Today we enjoy a wealth of video game merchandise. From soundtracks to toys to movies and beyond, there's more game-related stuff out there than anyone could ever consume. But back in the NES days, game goods were a rare treat - so rare that I (and everyone I knew) devoured the "Worlds of Power" series of books that took NES titles and re-imagined them as novelizations.
Naturally, some of them are super weird. Mega Man 2 certainly has its fair share of "...Huh?" moments, but now, instead of merely reading the book like some 15th century scholar, you can watch it unfold in a series of YouTube clips.
Here's part one, with the additional 11 episodes available on YouTube. Hats off to Protoman85 for piecing these together over the course of a year (May 2010 to April 2011), especially for making all the custom images and reading the whole thing out loud!
Fun fact about the Mega Man 2 book - the cover uses the classic/awful/amazing Mega Man 2 NES box as its own, but removes the gun in Megs' hand. Similar edits grace the cover of the Ninja Gaiden and Metal Gear books (which I still somehow own), and even the limited violence that took place in those games is subdued in the text.
1up posted a thorough look at these books a while ago - if you missed the article, take a look for a truly unique and bizarre moment of game history. I mean, the Mega Man 2 book claims he's a human who uses a special gun, not a robot who steals the powers of other robots, and the Castlevania II book is about a kid obsessed with chocolate. Super. Weird.
Our fifth Mega Man stream of the year (one every month leading up to the 25th anniversary in December) continues with part V, aka the one with Proto Man as the bad guy. I'll play through the whole durn thing, and best of all, we have a plush Proto-Buster and boxed copy of Rockman 5 to give away in the chat!
To be eligible for the Rockman 5 boxed copy:
-Count the number of times I die, and HOW I died (pit, enemy, Robot Master etc)
-Once Wily is toppled, the first person to comment on this article with the correct number and descriptions of each death will win the game! (North America only)
True, you can't play a Famicom game on your American NES, but this is still a cool collector's item and it's in very good shape. Again, this comes from our pals at the Mega Man Network, so whoever wins it... send them a nice thank you card. :)
The plush, wearable Proto Buster will be given out in the chat via Mega Man trivia. So bone up on your knowledge, get those Google searches ready and head over to our Twitch TV page for the stream at 2pm PT!
UPDATE - Stream over! You can watch the full recording here. Also congrats to Antsman, who made the first correct post!
You can choose your enemies, you can choose your friends, but your family? You've gotta work with what you've got. And in the case of Mega Man and Dante, they have some... interesting issues to work out with their siblings, enough to earn them spots on GamesRadar's "Best Brotherly Rivalries" list.
While both bros have had their differences, you gotta admit the Dante/Vergil rivalry has a lot more teeth than Mega and Proto Man. The former have some pretty mean spirited scraps and barely get along most of the time (or are outright fighting each other), while Proto Man eventually cools off and becomes an anti-hero of sorts.
Which band of brothers do you think owned the biggest rivalry?
One of the best things about living in a city is the back-and-forth Post-It Note wars that can erupt between two opposing office buildings. While the people in each building could technically create anything out of paper squares, classic game sprites are so much easier and recognizable; it's no surprise then that Mega Man appears quite a bit, including this recent sighting on Sony's windows.
No word on whether this paper Mega Man has prompted any nearby buildings to escalate the situation or not. Hope so!
If you're in the San Francisco bay area (or, more specifically, San Jose) be sure to check out the Hideo Concert, which is a musical celebration of games and anime. Their setlist covers both categories pretty well, which thankfully includes a groovy, soothing Mega Man medley...
If you like what you hear, check out their aforementioned show on May 26-27 or hit up their site for other performances.
Today, video game livestreaming site genstream.netwill be launching a video game marathon in the truest sense, with four teams going head to head in an actual race to get through several Mega Man series, including Mega Man 1-10, Mega Man X1-8, Mega Man Zero 1-4, and Mega Man Legends 1-2. Sorry, Mega Man Soccer.
Meanwhile, they'll also be raising money for Child's Play, so donate some money if you like what you see. You might even win a cool prize.
The event begins today at 3PM PST/6PM EST, right here.
For those keeping up with NBC's Community, you're probably used to a barrage of shout outs and references to classic movies and TV shows. But this week's episode, teased by IGN, shows a brilliant 8-bit tribute that re-imagines the cast as adorable sprites.
It's a general NES-style scene, but if you look at Winger's jump, it sure bears a striking resemblance to a certain blue bomber. Love it! The episode "Digital Estate Planning" airs this week.
As you may already know, we're streaming a full Mega Man game every month in the leadup to his 25th birthday in December. We began with MM1 in January, which means May is all about Mega Man 5. As usual we will stream the full game (I'll be playing this time, while Greg prepares for MM6 next month) and have prizes during the show, but this stream is extra special...
As you can tell by the image and headline, we have a lovely boxed copy of Rockman 5 up for grabs. This comes courtesy of our friends at The Mega Man Network, so huge thanks go out to the team.
As with past streams, the way to win is:
-Count the number of times I die while playing
-Along with how I die (pit, enemy, Robot Master, Wily boss etc)
-Be the first to comment on the stream post (going up Friday) with the correct number of deaths and the correct descriptors for each death, and you win the game!
We also have a huggable, but still formidable, Proto Man plush buster to give away during the stream. This will likely be trivia, with the first correct answer posted in the Twitch TV chat receiving the item. Both contests are open to North America only.
This is just one of many streams this month - check this page for the full May list, and we'll have the E3 2012 streaming plans posted soon as well. See you online!
Without a doubt, the melodic, hyper-catchy riffs found in all Mega Man music are great fodder for remixes. Today we've got a solid remix of Mega Ran's take on the MM9 "Maze of Death" song, making this a remix of an interpretation from a new game desiged to look like an old game... gaaah the inception noise is pulling me under!
J1Studios is to thank for this particular version of the song, and you should definitely check out Mega Ran's original piece (or buy the album here).
Finnish Unity member Ville is an awesome guitarist and evidently a true Capcom. After the jump, you can check out his guitar covers of songs from several classic Capcom games, including Mega Man 3, Duck Tales, and Phoenix Wright: Justice for All, plus his own guitar parody of Jimi Hendrix's "Hey Joe," featuring lyrics about a Joe (Jho) of a different breed.
Keep up the great work, Ville!
Got a great Capcom-related creation of your own? Take it over to the Creative forum for some community attention!
Phoenix Wright: Justice for All!
Mega Man 3 - Top Man
Duck Tales - Moon Theme
Duck Tales - Main Theme
Jimi Hendrix - Hey Jho, What Big Teeth You've Got!
Lyrics:
Hey Jho what's with all that saliva in your mouth?
Hey Jho I said why is there so much saliva dripping from your mouth?
Some people say you're evil but I think you're just hungry
You got the pangs, man
No wonder you're all red and puffed up I'd be too, hunger really SUCKS.
Go find a berry bush or something it'll help, I promise
