Jump to content

Mega Man Star Force

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected fromMegaMan Star Force)
For the anime television series and manga series of the same name, seeMega Man Star Force (TV series).
Mega Man Star Force
North AmericanLeobox art.
Not pictured:PegasusandDragonversions
Developer(s)Capcom Production Studio 2
Publisher(s)Capcom
Director(s)Masahiro Yasuma
Producer(s)Takeshi Horinouchi
Artist(s)Yuji Ishihara
Tokiko Nakashima
Writer(s)Masakazu Eguchi
Teruhiro Shimogawa
Composer(s)Yoshino Aoki
Mitsuhiko Takano
SeriesMega Man
Platform(s)Nintendo DS
Release
  • EU:November 30, 2007
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player,multiplayer

Mega Man Star Force: Pegasus[a],Mega Man Star Force: Leo[b],andMega Man Star Force: Dragon[c]are 2006action role-playingvideo gamesdeveloped and published byCapcomfor theNintendo DShandheldvideo game console;combined, they are the first game in theMega Man Star Forceseries, a sub series of the greaterMega Manfranchise—and a follow-up to theMega Man Battle Networkseries. It takes place in the years of 220X, in which technology has advanced to the point where the world is now connected throughEM waves.The game follows Geo Stelar, a fifth-grader in Echo Ridge who merges with an FM-ian named Omega-Xis after mourning the supposed death of his father.[4][5]

TheMega Man Battle Networkseries had concluded with thesixth gamein 2005, with the developers citing the new DS hardware as their reasoning for its ending.Mega Man Star Forcecontinues several gameplay and story elements introduced inBattle Network,with battles taking place on a 3-by-5 grid in which Mega Man is limited to moving left to right in one row and attacking using Battle Cards. Players are also able to play against each other, trade Battle Cards, and form a Brother Band with another player using the DS' wireless capabilities.[6]Prior to its release, Capcom also commissionedanime and mangaadaptations to help promote the game.

Mega Man Star Forcereceived mixed reviews from critics upon release; it was often regarded as too similar toBattle Networkdue to its reuse of concepts, art style, and similar gameplay, with many generally finding it a disappointment. However, it was a commercial success, selling nearly 600,000 copies in Japan by the end of 2007.Mega Man Star Forcewould spawn two direct sequels for the same system,[7]as well as a crossover in the form of an enhanced port of the firstBattle Networkgame under the titleRockman.EXE: Operate Shooting Star(2009), released only in Japan.

Gameplay

[edit]
A screenshot of a typical battle sequence

Mega Man Star Forceis anaction role-playing gamemuch in the same vein asBattle Network.[8]Outside of battle, the game is rendered in a 2D isometric view where the player travels through the real world and finds areas to Electromagnetic Wave Change (EM Wave Change), which tend to be the entrances to the EM Wave World or various computers.[9][10]In the Wave World, the player is able to encounter viruses, during which the game switches to a 3D view from Mega Man's back, and where movement is restricted to left and right.[4][9][10]In battles, HP represents the amount of life Mega Man has. Whenever he is hit by an attack the number decreases, and when it reaches "zero," Mega Man is deleted and the game is over (and the player must start over from when/where they last saved). HP can be recovered in a number of ways, both in and out of battle.[10]

Battle Cards are collected in a number of ways throughout the game, and the player must organize them into a folder to use for battles.[10]Every time the "Custom Gauge" fills during battle, Cards are called up at random and are selected to use against the enemies.[4][10]Depending on their arrangement on the screen, certain Cards can be selected together to provide combinations, just like Battle Chips fromBattle Network.[9]There are three different classes of Cards ranked by their power and rarity (Standard, Mega, and Giga), and only a certain number of Cards from each class, or a certain number of a specific Card, can be placed into a folder; certain Chips can also have an element applied, with Heat chips being effective against Wood enemies. Other options allow players to set certain Cards as favorites so that by connecting to other players via Wi-Fi, they can use their favorite Cards in a random draw during battles.[4]This implements an element of strategy into planning battles.[10]

The game is compatible withNintendo Wi-Fi Connectionas well as wireless play. Through wireless play, players can trade Battle Cards and battle each other's Mega Men. Players can also use the Brother Band network to share favorite Cards, Star Force transformations, or status upgrades as well as send e-mails.[4][8][9][10]Characters fromLunar Knights(Bokura no Taiyou DS: Django and Sabata) appear in an in-game side-quest and can become Brothers through "Cross Brother Band",[11]however this feature is missing in non-Japanese versions.

