The new Mega Man 9 DLC was announced yesterday! For anyone not wanting the surprise spoiled, too late it's Fake Man! The new boss is the Police Robot that arrested Dr. Light at the beginning of the game.
The internet has been awash with rumors of the new boss. Gamers suspected Bass would be making his appearance as the boss, and other suggested "Overdrive Man" based on the OST (the song for Fake Man's level is entitled "Overdrive Scramble"). Others even suspected Dr. Eggman would appear, as a cross over to support the upcoming Capcom vs. Sega. And, as per usual, Mega Man X fans naturally hoped for Zero... and in a brilliant plot twist Capcom pulls Fake Man out of left field. But it was so obvious! He's already in the game, and featured far too prominently to just be a throwaway character. We all should have seen this coming, but I heard not one single rumor of Fake Man or the Police Bot. He's a sneaky fucking bastard... hiding right in plain site!
You can read the
full interview with Hironobu Takeshita, the Mega Man 9 producer. He also goes into extensive detail about the design process of the 8 (9) Robot Masters. This is definitely a don't-miss interview for Mega Man 9 fans.
Still no word on the difficulties, but Monday should shed some light on the situation. I'm excited about scrapping the bastard who helped frame Dr. Light. Also, notice how the timer in the first picture reads 7 minutes... hopefully the new stage will be both difficult and lengthy. We can deduce his weapon (at least part of it) from the screenshot. He will shoot Mega Man-style bullets, though they appear slightly bigger than Mega Man's. It's possible he could have a secondary power, similar to Flash Man.
Finally, just a theory: Capcom hasn't announced any more DLC for MM9, but there are 2 good indicators that more will be appearing in the future. First, we probably won't be getting Fake Man's weapon, which still leaves a weapon spot open on the menu. Second, Bass appears on Wily's computer at the end... yet doesn't make an actual appearance in the game. I suspect we'll be seeing more of Bass, for a price, in the future. I emailed Capcom, asking if they would be releasing more DLC, but, in typical PR fashion, they responded with a "nothing has been announced at this time." Oh well, it was worth a try.
Only one question remains about Fake Man: will he appear in the Endless Stage if you have both downloaded? Probably not, but that would be a nice touch on Capcom's part. You hear that Capcom? No? Oh.
Update, a few hours later...It's come to my attention, after re-reading the interview... that the special boss will, in fact, be Bass. Observe:
"GS: Are there any robot masters that didn't make the cut that you can share with us?
HT: I don't mean to evade your question, but there is one boss we'd love to introduce to the fans in this occasion. His name is Fake Man. He appears on the special stage available in downloadable content.
He also makes a small appearance in the main content. This is a big hint! Some of you might have already gotten it by just telling you this. The special stage will be very challenging for most of you, and you may not be able to see him often. Don't be discouraged. He is waiting for you, to battle you!"
Notice he says, "a big hint" which makes no sense if it's Fake Man... he's just announced him a few sentences ago, the mystery is solved. But obviously there is more to Fake Man. Bass is the only character that makes a small appearance in the game who could possibly be an enemy. Wily had the schematics for Bass on his computer because he was altering Bass's appearance. Why would Bass comply, you ask? To lure Mega Man into a final duel, of course! Notice the shots that Fake Man fired, and I mentioned... who else uses a buster? Bass.
All the signs now point to Bass, but most people will probably be fooled because of the interview. A great double-cross, and a brilliant scheme by Capcom... and Wily.
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