It has not really been the greatest couple of years for Mega Man. His twenty-fifth anniversary is coming up and Capcom has basically told fans “Yeah, no game coming.” The closest fans are getting to a new game is a social iOS game that… well… the words “social iOS game” really tell you all you need to know. It literally has an “autoplay” button.
Some fans decided to highlight the simplistic gameplay by mocking up a prototype you can play right now in less than a day.
The “game” is pretty simple: It’s basically a Tiger handheld with some light RPG elements. Ironically, the mock-up of the game, which is literally based on four seconds of footage from this trailer is actually pretty fun, for what it is.
Of course, what it is is a Flash game slapped together in less than a day.
I will say that I understand Capcom’s position here. Like all Japanese developers, it’s facing increasing pressure to make more mobile games. Financially, it makes little sense to NOT chase that market, just like it makes little sense to please a bunch of fanboys who will never be happy with you anyway.
That said, I do also understand the fan rage, even if I am rolling my eyes somewhere at the same time at how seriously people are taking this, as if Capcom were a neglectful father instead of a corporation. It is a bit of a smack in the face to a fandom that has, more than once, bent over backwards to demonstrate and buy games from the company.
So, kudos to CutmanMike of Newgrounds. He’s obviously less than happy about the game, but has put together a demo and lets you decide for yourself. See, this how adults call out large corporations; they let the facts speak for themselves.