could play a match and not want to re-enact the end of Saw on my hands (it would be a less painful alternative, clearly) solidified the Wii U version’s greatness. The beyond-cramped screen and where-did-I-go characters are gone, and seeing our favourite fighters and the beautifully designed stages on a bigger screen and in full HD is an absolute treat. It’s totally silly, but I often find myself pausing (single-player of course) matches at choice moments, panning and zooming the camera, and simply basking in just how freaking beautiful everything looks (and it looks even better in glorious 60FPS motion). Right from the menus, to the backgrounds, to the arenas themselves (a huge 46 stages) to the characters (of which there are 51) and trophies, it would be impossible not to call Super Smash Bros. strikingly gorgeous.

Aside from the (again, stellar) presentation, this edition of Super Smash Bros. adds to the already expansive list of features contained in the 3DS release. Nintendo actually detailed 50 interesting facts about the Wii U version a few weeks back (if you’ve got half an hour, check that out below), but by far the biggest addition to the title is the insanely fun and insanely frustrating 8-player Smash. If you’ve ever thought that four-player Smash Bros. was sometimes too hectic, you will not have a second to even breathe when you double the participants. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a total blast, but in playing this mode with seven lucky friends, we experienced countless “where am I” and “what the heck happened” moments. And then there’s the damned ‘Great Cave Offensive’ arena, where the frustration grows exponentially whenever a fighter leaves the pack (the stage is HUGE). Still, playing with up to eight players means that none of your real-life friends ever have to sit out (nobody has more than seven friends, right?), and the mode is so damned hectic (especially with items on) that someone who has never or rarely played Smash Bros. still has an opportunity for victory, even against a seasoned veteran (I witnessed this many, many times). Of course, to be able to experience 8-player Smash, you need a lot of controllers, which segways me right into one of the coolest aspects of the title (and most first-party releases in general): the controller options.

Nintendo has released a lot of controllers in the 13 years since the GameCube came out. You’ve got the classic GCN controller, the sought-after WaveBird, Wii Remotes, Wii Motion + Remotes, Nunchuks, Classic Controllers, Pro Classic Controllers, Wii U Gamepads, Wii U Pro Controllers, and I’m probably missing a few in that list too. It’s pretty incredible to note that (with an optional adapter to go back to the GCN days) that all of these controllers and attachments are compatible with Super Smash Bros. This means that if you or any of your friends own a Nintendo controller from the last 13 years, you’re set. That’s amazing, and between a group (especially of eight people) it should not be hard to get an entirely full game going. You can even force one of your friends to use a 3DS as a controller if you really, really hate them. My only wish for the GameCube support and optional adapter is that the extend it into other titles down the road. I get that it’s the preferred method of input for competitive Smash play, but what if any game that could feature the Pro or Classic controllers could also utilize the GCN pad?

I think that the thing that I love most about Super Smash Bros. is that I can be completely terrible at it and still have a smashing good time (it was as hard to type that pun as it must be to read it). I’d consider myself a Smash Bros. beginner (aside from this title, I’ve put less than 8 hours into the franchise), and yet, even while playing against friends who have put an uncountable amount of time into the series, and who describe ‘advance techs’ and other mechanics that I can’t even begin to understand, I still have fun. These people absolutely destroy me, each and every match we play, and yet I’m never at a point where I’ve had enough. It’s an incredibly balanced title (or so it seems to this n00b), and each time I’m knocked out, I feel it completely justified. I can see the wrong direction or button that I pushed, I can see the counter my opponent had ready, I can see that my timing was off. It’s alway frustrating to be blown off the map, but it’s also always fair, which is something that I feel a lot of games miss out on these days.

Pac-Man and Mega Man have joined the fight, and they're both pretty awesome.
Pac-Man and Mega Man have joined the fight, and they’re both pretty awesome.

Smash is also an extremely simple title to grasp the basics of. Simply watching the game’s short tutorial video is enough to get you off the ground (pushing or flicking the analog stick in different directions will all lead to different attacks, etc.), and it’s such an easy to understand title that I can imagine a few young children who would very quickly be able to surpass my ability. On the flipside, the game can be as complicated as you want it to be, and if you plan on playing competitively, prepare for it to get really complicated, really fast. The fact that I can hand a controller to a 100% non-gamer and within a few minutes see them smiling and throwing punches is a pretty powerful thing. In fact, at the end of a long night of local multiplayer, instead of hearing a “well let’s never do that again” I was instead asked “so when are we playing again.” It’s pretty amazing that a single game can do this, and especially a fighting game, which I always found to be the most frustrating and non newbie friendly genre of them all.

