For quite a while, it was a virtual tie between it and xkcd's Flash Games, but in the end Penny Arcade's homage to Mega Man 9 A Trick of Retrospective took top honors in this week's webcomic wrapup. As one commenter quipped, the fourth panel -- the one with all the screaming and angry swearing at the TV -- is conspicuously absent.

Second place went to xkcd, while third went to the other homage to Mega Man 9, Digital Unrest's Return to Form. Thanks to everyone who voted and be sure to let us know of any game-related webcomics you stumble upon this week.

The first two (of five) reminders that Mega Man 9 is not a retro title -- also known as premium downloadable content -- is available now on WiiWare and will be coming to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network on Tuesday and Thursday, respectively (via press release). As previously noted, you can expect Endless Attack (300 Nintendo points) and Proto Man (200 NPs) this week. Proto Man has a charge shot, slide and a reflective shield, but he also takes double damage and is knocked back twice as far.

The remaining DLC -- Hero, Super and Special modes -- are expected October 20 for WiiWare, with the XBLA/PSN content presumably coming the same week.

Yup, random capitalization in titles is still annoying -- especially in game titles.

On that note, it's a big week for the PSN update. WipEout HD makes its debut, along with several other downloadable titles, including Mega Man 9. The PSP gets some games to download and there's several content packs for Buzz! on PS3. Check out the full list after the break.

A list of this week's super-size serving of goodies found in the European PSN update can be found over at PS3 Fanboy.

Despite its rigorous, retro stylings and old-fashioned platforming, not everything in Mega Man 9 is rooted in the past -- in fact, not every thing is in Mega Man 9. Nintendo Wii Fanboy peered into the downloadable game's online instruction manual (they're really terrible at it, you see) and discovered what appears to be a list of all the game's planned downloadable content, including dates and prices.

There are five pieces in total, with the first two modes, namely "Proto Man Mode" and "Endless Attack," scheduled to arrive on October 6th or 200 Wii Points and 300 Wii Points, respectively. The plans also reveal "Hero Mode," "Special Stage" and "Superhero Mode" due on October 20th. While you examine the full details after the break, we'll check in with Capcom whether all (or any) of these apply to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Mega Man 9.

We knew that today would be the day, but still, it feels a little momentous: We, the one-man staff of WiiWare Weekly, are proud to announce ... that there's a good, exclusive game on WiiWare: Mega Man 9 (Capcom, 1 player, 1,000 Wii Points) will be available at noon today. Yeah, it's only exclusive for three days, but it's exclusive for now, and you can't take that away from us.

As if to counterbalance the modicum of confidence we can place in WiiWare with Mega Man's arrival, he'll be showing up with (we kid you not) PLÄTTCHEN twist 'n' paint (Bplus, 1-8 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points) in tow. According to the release, you'll (we're still not kidding), "Play as one of the countless FantasyMEs and fight as an astronaut, butterfly, car or football against sharks, cowboys, asteroids and skulls in numerous, fabulous fantasy Worlds."

... When Haley Joel Osment finally finishes that biopic about the brilliant yet cripplingly autistic boy who manages to create a WiiWare game every week, we imagine the part where his game PLÄTTCHEN twist 'n' paint is released with Mega Man 9 will be the equivalent of "the big game."

Everybody's favorite Mega Man -- who's not actually a man, but, in fact, a robotic boy with an insatiable lust for power and a proficiency for murderous kleptomania -- will kick off his throwback, comeback tour in North America later this month. Capcom has confirmed that Mega Man 9 will leap through Wiiware's shutter next week, on September 22nd, with the PlayStation Network version following on September 25th (for $9.99). Xbox Live Arcade will have to make do with October 1st.

Whichever version you end up buying, there's no question that you'll end up dying. But hey, since it's for everlasting peace, it's for a worthy cause.

Capcom has announced that the Blue Bomber will return in Japan for Mega Man 9 on September 24. Wii Fanboy has noted the irony in the traditional game's nontraditional Wednesday release -- typically, Japanese WiiWare games come out on Tuesdays.

Now, we patiently await the official announcement of Mega Man 9's alleged September release date in North America and its possible release in Europe this year.

