Mega Man 8
Encyclopedia
Mega Man 8, known as in Japan, is a video game released by Capcom
. It is the eighth installment in original Mega Man series, and was originally released in Japan on the PlayStation on December 17, 1996. The following year, Mega Man 8 saw a release on the Sega Saturn
and was localized for both consoles in North America and the PlayStation in PAL region
s. Upon its release, Capcom reached the franchise's tenth anniversary. Mega Man 8 is the first game in the series made available on 32-bit consoles
.
The plot begins as the robotic hero Mega Man
is called to investigate a mysterious energy reading coming from a recent meteor crash on an island. Mega Man discovers that his arch nemesis Dr. Wily
has beaten him there and immediately retreats with the energy source. Mega Man is charged with stopping Wily's evil plans to use the energy, as well as discover the purpose of a mysterious, alien robot found at the crashsite. Along with new animated full-motion videos (FMVs) and voice acting, Mega Man 8 features improved graphics and sound when compared to previous iterations in the series. Aside from a few minor conventions, the game utilizes the same 2D
side-scrolling
and platforming
formula established by its predecessors on the Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System
(SNES) consoles.
Many reviewers appreciated the aesthestic and gameplay qualities of Mega Man 8 when compared to its earlier counterparts. However, several other critics were dismayed by this same lack of innovation, finding that it does not utilize the full potential of the 32-bit platforms outside its animated FMVs. This resulted in an overall average or mixed critical reception. However, the game was a moderate commercial success and was re-released on best-seller lines in both Japan and North America. Mega Man 8 was followed by Mega Man & Bass
, a 1998 spin-off game for the SNES. A true sequel to the game, Mega Man 9
, would not be released until 2008 and would revert back to the graphical and gameplay style of the early NES games.
-style FMVs. Like other games in the series, it takes place in an unspecified year during the 21st century (20XX). The game opens as two alien robots engage in a climactic battle in the depths of space. Ultimately both of them plummet towards Earth, critically injured. Meanwhile, Mega Man
and his canine companion Rush are called by Dr. Light to investigate strange energy readings on a nearby island. On the island, Mega Man finds Dr. Wily
flying away with a strange purple orb. Before chasing him, he sees a damaged robot and asks for Dr. Light to pick it up and try to repair it. Dr. Wily then releases four new Robot Masters to combat Mega Man, Frost Man, Tengu Man, Clown Man, and Grenade Man. Each time he destroys one, the robotic hero receives a purple orb like the one Dr. Wily confiscated. Each of the Robot Masters are empowered with a strange energy, and it seems that this power comes from the new energy cores that Wily has infused them with.
After Mega Man defeats all four, he returns to the lab and Dr. Light tells him that the robot he found should be fine if he rests for a while. After Dr. Light and Mega Man leave the lab, the robot awakens, sees the purple energy, becomes enraged, and flies off into the distance. Mega Man follows suit on Rush. Mega Man finds him in a mine shaft on the other side of the globe, and after battling the robot, Proto Man shows up and tells Mega Man that Dr. Wily's new fortress, "Wily Tower," is just ahead. Mega Man goes ahead, but is captured by one of Wily's giant robotic creations. The robot saves him, introduces himself as Duo, and reveals his purpose to Mega Man. Duo explains that the purple orbs are "Evil Energy," and he has been traveling the universe tracking down this energy and trying to destroy it before it engulfs the entire world. However, Wily Tower has a barrier around it that prevents him from taking out the source. Duo tells Mega Man to destroy the four other Robot Masters that hold the key to the barrier, Astro Man, Sword Man, Search Man, and Aqua Man, while he collects and extinguishes the rest of the world's Evil Energy.
Once the Robot Masters have been beaten, Wily Tower's barrier is lifted and Mega Man makes his way through it, defeating the hordes of robotic henchmen inside, including his rival Bass, and ultimately, the evil doctor himself. The "Evil Energy" is destroyed before it is allowed to spread throughout the world, and Wily's newest compound is demolished with Mega Man inside, who is infected by the Evil Energy. Duo arrives, examines Mega Man, and cures him of the Evil Energy, seemingly eradicating the last of the Evil Energy on Earth.