Plot

[edit]

Setting and characters

[edit]
Main article:List of Mega Man characters

Mega Man Star Forcetakes place in the fictional year of 220X,[12]when emphasis on internet technology has lessened, and instead, the world has become networked through use ofEM waves.Though cyber worlds andNetNavisstill exist inStar Force,human dependency on them has greatly decreased, and people no longer have Navi companions. instead relying on Transers. Three large satellites orbiting the Earth—Pegasus, Leo, and Dragon—power the EM Wave World that exists around the Earth's atmosphere, keeping the world networked. While the EM Wave World is normally invisible to the human eye, a special piece of eyewear called the Visualizer (possessed by the series' protagonist) allows a human to see this other world. However, like with the cyber worlds ofBattle Network,EM Wave Viruses inhabit the EM Wave World, causing problems in everyday life.[8]

Furthermore, there exists an alien planet known as "Planet FM," inhabited byextraterrestrial beingscalled FM-ians. FM-ians can traverse in both worlds, and also possess the ability to physically merge with human beings through a process called EM Wave Change. Other than lending a human the FM-ian's powers, this process also transforms an ordinary human into an "EM Wave Human," allowing him or her to freely operate in the EM Wave World (as well as cyber networks within specific electronic devices). Many of the FM-iams are named afterconstellations(e.g. Taurus Fire), and merge with people undergoing hardship.[8]

The protagonist ofStar Forceis Geo Stelar (although they can be renamed by the player), a fifth-grader living in Echo Ridge who has been in a state of isolation after the supposed death of his father, Kevin Stelar, several years ago after the explosion of thespace stationPeace.He is soon joined by a rogue FM-ian known as Omega-Xis, who takes residency in Geo's Transer; both are able to EM Wave Change into Mega Man (known in other media as Star Force Mega Man),[13]and travel between both the real and EM Wave worlds.[4][8][14]

Story

[edit]

Geo has been mourning the disappearance of his father Kelvin after the explosion of the space stationPeacethree years ago, and as a result, he has not been attending school. A group of children from Geo's class constantly urge Geo to attend school, but he always refuses. One day, Geo comes home and finds Aaron Boreal, Kelvin's co-worker at the AMAKEN Space Agency, conversing with Geo's mother, Hope. Aaron gives Geo the Visualizer, a glasses-like device that allows humans to see the EM Wave World. Geo goes outside to sulk on an observation deck over the city when he puts the Visualizer on. Using it, he sees Omega-Xis, who recognizes Geo as Kelvin's son and quickly performs an Electromagnetic Wave Change with him, transforming into theStar Forceversion of Mega Man.

Omega-Xis is considered a traitor by the FM King because he has stolen the mysterious Andromeda Key, and he also claims to know about the events leading up to Kelvin's disappearance. Geo agrees to work with Omega-Xis to protect the key, and thus, Omega-Xis resides within Geo's Transer. He is aided in his fight against the FMs by the three satellite; eventually, they make it to the space stationPeacewhich had been seized by the FM King, during which Omega-Xis reveals to Geo that he knew Kelvin Stelar before coming to Earth, but converted him into a wave form so the astronaut could escape the king's wrath. They defeat Andromeda but spare the king, following his father's dream to establish peace with other life. The king tells Geo his name is Cepheus, but asks Geo how he could possibly trust one from another world, for he never has. Eventually, he is convinced that he and Geo are kindred spirits and must both set out to make their parts of the universe a better place.