Multiplayer is obviously key in a game of this genre, but that doesn’t mean that there’s not a lot to love when you’re playing by yourself. The always fun Classic Mode, where you fight a ton of dudes and then fight a really hard dude (and you can totally scale the difficulty to earn more gold) is still present, as is the timeline-spanning All-Star Mode. Smash Tour is a boardgame-style mode that has you collecting fighters and power-ups (starting a battle with an item in-hand for instance) that starts out convoluted but ends up being pretty fun whether you’re alone or with friends, while the extremely-welcome Events have you completing super-specific and sometimes super-challenging tasks. I’ve nearly thrown my controller more than a few times playing that mode, so maybe you should use a wrist-strap for that one (you should definitely use a wrist-strap for that one). As always, there are tons and tons of collectibles to get your hands on, which should leave completionists beyond busy for quite some time.

Another issue that Nintendo has solved in this iteration is that fact that younger players may not have the slightest idea where some of these characters are from. To help (and to again help with those nostalgic feelings for us older players), Nintendo has built in three-minute demos of a lot of their classic titles. It’ll probably make them a ton of money too, seeing as all of these titles are available on the Wii U eShop (and have handy buy links after the demo times out). It was a very cool experience to be able to jump into the SNES F-Zero when a friend asked “What the heck is Captain Falcon from?”… and then immediately jump back out because that game is impossible.

Masterpieces mode gives you timed-demos of old classics.
Masterpieces mode gives you timed-demos of old classics.

It’s hard to put my finger on what really does it for me here; whether it’s the insane roster of classic and recognizable characters (and Shulk), or that warm nostalgic feeling I get from each and every stage, or maybe it’s that I really like collecting things and there’s seemingly no limit to the collectibles in this game. It could also be the fact that Nintendo has again developed another knockout that I can experience while sitting right beside my friends: they can swear at me in person instead of over a mic, and that’s a major oversight of most games these days. Whatever it is (it’s more than likely a culmination of all of these things and more), I’m absolutely enamoured with Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, and with the revelation of DLC and the idea that bugs can be patched (sorry advanced tech-ers), as well as its sheer addictiveness, people are going to be in love with this game for a long, long time. Me included.

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U scores a smash-tacular 5/5. Go buy it, go buy it right now.

Watch The Opening Cinematic For ‘Super Smash Bros. For Wii U’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: The second iteration of Super Smash Bros. this year is finally almost here! We’ve all been absolutely destroying our fingers and joysticks in locations we’d never even dreamed of for well over a month at this point. In just a couple of weeks, it’ll be time to bring the fight home (and add four more players and a ton of new modes) and give those sore fingers a rest… Or, you know, make them even more sore on a different controller.

Today, the opening cinematic for the Wii U edition of the game has made its way online, and it’s going to make the next couple of weeks of waiting very, very hard (for you guys, my copy should arrive later today). The video shows some choice footage from all of the game’s many characters, and at its core is simply a fun and exciting watch.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go get a few matches in to calm myself down. Take a look at the cinematic below, and let us know how many copies of this one you’ll be picking up!

‘Super Smash Bros.’ For Wii U, Amiibos Launch On November 21st!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We’re all so busy playing Super Smash Bros. for 3DS that we almost forgot that the Wii U edition existed. But it does. And now we know when we’ll actually get to play the sure-to-be-just-as-addictive home console version.

Nintendo revealed today that Super Smash Bros. will launch for Wii U on November 21st, along with the first wave of Nintendo’s Amiibo figures. The first wave consists of Mario, Peach, Yoshi, Donkey Kong, Link, Fox, Samus, Wii Fit Trainer, Villager, Pikachu, Kirby and Marth, while the second wave that launches in December includes Zelda, Diddy Kong, Luigi, Little Mac, Pit and Captain Falcon.

Basically what Nintendo is saying… November and December are going to be expensive as hell.

