A Little Something for Voully

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For a certain old friend of mine that got in touch with me again recently, and is a huge fan of Mega Man Legends.

Thumbing through the archives of u-Capcom (which I've been going over before the end-of-June close, just in case some content disappears), I found a random trivia bit that I wasn't familiar with before, so I thought I'd share. Sorry if this is old news for some of you, but I think for those who don't know, it's worth retelling.

According to Masahiro Yasuma, a Capcom staff member with various involvements in DASH and EXE, several of the place names in Legends 1 are based off the surnames of DASH staff members. Tracking down the credits, I've put together this list:

• The Cardon Forest, or "Kaadon no mori" カードンの森 in Japanese is most likely named after Kazunori Kadoi, game and engine designer and 3D model animator for DASH 1.
• The Clozer Woods, or "Kuroosaa no mori" クローサーの森 is seemingly named after Shin Kurosawa, a scenario and event planner for DASH 1.
• Lake Jynn or "Juuin-ko" ジュウイン湖 is based off DASH 1's head programmer Masaru Ijuin (who is also the surname inspiration for Enzan/Chaud of EXE).
• Last but not least, Masahiro Yasuma himself is the inspiration for the Yass Plains or "Yasu no sougen" ヤスの草原, as well as the famed "Yasmar Woods" sign that can be found via codes only.

There's really all kinds of neat little easter eggs of information on u-Capcom, maybe I'll make some more posts about them in the future.

Mega Mission 3, Part 2

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From Part 1.

I actually made quite a few errors in it, which I've since gone back and changed. I do occasionally go back and change things, correct mistakes or inaccuracies, clarify some confusing bits, et cetera, as I come across them. I don't really announce it too often, so who knows, maybe something you've read before has already changed.

My little notes section has become more of a running commentary that's sometimes far longer than the actual card translation itself. My bad! I couldn't help myself, really. It just sorta happened that way. It's my hope to impart useful and interesting supplemental information, and maybe even hype things up a bit to add to the atmosphere of the story. But it's perfectly possible to just skip that section if I get too preachy on ya. It isn't really necessary to get the gist of the story.

I'm happy that the project's almost finished. I'm growing a bit restless from dealing with these cards for so long. My next project I have in mind will be a much needed break (and a lot shorter to boot). Look for it once Mega Mission is finalized and formatted.

Now, on with the show...

Card No. 96	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	NAME: A-ARMARGE-HL SECT: REMEET REPLIROID Remeet Repliroid DATA: Armor Armarge's body has been evolved by the Hyper Limited that clung to it. He transformed himself into Rot Armor in order to get close to X. WEAPON: In addition to his body rolling attack, the crush shields equipped on both his arms have been reinforced for maximum offensive and defensiveness.
A-Armarge-HL
Title (Back):
Armor Armarge Hyper Limited
Notes: Armarge is looking pretty bulky, especially compared to his Masquerade form. He now resembles a prehistoric armadillo complete with spiky tail and hood-like shell. It's funny how so many of these "evolutions" are really about reverting modern animals back to a much earlier lineage.
Card No. 97	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 3 Story 4 While Zero faced off with the countless swarms of Irregulars, X kicked off his own battle against the Hyper Limiteds. X evaded Armarge's body rolling attack by keeping in his blind spot and returning fire. However, even X's Electric Spark had no effect on the Hyper Limited Armarge.
Rockman X vs A-Armarge-HL
Title (Back):
Rockman X vs Armor Armarge Hyper Limited
Notes: Once again X has his past special weapons, no word on whether this is due to the presence of a Limited Field, although it is likely. Grappling with X in the picture, we can see how much larger Armarge has seemingly become. We've also learned that Hyper Limited's evolution has become so powerful that even special weapons which were once the Remeet Repliroid's weakness may barely cause a scratch to them now. And X will have to fight four of them at once? Not good...
Card No. 98	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	NAME: L-OCTOPULD-HL SECT: REMEET REPLIROID Remeet Repliroid DATA: Octopuld revived via fusion with Hyper Limited. Blau Launcher's true form, and a maestro of underwater warfare. WEAPON: Fires an enhanced Homing Torpedo, and wields his lance, the Octrident!!
L-Octopuld-HL
Title (Back):
Launcher Octopuld Hyper Limited
Notes: Octopuld HL is looking like a very gruff sea lord Poseidon, with his trident and all. His face even resembles a beard to me, somehow.
Card No. 99	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 3 Story 5 While Armarge was bearing down on X, Octopuld lay in with a missile attack. X was able to intercept the missiles with Homing Torpedo, but Octopuld had maneuvered his body directly above X, ready to strike! Encircled by his 8 limbs, had Octopuld had left X nowhere to run?!
Rockman X vs L-Octopuld-HL
Title (Back):
Rockman X vs Launcher Octopuld Hyper Limited
Notes: X fights fire with fire, or in this case, Homing Torpedo with Homing Torpedo. Rolling Shield would have been more traditional, or maybe even Boomerang Cutter, but I won't argue with the man.
Card No. 100	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	NAME: M-MOTHMEANOS-HL SECT: REMEET REPLIROID Remeet Repliroid DATA: Mothmeanos revived through fusion with Hyper Limited. Like a bagworm dropped out of hiding, Grün Metamo's true form has emerged!! WEAPON: He can fire a powerful beam from his palms, or conduct a deadly strike with his Moth Sabre!!
M-Mothmeanos-HL
Title (Back):
Metamor Mothmeanos Hyper Limited
Notes: Card 100! Woo, triple digits! Did you know that bagworms are a member of the same family of insects as butterflies and moths? I didn't, until I translated this card!
Card No. 101	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 3 Story 6 "Prepare yourself, X! For today is the day of your death!" Mothmeanos swooped down upon X, carrying him high into the sky! X was able to escape the main attack with Rushing Burner, but was then struck by a beam fired from Mothmeanos' palm. Using one hand then the other, Mothmeanos fired again and again! Does X have any chance at victory?!
Rockman X vs M-Mothmeanos-HL
Title (Back):
Rockman X vs Metamor Mothmeanos Hyper Limited
Notes: Facing attacks from every direction, X is starting to feel very overwhelmed. The increased power of Limited was bad enough, but with their added weakness immunities, it's gone from drudgingly difficult to nightmarishly impossible!
Card No. 102	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	NAME: E-NAMAZUROS-HL SECT: REMEET REPLIROID Remeet Repliroid DATA: The "Rescue Power Plant" has been infused with Limited. Shedding his kind heart, Braun Eleci transformed and set his sights on X. WEAPON: Manipulating a tremendous amount of electricity, he can generate a completely flawless electric shield!!
E-Namazuros-HL
Title (Back):
Electro Namazuros Hyper Limited
Notes: That's one whopper of a catfish. The "Rescue Power Plant" is Namazuros' nickname from X3.
Card No. 103	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 3 Story 7 Squeezing every ounce of his willpower, X continued to fight as Namazuros' massive body drew near. Even Tornado Fang was powerless against Namazuros' perfected electric shield. Meanwhile, Zero had finished vanquishing the hordes of Irregulars, and was hurrying back to assist. But even so, can they hope to win when it's two against four?
Rockman X vs E-Namazuros-HL
Title (Back):
Rockman X vs Electro Namazuros Hyper Limited
Notes: The Hyper Limiteds have each taken their turn abusing X and showing off their incredible power. Zero cleared out that army of Irregulars so fast that even Rambo would be put to shame, but he has yet to face the indomitable powers of Hyper Limited. Can teamwork prevail where alone X could not?
Card No. 104	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 3 Story 8 Zero had torn through the mechaniloids easily. Yet despite combining his powers with X, trying to defeat Limited's strongest evolution Hyper Limited was proving exceedingly difficult. X and Zero were being gradually worn down! Are even their Special A class skills no match for Hyper Limited?
Rockman X & ZERO
Title (Back):
A Losing Battle! X and Zero
Notes: X and Zero are looking tired yet determined on the front of this card. Despite their legendary power, they are outnumbered and outclassed by the latest advancement of Limited. At this rate, our heroes will fall and Limited will finally have achieved its dark victory over the Earth. If only X had some kind of power up parts to even the playing field a bit...
Card No. 105	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	NAME: RETURN X SECT: REMEET REPLIROID Remeet Repliroid DATA: Previously, iX had been beaten by X. Driven by his intense determination, "I will defeat X," he resurrected himself and tenaciously clung to his mission!! "As long as my core survives, I will always come back." WEAPON: The buster initially created from an exhaustive analysis of X has amassed even greater power, becoming the Return iX Buster!!
Return X
Title (Back):
Return iX
Notes: The ultimate soldier iX is back, baby! And he's looking creepier than ever. Return iX, RX, R-ikusu, Return X, whatever you'd like to call him, was able to revive himself after his initial defeat thanks to a surviving cell. At last he's succeeded in tracking X down, and even amidst this carnage, he's going to make his presence felt. With yet another enemy to tackle, does this arrival mark the final death knell of X and Zero?
Card No. 106	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 3 Story 9 In the midst of X and Zero's grueling battle appeared the regenerated form of iX, calling himself Return iX. RX struck out at the Hyper Limiteds, demonstrating how far his power had progressed!! As RX cut down the Hyper Limiteds one after another and forced their retreat, it seemed this former dangerous adversary had become a powerful ally, right before X's very eyes! But, why...?
Return X vs Hyper Limited
Title (Back):
Return iX vs Hyper Limited Quartet
Notes: Shocking everyone, instead of moving in to finish X off, RX tears into the Hyper Limiteds instead! The card front shows RX literally karate chopping into what looks like Armarge HL, with pieces of the other 3 strewn around along with him. But hey, aren't these Limited guys all supposed to be on the same team? What's going on?!
Card No. 107	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 3 Story 10 "The only one to defeat you, will be me!" "You're iX! So, you survived?" Face to face with someone he thought he had defeated long ago, and moreover confounded that this someone would help him in this time of crisis , X was doubly struck with an astonishment he could barely conceal! "I will always come back... in order to defeat you!" With that, the fated battle began!
Rockman X vs Return X
Title (Back):
Rockman X vs Return iX
Notes: Showing himself to be anything but X's savior, iX reveals his hatred to his rival. In mowing down the Hyper Limiteds, he was merely clearing a path to his true enemy. And judging by the ease to which he dispatched the Hyper Limiteds, his own power has vastly improved. It seems X has once again leaped out of the frying pan, and into the fire! Will the fury of RX prove far worse than anything the 4 Hyper Limiteds had in store? The answers, coming up!