Geo is ready to return to Earth, but the station begins falling apart and he is cut off from the wave road he used to reach the station in the first place and he is forced to escape via a derelict escape pod. For days he and Omega-Xis drift through space, doomed to die on this spacecraft and be lost in the void forever but just as Geo is ready to give up hope, somehow, from the endless vastness of space, his father's spirit is finally able to reach him. Geo is confronted by his father in a dream where he tells Geo he must hold on to those he loves most and as long as he keeps believing in them, Kelvin shall always watch over him, no matter how far apart they are. At that moment, Geo's friends, even Pat, have gathered at Geo's favorite spot to call him back home. The strength of their bonds causes all their Brother Bands to converge into a beam that connects with Geo's space pod and miraculously saves him. Geo simply watches the Earth draw closer as he is brought home during the game's credits, never to be the boy he used to be again.

Development and release

[edit]

The decision to end theMega Man Battle Networkseries with thesixth entrywasn't made until partway through development, since the developers wanted to take advantage of the new hardware.[15]According toCapcomproducer Takeshi Horinouchi, theMega Man Star Forcegames have been among the most difficult games in the franchise to develop because they "[came] on the heels of theBattle Networkseries, "increasing the expectations of the fans.[16]Masahiro Yasuma wrote that the reason for the more simplistic battle system was due to the system inBattle Network 6being too complicated, so they 'reset' the system so younger children could play; the change in perspective was done to allow for new gameplay, while maintaining theBattle Networkfeel.[17]

To promote the new game, Capcom commissioned ananime seriesproduced byShoProandXebec,which began airing on October 7, 2006,[18]as well as a manga adaptation by Masaya Itagaki inCoroCoro Comics.[19]Japanese pre-orders came with a replica of Geo's pendant, although these were soon recalled due to safety concerns.[20]

The game's music was composed byYoshino Aokiand Mitsuhiko Takano and released as the first disc of theShooting Star Rockman 1 & 2 Original Soundtrack[d]compilation.

Reception and legacy

[edit]

Sales

[edit]

According to weekly Japanese sales report of the first week of release forMega Man Star Force,none of the three versions placed in the top 10.[30]However,Media Createsales data shows that the three versions of the game sold a combined 219,171 units in Japan by the end of 2006, placing it as the 59th best-selling video game of the year in that region.[31]An additional 374,504 units were sold in 2007, making it the 37th best-selling game of that year and totaling sales to 593,675 units for Japan alone.[32]

Critical response

[edit]

Mega Man Star Forcereceived "mixed or average reviews" according toreview aggregatorMetacritic;Pegasus,LeoandDragonall scored 60, 58, and 60 out of 100 respectively.[24][25][26]

Reviewers generally expressed disappointed about the lack of changes from theBattle Networkseries, particularly in gameplay and visual style;[4][9][10]Colin Moriarty wrote forIGN"it's more likely to leave the gamer mystified, feeling positive they've been down this road countless times before."[9]GameSpyagreed, stating "we were hoping that Capcom would take this opportunity to reboot the series into something fresh. Instead, we have more of a sidestep than a step forward," although they felt the game would be fine for people who hadn't played any of the priorBattle Networkentries.[4]

However, the game received minor praise for its few improvements; reviewers consistently praised the BrotherBand system,[4][8][9]althoughGameSpothad hoped it would allow for more than six friends per game.[10]The expanded length was also praised, though a common sentiment was that it took the story too long to get going, as well as the high amount of backtracking involved in progression.[4][8][10]

Due to high sales, Capcom produced two sequels for the same system,[33][34]as well asRockman.EXE: Operate Shooting Star(2009)—an updated port of the firstBattle Networkgame with a new crossover scenario withStar Force.[35][36]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^Japanese:Sao băng の ロックマンペガサス,Hepburn:Ryūsei no Rokkuman Pegasasu,lit. 'Shooting Star Rockman: Pegasus'
  2. ^Japanese:Sao băng の ロックマンレオ,Hepburn:Ryūsei no Rokkuman Reo,lit. 'Shooting Star Rockman: Leo'
  3. ^Japanese:Sao băng の ロックマンドラゴン,Hepburn:Ryūsei no Rokkuman Doragon,lit. 'Shooting Star Rockman: Dragon'
  4. ^Japanese:Sao băng の ロックマン１＆２オリジナル・サウンドトラック,Hepburn:Ryūsei no Rokkuman wan ando tsū Orijinaru Saundotorakku

