New Mega Man game in production

At its PAX East Panel today, Capcom announced that a new Mega Man game is in the works. It also gave dates for the 3DS eShop releases of Mega Man 4 and Mega Man 5.

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Your internet outrage can be contained--for now. Capcom announced development of a new Mega Man game during its PAX East panel today. While it wasn't ready to talk specifically about the new game, it did drop a few other announcements about re-releases to hold us over in the meantime.

Joystiq reports that the company is "'not ready' to fully announce it just yet." However, there are some classics hitting the eShop to sate you for the time being. Mega Man 4 will come to the 3DS eShop on April 25, and Mega Man 5 will follow on May 16. The company will also be releasing a light-up figure to mark the blue bomber's 25th anniversary.

Late last year, Capcom was gauging interest in a downloadable, HD Mega Man game. Presumably that has something to do with this new one that is confirmed in the works, but we might not hear specific details for a while. At least Frog Man can keep us occupied until then.

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  • reply
    March 22, 2013 10:39 AM

    Steve Watts posted a new article, New Mega Man game in production.

    At its PAX East Panel today, Capcom announced that a new Mega Man game is in the works. It also gave dates for the 3DS eShop releases of Mega Man 4 and Mega Man 5.

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      March 22, 2013 10:47 AM

      Look at Capcom, spewing out all this nostalgia on our faces. (now if they'd only bring MML3 back)

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        March 22, 2013 1:08 PM

        That is one of the only canceled games that actually caused me heartache with its cancellation.

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          March 22, 2013 1:09 PM

          I bought a 3DS the week before they canceled MML3 just to play the prototype :(

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      March 22, 2013 10:48 AM

      New X series entry please. HD sprites, not that 2.5D bullshit.

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        March 22, 2013 10:52 AM

        This. (I'll take a new Zero game as well.)

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        March 22, 2013 10:55 AM

        Yeah, the PS2 Mega Man X games were pretty friggin lame. The last castlevania game on 3DS suffered a similar fate.

        I don't think it's impossible for these 2D action games to translate to 2.5d. I just think the studios lose sight of what made the originals fun when they try to "modernize" the franchise.

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          March 22, 2013 10:57 AM

          Pretty sure they slow things down in an attempt to minimize clutter on the screen, which really shouldn't happen. Also I wouldn't mind a reboot of the sub-franchise so they can get away from the horrible hole they've gotten themselves into.

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        March 22, 2013 11:15 AM

        Seconded

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        March 22, 2013 12:44 PM

        I liked the 2.5D games but the slow down was brutal on the PSP. I wouldn't be opposed to a 2.5D game with more horsepower behind it.

        Steam/PSN/XBLA release would be a good fit. At this point I don't think Mega Man could command a $60 game even though I would gladly pay it.

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        March 22, 2013 1:15 PM

        Yes please, that would be great. Though, I'd be worried about what they'd dish out without Inafune.

        Remember X6? That game was a mess, plus X5 was supposed to be where the series ends and goes into Zero.

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          March 22, 2013 1:18 PM

          Yeah I would hope the long break between releases would allow them to think up of some good content. The issues with X5 and X6 is that they were just copy-pasting the games and pushing them out the door ASAP.

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        March 22, 2013 3:07 PM

        I didn't mind the 2.5d aesthetic. It was just overall bad level and game design that made those games bad.

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      March 22, 2013 10:48 AM

      Here's hoping it's modern but doesn't totally abandon the core gameplay, is in 2D (at least in terms of movement) and releases on consoles and not handhelds.

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      March 22, 2013 10:49 AM

      Please don't suck please don't suck.

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        March 22, 2013 10:57 AM

        I'm not getting my hopes up in the least. I'm a huge MM fan but Capcom just can't be trusted anymore.

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          March 22, 2013 11:01 AM

          ^^ this. The truth hurts.

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          March 22, 2013 11:51 AM

          Why? MM9 and 10 were awesome. I'll give you that Capcom has botched some of their other franchises--RIP Resident Evil as we knew it, and I don't just mean the classic static-camera games--but the last two 2D MM games were fantastic. Too few and far between, but fantastic nonetheless.

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            March 22, 2013 11:57 AM

            Would this be the first official post-Inafune Mega Man? That might be cause for a little bit of concern.

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              March 22, 2013 12:36 PM

              Yup, MML3 was going to be it but now this will be (and I don't think MML3 really counts anyways), unless you count the fan made Megaman X Street Fighter.

