It's been a long time since fans had a new Mega Man game — seven years, to be precise. Since then, Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune left Capcom, Kickstarted his own game, and watched the title crash and burn.
Still, Capcom seems willing to try again, even without the character's beloved creator at the helm. Today (Dec. 4), the company announced Mega Man 11 as part of the franchise's 30th Anniversary festivities. The brand-new side-scrolling adventure will pit Mega Man against a whole host of new enemies, with an art style that channels classic cartoons rather than classic NES games.
We don't have a ton of information about Mega Man 11 just yet, but if you're curious about the Blue Bomber's upcoming return to the world of gaming, read on to find out what the future has in store.
What is Mega Man 11?
Mega Man 11 is — as the name suggests — the 11th main installment in the now-30-year-old Mega Man franchise. Based on the trailer, you'll take control of Mega Man as you undertake difficult platforming challenges, fight your way through legions of evil robots and (probably) confront much larger, tougher Robot Master bosses. Capcom hasn't revealed any plot information yet, but the odds are good it will involve recurring nemesis Dr. Wily up to no good in some way, shape or form.
What platforms will Mega Man 11 be available for?
Mega Man 11 will come out for PC, PlayStation 4, Switch and Xbox One.
When will Mega Man 11 come out?
The game is currently slated for "late 2018," which tends to mean "October through December." Granted, the game is still a long way off, and all sorts of delays could happen between now and then.
What's new in Mega Man 11?
Based on the trailer, the game has only two major changes from its predecessors, and they both relate to the art style. Whereas Mega Man has traditionally been an 8-bit (16-bit in Mega Man 7, 32-bit in Mega Man 8) 2D side-scroller, Mega Man 11 will embrace a 2.5D design, which gives the background some depth while maintaining a 2D façade up front. The art style will also look more like a Japanese cartoon than a retro game; Mega Man 9 and Mega Man 10 both opted for an 8-bit throwback art style.
Mega Man's physical design will also change slightly based on what weapons he equips. In past games, only his color scheme changed. It's a subtle difference, but if you want to know what's new since 7 years ago, there's your answer.
What else is Capcom doing to celebrate the 30th anniversary?
If you simply can't wait for Mega Man 11, you'll have some other Mega Man games to play between now and then.
In Spring 2018, Capcom will bring Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 and 2 to the Switch. The first game contains Mega Man 1-6, while the second contains 7-10. Capcom will also introduce a Rewind feature to the games, letting players undo short-term mistakes. Players who already own the titles on a PC, PS4 or Xbox One will get the feature patched in soon.
Later, in Summer 2018, Capcom will release all eight Mega Man X games on PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One. It's not clear whether the company plans to release them in a compilation, or available à la carte. Either way, though, it's the most love the series has gotten since X8 came out for the PS2 more than a decade ago.
Capcom will probably apportion out more information about all three projects as the release dates draw closer, so stay tuned to the company's Twitter feed (and Tom's Guide!) for further updates.
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