Mega Man Universe
Encyclopedia
was an upcoming 2.5D
action platformer
game in the Mega Man
series being developed by Capcom
for Xbox Live Arcade
and Playstation Network, and has since been cancelled. Mainly based on Mega Man 2
, the game would have allowed players to create their own levels and customize characters. It would have been the first game in the franchise to be referred to as "Mega Man" in Japan, where the franchise was always known as "Rockman".
and 10
, the gameplay takes its cue from Mega Man 2
, forgoing the special abilities introduced in games afterwards. However, the game is given a 2.5D
look, featuring rendered level designs and CG characters. The game's base story and main campaign will be based on those of Mega Man 2. In this game, however, players have the choice to construct their own levels, or customize existing levels, using various tools to place platforms, obstacles, enemies and items. These levels can be shared online for other people to play. Players can also customize their Mega Man with exchangeable parts and special chips which gives each Mega Man unique attributes, such as jumping height, available weapons, etc. Alongside the customizable characters, the game offers several iterations of Mega Man, including one based on the North American NES box art of Mega Man
, along with characters from other Capcom properties such as Ryu
from Street Fighter
and Arthur from Ghosts 'n Goblins
. DLC was also planned.
animated teaser trailer was released, which featured Mega Man, Ryu from Street Fighter and Arthur from Ghosts 'n Goblins. Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune
stated "We wanted to preserve as much as we can of the classic 8-bit Mega Man feel, while allowing players to project their own Mega Man onto the game." The first gameplay trailers were released on September 2, 2010, and it was later revealed that the game would feature a level editor and character customization. Trailers for the game so far have featured music by cover band, The Megas
. The game's development team will consist of various Capcom members who had previously worked on the first few Mega Man titles. Producer Akiko Ito has stated the game is quite early in production and is currently asking for feedback on what fans would like to see in this game.
Four months later, after the departure of Keiji Inafune, Capcom's Christian "Sven" Svensson reported that despite the continued silence on the game's development, it was not cancelled, although it had experienced some significant changes due to criticism regarding unresponsive controls and strong negative feedback regarding the game's art direction. However, on March 31, 2011, Capcom announced the game had been cancelled due to "various circumstances."
2.5D
2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
action platformer
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
game in the Mega Man
Mega Man
Mega Man is a video game franchise from Capcom, starring the eponymous character Mega Man, or one of his many counterparts. The series is well-known and comprises well over fifty releases, easily making it Capcom's most prolific franchise. As of December 31, 2010, the series has sold approximately...
series being developed by Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
for Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
and Playstation Network, and has since been cancelled. Mainly based on Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2, known in Japan as , is a platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the second installment in the original Mega Man series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, and in North America and PAL regions the following years. Mega Man 2...
, the game would have allowed players to create their own levels and customize characters. It would have been the first game in the franchise to be referred to as "Mega Man" in Japan, where the franchise was always known as "Rockman".
Summary
Much like the recent downloadable releases, Mega Man 9Mega Man 9
Mega Man 9, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the ninth numbered game in the original Mega Man series. Mega Man 9 is the first, new home console game in the original Mega Man series since Mega Man 8 and Mega Man & Bass, which were released at least one...
and 10
Mega Man 10
Mega Man 10, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the tenth main entry of the original Mega Man series...
, the gameplay takes its cue from Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2, known in Japan as , is a platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the second installment in the original Mega Man series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, and in North America and PAL regions the following years. Mega Man 2...
, forgoing the special abilities introduced in games afterwards. However, the game is given a 2.5D
2.5D
2.5D , 3/4 perspective and pseudo-3D are terms used to describe either:* 2D graphical projections and techniques which cause a series of images or scenes to fake or appear to be three-dimensional when in fact they are not, or* gameplay in an otherwise three-dimensional video game that is...
look, featuring rendered level designs and CG characters. The game's base story and main campaign will be based on those of Mega Man 2. In this game, however, players have the choice to construct their own levels, or customize existing levels, using various tools to place platforms, obstacles, enemies and items. These levels can be shared online for other people to play. Players can also customize their Mega Man with exchangeable parts and special chips which gives each Mega Man unique attributes, such as jumping height, available weapons, etc. Alongside the customizable characters, the game offers several iterations of Mega Man, including one based on the North American NES box art of Mega Man
Mega Man (video game)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first game in the original Mega Man series and the entire Mega Man franchise...
, along with characters from other Capcom properties such as Ryu
Ryu (Street Fighter)
is a video game player character created by Capcom, the main protagonist of the Street Fighter series. Having premiered in the first Street Fighter in 1987, Ryu appears as the lead character from the game along with his best friend Ken Masters participating in the Street Fighter tournament...
from Street Fighter
Street Fighter
, commonly abbreviated as SF, is a series of Fighting Games developed in Japan in which the players pit the video games' competitive fighters from around the world, each with his or her own unique fighting style, against one another...
and Arthur from Ghosts 'n Goblins
Ghosts 'n Goblins (series)
Ghosts'n Goblins, known as in Japan, is a run and gun platformer video game series created by Tokuro Fujiwara and developed by Capcom. The first entry in the series was Ghosts'n Goblins, released as an arcade title on September 19, 1985...
. DLC was also planned.
Development
Production of the game began in March 2010. News of Mega Man Universe first appeared when Capcom registered the trademark on April 27, 2010. On July 16, 2010, a stop motionStop motion
Stop motion is an animation technique to make a physically manipulated object appear to move on its own. The object is moved in small increments between individually photographed frames, creating the illusion of movement when the series of frames is played as a continuous sequence...
animated teaser trailer was released, which featured Mega Man, Ryu from Street Fighter and Arthur from Ghosts 'n Goblins. Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune
Keiji Inafune
is a video game producer and illustrator. He was the former head of Research & Development and Online Business and Global Head of Production at Capcom, best known as the illustrator and co-designer of the character Mega Man, as well as the producer of the Onimusha and Dead Rising video game series...
stated "We wanted to preserve as much as we can of the classic 8-bit Mega Man feel, while allowing players to project their own Mega Man onto the game." The first gameplay trailers were released on September 2, 2010, and it was later revealed that the game would feature a level editor and character customization. Trailers for the game so far have featured music by cover band, The Megas
The Megas (band)
The Megas is a Los Angeles based independent video game cover band based on the Capcom franchise, Mega Man. They differentiate themselves from artists who have played Mega Man music in the past by adding original lyrics and composing new sections which blend seamlessly with the original compositions...
. The game's development team will consist of various Capcom members who had previously worked on the first few Mega Man titles. Producer Akiko Ito has stated the game is quite early in production and is currently asking for feedback on what fans would like to see in this game.
Four months later, after the departure of Keiji Inafune, Capcom's Christian "Sven" Svensson reported that despite the continued silence on the game's development, it was not cancelled, although it had experienced some significant changes due to criticism regarding unresponsive controls and strong negative feedback regarding the game's art direction. However, on March 31, 2011, Capcom announced the game had been cancelled due to "various circumstances."