Looking Back on 25 Years of Mega Man: Jonathan Holmes

Welcome to another edition of our looking back on Mega Man with the fans. Joining us today is another face from Destructoid: Jonathan Holmes! We haven’t collaborated so much with Holmes personally, but I have been impressed by the guy ever since he nabbed some sneaky Mega Man Universe footage from TGS (sadly, when I got my chance to do the same, the game was Rockman Xover). And he’s a pretty big fan in general; he even blogged his immediate impressions on Mega Man 10 when it came out.
Anyway, we’ll let Jonathan take it from here and recount his personal thoughts and memories on the Blue Bomber!

What are some notable memories you’ve had getting into, and otherwise playing Mega Man? Alternatively, what ways has Mega Man factored into your work?

At its core, Mega Man is about feeling weaker and more vulnerable than your peers, but through, you practice, perseverance, trial and error and, most importantly, learning (from your personal failures and from your peers), you will become the best ever. Mega Man was one of the first things that taught me that through getting to know people, you can absorb their “powers”. Hang out with a great poet, talk to them about their technique and their creative philosophy, and you may find yourself becoming a better poet. Spend time with Elec Man, learn his patterns and decision making process, and you may your find yourself in possession of the the Elec Beam.

That’s just one of the many lessons I’ve learned from the Mega Man series.

What is your sentiment on the current standing of Mega Man, and what do you want to see for the future?

I think Mega Man has seen better days, but this is certainly not the worst that the series has ever had it. I know that there are plenty of people at Capcom that love the franchise, maybe more so than ten years ago. There are a lot more people at the company now who grew up loving the series now than there was then. It makes sense, as there are a lot more “children of the 80’s” who are old enough to rise up the ranks of the company now then there were in the late 90’s, early 00’s. Stuff like Street Fighter X Mega Man wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for the fact that there are just as many Capcom fans working for the company as there are fans trapped on the outside looking in.

That said, it’s clear that Capcom isn’t sure what to do with Mega Man without Inafune. Now that he’s gone, the series is like head without a body. It’s understandable that it’s hard to get moving with no head. That wont last forever though. Van Halen had, what, three different lead singers? The same will be true for Mega Man. The series will likely never be the same without Inafune, but it will live on in a new form with a new “front man” developer.

Personally, I’d like to see WayForward take a crack at it.

What is your all time favorite Mega Man game?

Mega Man 2 is my favorite game in the series, and perhaps my favorite game ever made. The music, the level design, the character design, and that “twist” at the end are all about as perfect as it gets. That said, the series has grown and evolved in so many interesting directions since then. Mega Man Zero 2, Mega Man X 2, The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, and Mega Man 9 are all very special in their own ways. And that Wily Castle in Mega Man 10? Pure genius.

If I could, I’d take all the best parts of every Mega Man title, slap them on to Mega Man 2, and Frankenstien myself the greatest videogame of all time. Maybe I’ll have to force myself into a job at Capcom and do just that.

TMMN Staff