Capcomis mulling over ideas about what it wants to do with one of its most popular franchises. So far, 2023 has been an exciting year for the Japanese video game giant with some big releases likeResident Evil 4,Street Fighter 6,and upcoming third-person dinosaur shooterExoprimal.Capcom also announced some new gamesduring its recent showcase, includingApollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogyand a new action adventure title calledKunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess.
As one of the oldest independent video game developers in the world,Capcomhas some of the most coveted well-regarded franchises in its stable. Some of its early success stories are the notoriously difficultGhosts ‘n Goblinsand the side-scrolling beat ‘em upFinal Fightwhich launched in 1985 and 1989 respectively as arcade titles. Capcom has been fairly successful throughout its history thanks in no small part to its hugely popularStreet Fighterfranchise and its efforts to remain competitive in the home console space.
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Capcom is carefully considering how to approach future games in theMega Manfranchise which received its first entry in 1987 and has spawned dozens of sequels, follow-ups, and spinoffs collectively across several console generations. Discussing the historic franchise in a Q&A session with its shareholders, Capcom has said that theMega Manseries is being handled with the utmost care, and that the company is considering multiple factors in developing a solid concept for future entries. Retro compilations of games such asMega Man Battle Network Legacy Collectionwere also discussed, with Capcom mentioning that it was also considering how it will approach porting and addressing technical issues.
The last entry into the franchise isMega Man 11which launched in 2018 and was generally well received; it has a Metacritic score of around 80 across several platforms. However, someMega Manfans feel that recent entries lack the creativitywhen compared to other historic 2D platformers like theSuper MarioandSonic the Hedgehogfranchises.
Capcomsometimes relegates its more experimental game design elements to newer IP like the upcomingKunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddessand has seemingly been sheepish about making any wild departures from thecore gameplayMega Manfans have come to know and love. However, some feel that the series needs something fresh for its future entries to truly shine and recapture the magic that has made the franchise so successful.