The 3DS version of Super Smash Bros. launched just a few days ago in North America, but it’s doing very well. “Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS is already in the hands of more than 2.8 million people worldwide, and the road ahead looks great,” said Ron Bertram, Nintendo of Canada’s vice-president and general manager. “Nintendo’s holiday software lineup is more than impressive, and our amiibo figures start a new chapter in the world of Nintendo interactive entertainment. With so many great experiences available, this holiday season is going to be an amazing time to be a Nintendo fan.”

Let us know your thoughts on Smash Bros. below, and which Amiibo’s you’ll be picking up first!

http://youtu.be/P4SalDG__nY

These ‘Super Smash Bros.’ 3DS Ads Are Ridiculously Awesome

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: You should definitely put down that Super Smash Bros. demo for a few minutes and check out this new ad campaign for the game.

It’s hilarious, and incredible, and I sure hope that Nintendo keeps them coming. Check out the three released ads below.

http://youtu.be/P0G9-DwU2fI

http://youtu.be/P4SalDG__nY

http://youtu.be/FKEsviMNOLI

Super Smash Bros. for 3DS hits stores on October 3rd.

Download ‘Azure Striker Gunvolt’ And Get ‘Mighty Gunvolt’ For Free!

by Josh Jackson

As if a severe drought of Mega Man style 2D platformers wasn’t enough to catch your attention when Azure Striker Gunvolt is released, then this latest piece of news just might do it.

From the day it releases on August 29th through November 28th, anyone who downloads Gunvolt will also receive a voucher for Mighty Gunvolt, an 8-bit crossover spinoff featuring Gunvolt, Mighty No. 9‘s Beck, and Ekoro from GalGun, a Japan only title. Released as a thank you from developer, Inti Creates, this nostalgic throwback is even more the reason to consider downloading the main game.

Free games are always a great thing, especially when they’re developed by a reliable company like Intl Creates, (who also developed the Mega Man Zero series and the more recent Mega Man 9 and 10). If we’ve been starving for a new game of this type, it looks like we might finally be able to get our fill again. On that note, isn’t it strange for Beck to appear in a game before his own?

Look out for Azure Striker Gunvolt on August 29th, coming exclusively to the Nintendo eShop for $14.99.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLnrtZPqyIw[/width]

Meta Knight Returns To ‘Smash Bros.’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Following the reveal of Chrom, Lucina, and Robin late last month, another fan-favourite fighter has just been confirmed for the upcoming iterations of Smash Bros.: Meta Knight!

Smash Bros. creator Masahiro Sakurai revealed the news on Miiverse earlier today, stating “Looks like there was an impostor in the earlier posts, so I introduced him to my sword!” …I’ll leave it up to your imagination if he really said that or not. The veteran hero, Meta Knight, returns to battle!! We didn’t forget the Battleship Halberd either!!”

Sakura continued, detailing one of the character’s special moves: “Meta Knight’s Up Special Move, Shuttle Loop, changed quite a bit in this game. The glide is gone, and the attack slashes opponents twice while spinning in a large loop. This has turned into a highly technical and effective move.”

I’m a big Mario player myself (though I cannot wait to try out Pac-Man), but you can take a look at the first Wii U Meta Knight screen below, and be sure to let us know who you’re most excited to play as when Smash Bros. hits later this year!

Meta

Pac-Man Coming To ‘Smash Bros’, Putting Our Gaming Icons In One Huge Game!

by Josh Jackson

As the first full day of E3 came to a close, Nintendo wanted to prove that they weren’t done yet when it came to big news. Once their latest announcement was made however, it’s safe to say that in this case, it really couldn’t get any bigger than this.

Pac-Man, the 80’s video game icon and a longtime face of the entire industry, has officially been revealed as the latest combatant coming to Super Smash Bros for Wii U/3DS, bringing him, Mario, Mega Man and Sonic together for the first time in history.

Using his Pac Man World design with abilities inspired by that series of platformers, the original Pac-Man arcade games and calling upon help from classic characters from games like Galaga, Xevious, Mappy and Dig Dug, his move set seems way more creative and bizarre than I ever imagined. It’s even more strange than his Mokujin mech in Street Fighter X Tekken.

