Vote Mega Man (and Rush, and Zero)!

It’s that time of year again, when minds become attuned to the democratic process known as voting.
But forget politics; we’re here to talk Mega Man! And as it so happens, there are a few places where you can make your voice heard by casting a ballot for the Blue Bomber and his friends.

In fact, his friends are the very focus of the first poll. Daniel has tipped us off to GameSpot’s “All Time Greatest Sidekick” tournament, where two Mega-companions are vying for top honors. In one section of the bracket, it’s none other than the mighty Maverick Hunter Zero taking on a formidable opponent in Launchpad McQuack, who has played sidekick to not one, but two of Disney’s dynamic duck heroes. And at the moment, the creator and pilot of the Thunderquack is ahead by a margin of 54.2 percent (14,806 votes) to 45.8 percent (12,502 votes).

Elsewhere, the competition gets even steeper as Light Labs’ loyal robodog Rush is pitted against none other than Aperture Science’s Companion Cube, where the latter has a lead of 60.7 percent (14,743 votes) over 39.3 percent (9,554 votes).

Our two rad red robots from Sidekick Central have already made it to Round 2, but can they overcome the odds? Maybe, with your help! Spread the word, and think of what a morale boost a win by either (or both!) could provide.

Meanwhile, GameTrailers has been running down their Top 100 Trailers of All Time, and there has been a distinct lack of Mega Man in the spots from numbers 100 through 21. Of course, admittedly, they would have a lot to live up to, but there are a few which might have a chance of cracking the top 20. Here is our assessment of the three which may stand the greatest chance:

• Mega Man 9 debut trailer – Marking the long-awaited return of the original series which put the name “Mega Man” on the map, with a style which evokes one of the series’ most popular installments in Mega Man 2 in not only looks, but gameplay… this one is an outside shot. GameTrailers has been pretty explicit in that they won’t let nostalgia sway their rankings, and that is largely what this trailer depends on, even if it’s not nostalgia for the trailer itself.
• Mega Man Universe teaser trailer – Truth be told, we’re not even sure whether this qualifies, since the game was canceled. But then, they don’t really seem to say anything about the status of a game, merely that it’s trailer was good.

  Nonetheless, it does make much more of an impact than most Mega Man trailers with a unique visual style, music by The Megas, appearances by Ryu and Arthur, and an enigmatic nature which left many of us wondering just what Capcom had up their sleeve. But, there is one trailer which may be able to top it…

• Rockman Online teaser trailer and second teaser trailer – Once again, we’re not even sure if this one is eligible– not only is it not coming out here (that we can tell, with no evidence to the contrary), but GameTrailers does not even have a page for this online multiplayer platformer. Still, a lot of people– diehard and more casual Mega Man fans alike– have enjoyed what this trailer has to offer, with quality animation and unique character designs which seem to set a stage for a world which takes the best aspects of the original and Mega Man X for its setting. If it qualifies, then this trailer might be our best bet…

  …if not for the fact that it is, in essence, a cartoon which shows no footage from the game proper. That could be a strike against it.

From here on, the trailers are coming one at a time, rather than in the group of 20 the rest have been in until now. They seem to be taking into account people who tweet their choices on Twitter with the hashtag “#GTTop100,” so if you spread the word and enough people support it, maybe, just maybe Mega Man can get a shot at GT immortality.

LanceHeart