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                March 22, 2013 12:41 PM

                I don't count MM x SF, but I think that game shows that following the MM formula and making a good MM 11 shouldn't be all that hard.

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                  March 22, 2013 12:44 PM

                  Yeah, that's the thing. I'd be concerned about anyone but Inafune developing a MM game if they didn't have 394839478 examples to follow. Now, MMxSF was't QUITE up to the quality of an official entry. It was good, but there were niggling details that bugged me, though not enough to dislike it. However, a MM game developed in-house and given lots of attention should turn out fine. At this point, all Capcom should have to do is take out the MM cookie cutter and start stamping.

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                  March 22, 2013 1:13 PM

                  I'd rather see 11 be in the style of MM8 than have another retro milk job like 10. Mega Man 8 was refreshing change for the series and was completely amazing sauce.

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                    March 22, 2013 1:15 PM

                    I couldn't stand MM8, the physics blew chunks, give me MMX or even MM7 instead if you're going to change things.

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                      March 22, 2013 1:29 PM

                      Really? I thought the same think about the physics in 7... well I still liked it but everything was so chunky. It just didn't feel right.

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                        March 22, 2013 1:32 PM

                        Yeah, the chunkiness was my issue with 7 but jumping and running and everything didn't feel right in 8. I don't mind 8's look in particular (albeit, it wasn't as badass as MM had been in my head this whole time up till then) but the physics felt way off.

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                    March 22, 2013 3:03 PM

                    Yeah I'd pay big cash dollahs for a Megaman 8-2.

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            March 22, 2013 3:20 PM

            No they were not. Badly balanced and just frustrating to play.

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              March 22, 2013 7:17 PM

              I think they were awesome and classically mega man in most ways. Maybe a bit harder but not by much.

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      March 22, 2013 11:09 AM

      I have everlasting faith in Capcom, but this will not happen.

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      March 22, 2013 11:18 AM

      Please don't make it anything like MM9 or 10.

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      March 22, 2013 11:52 AM

      I'm picking up on some MM9 and 10 hate. Why are you people DUMB AS FUCK hating? What didn't you like?

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        March 22, 2013 11:56 AM

        They want another X game.

        I don't care what timeline they use I just want quality HD art, and a game that is fun. You could have the Rayman team reskin Megaman 9 and I would buy it again.

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        March 22, 2013 11:59 AM

        Ignoring advancements in the series as well as gaming in general was dumb. The two games made me realize that designing new games using old design for the sake of nostalgia is stupid. Part of the nostalgic feeling in playing games is that they are actually old games. It has very little to do with their design.

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          March 22, 2013 12:00 PM

          This guy gets it.

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          March 22, 2013 12:16 PM

          Oh, boy. First, it wasn't a stupid move on Capcom's part. Both games sold very well--profits, easily, since Capcom probably didn't have to spend that much to develop them. Second, the games sold well because a large body of gamers WANTED classic Mega Man gameplay. Fans missed the simpler days of run-and-gun action diluted by half-assed 3D entries and a glut of the turn-based games, whatever that series was called.

          Third, the design of MM9 and 10, as well as the vast majority of the classic MM games, was superb. That's the appeal. Nostalgia plays a part, yes, but 2D MM games are as tight, as challenging, and as crisp as any 2D platform games, new, old, or forthcoming. I'll grant that I'd rather not see more 8-bit-style games; I'm more in the market for HD sprites on a 2D field. But you can't deny that the 2D games were and are solid entries.

          Well, you CAN deny it. But you're wrong.

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            March 22, 2013 12:27 PM

            You can have classic gameplay without having to completely emulate the entire classic design. That's the problem with MM9 and MM10.

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              March 22, 2013 12:34 PM

              You say "the problem" as if that's objective. It wasn't a problem. Reviews and sales indicate as such. You might not care for that style, but it worked.

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              March 22, 2013 1:47 PM

              If I had one gripe about MM9 and 10, it's that I really, really missed sliding. While I don't believe the new 8bit-style Megaman games need to have all of today's modernizations, I think they should've had all of MegaMan 1-8's.

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              March 22, 2013 3:11 PM

              Mechanics trump design. Mechanically the game was still a megaman game with the challenge ramped up. The levels were well designed and the games felt well done.

              There could have been a more contemporary design in terms of graphics and sound sure, but the old style didn't bother me so much. The game played well and that is what's important.

