Megaman 11 is coming. No, it isn’t a rumor, a hoax or (thankfully enough) a Mighty No. 9 sequel. In December, Capcom released a trailer for an official Megaman game. Megaman was created about thirty years ago, in 1987. Since then, the character has gained a large cult following, numerous spinoffs, and a dated cartoon. The last game to release in the main series, though, was Megaman 10, in 2010.

After an eight year long hiatus, the super fighting robot has finally stepped back into the light. The trailer proudly shows off for fans, displaying a beautifully polished modern art style, new sound effects such as voice acting and a catchy song taken straight from the soundtrack. It also teases a number of game mechanics, powerups and enemies, leaving fans to speculate until Megaman 11 releases. Although the exact date is still unknown, the trailer promises that the game will be available on the Nintendo Switch, Playstation 4, Xbox One and PC by late 2018.

While the trailer does look promising, it also raises concerns. The updated graphics, voice acting and mysterious new mechanics have all been topics of debate. Not to mention the exclusion of Keiji Inafune, the Father of Megaman. Eddie Wilson ‘19 remains optimistic about the new game, and said that it’s important that it captures the heart of Megaman.

“As long as they don’t go overboard on graphics, and the characters are recognizable, it will be alright,” Wilson said. “New game mechanics would be fine; they’ve been adding new things throughout the series.”

On the other hand, the so-called “Father of Megaman” didn’t truly create the character, and he wasn’t involved in the gameplay. He mainly inherited the title through his work on the series, though this was only ever as an artist and producer, two areas in which Capcom’s Megaman 11 team is excelling. The same could not have been said for the developers of Inafune’s now infamous Mighty No. 9., a spiritual successor to Megaman which crashed and burned due to poor communication, inadequate management, and an unrealistic vision. Mighty No. 9 was also funded by kickstarter donations, leaving many early supporters feeling betrayed.

Already, Capcom is off to a better start. The trailer shows a whole lot of potential, and lets fans know exactly what they will be buying. Plus, they don’t have to pay for anything until the game actually comes out. Colton Morrill ‘18 is excited to get the game for his Nintendo Switch once that happens.

“I saw the release trailer; it looked really fun,” Morrill said. “I just like how [Megaman] is a lot more challenging than games today, like you actually have to be kind of good at it.”

The biggest parts of the series, for Morrill, are the soundtracks and the gameplay difficulty, which were both things the Megaman 11 trailer teased. In the end, the only way to know whether Megaman 11 will be a saving grace for the series or a nail in its coffin is by waiting for the game to release. All that can be said for sure, though, is that Capcom haven’t given up on their beloved blue robot just yet.