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Mega Man Anniversary Collection Released!


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By now, most game retailers should have the Mega Man Anniversary Collection for PS2 and Gamecube. At a measly $29.99, it'd be worth it if it just emulated the games in their original form, but developer Atomic Planet actually went and re-wrote the games, so each one plays beautifully, not to mention they crammed the game with extras.

The PS2 version is simply amazing. The controls were a perfect fit on the Dual Shock 2, the remixed music is cool, and little tweaks like adding an auto fire button and allowing the L1 and R1 buttons to switch weapons are nice touches. Not to mention that you can play the NES versions in the original format you remember, or in the cool "Navi Mode" from the Rockman: The Complete Works series that came out for PSone in Japan. Another nice touch for those who remember getting their rear ends handed to them is that you can set the number of starting lives from 3-5, and you can select either "Normal" or "Easy" difficulty for Mega Man 1-7. Since the old pause trick is gone, I think a lot of people are going to be playing Mega Man 1 on easy to keep from breaking controllers on the Yellow Devil (aka Rock Monster), but I don't reccomend playing all the games in easy, because it makes the rest of the games almost comically easy.

Oh, another thing is that the game autosaves. Everytime you beat a level, it automatically saves it. That's handy if you don't feel like writing down passwords (and REALLY handy for Mega Man 1, since you originally had to play it straight through). But, if you're like me and have a notebook somewhere that you wrote down all the passwords from when you played it back in the day, good news! Those passwords still work!

Nintendo fans are kinda mad right now, because the PS2 version is clearly the better version. Since the games aren't emulated, some of the cooler stuff like the remixed music coulding fit on the smaller Gamecube media. Also, for reasons that boggle the mind, Atomic Planet decided to use the A button for fire, and the B button for jump on the Cube version. If you have a choice, go for the PS2 version, but if you only have a Cube (or a Cube and an Xbox), the Cube version is still worth it.

Okay, I'm outta here! I got Robot Masters to take care of...

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I just got the GC version today and the backward buttons (B button to jump and A to shoot - Capcom, what were you thinking!) do take a while to get used to, but if you played Metroid Prime you shouldn't have no problem adjusting. A very nice and complete compilation from Capcom - a definited must buy! :) Btw, if you have a Hori digital controller, this game was made for it.

Edited by efisher
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Nintendo fans are kinda mad right now, because the PS2 version is clearly the better version. Since the games aren't emulated, some of the cooler stuff like the remixed music coulding fit on the smaller Gamecube media.

Utter rubbish.

If they couldn't fit the whole package into 1.5 gigabytes, they are not worthy of their dev kit.

Just beause you port an NES game to a GameCube doesn't mean it suddenly takes massive amounts of space.

Your sprites are still 8*16*2bpp, if I recall. Your screen resolution, and thus background resolution, is still only 256*240.

The NES ROM iamges are an accurate representation of how much space things should take.

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Got mine yesterday!! Man what an investment for $30!!

My only gripe is that MM2 is stuck on difficult. You can't choose like in the original NES. Oh well. Time to change my flow.

Under options, set the difficulty to Easy, then go and start a new game in Megaman 2. Oh, and play it straight through, because if you save and quit, you'll lose your E-Tanks.

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Nintendo fans are kinda mad right now, because the PS2 version is clearly the better version.  Since the games aren't emulated, some of the cooler stuff like the remixed music coulding fit on the smaller Gamecube media.

Utter rubbish.

If they couldn't fit the whole package into 1.5 gigabytes, they are not worthy of their dev kit.

Just beause you port an NES game to a GameCube doesn't mean it suddenly takes massive amounts of space.

Your sprites are still 8*16*2bpp, if I recall. Your screen resolution, and thus background resolution, is still only 256*240.

The NES ROM iamges are an accurate representation of how much space things should take.

Again, Atomic Planet didn't emulate. So, the original NES ROM dumps are NOT an accurate measure.

A closer approximation is if you look at the Japanese PlayStation "Rockman: The Complete Works" series. Here's the size of those games:

PS1 –Rockman

Original Image size: 273mb

PS1 – Rockman 2

Original Image Size: 384mb

PS1 – Rockman 3

Original Image Size: 466mb

PS1 – Rockman 4

Original Image Size: 591mb

PS1 – Rockman 5

Original Image Size: 584mb

PS1 – Rockman 6

Original Image Size: 488mb

PS1 – Megaman 8

Original Image Size: 318mb

Total for MM1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 = 3.03gb

Now throw in Megaman 7, the two arcade games, and all the bonus stuff, and you're WAY over the Gamecube's 1.5 GB limit.

