By now you’ve no doubt heard of the new Mega Man title coming this Fall or Winter. Lots of confusion as to what platforms it will launch on. Wii-Ware has been confirmed, and Xbox Live Arcade is all but confirmed. But the other issues I am having all fall into different categories.

First: 8-bit? Really? I’m with Nintendo Wii Fanboy’s opinion that 8-bit game design is an art. I can appreciate that. But why does it seem so impossible to design a game with that classic platformer gameplay and do some cool graphics? Even using the Mega Man X “engine” (was it considered an “engine” in the days of side-scrolling sprites?) would be a nice little improvement. But it seems that every time somebody wants to gloss something up, visually, then they get side tracked trying to makea 3-D as well. Duke Nukem: Manhattan Project is one of my favorite good examples of combining old school play with more contemporary graphics and design.

Based on just a few screenshots, the experienced eye might guess that this Mega Man 9 will be loosely based around the Mega Man III (3) engine. I could be wrong - after all, I never got the Blue Bomber to “duck” or flatten-out like the screen shot above. Plus each of the Mega Man titles used to play just a little different, but if my prediction is right, you can get your reaction time fine-tuned by going back and playing the third installment.

My next gripe… er… question, comes along the lines of controls. If the game launches for Xbox Live Arcade, it seems pretty straightforward. But on the Wii? If they’re going with the classic game-design style, they simply must go with a classic control scheme. Holding the Wii Remote like a classic NES controller and going to town on it. I hope! If I have to wave my arms around like I’m Harry freakin’ Potter, I’ll be quite disappointed.

With all of that on the table, I’m still looking forward to Mega Man 9. It will be a great return to something classic, and I have confidence that, if anyone, Capcom can do justice to bringing back a classic franchise without malforming it “because they can” (are you listening, Nintendo? Mario doesn’t always need gadgets like water jets and star guns!). The saddest part about this article? We’ve still got months before we’re going to know anything more!

WBX: WinBreak Exclusive - Follow up
Remember in EARLY JANUARY, when I said two specific games would be making their way to the still-new Xbox Originals? One of those games I mentioned, was Guilty Gear X2 #Reload. Well, as of yesterday, June 11th, Major Nelson has confirmed Guilty Gear X2 #Reload will be released this coming Monday, June 16th, along side The Legend of Spyro™: A New Beginning.

While Spyro might be for the ESRB aged “E10″ in your home, and not getting a warm welcome from the “gaming elitist” community, I have actually heard many good things about Guilty Gear X2 #Reload and think that there are more than just a few people excited about this one coming to the Originals program.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, don’t distrust the WBX, you’ll only end up embarrassing yourself.

Crave, C|Net’s Gadget Blog, has posted a lengthy article about the often overlooked battle (if you can call it that) between the Xbox 360 and the Apple TV. They mention the install base (around 18 million 360’s compared to less than two million AppleTV’s), but they are claiming that the Xbox Live Video Marketplace is essentially untapped.

I would disagree, as Microsoft sees respectable sales, rivaling the likes of NetFlix and other on demand services. The article goes on to say that …”most of the future Xbox 360 owners are looking for something more than gaming and Microsoft is the only company that can provide it.” Not to shine a light on the competition, but I’m pretty sure Sony has gotten a good chunk of sales with the Playstation 3 since the definitive victory of BluRay! Why the article seems to ignore the fact that, while it may not have an on demand video service (yet), the BluRay feature is a driving force behind making the PS3 quite the home-entertainment choice.

So, even I say the article is a bit spotty - but it’s a good read and brings up some valid arguments about the future for the service.

UPDATE 1: As an additional side note, for our Mac owners out there, a new piece of software called Rivet promises to stream Mac video, music, and photos to the Xbox 360. Though it does carry an $18.95 price tag, there is a trial version for everyone to check out. Let’s hope Microsoft doesn’t get touchy and decide to block it’s functionality, some way, in a future dashboard update!

It’s all over the inter tubes. I don’t even know what to say, or what to think. Introducing exclusive video content to the Xbox Live Marketplace? It’s going to be tough without a massive marketing rush in advance, and at least a pilot episode being available for free download. And they want these shows to be ad supported (as mentioned in the first article I link to) - but if I buy it from the marketplace, should there be ads? There’s a lot more to be discovered about this recent announcement!

At this very moment I am watching the final minutes of the movie “The King of Kong, A Fistful of Quarters.” I have heard good things about this movie for several months. I have seen ads on TV, reviews on websites, and now the movie has even been placed on the Xbox Live Video Marketplace. Major Nelson even mentioned it in a podcast a few weeks ago.

Why is this important? What does this have to do with the Xbox 360? Twenty four hours from now, at Microsoft’s MIX08 Conference, in Las Vegas, Steve Wiebe (one of the guys in the movie) will be attempting to set yet another world record. Rather than attending a multi day venue, he intends to attempt this new record in a four hour period. That gives him, technically, less time than 2 play-throughs of Donkey Kong would take.

The following information (and the picture above) is from the Twin Galaxies website:

Steve Wiebe Attempts Donkey Kong Record
Walter Day to referee High-Score Attempt at Microsoft’s MIX08 in Las Vegas
3/4/2008
March 3, 2008 — Las Vegas, NV — Noted Donkey Kong competitor, Steve Wiebe, of Redmond, Washington, rolls up his sleeves at The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas on the night of March 5th and tries to make history by taking back the highly-coveted Donkey Kong Crown.

Right now, Steve and the equally-as-famous Billy Mitchell, are running neck-and-neck on the high-score circuit, with Billy currently in the lead with 1,050,200 points to Steve’s 1,049,100 points. With only 1,100 points separating them, Steve poses a serious threat to take back the world title.

And, in the referee’s outfit, performing Master of Ceremonies duties, is Walter Day, Twin Galaxies’ Chief Evangelist, who will monitor Steve’s record-breaking attempt while ensuring that the strictest Twin Galaxies Tournament Settings are enforced.

The event takes place during Microsoft’s TAO NIGHTCLUB PARTY from 6:00pm to10:00pm in The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. Hosted by Microsoft, the high-score challenge is one of the cultural highlights of this year’s MIX08 gathering, an annual techological smorgasbord titled MIX08: THE NEXT WEB NOW.

The Mix08 conference will also play host to a one of a kind Rock Band tournament this weekend. But, really, who cares when there’s a world record at stake!?

To step back a bit, I have heard people think that this movie is good, and others that think it’s horrible. Maybe it’ll just make you feel good that you have a little more substance to your life. Maybe it will make you question the motives of men retiring at age 30, without a girlfriend, so that they can spend time playing 1980’s arcade games, maybe it’ll make you wonder how Billy Mitchell fits in those jeans, or if Steve Wiebe really should wear a purple shirt when he teaches junior high science classes… who knows. But the thing I want to make you think right now is… maybe I should go watch this! Screenings at MIX08, downloadable on Xbox Live Video Marketplace, and generally just something every true gamer should see just once. Get to it!