References

[edit]
  1. ^Sinclair, Brendan (August 6, 2007)."Shippin' Out August 6–10: Boogie, Mega Man Star Force".GameSpot.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on March 28, 2012.RetrievedJanuary 28,2012.
  2. ^Gantayat, Anoop (October 2, 2006)."Mega Man Dated, Milked".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on February 5, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 28,2012.
  3. ^Kozanecki, James (November 26, 2007)."AU Shippin' Out November 27–30: Super Mario Galaxy".GameSpot.CBS Interactive.Archivedfrom the original on December 25, 2011.RetrievedJanuary 28,2012.
  4. ^abcdefghijkTheobald, Phil (August 20, 2007)."Mega Man Star Force: Leo".GameSpy.Archivedfrom the original on October 11, 2009.RetrievedJune 25,2010.
  5. ^Greenwald, Will (August 8, 2007)."Meeting Mega Man's maker".CNET.Red Ventures.RetrievedMarch 17,2012.
  6. ^"Capcom: Mega Man".Mega Man.Capcom.Archivedfrom the original on December 21, 2007.RetrievedApril 28,2015.
  7. ^rawmeatcowboy (April 12, 2007)."Massive amount of scans - Phantom Hourglass, MySims, Donkey Kong Bongo Blast, Opoona, ASH, Rune Factory 2, Mario Party 8 and more!".GoNintendo.Archivedfrom the original on September 27, 2007.RetrievedApril 12,2007.
  8. ^abcdefghRomendil (December 7, 2007)."Test of Mega Man Star Force Leo"[Review of Mega Man Star Force Leo].Jeuxvideo(in French).Webedia.RetrievedNovember 13,2022.
  9. ^abcdefghMoriarty, Colin (August 14, 2007)."Mega Man Star Force: Leo Review - Nintendo DS Review".IGN.Archivedfrom the original on October 8, 2011.Retrieved2010-06-25.
  10. ^abcdefghijkProvo, Frank (August 15, 2007)."Mega Man Star Force: Leo Review for DS".GameSpot.Archivedfrom the original on October 9, 2009.Retrieved2010-06-25.
  11. ^Ishida, Katsuo (January 26, 2007).カプコンとＫＯＮＡＭＩ, DS “Sao băng の ロックマン” と “ボクら の thái dương Django&Sabata” の コラボレーション giấy dán tường を xứng tin[Capcom and KONAMI Collaborate on DS "Shooting Star Rockman Rockman" and "Our Sun Django & Sabata" Wallpapers].GameWatch(in Japanese). Impress Corporation.Archivedfrom the original on January 29, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 26,2007.
  12. ^"Capcom Introduces a" Wave "New World withMega Man Star Forcefor the Nintendo DS ".Capcom.September 22, 2006. Archived fromthe originalon February 9, 2007.RetrievedJune 10,2019.
  13. ^【ROCKMAN X DiVE】 sao băng Locker người /Mega Man Star Force(Video game) (in Chinese).Capcom Taiwan.September 6, 2021.RetrievedNovember 17,2021.
  14. ^Hinkle, Dave (December 20, 2006)."Shining a spotlight on Mega Man Star Force".Engadget.Yahoo!.RetrievedNovember 12,2022.
  15. ^Midnite (March 19, 2018)."EXE 15th Ann. Special Staff Discussion! (Part 2)".The Rockman.EXE Zone.RetrievedJune 30,2022.
  16. ^Hoffman, Chris (January 2008). "Mega Man20/20 ".Nintendo Power.No. 224.Future Publishing.p. 61.ISSN1041-9551.
  17. ^Yasuma, Masahiro (June 1, 2007).Sao băng の ロックマン cứu cực công lược Legend[Shooting Star Rockman Ultimate Strategy Legend] (in Japanese).Shogakukan.p. 96.ISBN9784091063717.
  18. ^Ishida, Katsuo (October 2, 2006).カプコン, DS “Sao băng の ロックマン ペガサス/レオ/ドラゴン” 12 nguyệt 14 ngày に3バージョン đồng thời phát bán quyết định[Capcom to release three versions of DS "Shooting Star Rockman: Pegasus/Leo/Dragon" simultaneously on December 14.].GameWatch(in Japanese). Impress Corporation.RetrievedAugust 16,2022.
