Pragmata is an all-new science fiction action adventure with its own unique hacking twist! It is the near future, and protagonists Hugh and his android companion Diana, must work together as they make their way through the cold lunar research station!

Featured games include Pragmata, Mega Man Star Force Legacy Collection, Street Fighter 6, Monster Hunter Stories 3: Twisted Reflection, and more!

Imagined and created through a shared vision between the two companies, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite will feature a variety of exciting and accessible single player modes and rich multi-player content for new players and longtime fans alike. In addition to single player Arcade, Training, and Mission modes, a visually stunning and immersive cinematic Story Mode will put players at the center of both universes as they battle for survival against a sinister new threat.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is being built to highlight a combination of iconic and fan favorite characters and stages from both universes, including Captain Marvel and Iron Man from the Marvel side, and Ryu and Mega Man X from Capcom. More characters, stages, modes, and features will be revealed in the coming months.

In anticipation of the new game, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is being re-released for current generation systems; with the PlayStation 4 digital download version available today and the Xbox One and Windows PC versions coming in March 2017. Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 for current-gen systems includes a new gallery mode, is packed with all previous DLC, and features an improved 1080p resolution at 60 frames per second. The re-release of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 is being offered as an individual download title on all systems for $24.99.

Gameplay features include:

• Reborn Rivalries: Universes collide once again in this all-new crossover clash for the ages, where players select their favorite Marvel and Capcom characters and engage in accessible and action-packed 2v2 partner battles.
• Infinite Power: Pulled from classic Marvel lore, unique and game-changing Infinity Stones can be implemented into players’ strategies as a way to influence the outcome of battle. Each Infinity Stone provides a unique advantage to the player and represents a different aspect of the universe: power, space, time, reality, soul, and mind.
• Iconic Heroes: Choose from a diverse roster of fan favorite characters pulled from Marvel and Capcom universes, including Iron Man and Captain Marvel from the Marvel side, and Ryu and Mega Man X from Capcom. Many more playable characters will be revealed in the future.
• Cinematic Story: Heroes and villains battle for supremacy in a timeless struggle set in the Marvel and Capcom universes. The original storyline answers the questions regarding the new clash and lets players step into the shoes of classic characters from both sides as they wage war against powerful forces in an attempt to defeat a new villain.
• Accessible Single Player Content: In addition to the cinematic story experience, players can hone their skills in a variety of accessible single player modes, including Training, Mission and Arcade modes.
• Vast Multiplayer Features: Robust online modes and content including ranked and casual matches, global leaderboards, and online lobbies with spectator mode deepen the overall experience.
• Graphics: Unreal Engine 4 technology pushes the cinematic visuals and next-gen realism into a new era.

From what can be seen, up to four players will take control of a Mega Man piece and travel around the board to defeat the robot masters and then take on Wiley himself. The official rules have yet to be revealed but more can be seen in the trailer below.

“In the year 20XX, Jasco Games created Mega Man the Board Game. Destined to grace tabletops everywhere, the board game takes the classic formula that made the original Blue Bomber so memorable and transfers it to a whole new arena. This officially licensed board game brings gamers and board game enthusiasts everything they love about Mega Man: iconic robot masters, sinister villains, incredible power ups, and polished game play. ” – Kickstarter description

How to Get Your Own

Backing this game is rather pricey – the lowest contribution that will net supporters an actual copy of this game is $70 (plus shipping if you are outside of the United States). For those who just want to support the project, smaller denominations can be donated with the potential to receive special figurines. A few stretch goals have been met with more on the way. Those already completed include alternate Mega Man game pieces, additional robot masters, and perhaps other playable characters.

With 18 days left and the project already funded 3-fold, it’s likely there could be major added content between now and production. The game can be followed on its Kickstarter page as well as its page on Facebook. Will you be supporting this game? Let us know if you’ll be backing this project and if you pledged enough to get your own copy!

Is Comcept’s Mighty No. 9 the “Mega Man” game we’ve been waiting for?

It’s only been running for a short time, but the man behind the Blue Bomber has already raised way more than enough to meet preliminary goals to begin production of Mighty No. 9 – which is, noticeably, more than inspired by the heart and soul (and gameplay) of his first creation, Mega Man. But it gets deeper than that. The similarities between Mighty No. 9 and Mega Man could reflect why Inafune left Capcom in the first place.

Fans of all Mega Man series are supporting this project and the amount of backers is climbing each day, with some confirmed pledges of over $10,000.

From the information on Comcept’s Kickstarter, you can see that the game is a side-scrolling platformer that takes elements from both 8-bit and 16-bit iterations of Mega Man while adding in some modern twists. But once you read some of the plot and comments made by the developer, it sounds like Inafune is making the most “legal” sequel to Mega Man that he can possibly make.

The Plot

“You play as Beck, the 9th in a line of powerful robots, and the only one not infected by a mysterious computer virus that has caused mechanized creatures the world over to go berserk. Run, jump, blast, and transform your way through six stages (or more, via stretch goals) you can tackle in any order you choose, using weapons and abilities stolen from your enemies to take down your fellow Mighty Number robots and confront the final evil that threatens the planet!”

Anyone who knows anything about classic Mega Man knows that this follows the same formula that every Mega Man game has followed. Yes, there are new abilities and things that haven’t been seen in previous iterations of Mega Man, but the fundamentals are all right there.The plot also appears to be a mash-up between those of Mega Man 1 and Mega Man 10; Beck’s quest is to stop 8 other robots (as of the 2nd stretch goal) made by the same creator (A.K.A. MegaMan 1) and those robots are suffering from a virus that’s causing them to go berserk (smells like Mega Man 10‘s “Roboenza” virus to me). Heck, No. 9‘s Beck is even blue for crying out loud.

Reading further into the details, Beck will also have a companion bot by the name of Call. And just like the Japanese originals, names follow a theme : Rock(Man), Roll, Blues, etc… and in this case, “Beck” (as in beckoning) and “Call” fit like a hand in a glove.

How Will Capcom Respond to this?

