If you were a big fan of Battle Network 5’s Liberation Missions, MMBN-inspired indie game Net King’s Call might be right up your alley. Developers Greystone Games have just launched a Kickstarter campaign for their game, which is slated for an Early Access release in Fall 2020 on Windows PC, Mac and Linux.
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New MMBN fangame MegaMan Cosmic Network announced
The 20th anniversary of the Mega Man Battle Network series is coming up in less than a year, and both Capcom as well as the fan community alike are gearing up for an epic celebration. One thing to look forward to is a new BN fangame just unveiled by Cosmic Nobab: MegaMan Cosmic Network.
MegaMan Cosmic Network is a fan sequel to Battle Network 6 being developed for PC, which brings a host of changes to the gameplay. The game forgoes the standard isometric overworld for a top-down view inspired by the mobile games, Phantom and Legend of Network. Combat is overhauled as well, with a greater focus on real-time, on-the-fly strategizing.
Instead of building a folder of 30 chips, in Cosmic Network, you choose just 6 chips to bring into battle. These chips are available at any time, but there’s a catch: MegaMan will automatically use the selected chip whenever the Custom Gauge fills. This means you’ll need to be mindful of MegaMan’s position, and switch to a chip with a different range accordingly.
In addition, chips have cooldowns during which they can’t be used. Stronger versions of chips have longer cooldowns, meaning you’ll have to choose between high single shot damage, or an increased rate of fire. Aside from the chips, you can also use your trusty rapid-fire MegaBuster. MegaMan Cosmic Network will have over 90 chips to collect, as well as upgrades to improve things such as MegaBuster stats and Custom Gauge speed.
For those who like customization, Cosmic Network also has plenty to offer in terms of options. You can change the battlefield and background to your liking and enable an in-battle timer. Cosmic Network has an original soundtrack, but you can also play with music from the official GBA Battle Network games if you want.
Check out some more screenshots below, and if you want to keep up-to-date on MegaMan Cosmic Network, follow developer CosmicNobab on Twitter!
MegaMan Cosmic Network on Itch.io
CosmicNobab Twitter
Source: CosmicNobab
Duel Masters Play’s x Rockman EXE event announced
Ikuzo! The mobile game of long-running Japanese card game, Duel Masters Play’s, has announced it will have a collaboration event with Rockman EXE! Rockman.EXE and Forte.EXE will appear in the event that takes place from July 28th to August 18th.
During this event, players will be able to obtain cards, card sleeves, and playmats that involve the duo in the game.
This is only one of the many times EXE and Duel Masters have crossed paths! Back in 2004-2005, the Phoenix cards from Duel Masters made its way to Rockman EXE 5, and Forte made his way to their card game. Both series’ characters also cameo in each other’s theatrical films from around the same time. And recently, in 2016, a brand new Rockman EXE card was part of one of its sets.
Duel Masters Play’s is only available in Japanese and Japanese app stores. However, fans that can’t play can check out the wonderful new art in the jump instead!
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GCCDX Rockman VS Forte painted statue unveiled
Through Rockman-Unity’s Twitter, MegaHouse has finally unveiled its painted statue where Rockman and Forte duke it out over the head of Gospel! They’re hyping fans for reservations coming soon, but its price & release date has yet to be announced.
MegaHouse is known for their high-quality collector figures. This pre-painted PVC & ABS statue is part of their GCCDX (Game Character Collection DX) line. This painted sample has been a long time coming since they have shown its prototypes at Japanese events since November 2019.
This statue is non-scale with around 200mm in height. The sculpt’s draft is by Jun Gotou, with the company, Pinpoint, credited for its prototype.
Dengeki Hobby has also posted a closer look the statue and new details such as being able to swap Rockman’s mouth with his battle mask!
TeamBN Summer Showcase 2020 coming later this month
If you’re in the mood for more Battle Network speedruns, you’re in luck! MMBN speedrunning group TeamBN is holding their next Summer Showcase marathon later this month, with a plethora of new speedruns and fan project updates. The marathon is set to take place on the weekend of 25th and 26th July.
This time, catch runs of Mega Man Battle Network 1, 3, 4, 4.5, 5 and 6, as well as Mega Man Star Force 1 and 3, and the recently released MMBN-inspired game One Step From Eden. There are also updates on some fan projects and indie games: Mega Man Battle Network: Chrono X, Mega Man Star Force DX and Net King’s Call.
For the full schedule, check out this link, which auto-adjusts to your own timezone. As always, you can tune in at twitch.tv/teambn to watch the marathon when it happens.
Summer Showcase 2020 schedule
TeamBN Twitch channel
TeamBN Twitter
Battle Chip Gate Homebrew released!
Ever wanted to play around with Battle Network’s real-life Battle Chip Gate peripherals that were never released outside of Japan? Buying tons of expensive chips from the secondhand market is now a thing of the past, with The Rockman EXE Zone admin Greiga Master‘s brand new Battle Chip Gate Homebrew!
This nifty GBA homebrew app turns a second GBA with a flash cart into a Battle Chip Gate and is fully compatibility with both the English and Japanese versions of Mega Man Battle Network 4, 4.5, 5 and 6, as well as Mega Man Zero 3. The app also lets you build folders for easy access to your favorite chips and even slot-in Program Advance combos automatically, making it far easier to use than the real Battle Chip Gate.