While this reveal is exciting, the writing has been on the wall for awhile. Namco has been helping Nintendo develop games since at least the Gamecube days, with games like Star Fox Assault, Pac-Man Vs. and the arcade version of Mario Kart. Since then, the company has been heavily involved with the development of the upcoming Smash Bros. in addition to releasing Nintendo exclusive titles like Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition and Tank! Tank! Tank!… but let’s forget about that last one.

Oh, and like Dark Pit in Palutena’s reveal, Mr. Game and Watch is teased at the end. Will he end up making the final cut?

How do you feel about Pac-Man being added to Nintendo’s growing fighter? And who’s side will you pick between these four gaming icons? Check out the trailer to see him in action, and check back with Geekscape for all your E3 needs!

Keiji Inafune Announces ‘Azure Striker Gunvolt’, Which Totally Isn’t ‘Mega Man Zero’!

by Josh Jackson

While Capcom continues to ignore the Mega Man franchise, series creator Keiji Inafune isn’t shy about his intention to take all of that money his former publisher doesn’t want. First, Might No. 9 was funded thanks to the wildly popular Kickstarter campaign, which has been touted as the spiritual successor to the Blue Bomber. But between raising crazy amounts of money and working on this project, it seems like he had a little something extra planned on the side in the form of Azure Striker Gunvolt.

If Mighty No. 9 is Mega Man‘s successor, than Gunvolt looks like X and Zero traded in their X Buster and Z Saber for a pistol and lighting rods. In the trailer alone, Gunvolt is shown to create electric fields, speed up and slow down his jumps, and destroy screens full of enemies with his powers. Throw in bosses that use portals to transport their blasts, enemies that look like they were ripped straight out of the Mega Man Zero GBA series and a story involving pop idols, and you get a surprising game that few could’ve saw coming. And you know what? I couldn’t be happier.

Don’t believe me? Try watching the reveal trailer and tell me that it doesn’t look great. Gunvolt will release this summer for the 3DS eShop in Japan. There’s no word on a western release, but count on it coming out later this year.

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Rosalina Joins The Battle in ‘Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS’

by Josh Jackson

Let’s face it, we’ve been overdue for a big Super Smash Bros. announcement. It looks like Nintendo agreed, because they decided to end the year with the reveal of one of the most requested stars from the Mario universe. After much anticipation, Rosalina of Super Mario Galaxy fame is finally confirmed to be joining the fight.

After faking us out with Kirby racing on Rainbow Road against the Mario Kart participants, (which would be AWESOME if it were real. Get on it, Nintendo!) it was time for the galaxy queen to make her debut with her trusty Luma at her side. After summoning it, she seems to control similar to the Ice Climbers, where both characters can fight independently. Unlike the former however, it seems like Rosalina and Luma can seperate and fight at different positions rather than be tied to each other. Outside of this two on one assault, she can also manipulate gravity, which is shown when she pulls items towards her and creates a barrier that pushes incoming items away.

All in all, it looks like Rosalina will bring plenty of new ideas to the table. If nothing else, this reveal and her role in Super Mario 3D World show that she’s here to stay as one of the premier characters of the Mario roster. Check her out in action and let us know if the inclusion has your hype levels through the roof!

Super Smash Bros for Wii U/3DS is scheduled for 2014.

Mega Ran Shot A Music Video At This Year’s Nerdapalooza! Watch It now!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Mega Ran is BACK.

Mega Ran just launched his latest music video, titled ‘Best Friends’. Shot at the 7th and final Nerdapalooza Music Festival last month in Orlando, the video contains special appearances by some of the world’s most talented nerds: WWE’s Xavier Woods (who can get down on some DDR) MC Frontalot, MC Lars, Sammus, Shubzilla, Richie Branson, Doug Funnie, K-Murdock, YT Cracker, and many more.

The song will appear on Mega Ran and Mister Wilson’s album “Blur Bomber,” which is all about Sonic and Mega Man’s crossover comic “When Worlds Collide,” releasing DECEMBER 10, 2013 on bandcamp, Spotify and more.

We saw Mega Ran live in San Diego this past Summer (after interviewing him earlier in the year), and I certainly hope that I have the opportunity to do so again. He was freaking awesome. If you haven’t experience his work, be sure to check out his official website. You can thank us later.

Watch the ‘Best Friends’ music video below, and be sure to let us know what you think!

Mighty No. 9 Kickstarter Earns $4 Million

by J.C. Marquez

Somewhere in Tokyo, no one is happier than Keiji Inafune and his team of developers.