The gameplay of Mega Man 8 is similar to that of its predecessors. The player, as Mega Man, must complete various stages that contain side-scrolling
action
and platforming
elements. The player can run, jump, slide, shoot and charge the Mega Buster, and change weapons (either in-game or while paused). Enemies in each stage can be destroyed to reveal items used to refill Mega Man's health and weapon power. Like Mega Man 7
, the player completes an introductory stage and is presented with four Robot Master stages (Tengu Man, Frost Man, Grenade Man, and Clown Man) to tackle in any order he or she chooses. At the end of each stage is a boss
battle with a Robot Master; defeating the Robot Master earns the player its Master Weapon. Most Robot Masters are weak to either the Mega Buster or one or more Master Weapon, allowing for some strategy in the order the stages are completed. An additional four Robot Masters (Aqua Man, Sword Man, Search Man, and Astro Man) become available once the first four are defeated and an intermission stage is completed.
A noteworthy addition to gameplay in Mega Man 8 is the ability to display and use multiple weapons onscreen simultaneously. This change introduces a unique way of using weapons strategically. For example, Mega Man can place a Tornado Hold, jump into it and swing the Flame Sword while rising with the air current. The player also has the ability to use his Mega Buster at all times, even when equipped with a Master Weapon. Auto's part shop from the last game also appears in the form of Dr. Light's lab, where the player can buy new abilities from Roll in exchange for special bolts found throughout the levels. However, due to a limited number of bolts and powerup slots available, the player must carefully decide which power-ups to buy. Special power-ups involving Mega Man's dog Rush are won by fighting mid-stage minibosses. This is also the first (and only) game in the series in which Mega Man can swim.
, the main character designer for the Mega Man series, became a producer for Mega Man 8. He handed off many of the main responsibilities to Hayato Kaji, an artist he often considered to be his student. "This allowed me to take a very different approach to creating a Mega Man game," Inafune recounted. "'Seeing Mega Man from a distance,' I guess you could say." Illustrators including Hideki Ishikawa and Shinsuke Komaki worked under the two veterans. Inafune recounted that the development team was often overwhelmed during the game's development because it involved some unfamiliar elements such as coordinating releases on two new systems and the use of anime
cutscenes. The team enlisted the help of the animation studio Xebec to produce the animated cutscenes for the game. Inafune had wanted to include animated cutscenes since the very first game in the series and he stated that he was pleased with the outcome.
The character Duo was created specifically for Mega Man 8, but was first made a playable character in the 1996 arcade
fighting game Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
. Kaji revealed that he initially designed Duo as a robot invented by the Mega Man 4
character Dr. Cossack. When it was decided that Duo would instead come from outer space, his appearance changed but still retained remnants of Russian
traits, such as his headwear
. Like past games in the series, the Robot Masters were picked from design contests in Japan. Capcom received around 110,000 idea submissions from fans for the game. Three of the Robot Masters (Sword Man, Clown Man, and Search Man) were even given base skeletons on which fans could add features. Ishikawa recounted, "The submissions we'd get for the boss characters were absolutely brimming with the youthful imagination of kids. I still remember how everyone had permanent smiles painted on their faces as we looked at each and every one of the submissions that came through." Tengu Man and Astro Man had already been designed by Capcom prior to the contest.
Capcom celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Mega Man franchise with the release of Mega Man 8. Some limited edition copies of the game were packaged with a 12-page color history booklet to commemorate one decade of the series. Mega Man 8 was released on both the Sega Saturn
and PlayStation between 1996 and 1997. It was originally intended to only be for the Saturn, but Sony allegedly "demanded" the game, fearing it would give an advantage to its then-rival. The two versions of the game, however, are not identical. The Saturn version has two added bosses from previous Mega Man games and a bonus mode with official and fan artwork, a voice test, a music test, and a secret animation test for the cutscenes. The soundtrack for Mega Man 8 was composed by Shusaku Uchiyama. It was the first project at Capcom that Uchiyama led himself. A 43-track disc containing the instrumental music was released by Team Entertainment
on November 21, 2007. The Japanese version of the game features the J-pop
vocal opening theme "Electrical Communication" and the ending theme "Brand New Way" by the group Ganasia. The themes were released as a CD single and were also featured on the Rockman Theme Song Collection
.
commented "Even the robots seem to be clones of enemies from earlier MM titles," while Matt Rubenstein summarized "...this whole premise has been done seven times before and, for those who have been paying attention, it's starting to get old." Some also claimed the game's graphics did not utilize the abilities of fifth generation consoles
outside of the FMV cutscenes. The English
-dubbing voice acting in Mega Man 8 was also poorly received by publications including EGM and IGN.
