A new piece of DLC has been released today for Mega Man 9 called "Superhero Mode". It only costs 80 MSP ($1), and will make the game a lot harder to finish, as it ups the number of enemies you'll face on-screen at any one time. For those keeping score, this isn't the first time you've been able to increase the game's difficulty via DLC.

Didn't really think there was much of a market for people that wanted a Mega Man game to be harder, but just goes to show, when it comes to DLC, there's a market for pretty much anything.

Pay $1 to Make Mega Man 9 Harder [IGN]

"People have found a ton of amazing stuff in the game that I didn't think would have been dug up for a long time," Killian says. But the "final secret" isn't among that. His questioners try to coax more details out of him, but Seth doesn't budge.

Last October, someone on the Capcom-Unity boards speculated that the last secret was a weapon, specifically a throwing weapon. S-Kill put the splat on that.

What the hell could it be? After nearly a year, we probably stand a better chance of, collectively, blindly guessing what it is rather than actually finding it. I say it's a Ghosts N Goblins Easter egg.

EVO 2009 - Seth Killian [YouTube via GoNintendo]

Not counting his first Japan-only forays on the Famicom and Superfamicom, Astro Boy has only appeared in one PlayStation 2 game and one GameBoy Advance game. The year was 2004 and both Sonic Team and Treasure Inc. (partnered with Hitmaker) developed games based on the 2003 anime remake of the original 1960s Astro Boy cartoon. Sonic Team's PS2 game, Astro Boy, was pretty lousy while Hitmaker/Treasure's GBA Astro Boy: Omega Factor was one of the best things to happen to handhelds that year. Since then, we've got nothing but a quietly-announced, never-demoed tie-in game to the upcoming CGI Astro Boy film directed by David Bowers.

Astro Boy's absence from video games could be due to many reasons – licensing, marketing, etc. – but two big ticket items ultimately tank any hopes of a serious Astro Boy gaming franchise: demand and need.

There's not enough demand for Astro Boy video games in the United States because we don't love him the way they do in Japan. The 1960s cartoon didn't even complete its full 193-episode run in the States when it originally aired in 1963; and it took decades before Dark Horse Comics to translate and publish the manga. Poor Astro Boy just wasn't on the radar as America's resident robot hero.

Back in 1960s Japan, when Astro Boy was first created, there was a desperate need for heroes. World War II had been over for more than a decade, but there was a loss of hope in the country and a profound fear of technology and nuclear weapons*. Anime and manga icons like Astro Boy and Ashita no Joe restored to Japan a sense of purpose and youthful optimism they'd lost in the war. Also, science-y things like Astro Boy put a friendly, rosy-cheeked face on technology, which helped the country cope with the devastating fear inspired by the A-bomb attacks.

In short, Japan needed Astro Boy and America didn't. Without the need for the robot boy hero, America never established a connection to Astro Boy that would inspire parents to make their children watch the 1960s cartoon. Later when the 2003 reboot of the anime series reached America, the show still couldn't find its audience and was canceled after spawning the hideous PS2 game and the wonderful GBA game.

That's not to say America can live without robot heroes.

We have one, in fact, and his name is Mega Man. Mega Man does most of the same stuff as Astro Boy – he even has the beam cannon on his arm – and he beat Tezuka's beloved boy robot to the US gaming scene by a good decade or more. He may not be as fleshed-out a character as Astro Boy, because Mega Man didn't start out with a manga or cartoon series to establish his back story. But he did have the whole filial piety thing going on with his creator, Dr. Light, which was similar to the connection Astro Boy had for his adoptive father figure, Dr. O'Shay (a.k.a. Dr. Ochanomizu, Dr. Packadermus Elefun, Professor Peabody, Jimmy Durante's nose-twin). So what if Mega Man wasn't about childlike wonder or youthful optimism; so what if he never did anything serious like address racism against robots. Mega Man was about kicking robot ass and Americans can totally get in on that.

So, alas, Astro Boy. We loved you in Omega Factor and we respect you as a cultural icon worthy of Mickey Mouse's company – which is why you're in the Robot Hall of Fame. But Mickey doesn't have a great gaming franchise and so far, you don't either. Maybe your upcoming tie-in movie game on PS2, Wii, PSP and DS will be good. Heck, maybe the film itself will be awesome. But in the meantime, we'll be sticking with Mega Man 9.

*The Films of Akira Kurosawa, Donald Richie

This Mega Man 9 fan tribute is a real work of art. Paper cut-outs are stop-motioned across real world objects arranged to form Mega Man-esque levels.

Actually, watching it back again it reminds me of a particularly creative LittleBigPlanet creation. The Oreo Cookie 'boss battle' is genius. Maybe this would be a good start point for Mega Man 10?

Mega Man 9 - Rockin' in Paper! [Snow's Capcom Blog - thanks to Kyle Morse for the tip]

The other two packs are for the hardcore Mega Man 9 player, with Hard Mode kicking asses and Expert Mode crawling up inside and kicking intestines. I sure paint a pretty picture, don't I?