Today marked the end of the incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign for Inafune’s latest project–Mighty No. 9. Over 67,000 fans from around the world came together and pledged a staggering $4 million dollars to bring the Japanese side-scrolling game to life. While it will be at least 18 months until Mighty No. 9 is released,  fans will have a lot to look forward to in terms of content since every campaign stretch goal has been met.

Those who backed the project will be able to participate in the development of the game later this month, when mightyno9.com goes live.

MightyNo9 (2)

Mighty No. 9 Kickstarter Hits $1.7 Million!

by J.C. Marquez

Last week at PAX Prime in Seattle, Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune revealed his new video game project entitled Mighty No. 9, a spiritual successor to the beloved Mega Man series. Additionally, he announced the launch of a Kickstarter campaign, offering fans the opportunity to pledge money in hopes of getting the project off the ground. With the heart-breaking cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3, fans were more than willing to lend their support…and boy, did they ever.

In less that a week, fans have already pledged over $1.7 million dollars to make Mighty No. 9 a reality. Considering the team behind Inafune’s latest project is made up of some of the best talent in the industry, the investment fans all over the world have made will more than likely wield a tremendous product.

Inafune has put together a development team Mega Man fans will undoubtedly approve of. Developers and artists who worked on the original Mega Man series are helping create Mighty No. 9, such as level and character designer Naoya Tomita, character designer Kimo Kimo, and Manami Matsumae, who’s responsible for creating all the music and sound effects for the original Mega Man game.

Should the pledge total reach $2.2 million dollars, Mighty No. 9 will be released for Wii U, PlayStation 3, and XBOX 360.

Those looking to make a pledge and earn some pretty nice rewards, including Mighty No. 9 T-shirts, signed goodies, physical game copies, art books, and even help the development team in designing challenges for the game(!), can do so by clicking here.

Geekscape 303: Wrapping Up PAX Prime With Noah, Garrett and Ash!

by Jonathan

PAX Prime is over and it’s time to sift through the ashes! The brain trust of Noah Roman, Garrett Medina and Ash Paulsen join me this week to discuss everything that they witnessed in Seattle! What were the highlights from the weekend? How is PAX different than E3? Is the 2DS still a joke? What games are we looking forward to the most? Were there any indies that jumped out? Does Garrett play too much Pokémon? And Ash and Garrett talk about meeting Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune! It’s a packed episode of video game talk so you’re not going to want to miss it!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 55:17 — 22.2MB)

Geekscape Games Reviews ‘Project X Zone’

by Josh Jackson

While crossover games have become pretty common in Japan, these games are usually a localization nightmare on other shores. With so many different companies holding the licenses to each series, some gaming gems, like most of the Super Robot Taisen series, (featuring Gundam and Macross units,) and Namco X Capcom, have eluded gamers throughout most of the world. That is, until now, with the release of Project X Zone. A pseudo-sequel to NXC using a battle system similar to SRT, characters from Sega, Namco Bandai and Capcom have joined forces in this turn based strategy RPG. But fan service aside, this is a game that managed to stay entertaining for hours upon end, but not without some major repetition.

Project X Zone tells the epic tale of Mii, the heiress to an ancient artifact that has been passed down for generations, and her ninja butler Kogoro. Once mysterious enemies appear and steal the artifact, a rift in dimensions brings heroes and villians together from the universes of Street Fighter, Darkstalkers, Resident Evil, Tekken, .dot Hack, Virtua Fighter and Valkyria Chronicles amongst many others, (including Bruce f’ing Willis as John McClain! Sort of!)  These would-be allies are now forced to find their way home and bring order back to the dimensions. Okay, look… that’s about as deep as the story gets. Sure, it’s simple, but it serves as an excuse to have Mega Man fight side by side with Gemini Sunrise from Sakura Wars. What makes up for the bare bones story is the characterization of each unit. I was expecting a somewhat rushed translation since this is getting such a limited run, but I was surprised at how much I laughed out loud at the in jokes, references and nods to fans. It’s great when the translation team spares no expense at getting everyone right, especially when there are so many characters to work with.

Project X Zone Screen 2

Super cops Chun-Li and John McClain… together at last.