In a 2007 retrospective of the Mega Man series, Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com
described the eighth installment as "redemption after the Mega Man 7 train wreck". He elaborated, "It would be better off without the boring autoscrolling stages and the awful final boss that can only be defeated with the game's worst weapon, but otherwise, it's a charming update that captured much of what made the NES games so enjoyable." IGN
's Lucas M. Thomas took a similar look back on the franchise, calling Mega Man 8 the worst in the core Mega Man series because it took Capcom's iconic hero off of Nintendo consoles, utilized animated cutscenes with bad voice acting, and further changed the visual style. "Now there are plenty of people who like Mega Man 8 -- that's fine, it's still a good game in its own right," Thomas proclaimed. "But when lined up alongside all the other series sequels, as we're doing here, it just falls flat."
Initial sales of Mega Man 8 were good. Major gaming retailers in North America including Electronics Boutique and Babbage's
reported selling 55% of their stock within three days of the game's release. Electronics Boutique additionally noted having sold 75% of its stock within ten days and many locations of Babbage's being sold out in similar period of time. "Mega Man is one of Capcom's longest running and most popular action heroes and this marks the first time that a Mega Man game has entered the 32-bit market," stated Capcom's president Bill Gardner. "The response that we've gotten from the retailers was so overwhelming that we had to allocate product based on the fact that our orders were far greater than anticipated. Due to the success of Mega Man 8, we are currently considering a second build." Mega Man 8 was eventually re-released as part of Sony's Greatest Hits label of best-sellers. In Japan, the game received budget re-releases as part of both the PlayStation the Best for Family
and the Sega Saturn Collection. The PlayStation version was ported to the North American Mega Man Anniversary Collection
for the PlayStation 2
and GameCube
in 2004 and the Xbox
in 2005.
In 1998, Capcom released Mega Man & Bass
on the Super Famicom
with many of the same sprites, animations, and backgrounds as taken from Mega Man 8. Ten years later, Capcom announced another follow-up, Mega Man 9
, which changed the graphical style of the series back to its 8-bit
appearance similar to the first six installments. Capcom did not replicate any of the gameplay gimmicks introduced in the eighth installment for this sequel.
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...
. It is the eighth installment in original Mega Man series, and was originally released in Japan on the PlayStation on December 17, 1996. The following year, Mega Man 8 saw a release on the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
and was localized for both consoles in North America and the PlayStation in PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
s. Upon its release, Capcom reached the franchise's tenth anniversary. Mega Man 8 is the first game in the series made available on 32-bit consoles
History of video game consoles (fifth generation)
The fifth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at stores...
.
The plot begins as the robotic hero Mega Man
Mega Man (character)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a cybernetic video game character, and the main protagonist of what has been referred to as the original Mega Man series developed by Capcom since 1987. The pixel art for the character was created by the designer of the original game in the series, credited under...
is called to investigate a mysterious energy reading coming from a recent meteor crash on an island. Mega Man discovers that his arch nemesis Dr. Wily
Doctor 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...
has beaten him there and immediately retreats with the energy source. Mega Man is charged with stopping Wily's evil plans to use the energy, as well as discover the purpose of a mysterious, alien robot found at the crashsite. Along with new animated full-motion videos (FMVs) and voice acting, Mega Man 8 features improved graphics and sound when compared to previous iterations in the series. Aside from a few minor conventions, the game utilizes the same 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
side-scrolling
Side-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
and platforming
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...
formula established by its predecessors on the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES) and Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
(SNES) consoles.
Many reviewers appreciated the aesthestic and gameplay qualities of Mega Man 8 when compared to its earlier counterparts. However, several other critics were dismayed by this same lack of innovation, finding that it does not utilize the full potential of the 32-bit platforms outside its animated FMVs. This resulted in an overall average or mixed critical reception. However, the game was a moderate commercial success and was re-released on best-seller lines in both Japan and North America. Mega Man 8 was followed by 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...
, a 1998 spin-off game for the SNES. A true sequel to the game, Mega Man 9
Mega 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...