Mega Mission 3, Part 1

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Beginning once more, the final installment of Carddass' Mega Mission series. Very different from the structure of the previous 2 story arcs, though some plot aspects will still remain strikingly similar. This time X and Zero have only 4 Remeet Repliroids to contend with, but they'll have much greater power. iX returns as the aptly named "Return X," along with another familiar face who makes his long awaited first appearance in Limited fashion. All this and a surprise "ending" await, in Mega Mission 3!

ROCKMAN X MEGA MISSION 3 VERSUS HYPER LIMITED
Card No. 85	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	NAME: ROCKMAN X SECT: IRREGULAR HUNTER Irregular Hunter DATA: Commander of the 17th Elite Unit. Initially a B Class Irregular Hunter, he has grown strong through many difficult battles. WEAPON: As X has grown, so too has the power of his X-Buster! The destructive power of its charge shot is well renown!!
Rockman X
Title (Back):
Rockman X
Notes: Unlike the beginnings of the previous Mega Missions, this card is not a holo and discusses only X rather than X and Zero together. The logos in the corners are carried over from Mega Mission 2, but are no longer holographic stickers. The front titles no longer write "ROCKMAN X" in all caps, though "ZERO" still gets the capslock treatment. The backs of the cards have developed a silvery border with a barcode style motif. The backs also now say "CHARACTER CARD" or "MEGA MISSION STORY CARD" in English (depending on which they are) and character cards will contain name and organization information in English as well, which I've included in italics even though it's redundant.
Card No. 86	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 3 Prologue At Central Point, Hunters have been disappearing one after another as if targeted in mysterious recurring incidents. Could the Counter Hunters have been revived somehow?! In response to the loss of so many Irregular Hunters, a new vigilante group has formed to protect Central Point, calling themselves the Masquerades.
Prologue
Title (Back):
City-wide mayhem! Disappearance of the Hunters
Notes: Our story begins, sometime after the conclusive battle between X and Tackione. Skilled Hunters are disappearing, and the city is close to being overrun with panic. The Counter Hunters (aka the X-Hunters) assassinated 100 of the top Irregular Hunters during the 6 months between X1 and X2, which is why the current incidents arise suspicions of their return. It is unclear whether Central Point is the same city that suffered the Limited Field attack in the last Mega Missison. At any rate, concerned repliroids have risen and banded together to fill the gap: the mysterious Masquerades. But it is not the Masquerades we're seeing in the colorful but foreboding image on the front of the card... or is it?
Card No. 87	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 3 Story 1 Following the appearance of the Masquerades, the attack damages sharply declined. The Hunter organization which had been suffering heavy losses recognized the Masquerades' power, and they were welcomed to join the Hunter ranks officially. Thus Rockman X and Zero were joined by their new associates, the Masquerades!!
New Colleagues "Masquerades"
Title (Back):
New Allies?
Notes: Seeking to recoup their recent losses and regain public trust, the Hunter brass invites the 4 vigilantes to become Hunter members. The Masquerades themselves resemble a super sentai group, with their red, blue, green and brown/gold ranger call colors. We'll learn more about these new "heroes" next.
Card No. 88	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	NAME: ROT-ARMOR SECT: MASQUERADES Masquerades DATA: A newly registered member of the Irregular Hunters. He is also the acting leader of the Masquerades. WEAPON: Boasts the highest defensive power of the Masquerades, and also excels in mobility.
Rot-Armor
Title (Back):
Rot Armor
Notes: Rot means red in german, making him the red Masquerade. Naturally, he's the leader.
Card No. 89	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	NAME: BLAU-LAUNCHER SECT: MASQUERADES Masquerades DATA: A member of the vigilante group that operated in Central Point. Because of his achievements, he was permitted to become an Irregular Hunter. WEAPON: His greatest weapon is his quick and graceful maneuverability, especially underwater.
Blau-Launcher
Title (Back):
Blau Launcher
Notes: Blau means blue in German.
Card No. 90	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	NAME: GRÜN-METAMO SECT: MASQUERADES Masquerades DATA: He was allowed to join the Irregular Hunters by merit of his efforts to reduce collateral damages, but there is something suspicious about him... WEAPON: Can fashion weapons for himself by assembling various bits of scrap.
Grün-Metamo
Title (Back):
Grün Metamo
Notes: Grün is German for green.
Card No. 91	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	NAME: BRAUN-ELECI SECT: MASQUERADES Masquerades DATA: After the recent incidents, he was recruited into the Irregular Hunters. But there seems to be something unsettling about these Masquerades... WEAPON: His large body and incredible strength are his most imposing weapons, but he's also able to use electric attacks.
Braun-Eleci
Title (Back):
Braun Eleci
Notes: Completing the pattern, Braun means Brown in German. Not everyone in the Hunters completely trusts the Masquerades. Perhaps it's the uncanny resemblance to several former irregular repliroids, in both name and appearance... Probably just a coincidence...?
Card No. 92	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 3 Story 2 However, the Masquerades are actually a team of 4 Hyper Limiteds sent to spy upon X and company, and uncover their secrets. They had thinned the Hunter ranks themselves, then changed their bodies into their Masquerade forms in order to gain X's confidence. And once X's guard was lowered, they would strike all at once. This was their true mission. X is already in great danger!!
Revolt!! Masquerades
Title (Back):
Revolt! Masquerades
Notes: The truth is revealed (and what a shock)! The Masquerades were double agents all along. Now that they've infiltrated the Hunter organization, they're ready to take it down from within. Abandoning the masquerade and revealing their true forms, their multi-faceted assault will strike at the very heart of the Hunters!
Card No. 93	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	NAME: CROWD SECT: MECHANIROID & BICTROID Mechaniloid & Victoroid DATA: The Hyper Limiteds unleashed a Limited Field, and machines began running wild. An angry mob of rioting rabble quickly formed. WEAPON: They have not been powered up by Limited, so they have only their original weapons.
Reckless Irregular
Title (Back):
Reckless Irregular
Notes: Some tough enemies from X3, Maoh the Giant, Worm Seeker R, Hellcrusher, Wall Cancers and Bictroid/Victoroids gather on the front of this card, preparing to raise hell. With the Hunters disabled and the city in chaos, who will come to the rescue?
Card No. 94	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	NAME: ZERO SECT: IRREGULAR HUNTER Irregular Hunter DATA: Commender of the 0th Special Forces Unit, and Special A class Irregular Hunter. Just as before, whenever X is caught in a pinch, Zero gallantly arrives to give his friend a hand. WEAPON: His Special A class skills include being an amazing swordsman with his Beam Sabre and an ace sure-shot buster-slinger.
ZERO
Title (Back):
Zero
Notes: Zero enters the fray, ready to take on the irregular menace plaguing the area. Zero's a one-man army, but in his line of work, he has to be just to survive.
Card No. 95	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 3 Story 3 The Masquerades have shown their true colors as Hyper Limited. But Hyper Limiteds go beyond just sticking to repliroids, they are even manipulating the mechaniloids from afar. "Leave those underlings to me, X!" Zero rushes to his friend's aid in his time of need.
ZERO vs Irregular
Title (Back):
Zero vs Irregulars
Notes: Zero opts to face the rabble of rebellious robots, so that X can concentrate on challenging the Hyper Limiteds. Zero is confident under pressure, but both heroes are up against heavy odds. Even heavier than they realize, as they HLs will soon demonstrate just how far they've evolved...