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Nintendo fans are kinda mad right now, because the PS2 version is clearly the better version.  Since the games aren't emulated, some of the cooler stuff like the remixed music coulding fit on the smaller Gamecube media.

Utter rubbish.

If they couldn't fit the whole package into 1.5 gigabytes, they are not worthy of their dev kit.

Just beause you port an NES game to a GameCube doesn't mean it suddenly takes massive amounts of space.

Your sprites are still 8*16*2bpp, if I recall. Your screen resolution, and thus background resolution, is still only 256*240.

The NES ROM iamges are an accurate representation of how much space things should take.

Again, Atomic Planet didn't emulate. So, the original NES ROM dumps are NOT an accurate measure.

A closer approximation is if you look at the Japanese PlayStation "Rockman: The Complete Works" series. Here's the size of those games:

PS1 –Rockman

Original Image size: 273mb

PS1 – Rockman 2

Original Image Size: 384mb

PS1 – Rockman 3

Original Image Size: 466mb

PS1 – Rockman 4

Original Image Size: 591mb

PS1 – Rockman 5

Original Image Size: 584mb

PS1 – Rockman 6

Original Image Size: 488mb

PS1 – Megaman 8

Original Image Size: 318mb

Total for MM1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 = 3.03gb

Now throw in Megaman 7, the two arcade games, and all the bonus stuff, and you're WAY over the Gamecube's 1.5 GB limit.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

The data used is still the same size.

Just because you're on a new system doesn't mean an 8*16*2bit sprite suddenly takes MORE space. It's the same 256 bits of data, just being fed to a new executable.

The music is where the space change occurs, as the 'Cube lacks the PSG of an NES. Without knowing the hardware better, I can't guess if it can be programmed to simulate one like the SNES hardware can(as was done for exactly ONE game), but I WILL bet that no one bothered even if it could.

BTW, you aren't shoring your argument up well with the PS revisions, as even assuming that the entire disk is music, so that stripping remix tunes out halves the game size, you're STILL over the 1.5 gig limit with no extras. Or even any games...

I don't know what they were doing on the NES remixes to make them larger than Megaman 8. I've never had the pleasure of owning any of them.

But I can assure you it had little to do with the process of porting the game.

In fact, I've heard that the PS1 Megaman remixes load the entire game into RAM when you start playing, thereby completely eliminating load times during play. And as the PS1 only HAS 2 meg of system RAM, that places an upper limit on how large the games can be.

They likely stream music from the disk.

But the only way music is going to fill the whole disk like that is if they're using something high-quality and uncompressed, like raw redbook audio.

And music compression is no big deal for a modern system. The GameCube has quite enough horsepower to stream compressed audio from disk and decode it in real-time while running a smooth game. Far more so when running a straight port of an NES game.

And I can take a full 650 megs of redbook audio down to 88 megs at grotesquely high quality settings.

Though personally, I'd use the nice sample playback hardware they have in all 3 systems, at least for the remixed versions(though I think the original PSG music can be done with samples too, I'm not as sure).

Load your instrument set, load your "score" and set the sound chip to work playing it back.

BTW, check out the Genesis title "Rockman Megaworld" or "Megaman: The Wily Wars". It features full remakes, as opposed to just remixes, of the first 3 games.

Full resprite, more frames of animation, new music, the whole 9 yards.

In 2 megabytes of space.

I repeat: If Capcom can't fit the whole package into 1.5 gig, they don't deserve their dev kits.

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No second controller trick in megaman 3? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Oh well, still want to pick it up anyway. Don't suppose they put in a deathmatch mode where you can mix & match bosses from different games?

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mikeszekely Posted on Jun 24 2004, 09:44 PM

Under options, set the difficulty to Easy, then go and start a new game in Megaman 2. Oh, and play it straight through, because if you save and quit, you'll lose your E-Tanks. 

Still not the same as Normal from NES. Still take more damage and one shot enemies take 2 hits. I used to beat Woodman no prob w/the Mega Buster, now he kicks my ass.

No matter, I'm up to Wily castle now. Gotten used to the change.

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mikeszekely Posted on Jun 24 2004, 09:44 PM

Under options, set the difficulty to Easy, then go and start a new game in Megaman 2. Oh, and play it straight through, because if you save and quit, you'll lose your E-Tanks. 