, would not be released until 2008 and would revert back to the graphical and gameplay style of the early NES games.
Plot
Mega Man 8 is a continuation of the original Mega Man series storyline. Cutscenes in the game are presented both in-game and with newly introduced animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
-style FMVs. Like other games in the series, it takes place in an unspecified year during the 21st century (20XX). The game opens as two alien robots engage in a climactic battle in the depths of space. Ultimately both of them plummet towards Earth, critically injured. Meanwhile, Mega Man
Mega Man (character)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a cybernetic video game character, and the main protagonist of what has been referred to as the original Mega Man series developed by Capcom since 1987. The pixel art for the character was created by the designer of the original game in the series, credited under...
and his canine companion Rush are called by Dr. Light to investigate strange energy readings on a nearby island. On the island, Mega Man finds Dr. Wily
Doctor 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...
flying away with a strange purple orb. Before chasing him, he sees a damaged robot and asks for Dr. Light to pick it up and try to repair it. Dr. Wily then releases four new Robot Masters to combat Mega Man, Frost Man, Tengu Man, Clown Man, and Grenade Man. Each time he destroys one, the robotic hero receives a purple orb like the one Dr. Wily confiscated. Each of the Robot Masters are empowered with a strange energy, and it seems that this power comes from the new energy cores that Wily has infused them with.
After Mega Man defeats all four, he returns to the lab and Dr. Light tells him that the robot he found should be fine if he rests for a while. After Dr. Light and Mega Man leave the lab, the robot awakens, sees the purple energy, becomes enraged, and flies off into the distance. Mega Man follows suit on Rush. Mega Man finds him in a mine shaft on the other side of the globe, and after battling the robot, Proto Man shows up and tells Mega Man that Dr. Wily's new fortress, "Wily Tower," is just ahead. Mega Man goes ahead, but is captured by one of Wily's giant robotic creations. The robot saves him, introduces himself as Duo, and reveals his purpose to Mega Man. Duo explains that the purple orbs are "Evil Energy," and he has been traveling the universe tracking down this energy and trying to destroy it before it engulfs the entire world. However, Wily Tower has a barrier around it that prevents him from taking out the source. Duo tells Mega Man to destroy the four other Robot Masters that hold the key to the barrier, Astro Man, Sword Man, Search Man, and Aqua Man, while he collects and extinguishes the rest of the world's Evil Energy.
Once the Robot Masters have been beaten, Wily Tower's barrier is lifted and Mega Man makes his way through it, defeating the hordes of robotic henchmen inside, including his rival Bass, and ultimately, the evil doctor himself. The "Evil Energy" is destroyed before it is allowed to spread throughout the world, and Wily's newest compound is demolished with Mega Man inside, who is infected by the Evil Energy. Duo arrives, examines Mega Man, and cures him of the Evil Energy, seemingly eradicating the last of the Evil Energy on Earth.
Gameplay
Side-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
and platforming
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...
elements. The player can run, jump, slide, shoot and charge the Mega Buster, and change weapons (either in-game or while paused). Enemies in each stage can be destroyed to reveal items used to refill Mega Man's health and weapon power. Like Mega Man 7
Mega Man 7
Mega Man 7, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the seventh game in the original Mega Man series and the first and only title in the main series to be featured on the 16-bit console...
, the player completes an introductory stage and is presented with four Robot Master stages (Tengu Man, Frost Man, Grenade Man, and Clown Man) to tackle in any order he or she chooses. At the end of each stage is a boss
Boss (video games)
A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
battle with a Robot Master; defeating the Robot Master earns the player its Master Weapon. Most Robot Masters are weak to either the Mega Buster or one or more Master Weapon, allowing for some strategy in the order the stages are completed. An additional four Robot Masters (Aqua Man, Sword Man, Search Man, and Astro Man) become available once the first four are defeated and an intermission stage is completed.
A noteworthy addition to gameplay in Mega Man 8 is the ability to display and use multiple weapons onscreen simultaneously. This change introduces a unique way of using weapons strategically. For example, Mega Man can place a Tornado Hold, jump into it and swing the Flame Sword while rising with the air current. The player also has the ability to use his Mega Buster at all times, even when equipped with a Master Weapon. Auto's part shop from the last game also appears in the form of Dr. Light's lab, where the player can buy new abilities from Roll in exchange for special bolts found throughout the levels. However, due to a limited number of bolts and powerup slots available, the player must carefully decide which power-ups to buy. Special power-ups involving Mega Man's dog Rush are won by fighting mid-stage minibosses. This is also the first (and only) game in the series in which Mega Man can swim.
Development
Keiji InafuneKeiji 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...
, the main character designer for the Mega Man series, became a producer for Mega Man 8. He handed off many of the main responsibilities to Hayato Kaji, an artist he often considered to be his student. "This allowed me to take a very different approach to creating a Mega Man game," Inafune recounted. "'Seeing Mega Man from a distance,' I guess you could say." Illustrators including Hideki Ishikawa and Shinsuke Komaki worked under the two veterans. Inafune recounted that the development team was often overwhelmed during the game's development because it involved some unfamiliar elements such as coordinating releases on two new systems and the use of anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
cutscenes. The team enlisted the help of the animation studio Xebec to produce the animated cutscenes for the game. Inafune had wanted to include animated cutscenes since the very first game in the series and he stated that he was pleased with the outcome.
The character Duo was created specifically for Mega Man 8, but was first made a playable character in the 1996 arcade
Arcade game
An arcade game is a coin-operated entertainment machine, usually installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars, and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, and merchandisers...
fighting game Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters
Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, known in Japan as , is an arcade video game, released in Japan in 1996 as a fighting game in the Mega Man series of games. It is the direct sequel to Mega Man: The Power Battle released the previous year...
. Kaji revealed that he initially designed Duo as a robot invented by the Mega Man 4
Mega Man 4
Mega Man 4, known in Japan as , is a platform game developed by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fourth game in the original Mega Man series and was originally released in Japan on December 6, 1991...
character Dr. Cossack. When it was decided that Duo would instead come from outer space, his appearance changed but still retained remnants of Russian
Russian culture
Russian culture is associated with the country of Russia and, sometimes, specifically with ethnic Russians. It has a rich history and can boast a long tradition of excellence in every aspect of the arts, especially when it comes to literature and philosophy, classical music and ballet, architecture...
traits, such as his headwear
Ushanka
An ushanka , also known as a trooper, is a Russian fur cap with ear flaps that can be tied up to the crown of the cap, or tied at the chin to protect the ears, jaw and lower chin from the cold. The thick dense fur also offers some protection against blunt impacts to the head...
. Like past games in the series, the Robot Masters were picked from design contests in Japan. Capcom received around 110,000 idea submissions from fans for the game. Three of the Robot Masters (Sword Man, Clown Man, and Search Man) were even given base skeletons on which fans could add features. Ishikawa recounted, "The submissions we'd get for the boss characters were absolutely brimming with the youthful imagination of kids. I still remember how everyone had permanent smiles painted on their faces as we looked at each and every one of the submissions that came through." Tengu Man and Astro Man had already been designed by Capcom prior to the contest.
Capcom celebrated the tenth anniversary of the Mega Man franchise with the release of Mega Man 8. Some limited edition copies of the game were packaged with a 12-page color history booklet to commemorate one decade of the series. Mega Man 8 was released on both the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
and PlayStation between 1996 and 1997. It was originally intended to only be for the Saturn, but Sony allegedly "demanded" the game, fearing it would give an advantage to its then-rival. The two versions of the game, however, are not identical. The Saturn version has two added bosses from previous Mega Man games and a bonus mode with official and fan artwork, a voice test, a music test, and a secret animation test for the cutscenes. The soundtrack for Mega Man 8 was composed by Shusaku Uchiyama. It was the first project at Capcom that Uchiyama led himself. A 43-track disc containing the instrumental music was released by Team Entertainment
TEAM Entertainment
TEAM entertainment is a musical hobby group that publishes music that is licensed to them. Motoi Sakuraba's game compositions are best known in this group. The issue with Sakuraba's music is that the games are copyrighted by the companies that own it, many of which have the practice of not...
on November 21, 2007. The Japanese version of the game features the J-pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
vocal opening theme "Electrical Communication" and the ending theme "Brand New Way" by the group Ganasia. The themes were released as a CD single and were also featured on the Rockman Theme Song Collection
Rockman Theme Song Collection
Released on the 20th of April, 2002, Rockman Theme Song Collection, contains various theme songs from the video games in the Rockman classic, X, and DASH series.- Track listing :#We Are Rockman / [Rockman Soccer CM]...