[Via Wii Fanboy]

It's hard to actually use the word lore in association with Mega Man. That's a word we generally save for Star Wars, Star Trek, Middle Earth and maybe LOST, but it's appropriate when pertaining to series character designer Keiji Inafune's mini-Q&A with the Capcom blog. In it, Inafune (who also produced Dead Rising and the Onimusha series) answers important, nitpicky questions about Zero's ability to kill, the relationship between Zero and Sigma and its significance and Dr. Wily's (non) presence in the Mega Man X series.

Also noted is that, given the chance, Inafune would've loved to see Mega Man in Smash Bros. Brawl. What you won't see, however, is Mega Man with co-op multiplayer. "I think this is quite difficult--even close to impossible with the current style of Mega Man," he said. Our suggestion: Player 1 moves, Player 2 aims the arm. Use some cheesy plot device about Mega Man's arm being possessed. Hey, it worked in Metal Gear Solid.

We're hoping you'll just watch the video and not really bother with any of the padding we've surrounded it with. But in case you're wondering, we think Mega Man 9's intro sets the tone for the blue bomber's retro-vitalized return just perfectly. Requiring very little in the way of reflexes, it's also the only section we think we'll have mastered by the time the game hits PSN, XBLA and WiiWare.

Oh, and did you catch the cute news reader cameo? How about that wascally Dr. Wily's "Swiss Bank" number?

[Via Kramez's Blog]

If there's one thing you'll see a lot during your stroll through Mega Man 9's trap-laden, pit-filled and exceedingly deadly memory lane, it's the poor little robot boy exploding into a booming bloom of pulsating energy. Unfortunately, there appears to be no achievement for dying one billion times -- at least not in the list of in-game gongs posted by Inside MGC.

So, how about beating the game without dying? Or without using energy tanks? How confident are you about defeating every boss using only the standard buster ... or without taking damage? Well, it looks like we'll be going for the WiiWare version of the game after all. We just can't deal with Capcom giving us a retro-wrapped gift with one hand and plucking Xbox 360 Achievements (or PSN Trophies?) out of our grasp with the other. Those meanies!

[Thanks, Morgon]

Capcom has fed IGN screenshots featuring three of the 8-bit bosses in the upcoming nouveau retro Mega Man 9. There's apparently some backstory to this ninth fifty-somethingith game in the franchise, but the main point is that Mega Man will go on another killing spree with no care for robot rights.

IGN had the opportunity to show off Concrete Man, Tornado Man and Magma Man ... not to be confused with Guts Man, Air Man, and every other fire guy in the series. Tornado Man is above, but check out Concrete Man and Magma Man after the break.

Capcom's going out of its way to make sure its deliciously stale Mega Man 9 offers a true 8-bit experience, bugs and all. The company's Hironobu Takeshita recently told Gamasutra that the download will have the look and feel of a NES-era release, and that things such as sprite flicker have even been included as a -- thankfully optional -- feature.

"Yeah, there were some things, like you couldn't have more than three enemies on the screen at once, so we had to make sure that that's how it stayed in our game. In the part with the dragon with the flame, [there should be] flickering, and whatnot," noted the game's producer. "In the options of this game, you can adjust that, unlike the old games. We purposely put some of those old-school bugs into this game, so it does recreate that feel." Now, if only Capcom could emulate blowing into the cartridge we'd be in retro heaven.

In keeping with the retro-y spirit of Mega Man 9, Capcom decided to commission I Am 8-bit artist Gerald de Jesus to create the most awful faux box art possible for the game. Capcom then put it on T-shirts for its staff to wear at E3. The idea was to mimic the atrocious cover of the original Mega Man for NES (widely considered to be the worst box art of all time) and it worked. Really well.

Capcom's head PR honcho, Chris Kramer, has updated the company's blog with word that the exceedingly kitsch shirts will actually be re-printed for sale to the masses, although exactly when and where we can expect to snap one up is still being ironed on out.

Short version: Mega Man 9 is, well, Mega Man. That's the whole point, isn't it?

Not quite as short and possibly more elaborate than the game deserves version: