Maverick Hunter

Last updated

Maverick Hunter
Developer(s) Armature Studio
Publisher(s) Capcom
Series Mega Man X
ReleaseCancelled
Genre(s) First-person shooter
Mode(s) Single-player

Maverick Hunter was the codename for a cancelled first-person shooter video game in the Mega Man franchise that would have been developed by Armature Studio and published by Capcom. It was intended to be a darker entry in the Mega Man X series. Mega Man artist and producer Keiji Inafune was responsible for establishing the western-designed game and Adi Granov was responsible for X's new design. It was intended to be the first of a trilogy of games, where players controlled its protagonist X in the first two games and then as Zero for the third. The game would have had similar platform elements found in earlier Mega Man X titles.

Contents

It had a lifespan of about six months in 2010 before it was ultimately cancelled, due to internal disagreements around the same time Inafune departed from Capcom, during which other Mega Man titles were also scrapped.

Concept and development

Keiji Inafune was responsible for initiating the collaboration between Capcom and Armature Studio on Maverick Hunter. Keiji Inafune - Japan Expo 13- 2012-0706- P1410048.JPG
Keiji Inafune was responsible for initiating the collaboration between Capcom and Armature Studio on Maverick Hunter.

Maverick Hunter was in development by Armature Studio and was to be published by Capcom for the Mega Man X series. [1] The collaboration was established by Keiji Inafune, who had previously worked on the Mega Man series as an artist and producer. He had since rose in the ranks at Capcom to become a producer. The goal was to attract a new audience to the Mega Man series. [1] Its development would have been overseen by former Capcom producer Ben Judd. [1] The redesign for the Mega Man character was to be done by Adi Granov (the concept artist responsible for the Iron Man redesign found in the 2008 film of the same name). [1] An initial concept design showed X with a red glowing 'X' on his face. [2]

Unlike other Mega Man X titles, Maverick Hunter was a first-person shooter. The genre was chosen in response to the rising interest in first-person shooter games in the west. [1] The gameplay would have adhered to core Mega Man X concepts; the ability to take and utilize the powers of enemies, his dash, and his X-Buster were all to be redesigned. [1] His weapon designs were made to be more realistic than earlier Mega Man X titles. Instead of his arm transforming into a cannon, his armor transforms to create a gun. Additionally, his charged attack would launch a missile instead of launching a larger energy blast. [1] Melee attacks would cause the game to switch to a third-person perspective for the attack. [1] X's ability to steal abilities from others would have been expanded to allow the combination of abilities and the use of temporary weapons, such as bombs or tank turrets, from fallen enemies. The stolen abilities could also be used to exploit weaknesses in certain enemies. [1] Platform elements such as his wall jump from the Mega Man X games would have been "re-imagined in new ways." The game was also planned to have branching paths and upgrades to find throughout. [1]

Maverick Hunter was going to build upon the mythology and feature characters from the original Mega Man X titles. [1] Capcom Japan was responsible for the design of key story points and twists while the overall plot would be handled by Armature Studio. [1] A source familiar with the game stated that the game would "be like taking an 8-bit game that doesn't have a very deep story to it, and then building around it and keeping some of the key pieces intact." Both X and Zero would be featured alongside a new human sidekick who is a "Bruce Willis-like police officer." The inclusion of the human sidekick was part of the game's "man versus machine contrast." [1] It was to be the first of a trilogy of games; players would control X in the first two games while they would switch to Zero in the third game, who must destroy X (who had become "incredibly powerful and infinitely intelligent over the course of two games"). [1]

Cancellation

It was ultimately cancelled before it was revealed to the public as one of several recent cancellations in the Mega Man series (including Mega Man Legends 3 , Mega Man Universe , and Mega Man Online). [1] Its lifespan lasted for about six months in 2010, and was prototyped and playable. Despite positive internal reception, Capcom deemed it a "significant gamble" and cancelled it. [1] Its cancellation coincided with Inafune's departure from Capcom. [1] The playable version of the game was intended to be a proof of concept more so than a real game. [1] Capcom senior vice president Christian Svensson noted that the game was the subject of "very polarized opinions internally." Granov expressed disappointment over the cancellation and stated that he was "very happy" with his design work. [3] Inafune collaborated again with Armature on the 2016 game ReCore . [4]