.
Reception and legacy
Mega Man 8 received mostly average reviews from critics. One universal complaint involved the game having virtually nothing in terms of gameplay or features that hadn't already appeared in previous installments of the series, and very little change in the gameplay formula that had been used since the first Mega Man game appeared a decade ago. Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpotGameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
commented "Even the robots seem to be clones of enemies from earlier MM titles," while Matt Rubenstein summarized "...this whole premise has been done seven times before and, for those who have been paying attention, it's starting to get old." Some also claimed the game's graphics did not utilize the abilities of fifth generation consoles
History of video game consoles (fifth generation)
The fifth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at stores...
outside of the FMV cutscenes. The English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
-dubbing voice acting in Mega Man 8 was also poorly received by publications including EGM and IGN.
In a 2007 retrospective of the Mega Man series, Jeremy Parish 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....
described the eighth installment as "redemption after the Mega Man 7 train wreck". He elaborated, "It would be better off without the boring autoscrolling stages and the awful final boss that can only be defeated with the game's worst weapon, but otherwise, it's a charming update that captured much of what made the NES games so enjoyable." IGN
IGN
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...
's Lucas M. Thomas took a similar look back on the franchise, calling Mega Man 8 the worst in the core Mega Man series because it took Capcom's iconic hero off of Nintendo consoles, utilized animated cutscenes with bad voice acting, and further changed the visual style. "Now there are plenty of people who like Mega Man 8 -- that's fine, it's still a good game in its own right," Thomas proclaimed. "But when lined up alongside all the other series sequels, as we're doing here, it just falls flat."
Initial sales of Mega Man 8 were good. Major gaming retailers in North America including Electronics Boutique and Babbage's
GameStop
GameStop Corporation is an American video game and entertainment software retailer. The company, whose headquarters is in Grapevine, Texas, United States, operates 6,500 retail stores throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New...
reported selling 55% of their stock within three days of the game's release. Electronics Boutique additionally noted having sold 75% of its stock within ten days and many locations of Babbage's being sold out in similar period of time. "Mega Man is one of Capcom's longest running and most popular action heroes and this marks the first time that a Mega Man game has entered the 32-bit market," stated Capcom's president Bill Gardner. "The response that we've gotten from the retailers was so overwhelming that we had to allocate product based on the fact that our orders were far greater than anticipated. Due to the success of Mega Man 8, we are currently considering a second build." Mega Man 8 was eventually re-released as part of Sony's Greatest Hits label of best-sellers. In Japan, the game received budget re-releases as part of both the PlayStation the Best for Family
The Best range
The Best is a Sony PlayStation budget range in Japan and parts of Asia. For the PlayStation, The Best was followed by PSone Books when the PSone was released in 2000...
and the Sega Saturn Collection. The PlayStation version was ported to the North American Mega Man Anniversary Collection
Mega Man Anniversary Collection
Mega Man Anniversary Collection a compilation of video games developed by Atomic Planet Entertainment and published by Capcom. It was released exclusively in North America on June 23, 2004 for the Nintendo GameCube and Sony PlayStation 2 and on March 15, 2005 for the Microsoft Xbox...
for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
in 2004 and the Xbox
Xbox
The Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
in 2005.
In 1998, Capcom released 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...
on the Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
with many of the same sprites, animations, and backgrounds as taken from Mega Man 8. Ten years later, Capcom announced another follow-up, Mega Man 9
Mega 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...
, which changed the graphical style of the series back to its 8-bit
History of video game consoles (third generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the third generation began on July 15, 1983, with the Japanese release of both the Nintendo Family Computer and Sega SG-1000...
appearance similar to the first six installments. Capcom did not replicate any of the gameplay gimmicks introduced in the eighth installment for this sequel.
External links
- Mega Man 8 (PlayStation) at GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...
- Mega Man 8 (Saturn) at GameFAQsGameFAQsGameFAQs is a website that hosts FAQs and walkthroughs for video games. It was created in November 1995 by Jeff "CJayC" Veasey and was bought by CNET Networks in May 2003. It is currently owned by CBS Interactive. The site has a database of video game information, cheat codes, reviews, game saves,...