Mega Mission 2 Conclusion

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Part 1, Part 2, Part 3

Card No. 75	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Order Breaker DATA: A Limited that developed using Doppler's residual data. He used that knowledge to capture X in order to further his own evolution. WEAPON: Wields the Remeet Smasher and Sabre Grapp, two ultra-powerful weapons!!
Tackione
Title (Back):
Tackione
Notes: He was slightly visible from other cards, particularly 71, but here we finally get a really good look at Tackione. At the top of his body is a green dome, and inside is the partially reconstructed head of Doppler, equipped with the classic "cyborg eye" look. It reminds me of another head-under-glass cyborg scientist, Dr. Vile of the Zero series. Tackione wears a cape similar to the coat Doppler wore in the first Mega Mission as well, and features Doppler's characteristic ratchet-fingers. His chest adorns the face of Limited, and the design incorporates many tentacle-like wires connecting different parts of his body. His buster, the Remeet Smasher, is the first to have a large crystal-like protrusion covering over the nozzle, something that the later Mega Mission armors would incorporate. The Remeet Smasher has a slanted opening at the tip of this covering that is seemingly able to change the spread of his attack.
Card No. 76	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 17 "I have acquired all of Doppler's knowledge! There is no one in existence who can best me!!" Tackione announced, determined to deliver the final blow to both injured men. Tackione fired relentlessly, narrowly missing Zero and X.
Tackione vs X & ZERO
Title (Back):
Tackione vs the Damaged Duo
Notes: Tackione, or should we say Doppler Limited, attempts to take advantage of the situation and claim his victory. Our dazed heroes barely manage to dodge his assault. X and Zero have been in bad scrapes before, but in their current state, things are looking grim. Can they still hope to stand against Limited's strongest evolution yet?
Card No. 77	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 18 Realizing that Zero's damage had been inflicted by his own buster, X quickly understood what had happened to himself during this incident, and launched himself against Tackione. Dodging Tackione's Sabre Grapp and wresting his beam sabre away, X struck back against his tormentor.
ROCKMAN X vs Tackione
Title (Back):
Rockman X vs Tackione
Notes: X has snapped back into action, and as expected has risen to the occasion in rare form! Taking Tackione by surprise, he is even able to claim his enemy's own weapon from him! X's will to protect his friend makes even his unarmored form a force to be reckoned with, but don't expect Tackione to just roll over and die. X's small victory hasn't won this war yet!
Card No. 78	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Repligigant DATA: For the sake of defeating X, Tackione mutated himself into his evolved gigantic final mode. The power concealed within his grotesque body is impossible to quantify. WEAPON: His capability for destructive mayhem coupled with his ingenious intellect is his greatest weapon!!
Tackione - Final Mode
Title (Back):
Tackione Final Mode
Notes: Unwilling to permit X's stunt heroics, Tackione kicks it up a notch and transforms to Repligigant form, much as his predecessor Mother Limited did. The picture on this holo card is the only one where you get a good idea of how huge Tackione Final Mode is, but it also shows X battling him with an armor that he hasn't acquired yet in the story. This is probably done to give this armor more exposure, since otherwise there are only 2 cards where you can really see and appreciate it. In short, the picture on the card takes place between cards 81 and 83, even though the info on the back is correct for card 78. You can think of it as a preview of the battle to come.
Card No. 79	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 19 Achieving his final evolution, the Repligigant Tackione bares his menacing fury, attemting to mow down Zero and X with his enormous claws! Though disadvantaged, the two fought back with all their remaining strength. Finally, Zero decided that he must sacrifice himself and combine their remaining energy in order to stand a chance.
Tackione - Final Mode vs X & ZERO
Title (Back):
Tackione Final Mode vs Double Heroes
Notes: This is one uphill battle that Zero recognizes they cannot win. Because X's body has endured less damage, Zero knows that he has the best chance for survival. Perhaps, if the Neo Armor's energy can be transfered to X's able body... it's their only hope!
Card No. 80	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 20 No longer able to move, Zero imparts to X one final request. "X, I'm transferring all my energy over to you... No matter what happens... You must defeat Tackione!!" In that instant, Zero's Neo Buster and Neo Armor disappeared, and X became the sole inheritor of all that power!!
ZERO & ROCKMAN X
Title (Back):
Zero to X, Infinite Energy
Notes: The picture shows Zero's energy transfered to X, and a new buster forming on X's hand, but that's just for starters. In combining with X, a power even greater than the Neo Armor is about to be born!
Card No. 81	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Irregular Hunter DATA: All of Zero's energy was handed down to X, forming a new armor. This unrivaled armor can repel any attack! WEAPON: The Giga Buster and Giga Sabre, possessing the ability to destroy any kind of enemy!!
ROCKMAN X
Title (Back):
Rockman X (Giga Armor)
Notes: Another holo card used to showcase an armor transformation. Though some fans use this title to refer to the X2 armor, this is the only armor to ever be officially dubbed the Giga Armor. This glowing armor gives off the aura of an invincible warrior of justice. Even the sabre X snatched up from Tackione has been transformed to an unparalleled instrument of righteous fury. This armor also conceals a familiar secret weapon...
Card No. 82	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 21 Empowered by the Giga Armor, X renewed his fight against Tackione. Overflowing with energy, the slice of X's Giga Sabre parted the air itself, as the Giga Buster roared like thunder!! The last battle of X and Tackione had now truly begun.
X vs Tackione - Final Mode
Title (Back):
Rockman X (Giga Armor) vs Tackione Final Mode
Notes: What happens when warriors who are as Gods collide? The earth itself trembles beneath their feet! An all-out death match between good and evil has broken out, and the fate of the world will be decided once again.
Card No. 83	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 22 The Giga Armor stored up a vast excess of energy. X decided to lay everything on the line, and called upon the very limits of his power to unleash one final special move, the Giga Crush!! Both Tackione and X's Giga Armor gave way to annihilation as the entire area was engulfed in a blinding flash of light!
Giga Crush!!
Title (Back):
Explosion! Giga Crush!!
Notes: Our final holo card gives accent to the explosive force of the Giga Crush. Incinerating the enemy and even itself, this Giga Crush packs a much bigger bang than the X2 armor did. Can it be that at long last, Limited is no more?
Card No. 84	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Epilogue When it was all over, a stillness settled over the area. X stood tall, supporting Zero on his shoulder. Though Tackione's threat had abated, there was no guarantee that Limited had been completely exterminated. His chest swelling with renewed determination, X marched on. His battle has still not concluded!!
ROCKMAN X vs Tackione
Title (Back):
The Calm Before the Storm? An Eerie Silence.
Notes: Similar to the ending of Mega Mission 1, the battle has ended, but no sense of peace has befallen our heroes. Foreshadowing that Limited has not been extinguished here, the image on this card portrays X and Zero in battle poses over a backdrop of Limited reformed. Another sequel was already in the cards for X, with the final segment of the Mega Mission trilogy just around the corner! Enjoy the armistice while it lasts, Irregular Hunters! Another war is looming just over the horizon!

