Another decent week in releases with Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood for the DS, Silent Hill Homecoming for the 360 and PS3 and Mega Man 9 finally hits Xbox Live on Wednesday. Y’all might want to check out Bomberman Blast on the WiiWare today as well.

Pick of the Week: Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood (DS)

Xbox 360:

• Silent Hill Homecoming
• Mega Man 9 (XBLA)
• Mobile Ops: The One Year War

PS3:

• Silent Hill Homecoming

Nintendo Wii:

• Art Style: Orbient (WiiWare)
• Bomberman Blast (WiiWare)
• Harvest Moon: Tree of Tranquility
• Super Turrican 2 (VC)
• We Cheer

PS2:

• Mortal Kombat Kollection

Nintendo DS:

• Unsolved Crimes
• Sonic Chronicles: Dark Brotherhood
• Tornado
• Margot’s Word Brain
• Pop Cutie: Street Fashion Simulation
• Princess Debut
• Pipe Mania

PSP:

• Valhalla Knights 2

PC Games:

• Pipe Mania
• Sniper: Art of Victory
• Zoo Tycoon 2 Ultimate
• Baseball Mogul 2009
• SAS: Secure Tomorrow
• Dark Horizon
• Hardy Boys: The Hidden Theft

Bust out your Wii (don’t go there) and download some retro Mega Man action. I have been waiting to play this game for a few months now, and after giving it a go at E3, I was quickly reminded how hard some retro games can really be. Don’t kid yourself, in addition to being nostalgic, this game will be challenging as well.

My download has started and my checklist has been double checked for retro compatibility. Zuba pants, check! Michael Jackson “BAD” playing in the background, check! Dr . Pepper, check!

Official Capcom press release after the jump.

CAPCOM® UNLEASHES MEGA MAN® 9 FOR DIGITAL DOWNLOAD

The Blue Bomber Launches on WiiWareTM, Xbox LIVE® and PLAYSTATION®Network in Classic Style
SAN MATEO, CA — September 22, 2008 — Capcom® Entertainment, a leading worldwide developer and publisher of video games, today announced that Mega Man® 9 is now available for download on Nintendo’s WiiWare™ service, and will be available for the PLAYSTATION®Network on September 25, and Xbox LIVE® Arcade on October 1. The original 2D classic Mega Man® returns, bringing the series back to its roots with retroaction-platform gameplay and NES™-inspired old school graphics. Relive the Mega Man experience with maniacally themed environments, a host of power-ups, and classically-inspired bosses, each with their own unique weapons and weaknesses. Mega Man 9 is rated E for Everyone by the Entertainment Software Ratings Board (ESRB) and is available for,1000 Wii Points™, $9.99 on PLAYSTATION®Network, or 800 Microsoft® Points.

I wanted to get an update out to everyone who entered the Mega Man sketch contest. We will be reviewing the entries made before the contest deadline and deciding on a winner shortly. Thank you for entering.

Chad-

It looks just like the Energy Tanks from Mega Man 2 onward, that fill up your entire health bar when consumed. In Japan and needing a 8-bit pick-me-up to get you through the day? Here’s your answer.

Source: Siliconera

Capcom just shot us over an email titled “Mega Man 9 Bosses Unveiled!” announcing that new images and in-game screens of three new Mega Man 9 Bosses had been added to their press site.

So I rush to get them up on the site only to realize that they are the same three bosses IGN revealed two days ago. The same three bosses Capcom blogged about IGN revealing just one day ago. Why is it that I suddenly feel like a third world country?

Oh well, it’s my fault for not staying on top of my IGN RSS feed. Shame on me. Enjoy the two day old news after the jump.

Hi Mega Man fans,

We’re hitting you up to let you know we’ve posted art and screen assets for three of the Mega Man 9 bosses on our press site: www.press.capcom.com. Please visit our site and check out the Blue Bombers new nemesis!

Meet the Bosses and their Weapons!

Stay tuned for more Mega Man 9 boss information!

Concrete Man:
Created to construct a dam, Concrete man can actually design a dam and supervise its entire construction. He has stubborn a stubborn personality and will tell off any lazy robots.

Weapon: Concrete Shot
Concrete shot creates a temporary foothold as soon as it touches the ground. It can also be used to stop enemies in their tracks.

Tornado Man:
Works for the Weather Manipulation Office to help control and stop the formation of large storms all over the world.

Weapon: Tornado Blow
Tornado Blow launches a huge tornado that covers the entire game area. Heavy enemies will take damage, but lighter ones will be blown entirely off-screen.

Magma Man:
Magma Man serves as the safety control robot at a large geothermal power plant. He is able to work in incredibly hot environments and loves to visit hot spas.

Weapon: Magma Bazooka
Magma Bazooka shoots a cluster of fireballs that spread out after launching. It can also be charged by holding down the shot button.

I have to go take a shower now, I feel dirty.

Mega Man is hard. No doubt about that. Mega Man 9, supposedly, is going to be the hardest one since the classic NES titles of yore, which is pretty fitting considering the game’s neo-retro graphical style. Back in the day when you downed Quick Man without taking a hit, all you could do was tell your friends, and hope they believed you.

Now, with these recently released Mega Man 9 Achievements, you can have concrete proof of your bona fide Mega mastery. Good luck getting them though, because well, they’re almost all completely insane, from “Gamer’s Day”, which tasks you with beating the game 5 times in a single day, to “Peacekeeper”, which requires you to beat the game while defeating “as few enemies as possible” – nice of Capcom not to give us a specific number. Hit the jump for the full list.