Hey Mega Man junkies,

We’re proud to announce that the second of Downloadable Content packs for Mega Man 9 will be available this week. Here’s the run down on what’s coming out.

Hard Mode – Dubbed Hero Mode in Japan, this mode enables you to play the entire game on an increased difficulty level with alternate enemy distribution and spawning points. Hard Mode is not compatible with Rankings or Challenges Modes.

Expert Mode – Dubbed Super Hero Mode Japan, this mode represents the apex of Mega Man 9 difficulty settings and is not for the novice Mega Man 9 player. This mode triples the level of difficulty from the default Mega Man 9 game. Expert Mode is not compatible with Rankings or Challenges Modes.

Special Time Attack Stage – This DLC gives you an additional stage for Time Attack Mode, complete with an all new level and Robot Master Boss, “Fake Man.” Similar in difficulty to the Willy Stages, players will have a fun time tackling this time sensitive competitive stage. Special Time Attack Stage is not compatible with Challenge Mode.

All three DLC packs are available now on WiiWare Channel today (October 20 th, 2008) with XBLA following on October 21 th, and PSN releasing October 23 th.

Economic meltdown? Pah! As long as there is quality games swag floating abut you can be sure that someone is going to find some ready cash in order to indulge themselves.

Of course, in these difficult times, highly covetable promotional tat is likely to be the most solid investment around. Gold is just a shiny metal, after all - this thing comes in a box shaped like a NES cart.

Beat that, gold. Stupid gold.

UPDATE: the kits will be going on sale for, er, $49.95 tomorrow. Ouch.

Limited Edition Mega Man 9 Launch Pack and T -Shirt XL [eBay via Capcom-Unity]

The DLC packs are available today on the Wii, with the 360 getting it tomorrow and PlayStation 3 on Thursday, as per usual. While the other two consoles wait, here's a look at what Wii owners are doing right now.

For the record, VGChartz seems to be the source of the 140,000 figure, which it says would make Mega Man 9 No. 3 for lifetime sales and revenue on WiiWare. Sounds like good enough news to me, considering it doesn't include any PS3 or 360 sales, but it ain't true, says Capcom.

Capcom "Cautiously Optimistic" with Mega Man 9 Sales So Far [Nintendo Everything]

"Why make a game so hard that only the most skilled and determined players can complete it?" asks Brophy-Warren, who then proves the appeal of just such a game. "What makes games such as Bangai-O [Spirits] appealing is that glimmer of joy a player gets from even the smallest achievements. (I only squeaked through the tutorial for Bangai-O, so even mastering the accuracy aspect of the game was an accomplishment for me.)"

The writer talks to Treasure, which developed Bangai-O Spirits, and Capcom's Hironobu Takeshita, and also Jesper Juul, a video game researcher at MIT. ""It's about the feeling of inadequacy," he says. "You get stuck somewhere and feel stupid." That can lead to a sense of triumph if one does eventually succeed."

Hard to Handle [The Wall Street Journal]

Before I forget, for those of you who haven't made up your mind whether to get the game or not, we have some new images from Mega Man 9 after the jump. You can download the game today on WiiWare for 1000 Wii Points, PS Network on Thursday for $9.99, and Xbox Live on October 1st for 800 MS Points.

It's not just a robot parade though. We also get some hot sports action with Super Dodge Ball for the NES (500 points), one of the most beloved dodge ball simulations ever created, and PLÄTTCHEN twist 'n' paint (1,000 points), a WiiWare puzzle shooter from Bplus for up to 8 players with over 300 levels of gameplay that fills out the required obscure titles I've not heard of slot in this week's update (hit the jump for a screenie).

So, which Mega Man 9 games are you planning on picking up?

WII-KLY UPDATE: TWO WIIWARE GAMES AND TWO VIRTUAL CONSOLE GAMES ADDED TO WII SHOP CHANNEL

Sept. 22, 2008

What does your Wii™ library say about you? Are you fanatical about one style of game, or do you favor a brimming variety of sports, puzzle and fantasy titles? Fortunately for gaming fans of all kinds, the Wii™ Shop Channel makes it easy and fun to expand your collection in any direction. A few waves of the Wii Remote™ controller will introduce you to the latest Virtual Console™ and WiiWare™ offerings this week, featuring classic sci-fi adventure and some invigorating twists on familiar pastimes.

Nintendo adds new and classic games to the Wii Shop Channel at 9 a.m. Pacific time every Monday. Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection can redeem Wii Points™ to download the games. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. This week's new games are:

WiiWare

Mega Man™ 9 (CAPCOM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Cartoon Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): Mega Man fans, the wait is over! The classic Blue Bomber that debuted in 1987 is back with the ninth installment in the classic series. It's a new adventure for Mega Man done in an 8-bit style-graphics, music and gameplay are all like you remember them.