Mega Mission 2, Part 3

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Continued from... actually, you could probably just scroll down.

Card No. 67	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Order Breaker DATA: Grown from a portion of Tackione that was separated. Despite his large build, he is actually quite quick and dexterous, and enjoys using his freely contractible neck to toy with his victims. WEAPON: Specializes in Machine Grapp, a hand-to-hand fighting style that utilizes his spherical body.
Bloodione
Title (Back):
Bloodione
Notes: The giant dude of the trio, but with a twist this time, in that he's actually fast and agile as well as huge and strong. His neck is tensile and can come out of his body like a snake in a turtle shell. Not mentioned, but his other limbs also seem to be capable of extending out and retracting into his body to some extent. He has a lot of elbows, and his face resembles a gas mask. A stylized skull pattern adorns his globe-like torso. Of the Order Breakers, his design is the most unique.
Card No. 68	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 12 Zero obtained the Neo Armor, his body coursing with power! Then Tackione and the Order Breakers appeared on the scene. To their surprise, the Neo Armor completely neutralized the effects of the Limited Field! "Bring it on... Zero...!" Bloodione lost his temper, and with that, challenged Zero to battle!!
ZERO vs Bloodione
Title (Back):
Zero vs Bloodione
Notes: The picture shows Bloodione, limbs and neck extended and engaged in battle with Zero. Bloodione's fighting technique the "Machine Grapp" is comparable to a repliroid form of Sumo wrestling. Bloodione is like the lovechild of E. Honda and Dhalsim, except he's also a robot.
Card No. 69	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Order Breaker DATA: Like Bloodione, his body was made from a piece of Tackione which separated and matured. An extremely resourceful Order Breaker with a cruel and ruthless demeanor. WEAPON: By crossing both arms, he can fire the Arrow Shot.
Luxione
Title (Back):
Luxione
Notes: Meant to resemble the martial arts stereotype of long-haired warrior who fights using his braids, Luxione winds up looking and feeling a great deal like Schmitt of the previous Mega Mission, slim body, glowing hands and all. This card describes "Order Breaker" for the Japanese audience as a destroyer of order/authority/regularity/the powers that be. In English those connotations are explicit enough already, since they are already terms English speakers should be familiar with.
Card No. 70	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 13 Bloodione had Zero cornered, and Luxione moved in for the kill. But Zero dodged his Arrow Shot and returned fire. Unleashing the Neo Buster at maximum output, Zero blasted clear through Luxione and Bloodione with a single shot! Well done, Zero! Only Tackione himself remained!
ZERO vs Luxione
Title (Back):
Zero vs Luxione
Notes: The picture shows Luxione and Zero engaged in close combat. Zero tackled both fiends at once, but Tackione isn't shaking in his boots yet. He has another surprise for Zero.
Card No. 71	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 14 Zero has obliterated 2 of the Order Breakers, but Tackione's ominous smile was unwaivering. "After all, I only created those offshoots for amusement. I still have another disciple. The strongest one, in fact..." Another figure was revealed behind Tackione... Who is this "strongest one"...?
Replicapture
Title (Back):
Tackione's Secret Weapon?!
Notes: Visible on the card, Tackione has moved to reveal none other than X wearing some kind of Limited armor. The art of X with half his face obscured in darkness is greatly iconic.
Card No. 72	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Replicapture DATA: A Limited created by Tackione has preyed upon the body of X. It's reached the point that it can even manipulate X's mind. WEAPON: Limited has mutated X's buster, creating the Remeet X Buster.
Replicapture
Title (Back):
Rockman X (Replicapture)
Notes: Rockman X, champion of justice and greatest creation of Dr. Right, reduced to the puppet of a soul-sucking parasite? Say it ain't so! Reversed from their usual X-series roles, X has gone over to the dark side and Zero must do all he can to either bring back his friend, or stop him by any means necessary. Long before the Zero series, and even before X4's ending where X requested Zero take care of him if he were to ever go irregular, this is the very first time a heroic Zero had to battle with X. An X powered up by Limited's Replicapture armor and Remeet X Buster to boot. With both contenders at such heights of power, this is one fight that earns the title of epic!
Card No. 73	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 15 Now the pawn of Tackione, Replicapture X began a furious assault on Zero! But Zero dodged X's barrage without raising an eyebrow. Is there any way Zero can rescue his friend from this fate?
ZERO vs ROCKMAN X
Title (Back):
Zero vs Rockman X (Replicapture)
Notes: Though probably clear from the context alone, "without raising an eyebrow" is a Japanese expression comparable to "without breaking a sweat" or "without missing a beat." The image on the card depicts Zero yanking on the wire protruding from X's buster while firing Scrap Shoot at the ground in front of X, in hopes its shrapnel will rebound and do some damage to that Replicapture armor. Zero's taking some risks, working hard to try and free his friend, but the Remeet X Buster can do some serious damage that even the Neo Armor won't protect him from. Careful Zero, you're the world's only hope!
Card No. 74	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 16 At long last, the battle between Zero and X came to an end. With Zero's Neo Buster having destroyed the Limited that was feeding upon him, X's body returned to its normal form. However, Zero had likewise fallen prey to X's buster, his own body now greatly wounded.
ZERO vs ROCKMAN X
Title (Back):
Comrades, Collide!
Notes: The dying Limited cells can be seen dripping off of X's restored body. Smoke rises off from both combatants. Good has prevailed over evil, yet at a high cost. Zero succeeded in returning X to normal, but has himself been critically injured. Similar to X5, the duel ends in a draw that leaves both characters weak and tired. Unlike X5, there'll be no time to recover before the last battle begins! Coming up next, the final showdown with Tackione!

Mega Mission 2, part 2

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Continued from here. I'm over halfway done with Mega Mission 2, and with my Mega Mission translation project in general, but I still have yet to upload the images to go along with them. This blog format doesn't seem conductive for doing so, at all. I'm working on something where it can be hosted elsewhere, though. The scans are coming, truly!