In response to backers asking if the project was affiliated with Capcom or the Mega Man franchise, the team had this for a response:

“No.  Mighty No. 9 is a side-scrolling action game inspired by titles like Mega Man, and it’s being made by many developers who’ve worked on Mega Man games in the past, but it’s 100%, top-to-bottom an all-new property that shares no characters, code, fiction, or anything else besides its genre with Mega Man. So while some of us are ex-employees of Capcom, and all of us are big fans of their games, this project has nothing to do with Capcom or Mega Man.”

So despite the similarities, Mighty No. 9 appears to be safe from any courtroom battles from Capcom. Since legal action can’t shut this down, will Capcom rush to the drawing board to release their own Mega Man game? Comcept is a smaller team and, though dedicated, has set the release date of the game for April 2015. Capcom certainly has more resources at its disposal and over 3 highly demanded cancelled Mega Man games that could suddenly make their way back into the development room.

What if Capcom can’t beat ’em? Can they get Inafune to come back and make this a joint effort (like when Capcom took over Street Fighter X Mega Man)? Could Beck become an official Mega Man character who will eventually earn that title? (The name Mega Man is currently given to 6 different Capcom characters that span over 8 series). Comcept even stated that “our plan is to publish the game ourselves, but we wouldn’t completely rule out working with a publisher or distributor under a very specific set of conditions.” Offers might be made, but is there already bad blood between Capcom and these ex-developers?

Inafune left Capcom in 2010 and on his blog stated that he was “starting his life over” when Comcept, his own independent team, was formed. Now it looks like he’s also starting Mega Man all over. His departure from Capcom was his own decision, however, he had to leave behind the Mega Man IP since it is the company, and not him, that owns the rights. But considering how little Capcom has done with the Mega Man franchise in the last few years, it’s interesting to see that Inafune is not willing to let him, or at least his spirit…. die.

Set 10 years after the events of Dead Rising 2, Dead Rising 3 takes place in the vast city of Los Perdidos amid a nationwide zombie outbreak that’s on the brink of decimating mankind. The story follows Nick Ramos, a young mechanic with a strange tattoo and a mysterious past who must find a way to escape a city full of thousands of bloodthirsty zombies before an impending military strike wipes the city and everyone in it off the map. But Nick can’t do it alone — he must join up with other survivors to stay alive and fight their way out before it’s too late.

Dead Rising 3 will be published by Microsoft and is due out for Xbox One this holiday season

I had the privilege of interviewing members of MegaDudes Productions, the force behind the project. You can read the transcript below and keep an eye out for an EXCLUSIVE REVEAL at the end of the interview!

Damien: Hello Everyone, I’m Damien, writer at The Geek Generation, and thank you all for joining me. Who do we have here representing MegaDude’s Productions in this interview?

Killer336: I’m Killer336 and I’m the co-leader and writer for Chrono X. I do my best to handle any managerial-type work.

MaxRock: I’m the  leader and also the programmer of CX project.

SoulRed12: I’m SoulRed, and I’m the game’s musician.

Midnite: I’m Midnite, I’m the current art director of sorts.

Windsofthepast: I’m Windsofthepast, I’m just a graphics guy.

So my first couple of questions are kinda general and anyone is welcome to answer them. So to begin, What is “Chrono X” exactly? Where does this name come from?

Killer336: Chrono X is supposed to be a theoretical sequel entry into the Battle Network series. The aim is to create a good ending for the series, story-wise at least. We all saw how Lan and his friends ended up 20 years later and that’s all well and good. What I personally aim to do as the writer is to show how they get into that position character-wise. Not only that, but also I want to create an intriguing story worthy of looking an entry to the series, but a climactic one as well. Many people felt Battle Network 6‘s story was lacking in some aspects, especially when you compare it to the original finale of the series — Battle Network 3.

As for the name? It was sort of the best idea for a name that came to our minds. We looked at everything we were going to do, our power-up system, our plot references, and so on and so forth. Chrono X fits to us, but it’s a name that has a lot of in-game meaning — something that you’ll need to play the game to really understand.

MMBNChronoX has been released in a series of demos that have gotten increasingly complex over time. The 4th build of the demo was released at the end of last year if I recall. About how much of the full game in total is currently in development as of now? 

MaxRock: It is best to look at this in terms of a divided percentage. The base engine is pretty much at 100%, while the music is somewhere around half, I think (Soul, correct me here). The story is also completed, while the actual programming of it is not. My best answer is that the majority of the programming content in terms of major add-ons is completed. We just need graphics to complete the rest. However making graphics takes time… especially with only a few pixel artists.

I can’t exactly say how far the full-game is, but for sure we will give more information on that as time progresses.

SoulRed12: Well, the music I’d say is about half done, yeah. It’s hard to give a real estimate because we tend to change our minds a bit on what needs (new) music and what doesn’t, but a good portion of the stuff that gets reused is done so that makes up a lot of it.

Midnite: Battle Network Pixel artists aren’t as bountiful as they were a few years ago, haha…

This one goes to the art department (Winds and Midnite for the most part). What was it like building the sprites of new characters with initially only the concept art as your basis – especially with the fan-submitted character that won the contest? Is it a difficult process turning a drawing into a digital sprite?

Midnite: We usually try to keep a reference on all the Battle Network sprites, arts and such so we can keep a good feel of the series. To be honest, I’m not a fan of some of the designs made before I came on board. I wouldn’t say it’s difficult. But with the small team of pixel artists, most of them going on and off the team, different skill levels, it’s hard to keep some sort of quality control. At times our sprite styles just clash with one another.

CactusMan was a character that the team thought had a lot of potential. We wanted to make him cool being a Mr. Famous navi and all but still keep the idea of the original design. I hope the players enjoy him as much as we do!

Killer336: Yeah, we really could use more. That’s the main thing that eats up our time.

Windsofthepast: I personally find it easier to do maps, OW objects, and in-battle sprites as opposed to OW characters simply because of where I originally started with sprites, the Zero series. So doing characters outside of the battlefield is already a bit more of a challenge for me personally…which often leads to what Mid mentioned, the clashing of sprite styles. I’d have to say that the hardest part is getting things to look just right which often means it gets redone a few times more often than not.

