Look at that box art. Damn. You know, most people wish for their box art to look somewhere close to what the game is like, but instead, the original Mega Man's box art is that. To me, it looks like the artist or marketing team were on an acid trip while going over / creating that box art, and that is why we have that. Certainly, some creative liberties were taken with that box art.
Anyways, I am not writing this article to talk about that, but instead this. Capcom has finally realized that they can make a lot of easy money by rereleasing Mega Man for the Virtual Console. You know, as a kid, Mario was great and all, but at least for me Mega Man stole the show. I loved that series, and well, Mega Man 2 is a masterpiece. I bet there are a lot of other people who hold a similar nostalgic value for Mega Man.
Well, fortunately for people like myself, Capcom has decided to start the hype train for the release of Mega Man 9, the game that is quite possibly going to be the hardest Mega Man of all time, if what they said is to be believed. All I know is that I want the game, and to further make me want the game, Capcom is releasing Mega Man for the Virtual Console, tomorrow. That's right, tomorrow kids, at least stateside. And even better news for me, Mega Man 2 is coming out for the Virtual Console in early September.
Let the hype train roll, Capcom, I bet you'll see some healthy sales with those two releases, as well as the release of Mega Man 9.
Previously, I had made an article talking about how Europe tends to get screwed when it comes to receiving games. The truth is, they really do. They didn't get Chrono Trigger. Chrono Trigger. Those poor, poor souls. Hopefully Chrono Trigger DS will make it there for them. And Earthbound? Wow, it's almost as though the RPG loving God has it out for our European friends. Well, it seems so terrible, right? Well, it turns out that Europe sometimes does not get the shaft. Sometimes, it's actually North America that gets screwed. Don't believe me? Well, let's take a look.
It seems as though some of you are pretty excited. Personally I am excited. It's certainly a throw back to retro roots, with graphics meant to imitate the original NES Mega Mans. In short, it's pretty damn cool, and hopefully the game play comes through. Time shall tell in that regard.
I imagine most of you expect Capcom to release this on all console digital distribution formats. Certainly, I sure did. You might notice that I said did. Yeah, about that... Kotaku and Ars both though have some troubling news. It appears that for you Sony and 360 Owners, Capcom currently does not desire your money, as it says that Mega Man 9 is only in development for WiiWare. Wow, that's a... shocker.
To mark this development, it's time to bring out the OH NOOOO! Otter. I imagine that lots of you really would like the opportunity to get this game, but have found their prospects of getting this retro odyssey somewhat... dashed. Perhaps Capcom has been misquoted, and meant to say it'll come out for other systems later. Perhaps they really meant what is being reported by folks like Luke Plunkett. You know, he writes for Kotaku, so he is part of that bunch of respectable game bloggers, so they wouldn't wrongly state something, would they? Well, regardless, the OH NOOOO! Otter feels your pain. Since I can't feel your pain because I own a Wii, at least the OH NOOOO! Otter can.
You know, I thought the "Mega Man 9 will be done in 8-bit graphics" was an exaggeration. Something... lost in translation. Those things happen. That's why we say crazy Japanese translations like "SUPER HAPPY CRAZY FUN TIME". But you know, Mega Man 9. Wow, was it for real? Surely someone was jerking our chain, Capcom would never go back to revisit a class style of game, would they? Eh? EH?
WRONG! Turns out Mega Man 9 is very, very real. Complete with robot masters like Magma Man and my personal favorite, Concrete Man. More importantly, they weren't lying when they said it would be in 8-bit graphics. It really, really is. A part of me is saying WTF, while the other 4/5 says "Holy shit that's awesome!" Seriously, absolutely awesome, like "I AM BUYING THAT" awesome. Truly, Mega Man 9 has the potential to be quite the throw back to old school Mega Man. Here's to that. By the way, pictures can be seen at Kotaku
Wow, Europe gets screwed with games. At least, they did in the past. Nintendo has been pretty hard towards them, but then, they still are. But wow, you readers in Europe (all 4 of you) got screwed. SCREWED! Need a refresher as to why you should think you've been screwed? Check out this article. This list makes me a sad panda. You've missed out on so much awesome, and when you do get awesome, it's often months later than the rest of us. What a cruel world it is.
I can't believe that my toptwo SNES games never got released in Europe. It's also sad that nine of the ten things the article mentions are for Nintendo systems. Nintendo clearly has it out for you, except, you should celebrate that you guys never got the Virtual Boy, rather than mourn it. Some things are better off not released, and this headache machine is one of them.
So, Europe, I feel you pain after seeing that list. Is this list spot on, or are there glaring omissions from the list? All I know is that after seeing that list, you have my sympathy.
Check it out, it's Metroid. Looks nice, doesn't it? I sure think so, but then I am a die hard Metroid fan. What we have here is a remake of Metroid II, the game in the series where they kill all the Metroids on the Metroid Homeworld except one, allowing the events of Super Metroid to unfold. It came out for the Game Boy, back in the day. Game Boy... wow, how the mighty has fallen. Cannibalized by its own relative. But, I digress. This remake is pretty damn cool, and what makes it better is that it is fan made. Truly amazing, and better yet, there is a demo.
As Destructoid said, Nintendo would be wise to see this game on Wii Ware, in the form that this fine sir is doing. Even if it doesn't end up anywhere but just a fan service by a talented individual, it will still be one heck of a product.
Check it out. It's a real MACS SNES combat sim light gun. This bad boy was used by the military to train soldiers back in the day. Certainly beats owning a Super Scope I presume?
Well, if this item tickles your fancy and is a must own for you, you have until January 26 at 5:23 PST to make your bids. Currently, the high bid is at $36, but you know, there is still six days left in the auction. It should also be noted that you'll need special simulation cartridges to use this light gun. Fortunately, the seller also has an auction going on one of those as well. Currently, the cartridge sits at $26.
So, if these two options are something you must have, poach away, and best of luck to you on your follies with eBay.
As I sit hear, listening to the Future of Rock and Roll, I was pondering what my next article should be. I sit hear, enjoying the music, listening to the smooth melodies of the indie rock scene. Feel the emotion, the magic, the rhythm. Music is a powerful medium. Music can be one of the best ways to convey emotion and mood without saying a word. Truly, music is an important part of games. From the 8-bit era to today, music has been an integral part of games. Think of the classics. The Mario Theme. The Zelda Theme, and many more, they're all great. Let's take the time to reminisce on the past, and identify the history of game music as it is today.
You may remember a previous post about a cool hack called Extra Mario Bros. In case you missed that post, here is the video again.
So, I have received confirmation that this game does in fact exist. Since I wish not to be sued, all I can say is yeah, look in the right spot and you might find it, and that's all I got to say about that.
I encourage you to check out this kick ass marching band routine put on by Cal. Band geeks doing video game tunes... what is geekier than that? It's too cool. I wish my high school marching band did a show like that. The only interesting theme we ever did was Halloween Themes. What is scarier than Thriller? I digress. Here is the video:
This is where my thoughts go and are never heard from again.
Well, maybe not, but this is the repository for all of my published thoughts and rantings. It'll make my day if you find at least 10% of it amusing and enjoyable to read.