Card No. 54	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Irregular Hunter DATA: Zero uncovered the wreckage of his abducted companion X's buster, which he installed in his own buster. Now their power is combined! WEAPON: The strength of both Zero and X's busters have been merged into one outstanding weapon!!
ZERO
Title (Back):
Zero (Neo Buster)
Notes: Our second holo card, and another example of the character profiles getting ahead of the story cards. The Neo Buster slightly resembles the X3 Zero Buster, colored blue, with even more green triangular gems, and a split-barrel cannon that's half red and half blue.
Card No. 55	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 6 Found at the scene of X's defeat was the wreckage of his buster. Zero used those parts to remodel his own buster into the mighty Neo Buster! Zero would use this power to help track down his missing friend X, and combat the unidentified enemy behind this disappearance.
ZERO
Title (Back):
Zero Scramble!!
Notes: You might think Zero is some kind of genius to be able to combine and improve upon the greatest weapons of Thomas Right and Albert Wily with some broken equipment, no tools and very little time, but it probably isn't much more unbelievable or complicated than, for instance, when Zero gives X his buster parts towards the ending of X1. There is still some Limited traces in the buster as well, making Zero now infected with residual Limited too (and maybe that had something to do with the Neo Buster's formatting as well). The Neo Buster will allow Zero to use special weapons that X has collected before. If you're wondering why the Limited Field hasn't sapped Zero's power as well, it's because the effect is much stronger in proximity of the Order Breakers, and now that they've retreated to their evil lair, the effect has become minimal (though still present) again.
Card No. 56	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Remeet Repliroid DATA: The new body of Hyakulegger, who was revived via fusion with Limited. His teleportation tactics are in top form!! WEAPON: His Magnet Mines are more plentiful and more powerful than before.
Magne-Hyakylegger-L
Title (Back):
Magne Hyakulegger Limited
Notes: I always thought Centipede's virus injecting powers were his most formidable aspect, but no mention of those improving. Oh well!
Card No. 57	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 7 Magne Hyakulegger obstructed Zero's path and attacked with Magnet Mine. Unfortunately for Hyakulegger, he wasn't prepared to tackle the Zero-X combined power of the Neo Buster, and was wiped out! Just then, something strange appeared before Zero... a capsule?!
ZERO vs Magne-Hyakulegger-L
Title (Back):
Zero vs Magne Hyakulegger Limited
Notes: The Neo Buster's color has changed to orange, indicating a weapon change, likely the Scrap Shoot, Hyakulegger's weakness in X2. A capsule has appeared before Zero, presenting one of the most controversial aspects of the Mega Mission series, coming up in the next card.
Card No. 58	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 8 "Perhaps this also was fate, hmm, Zero... I wish to grant you a new power... Come, please, step inside." Guided by the mysterious elder who appeared from inside it, Zero entered the capsule. Afterward, his body had changed to...
Power Up Cupsle
Title (Back):
Arrival!! Power Up Capsule
Notes: Yes, the card reads "Cupsle" in English. Anyway, Dr. Right has arrived in his usual X1-3 styled capsule and awarded Zero an armor to help rescue X. This is contradictory to Right's words in Rockman X2 Soul Eraser and Rockman X5 where Right is adamant that he cannot create armors for Zero's body, but only supply relatively minor power ups. Fans have theorized that perhaps Zero having X's parts installed is what made this possible here, even though the parts had little to do with Zero's chest. Others point out that the armor seems to just be fastened over top of Zero's normal armor instead of being integrated into his body, but it does in fact resonate with the Neo Buster and utilizes Zero's internal energy and later even other parts of his body not initially installed over. Some suppose that Limited could have changed Zero's body structure to temporarily evolve more like X's, which allowed this. The likely truth of the matter is simply that there was nothing in the story up to that point in 1996 that flat-out said Right couldn't make armors for Zero, only that he hadn't done so yet. The embargo wasn't established in the games until the year 2000. Hard to say whether this was an intentional contradiction or just an oversight on Capcom's part. Of course, if you don't consider Mega Mission to be canon to the X games, then there's nothing to reconcile. Ultimately, Zero getting an armor from Right gave a big rush to Zero fans, and helped Bandai round out its toy repertoire for both heroes. For now, lets just go with it, and on with the show!
Card No. 59	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Irregular Hunter DATA: Following the advice of the mysterious elder, Zero received a new armor. This armor seems to be formed from an overflow of energy. WEAPON: Allows the Neo Buster to fire a powerful solid-light projectile called the Energy Shot.
ZERO
Title (Back):
Zero (Energy Armor)
Notes: An armor that is literally bustling and crackling with energy... Did Right save the cool armor for Zero, or what? This armor can absorb otherwise damaging energy attacks to reinforce itself, making it even stronger. Nice! Also, the Energy Armor uses the typical Japanese version of "energy" as "エネルギー" enerugii, while the Energy Shot is written with the less common "エナジー" enajii. No real significance either way, just making a note of it.
Card No. 60	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Remeet Repliroid DATA: Revived by Limited, Horneck is made to assail against his former superior officer, Zero. His favorite style of attack is conducting aerial bombing raids. WEAPON: His bee shaped bombs are more powerful and mobile, and able to attack in huge swarms!!
Explause-Horneck-L
Title (Back):
Explause Horneck Limited
Notes: More often written as Explose Horneck, but I'm leaving it the same here. This is the second Remeet Repliroid in a row to be a former member of the 0th Squadron. Zero must prove his skill as captain here!
Card No. 61	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 9 Zero returns Explause Horneck's assault with his newly acquired Energy Armor. The armor supplied the Neo Buster with even stronger energy, and finished off Horneck with a blast of Bug Hole.
ZERO vs Explause-Horneck-L
Title (Back):
Zero vs Explause Horneck Limited
Notes: The Energy Armor and Neo Buster are pinkish purple in the card image, reflecting the weapon change to Bug Hole. Not mentioned, but Zero is shown to also be attacking with his Zero Sabre. Man, I miss the days when Zero was portrayed as a long- and short-range brawler in the X series.
Card No. 62	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Remeet Repliroid DATA: Tigerd infused with Limited. His Shining Claw has evolved completely!! WEAPON: His light-speed Ray Splasher has targeted Zero!!
Shining-Tigerd-L
Title (Back):
Shining Tigerd Limited
Notes: Tigerd is looking more like a white sabre-toothed cat than strictly a tiger, though I never thought he resembled a tiger that much initially anyway.
Card No. 63	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 10 Shining Tigerd L poised his razor-sharp claws at Zero, as the two skilled hunters squared off against one another. Zero met his enemy with the enhanced Neo Buster, firing volleys of Spinning Blades at Tigerd, shredding him to pieces.
ZERO vs Shining-Tigerd-L
Title (Back):
Zero vs Shining Tigerd Limited
Notes: Tigerd is a poacher hunter, not an Irregular Hunter, but they are both skilled hunters regardless. Zero's armor is now a magenta color, though it's hard to differentiate the Spinning Blade color from the Bug Hole color without close study.
Card No. 64	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Remeet Repliroid DATA: The power-fisted thunder king has been revived by Limited. Able to absorb seemingly infinite electricity, he can emit a tremendous spark. WEAPON: His Electric Spark has been amplified by the screw drums in his arms!!
Spark-Mandriller-L
Title (Back):
Spark Mandriller Limited
Notes: The "screw drums" that rotate and act as drills are very similar to Mandriller's IHX redesign. Coincidence, or inspiration?
Card No. 65	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 11 Spark Mandriller L was knocked out by Zero. But not before Mandriller's Electric Spark caused the power plant to go critical! An enormous surge of energy was released along with the plant's explosion. Thick smoke and ash clouded the area, when suddenly... From the center of the devastation, a lone figure emerged!
ZERO vs Spark-Mandriller-L
Title (Back):
Zero vs Spark Mandriller Limited
Notes: Not that you could tell at all from looking at the cards, but apparently Zero and Mandriller were battling inside a power plant. Zero took out Mandriller with Shotgun Ice, depicted by the cool light blue of Zero's equipment and the ice covering Mandriller's monstrous pose. Sometimes the card stories make the battles seem like short easy affairs, but keep in mind that they only have so much space to tell the story in with this format. The Remeets aren't all meant to be pushovers, they just can't spend lines and lines of text describing the battles, or even the locations where they are fought, unless it holds some important story relevance as it did here.
Card No. 66	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Irregular Hunter DATA: Absorbing the energy from the power plant explosion, the Energy Armor powered up. Its power is now unfathomable. WEAPON: This shining armor increases the Energy Shot's destructive ability even further!!
ZERO
Title (Back):
Zero (Neo Armor)
Notes: If you were observing trends and wondering why the Energy Armor card wasn't a holo, this card is why. The Energy Armor has charged enough energy to upgrade itself to the Neo Armor. Now with superior leg, chest and shoulder armoring, Zero is looking mighty in all his holographic glory. We'll be putting that armor to good use in the next installment!

Rockman EXE Operate Shooting Star

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The internet is alive with talk of the upcoming title that brings Battle Network out of retirement while matching it up with a sassy new partner. Reactions seem to vary from joyous excitement to disappointed disgust. I'm not sure where I stand as of yet. I remember thinking forever ago how amazing a time-travel crossover between the original and the X series would be, and about a decade later, Mega Man's other timeline gets the treatment.

Actually, it isn't confirmed at all that a time-travel crossover is what the plot will be about. Other Japanese fans have speculated that it might be an EXE game done in Shooting Star style, as in front-facing battles with 3-D graphics and other attributes. Personally, I'm wagering on the time-travel thing. Every Star Force game has already featured some manner of time-crossed cameo with a Battle Network game in slot 2, so the progression to full-on story element is just a quick hop away from what we already have.

