Gaming
Capcom Versus Mega Man: The Struggle of a Classic Legacy
Mega Man was one of Capcom’s most prolific mascots. So, why is he treated like the corporation’s stepchild?
Mega Man, otherwise known as “Rockman” by his Japanese audience, is one of Capcom’s biggest IPs. Originally created by Akira Kitamura and designed by Keiji Inafune, the Blue Bomber starred in his very first game in 1987. In almost every year following that initial release, for the next 25 years, Mega Man would receive a sequel entry. With the rate that games were being published under the IP, Mega Man’s popularity eventually grew to surpass even that of Captain Commando’s, Capcom’s very first mascot.
Or, at least, that’s how the story starts off. For all the success that Mega Man seemed to have, his spot as Capcom’s golden child was far from secure. As time has passed, we’ve seen franchises like Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, and Street Fighter become the revolving faces of the corporation. Meanwhile, Mega Man has been pushed into the background, and truth be told, it almost seems like his legacy as Capcom’s top dog is being erased.
That said, why has such an iconic character been the target of so much neglect? And has Capcom’s glaring favoritism been a double-edged sword for the series?
What Happened?
Strangely enough, the Mega Man series encountered issues very early into its lifespan. During Mega Man 3’s development, Akira Kitamura left Capcom to pursue employment at another gaming company by the name of Takeru. There are many theories and rumors as to why this might’ve happened so abruptly, but most people seem to agree that Kitamura left due to creative differences. Unluckily, because this happened in the middle of Mega Man 3’s production, the game was delayed for some time. Eventually, though, it did end up being released, selling over 1 million copies and somehow surviving the departure of a lead creator.
But now?
Mega Man 3 isn’t a title that people look back fondly on. In fact, it’s heavily criticized for being the messiest entry in the series, and the gameplay choices aren’t really anything to write home about. To throw salt on the wound, Keiji Inafune — in an interview with Nintendo Power in 2007 — expressed dissatisfaction with the game’s turnout. Sadly, there would be a slew of questionable development practices that would plague the franchise in the years following.
One such practice involved rapid-fire releases of successive Mega Man titles in the same year. There were three releases in 1991 alone, then another three in ‘92, and another three releases in ‘93. 1994 and ’95 had 4 releases each year. Every year up to 2006 would see a similar trend. Needless to say, Mega Man’s status as Capcom’s shiny brand baby was being milked for all its worth.
Naturally, constantly churning out games, while splitting the fanbase between different chronologies, was a recipe for burnout. As fans grew tired, sales started to dip, and we all know how corporations respond when something is no longer profitable. Mega Man was about to get the boot, just as Captain Commando before him did.
In between Capcom’s dysfunction and the lukewarm response from fans during each release, people were looking for someone to blame. With Kitamura out of the picture and only Inafune remaining, who had now moved from a designer role to a producer, he was primed to become the lightning rod for the IP’s failures. The release dates got farther away, selling 1 million copies became more difficult, and the new franchises on the block were starting to make waves.
So, when the question of “What happened?” is asked, most people’s answer, as unjust and cruel as it is, is Keiji Inafune.
A Strong Return Overshadowed by Competition
Following a nine-year hiatus, as the series continued to die a silent death, Mega Man 11 was released in 2018. After several years without a true mainline title, Mega Man 11 was set to be a revival of the franchise. Now that fans had an opportunity to recover from the fatigue of seeing the Blue Bomber plastered everywhere, Capcom decided to try again. Much to everyone’s surprise, Mega Man 11 ended up becoming the best-selling entry in the entire series. As of 2024, the game has sold nearly 2 million copies.
After achieving that much success, especially during such a long downturn, you would think that Capcom finally rediscovered the true potential of the Mega Man IP. The game was praised for its return to classic mechanics, phenomenal level design, and even its approachability for newly arriving fans of the series. Surely Mega Man 12 was in the works. Right? If a direct sequel wasn’t planned then there would at least be a spin-off of some kind. Right?
Unfortunately, no.
Even though Mega Man 11 was undoubtedly the best title in the franchise, you have to remember that it only just recently came close to selling 2 million copies. Meanwhile Resident Evil, Monster Hunter, and Street Fighter are selling at least that much in their launch years alone. From a corporate standpoint, it’s not hard to see which titles bring the fastest returns on their investments.
Personally, if I had to say that there’s a new face of Capcom, it’s definitely Resident Evil, as that series has seen three remakes since Mega Man 11’s initial release. What’s more, the fans aren’t getting tired of that series any time soon.
Where Are We Now?
As of 2023, the Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection was the last major release we got involving the series. Technically, it’s not really anything new, but it is a remaster of some fan-favorite spin-off titles from the franchise. However, as far as a mainline title goes, the last one we got was Mega Man 11, and Capcom has given the community nothing but radio silence as to what their future plans are.
Well, that’s not entirely true. During the corporation’s 45th general meeting with its investors earlier this year, a shareholder asked about the future of the Mega Man series. The corporation gave the following answer as a response:
Mega Man is one of our highly-valued IPs and we are considering how to create games for it on an ongoing basis.
From that statement, we know at the very least that Capcom still acknowledges Mega Man’s existence. Even so, it ultimately boils down to how profitable they think the next entry can be. Right now, though, it seems like Capcom wants to play it safe by building on past titles that most fans are already familiar with. If that’s the case, I could see Capcom continuing to remaster more titles until there are none left. By that point, hopefully, they would feel more comfortable testing the waters with an eventual Mega Man 12.
Conclusion
It’s always a strange time to be a Mega Man fan, since we never really seem to take any major steps forward. Although, I suppose Capcom has finally started to make the best decisions for the IP, even if it has taken several years to do so. As someone who’s grown up with the series, seeing the ups and downs of Mega Man’s success has definitely been a confusing and emotionally draining ride. However, I believe that Capcom’s willingness to support the series after all this time is a good sign.
That said, how do you all feel about the treatment of the Mega Man series? Do you think that it’s right to blame Keiji Inafune for how things were handled during his time as a producer? Do you think that Capcom’s insistence on releasing multiple titles at once did harm to the series? Do you believe that Mega Man has a bright future moving ahead?
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