Reception

The response from critics and fans alike has been mixed. Despite the mixed fan reaction, [5] a fan-led Facebook group and Change.org petition intended to revive the project was created called "Operation Maverick Hunter". [6] Michael McWhertor and Wes Fenlon felt that - with the information available - the game seemed like a "formula for success." They compared the direction to that of Metroid Prime by developer Retro Studios (which Armature Studio spun off from). [1] Thomas Whitehead was also positive about it; he stated that it could have been a "bold, exciting new direction for the franchise." [7]

Joystiq's JC Fletcher noted that while Mega Man X didn't need a "gritty" reboot, it is a better alternative than to have no Mega Man games. [8] Tony Ponce compared the redesign of X to that of Bomberman in Bomberman: Act Zero . He also stated that it was a Mega Man X game "in the very loosest sense." He felt that the cancellation was for the best and that a "cold, gritty first-person shooter" was not the ideal direction for the series. He compared it to Metroid Prime's design by noting that the art style did not change much while X's redesign was "virtually unrecognizable." [9] He later commented that an early concept design by Adi Granov was "not that bad" if it had no relation to the Mega Man X series. [2] Chris Carter felt that while he didn't think the series needed a "gritty reboot", he would have enjoyed it if it was good. [6] Clint Mize wrote an article for MTV.com's gaming section detailing why Maverick Hunter was a terrible idea. He felt that it could have turned off "core fans" of the Mega Man X series and that X required a "solid core title to reintroduce the character" rather than a "dark reimagining". He added that the decision to make it a first-person shooter made it feel like it was the product of an "out of touch executive". He also criticized it due to the risk involved in competing with big FPS games such as Call of Duty , Halo , and Battlefield . He noted that the perspective introduces other problems, such as reduced emphasis on platform segments. [10] Its art design and gameplay have been compared to the video game Vanquish . [2] [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keiji Inafune</span> Japanese video game producer, illustrator, and businessman

Keiji Inafune is a Japanese video game producer, illustrator and businessman. Starting his career at Capcom in the late 1980s, his job was as an artist and illustrator. The first two games he worked on were the original Street Fighter and Mega Man in 1987. He was then an illustrator and artist of the Mega Man series during the NES and Super NES era. For Mega Man X, he created and designed the character Zero.

Sigma (<i>Mega Man X</i>) Fictional character

Sigma is the main antagonist of the Mega Man X video game series. Created by Dr. Cain, Sigma was considered the finest of the Reploids and was the first leader of the Maverick Hunters, peacekeeping androids who defend humans against their renegade counterparts. Although he was once respectable, Sigma unexpectedly goes berserk during Mega Man X and rebels against humankind after coming into contact with the Maverick Virus. He defects to the Mavericks and assumes the role of their leader. Due to the virus integrated into his circuits, he can survive seemingly anything, and constantly returns to menace the world.

Zero (<i>Mega Man</i>) Fictional character in Mega Man

Zero is a video game character present throughout much of Capcom's Mega Man franchise. Debuting in the Mega Man X series, Zero is an android and an elite Maverick Hunter: an organization dedicated to defending humanity from rogue Reploids, dubbed "Mavericks". Zero also acts as a mentor and longtime friend to X, the main protagonist of the X series. He continues his role as the titular main protagonist of the Mega Man Zero series. Zero has also played a supporting role in other series in the franchise such as the Mega Man ZX series and appeared in crossover video games as a guest character.

X (<i>Mega Man</i>) Fictional character in Capcoms Mega Man X series

X is the main protagonist of Capcom's Mega Man X video game series, known as Rockman X in Japan. First appearing in the 1993 Super NES video game Mega Man X, X is an android member of the Maverick Hunters, a special police force tasked with defending humans and Reploids against criminal Reploids known as Mavericks. X has made additional appearances in the Mega Man franchise, including printed adaptations of the series, an original video animation called Day of Sigma which explores his early days as a Hunter, and as a supporting character in the Mega Man Zero and Mega Man ZX video game series which star his Hunter comrade Zero. X has also appeared in multiple crossover video game series outside of the franchise.

<i>Mega Man</i> (1987 video game) 1987 video game

Mega Man, known as Rockman in Japan, is a 1987 action-platform video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). It was directed by Akira Kitamura, with Nobuyuki Matsushima as lead programmer, and is the first game of the Mega Man franchise and the original video game series. Mega Man was produced by a small team specifically for the home console market, a first for Capcom, who previously focused on arcade titles.

