The Video

"I Can't Win Press Kit"

 This is my lighthearted response to the "Press Kit Mania" that we've seen around here recently. I wanted to turn my frustration over obtaining a Press Kit into something creative, and this is the result. What better way to express frustration over Mega Man than to parody "Can't Beat Air Man!"

Lyrics:

I come to realize
I find my self just reading each new blog
Then my hope will fade away at the very same end.

With belief in my heart
I try my best to show my neverending love but
Still find myself being unnoticed.

If I only had the forum member code
It would get me Press Kit short and easy.

Refresh many times
Many many times, but
Press Kit just cannot be obtained, why?
No matter how I try,
Capcom is just blocking my way.

Went for the endless push,
however, forever,
With server traffic there's NO WAY.

Look at price on eBay
but, whatever,
High bid collector's they're just ruin my day.

To win the contest, the last fnal one
Or backorder email is the last thing I'll hold on to.

The Story

When I was a kid, I had a complete obsession with robots. From Tin Man to Johnny 5, I was completely immersed in a world of metal creatures and electronic sentience. At a very young age, I found a particular blue hero. No other idea or character has fascinated and influenced me so much as Mega Man.

I can honestly say that my oldest memory is Mega Man. I can remember back to when I was three years old, sometime in 1991 or 1992, renting Mega Man 3 for the first time. It wasn't long before I had played all the games up to that point, and I remember renting Mega Man 4 soon after release. The release of Mega Man 5 was the first game that I actually looked forward to before release, and I heard about Mega Man 6 in this commercial. From that first play, something just clicked. I knew that I had found the "fictional hero" in my life. Some kids associated with Batman, others associated with Superman, but I felt strongly tied to Mega Man.

Until the age of the Internet, I honestly believed that I was the biggest Mega Man fan in the world. Mega Man was my series, since I never had any friends that had even heard of the series. Now, however, I know that there's plenty of others with more passion than I've ever had. Still, the feeling lingers.

From the beginning, I could tell that this series was different from other games. Mario and Sonic just ran to the right, but Mega Man could slide, use tools, and copy the abilities of his enemies (before Kirby, might I add). Compared to other games, Mega Man looked absolutely amazing. Few other NES games had such brilliant color usage, or fine controls.

The X series was what really drew me into the overall story. While the X series was overflowing with style and visual flair, the story made me question my own ideas about machines and life. It wouldn't be until I read the works of Isaac Asimov years later that I fully understood the underlying philosophy. The X series also showed me how a game could have both a well-told and visually impressive story. Scenes such as Zero's sacrifice were both profound and well-animated.

As the series continued to evolve, I was enthralled in the rich and wonderful mythos that was being woven. I believe that for several years, nearly every game I played was in the Mega Man universe. I only began to branch out when the X and original series slowed down, which made replaying the classics all the more nostalgic.

I can't say I'm the most skilled fan, or the one with the biggest collection. I'm not the most obsessed either. I want to believe that I am the fan who got the most out of the series, that I found the most joy in playing each new installement and savoring each new experience.

I'm 20 now. It's been 17 years since I can remember first loving the series. My love for this series has not diminished, and it never shall.

Collection Photos

Is my collection big enough? X seems to think so.

The obligatory custom sprite