Game play combines traditional strategy mechanics with some light fighting game features thrown in. Each unit travels across a grid based map and starts with three attacks, each of which will launch enemies into the air or bounce them against the wall. Chaining attacks without letting foes touch the ground does more damage, builds up more EXP points and charges up the XP meter, (meaning Cross Power… Don’t ask.) What seems like simple button mashing in the beginning becomes more timing based, since boss enemies have huge amounts of HP with regenerating shields that charge when they touch the ground. Did I mention that connecting attacks at the last second before the bad guys land nets critical hits, more than doubling the damage inflicted? An RPG that lets you control critical hits based on skill? Why didn’t anyone think of this before?

As the game progresses, players unlock two member units. These are preset, so Dante will always fight with Dimitri for example. But Solo units, single characters ranging from Ghosts and Goblins to Fighting Vipers can be attached to each pair in any way the player chooses. Solo units act as support, and can be summoned mid battle to extend combos and inch out extra damage. To get the most out of each battle, other pair units can give support too, if the attacking unit is standing near them when the battle starts. Utilizing support from Solo and pair units is essential for victory, but how you will use them is another story.

If the main unit’s attack connects simultaneously with a support attack, a cross hit initiates, keeping the enemy frozen in place. This technique builds extra XP, as well as allowing the XP cap of 100% to increase to a maximum of 150%. The more XP, the more chances to trigger area clearing multi attacks, special skills that range from healing to stat boosting, and single super moves that can close out a combo for huge damage. The drawback? Initiating cross hits in the wrong spot can make your attacks miss, and attacks in this state cannot inflict critical hits. What’s more important, damage or XP? This is where the real strategy comes in, since the battle system makes most fights pretty easy once you get the hang of comboing.

Project X Zone Screen 1

Battles in PXZ are chaotic good fun!

If low on XP, items can be used in a similar ways as skills, but can only be obtained through defeating enemies or breaking shields. So sometimes, it might just be more advantageous to defeat all of the enemies before fighting a boss, (especially since there’s no grinding outside of missions,) or even letting the boss regain their shield for extra loot, (since there are no shops.) Even if you do make a mistake, a quicksave option can be accessed at any time, letting you retrace your steps back to when you made that one bad move. The only problem here is that there are 15 save slots but only one quicksave, so if your friends, family or significant other(s) are playing, chances are your quicksave will be long gone.

But going back to the simplicity of the battle system, the one major flaw I found with Project X Zone is a lack of variety. Most maps are laid out similarly aside from treasure chests scattered throughout the stage, and aside from a handful of maps where certain teammates take priority, a fight is over once your team is wiped out or the enemy’s is. Occasionally, additional objectives will be put in place, like reaching a spot or character on the map in X amount of time, but once the novelty of seeing Tales characters working with Shining Force heroes wears off, if you find the battle system tiring, you’re not going to see the end of the game.

I personally was addicted to landing critical hits and pulling off perfect combos all the way through, but even with the fighting game mechanics in place, I can’t see anyone other than hardcore fans of these characters, or long time SRPG gamers reaching the credits in this 40ish hour adventure. Even then, some popular characters don’t debut until WAY late in the game. I’m talking 20 hours in… so I can see people losing patience before getting to their favorites. Throw in end game maps can go on for around two hours each, and its easy to see how polarizing the final stretch can be. But if you can’t get enough, there’s even a new game plus with powered up bosses that drop rare equipment! You might never stop playing!

Project X Zone Screen 3

Yes, that’s X, Zero, Kos-Mos, T-elos, Ulala and the Space Harrier Girl on screen at once. Wait, does she have a name?

Even for those strategy fans though, this game is significantly easier than most in the genre, (which was perfect for me since I’m usually terrible at these games.) Throw in the fighting game mechanics and a literal army of popular, yet niche characters across three great companies, and you get a highly entertaining experience that a broad range of gamers will get entertainment out of. Well animated sprites and a large collection of music rounds out a package that hits us right in the nostalgia gland, and while I doubt most will see the story through to the end, Project X Zone provides as much fun as one wants to get out of it. If nothing else, at least it finally got Mega Man and Tron Bonne on the 3DS!

Pros:

  • A huge cast of characters!
  • Easily accessible game mechanics that blend genres.
  • Plenty of game to sift through, including a new game plus.
  • Strong animations, music and script.

