Topic: 2007/12: Mega Man 8 (PSX) - Zeric

[JonLeung]

Mega Man 8

For this month's "Maps of the Month" featurette, I wish to draw your attention to Zeric's Mega Man 8 (PSX) maps.



This month, December 2007, marks the 20th anniversary of the first Mega Man game.  Since then, Mega Man (in his various incarnations) has starred in dozens of games spanning no less than nine distinct series.  There's the original Mega Man series, the related Game Boy Mega Man series, the Mega Man X series, the related Game Boy Color Xtreme series, Mega Man Legends (and its sequel and an N64 port), the Mega Man Battle Network series, the Mega Man Star Force series, and the Mega Man ZX series.  His friend Zero also takes up his moniker in the Mega Man Zero series, and there are other games in which Mega Man has starred, including a board game, a racing game, a soccer game, and some fighting games.  And some of his games have been remade or ported - counting all those, his total number of games surpasses a hundred!  He is one of Capcom's mascots and has been featured in some cartoon series and comics, as well.



So to celebrate this anniversary of the original "Blue Bomber", Zeric vowed to complete the only game that was missing from our collection of Mega Man (classic) maps - Mega Man 8.  (That game was itself made to celebrate Mega Man's 10th anniversary.)  And indeed, Zeric succeeded!  He overcame the challenges that mapping a PlayStation game presents (becoming the first Mapmaker Of The Month to earn the honour by mapping a fifth-generation console game) and filled a mega-sized hole in our atlas.  Happy Anniversary, Mega Man!



So to recognize the effort put into making these mega maps, Zeric's Mega Man 8 maps will be known as VGMaps.com's Maps of the Month for December 2007.

[marioman]

I support this award.  :thumbsup:



It's funny, I had sort of forgotten that Mega Man 8 was released in celebration of Mega Man's 10th anniversary.  I wonder if they will release Mega Man 9 for the 20th...  (Yeah right)



Great job Zeric.  I would say that this is one of the greatest achievements that this site will ever host.

[Maxim]

This Dec 20th is also the 20th anniversary of Phantasy Star. It's not so interesting to map, though.

[JonLeung]

I missed Mega Man's birthday!  >_<  I believe it was the 17th...



Not that I would've really celebrated, though if I had time, maybe I would have played some of the original Mega Man.  And if it was available for the Wii Virtual Console in North America (at least I don't think it yet is), I would have bought it and played it.



Well, Happy (Belated) 20th Birthday, Mega Man!  (Hope to see your original self again!)

[marioman]

I was too busy playing Mega Man to post a happy birthday wish.



Happy 20th Mega Man!

[TerraEsperZ]

Well, I don't have much to say about Zeric's work; as usual, the man is a mean mapping machine who tackles maps from difficult systems such as the PSX, Pc Engine or lately the X68000. His work on Mega Man 8 is great, and has pushed me into a Classic Mega Man frenzy lately.



By the way, has anyone claimed the "rights" to map Mega Man IV and Mega Man V for the Game Boy? They were personally the better Mega Man games on the system since unlike the first three, they actually  tried to add new stuff instead of rehashing the early NES games with barely any plot or new items.  And eventually, I might like to map these which would be done quite quickly since, well, they're just Game Boy games...



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"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



Current projects: Mega Man Zero (GBA), Battletoads (NES), Sonic CD (Sega CD)

[JonLeung]

I think to truly have mapped all of classic Mega Man, someone's going to have to take on the Game Boy games (especially Mega Man V since it's not a remix of sorts), and I haven't heard of anyone taking them on yet.



If you do want to do them, I don't think that would be stepping on anyone's toes...



(Wasn't there also a Game Gear Mega Man?  Though I honestly don't think there's as much interest for that...)

[Rew]

*enthusiastically endorses Terra's decision to map MMIV and MMV*



BTW, I'm really looking forward to your MMZ maps (which is saying a lot because I've never even played the Zero series before, LoL).



Yeah, I remembered the 20th anniversary. I spent the evening after work listening to the soundtracks to MM1-7. I didn't have time to squeeze in the MM8 OST, but that's what I'm listening to now. ;0)

[TerraEsperZ]

Seeing the great job they did with the graphics of  Rockman & Forte (SNES) and its GBA port Mega Man & Bass, it's just too bad they never ported Mega Man 8 to the SNES in some way.



If you were to replace the cartoons with a few still images, rework the music for the SPC chip (it can be done, just compare the music from Dracula X (SNES) to its PC Engine counterpart Rondo of Blood; some tunes sound better on the SNES) and alter whatever 3D effects the PSX did, I'm sure they could have brought the game in some form. I mean, Rockman & Forte included many, *many* sprites and tiles from Mega Man 8 not to mention 2 whole Robot Masters.



But going back to Mega Man IV and V, sure, why not? I'll see what I can do after Christmas break, depending on how long it takes as I don't want to fall behind on Mega Man Zero.



---

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



Current projects: Mega Man Zero (GBA), Battletoads (NES), Sonic CD (Sega CD)

[marioman]

@JonLeung:  There was a Game Gear Mega Man game.  It was similar to what Mega Man V GB would have been if Capcom had decided to not go with the Stardroids.  The bosses are mix from Mega Man 4 and Mega Man 5.  I believe that there are only 7 levels in the game.



@Terra:  Sounds like a plan.  If you finish IV and V, you will complete the Classic GB Mega Man map set.



My favorite Mega Man GB game is definitely V.  I like the other GB games, but the whole Stardroid/Planet thing makes keeps the level design of V very unique.

[Zeric]

I didn't do much on the 17th. I just played through Rock Man Complete Works 1-6, Rock Man 7 and Rock Man & Forte for SNES and Wonderswan.



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Current Projects: Akumajo Dracula (X6800)

[TerraEsperZ]

Mapping is off for the Holidays, but Mega Man IV is well underway. The first four Robot Master stages are mapped, and Wily's first fortress halfway done.



---

"With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." [...] The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged. - Captain Jean-Luc Picard



Current projects: Mega Man Zero (GBA), Battletoads (NES), Sonic CD (Sega CD)