Capcom revealed the next chapter of the "Mega Man" series today, announcing "Mega Man Universe." In the announcement, Kenji Inafune, head of Research and Development Management for Capcom, said, "This game will break the mold and challenge the conventional wisdom of what a Mega Man game can be. When fans finally get to see it, I believe they’ll envision their most far-out Mega Man dreams coming true." Um...ok. Not exactly detail-heavy.
The announcement goes on to say that "Mega Man Universe" will offer the "core experience fans want" while bringing innovation to the Mega Man mold.
What sort of innovation? Your guess is as good as ours. Gamespot had an exclusive interview with Inafune, who did a very good job at not answering questions. He did say, "At Comic Con, this new title 'Mega Man Universe' will be born." But apart from that, not much to go on.
You really need to watch the teaser trailer to get a better sense of the tone of "Mega Man Universe."
So...tone-wise, "Mega Man Universe" is basically a crazy drug trip. With claymation.
Interestingly, it appears the game will feature familiar Capcom faces, like Ryu from "Street Fighter" and Arthur from "Ghosts & Goblins." A "Bionic Commando" arcade machine is also seen, so "Radd" Spencer seems likely for an appearance, as well.
I'm left scratching my head over this announcement, which I guess was the point. The game is coming out for XBLA and PSN, so I'm expecting a 2D, side-scrolling "Mega Man," perhaps with 3D graphics akin to "Bionic Commando Rearmed."
At least we won't have to wait long for more information. Next week should paint a much clearer picture of "Mega Man Universe."