Cons:

  • Weak story.
  • Repetitive battles that may wear thin before the credits roll.
  • Too easy compared to other games in the genre.
  • Multi hour fights late in the game.

Final Score: 8.5/10

Examining the ‘Super Smash Bros’ Trailer

by Josh Jackson

After years of anticipation, Super Smash Bros was finally revealed for 3DS and Wii U. Between the Animal Crossing villager and Mega Man joining the cast, if you are a Smash fan and weren’t jumping out of your seat at these reveals, then you have no soul!

BUT!… with all of the excitement floating around at these monster reveals, it was easy to miss some of the more subtle hints at the changes coming to the popular fighter. After hitting repeat more times than Selena Gomez, there are tons of smaller reveals hidden throughout the three minutes worth of video. Let’s take a look back and see what we can spot!

Once the 3DS version comes on screen, notice how all of the levels are based off of portable games, (Ocarina of Time 3D, Spirit Tracks, Mario 3D Land and Nintendogs for example,) whereas the Wii U version only had console stages. Does this mean each version will have separate stages, or was this just to signify that one was portable and one was a home console release?

 

Speaking of Spirit Tracks, Toon Link is seen in his conductor outfit at the front of the train. For some fighting games, characters in the background signify that they won’t be playable. Does that mean Toon Link is out? Or a console exclusive character if the train stage is indeed 3DS exclusive? Or will he just disappear from the background if he’s being used?

 

Pit from Kid Icarus made his Smash debut in Brawl, but since then, he’s received a new game with so a weapon loadout so huge it would make Borderlands jealous. Problem is, none of those weapons were represented aside from the bow. Thankfully, that’s changing, because at 1:17, Pit can clearly be seen using the Upperdash Arm, which obviously wasn’t in the last entry. As a huge fan of Uprising, this was one of my biggest requests, and I’m glad to see Pit getting an upgrade.

 

Pit’s power of flight also looks changed, with a diagonal jump instead of a continuous flying ability that starts straight up. If this is the case, it looks like our favorite angel might have tons of new tricks. The big question is: will this move set be from the ground up or will it integrate his old moves? And if he is brand new, what happens to his old move set? I’d hate to see it disappear, but I can’t realistically see another slot being taken up by say… Dark Pit just so the old moves can come back, though I wouldn’t  be opposed to it.

 

Samus seems to have a suit of armor closely resembling her Other M suit. Her Final Smash also seems to let her aim a small amount compared to the last game where it just went straightforward. Huh… I wonder if she’s going to have to ask for permission before she can use it?

 

Donkey Kong’s spinning punch that he’s had since the first game looked tilted. Has the classic move been tweaked?

 

Bowser was seen doing a few new normal attacks, including a low drop kick. Seems like he’s getting a move makeover as well, which is fine since he was exactly the same in the last two games.

 

Many of the fights are taking place in what appears to be a Skyward Sword stage. Combining this with the Spirit Tracks and Gerudo Valley stages, and that’s at least three new Zelda stages between the two versions. What can I say? The series is popular!

 

Another stage is what looks like a boxing ring. Is this simply the new Battlefield and Final Destination stage that abandons stage gimmicks for a flat battleground meant for straight up battles? Or is this hinting at the inclusion of another franchise down the line? Here’s hoping for Little Mac!

 

The Animal Crossing Villager’s move set makes him seem oblivious that he’s even fighting. He’s seen using his Balloon Fighter hat to fly, dropping bowling balls, cutting down trees, digging holes and even grabbing projectiles and putting them in his pocket. He’s already looking like one of the more interesting characters move wise. I can’t wait to try him out!

 

Mega Man’s reveal had a few peculiarities of its own. First, his multiple boss moves were featured, but will they all be special moves like we’re used to? Most likely, they’re integrated both into his normal and special attacks, but it’s still worth mentioning.

 

Mega’s reveal was ushered in with the phrase, “Mega Man joins the battle!” The previous games used the phrases, “joins the Melee” and “joins the Brawl.” Since I doubt the games will be simply titled Smash Bros Wii U and Smash Bros 3DS, what are the chances that the final title will be Smash Bros Battle? Since Villager had a different phrase, I’m almost positive this won’t be the case, but it would be a good way to sneak it in if this were to become the name.