<i>Mega Man X</i> (video game) 1993 video game

Mega Man X is an action-platform video game developed and published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was the first Mega Man game for the 16-bit console and the first game in the Mega Man X series, a spin-off to the original Mega Man series that began on the SNES's predecessor, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Mega Man X was released in Japan on December 17, 1993 and was released in both North America and Europe the following year. Taking place a century after the original Mega Man series, Mega Man X is set in a futuristic world populated by both humans and "Reploids", robots capable of thinking, feeling, and growing like their human creators. Because of these complex attributes, many Reploids are prone to destructive, renegade activity and are thereafter referred to as "Mavericks". The plot of the game follows the protagonist X, an android member of a military task force called the "Maverick Hunters". With the help of his partner Zero, X must thwart the plans of Sigma, a powerful Maverick leader wishing to bring about human extinction.

<i>Mega Man X2</i> 1994 video game

Mega Man X2, known as Rockman X2 (ロックマンX2) in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The game was released in Japan on December 16, 1994, and in North America and PAL regions in 1995. It is the direct sequel to Mega Man X, released one year prior. Mega Man X2 takes place in the near future in which humans try to peacefully coexist with intelligent robots called "Reploids", with some of the Reploids going "Maverick" and threatening daily life. The plot follows the android protagonist X, a "Maverick Hunter" who has saved humanity from the evil Sigma six months earlier. A trio of Mavericks calling themselves the "X-Hunters" has arisen, intent on destroying X by luring him with bodyparts of his comrade Zero, who died in the conflict with Sigma's right hand robot named Vile.

<i>Mega Man X3</i> 1995 video game

Mega Man X3, known as Rockman X3 (ロックマンX3) in Japan, is a video game released by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The game was originally released in Japan on December 1, 1995, and later in North American and PAL regions in 1996. It is the third game in the Mega Man X series and the last to appear on the SNES. Mega Man X3 takes place in a fictional future in which the world is populated by humans and intelligent robots called "Reploids". Like their human creators, some Reploids involve themselves in destructive crime and are labelled as "Mavericks". After twice defeating the Maverick leader Sigma, the heroes X and Zero must battle a Reploid scientist named Dr. Doppler and his utopia of Maverick followers.

<i>Mega Man X5</i> 2000 video game

Mega Man X5, known as Rockman X5 (ロックマンX5) in Japan, is an action-platform video game and the fifth main installment in the Mega Man X series. Developed by Capcom, it was first released for the PlayStation in Japan on November 30, 2000, and in North America and PAL territories the following year. In 2002, the game was ported to Microsoft Windows as retail packages in both Japan and North America.

<i>Mega Man X6</i> 2001 video game

Mega Man X6, known as Rockman X6 (ロックマンエックス6) in Japan, is a action-platformer developed and published by Capcom. It is the sixth main entry in the Mega Man X series. The game was first released on the PlayStation in Japan on November 29, 2001 and was later made available in both North America and Europe. The game was released for the Microsoft Windows in different parts of Asia in 2002.

<i>Mega Man X7</i> 2003 video game

Mega Man X7, known as Rockman X7 (ロックマンX7) in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 console. It is the seventh main game in the Mega Man X series and the first in the series to appear on the sixth generation of gaming consoles. Mega Man X7 was first released in Japan on July 17, 2003, with North American and European releases following in October 2003 and March 2004 respectively. The European version features a redrawn logo also used for future releases in the region. It was also released for Microsoft Windows exclusively in South Korea and Taiwan until the re-release as part of Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 on July 24, 2018 for the worldwide release and July 26, 2018 for Japan, whose Windows version was released internationally via Steam along with PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. It is the first and only Mega Man X game to be a third-person shooter.

<i>Mega Man X8</i> 2004 video game

Mega Man X8, known as Rockman X8 (ロックマンX8) in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the PlayStation 2. It is the eighth game in the Mega Man X series. It was first released in North America on December 7, 2004. The PS2 version, as well as a Windows iteration, were released in Japan and Europe the following year. On December 16, 2015, it was released on PlayStation Network in Japan. It was released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One in July 24, 2018 worldwide and July 26, 2018 in Japan as a part of Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2.

<i>Mega Man Zero</i> (video game) 2002 video game

Mega Man Zero is a 2002 action-platform video game developed by Inti Creates and published by Capcom for the Game Boy Advance (GBA) handheld game console. It is the first installment in the Mega Man Zero series, the fifth series in Capcom's Mega Man video game franchise. The game is set 100 years after the events of the Mega Man X series and follows Zero, a Reploid awakened from his sleep to aid a human scientist named Ciel and her resistance force in a fight against the utopia of Neo Arcadia.

