Rockman & Forte: Challenger from the Future
Encyclopedia
is a video game developed by Capcom
and published by Bandai
for the WonderSwan
handheld system. The game was only released in Japan
and is a part of the original Rockman (Mega Man) series. There was no North American localization.
sees the dark Rockman, and to ascertain the mystery he sends Forte (Bass in the West). Eventually Rockman Shadow and the Dimensions are defeated and their plans put to rest.
title in the US, Mega Man & Bass
), two characters are available for play: Rockman and Forte. Rockman plays in his traditional manner, where Forte deviates, as in the previous game, with a rapid fire standard weapon that cannot be fired while moving as well as the ability to dash (similar to the characters in the Rockman X series) and double jump. A notable difference in gameplay is that the "Robot Masters" in this game do not exhibit a short period of invincibility after being damaged, allowing the player to continuously damage them where possible. Also of note, a feature unique to the WonderSwan was a third set of controls located above the traditional directional controls which allowed some games to be played with the screen oriented vertically. When selecting Aircon Man, the player was required to change his or her grip on the device, as the stage had to be played vertically. Finally, unlike previous games in the series there are only five weapons to be obtained as opposed to the traditional eight; Compass Man did not surrender a weapon to the player upon defeat.
The Bolt system also returns allowing either character to purchase helpful items to be used during gameplay. Each character has access to both universal items like extra lives and exclusive items such as Rockman being able to summon Rush, Eddie, Tango and Beat while Forte can summon Gospel (known as Treble in the West) and Reggae (a bird-type support robot that last was seen in the 1993 Famicom game Wily & Right no RockBoard: That's Paradise).
contributor Colin Williamson concluded, "What a disappointment. With the WonderSwan's superior number-crunching hardware and increased storage space, Rockman and Forte could have been the ultimate of portable Mega Man games. Unfortunately, the final product winds up being a tedious and overly frustrating exercise in retro gameplay. Dig out the old NES and play the original games if you want and just leave this one on your importer's shelf." Jeremy Parrish of 1UP.com
called it the worst Mega Man game ever, exclaiming to readers, "Avoid it at all costs!".
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...
and published by Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
for the WonderSwan
WonderSwan
was a line of handheld game consoles produced in Japan by Bandai between 1999 and 2003. It was developed by the late Gunpei Yokoi's company Koto and Bandai...
handheld system. The game was only released in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and is a part of the original Rockman (Mega Man) series. There was no North American localization.
Plot
Like other games in the Rockman series, Rockman & Forte Mirai kara no Chōsensha takes place in the year 20XX. A group of robots from the future calling themselves the "Dimensions" attacked Symphony City, a city where people and robots lived in peace. Though without any witnesses, the one leading the Dimensions with overwhelming power is a robot that appears similar to Rockman (Mega Man in the West), who calls himself "Rockman Shadow". He is said to be a dark and wicked person completely obsessed with destruction. Rockman, who hears this news at Dr. Right's (Dr. Light in the West) laboratory, ventures to the scene despite being under maintenance. At the same time, Dr. WilyDoctor Wily
, full name Albert W. Wily, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the original Mega Man series of video games. Designed by Keiji Inafune, he appeared in the first Mega Man video game and later in promotions and other media related to the series...
sees the dark Rockman, and to ascertain the mystery he sends Forte (Bass in the West). Eventually Rockman Shadow and the Dimensions are defeated and their plans put to rest.
Gameplay
Similar to the previous game, Rockman & Forte (which was eventually released as a Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
title in the US, Mega Man & Bass
Mega Man & Bass
Mega Man & Bass, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom. It is a spin-off title in the original Mega Man series and was originally released exclusively in Japan on April 24, 1998 for the Super Famicom...
), two characters are available for play: Rockman and Forte. Rockman plays in his traditional manner, where Forte deviates, as in the previous game, with a rapid fire standard weapon that cannot be fired while moving as well as the ability to dash (similar to the characters in the Rockman X series) and double jump. A notable difference in gameplay is that the "Robot Masters" in this game do not exhibit a short period of invincibility after being damaged, allowing the player to continuously damage them where possible. Also of note, a feature unique to the WonderSwan was a third set of controls located above the traditional directional controls which allowed some games to be played with the screen oriented vertically. When selecting Aircon Man, the player was required to change his or her grip on the device, as the stage had to be played vertically. Finally, unlike previous games in the series there are only five weapons to be obtained as opposed to the traditional eight; Compass Man did not surrender a weapon to the player upon defeat.
The Bolt system also returns allowing either character to purchase helpful items to be used during gameplay. Each character has access to both universal items like extra lives and exclusive items such as Rockman being able to summon Rush, Eddie, Tango and Beat while Forte can summon Gospel (known as Treble in the West) and Reggae (a bird-type support robot that last was seen in the 1993 Famicom game Wily & Right no RockBoard: That's Paradise).
Reception
Rockman & Forte Mirai kara no Chōsensha was received poorly critical by critics. IGNIGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
contributor Colin Williamson concluded, "What a disappointment. With the WonderSwan's superior number-crunching hardware and increased storage space, Rockman and Forte could have been the ultimate of portable Mega Man games. Unfortunately, the final product winds up being a tedious and overly frustrating exercise in retro gameplay. Dig out the old NES and play the original games if you want and just leave this one on your importer's shelf." Jeremy Parrish of 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
called it the worst Mega Man game ever, exclaiming to readers, "Avoid it at all costs!".
External links
- Rockman & Forte Mirai kara no Chōsensha at the WonderSwan channel