Jitterbug
Clear the game in 60 minutes or less. 20 G

Invincible
Clear the game without dying. 30 G

Almost Invincible
Clear the game without continuing. 20 G

No Coffee Break
Clear the game without using any Energy or Mystery Tanks. 10 G

Peacekeeper
Clear the game by defeating the fewest number of enemies possible. 20 G

Conservationist
Clear the game by using the least amount of Weapon Energy possible. 20 G

Gamer’s Day
Clear the game 5 times in 1 day. 20 G

Whomp Wily!
Clear the game once. 5 G

Destroyer
Defeat your 1000th enemy. 20 G

World Warrior
Defeat every type of enemy. 5 G

Trusty Sidearm
Defeat the 8 Bosses with the Mega Buster. 20 G

Blue Bomber 10 G
Defeat a Boss without getting damaged.

Those who hunger for retro Mega Man goodness will be happy to know that Mega Man 1 hits Nintendo’s VC this Monday, and the much anticipated Mega Man 9 will be available in September. The quoted portion below is directly from the official Capcom blog.

To prepare all you Mega Man fans for the release of Mega Man 9 in September, we’re going to offer you the opportunity to play the game that started it all. The orginal Mega Man game returns on the Virtual Console this Monday, August 4, 2008. Yes, that’s right. Brush up on your old school skills and prepare for some cool contests we have in store. We also plan to re-release Mega Man 2 in early September as well.

As great as this new sounds, there’s one thing that will make your Mega Man experience even better — some original Mega Man art by the man who created him. Don’t forget to sign up for our Keiji Inafune Mega Man art contest before it’s too late.

Source: capcom-unity.com

The return of Capcom’s retro blue bomber! I grew up playing Mega Man in this format, and while part of me hopes that more companies follow Capcom on their retro revival world tour, it does make me somewhat question my $500+ next gen console purchase.

If so many gamers, including myself, are doing cartwheels over a game that could easily play on much cheaper hardware, why is it that we are buying next gen mega machines? Oh that’s right — Blu-ray and HD DVD. End rant. Enjoy the footage.

Mega Man 9 will cost you 1000 WiiWare Points, which translates into about $10. We would imagine that the PSN and XBL versions will follow suit. What exactly does your money buy you? Well, in addition to the ten year jump back in time, the game will also integrate online leaderboards and DLC.

Source: IGN

Famitsu drops hints about how awesome Mega Man 9 will be, including plans for downloadable content (at least in Japan). Of course, they didn’t give us even a vague idea of what that content would entail. Other details were on hand, however, so check the jump!

Eight bosses lie in wait at the end of levels with such themes as volcano, ocean, sky, and space. Familiar series characters, both friend (Rush, the sidekick pooch!) and foe (Mets, the peek-a-boo helmet-wearers), will make appearances. Of course, you’ll be able to absorb boss powers, but Famitsu apparently hadn’t read GamesRadar’s exclusive hands-on, and was unable to elaborate.

Once again, “Rockman 9: The Ambitious Revival!!” (Is that really part of the title? They said it more than once, and in quotes…) will be available in Japan this September! 1000 Wii points. Famitsu promises a look at the opening scene “in a few days…”

Source: Famitsu

The official Capcom blog got an update today in the form of a fairly detailed list outlining the company’s E3 lineup. Outside of the obvious jaw droppers in RE5 and Mega Man9, I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the next gen remake of Bionic Commando.

Capcom finished off the post by teasing its “Go to E3 with Capcom” contest, insisting that fans come out and see them at the show if they “have the chance” — too cruel.

While better than nothing, the odds of being granted access are stacked against you. Ripten will be at this years E3, so in the event you don’t get a golden ticket, feel free to check back with us for all of your coverage needs.

Have at the full Capcom lineup of games after the jump.

Hey, I just realized we haven’t told you what we’re going to be showing off come E3! And the show is next week! Jeepers!

• Street Fighter IV: Final arcade code running on a heaping handful of arcade machines.
• Resident Evil 5: Game of show? Quite possibly!
• Dark Void: Also playable, also awesome. Snazzed up since CAPTIVATE08 and ready to totally jetpack your face.
• Bionic Commando: New areas and enemies, now playable on console!
• Mega Man 9: Put on your retro hats and prepare for a major challenge.
• MotoGP ‘08: This year’s installment of the fastest-growing motorsport on two wheels. We’ll be running the 360 version.
• Neopets Puzzle Adventure: Surprise hit from CAPTIVATE08, we’ve got more to show on this puzzle adventure game created by the guys who brought you Puzzle Quest.
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix: A new batch of characters will be selectable for hi-def brawling.
• Plunder: Something new is happening with our digital pirate’s booty…
• Bionic Commando Rearmed: It’s almost out, and we’re showing it one last time.
• New games-on-the-go from Capcom Interactive, our mobile group
• Plus a new super-secret project, Flock!

You really should come and see us at E3 if you have the chance!

Source: Capcom’s Official Blog (via: GoNintendo)

GoNintendo posted a video featuring footage from the upcoming Mega Man 9 WiiWare title. While I’m psyched that Mega Man is going allllllll the way back to his retro roots — graphics, sound, and all — what I personally find interesting about this video is the fact that it seems to be lifted from NicoNico Douga (”Smile Video”), a Japanese video sharing website recently profiled in Wired magazine that lets users comment over the top of the clips in real time. Hit the jump to see what I mean.

So you see all that scrolling white text? Those were people all watching the movie and saying things like:

“What??”

“YESSSSSSSSSSS”

“Ahhhhh!”

“It’s coming out for Wii.”

“Looks like Famicom.”

“Let’s buy a Wii!”

“A numbered title!”

“Rockman 9″ is scheduled for release in Japan this September. Hopefully Mega Man will appear soon after…

Source: GoNintendo