Today we’ll be comparing the rough drafts of Zero’s Rockman X5 ending scenes with how they appeared in the final game. We will be looking at sketches published in the Rockman X5 Official Guide Book and R20+5 Rockman & Rockman X Official Complete Works. The screenshots are taken from Sprites, Inc. Some of these image comparisons from rough to final are pretty close while others turned out wildly different, but I find viewing both together helps to illuminate the fine details and the thought processes that went into each of these pieces. Click on the pictures to see the larger versions. Obviously, these will contain major spoilers for the game.
Misadventuring
To congratulate Miss Tron on her unexpected release on PSN, let’s take a quick peek through some of my favorite scenes from the Chinese Rockman DASH comic.
You’re alive! That’s WONDERFUL!
Saving the Universe
Mega Man Universe promotional stickers
Oh hey, it’s Mega Man Universe. Remember that game?
I was pretty excited about it back in 2010. It was controversial to fans for a variety of reasons. The art style (particularly the “Mega Grump” face); using the “Mega Man” title over “Rockman” worldwide while including “Mega Man”, “Rockman” and “Bad Box Art Mega Man” as different playable characters; the reports of questionable game controls and physics coming from early press demo play; the questionable tie-ins; Inafune’s unfortunate departure in the middle of development; the fact that the game was a love letter to Mega Man 2 so soon after Mega Man 9 and countless remixes of “Wily Stage I” had over-saturated fans’ nostalgic favor of the game… There was a lot going on.
I cared not for the naysayers. There was plenty of time for game play and graphics to be tweaked considering how early it was then in the development cycle. More importantly, this title was going to be filled with content and promising ideas, like a kickin’ soundtrack by The Megas; a playable character customization and creation mode; a level editor mode to rival Powered Up but on a console that millions more people actually played; the ability to play as other Capcom characters like Ryu and Arthur–or even more thrilling, the potential for non-Capcom licensed characters to get “MEGA-fied” (think Super Smash Bros or Super Mario Crossover). If Capcom had actually followed through with this concept, there is a good chance we could all be playing Mega Man 2 as Pac Man and Samus Aran with endless custom-made stages right now. Proving once again that we are not living in the best of all possible universes.
But this topic isn’t about any of that. Mega Man Universe had me excited about it for yet another reason: a potential new cast member who was perhaps long overdue.
Spring is here
Well spring has sprung, but I wouldn’t know it from looking out my window. There’s more snow outside right now as I’m writing this than I’ve seen during the entirety of this winter. At least I can gaze at this picture and pretend the seasons have cycled on.
From the 2012 Capcom Girls Calendar, here’s classic Roll enjoying some rainy day scenery with June from Star Gladiator. Though rarely shown together, these two have crossed over quite a bit. Back in the late nineties to early 2000s, Hideki Ishikawa drew several art pieces of Roll with June-inspired ponytails (example 1, example 2), while June herself has been seen hanging out with Forte and Captain Commando on the cover of CAP! magazine. The succession of images gives an impression of the two sharing a distant sisterly relationship, with Roll kind of looking up to oneesan June.
Glancing through my categories, I realize I don’t even have a “Roll” tag. Remind me I need to do some Spring cleaning on this here blog (however unlikely).
Every Hero Needs Support!
Presenting another of my favorite pieces of tribute art from R20+5:
A collaboration piece from a team of Capcom artists!
Read on for more images, and whodunnit!
Hello Dolly
Arguably the most talked-about toy in the Rockman mythos is Alouette’s white cat plushie. A heartfelt gift from the human Ciel to a scared repliroid child, it represents the feelings of kindness, empathy, and hope for human/robot relations that Zero must protect. That moment in the first game when the Resistance base is invaded and Zero comes across it abandoned on the ground is one of those small but memorable moments that never really leaves you. The stuffed animal survives the rest of the war, sees some improvements, and goes on to again become a central object some 200 years into the future when Vent and Aile seek acceptance into the Guardians (unless you insist that Prairie isn’t Alouette, for whatever inobvious reason). This small toy has quite the history. But, does it have a name? Inti Creates character designer Masaya Suzuki speaks on this very subject in R20+5‘s The Answer.
Fresh Graffiti