Mega Man 9 dated for September in Japan

by Jason Dobson { Jul 3rd 2008 at 9:00AM }

You can't put a price on nostalgia. But you can put a date on it -- at least if you happen to live in Japan. Our friends at Nintendo Wii Fanboy send word that according to Famitsu, Mega Man 9 will bound onto the Japanese WiiWare service sometime in September.

This gives us hope that the company's irresistibly retro take on the Blue Bomber will soon be released in other regions as well. However, Capcom remains mum regarding its agenda, leaving us to wait until E3 to find out more about its plans for the pixilated hero's WiiWare-only digital launch outside of Japan. Now where did we put those rose-colored glasses?

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Tags: capcom, mega-man, mega-man-9, megaman, wiiware

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

koehler83 @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:04AM

They havent really verified which NES style of Megaman they're using, have they?

Are they continuing the updated Megaman 8 style, or are they returning to the Megaman 1-6 style?

peepoop @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:17AM

Your question hurts my head.

There's only ONE NES style.

that guy @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:33AM

It's MM 1 - 6 style. Check out the screenshots:

http://www.joystiq.com/tag/mega-man-9/

Shadow El @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:05AM

Mega Man 7 was on the SNES, and Mega Man 8 was on the PS1/Saturn.

There is only one NES style for Mega Man.

BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ Jul 3rd 2008 3:20PM

The 8-bit MM8-styled sprites was a mockup image from BlackbeltDude at the Rockman Perfect Memories forum.

RoboChamp @ Jul 3rd 2008 9:19AM

This isn't Megaman Legends 3. I want Megaman Legends 3. /rant

BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ Jul 3rd 2008 3:21PM

I second the motion for a MegaMan Legends 3.

But, I'm quite happy with a Megaman 9. The Classic series was always my favorite (You just can't beat the original Rock and Roll).

ronald.raygun @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:24AM

Fernando confirmed to be in Japan in september.

LongshotX @ Jul 3rd 2008 10:48AM

I hope to God they don't use the boring 8-bit style. I enjoyed the 16-bit (Megaman 7) and 32-bit (Saturn/PSX) style and especially those beautiful anime cutscenes. I hope Capcom does this latest and probably final edition of Megaman with justice. I would like to see them finally flesh out the storyline and explain what happened between the events of the Megaman and X storylines. Did Megaman get killed? What happened to the original Megaman and why does he not appear in the X series? If they can establish this and add anime cutscenes it will be a wonderful way to touch off an awesome series. The NES versions were great but the times have changed. Utilize the power of the new consoles to make something truly unbelievable.

Adam Dicks @ Jul 3rd 2008 11:17AM

That's only your opinion. There are alot of people, myself included, who are thrilled to be able to take a trip back in time for a retro ride. That means everything from the graphics to the nes' classic musical sounds. There are plenty of other graphic-heavy games out there for todays gaphics whore gamer. Let us retro fans have some good 'ol old school fun.

peepoop @ Jul 3rd 2008 12:31PM

Some people just don't get it, Adam.

LongshotX is one of those people.

Fernando Rocker @ Jul 3rd 2008 12:39PM

I really want to hear amazing Megaman music in 8 bit sounds.

I'm very hyped about the tunes...

The classics games are very playable these day, and I'm very happy with the decision about creating a new NES game.

samfish @ Jul 3rd 2008 2:57PM

"What happened to the original Megaman and why does he not appear in the X series?"

Isn't X just the original Mega Man upgraded after they found him buried?
At least that's what I always thought.

As much as I'm hyped for Mega Man 9 (this and Sonic RPG are the only two games I KNOW I'm buying this year), I have to admit I'd be equally hyped to see a new Mega Man game with THE Mega Man with detailed, gorgeous sprites and multi-directional Wiimote aiming.

BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ Jul 3rd 2008 3:32PM

Personally, I hated the 32-bit sprites used in MM8 and MM&B. For the most part, they were nicely detailed. But they seemed to lack "personality", as it were... Megaman himself, looked rather goofy.