I’d like to direct this next question over to SoulRed about music. Aside from some of the songs reused and remixed from previous games, Chrono X features many original tracks that you’ve been credited with making. Aside from the original BN games, do you have any other inspirations that help you make your tunes?

SoulRed12: I do get outside inspiration from some other franchises, yes. The trick, though, comes in ensuring what I produce with that kind of inspiration fits in the Battle Network game. Those who have read some of my posts on various forums know I really dislike analyzing music based on whether it fits a game’s “style,” but there is something to be said about ensuring it fits with the particular scene in the particular game, and the fact that it’s Battle Network will determine some of the variables there for what will fit.

One franchise in particular I take some inspiration from is Final Fantasy (I’m a bit of a Nobuo Uematsu fanboy, lol). But most of the time, what I’ll do is listen to some of Uematsu’s music that strikes me as similar to what I’m looking to create, and then start writing and just use my ear to know when I’m satisfied.

Very impressive. Might I also ask what you use to develop your music tracks?

SoulRed12: I’ve been using Garage Band on my mac laptop. People talk bad about it sometimes, but in my experience it works just fine.

So this next one goes to MaxRock about programming. What’s the hardest part about programming such a large and in depth game like this using GameMaker? Is it the animations? The Battle System? Triggering Cut-Scenes at the right moment? Or something else?

MaxRock: The hardest thing…hmm. Well, I wouldn’t call it hard, but rather annoying to work with. Long story short (and skipping the headaches GameMaker caused me with a few specific AMD graphic cards), GameMaker has horrible methods of handling resources and produces software which use massive amounts of RAM. I have to spend a lot of time optimizing the resources and trimming our own ideas to the max to make sure the game will use as little memory as possible. Believe me or not, but there are still people who use PCs with less than 1GB of RAM. The latest version of GameMaker seems to have changed that, but it is still in a WIP stage, making few things not fully working yet, so we will see how that will go.

Killer, you’re up to bat – it’s been said that this story is going to be a bit darker and mature than the first ones since Lan and the gang aren’t “just kids anymore”. Should we expect any changes in personality from our beloved characters? Perhaps Lan goes rebellious or the idea of growing up becomes a theme?

Killer336: Well, if there will be changes, it ought to be a natural progression inside the work. I think that by the start of Chrono X, Lan is established to be pretty much the same, but with slight improvements. One of them is that Lan’s grades are getting better, this was shown by the end of the sixth game.

Yes, Lan growing up is part of it. Even the end of the fourth demo shows a bit of that. But Lan won’t be the only one. Mayl, Dex (I personally can’t wait until we see where he goes). None of them will really become rebellious, however. Overall, most of the characters should be established as being largely the same, but over the course of the story, they’ll change in small ways. Hopefully, this results in believable and intriguing character development.

Thanks. I have a second question for you. So far the demos have had little references and jokes and other things that speak directly to fans who have played other BN games – including long lost characters. Should the fans be expecting more of these small fan-service moments, references, and inside jokes as the story continues?

Killer336: Oh, yes. Definitely. The more knowledgeable you are about the series, the more you’ll get out of it. References to past events, old things being used in new ways, etc. There’s lots of it in demo 4, and there will be even more. That’s partly what gives Chrono X its meaning. And I really think that helps to validate Chrono X as a seventh installment. It feels right.

Midnite: We are huge fans of the series and MegaMan after all. I’m the one that actually put in the little visual easter eggs in the game. Like the Ciel doll, Legends 3 Aero and X on guitar.

Has Capcom ever contacted you guys or mentioned you at all in any way or form (good or bad)?

Killer336: Capcom? No. I’m pretty sure they know about us, however.

MaxRock: There was that one user who posted on Capcom of America’s official forums about us. He posted a link to one of our old sites and asked what is their stance on fangames. CoA’s vice President responded that they can’t legally sanction fangames and such. You know, legal stuff. It’s been a couple of years since then…and then there was the case of MMxSF.

SoulRed12: Legally, they have to defend their IP or they risk losing it. But if they act as if they don’t really know about the fangame, it’s sort of like “plausible deniability”. So, we haven’t really pushed it.

Now, back to the project; Chrono X is one of the most developed current BN7 fan games out there today. Do you see other BN sequels as competition?

Killer336: Well, in some way, yes. A team member might disagree with me, but in my opinion, as projects, we’re competing for the same resources and attention. See, in order to make your game, you’re going to need resources, graphics (as Mid mentioned, there aren’t a lot of Pixel Artists for our style left), music, programming  writing, etc. And what do you need in order to create those resources? Talented individuals. How many people do you think are willing to commit their time, talent and energy for a fan-game with no pay? The answer is not many.

So, to make sure you get those people, you need to show them that your game is excellent and that it will get done. No one likes to work for a project  that will die, right? So, it’s a bit of a conundrum. You need talented people to attract talented people.

The truth is, we’re all vying for the same valuable manpower. In addition, seeing other Battle Network projects get credit for stuff that we did, or attention that you feel you should be getting is discouraging.  Battle Network’s community isn’t as big as it once was, so we really need to work for what’s left. Since we aren’t getting paid, the only thing we have to keep us going is a lot of people enjoying our game. Gotta have a really determined attitude in this community, haha.

On the subject of dying fan-games, we’ve counted over 43 failed projects from 2010 to 2013. The first documented one started in 2004. Needless to say, we DON’T want to be another. That’s why we require fan support. The more, the better. We encourage our fan-base to spread the word and get others into it.

Being as you guys are located in different parts of the world, how tough is it to make a fan project of this level without stepping on each other or getting left out?

Killer336: Good one. The reality is that sometimes decisions are made without others being around. Our schedules don’t always line up. It can get quite tough, even annoying when we have to consider new input after the fact and redo it. With all the things that happened in the team, new sprites were made and now some old ideas are getting reinvented, or remade.  Happens all the time.

Killer336: Like, for example, the Me.M.E.N.T.O. system. We generally have a sit down meeting and discuss each form’s abilities. Luckily, we were all there for it, but if we weren’t, we’d have to consider what other people thought about the abilities for each form.

SoulRed12: The time difference, I think, is the hardest to deal with, but we all tend to be night owls so it’s not always so bad, lol.