I must hand it to the contractors, it does seem quite a bit calculated that they're using EXE as the headliner and Shooting Star as the subtitle mention. Capcom makes it overly apparent that they're trying to recapture the fame that EXE held in its heyday that the Star Force spin off has yet to fully achieve. Then again, fans of one or both series probably won't care anyway, the opportunity to see the centuries-apart characters interact is fetching enough.

When EXE first came out, it was probably my new favorite series for quite a while. A imaginative re-invention of the original Mega Man series, reflecting our growing internet-dependent society, from the creators of Mega Man Legends? Count me in!
But a few installments later, the story seemed to spiral outlandishly out of control in favor of having multiple cart versions and replay value through forced repetitions, and the series lost a great deal of its appeal for me. When EXE 6 put a clear ending to EXE, I had a certain renewed respect for Capcom to bestow the series with a kind of dignity in closure, something games in the main Mega Man timeline never seem to achieve. But now EXE is back (and in some ways, it didn't really leave, since side-story games continued to be made for Japanese cell phones). Whether its return was pure fan service or pure economics, has yet to be seen. Unlimited potential and unlimited disappointment could exist in this premise. I'm going to hope for the best.

Mega Mission 2 Translation, part 1

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When something is as popular as Rockman X Mega Mission became, trust Capcom and Bandai to capitalize. The sequel to Mega Mission was released in the first quarter of 1996, to an eager audience. This one takes place after X3, and introduces the Order Breakers, some very familiar seeming villains who are the heirs of Doppler's evil legacy. Riding high on his popularity as a newly playable character, Zero has a much larger role this time, including for the first time ever, receiving his own armor from Dr. Right. It also gave fans another taste of "what if X went bad?" but without the cop-out of taking the evil clone approach. Before I give too much away, here goes part 1 of my translation.

ROCKMAN X MEGA MISSION 2 VS REVENGE LIMITED
Card No. 43	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Irregular Hunters DATA: The Special A class Irregular Hunter combo which resolved many serious incidents in the past. Their personalities may differ, but their hearts are united in opposition of evil! WEAPON: Perhaps their true weapon is the strength of their friendship, their unyielding bond, and the mutual confidence they share in one another...?!
X & ZERO
Title (Back):
Rockman X & Zero
Notes: Similar to card 01, this holo card re-introduces our protagonists and re-assets the theme of their camaraderie and co-reliance. The format of the cards has been revamped and brightened up. They now include the words "ROCKMAN X ANOTHER STORY" and "EPISODE 2 VS REVENGE LIMITED" on the upper left and right corners. The holo-stickers have been redesigned as well, now varying between "X MEGA MISSION," an all-new Limited "L" logo, and "ROCKMAN X VS LIMITED." Even with all these changes, many story elements are repeated from the first series.
Card No. 44	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Prologue 2 months had passed since the fall of Doppel Town... Once again, "it" had begun to stir... It was thought to have been destroyed for good, but a single cell had survived, and began replicating. In this way, the being which came to call itself Replibrain Tackione was born, and with a singular ambition on its mind.
Prologue
Title (Back):
Recurring Wave of L
Notes: On the front of this card we're introduced to our new trio of villains. On the back we learn that Mother Limited seems to have narrowly survived its battle with X and Zero, and has managed to evolve over time into the formidable and mysterious Tackione. Limited's ability to regenerate itself from a single cell makes it a very resiliant pest to try and eradicate. 8 more regenerated repliroids (seen on the back of the card) are now awaiting rematches, as X and Zero face yet another difficult trial ahead!
Card No. 45	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Remeet Repliroid DATA: The Speed Demon of the Desert, resurrected through fusion with Limited. Though his flight abilities have not been restored, he has gained even greater mobility than ever! WEAPON: The Sonic Slicer's power has more than doubled from what it was before!!
Sonic-Ostreague-L
Title (Back):
Sonic Ostreague Limited
Notes: Our first Remeet Repliroid. The English titles on the cards are vastly improved over the first Mega Mission, now using proper lower case letters even. Still a bit shaky with their use of spaces, though.
Card No. 46	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 1 X was sent to investigate a mysterious case where all repliroids within an entire city suddenly went irregular all at once, when he encountered Sonic Ostreague L. The past battle data in X's buster underwent a weapon change to Crystal Hunter that repelled Ostreague.
X vs Sonic-Ostreague-L
Title (Back):
X vs Sonic Ostreague Limited
Notes: An entire city turned to irregulars? Talk about a dangerous assignment, even if there weren't a bunch of Remeet Repliroids lurking around. Apparently this city borders a sandy desert, where Ostreague sees appropriate to ambush our hero. Luckily, X had the foresight to pack his old special weapons cache (or did he?) and Ostreague succumbs to his old weakness once again.
Card No. 47	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Remeet Repliroid DATA: Like his older brother Kuwanger, Gravity Beetbood has returned with a new Limited-infused body. Its biggest change is his large reinforced horn. WEAPON: Now that the Bug Hole has become even stronger, will X be able to escape its crushing pull?!
Gravity-Beetbood-L
Title (Back):
Gravity Beetbood Limited
Notes: Gravity Beetbood now resembles a Hercules beetle instead of a Japanese rhinoceros beetle.
Card No. 48	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 2 Gravity Beetbood was the next assassin to appear before X. X used the piercing light bullets of the Ray Splasher to trounce Beetbood flawlessly. Unknown to X, lurking in the shadows and observing the battle was the true force behind the irregular outbreak--Tackione and his two accomplices, collectively known as the Order Breakers.
X vs Gravity-Beetbood-L
Title (Back):
X vs Gravity Beetbood Limited
Notes: Now we're in a forest. It was probably too dangerous to teleport X into the city directly, but he sure does seem to be taking a roundabout way to get there.
Card No. 49	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Remeet Repliroid DATA: The body of Scissors Shrimper, infused with Limited. His thought circuit has been strengthened along with his weapons, making him even more brutal and cruel!! WEAPON: The grip on his claws have been strengthened by piston cylinders, enabling him to crush and mangle anything!!
Scissors-Shrimper-L
Title (Back):
Scissors Shrimper Limited
Notes: In X3, Shrimper was believed to have a defective thought circuit, which was blamed for his attacking both friend and foe. Now that his thought circuit has been improved, it turns out he just didn't care after all. This is one crazed crawfish that craves causing carnage!
Card No. 50	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 3 X must battle the effects of the Limited Field created by Tackione and his cohorts. This field causes all repliroids within range to become irregulars. But X also has to battle yet another assassin, Scissors Shrimper L. The high electrical voltage of Triad Thunder was able to deal Shrimper a deadly blow.
X vs Scissors-Shrimper-L
Title (Back):
X vs Scissors Shrimper Limited
Notes: We're still in that forest, but now we have some idea of what's happening to the city. How long can X hold out against the field's unrelenting power?
Card No. 51	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Remeet Repliroid DATA: Penguigo has been revived through fusion with Limited. He was glad that Noumander wasn't revived at the same time he was. WEAPON: His freezing cold wave and super-hard body slide attack combo is enough to make any opponent shiver!!
Icy-Penguigo-L
Title (Back):
Icy Penguigo Limited
Notes: With the animosity between Noumander and Penguigo, it's amazing that Sigma managed to get them to rebel on the same side. Like Beetbood, Penguigo seems to have swapped species from great penguin to crested penguin.
Card No. 52	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 4 When he entered the Limited Field, the minute traces of Limited left over inside X's body began to react. Even without special weapon chips equipped in his buster, X has been able to change his weapons reflexively. Although starting to succumb to the field's effects, X was able to deflect Penguigo's attacks and reduce his body to cinders with a blazing wall of Fire Wave.
X vs Icy-Penguigo-L
Title (Back):
X vs Icy Penguigo Limited
Notes: The plot thickens! We've now learned that the reason X has been able to change weapons all along has been through the Limited Field's influence over the residual Limited still left in his body. It seems that X's victory in the first Mega Mission was incomplete in more ways than one. X may be out of the forest, but he's not out of the woods yet! At least he was still able to put that foul frigid fowl on ice.
Card No. 53	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Mega Mission 2 Story 5 After X defeated 4 of the revived bosses, Luxione, Bloodione, and Tackione appeared before him. Under their imminent attack, X's strength finally ran out. The three snatched up X's collapsed form and were gone! They must plan to do something with Rockman X's body!!
X vs Order Breaker
Title (Back):
X Down
Notes: X's energy is finally sapped out by the repeated attacks coupled with the Limited Field effects. The Order Breakers have taken X back with them to their hideout to perform who knows what on him... Will X be able to escape? And where has Zero been all this time? We'll find out next!