The 16-bit sprites, however, were great.

Just a few story related bits:
-No, X is NOT Megaman. X was an all-new robot designed by Dr. Light that would have complete freedom of thought. The basis for his advanced AI was used by Dr. Cain to create Reploids (as X and Zero are the originals, they aren't Reploids but just robots)
-Bass's ending in Megaman 2: The Power Fighters reveals that Dr. Wily was already working on Zero following Megaman 8 (MM2:PF takes place slightly after MM8, as Duo is a playable character, but leaves for space after the game's over). Zero's intent wasn't to kill X, but the original Megaman. What happens afterwards is unknown.
-Protoman's ending in Power Fighters reveals that he has a serious defect in his energy management system. Dr. Light offers for him to come home to Light's lab so he can fix it, but Protoman, being the lone wolf type he is, declines the offer and instead wanders off again. Presumably, he eventually blows up/shuts down from this defect.

Not official, but a popular idea in the fan base is a "cataclysm" that links the Classic and X series. Zero is unleashed by Wily, who goes on a rampage (see his wild behavoir in MMX4's flashback fight of Sigma and Zero), killing all of the other robots, including Wily's own (Bass has rebelled against Wily, destroying his Robot Masters and the such because he believes he's the superior machine and all that Wily needs to beat Megaman; undoubtedly he'd try to destroy Zero, too).
Since the two series are seperated by about 100 years, and Zero is still alive in the future, it's possible that Wily deactivated him again. Perhaps to stop Zero from attacking him.
Again, none of this is official.

LongshotX @ Jul 3rd 2008 3:37PM

@samfish

Megaman was robot. X is a reploid. They are not the same.

Truth Unknown @ Jul 4th 2008 12:15AM

LongshotX, X is not a reploid, he's an android. Reploids are based off of his design.

John @ Jul 3rd 2008 11:22AM

What happened to Capcom's multiplatform spirit? Wii only? That's BS.

Shadow El @ Jul 3rd 2008 2:09PM

I think they're apologizing for dropping Gamecube exclusivity for Resident Evil 4, Viewtiful Joe, and Killer 7.

And yes, this game more than makes up for all 3. And that's saying a lot, because I loved all 3 of those games.

LongshotX @ Jul 3rd 2008 1:17PM

@Adam Dicks

It has nothing to do with being a graphics whore. The Megaman 7/9/Rockman & Forte offered not only better animation and graphics but also higher quality soundtracks, tighter controls, and more storyline while enhancing that sense of nostalgia you got from playing the older games.

Adam Dicks @ Jul 3rd 2008 2:00PM

But then it isn't retro anymore. It just becomes a modern day version on and old classic. You say you're not a graphics whore, but then the very next sentence is about better graphics, better animation etc. What Capcom is doing is making a direct sequel for retro gamers done in the retro NES style. In essence, we're getting a new NES game 15 or so years after its time and that is part of the thrill and what makes it special. It doesn't get much more retro than 8-bit. I played Megaman 8 on the ps1 and yeah, it looked good, but it was easy and not as much fun as earlier installments on the good old NES. This is for old school fans. Newbs and graphic whores need not apply.

LongshotX @ Jul 3rd 2008 3:35PM

Hey I grew up on the NES Megaman (22 y.o.) but I don't think it would do the series justice by regressing back to the old 8-bit style. You should like a retro-graphics whore. I said that graphics, sound, gameplay, storyline could all benefit from updates that aren't specifically graphical in nature.

BPM [MKWii: 2578 3585 8392] @ Jul 3rd 2008 3:36PM

Tighter controls? They all played the same! With the exception of 7+ adding the ability to swap weapons with the L/R shoulder buttons.

More storyline? Most of the NES games had some cutscenes. And Inafking (Keiji Inafune) has stated in the Nintendo Power interview that there will be a story expressed in-game in MM9, with cutscenes, too.
Plus (and this comes from a long-time Megaman fan who owns nearly all of the US English games and a few Japanese imports), it's not like Megaman has some epic story.