Although a number of the real-life BattleChips were sold outside of Japan, the Battle Chip Gate, first introduced in Mega Man Battle Network 4, was not. This peripheral connected to your Game Boy Advance via the link port and allowed you to play a special mode named Operation Battle in Battle Network 4 and 5. This was later followed up with full-game compatibility in Rockman EXE4.5 and Battle Network 6.
The Battle Chip Gate Homebrew supports multi-player as well – it’s even possible to combine it with a real BattleChip Gate if you have one on hand. Greiga Master lists the following additional features:
- Battle Chips are arranged by Library and can be sorted by Name, Attack, and Element
- Can mark chips as Favorite for quick access in a dedicated tab
- Create up to 16 Chip Folders for managing multiple themed folders or strategies
- Favorites and folders are saved
- When browsing Chips, switch between Send Mode to send instantly, and Sort Mode to rearrange Chips in the order you want
- Send Navi Chips, grouped by compatible game version
- Send Program Advance (PA) combinations automatically
- For Battle Network 6, send Navi chips in all available levels and even view their stats before sending
- Can do multiplayer battles with real Chip Gates or with other Chip Gate Homebrew players
Download the Battle Chip Gate Homebrew below (be sure to read the included readme.html!) and head on over to TREZ Forums to discuss the project!
EndCycle VS adds custom game modes, including Custom Screen gameplay
EndCycle VS, an MMBN-inspired game for PC and Android, has just received a big new update! The REVO Update bolts a full-featured scripting IDE right on top of the game’s modding tools, which allows you to create your own custom battle systems and game modes that completely transform the gameplay.
The REVO Update is set to go live later today on both Steam and Google Play. Along with the update, 12B3 Games are releasing a free More Modes Pack which contains a few sample game modes. This includes Operation Mode, replacing the battle system with classic Battle Network combat, complete with a Custom Screen and folder editor! Another new battle system is Turn-Based, which morphs the game into a turn-based RPG where you and the enemy alternate actions on a familiar 6-by-3 grid.
Hero.EXE releases alpha demo
If you’ve been craving more games that carry on the torch of the MMBN series, here’s another one to keep an eye on! Developers MysteryEggGames have released an alpha demo of their upcoming game Hero.EXE, a new MMBN-inspired indie game.
Unlike some of the other recent MMBN-inspired games that have come out recently, this one plays things a little closer to the original games. In Hero.EXE you choose a personal A.V.A.: a digital assistant capable of exploring Server Worlds. However, Glitches are abound in the digital world and your task is to erase them. Battles consist of two phases: a Compile Phase where you draw codes from your deck and choose which ones to use — similar to the Custom Screen in MMBN. Once you’ve chosen your codes, the GO Phase begins: you control your A.V.A. directly and use your chosen attacks on a familiar 6-by-3 grid.
The game mixes up the formula by adding (fully voice acted!) visual novel scenes with branching dialogue. Pick your responses carefully as they’ll affect the bond between you and your A.V.A.; forming a strong relationship is key to fighting more effectively.
The demo is available for Windows PC, and you can download it over on GameJolt. You can also leave feedback in the MysteryEggGames Discord server, as well follow the Hero.EXE Twitter feed to keep up-to-date with news about the game.
One Step From Eden is now available for PC and Nintendo Switch!
After a very successful Kickstarter and almost 4 years of development, MMBN-inspired grid-fighting roguelike One Step From Eden is now released on PC and Nintendo Switch! The game has been developed by Thomas Moon Kang and is being published by Humble Bundle. You can grab the game itself for $19.99 / €19.99 / £14.99 (£17.99 on Switch); in addition, the game’s excellent soundtrack composed by STEEL_PLUS can be bought on Steam for $9.99 / €8.19 / £7.19.
In One Step From Eden you play as a colorful cast of characters trying desparately to reach Eden, humanity’s last bastion. On your way you’ll meet plenty of enemies and rivals who want to stop that from happening. Take them down in relentless MMBN-style battles and you’ll earn new spells and powerups. The rewards and stages are totally random every time, so each playthrough is different.
Aside from an infinitely replayable single player mode, there’s also co-op and PvP multiplayer! And if you’re playing on PC, the game also has modding support that lets you customize the game to your liking.
If, like me, your busting skills aren’t what they used to be: don’t panic, as developer Thomas Moon Kang has promised an update in the coming weeks that will ease the difficulty.
Buy One Step From Eden on: Steam, Humble Store, Nintendo Switch
One Step From Eden gets March 26th release date
Yes, you read that right: we are now only a few weeks, or indeed, a few steps away from the release of One Step From Eden; the hotly anticipated Mega Man Battle Network-inspired indie game! Developer Thomas Moon Kang just unveiled the March 26th, 2020 release date in the latest monthly update on Kickstarter, along with a snazzy new trailer. The game will release on Steam and Nintendo Switch, and is being published by Humble Bundle and Maple Whispering Limited.
One Step From Eden has you play as Saffron fighting her way to Eden, the last bastion of humanity. Along the way you’ll encounter plenty of rivals who won’t hesitate to pick a fight with you in real-time, grid-based combat. Once you defeat them, you’ll be able to choose between sparing them or finishing them off. Of course, the latter will give you immediate access to new spells and items, but building a few friendships might come in handy in the long run…
If you want even more One Step From Eden beamed to your eyeballs right now, then check out the game’s hour long showcase at the recent TeamBN Winter Festival 2020! You’ll be able to catch a glimpse of some of the bosses and extra features that will be in the game, including a PvP battle mode.