Like a lot of retro-philes out there, I'm currently pre-occupied with this coming Monday and it's promise of
Mega Man 9 on WiiWare. To help alleviate my anticipation, I've been replaying all my favorite Mega Man games over again, including
Mega Man 1 and
2 on the VC, the first three
Mega Man X titles, and all the portable Mega Man games done by Inti Creates (who also happen to be the development studio behind
Mega Man 9).
I first went back into
Mega Man ZX Advent on the DS, because it features a bonus game that looks and sounds exactly like a
classic 8-Bit Mega Man game. When I got finished with that mode and headed back into the main game for a quick play through, I came to this sudden realization; these two games have more than just the appearance of an 8-bit Mega Man in common. Hit the jump for the uncanny connections, and prepare to have your HEAD ASPLODE.
Ok, so maybe your head isn't going to explode, but there is a chance that your ears are going to pop a little. Mega Man ZX Advent and Mega Man 9 may not be identical, but it is worth noting that at least four of each of the games' bosses have to striking similarities (which admittedly diminish in intensity as the list goes on).
Give me a break people, it's the weekend.
Boss connection 1: Harpuia/Model H and Tornado Man
As you can clearly see, Harpuia and Tornado Man look extremely similar, each with a green and white color motif and funny looking flaps on their heads. These flaps are even ribbed in the same way. And you know when stuff has similar ribbing, it's got to be more than just coincidence.
The two bosses also fight in a like minded way, spending a lot of their time in mid-air, chucking visibly dangerous wind at you. Man, I wish that just for once I could see wind that looks that hard and mean in real life. All the wind I've ever messed with has been the invisible kind.
Boss connection 2: Leviathan/Model L and Splash Woman
Here are two more mind-bendingly similar bosses; Mega Man's first female opponent Splash Woman and Mega Man Zero/Model A's foe Leviathan/Model L. They are both water loving, spear swinging jerks who are masters of the coy, sideways glance. The comparison pic below shows us the look Leviathan sported in Mega Man Zero, which more or less carried over into Mega Man ZX Advent. The similarity is undeniable (minus the fish tail of course).
Unfortunately, I can't provide an image of the Leviathan/Model L battle from Mega Man ZX Advent as I did with Harpuia/Model H, but you can watch it on the Youtubes. It isn't an identical skirmish to MM9's Splash Woman fight, but they do both force you to try and hit an enemy who's able to swim away at an unfair speed as you get fish tossed in your face. Sure, Splash Woman uses robot fish, while Leviathan/Model L uses ice robot fish, but whose counting right?
Boss connection 3: Queenbee and Hornet Man
Ok, here's where the connections start to weaken a bit. Firstly, Hornet Man is man-shaped, whereas Queenbee is a bee-woman-shaped. Secondly, the two don't look all that much alike. However, the things they do share in common are as irrefutable as they are relevant. They both have the ability to shoot little bees out of their body, and both have bodies that are at least partially made up of honeycombs.
It's not everyday that Mega Man fights a weirdo who is actually made out of honeycombs. In fact, I believe these two bosses are the only two such weirdos Mega Man has ever murdered.
Boss connection 4: Buckfire and Magma Man
We're going out on a less than strong note here, as at least half of all the Mega Man games ever made have a fire themed boss. Fire Man, Heat Man, Flame Man, Burner Man, Flame Mammoth, Fefnir/model F, the list goes on and on. All these guys shoot fire, have parts of their body on fire, and after they die they all give Mega Man the ability to shoot some sort of fire ball. So to say that it's amazing in and of itself that Mega Man 9 and Mega Man ZX Advent both have flaming bosses would be foolhardy.
What makes these two similar is that they are the only two Mega Man fire-bosses ever who have a weapon that shoots a triple shots of flame. Yes dear reader, out of all the Mega Man fire bosses in the history of Mega Man fire bosses, only these two have that power.
YOU CAN'T DENY THAT THIS GOES FAR BEYOND MERE COINCIDENCE
Conclusion:
There are many, many other connections between Mega Man ZX Advent and Mega Man 9 that I could detail here in this blog. Both games feature electricity themed bosses (Plug Man and Hedgeshock), both feature shooting, both feature jumping, both involve the player getting killed a lot, the list goes on and on. However, even these similarities fail to compare to the ones I've listed above. They are undeniably indicative of a greater, yet undiscovered master plan by Inti Creates, a plan that may or may not lead to the end of life on planet Earth as we know it.
Or do you dare utilize the comments section below for an attempt to refute my Matlockery?
Contest:
4:14 PM on 09.20.2008
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And Mega Man 8 is the best.
also, except for magma man/buckfire, my head asplode.
TAKE THAT!
I hope you are kidding, seriously the music was uber crap...
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I thought M9 was the first to have a female boss?
Comment of the week!
Also Magma and Buckfire? Next thing you'll tell me is Charizard is the third piece. Fire Themed =/= Copy.
I figured everyone who'd been following the Zero/ZX games would know that Leviathan and Harpuia become Model L and Model H in the ZX games, and that when you fight those that use their power, you are just fighting modified versions of those original reploids.
See? If you weren't already a fan of this stuff, you'd have already lost interest with all that Mega-babble.
A hot, but totally unreliable source has just informed me that about half of he bosses on Mega Man 9, including Tornado Man and Splash Woman, were originally intended to be in that Mega Man ZX Advent 8-Bit bonus mode, but were cut due to time and budget limitations.
I'll be working hare to try and confirm this, but chances are I never will, because all I can say in Japanese is "Excuse me?" and "Do you need to be in the hospital?"
Calling Takeshita-san with those questions probably wouldn't lead to much.
I think of Model L and Leviathan as being the same "person", but I guess that's open to debate.
Gives the bosses a little history.
Though I'm still waiting for that Mega Man to Mega Man X connection.
Ya, Model L and Leviathan are the same person but rather now shes just a suit sorta speak.
Man, one more day till Mega Man 9. Nintendo better not pull another VC date change on us again.