<i>Mega Man Powered Up</i> 2006 video game

Mega Man Powered Up is a side-scrolling platform video game developed and published by Capcom. It was released for the PlayStation Portable (PSP) handheld game console in March 2006. It is a remake of the original Mega Man game released in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Players control the eponymous star Mega Man who must stop Dr. Wily from conquering the world using eight robots called Robot Masters. Unlike the original game, players can control these eight Robot Masters under the right circumstances. Other new features include a level creator mode and a challenge mode.

<i>Mega Man X</i> Video game series

Mega Man X is a series of action platform video games released by Capcom. It is a sub-series of the Mega Man franchise. The first game was released on December 17, 1993 in Japan on the Super Famicom and the following month on the SNES in North America; most of the sequels were ported to the PC platform. The gameplay introduced new elements to the Mega Man franchise including the ability to dash and climb walls. The first six games in the series were compiled in the anthology Mega Man X Collection.

Ben Judd is an American translator, producer, and agent. He is a former Capcom employee. Judd is an American and lives in Japan and became Capcom's first non-Japanese producer. Judd has had several voice acting cameos in his career, including the English voice of the character Phoenix Wright in the Ace Attorney series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mega Man (character)</span> Video game character

Mega Man, known as Rockman in Japan, is the title character and the protagonist of the Mega Man series by Capcom. He was created by Akira Kitamura for the first Mega Man game released in 1987, with artist Keiji Inafune providing detailed character artwork based on Kitamura's pixel art design.

<i>Mega Man Legends 3</i> Cancelled video game

Mega Man Legends 3 is a cancelled video game set to be the sequel to Mega Man Legends 2 and the fourth game in the Mega Man Legends series. It was announced for the Nintendo 3DS on September 29, 2010, during a Nintendo press conference for the 3DS.

<i>ReCore</i> 2016 video game

ReCore is an action-adventure and platform video game developed by Comcept and Armature Studio, with assistance from Asobo Studio, and published by Microsoft Studios for Windows and Xbox One. The game was released worldwide in September 2016 and re-released in August 2017.

<i>Mega Man Maverick Hunter X</i> 2005 video game

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X is an action-platforming video game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation Portable (PSP); it is a remake of the 1993 video game Mega Man X originally released for the Super NES, the first game in the series of the same name; in the game, players control X as he attempts to stop Sigma from leading the human race to extinction. It was first released in Japan on December 15, 2005, followed by a North American release on January 31, 2006.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 McWhertor, Michael; Fenon, Wes (9 April 2013). "Maverick Hunter: The Mega Man First-Person Shooter That Could Have Been". Polygon . Archived from the original on 2016-07-28. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  2. 1 2 3 Ponce, Tony (2013-05-12). "Maverick Hunter character designer releases X concept art". Destructoid . Archived from the original on 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  3. ↑ McWhertor, Michael (2013-05-06). "Capcom's canceled Mega Man FPS elicited 'very polarized opinions internally'". Polygon . Archived from the original on 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  4. ↑ Hussain, Tamoor (June 15, 2015). "Mega Man Creator and Metroid Prime Devs Announce Xbox One Exclusive at E3 2015". GameSpot . Retrieved June 17, 2015.
  5. ↑ Ishaan (2013-05-06). ""Polarized Opinions" On Mega Man FPS At Capcom Says Senior VP". Siliconera. Archived from the original on 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  6. 1 2 Carter, Chris (2013-05-22). "People actually like the Maverick Hunter reboot concept". Destructoid . Archived from the original on 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  7. ↑ Whitehead, Thomas (2013-04-09). "The Story of an Abandoned Mega Man FPS, Maverick Hunter, Emerges". Nintendo Life. Archived from the original on 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  8. ↑ Fletcher, JC (2013-04-09). "Armature Studio worked on an unreleased Mega Man X FPS, 'Maverick Hunter'". Joystiq . Archived from the original on 2015-01-31. Retrieved 2013-12-30.
  9. ↑ Ponce, Tony (2013-04-09). "Maverick Hunter by Armature Studio never passed the greenlight stage". Destructoid . Archived from the original on 2014-01-01. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  10. ↑ Mize, Clint (2013-04-10). "Dear Capcom, What Were You Thinking? -- A Response to the FPS Mega Man". MTV . Archived from the original on 2013-04-14. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
  11. ↑ Webb, Charles (2013-04-09). "Report: Capcom And 'Metroid Prime' Vets Planned, Then Cancelled A 'Mega Man' FPS". MTV . Archived from the original on 2013-04-14. Retrieved 2013-12-31.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.