Wonderful. I just have one last question on my list if you don’t mind. What can fans do to help make this project successful and go as smoothly as possible?

Midnite: We need talented or willing-to-learn pixel artists. Once again, the community is low of their kind nowadays. We will always need pixel artists considering how large of a game an RPG like MMBN is.

Killer336: There’s quite a few things, really. You can spread the word about us on your favorite forum, page, or whatever you got. Visiting the site and following our Facebook/Twitter pages is another way. If you do that, you can keep on top of current events. You could subscribe to our YouTube, as well.  Chatting with us on our chatbox is another way. My personal desire is that I hope people accept it as a seventh entry, but we’ll see. Posting on the forums, and the list goes on to 120. Just involve yourself. Take in what we do and support us. Play the demos, get other people to and keep other people knowledgeable. Discuss it with your friends. The works. Let me just put out there that this interview is a good way of supporting the project.

And Now The Big Reveal!

I again want to thank the MegaDudes team for the interview and especially for the information. Check out a special conversation about a modern robot master recreated as a Net Navi.

Is there anything else you wanna add? Perhaps I could get an exclusive or some inside information *wink wink*?

Midnite: Okay, we got something we can show…

Killer336: How about we reveal a new character?

Killer336: This one is one of my favorites. He’s loud, cool and likes to blow things up! He’ll first appear in Chapter 3 and he’s from a very recent Mega Man game. He was green, big and used missiles. I’d say he’ll be a nice ally. Can you guess who it is?

Thanks for reading and be sure to like The Geek Generation and MMBNChronoX on Facebook! And if you know of any other videogame projects in the works, let us know.

Published by Archie Comics, the comic series will span 12 issues across 3 comic series and feature many fan favorite characters from both universes working together. New enemies created from the combined talents of the two evil geniuses will also been seen, including what appears to be  evil robotic duplicates of Sonic’s friends. ProtoMan, Bass, and Metal Sonic are also shown to have roles in the story.

This comic arch has been highly anticipated since San Diego Comic Con and  comes at an appropriate time as 2013 marks Mega Man’s 25 anniversary. Perhaps there will be further collaboration between these two 3rd party companies in the future. I know I would love to see a cross-over video game based on this story.

Issue #1 of the series was released April 10, 2013 as Mega Man #24 and we can expect to see releases each month between now and August.

DuckTales Remastered has seen the development team take the levels and layout from the original 1989 release as a foundation before expanding upon them to significantly enhance the gameplay experience, but where this update truly impresses is its graphics and sound. All of the visuals from the 8-bit game have been beautifully re-created as hand-drawn and animated sprites, across a backdrop of luscious, re-envisioned level backgrounds. Furthermore, original Disney Character Voices talent, including some from the cartoon TV series, bring in-game characters to life with charm and wit, while the classic melodies of the original soundtrack are given a modern twist.

Further additions to the original include an all new tutorial level where players can get familiar with the iconic pogo jump and cane swing; while Scrooge McDuck’s Museum allows players to track all their stats and compare their progress with others via global leaderboards.

A Disney Interactive licensed property, DuckTales Remastered is being developed for Capcom by WayForward and is scheduled for release digitally on Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation 3, and Wii U this summer.

The update is free to download now from the Mega Man page at Capcom Unity.

The most-requested feature to be included in the version 2 update will be Mega Man 2 style passwords for those who wish to resume the game from a given point.

Other adjustments and tweaks to the game include:

-Confirmation prompt before exiting (ESC) or resetting (F12) the game

-E Tank glitch and various other bugs fixed

-Improved controller support (Game defaults to keyboard on launch; make sure controller is plugged in prior to opening the file, then go into Options menu and set keys)

-Take screenshots using F9

-M Bison buffed a bit

The update will be free to download from the Mega Man page at Capcom Unity on Friday, January 18.

You can get the game over at Capcom Unity. Alternatively, since the game is free to download and distribute, and the Capcom servers are getting hit pretty hard with traffic, I’ve uploaded the game to make for a quicker download by clicking here: [DOWNLOAD]

If you’re curious how this game was conceived of, make sure to check out the video on How Street Fighter X Mega Man came to be.

The two-for-one priced combo breathes new life into each game with a slew of features including robust online game play, HD graphical filtering with multiple viewing options, replay sharing, Spectator Mode, in-game achievements, Challenge/Tutorial Mode and an unlockable vault filled with concept artwork, videos, and more.

Mega Man Universe

In 2010, Capcom announced a new game in the original series entitled Mega Man Universe for the XBLA and PSN. The game was going to feature various versions of the original Mega Man (including one based off of the cover of the American version of Mega Man), and a level generator that could share user created levels with others online. The cherry on top was the inclusion of at least 2 other Capcom characters, Street Fighter’s Ryu, and Sir Arthur, the protagonist of Ghost n’ Goblins. Everything seemed to be going great until Capcom decided to pull the plug on the product about a year later.

So why did it get sacked? Well, comments from Capcom said that it was cancelled for “various circumstances” (yeah, very specific there), but many speculate that the timely departure of Keiji Inafune, the Father of Mega Man and head developer on this project from Capcom, to be the culprit.

So okay, that’s understandable. You lose the guy who dreamed up the character and the head developer. I can deal with that I guess. But what comes next just blows my mind.

Mega Man Legends 3

Here’s one of those topics that you’ve either heard about in detail or never knew about. In 2010, Capcom began production of a 3rd game in the Mega Man Legends series – the first game of that long lost series in over 10 years. It was planned to be released exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS.

To back up a minute, Mega Man Legends was a three-game series that lived mainly on the PlayStation. Unlike many other series of Mega Man, Legends was more of a 3-D adventure RPG (not unlike Zelda) set in a future world but without the major influences of robots and technology. It is one of the more obscure branches of the Mega Man franchise. To put it in movie terms, Mega Man Legends is a cult classic instead of a top blockbuster like the original series.