Mega Mission Finale ＋α

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Previous entries: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Before we finish up, Mega Mission 1 also included a set of 9 Jumbo cards. These cards are more than twice the size of the regular cards and include new artwork on the front side while sporting artwork pulled from the regular card series on the back. Only 5 of the 9 contain Japanese text that needs translating, providing supplemental information that acts as a sort of crash course on the story and characters. So before we finish up the series proper, let's do a quick review with Jumbo Carddass' Rockman X Mega Mission.

Rockman X Mega Mission Jumbo II

MISSION FILE Boss Character Data Burnin' Noumander Limited HP 940+α Dreaded super-heavyweight fighter sporting huge tusks and fire breath. Wheel Alligates Limited HP 940+α Berserker built like a tank. Whether friend or foe, he'll tear anyone to shreds with his thorny body. Flame Stagger Limited HP 880+α He burns with an intense blue flame. And so do his power-packed punches...!? Bubbly Crablos Limited HP 960+α The pincers on his shoulders have been made larger and stronger, to inflict even more pain upon X. Wire Hetimarl Limited HP 840+α Upgraded to 4 tendrils, can X escape his wire attack now? Boomer Kuwanger Limited HP 880+α With Boomerang Cutters equipped even on his arms, is there no angle he can't strike at X from...!? Storm Eagleed Limited HP 920+α The lord of the skies has revived! The air is solely his domain. Sting Chameleio Limited HP 900+α Able to make his body invisible, he is a master of stealth! He uses his long tongue to harass X, in more ways than one!

Notes: "Chameleao" is here spelled "Chameleio" instead, I left it the same. The holo sticker on the front of this card and many of the others reads "X VS D" instead of the regular Mega Mission 1 set's "X VS Σ". The HP values are something which the card series uses to compare character durability, but holds no basis in the games or anywhere else. The "α" is the variable alpha, which here represents the added power of Limited.

Rockman X Mega Mission Jumbo V

MISSION FILE Rockman X Clear Buster HP 840+α Rockman X's buster was transformed by the Limited that stuck to it. Because it is founded on past data, it even has the ability to alter the shot to any of the previous buster options! Rockman X Clear High Buster HP 840+α A tremendously powerful buster that can convert X's HP directly to attack power. For as long as X's health continues to be strong, his destructive power becomes infinite! Rockman X Clear Armor HP Immeasurable The Limited in X's buster eventually spread to his entire body. All enemy attacks are absorbed, but at the cost of X's freedom.

Notes: This file is all about X's various power ups. The Clear Armor always comes equipped with the Clear High Buster.

Rockman X Mega Mission Jumbo VII

MISSION FILE LIMITED HP+α A half organic substance developed by Dr. Doppler. Capable of infusing with a repliroid, taking over its body, and evolving its machinery. X (iX) HP 1800+α A Limited organism that had developed a strong will of its own absorbed the body of Schmitt and used the data collected on X to transform itself into the ultimate soldier, iX!! Mother Limited HP Immeasurable The source of all Limited organisms, Mother Limited used all the data it had collected to create a final battle form for itself, in order to destroy X.

Notes: A Mission File about Limited, its origin and its strongest forms.

Rockman X Mega Mission Jumbo VIII

MISSION FILE Dr. Doppler HP ???? The mysterious repliroid scientist who created Limited, the organism with the power to evolve machines. What are his true intentions?!! Schmitt HP 1800 Dr. Doppler's trusted aide. Called an Incept Chaser, his duty is to track Limited and observe its evolution. Curtiss HP 2000 Like Schmitt, he is an Incept Chaser and aide of Dr. Doppler. He was charged with recovering the Limited who had gathered data on X.

Notes: A Mission File about the current trifecta of evil. Their HP totals lack the "+α" because they were not infused with Limited during the experiments.

Rockman X Mega Mission Jumbo IX

MEGA MISSION STORY About 3 months after the showdown with the Counter Hunters, a powerful new threat appeared before Rockman X. This new threat took the form of repliroids that should have already been destroyed by X in the past. X and Zero took action, setting out to discover the truth behind the incidents. During one battle, X's buster was struck by a mysterious substance (Limited) which clung to it and seemed to become absorbed. This substance caused a mutation effect that powered up X's buster. Though confused by this new power, X continued to face his threat head-on. Behind the scenes of each regenerated repliroid incident, a mysterious cloaked man (Incept Chaser) was lurking. While investigating the strange events, it was learned that the key figure behind the intrigue was a certain Dr. Doppler. Thanks to information uncovered by Zero, they located Doppler's hideout in an old abandoned factory. There, X and Zero's battle continued......

Notes: This card summarizes the events of the first half of Mega Mission, placing it chronologically some 3 months after the end of X2. X3's story tells that Doppler built his utopia a few months after X2, and was suspected of being corrupt several months after that. Even though there's no mention that Doppel Town was already founded or his anti-virus put into common use, it's hard to imagine Doppler would have been trusted and allowed to do these things if the Hunters already knew he was behind an incident like this. It's possible that the events in Mega Mission occur over a long period of time, days, weeks, maybe months, but that's probably reaching too far. Rockman chronology, gotta love it!

Now that we're all caught up, presenting our long-awaited exciting conclusion!

Card No. 39	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Repligigant DATA: Held the function of producing Limited organisms. Its body was changed to the final battle form in order to settle the score with X. WEAPON: Possession of all the anti-Rockman X data collected by the returning Limiteds.
M-LIMITED
Title (Back):
Mother Limited
Notes: The mother computer of all Limited has grown up quite a bit since we last saw her in card 33. Is this the body of the ultimate organism?
Card No. 40	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Rockman X Mega Mission Story 21 Mother Limited transformed its own body to Repligigant form to challenge Rockman X to one more final round. Rockman X is in for one grueling battle against that monstrously huge figure! "Lets go, Limited! I'll never yield to you!!"
X VS M-LIMITED
Title (Back):
X vs Mother Limited
Notes: "Gigant" means giant, rooted from the Greek language. It was the name for Messerschmitt's enormous Me-323 carrier during World War II, which is how the term became popular in Japan. It wouldn't be an X series finale without a behemoth of a boss to tackle. X has been through a lot to get to this point. No backing down now!
Card No. 41	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Rockman X Mega Mission Story 22 Determined to take on Limited, Rockman X felt a refreshing surge of power welling up within him. Zero too was determined to help Rockman X, despite his injuries. The two came together to form their most extreme combination attack, the Double Buster! The Repligigant Mother Limited was annihilated!!
X & ZERO VS M-LIMITED
Title (Back):
X & Zero vs Mother Limited
Notes: Overcoming all adversity, X and Zero have found the strength to defeat the evil. Yesssss! But, is the Limited nightmare really over?
Card No. 42	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Rockman X Mega Mission Epilogue Rockman X and Zero managed to evacuate the abandoned factory just before it was destroyed by Mother Limited's explosion. However, the sound of Doppler's voice resounded in their heads. "Well played, Rockman X. But our game is far from over!" A formidable new foe has shown himself. Rockman X's fight is not yet concluded.
Dr. DOPPLER
Title (Back):
A New Adversary Has Emerged
Notes: X and Zero have escaped the flaming inferno, but so has Dr. Doppler. Some have suggested that this was the mission that X and Zero were on when they were recalled back to the Hunter Base, as seen in X3's intro, thus leading directly into the game. This is only fan speculation though, since the details of the cards don't match well with the game and sourcebook-given backstory of X3. Capcom has later come to acknowledge the Mega Mission series as "Bandai/Carddass's original stories," implying they are meant as gaidens and making them probable non-canon to the main X series. When first released however, many fans viewed them as the true bridge between the events of the games. Rockman canon has always been open to fan interpretation, so I invite you to decide for yourself! Coming up next time, Mega Mission 2: Versus Revenge Limited!
ROCKMAN X MEGA MISSION, END

Bye Bye, u-Capcom

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Might not matter too much to non-Japanese readers, but u-Capcom, Capcom Japan's official fan site, will be closing up shop at the end of the month. I hope the site stays there and they just stop updating it, since it's a gold mine for obscure Rockman knowledge. Among other draws, it was a place where game developers would answer questions submitted by fans. It had been running since 2005, but now it will be replaced entirely by Mobile Capcom, a site accessible by (so far as I know) Japanese cellphone only. I'll miss you, u-Cap.