Still not the same as Normal from NES. Still take more damage and one shot enemies take 2 hits. I used to beat Woodman no prob w/the Mega Buster, now he kicks my ass.

No matter, I'm up to Wily castle now. Gotten used to the change.

That's because Normal in NES MM2 wasn't in the original RockMan.

Rockman2 was considered "too hard" by the localization team. So they hacked an easy mode in, and labelled it "normal". Difficult is the REAL normal setting.

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Will look into getting this game... I just wish I kept all my Megaman6 Passwords :p

If you're looking for passwords for all the password-driven MegaMan games, try at www.mmhp.net, the first true MegaMan fanpage. As far as I know, it's the only Official fan page for the Blue Bomber. Also on this site I'm accredited for a password in MMX1. :D

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Nintendo fans are kinda mad right now, because the PS2 version is clearly the better version.  Since the games aren't emulated, some of the cooler stuff like the remixed music coulding fit on the smaller Gamecube media.

Utter rubbish.

If they couldn't fit the whole package into 1.5 gigabytes, they are not worthy of their dev kit.

Just beause you port an NES game to a GameCube doesn't mean it suddenly takes massive amounts of space.

Your sprites are still 8*16*2bpp, if I recall. Your screen resolution, and thus background resolution, is still only 256*240.

The NES ROM iamges are an accurate representation of how much space things should take.

Again, Atomic Planet didn't emulate. So, the original NES ROM dumps are NOT an accurate measure.

A closer approximation is if you look at the Japanese PlayStation "Rockman: The Complete Works" series. Here's the size of those games:

PS1 –Rockman

Original Image size: 273mb

PS1 – Rockman 2

Original Image Size: 384mb

PS1 – Rockman 3

Original Image Size: 466mb

PS1 – Rockman 4

Original Image Size: 591mb

PS1 – Rockman 5

Original Image Size: 584mb

PS1 – Rockman 6

Original Image Size: 488mb

PS1 – Megaman 8

Original Image Size: 318mb

Total for MM1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 = 3.03gb

Now throw in Megaman 7, the two arcade games, and all the bonus stuff, and you're WAY over the Gamecube's 1.5 GB limit.

IT DOESN'T MATTER.

The data used is still the same size.

Just because you're on a new system doesn't mean an 8*16*2bit sprite suddenly takes MORE space. It's the same 256 bits of data, just being fed to a new executable.

The music is where the space change occurs, as the 'Cube lacks the PSG of an NES. Without knowing the hardware better, I can't guess if it can be programmed to simulate one like the SNES hardware can(as was done for exactly ONE game), but I WILL bet that no one bothered even if it could.

BTW, you aren't shoring your argument up well with the PS revisions, as even assuming that the entire disk is music, so that stripping remix tunes out halves the game size, you're STILL over the 1.5 gig limit with no extras. Or even any games...

I don't know what they were doing on the NES remixes to make them larger than Megaman 8. I've never had the pleasure of owning any of them.

But I can assure you it had little to do with the process of porting the game.

In fact, I've heard that the PS1 Megaman remixes load the entire game into RAM when you start playing, thereby completely eliminating load times during play. And as the PS1 only HAS 2 meg of system RAM, that places an upper limit on how large the games can be.

They likely stream music from the disk.

But the only way music is going to fill the whole disk like that is if they're using something high-quality and uncompressed, like raw redbook audio.

And music compression is no big deal for a modern system. The GameCube has quite enough horsepower to stream compressed audio from disk and decode it in real-time while running a smooth game. Far more so when running a straight port of an NES game.

And I can take a full 650 megs of redbook audio down to 88 megs at grotesquely high quality settings.

Though personally, I'd use the nice sample playback hardware they have in all 3 systems, at least for the remixed versions(though I think the original PSG music can be done with samples too, I'm not as sure).

Load your instrument set, load your "score" and set the sound chip to work playing it back.

BTW, check out the Genesis title "Rockman Megaworld" or "Megaman: The Wily Wars". It features full remakes, as opposed to just remixes, of the first 3 games.

Full resprite, more frames of animation, new music, the whole 9 yards.

In 2 megabytes of space.

I repeat: If Capcom can't fit the whole package into 1.5 gig, they don't deserve their dev kits.

Hey, I'm just passing along the info as I got it. I'm sure as hell not a programmer. You want to discuss the technicalities with Atomic Planet, be my guest. I'm sure they'll take the time to explain exactly what they did to make the games so big. But bottom line is don't blame Capcom/Atomic Planet because Nintendo insists on using propriatary media every time they make a new system.

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Just got it today (PS2) and I'm really glad at how well done it is. It's like its exactlly the same games from back in the day. Although I doubt anybody has got the last two games yet but what do you have to do just beat the first 8?? Just curious. almost done MM1 :D

I beat them all back in the day, and I've finished all of the games but 7 and the second arcade game. I'm not really sure what exactly you're asking, but to beat the first 8 games, you start the game, kill the robots, go through the castles, and catch Dr. Wily.

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I'd buy it if I didn't already have all the games on there original systems. Including a Saturn version of 8. Did they use the Saturn version for 8 so you get to fight Cutman?

And what's this about the arcade ones never being released in America? I played them all the time at Golf N Stuff in Oxnard. Or I think it's just the first one. Well, it was one of them, and it was all in English with the American names.

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I beat them all back in the day, and I've finished all of the games but 7 and the second arcade game. I'm not really sure what exactly you're asking, but to beat the first 8 games, you start the game, kill the robots, go through the castles, and catch Dr. Wily.

oh no not that (yeah I beat them all way back when too) but how do you *unlock* the 2 new games?

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Hey, I'm just passing along the info as I got it. I'm sure as hell not a programmer. You want to discuss the technicalities with Atomic Planet, be my guest. I'm sure they'll take the time to explain exactly what they did to make the games so big. But bottom line is don't blame Capcom/Atomic Planet because Nintendo insists on using propriatary media every time they make a new system.

Trimming the quotes down...

What I'm gathering from other places is yes, they're using raw uncompressed music.

Hence the atrociously large size needed.

So yes, it's true that there's not enough space, but no, it's not the insurmountable obstacle it's made out to be.

And there's a few rumors floating around that Sony might've offered up some cash to discourage the use of audio compression.

Of course, everyone loves to hate Sony(justifiably, but...), so it's as likely to be a random Nintendo fanboy ranting as anything with credibility.

Vinny: It's a common misconception.

Power Battle Was released in America, they just never sold many units. So many people think it never had an American release. As far as I know, Power Fighter never got to the States, though.

Though the system used for the arcade games(CPS1 for the first, CPS2 for the second) is set up so that any region game contains all region versions.

So a lack of a US release doesn't prevent the existence of an english version. Just stick a japanese cart into an American system board and VOILA! English version of a game with no english release.

And it IS true that neither one's ever had a HOME release in America.

...

In fact, the only home version I'm aware of is for the NeoGeo Pocket.

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oh no not that (yeah I beat them all way back when too) but how do you *unlock* the 2 new games?

Beat the first 8 stages in MM3 and MM7, I believe. I just inserted passwords. ^_^'''

Hey, I'm entitled since I've already beaten them previously, after all.

The 'upgrades' MM1 thru 6 get are alright.

MM7 has a few audio glitches, but that's it.

MM8 (like MM7) seems to have a few audio glitches here and there, and the cutscenes seem darker and blurry, but otherwise it's a relatively flawless port from PS1. I hate those snowboard areas. X_x

Hmmm... methinks all the games might have audio glitches. Please, can anyone else confirm? I can only confirm for MM8 as I have the PS1 game.

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MM8 (like MM7) seems to have a few audio glitches here and there, and the cutscenes seem darker and blurry, but otherwise it's a relatively flawless port from PS1. I hate those snowboard areas. X_x

The snowboard areas are why I haven't beaten it on PS1 yet.

I just can't get the Wily snowboard sequence down. I invariably jump or slide at the wrong point somewhere.

Hmmm...  methinks all the games might have audio glitches.  Please, can anyone else confirm?  I can only confirm for MM8 as I have the PS1 game.

It could vary between versions.

Which one do you have?

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I just picked it up for the GC, and although I'm glad i got it, I'm kinda dissapointed with it.

First thing was the button placement. It's already been beaten to death on the IGN boards, but I didn't give it much thought. I figured I'll adapt, just like any other game. But they really did screw it up. A new user probably wouldn't be bothered by the difference, but I found myself completly lost, dying all the time. I figured I was rusty after so many years, so I popped the original Mega Man 2 into the NES and beat the thing, no problems. I guess 5 years of mental conditioning playing the original can't be undone in one sitting.

I was looking forward to the remixed music, since half the fun of playing the games was the music. But I guess I can live without them. Besides, I'm focusing too hard on the new buttons to pay any attention to the music :p

All in all, I'd say this is average. It would've been my dream come true if they left the buttons as they were on the NES, but eh, what can you do? It's still all of the MM games on one disk :D

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You know wha I had that problem too! Also did you notice, I don't remember there being an extra button on the old NES controls to allow 3x the amount of ammo to be fired in the first game....yet, A button fires, B button jumps and Y button shoots 3 extra rounds....uuuuuhhhhhhh.........I remember when I use to play Top Gun on my NES, you had to do like some button mashing to fire missiles....and a few double taps of the joy pad to barrel roll which didn't do you really any good....but damn....

Now I remember playing a few of the old Megaman games when I was kid (mind you I was 4 at the time it came out.....and 6 when I got an NES, STILL in mint condition!)

But I'm figuring out just how childishly EASY some of the levels are in the earlier games.....yet I'm so EASILY entertained......god damn nostaglia!

However, though some nostaglia is good for you, I'm gonna say one thing I WISH they would had done....MEGAMAN 8 NEEDED JAPANESE OPTIONS GOD DAMNIT! AGH! I HATE I HATE I HATE MEGAMANS GIRLIE VOICE! AND WHY DOES DR LIGHT SOUND LIKE THE FIN KIEBLER ELF?!!!!!!

Sorry while I admire Megaman......I think I'll kee playing this till my rental is up and never touch it again...I'm more partial to the X saga than this....

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MM8's boarding sequences aren't too bad. Just stay on the left side of the screen and don't panic.

This new game doesn't allow you to change button configurations? Sounds rather restrictive. I KNOW there was no way I could play the Playstation MMX games if I wasn't allowed to change the dash button.

I could pull it off on the SNES. The size and shape of the PS pads would have made it quite impossible.

MEGAMAN 8 NEEDED JAPANESE OPTIONS GOD DAMNIT! AGH! I HATE I HATE I HATE MEGAMANS GIRLIE VOICE!

HAH! You're in for a surprise. Megaman is SUPPOSED to have a girlie voice.

Megaman X is dead. The series is known as "Zero and his blue sidekick" now.

Edited by Stamen0083
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Also did you notice, I don't remember there being an extra button on the old NES controls to allow 3x the amount of ammo to be fired in the first game....yet, A button fires, B button jumps and Y button shoots 3 extra rounds....uuuuuhhhhhhh.........

MY NES did.

...

Of course, I also used a controller with rapid-fire exclusively....

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MM8's boarding sequences aren't too bad. Just stay on the left side of the screen and don't panic.

Not sure how to describe it.

It's not that I panic, my instincts just refuse to back off

I'm perfectly calm, I know exactly what I'm supposed to do, and BAM! my thumb decides I need to jump that pit now.

HAH! You're in for a surprise. Megaman is SUPPOSED to have a girlie voice.

What about Dr. Light? Is he suppoed to sound like Elmer Fudd? :p

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I'm perfectly calm, I know exactly what I'm supposed to do, and BAM! my thumb decides I need to jump that pit now.

Smack that bitch around. Show your thumb who's boss.

What about Dr. Light? Is he suppoed to sound like Elmer Fudd? :p

According to the American version, yes :-P

I found it hilarious as hell too, but since I usually skip FMV's after I've seen it for the first time, unless it has some really nice action sequences, I don't find it too distracting. I just pretend that it was just a bad dream.

In anycase, I'm not sure I ever found an answer to this, but does anyone have an exact count of how many bolts you're supposed to collect in the game?

I got forty, but apparently, there are more.

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I'm perfectly calm, I know exactly what I'm supposed to do, and BAM! my thumb decides I need to jump that pit now.

Smack that bitch around. Show your thumb who's boss.

*smack*

OW!

What about Dr. Light? Is he suppoed to sound like Elmer Fudd? :p

According to the American version, yes :-P

I found it hilarious as hell too, but since I usually skip FMV's after I've seen it for the first time, unless it has some really nice action sequences, I don't find it too distracting. I just pretend that it was just a bad dream.

In anycase, I'm not sure I ever found an answer to this, but does anyone have an exact count of how many bolts you're supposed to collect in the game?

I got forty, but apparently, there are more.

According to GameFAQs, there's only 40 bolts in MM8.

You're not supposed to be able to buy everything, if that's what you're thinking.

Edited by JB0
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