Hi, I’m Daniel Thurman

Daniel reviews cyberpunk books, games, and more.

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  • The Neo Geo Pocket Color Version of Mega Man Battle & Fighters Is Now on Switch for Some Reason

    Mega Man Battle & Fighters was suddenly published on the Nintendo eShop yesterday with no marketing or noise-making of any kind by the publisher. So it naturally took a lot of people by surprise considering, I mean, it’s Mega Man. Typically there is something said to hype people up for it in advance when it comes to long established franchises like that. But no, not a peep at all.

    In any case, if you were not already aware, Mega Man Battle & Fighters is actually a Neo Geo Pocket Color port of both Mega Man: The Power Battle and Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters and was released in 2000. These were the the two arcade Mega Man games released by Capcom in 1995 and 1996 respectively. They are combined into one game here with reworked graphics, design, and more.

    Like the arcade games, Mega Man Battle & Fighters is a one on one boss rush sort of thing. You take on famous Mega Man bosses from Mega Man 1-7 and then ultimately fight Dr. Wily at the end. Some original story was added as well that lends to the Mega Man canon. The arcade versions of these games were actually just recently released on switch via Capcom Arcade 2nd Stadium. Capcom surprised a lot of Mega Man fans by including them, myself included.

    This is even more surprising though, somehow. More so because no one knew it was coming than because it’s a fairly obscure Mega Man game. Part of this may have something to do with the fact that is is published by SNK rather than Capcom. In any case, it came out of nowhere and I am delightfully surprised. Not because this is better than the arcade games. It isn’t. Though it’s not bad by any stretch. I actually love the 8-bit style graphics that hearken back to NES-era Mega Man. More becaues it is a historical curiosity and it’s good to have for that reason alone. I’d wager few people outside Japan have played this game aside from historians or hardcore Mega Man fans who had sought it out.

    Now they can, and that is always a good thing! It’ll set you back $7.99 to experience this little historical gem.

  • The Genesis Mini Game Lineup Now Includes the Rare Mega Man: The Wily Wars

    The Sega Genesis/Megadrive mini is slated to be released on September 19th of this year and already has a pretty solid game lineup. I was already sold on the device after learning that it would have one of the most underrated Castlevania titles, Castlevania: Bloodlines. In addition, titles like Streets of Rage 2, Ghouls ‘n Ghosts, and Gunstar Heroes among several others have strengthened the lineup considerably.

    Today, Sega announced 10 more games for the console, including one of particular note, the hard-to-find Mega Man: The Wily Wars. Wily Wars is a tragically unknown and rare title in the beloved Mega Man franchise that has not often seen the light of day since it’s release. At least not in the United States.

    Wily Wars was a fusion of the first three Mega Man games for the NES with overhauled 16-bit graphics. Its inclusion on the Sega Genesis/Megadrive mini will be the first time many of us (myself included) will be able to play this beloved game.

    Mega Man: The Wily Wars
    Mega Man: The Wily Wars will be included in the lineup of games for the Sega Genesis Mini

    The reason for this is mainly because of how it was distributed here. While other regions got the game in cartridge form, the only way that US gamers were able to get the game was through Sega’s online Sega Channel service. The service included other exclusive titles such as Mega Man-like game Pulseman by Pokemon creators, Game Freak.

    The Sega Channel unfortunately did not do well here and was cancelled not long after it’s launch, leaving many of it’s interesting games unknown to US audiences.

    There are still more games to be announced for the Mini’s lineup. Will there be any other rare, hard-to-find titles on there that are of interest to this blog? Possibly! Here’s hoping for the inclusion of the aforementioned Pulseman!

    [Via Sega Genesis Mini Official Website]

  • Mega Man 11 Coming October 2nd, 2018

    Mega Man 11 was announced earlier this year to a flurry of excitement from the blue bomber’s sizable fan base. At that time no release date was revealed, only that we’d be getting the game later in the year. Now, Capcom has finally revealed that release date as October 2nd, 2018. Along with the release date, they gave us a pretty nice gameplay trailer.

    In the trailer above we get some pretty nice voice acting from both Mega Man’s nemesis, Dr. Wily and creator, Dr. Light. We also get a sneak-peak at some of the bosses Mega Man will be facing in October. The trailer also features updated music and sound effects that still fit with the classic Mega Man tunes we’ve come to revere over the years.

    Additionally, you can go ahead and pre-order your copy right now. The game is due out on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.

    So, go do that. Only gonna tell you once.

    Mega Man 11 is looking and sounding great and suddenly October seems really far away.

  • 20XX, a Roguelike Game Inspired by Mega Man X, is Coming to Consoles

    Roguelike platformer fans rejoice, 20XX is coming to consoles! All of them! Indie developers Batterystaple Games and Fire Hose Games made the announcement today that their cult-hit would be making its way onto PS4 and Switch on July 10th and XBOX One the following day on July 11th.

    There are plenty of roguelike platformers out there. What makes 20XX unique is its resemblance to a certain fan-favorite series starring a certain blue robot. Specifically, the games visuals are heavily influenced by the Mega Man X series while the play mechanics borrow many standard elements from roguelike platformers, including permadeath and randomly generated levels. When put together, you have quite a unique idea that has resonated with many a roguelike and Mega Man fan.

    20XX was released last year on Steam following a lengthy but popular stint on Steam Early Access. It has had moderate success on Steam but I feel like porting it to consoles is the right move as it is the right audience for a game like this. In addition, its presence on Nintendo Switch should cement its success, if the success of previous indies on the platform is any indication. And it probably is.

    I’ve had my eye on this game for a while. It has sat comfortably at the top of my Steam wishlist for several years during it’s early development up through it’s release until now. The only reason I haven’t bought it yet is because I was holding out for this very announcement!

    Having another Mega Man X-inspired platformer to accompany the beloved Azure Striker Gunvolt and the upcoming Gunvolt spin-off Luminous Avenger iX is certainly welcome news for all us Mega Man fans.

  • Mega Man X Legacy Collection is Coming this Summer

    Capcom have finally announced a follow-up to their highly successful Mega Man Legacy Collection. This time for what is arguably the most beloved series in the Mega Man franchise. Mega Man X Legacy Collection and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 will be released on July 24th, 2018 for the North American and European markets.

    Mega Man X Legacy Collection will contain Mega Man X, X2, X3, and X4 and Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 will contain Mega Man X5, X6, X7, and X8. Both collections will be available for all major platforms, including PS4, Xbox One, Steam, and Switch.

    Both the PS4 and Xbox One physical versions will have both collections available on two separate discs, while the Nintendo Switch version will have the first collection on a Switch game card and will contain a download voucher for the second collection. For some reason.

    This is considerably exciting news for me since I am a particularly huge Mega Man fan, and an even bigger Mega Man X fan. Still, I’ve only ever played Mega Man X, X2, and X3. I’ll finally have an opportunity to play all of the games.

    As with the original series Legacy Collections, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 and 2 come packed with additional extras such as graphical filters, art galleries, a new play mode that lets you fight two bosses from across the game series at once, and more.

    Between this, and the release of Mega Man 11 later this year, Capcom seems to want to please Mega Man fans. Now if we can just get them to do Mega Man Zero, ZX, and Mega Man Legends collections, I think we’ll be set for a good long time.

    Notably absent from this release, however, is Mega Man X: Command Mission, that bizarre spin-off game that took the series into a turn-based RPG direction. I’ve always wanted to play that. It seems like this would have been the perfect opportunity to include a rarity like that.

    Ah well, it still looks like it’s going to be a great collection.