With the first game released over two decades ago, it's hard to imagine Mega Man turns 26 years old today. The sheer amount of games released to this day is staggering. From the Classic series to the Star Force series, Mega Man has certainly left his mark on the industry. The franchise has been praised for its colorful and creative characters, unique gameplay and unforgettable musical compositions. There's a reason the Blue Bomber put Capcom on the map and has become a force to be reckoned with in the game industry.
Keiji Inafune, not long after he graduated college, was hired by Capcom in 1987. Inafune worked on the very first Street Fighter and eventually found himself on the Rockman project. Already in production, he helped create the enemies and the initial character design for the game Rockman, which was inspired by the popular manga, Astro Boy. Music played an integral role in games development; the designers wanted to go for a rock and roll motif in naming the main character. They came up with names like the "Mighty Kid" and "Rainbow Man" (the name Rainbow Man revolved around the fact that each boss the player defeated dropped a weapon; and when the player switched to to the new power up, Rainbow Man would change his color accordingly).
But ultimately, the developers stuck with Rockman, who was accompanied by his sister, Roll. The game was finally released on December 17, 1987 on Nintendo's Famicom video game console. It was praised for its unique weapon-based gameplay, platforming, music, and graphics. Rockman would eventually find his way over seas, but under the new name of Mega Man. Coming to America, this wasn't the only change made to the game. Mega Man needed marketing. The American box art for the game has been deemed as the worst box art to a game ever. Keiji Inafune stated that the box art was the reason the game did not sell well in the states (Story goes that the box art was made just as the game was ready to release and they quickly came up with this and stuck with it just to release the game in time).
As we know, this wasn't the end for Mega Man's career. Capcom would continue to release sequel after sequel with improved visuals and imaginative characters for years to come. Spin-offs from the classic series were even created, like the darker themed Mega Man X to the open 3D world of the Mega Man Legends series.
Recently, the franchise has slowed down with nearly 4 years of no new Mega Man games having been announced or in development. But, all is not lost as Mega Man is still given plenty of love and support from the community, including musicians who cover the franchise's original scores. Because of Archie Comics, Mega Man stars in his own comic book and graphic novel, crossing over with Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. And the Blue Bomber is even a guest fighter in the upcoming 3DS and WiiU Super Smash Bros.
Keiji Inafune's newest game Mighty No. 9 draws inspiration from his previous creation and is a reboot to the genre that could possibly catch the attention of Capcom for a new game. Until that day comes, celebrate and be thankful for the creation of Mega Man and his impact on the video game industry.
But ultimately, the developers stuck with Rockman, who was accompanied by his sister, Roll. The game was finally released on December 17, 1987 on Nintendo's Famicom video game console. It was praised for its unique weapon-based gameplay, platforming, music, and graphics. Rockman would eventually find his way over seas, but under the new name of Mega Man. Coming to America, this wasn't the only change made to the game. Mega Man needed marketing. The American box art for the game has been deemed as the worst box art to a game ever. Keiji Inafune stated that the box art was the reason the game did not sell well in the states (Story goes that the box art was made just as the game was ready to release and they quickly came up with this and stuck with it just to release the game in time).
Mega Man, for those unfamiliar, tells the story of a robot named Rock created by two scientists, Dr. Light and Dr. Wily. Rock, alongside 6 other robots, were built to help workers with construction and other tasks. Dr Wily, who begins to distrust Dr. Light, steals the other 6 robots and reprograms them to work under his control, soon helping him take over the world. Rock asks Dr. Light to make him combat efficient to stop Dr. Wily's plans and to save the world. After defeating all the robot masters, Rock confronts Dr. Wily and defeats him at his fortress and thus ending the game. It's a very short, but simple story to get into.
The story wasn't anything to write home about. However, Mega Man's game design was at the peak of innovation. The game didn't just force players through a linear set of levels. Mega Man allowed players to choose where and which stages they would like to play first, creating a personal experience for every player. This allowed the game to be fresh and as difficult as a player wanted it to be. As long players used their new-found weapons accordingly, they could progress from one robot master to the next. Along with player choice and freedom, role-playing elements were also thrown into Mega Man's design. This freedom was unheard of at the time and inspired not just platformers, but many other games.
The story wasn't anything to write home about. However, Mega Man's game design was at the peak of innovation. The game didn't just force players through a linear set of levels. Mega Man allowed players to choose where and which stages they would like to play first, creating a personal experience for every player. This allowed the game to be fresh and as difficult as a player wanted it to be. As long players used their new-found weapons accordingly, they could progress from one robot master to the next. Along with player choice and freedom, role-playing elements were also thrown into Mega Man's design. This freedom was unheard of at the time and inspired not just platformers, but many other games. |
| Think of choosing your weapons like playing rock, paper, scissors. No matter which one you pick, each power-up has its strengths and weaknesses. While one weapon may deal heavy damage to one robot master, it may do nothing to others. |
Recently, the franchise has slowed down with nearly 4 years of no new Mega Man games having been announced or in development. But, all is not lost as Mega Man is still given plenty of love and support from the community, including musicians who cover the franchise's original scores. Because of Archie Comics, Mega Man stars in his own comic book and graphic novel, crossing over with Sega's Sonic the Hedgehog. And the Blue Bomber is even a guest fighter in the upcoming 3DS and WiiU Super Smash Bros.
Keiji Inafune's newest game Mighty No. 9 draws inspiration from his previous creation and is a reboot to the genre that could possibly catch the attention of Capcom for a new game. Until that day comes, celebrate and be thankful for the creation of Mega Man and his impact on the video game industry.
Continue to fight for ever lasting peace, Mega Man.
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