  19. ^Itagaki, Masaya (March 28, 2007).Sao băng の ロックマン 1 (コロコロドラゴンコミックス)[Shooting Star Rockman 1 (CoroCoro Dragon Comics)] (in Japanese).CoroCoro Comics.ISBN978-4091403223.
  20. ^DS『 sao băng の ロックマン』 trước mua nhập đặc điển hồi thâu の お biết らせ[DS "Shooting Star Rockman" First-Come, First-Serve Purchase Privilege Recall Announcement].Dengeki Online.Dengeki Nintendo.February 1, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 16,2024.
  21. ^"Mega Man Star Force: Pegasus for DS".GameRankings.CBS Interactive.Archived fromthe originalon July 13, 2010.RetrievedJune 25,2010.
  22. ^"Mega Man Star Force: Leo for DS".GameRankings.CBS Interactive.Archived fromthe originalon July 5, 2010.RetrievedJune 25,2010.
  23. ^"Mega Man Star Force: Dragon for DS".GameRankings.CBS Interactive.Archived fromthe originalon July 18, 2010.RetrievedJune 25,2010.
  24. ^ab"Mega Man Star Force: Pegasus for DS Reviews".Metacritic.Fandom Inc.Archivedfrom the original on January 28, 2013.RetrievedJune 25,2010.
  25. ^ab"Mega Man Star Force: Leo for DS Reviews".Metacritic.Fandom Inc.Archivedfrom the original on September 12, 2012.RetrievedJune 25,2010.
  26. ^ab"Mega Man Star Force: Dragon for DS Reviews".Metacritic.Fandom Inc.Archivedfrom the original on September 6, 2012.RetrievedJune 25,2010.
  27. ^"Famitsu review scores".Go Nintendo. 6 December 2006.Archivedfrom the original on March 7, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 25,2007.
  28. ^"Now Playing: Mega Man Star Force".Nintendo Power.No. 220.Nintendo of America.October 2007. p. 88.
  29. ^"Reviews: Mega Man Star Force".Official Nintendo Magazine.No. 23.Future plc.January 2008. p. 82.
  30. ^Freund, Josh (December 21, 2006)."Weekly software sales for 12/11 - 12/17".GamesAreFun.Archived fromthe originalon September 28, 2007.RetrievedJanuary 25,2007.
  31. ^2006 năm テレビゲームソフト bán り thượng げTOP500 ( ファミ thông bản )[Top 500 video game software sales in 2006 (Famitsu version)].Geimin(in Japanese). Archived from the original on June 26, 2015.RetrievedJune 23,2010.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  32. ^2007 năm テレビゲームソフト bán り thượng げTOP500 ( ファミ thông bản )[Top 500 video game software sales in 2007 (Famitsu version)].Geimin(in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 17, 2015.RetrievedJune 23,2010.{{cite web}}:CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  33. ^Fishman, Brian (July 1, 2008)."Mega Man Star Force 2: Zerker X Ninja Review".GameSpot.Red Ventures.Archivedfrom the original on February 10, 2014.RetrievedMarch 2,2022.
  34. ^Famitsu staff (September 30, 2008).Chiến いに thắng lợi するために『 sao băng の ロックマン3』 の バトルシステムを nắm chắc せよ[Explanation of the Battle System in Shooting Star Rockman 3].Famitsu(in Japanese).Enterbrain.RetrievedJuly 30,2022.
  35. ^Heat Man (August 7, 2009)."A Tale of Two MegaMans: Operate Shooting Star in CoroCoro".The Mega Man Network.Archivedfrom the original on August 10, 2009.RetrievedMarch 2,2022.
  36. ^Sounders, Mike (June 17, 2019)."Capcom was working on a Mega Man Star Force 4 at one point".Destructoid.Enthusiast Gaming.RetrievedFebruary 28,2022.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mega_Man_Star_Force&oldid=1225858505"