PLÄTTCHEN twist 'n' paint (Bplus, 1-8 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): PLÄTTCHEN twist 'n' paint is a crazy, challenging puzzle shooter that delivers more than 100 hours of fun, supporting up to eight players simultaneously. Guard the birth of ZeLeLi and free them from the menace of the evil black Shadow Plättchen. Play as one of the countless FantasyMEs and fight as an astronaut, butterfly, car or football against sharks, cowboys, asteroids and skulls in numerous, fabulous fantasy Worlds. Use items and multipliers in combos to fight yourself to the top of the high scores and find the perfect way to solve a level. Go wild in three completely different game modes of PLÄTTCHEN twist 'n' paint with more than 300 levels. Twist cooperatively with your friends or compete through many multiplayer modes.

Virtual Console

Super Dodge Ball™ (NES™, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): In Super Dodge Ball, you take control of the USA Dodge Ball team and travel the world in an effort to become the best dodge ballers around. Step onto playing fields in countries all over the globe and use a combination of normal and super shots to help take down your opponents. But be careful, as some destinations have surfaces that can affect your footing. Manage the team as you think best, and swap out characters with other players that better fit your playing style. Two players can enjoy a head-to-head game or play a spirited round of Bean Ball, a six-character free-for-all. Three difficulty levels are available (Easy, Medium, and Hard); which one you choose will depend on your skill and courage. Do you have what it takes to lead Team USA to the ultimate prize and win the world championship of dodge ball?

Vectorman™ (Sega Genesis, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Animated Violence, 800 Wii Points): In the year 2049, mankind is forced to abandon an over polluted Earth and seek out other planets for colonization while the mechanized Orbots stay behind to clean up the mess. When the Orbot leader, WarHead, starts blowing a few circuits and causes a war among the mechanical brethren, a sludge pilot named Vectorman is the only one willing to step up and fight him. You'll morph into a speeding train, a power drill, a mechanical fish and a mighty dune buggy in this action-packed adventure. Equip yourself with weapons, pick up morphs and power-ups to defeat WarHead, and restore peace on Earth.

For more information about Wii, please visit wii.com.

It sounds like Proto Man will play close to the original guy, too:

Proto Man can deflect most bullets with this shield, but larger blasts will still cause damage and push him back twice as far as Mega Man. Being struck also interrupts his charge shot. All the Rush adaptors change to Proto adaptors as well – Proto Sled, Proto Coil etc.

GamesRadar reports that Proto will cost $1.99/200 Wii points/160 XBLA points.

Mega Man 9 — Proto Man DLC On the Way [GamesRadar, thanks reader Kevin A.]

Mega Man 9 Exclusive Boss Reveal [GamesRadar]

It's a game that's been done by a Japanese publisher so even though it's doing extremely well, that information hasn't really sunk in to their side. It'll be interesting to see what happens with Mega Man 9. That right there could set our internal strategy. If the Mega Man 9 stuff is successful we might see more retro games like that. But if ultimately Rearmed is more successful, they could come back and say 'people really want these high def, high quality remixes, they don't want just the old stuff'. It'll be interesting to see what happens.

Sure we can find room in our hearts - and our wallets - for both styles of re-release, Capcom.

Bionic Commando Interview [Videogamer] [Image]

So now that we've gotten those dates out of the way, show us the boxes!

Mega Man 9 Release Dates! [Capcom Unity]

Capcom Store News you can Use [Capcom]

Anyway, it's a throwback to the NES days of bad box art hiding a good game, complete with budget price tag and NES game shaped disc holder. A work of art. A must-have, yet can't have, unless Capcom does good and places a few up on the Capcom store for us to wrestle over. Hit the jump for another drool-worthy view!

Mega Man 9 Retail Package?!? [Capcom Unity]

Wiiウェア『ロックマン9』配信日決定！ 野望は9月24日に復活[Dengeki Online]

But if I hadn’t gotten booted, maybe I would’ve been able to make this...

Look like this:

That right there is a papercraft version of the new Wing controller for the Wii, made by Nyko. Normally, I wouldn’t blog about third-party controllers – but I was lured to this press event by the residual guilt I feel at being cast out of arts and crafts all those years ago, and by the promise of hands-on with Mega Man 9.

Well, Nyko delivered. I got my time with Mega Man 9, although it was the same build Capcom demoed at E3 (where they were caught on live feed by IGN, epically failing at their own game, apparently). And I also got to try out their new controller – which syncs with your Wii mote to take the place of that itsy-bitsy Classic Controller.

I wasn’t too impressed with Mega Man 9 – but that’s just because I hate dying over and over again until I learn something. As evidenced by getting kicked out of arts and crafts, I hate learning.

But I do dig the retro graphics and I’m really looking forward to the evil robot chick. It’s about time Mega Man had some gender equality in the villain lineup. According to Capcom PR dude Tim Ng, there were going to be two female robot villains – but the second girl was scrapped because the developers didn’t want fans to feel like the series was changing too much. (Oooh, scary! Two grils!)

Something that needed to change, though, was that Classic Controller. It’s just too damned retro. We didn’t like the SNES controllers all that much to begin with (which is why they evolved into N64 controllers), so why shove a throwback down our throats when we want to play retro games?

The Wing is out this October and look for Mega Man 9 this month.