Anyways, back to the game. MML3 was supposed to come out exclusively for the Nintendo 3DS, and Capcom was doing something a little different for a major developer. You see, Capcom knew that Mega Man Legends was going to be a hit-or-miss game with a very specific audience. So in order to guarantee that there were people out there that would buy this game, Capcom opened up a fan “Development Room”, which was a revolutionary idea that would allow thousands of fans to contribute to the game’s development by giving support and opinions.

Capcom decided to pull the plug on production when it decided that fan support was severely lacking in the “Development Room” and based on the low number of members. This was a very strange decision because Capcom already had plans to release a prototype version demo on the Nintendo eShop for people to play.

So rather than waiting to see how many people actually would be interested in the game, Capcom was deterred by the lack of online fan support. Currently there’s a massive Facebook group entitled “100,000 Strong for Bringing Back Mega Man Legends 3”. The group has reached its goal of 100,000 “Likes” and surpassed it. However, despite substantial media coverage by major video game sites (IGN, Joystiq) as well as support by Keiji Inafune, Capcom has not decided to revive the project.

The demand is there! People want to play the demos and want to revive the project. But alas, cries continue to fall on deaf ears.

Mega Man Online

Okay, so this one isn’t actually a blunder exclusive to Capcom. Mega Man Online was actually being developed with Capcom’s permission by a South Korean company. The game was to be an MMORPG set in the Mega Man X universe. In May, the team underwent some “internal reconstructing” (whatever the heck that means) and production seemed to stop to a halt. Later in the summer, official game images were released by a former developer, something that wouldn’t have been allowed if those images were still in production, suggesting that the game has been shelved. No official word has been given about the project, but between a lack of information and speculation, it’s safe to assume that this game is doomed, too.

Looking Forward

Just in the last year and a half, Capcom has pretty much cancelled three distinct but potentially successful games. Typically, Japanese game developers have been known to release many local demos to generate fan interest. Even more interesting is that none of these games were in production or brought up at E3.

Many other Capcom games, such as the Vs. Capcom and Resident Evil titles are doing just dandy in both content and sales. So why is Mega Man having such a hard time getting off the ground again? And trust me, Mega Man spin-off games for cell phones have never been very successful. If Capcom hopes to get satisfaction from its die-hard fans with an iOS game, they have one heck of a challenge. I don’t see Mega Man Xover being the next Angry Birds. Capcom’s logic must be that if they can’t get a game out for a console, a handheld, or PC, smart phones must be the answer.

Notice the incredible amount of dislikes and hate comments on this video.

It’s his 25 anniversary. Why treat the Blue Bomber like this?

Marvel vs. Capcom Origins offers both the one-on-one gameplay of Marvel Super Heroes with its unique Infinity Gem system and the two-on-two carnage of the original Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes, featuring a tag system, assists, and the wild Duo Team Attack. Bringing forth a host of features never before seen in these games, Marvel vs. Capcom Origins features GGPO-enhanced online play with 8-player lobbies and spectator mode, HD graphical upgrades, dynamic challenges and replay saving.

Marvel vs. Capcom Origins will be available for download in September 2012 on Xbox LIVE Arcade for 1200 Microsoft Points and on PlayStation Network for $14.99.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #086 – America’s Not Awake

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Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Awake finale discussion
• Geek Outs:
  • The Avengers box office success
  • SmartSync app
  • Rob on Nerdist News site
  • Howard Stern on America’s Got Talent
  • LEGO Batman 2: DC Super Heroes
  • Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater HD music
  • Mountain Dew Dark Berry
• Freak Outs:
  • Dan Harmon replaced as Community showrunner
  • Rob slacking on congrats
  • iPhone freezing
  • Overabundance of movie “clips”
  • Dubstep on every trailer for everything
  • Superman vs. The Elite
• Listener Mailbag
• News/discussion:
  • Capcom is re-evaluating on-disc DLC
  • Street Fighter 25th Anniversary Collector’s Set revealed
  • The trailer for CW’s Arrow
  • Batman: The Dark Knight Returns voice cast announced
  • Mark Hamill comes out of Joker retirement
  • Highlander reboot may have found a lead
  • Blade Runner sequel update
  • Two Steve Jobs biopics in the works
  • Director Matthew Vaughn is definitely back for X-Men: First Class sequel
  • Release date set for Sin City: A Dame to Kill For
  • Bond 50 Blu-ray set will arrive September 25
  • Dead or Alive 5 will feature costume-specific breast physics
  • Family Guy: Back to the Multiverse coming to consoles this fall

Additional links:

• ECCC 2012 – World’s best voice actors reenact Star Wars

Honoring one of the most popular videogame franchises of all time, the Street Fighter 25^th Anniversary Collector’s Set is a must – have for Street Fighter video game aficionados. Created as a celebration and tribute to its fans, the limited edition set is individually numbered and jam-packed with Street Fighter games, video, art, music, and exclusive collectibles. The items are housed in a specially created chest complete with a certificate of authenticity.

The limited edition Street Fighter 25^th Anniversary Collector’s Set includes:

• Past and Present Street Fighter Games – Playable on current gen PS3 and Xbox 360 console systems, the four critically-acclaimed titles selected from the star-studded catalog are: Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, Street Fighter III 3^rd Strike Online Edition, Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition with all costume DLC, and Street Fighter X Tekken including all character and Swap Costume DLC.
• Exclusive Video – The two-disc Blu-Ray set includes a documentary that highlights the profound influence the franchise has had on fans – and vice versa – throughout the years. The collection of videos also includes Street FighterIV and Super Street FighterIV Anime movies as well as all episodes of the Street Fighter animated series and Street Fighter II: The Animated Movie.
• Light-up Ryu Statue – A specially commissioned and highly-detailed collectable Ryu statue stands prominently at 8” tall and features the iconic character in mid-Shoryuken, with flames lit from below.
• 11-Disc Soundtrack – Street Fighter game music spanning the past 25 years, in addition to remixes and fan-created music inspired by past Street Fighter games .
• 64-page Hardcover Art Book – A tribute to Street Fighter game fans from all over the world, the art book includes fan pieces submitted by professional and aspiring artists alike.
• Ryu’s Belt – Created to regulation specs, the full-size martial arts black belt is a replica of the one Ryu wears and even includes his classic “F?rinkazan” in kanji!
• Certificate of Authenticity – Each Collector’s Set comes individually numbered complete with a certificate of authenticity.