Mega Man 9 Puzzling Mystery Secret of Riddle

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Halfway to being discovered? I know June 17 isn't really halfway to December 17, but I still have a feeling the secret is somehow related to Mega Man's birthday, even though nobody seemed to catch it in '08. I wonder what glories shall be heaped upon the victorious seeker... Probably more fun in my imagination than reality would allow.

Mega Mission, Part 3

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Continued from Part 1 and Part 2

Card No. 27	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Incept Chaser DATA: A cutting edge repliroid who is the closest aide of Dr. Doppler. He is an Incept Chaser like Curtiss. WEAPON: His hands are lethal weapons. His chopping strike is performed with great speed and agility, and can even launch energy attacks from both arms.
SCHMITT
Title (Back):
Schmitt
Notes: Schmitt the repliroid ninja fills the role of speedy little guy to complement Curtiss' giant muscle dude and Doppler's scheming mad scientist. These archetypes are repeated over and over in X2 and X3, and Mega Mission 1 and 2.
Card No. 28	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Rockman X Mega Mission Story 13 Rockman X and Zero were chasing the escaping Limited when the other cloaked figure appeared before them. While engaged in battle with Schmitt, X's buster began to change again. The buster's transformation caused excruciating pain, leaving X temporarily paralyzed by it. Watch out, Rockman X!
X VS SCHMITT
Title (Back):
X (Clear High Buster) vs Schmitt
Notes: X was attacking Boomerang Cutter, which Schmitt can deflect with his hands. This guy is no pushover. The background here remind me of some of the maps in Command Mission.
Card No. 29	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Rockman X Mega Mission Story 14 While Rockman X lay immobilized during his transformation, Zero faced off with Schmitt. Zero parried Schmitt's blows and fired back with amazing skill. Irritated by this, Schmitt decided to strike at the helpless Rockman X instead, and fired off an attack directly in X's path. What will you do now, Zero?!!
ZERO VS SCHMITT
Title (Back):
Zero vs Schmitt
Notes: Schmitt is able to block Zero's beam sabre and Zero Buster as well. It seems the two are evenly matched, but Schmitt plans on fighting dirty. X is in trouble now...
Card No. 30	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Rockman X Mega Mission Story 15 Attempting to shield Rockman X from Schmitt's attack, Zero was wounded and collapsed. But just in time, the buster metamorphosis was complete! Rockman X took up Zero's place on the battlefield. The battle was intense, but X was driven on by a strangely powerful compulsion! Hang in there, Rockman X!!
ZERO
Title (Back):
Zero Down
Notes: Noble and selfless as always, Zero takes the hit and sacrifices himself to save X. His faith is rewarded, when X emerges stronger than ever. But, is this transformation a gift, or a curse?
Card No. 31	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Irregular Hunter DATA: The Limited continued to mutate, resulting in the revolutionary Clear High Buster. But what does this evolution mean for X? WEAPON: This buster can convert Rockman X's HP into attack power.
ROCKMAN X
Title (Back):
Rockman X (Clear High Buster)
Notes: The 4th holo card. You know there's some serious powering up going on when the background turns to laser grid. The talk of HP conversion is a little confusing, but think of it as a reverse Masamune chip from EXE. The more energy X has, the stronger his shot becomes.
Card No. 32	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Rockman X Mega Mission Story 16 Rockman X skirmished with Schmitt all across the abandoned factory, but even so he found his power wasn't responding as he wanted. "Haven't I been powered up!?" Schmitt was wounded during the fighting, and escaped back to where Mother Limited could repair him. But instead of healing Schmitt, Mother Limited swallowed him up entirely. Then a figure emerged...
X VS SCHMITT
Title (Back):
Rockman X vs Schmitt
Notes: X has won against Schmitt, but is more frustrated than relieved due to his trouble controlling his new power. But, since when is X so concerned with wanting greater power, anyway? Something bad is afoot...
Card No. 33	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Remeet Repliroid DATA: "Rockman X data assembled." Limited began acting on a will of its own, and absorbed Schmitt's body!! WEAPON: By analyzing Rockman X, the strongest buster yet was created!!
X -イクス-
Title (Back):
X (iX)
Notes: At last, the infamous iX in all his holographic glory! The name iX has also been romanized as EX, Iks, or simply "X." I'm using "iX" because it's one of the most widespread adaptations on the internet. In Japanese, X is written in katakana as Ekkusu, and iX is written as Ikusu (see front title). iX is actually pronounced like the word "ekes," or the interjection "EEKs!"
Card No. 34	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Rockman X Mega Mission Story 17 "I have absorbed Schmitt! My name is iX, and I am the strongest Doppler warrior!!" Limited united with Schmitt and grew into a new repliroid. With all the regenerated repliroids' techniques at his command, iX was giving Rockman X the fight of his life. All of the sudden, Rockman X felt his body change once again.
X -エックス- VS X -イクス-
Title (Back):
Rockman X vs iX
Notes: So, iX is Limited having taken over Schmitt's body and transformed it according to all previously collected data. For the moment X is outclassed, but the Limited inside him has another trick up its sleeve.
Card No. 35	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Irregular Hunter DATA: Limited has formed an armor to protect Rockman X. But Rockman X has lost control of his body! WEAPON: Has the ability to absorb enemy attacks and instantly repair any damage.
ROCKMAN X
Title (Back):
Rockman X (Clear Armor)
Notes: Our final holo card, and X is overflowing with bright shiny power! Too bad it's coming at the price of his soul...
Card No. 36	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Rockman X Mega Mission Story 18 Limited fusion has spread further over Rockman X's body. The Limited inside Rockman X adapted during the battle with iX to suit their needs, but is taking over X's body as well! "Is Limited trying to control me?!" Mustering the last of his power, X prepared for one final all-out attack against iX!
ROCKMAN X
Title (Back):
More Power!? Rockman X
Notes: X has learned the hard way that Limited's organic cells can, given enough time and energy, regenerate their own cores. X must act fast to avoid becoming Limited's puppet. Battling both internal and external forces, X is put to the ultimate test of strength and willpower. Can he conquer his inner demon in time, or will iX the ultimate soldier destroy him first?
Card No. 37	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Rockman X Mega Mission Story 19 Rockman X and iX attacked simultaneously, each targeting the other's chest with enough power to destroy one another for good. Just as it seemed their mutual destruction was assured, Rockman X was able to use iX's buster shot to tear away the Limited from inside his body and gain control of himself and escape at the last moment. X was free, and iX was defeated! Well done, Rockman X!!
X -イクス-
Title (Back):
The End of iX
Notes: In the story's heated climax, Rockman X pulls a risky maneuver and comes out on top, against all odds. That the Limited was destroyed but X's body remained intact seems a bit too convenient or miraculous, but then, he's Rockman X. He was destined to win.
Card No. 38	Description (Back):
Title (Front):	Rockman X Mega Mission Story 20 The true villain, Dr. Doppler, finally appeared from behind Rockman X. "You're Dr. Doppler!?" "Correct. How dare you destroy my dear Limited! Behold our wrath!" In the center of the room, Mother Limited started to move.
Dr. DOPPLER
Title (Back):
Enter Dr. Doppler
Notes: X and Doppler meet at last. The game dialogue suggests that the first time they met was in X3, but let's not worry about that at the moment. Mother Limited is coming to life, and X will have to face this monster without the power of the Clear Armor. The final battle awaits!