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          March 22, 2013 8:47 PM

          I agree with you entirely. It's why I never got the love for original NES games I never had a chance to play.

          relevant https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8FpigqfcvlM

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        March 22, 2013 12:05 PM

        I can't understand the hate, either. I personally loved MM9 and 10.

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        March 22, 2013 12:40 PM

        MM9 was a great nostalgic jolt to get gamers back on board with Mega Man but I was hoping that they would make a real modern sequel with Mega Man 10.

        Another Mega Man X game without that terrible character Axel would be good too.

        Also no more Battle Network-like games please. After the third one they were just churning out garbage.

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        March 22, 2013 12:55 PM

        Because they're dumb as fuck.

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        March 22, 2013 7:29 PM

        mm9 was great but I thought it was lame they went ahead and did the same thing for mm10.

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      March 22, 2013 12:45 PM

      I wish they'd continued the Powered Up series.

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        March 22, 2013 1:06 PM

        The music, mainly in 10 had really bad use of instruments. It sounded like any old wanna be chiptunes and that's unacceptable in a Mega Man game, he isn't called "Rock" Man in Japan for no reason, the catchy music is a HUGE part of the series.

        As far as gameplay goes, the Wily castles felt like cop outs from the bosses to the levels themselves, it was fell short. I honestly think 10 is the worst one in the classic series.

        I liked 9 quite a bit though.

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          March 22, 2013 1:07 PM

          Me too, The Powered Up game was amazing. I'd love to see a Maverick Hunter X2..too.

          BTW that first comment was supposed to be under @David Craddock.

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      March 22, 2013 2:28 PM

      I just want them to put Mega Man X3 on the Virtual Console. I know the Wii is considered a dead system so it will probably never happen now, but it would have been nice of them to complete the SNES trilogy. Ugh.

      Nonetheless I'll be keeping an eye out for this new one.

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      March 22, 2013 3:00 PM

      I Want to Believe.

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      March 22, 2013 3:56 PM

      Personally I liked the retro throwback games that were released but it's retro approach was neither a feature or a bad thing in my book. The games were balanced for simplicity and sold as lower budget titles so it balances out.

      If they were to release a new Megaman title as a full price entry to the series, I would set the bar and wouldn't let the "retro approach" pass. The series would need to revamp its formula pretty well. The game can remain at heart the same but there are definitely some things I would adjust with the series.

      1. Robot master weaknesses are tickets to bypass challenge. This needs to go. Using the right weapon should be used to gain some form of strategic advantage, not a method that removes effort from the challenge. If I had a cutting weapon and my enemy was a enemy that was a spider type, the cutting tool should be used to cut the webs he uses to gain height advantage on me not bring 20% of his health out with every hit.

      2. Stages should be broad and nonlinear. Think the amount of passages you can take to beat a level in a classic Sonic the Hedgehog game. There should be clear rewards for skillful and observant movement throughout the stage.

      3. Utilize the modern controller. You can still have the classic feel of the old games while still making something completely new. Something like using triggers to replace down and jump for the powerslide. Make them instead left and right slides for a very intuitive dodge mechanic.

      4. Robot master duels do not have to be confined to a small room. Be creative with boss fights. Cut it out with the patterns. Once we see them they become too easy. Make your bosses more adaptive and less predictable.

      5. Weapons should be well thought out. Unfortunately in most of the series, I find myself not needing a vast majority of the weapons I obtain from the robot masters. They are either inferior to the Mega/X buster or so useful that they are over powered. A possibility is to have the weapons have an alt-fire for utility and a regular fire for offense.

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        March 22, 2013 8:17 PM

        You would have liked the mega man zx series then

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      March 22, 2013 4:04 PM

      [deleted]

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      March 22, 2013 6:48 PM

      [deleted]

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      March 23, 2013 11:49 AM

      Considering how Capcom treated Mega Man fans for a good 2+ years. (SFxT, MML3 'for purchase demo, then canceling the game 'because lack of fan feedback' MvC3 taunting...) They're going to have to go way further then that for me to be excited about the franchise again.

      To be fair I wasn't a huge fan in the first place, but I've *never* seen a company more willfully try to savage their fans, I don't know if I want to trust them with my time and effort investment. >_>

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        March 23, 2013 2:29 PM

        Mega Man's appearance in SFxT was perfect, if you ask me. You can't just throw Mega Man as he appears in his games into a game like that, he'd be impossible to hit while standing, and throw off the balance of the whole thing.

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          March 23, 2013 2:30 PM

          Also I mean, come on. Box Art Mega Man is just so damn good.

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