There’s been a lot of talk about the blue bomber lately with the cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3 and Mega Man Universe, and the father of the character, Keiji Inafune, leaving Capcom. Mega Man has always been one of the most recognizable video game characters since his debut on the NES, but the super fighting robot never truly stepped in to newer generations like many other gaming icons have. It’s time for Mega Man to make a comeback — no more cameos, battle networks or new 8-bit side-scrollers. Bring Mega Man back for the current generation and bring him back right. “How should we do that?” asks Capcom. “Why, like this,” says I.
Reboot in 3 Dimensions
Plenty of other game franchises are getting reboots, why not give Mega Man a retry. Mega Man doesn’t have a place within the modern game space and hasn’t had a reputable entry into the 3rd dimension since the Mega Man Legends games. We need to see old blue with 3D graphics in full high definition. Personally, I think a cell shaded art style with a fast paced classic Mega Man soundtrack would bring the right amount of nostalgia retro gamers are familiar with, while giving the new Mega Man game a fresh feel and widespread appeal. Make the gameplay fast and furious with huge robot enemy mid-bosses and the classic Robot Masters.
Gameplay should not limit itself the the abilities that classic Mega Man had in his repertoire. Introduce Mega Man to the 3D world with the ability to dash, slide, charge his arm cannon, wall jump a la Mega Man X, and find even more abilities throughout the game. Make the enemies and boss battles force players to utilize all of their acquired skills. Beat down the giant robots in new ways like using the environment to cause damage, exposing weak points to specific attacks, and exploiting enemy powers and movement to gain the upper hand while avoiding the overly used (and boring) boss design where you shoot the glowing red balls to topple an over-sized adversary.
Bring Back Dr. Wiley’s Robot Masters
The Robot Masters are what make Mega Man games what they are. In the reboot, these guys don’t even have to be new characters. I would be perfectly happy seeing some of the old characters from the old games. Gutsman, Cutman, Metal Man, Snake Man — any of these characters would be awesome to see in a brand new game. Translating any of the Robot Masters to a 3D environment would automatically change up the strategy in which they are defeated. So, why try to be clever with new bosses that will just end up being lame (*cough* Sheep Man)? Add some new flavor to our most beloved Robot Masters and give Mega Man some worthy adversaries. And hey, some reimagining of the defeated Robot Master’s absorbed powers would also be welcome.
Put Mega Man in a Hub World
Gone are the days when it was okay to choose a level from a menu screen. To usher Mega Man into the new generation, he is going to need a hub so the ability to choose which Robot Master is to be challenged next is still intact. Have him chill out at Doctor Light’s house where he could charge up energy tanks, learn new abilities, and purchase upgrades. This concept isn’t foreign to the Mega Man series either. Mega Man Zero saw its hero regroup at the Resistance base, where he could chit chat with other characters and prep for battle. How awesome would it be to explore the fully imagined world of 20XX collecting power ups, meeting classic characters, and battling Dr. Wiley’s horde of evil robots.
I’m tired of just playing the old Mega Man classics. It’s about time Mega Man got the AAA title that he deserves. What would you like to see in a brand new current generation Mega Man game with all the bells and whistles? Throw out some of your ideas in the comments below.
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