Pre-orders for the limited release are available now for PS3 and Xbox 360.

Host: Rob Logan
Co-hosts: Mike Volpe, Bryan

The Geek Generation – #079 – Axxess

[download] [subscribe in iTunes]

Show notes:

• Got feedback??
  • E-mail it to podcast@thegeekgeneration.com
  • Tweet it to @GeekGeneration on Twitter
  • Call 508-316-9787 and leave a voicemail
• Wrestlemania 28 and Axxess discussion
• Blu-ray and Video Game releases
• Obscure Movie Reviews with SuperFan Chris Tong
• Geek Outs:
  • Brock Lesnar
  • The Avengers
  • Amazon Instant Video on PS3
  • Donation
  • Awake
  • Pebble: E-Paper watch
• Freak Outs:
  • Volpe’s done wrestling
  • Old people
  • The Three Stooges movie
  • Facebook timeline
  • Beauty & The Geek UK
  • The Hunger Games
  • PAX East
• News/discussion:
  • Capcom and Cliff Bleszinski defend On-disc DLC
  • Chevy Chase rips Community

Additional Twitter links:

• Kumail Nanjiani: @kumailn @IndoorKids
• Alexis Knapp: @AlexisKnapp
• Ali Cobrin: @AliCobrin
• Mike Volpe’s new Twitter account: @sbv_supps

It was recently announced that the PlayStation Vita version of Street Fighter X Tekken would have an additional 12 characters in the game’s roster. Fortunately for console players, Capcom’s community manager Seth Killian wants to let them know that they’ll also be getting those characters at some point, saying in a recent interview: “We’ll find a way to make sure that console fans are happy, as well.”

The expanded line-up includes six new characters from each series. The Street Fighter characters include Elena, Guy, Cody, Sakura, Dudley, and Blanka. The Tekken half will bring Alisa, Christie, Jack, Bryan, Lars, and Lei. Capcom’s not yet saying when the expanded roster will become available, but given the Vita version’s fall release, console players aren’t likely to see those characters for a long time.

When I was a child, I remember begging my parents weekly to take me to the video arcade to play a game that now resides in the Smithsonian: Dragon’s Lair. For the young’uns out there, it was approximately 21 minutes of animation on a laser disc, stuck in a gaming cabinet, where the player moved a joystick to determine where he or she would walk or swing his or her sword at a particular moment. Essentially, an interactive movie. Years later, I was exposed to Heavy Rain, an adult-oriented crime/noir/mystery thriller that placed the player in what I feel is the director’s seat. Now the world of the aforementioned two is divided, because Asura’s Wrath has arrived. It is a spectacle to behold, because this gamer thinks it will set the bar for the future of cinema/TV/gaming interactivity, and what gamers will really do when they are in the driver’s seat of determining what characters do, how they act, and how succinct and skilled your button presses are.

Story/Presentation: Spanning a whopping 12,000 years from when it begins, Asura’s Wrath is a metaphorical, evocative, literary masterpiece come to life on the screen. It chronicles the rise of eight mystical deities who are empowered by people’s prayers to take on a race of monsters destroying earth, the Gohma. Central to this is the demi-god of Wrath, Asura. He is the embodiment of what players feel when they are hammering away on the controller: WRATH. Betrayed by his celestial kin, Asura begins a quest of anger and vengeance that takes place in a short time in the real world, but many years in his virtual world. Without going into too much detail, all I will say is a unique, unparalleled cast of characters drive the story, a cinematic masterpiece that plays out like an episodic Japanese anime/TV show with two clashing ideologies being exhibited by various characters. Depending on how you read into the story itself, you can pick up so many themes that are expressed: religion, global responsibility, the concept of sin, family, duty, and responsibility. I have never seen anything of this depth in as long as I have been playing video games.

The game presentation is exquisite. It’s in your face, over the top, and has the menus, graphical power, sound, and determination to make you want to keep playing. Menus change depending where you are in the game. You can customize “bumpers” in between episodes. Every single “level” is a serialized event and you can be in charge of how it looks, yet this is not even the start.

Gameplay: Okay, let’s be frank, not George. The traditional definition of gameplay that so many are used to, which is pick up a controller, move a man or a hand holding a gun around and destroy your opposition, is non-existent in Asura’s Wrath. The gameplay is a combination of the following: God of War style quick time events, where the player must synchronize button presses or joystick movements, rail shooter segments which are ripped right from the classic shooters of bygone arcade days, and the now popular third person combat with light and heavy attacks coupled with a jump button. Variation? Absolutely. How much of it is actually there? That’s another story. A typical episode may have you actually playing any of these aspects for a total of maybe 6-10 minutes depending on how good you are at nailing synchronicity events with precision, or how good you are at taking out enemies in a combat arena. Again, let’s be honest: this is an interactive movie, so you are in charge of how well Asura does in each episode (there are a total of 18). This is by far the most interesting, unique experience I have had in a long time, and it deserves attention because it is just what it presents itself as: unique and seamless.

Graphics: Cyberconnect2, the studio in charge of production for Asura’s Wrath, has achieved what I consider nothing short of a miracle in gaming. I have never seen a more over the top, artistically well designed, graphically sound game other than Heavy Rain. And, to be fair, the latter may have set a benchmark for looks, but Asura’s Wrath raises it in terms of complete insanity. Boss sizes, enemy designs, backgrounds, space operatic levels, and the characters themselves look worthy of not only your video game console, but also a movie screen or cable box. I swore I was watching a television show every time I booted up that game.

Sound: The dialogue, haunting, epic soundtrack, and voice acting are all superb. One character’s theme in particular, which I draw the comparison to the “wild spaghetti western lone gunslinger” type theme is fitting and fantastic. The sound complements the look and is outstanding and well done because it drives the story. Working in conjunction with the graphics? Unparalleled.

Verdict: Asura’s Wrath. Movie or game? That’s for you the gamer to decide. Is it worth your gaming dollar? Absolutely, because you have never seen anything like it before. Is it a typical game, and by that I mean something a simpleton would play such as Call of Duty, Battlefield, Madden, or Dance, Dance? Not at all. But, if you are not willing to try something new, how will you ever know how truly exquisite it is?

