Last December Capcom announced Mega Man 11, and there was much rejoicing. This week the long awaited 11th mainline entry gets a firm release date: October 2, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.
The glorious new gameplay trailer above shows off several new features. Dr. Light upgrades the Blue Bomber with the new Double Gear system. The Double Gear allows Mega Man to either slow time using Speed Gear, or charge his Mega Blaster to a whole new level using Power Gear. These special abilities can only be activated for a limited time.
When Mega Man drops to critical health, he can activate both gears at the same time, providing a last gasp of super-powered mayhem.
The trailer also shows off two new robot masters: Fuse Man and Block Man. Fuse Man looks like Marvel’s Electro, and zips around the battlefield like a lightning bolt. Block Man isn’t nearly as fast, but he can build himself an entirely new, and gargantuan body.
As in previous games since the 1980s, Mega Man will need to journey through thematic levels of platforming and shooting before facing off in an epic boss battle. Defeating a robot master rewards their offensive capabilities, which Mega Man can swap on the fly using the new weapon wheel.
Since 2018 is also Mega Man’s 30th Anniversary, Capcom has released the Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 + 2 bundle on Nintendo Switch. This massive compilation includes the previous 10 Mega Man games, as well as a helpful new rewind feature to make the original games a bit less brutal.
Another bundle, Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2, completes the series with the eight Mega Man X games from the 16-bit, 32-bit, and 3D eras. The Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 will arrive July 24 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Switch.
Both Mega Man 11 and the Mega Man X Legacy bundle will be playable at this year’s E3 show in June. Mega Man 11 will launch October 2. Pre-orders are available now and include an in-game bonus soundtrack. A special amiibo edition is also available for Nintendo Switch. The Mega Man series is rated E for Everyone.
