Mega Man (character)
Akira Kitamura created the pixel art for the first Mega Man game released in 1987. He worked under the pseudonym A.K during this initial phase of development. Keiji Inafune later provided detailed character artwork based on Kitamura's original pixel design. The team originally considered names like Mighty Kid and Knuckle Kid before settling on Rockman. Capcom USA Consumer Products Division President Joe Morici changed the name to Mega Man because he felt the original title was horrible. Kitamura intended the character to be white but switched to blue to make animations clearer. The design drew influence from manga, anime, and tokusatsu shows like Ninja Captor. Nobuyuki Matsushima programmed the color changing mechanic when weapons were used. Inafune cited Astro Boy by Osamu Tezuka as a major influence on the final look.
The original release featured a housekeeping robot built by Dr. Right that became a fighting machine. NES localization altered the origin story to show co-creation with Dr. Wily without mentioning his original purpose. Nearly all classic series titles remained two-dimensional sidescrollers despite high performance platforms. The New Mega Buster introduced in Mega Man 4 allowed players to charge shots. The slide ability arrived in Mega Man 3 to help exceed new challenges. Mega Man 9 and 10 restricted abilities back to the original game state. Mega Man 11 restored charging capabilities while adding the Double Gear System for power and speed increases. Sony PSP release of Mega Man Powered Up featured 3D graphics yet movement stayed restricted to background and foreground planes. GameSpy interviews confirmed these mechanics set standards for future platformer entries.
Capcom placed Mega Man in sports games like Mega Man Soccer where he acted as a star athlete. He appeared as a race car driver in Mega Man Battle & Chase and as a board game piece in Wily and Right's RockBoard. Limited arcade releases included Mega Man: The Power Battle and Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters pitting him against boss characters. Hi Tech Expressions developed significantly different original games for PC titled Mega Man and Mega Man III. Sega published the version released on the Game Gear. AcerTWP developed and released Rockman Strategy exclusively in China. Canceled iterations of Mega Man Universe planned to include Bad Box Art Mega Man based on North American box art featuring a pistol instead of the Mega Buster. Street Fighter X Tekken featured an aged obese depiction of the character with short legs and discarded traditional costumes.
Mega Man voiced by Doug Parker appeared as a main character in Captain N: The Game Master series. Ian James Corlett provided voice work for the animated Mega Man TV series that followed. A three-episode Japanese anime OVA titled Mega Man: Upon a Star arrived in 1993 to spread information on Japanese culture. Marvel vs. Capcom and Marvel vs. Capcom 2 featured him assisted by Rush and Beat as a representative of the Capcom brand. He appeared in SNK vs. Capcom: Card Fighters digital collectible card games. Nintendo's Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U included movement and attacks based upon the original game style. Dragalia Lost crossover event called Mega Man Chaos Protocol had him assist protagonists defeating Dr. Wily. Sega announced Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds would feature downloadable content including the playable character.
IGN called him an icon of Capcom while Nintendo Power listed him as their fourth favorite hero. Joystick Division, UGO Networks, and Complex ranked him as the best robot in video games. GameDaily named him the best Capcom character of all time. Famitsu poll done in February 2010 voted him the twenty-second most popular video game character. Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition listed him as the 23rd most popular video game character in 2011. GamesRadar ranked him as the 12th most memorable protagonist in games during 2012. Electronic Gaming Monthly found the version from Mega Man 2 better than the original due to improved audio-visuals. Complex ranked his tenth best fighting game cameos for Street Fighter X Tekken appearances in 2012. Den of Geek placed his incarnation at 15th best cameo in fighting game history.
The Protomen band from Tennessee performed a dystopian rock opera based on the dynamic between Mega Man and Proto Man. Band members wore costumes inspired by their take on the series including motorcycle helmets with built-in microphones. Mega Ran released rap songs about the franchise on his self-titled album in 2007. The NESkimos contributed to Battle Perfect Selection in 2002 while Chromelodeon released Year 20XX in 2003. The Minibosses issued Brass in 2005 and The Megas released Get Equipped in 2008. A live action full feature film directed by Eddie Lebron arrived in May 2010 using CGI mixed with people in extreme sport equipment. Archie Comics began an ongoing series in April 2011 written almost exclusively by Ian Flynn. Worlds Collide story arc spanned twelve issues between Mega Man comics and Sonic the Hedgehog comics as of May 2013.
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Common questions
Who created the pixel art for the first Mega Man game released in 1987?
Akira Kitamura created the pixel art for the first Mega Man game released in 1987. He worked under the pseudonym A.K during this initial phase of development.
Why did Capcom USA change the name from Rockman to Mega Man?
Capcom USA Consumer Products Division President Joe Morici changed the name to Mega Man because he felt the original title was horrible. The team originally considered names like Mighty Kid and Knuckle Kid before settling on Rockman.
When did the three-episode Japanese anime OVA titled Mega Man: Upon a Star arrive?
A three-episode Japanese anime OVA titled Mega Man: Upon a Star arrived in 1993 to spread information on Japanese culture. This animated series followed earlier voice work by Doug Parker and Ian James Corlett.
What year did Archie Comics begin an ongoing series written almost exclusively by Ian Flynn?
Archie Comics began an ongoing series in April 2011 written almost exclusively by Ian Flynn. Worlds Collide story arc spanned twelve issues between Mega Man comics and Sonic the Hedgehog comics as of May 2013.
Which band from Tennessee performed a dystopian rock opera based on the dynamic between Mega Man and Proto Man?
The Protomen band from Tennessee performed a dystopian rock opera based on the dynamic between Mega Man and Proto Man. Band members wore costumes inspired by their take on the series including motorcycle helmets with built-in microphones.