Three difficulty levels to up the replay value, additional “gauges” you can use to customize Asura and buff out some of his attributes, art unlockables and such are what you get for the price of admission. I didn’t pay for this stuff though. I paid for the story that the game tells, and tells very well, complete with twists and interesting characters. I hearken back to Dragon’s Lair and the attempt the 80’s made to make an interactive movie in the video arcade. I am happy to say Cyberconnect2 and Capcom have succeeded in 2012. You do a disservice to yourself if you miss out on Asura’s Wrath. So don’t.

[xrr rating=9/10]

Positives:

+ epic story

+over the top graphics and characters

+ hard to tell if it’s a game or movie

+ unique, episodic nature

Negatives:

– not exactly for the casual gamer

– limited “gameplay” by most standard “gameplay” definitions

In addition to the character reveals, Capcom has also released a new cinematic trailer and story promo.

For the first time, the version of Mega Man featured on the original Mega Man 1 box art will make the jump from the cover to be a playable character, with Pac-Man taking on all challengers as he rides atop Mokujin.

Mega Man and Pac-Man join the previously announced PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita exclusive characters, Cole from inFAMOUS plus Toro and Kuro.

While the PlayStation 3 and Vita versions of Street Fighter X Tekken are set to include inFAMOUS‘s Cole MacGrath and Sony’s Japanese cat mascots Toro and Kuro, it looks as though Xbox 360 players won’t be getting any exclusive character surprises.

When asked about this, Producer Yoshinori Ono stated:

“We do have the exclusive characters for the Sony platform. We have Cole, the two Sony cats, Kuro and Toro. But basically for the Xbox 360, we were in discussions with them (Microsoft) for which character to put in as an exclusive, but we weren’t able to decide on a character because of differences in timing and things like that. So unfortunately for Street Fighter X Tekken, only the PlayStation family will be getting the exclusive characters, but it’s something we wish could have happened. It’s just too bad, basically.”

Ono did have hopes to see a couple particular Xbox characters in the game:

“In terms of characters we wish we could have put in the game, Master Chief or Marcus Fenix from Gears of War would have been really cool, but it was just really difficult.”

Asura’s Wrath really is something quite unique from this gamer’s perspective. It is inherently episodic in nature, having an hour television show-like quality to it. The demo offered up Episodes 5 and 11 and boy was I floored at the graphics alone. Everything in this game screams big, brash, and loud with a sick amount of detail. It is epic in its scale, as much as it is unique in its gameplay, which was pretty easy to pick up and also varied.The majority of the game, from what I could tell, involves highly stylized cinematic battles akin to the boss battles in games such as God of War and Castlevania: Lords of Shadow. Most notably, however, is that this was a good chunk of the first demo level, yet it was interspersed with a rail shooter-like element which has protagonist Asura charging the boss and using the triangle button to take out parts of his body in order to weaken his foe and build up something called a burst gauge. This enables a powerful attack and is also  used to advance the battle, which relies heavily on the cinematic and stylistic. Eventually, the gameplay style changes and you are using an energy blast type of power to take out a large flying ship and using a melee attack to take out ground enemies. I won’t go much more into detail on the gameplay other than saying it is a varied affair and you never know what buttons you are going to have to press to interact with the bosses.

The chapter 11 boss battle was completely different in the gameplay department, with a third person battle on some kind of asteroid or planet surface. The same button pressing was required but it was more melee combat centered than running and firing energy bursts like the boss of the previous episode. The action is over-the-top, insane, and crazed.

So, we have Asura’s Wrath shaping up to be a unique entry into the stale winter video game market. It is definitely unique, melding elements of sci-fi and mythology together and I like the variation from episode to episode, especially when it comes to Asura’s arms which grow and fall off when he is damaged. The story is a bit simple with Asura trying to rescue his daughter from the enemy deities, but it’s interesting, as are the characters I have seen thus far. It definitely draws heavily on Japanese anime wildness with its over-the-top characters. My only pending gripe may be the game’s length. Since it takes place in episodes, I feel I should pose these two questions: 1) Will it end definitively? 2) How long is the game? Capcom needs to focus on length if they want to launch a successful new franchise because I was done with these two levels in about 45 minutes. I guess we’ll have to wait and see when the game is out of the gate on February 22. Until then, the demo is a recommended download.

Capcom has announced that Resident Evil 6 is in full development and scheduled for release on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 on November 20, 2012 with a Windows PC version to follow. Blending action and survival horror, this latest installment in the multi-million selling franchise is the most ambitious, immersive and feature rich title of the series to date and promises to be the dramatic horror experience of the year.

It has been ten years since the Raccoon City incident and the President of the United States has decided to reveal the truth behind what took place in the belief that it will curb the current resurgence in bioterrorist activity. Due to be by the President’s side is his personal friend and Raccoon City survivor, Leon S. Kennedy, but when the venue suffers a bioterrorist attack, Leon is forced to face a President transformed beyond recognition and make his hardest ever decision. At the same time, Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance member Chris Redfield arrives in China, itself under threat of a bioterrorist attack. With no country safe from these attacks and the ensuing outbreaks, the entire world’s population is united by a common fear that there is no hope left.

In a first for the franchise, Resident Evil 6 sees series favorites Leon and Chris come together to face this unprecedented threat. They will be joined by new characters, each with their own unique perspective and involvement, in this relentless dramatic horror experience enacted on a global scale.

“Resident Evil 6 represents a giant stride forward in the evolution of the series,” commented Katsuhiko Ichii, Head of R&D and Global Marketing. “The development team, led by Hiroyuki Kobayashi, is working tirelessly to deliver the most impressive Resident Evil title ever both in terms of scope and production values. We are all genuinely excited by the title and cannot wait to share it with the world.”

Hiroyuki Kobayashi, Resident Evil 6 Executive Producer added: “From the outset the team’s intention was to create an experience that delivers a gripping storyline, tense single-player and co-op action all set against a constant theme of horror. We are calling this fusion dramatic horror and are confident it will resonate with both existing fans of the series as well as newcomers.”