 

When Mega Man dies, rather than the usual flash that accompanies a fall, his trademark explosion triggers instead. This matches his obvious NES style movement, including his idle pose, his jump and his appearance while taking damage.

 

Rush is seen using his Rush Coil ability. I’m guessing this is Mega Man’s Up-B attack that helps him spring back up, (much like Sonic.) Will Rush be integrated into any of his other moves?

 

Right at the end, the trailer teases Mega Man going up against the Yellow Devil boss. While this confirms at least one third party boss, does this mean the return of a single player mode like Subspace in Brawl? Is this simply an event challenge for the Blue Bomber? Or am I over-examining it and Yellow Devil is a stage hazard?

So after meticulously watching the video over and over again, this is the best that I’ve got. Are any of my observations off? Did you find any of your own that I missed? And how awesome is it that Pit has near limitless potential with an Uprising themed move set!? All these questions just make the wait going into 2014 that much harder! You know the drill. Watch the trailer and let us know below!

Mega Man Joins Smash Bros.!

by J.C. Marquez

What many believed to be impossible has finally happened.

After years of pleading from fans around the world, Mega Man is confirmed to be in the next Super Smash Bros. game, which will see a release on both the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS consoles.

In the final moments of this morning’s Nintendo Direct, a trailer for the newest entry in the Super Smash Bros. series closed out with a blazing siren indicating that a new challenger was approaching. As Mario, Link, Donkey Kong, and Kirby fight it out, the camera pans up to reveal the silhouette of Capcom’s blue bomber looking down at the iconic Nintendo characters before he himself joins the fight.

If you missed the announcement or simply want to relive those glorious 99 seconds one more time, turn up the volume and play the video below!

Check Out The ‘Street Fighter X Mega Man’ Reveal Trailer!

by Shane O'Hare

Street Fighter is a real Reese’s type title. Always mixing up with other flavors. Sometimes it’s good like in the case of Tatsunoko VS. Capcom, and sometimes it’s not. Like the case of Street Fighter X Tekken. Well Street Fighter has gotten it’s peanut-butter in another games chocolate with the new Street Fighter X Mega Man. Check out the reveal trailer below!

Not what you thought, was it? This nice little game is coming out in honor of the 25th Anniversary of both Mega Man and Street Fighter and can be yours FOR FREE as a PC download this December 17th. A nice little Christmas present from Capcom to you.

Check out the official website HERE.

A New Mega Man Game Is Finally Announced, But Not For The Platform You’d Expect

by Josh Jackson

For over a year, Mega Man fans have been demanding something… anything that has to do with the blue bomber, but their cries to Capcom have seemingly fallen on deaf ears. Well, unless you count the bad box art Mega Man being added to Street Fighter X Tekken, but most see that as more mocking the internet outcry rather than embracing it.

But fret not Mega fans, your angry emails, blogs and forum posts have finally been addressed, kind of.

Rockman Xover, or cross over since in Japan “X” equals “+”, will be a social RPG headed to iOS devices. Featuring characters from the various Mega Man series’ throughout the years including Star Force, Zero, Battle Network and X amongst others, players will build their own robot and gather abilities on their favorite iDevice.

While this is better than no Mega Man, it’s still funny that they’re giving us something no one asked for as opposed to what over 100,00 people have been begging for, but I guess mysterious grudges are more important than fanbases and money.

Mega Man Xover will hit Japan in the fall with a North American release following suit sometime in 201x. You know, unless it gets cancelled.

SOURCE: 4gamer (via Mega Man Network)

Marvel vs Capcom: Origins Announced

by Shawn Madden

Have you been hoping that Capcom would release the first Marvel vs Capcom or even Marvel Super Heroes? Well now you can have both in one! The game will merge both fighting styles giving you the choice of classic one-on-one battles or you can choose the three-on-three tag style of Marvel vs Capcom. The game features an online multiplayer mode with a limit of eight players in the lobby. Players that are waiting for their turn will be able to watch the match currently going on by using the spectator mode. Marvel vs Capcom: Origins will also feature HD graphics and the ability to save replays of players’ matches. The game will be coming to Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network for $14.99 (1200 Microsoft Points).

Marvel vs. Capcom: Origins brings two classic arcade fighters – “Marvel Super Heroes” and “Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes” – together and to the modern generation. This September, fight like a hero, play like a legend!

Source: IGN