Rockman EXE Operate Shooting Star
Media Nintendo DS Game Card
Rockman EXE Operate Shooting Star (ロックマンエグゼ オペレート シューティングスター?) is a Mega Man action role-playing video game published and developed by Capcom for the Nintendo DS handheld video game console. It was revealed at the 2009 World Hobby Fair in Japan and released on November 12, 2009.[1]
The game is the first game in the Mega Man Battle Network series since its conclusion with the release of the sixth title in 2005, as well as an enhanced port of the first Mega Man Battle Network title and a crossover with the Mega Man Star Force series.
Capcom's Christian Svensson, Vice President of Strategic Planning & Business Development, stated that the company has no plans to localize the game for western territories.[2]
Contents [hide]
1 Gameplay
2 Development
3 Reception
4 References
5 External links
[edit] Gameplay
Geo Stelar as Mega Man traversing the internet. The bottom screen displays the map.The game is set in the Battle Network setting (specifically the first Battle Network title), but both MegaMan.EXE and Geo Stelar (as Mega Man) appear together and are playable. The game is largely identical to the original title with the exception of an extra chapter involving Geo's appearance and a battle against a new NetNavi named ClockMan. However this chapter is completely disconnected from the storyline of the game and is not mentioned again afterward.
The battle system is retained from the original Battle Network series, with the addition of some fine-tuning that the system saw throughout the series's progression. The player is able to control either Mega Man in battle after the ClockMan chapter. The two Mega Men do not play identically; Star Force Mega Man brings his ability to lock-on to far-away targets, as well as a brief shield to block minor attacks. Both Mega Men utilize Battle Chips instead of Battle Cards, and new Chips (including a Navi Chip representing Omega-Xis) appear.[3]
The PET interface has been revamped to allow for touch-screen capabilities. The touch screen also serves as a map while traversing the cyber world (similar to the one in Mega Man Battle Network 5: Double Team DS) has also been added.[4]
[edit] Development
The 20th anniversary image that inspired the concept behind Operate Shooting Star, as told by producer HorinouchiIn January 2009, monthly Japanese magazine CoroCoro Comic held their annual Mega Man boss design contest.[5] However, unlike previous contests, it was unknown what upcoming Mega Man title the winning boss would appear in, nor was it revealed even after the winner was announced as Clock Genius in the April 2009 issue.[6] At the 2009 World Hobby Fair convention in Japan, the new Mega Man title was finally unveiled as a cross-over between the Battle Network and Star Force series. There was early speculation that the title may not just be a crossover, but also a remake of a previous Battle Network title, fueled by a comment made in an interview by GameTrailers with series producer Takeshi Horinouchi.[7] Horinouchi later confirmed the speculation with the launch of the official teaser website announcing that the game is an enhanced remake of the first Battle Network title.
The Battle Network series officially ended in 2005 with the release of Mega Man Battle Network 6 for the Game Boy Advance. Around the 25th anniversary of the Mega Man franchise, Capcom was receiving a strong sentiment from fans wanting a new Battle Network title. Horinouchi stated that they wanted one more try at the series. He explained, "This game’s inspiration is actually a celebratory image drawn by the designer for Mega Man’s 20th anniversary. From that time, I’d secretly been thinking 'In time we should try something neat with EXE and Star Force.’ Thus, our next project Rockman EXE Operate Shooting Star has come to be started. Essentially, this is a Mega Man Battle Network 1 remake for the DS, porting it and adding something extra. You the fans may be wondering, what sort of theme comes with combining EXE and Shooting Star? This is something that Battle Network fans of course, and Star Force fans as well, will enjoy."[8]But because of some "fans" the game willl not release into America.
[edit] Reception
According to the Japanese publication Famitsu, Rockman EXE Operate Shooting Star was the ninth best-selling game in Japan during its release week at approximately 23,000 copies sold.[9] A total of 44,110 units were sold in Japan by the end of 2009.[10]
Based on the final number of Japanese units sold on the twentieth-week for the Battle Network and Star Force titles (with sales for multiple versions combined), Operating Shooting Star is the lowest grossing title to date. Comparatively, MegaMan Battle Network 4 was the highest, ending its chart performance with over 900,000 units sold. Although never confirmed by official Capcom representatives, many fans believe that the title's record-low performance may be the reason Capcom has opted against localizing the game in other territories.
The game has been largely ignored by gaming critics due to its lack of an English localization. The game received an average GameFAQs user rating of 6.8 out of 10, with most users citing the game's biggest flaws in being the overall lack of additional content or improvements. Many complaints also cited the fact that the Star Force elements had very little bearing on the actual storyline of the game, and that they didn't become available until the end chapters of the game.[11]