A total of 57 GEMs (5 Assist and 52 Boost) come standard in Street Fighter X Tekken. Players have the ability to equip three different GEMs that improve upon weaknesses or capitalize on strengths to enhance their inherent play style. The two types of GEMs, Assist and Boost, each have specific advantages and disadvantages.

Players can select any combination of the Assist GEMs, which provide helpful bonuses that are always activated but balanced by handicaps in other areas. Conversely, Boost GEMs provide a stat increase in one of five areas (attack, defense, speed, cross gauge, vitality) but require a specific condition to be met in order to be activated. As an example, a particular speed Boost GEM will be activated automatically after a player blocks 2-3 stringed attacks from their opponent. As GEMs are assigned prior to a match, the activation conditions for the Boost GEMs are hidden from opponents, promoting an element of surprise that requires players to think and act quickly.

Continuing the “what-if” scenario posed by Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City is the new Heroes multiplayer mode, where you can choose among several classic RE characters and pit them against each other in 4-on-4 matches. Eight characters who played a major role in RE2 or RE3 (the time period in which RE:ORC takes place) are represented in this new mode.

Choose either Heroes (Leon, Claire, Jill, Carlos) or Villains (Ada, Hunk, Lone Wolf, Nicholai) and then hunt down the opposing team to win – but as is the case with all of RE:ORC, the zombies and BOWs present a neutral third party that will attack anything in sight.

Nine months after the initial release of the greatest fighting mash up in history, Marvel vs. Capcom III gets the ultimate edition treatment with a comprehensive package that falls a little short of being worthy to wield Mjolnir for the ages.

Fans waited for years for Capcom to announce the successor to what was one of the most lauded arcade fighters of it’s time, Marvel vs. Capcom 2. In 2011, gamers got their wish, as Marvel vs. Capcom 3 bombarded gamers with a laundry list of characters from both companies that basically ran the gamut of every hardcore gamers’ and Marvel fans’ dream roster of combatants.  The inevitable Ultimate release has finally seen the light of day, and many people are probably asking, “Is it worth it?”, especially if you bought the original or pricey limited collector’s edition (as I did). I can honestly say, from a Marvel fans standpoint, UMVC3 is a definite purchase, especially if you enjoyed the original. From a Capcom fan standpoint… eh, it’s a little harder to comment on the game in that regard.

Assuming you, the reader, played the original MVC3, let’s talk about the new additions to this version. In terms of interest and balance of the characters, the Marvel roster this time around is truly stellar, especially if you are a comic fan. Favorites like Nova, Ghost Rider, Dr. Strange, Rocket Raccoon (!!!), Hawkeye, and Iron Fist round out the Marvel side of things. The new animations and crazy, over the top finishing moves for some of these characters are truly a sight to behold. Rocket Raccoon, for example, uses Groot in his special attacks and Ghost Rider takes advantage of riding his motorcycle across the screen to attack enemies as one of his hyper combos. Iron Fist’s moves incorporate a lot of martial arts, and  players may find him a kindred spirit and a good pairing with Ryu from the Capcom side. Hawkeye, as a character, was a little bit of a bizarre let down, with his special moves involving trick arrows that are tacked on after a series of control pad/analog stick input motions, and multiple button presses. They vary the type of arrow he uses, each with a special property. Dr. Strange uses many of his classic Marvel spells in his special attacks such as the eye of Aggomotto and the Daggers of Denak, while Nova can fly and use a variety of his cosmic powers in all his special moves. Overall, from what I have played, the Marvel side offers a little more than the Capcom side.

If you thought Rocket Raccoon was a strange addition, try Phoenix Wright, Strider, Frank West, Vergil, Firebrand, and The Nemesis T-Type for the Capcom side of things. By far the strangest character (and most useless) is the Phoenix Wright character. His moves involve his bungling secretary falling into your opponent on screen, and his special moves involve collecting evidence and putting your opponent on “trial”. Absolutely crazy. Vergil tends to be a stylish Dante-esque clone, while Frank West incorporates a lot of Zombies, bats, hammers, and a shopping cart full of weapons in his arsenal. Nemesis is a bruiser type like Hulk on the Marvel side, with a huge bazooka used to inflict damage (also, tendrils that extend from his body for some special moves). Strider, arguably the most requested character, is a quick, sword swinging, blade shooting addition to the roster. Firebrand, a lesser known demon from Ghosts and Goblins and Demons Crest has a lot of flying and special moves that rely on moving quick and passing through the opponent when used. Overall, Capcom got the lesser end of the deal in terms of characters, because some of them just aren’t that interesting in my opinion, and beating Galactus with Phoenix Wright if you are collecting the endings might nigh be impossible.

With the roster now boasting 48 characters, is Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 worth it to the casual/average gamer? It depends how much more you want to pay a game after it was released 9 months ago, how much of a fan you are of the characters, and ultimately if you want to master twelve new characters. For a hardcore, online player, it’s a new challenge to compete against others with these new characters, a plus if you can’t relinquish your controller in order to go out and socialize with real people. A casual Arcade mode player such as myself, who enjoys the story and endings, might not be so keen taking the time to do this, as it was hard enough playing most of the characters in the first place. Other than the characters, there are 8 new stages to compete in (some a redux of previous stages) and the long requested spectator mode. One interesting item of note is the ability to play as Galactus by holding a shoulder button + select (on the respective controllers for 360 and PS3). Still, with all this cool sounding visual caviar, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, 9 months after its predecessors release, might be a little too much for cash strapped gamers this holiday season. Seek out only if you enjoy a good beat down, and want to see Ant-Man riding one of Hawkeye’s arrows.

[xrr rating=8/10]

Positive:

+ Awesome new Marvel characters

+ Galactus playable

+ 48 character roster

Negative:

– Capcom’s added characters just don’t seem that exciting

– 40 dollar price tag nine months after original release

– How much fighting can you actually stand?

Ugly:

… Phoenix Wright assistant as a special move

… Frank West’s Zombie infused special moves

Additionally, here are two gameplay videos featuring Frank West and Rocket Raccoon: