Wednesday, February 22, 2023

The Lost WCW PPV - The Big Bang!

The following is taken from WWE.com.

Wrestling has been part of my life for since as long as I can remember. So for a blast of nostalgia,Here's an article from WWE.com,all about the Last Days and the Lost PPV of WCW. I reposted it here,because No One goes to WWE.com. 

Anyway,here we go.

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If you grabbed the second to last issue of WCW Magazine, released weeks before the final episode of Nitro, you would have seen a glimpse of what could have been. According to an advertisement on the back cover, the creation of a new WCW was already in the works. On May 6, 2001, the world would witness the relaunch of World Championship Wrestling with The Big Bang, live on pay-per-view.

The ad didn’t reveal much, but Eric Bischoff had been putting the pieces in place for months. A new commentary team had been chosen. Negotiations with TV networks like FX were ongoing. Creative plans were being pitched for top-tier, contracted competitors like Goldberg. A president and CEO were in place and they had fresh ideas for how to right the ship.

The Monday Night War wasn’t over. In fact, a new battle was about to begin, and The Big Bang marked the opening shot.

As far as the WCW locker room knew, Bischoff and his business partners only needed to cross some t’s and dot some i’s and they would own WCW. But then, the deal swerved as abruptly as the pay-per-view endings that became synonymous with WCW’s final days. What went wrong? The answer was clear from the very beginning.   

 "Let’s get people talking about the new WCW and what it was going to look like and feel like."

    - Eric Bischoff

“Toward the end of 1998, around August, it started to become very apparent to me that the Time Warner conglomerate [which owned Turner Broadcasting Systems] really didn’t want WCW to survive,” Eric Bischoff told WWE.com. “It was obvious to me because of the things they were doing to us — reallocating budgets that had already been allocated and cutting budgets that had already been approved six months or a year in advance.”

Bischoff left WCW in fall 1999, but when he returned, it was clear that WCW was on borrowed time under the pending merger between Time Warner and America Online Inc.

“[WCW] wasn’t going to survive it,” Bischoff said. “I said as much to [then-president of Turner Entertainment] Brad Siegel. I simply told him, ‘You don’t really want to fix it, so why don’t you sell it while there is still something left to sell?’ ”

Siegel and Bischoff disagreed for months, which Bischoff believed was a product of Turner Entertainment’s psychology that Ted Turner didn’t sell things; he acquired them. Siegel changed course in late 2000, though, and allowed Bischoff to shop WCW, which he called the “Wall St. dog and pony show.”

This was Bischoff’s first experience raising significant funds for a multi-million-dollar sale, but he found interested partners in Brian Bedol and Steve Greenberg of Fusient Media Ventures. Bedol and Greenberg founded the Classic Sports Network in 1995, then sold it to ESPN two years later for $175 million. They knew plenty about how to brand a sports property to great success. Bischoff raised $67 million with Fusient Media Ventures to purchase WCW in late 2000, but Turner Broadcasting Systems had one major catch: TBS retained a minority interest and long-term programming rights.

“Brad Siegel was not going to sell the company unless Eric Bischoff took 10 years on TBS as part of their contract,” WCW Superstar Diamond Dallas Page said.

Bischoff admitted he looked into some other networks, but nothing came to fruition.

“I had talked to a variety of networks at that time who expressed interest in WCW, one of them being FX,” he said. “I had multiple conversations with Peter Liguori, who was running FX at the time. It never progressed to the point of making an offer, but we got very close.”

But major changes needed to be made to the brand with the pending marriage between WCW and Fusient. The couple even had a honeymoon spot picked out. No longer under the Turner umbrella, aside from the TV shows continuing to appear on Turner networks, the Atlanta-based promotion was heading west.

“The plan was that WCW would move to Las Vegas and do weekly tapings out of the Hard Rock Cafe, which was building a 3,000-square-foot arena at that time,” John Laurinaitis, formerly of WCW Creative and Production, revealed. “Part of the company would be based out of Los Angeles.”

WCW once packed the Georgia Dome for an episode of Nitro, but December’s Starrcade pay-per-view didn’t top 7,000 in attendance. That played a major part in a move to Vegas.

“We weren’t able to fill arenas like we had,” Bischoff said. “Elvis Presley once said, ‘The most interesting part of any show is the audience.’ Take the main event of WrestleMania and put it in front of 75 people and it will dramatically affect the way everyone watching feels about it. That was very true with WCW. We knew we were having a problem.”

The creative needed to take a 180-degree turn, too. From competitors lying down for pinfalls at Bash at the Beach to a match where Buff Bagwell’s mom was up for grabs, 2000 featured some of the wackiest stories in sports-entertainment history.

"I heard rumors that my other announcer was going to be Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler."

    - Joey Styles

“We were going to shut it down for a period of time, then relaunch,” Bischoff said. “We needed a clean piece of paper to draw on. We couldn’t reach into the trash, pick out the crumbled and trampled creative — that had been WCW for the last year-and-a-half — and try to make people feel good about that again. In order for the relaunch to feel like one, it had to go away. The thinking was, let’s get people talking about the new WCW and what it was going to look like and feel like.”

While Bedol and Greenberg continued to work on the legal side of the deal, Bischoff visited confused and panicking employees at WCW’s office and focused on the future of WCW, which included the first pay-per-view under Fusient, WCW Big Bang on May 6.

“We had to plan six months in advance — minimum — with a lot of the creative,” he said. “The branding and the location of the event — the big ticket items, if you will— had to be planned six months out. Big Bang pay-per-view ads were probably pretty generic because I doubt we had it figured out at the time.”

At the same time, over in Philadelphia, Extreme Championship Wrestling was coming to its end. The Voice of ECW, Joey Styles, refused to abandon the ship, but with no ECW Hardcore TV tapings scheduled after the Guilty as Charged pay-per-view on Jan. 7, 2001, Styles began to talk with Bischoff.

“Eric sent me to meet with Brian Bedol in Manhattan to talk about what I would do for WCW,” he said. “I would be the lead announcer and I would work in digital media. I did not agree to do this with Eric until it was obvious that ECW was finished.”

Styles and Bischoff even talked about who would join him at the commentary desk.

“I suggested Don Callis, who was my color commentator for ECW pay-per-views, to Eric,” Styles said. “He and I were a very good team. I heard rumors that my other announcer was going to be Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler, who at the time was not with WWE.”

With his friend in the process of saving WCW, DDP had mixed emotions because he secretly hoped to go to WWE.

“It was really important to me, because I only had a couple of years left in my career, period,” he said. “And I wanted to end my career in WWE. But my buddy was buying the company, WCW. I can’t turn around and screw him.”

The master plan was taking shape. WCW would get a second chance, a new life. After all, Bischoff owned WCW. Didn’t he?
 

After taxiing on the runway for months, the relaunch was ready to take off. On Jan. 11, 2001, Bischoff, his business partners and Siegel hosted a conference call to announce the deal. On the 45-minute call, Siegel assured media that Turner never planned on selling WCW, but the offers poured in, including talks with WWE that he wouldn’t address. Bedol said he wouldn’t be satisfied if WCW remained the No. 2 wrestling brand in America. Bischoff believed the future looked bright for a new WCW and employees were relieved to hear the deal was done.

Variety even reported that Fusient had plans to sit down with WWE in the hopes of creating cross-company pay-per-view events, featuring the likes of Goldberg and Sting against Mick Foley and The Rock.

“It was very positive at that time because WCW wasn’t doing as well as we had hoped,” Laurinaitis remembered. “Thinking that if we move the company and a new set of owners came in and Eric was at the helm, that might spark another run like The nWo did.”

Here’s the catch. The same day as the Fusient conference call, another business deal went down. AOL announced it was purchasing Time Warner on Feb. 11, 2000, but the deal would not be completed until Jan. 11, 2001. With new owners coming in, everything would be looked at closely, especially a division that was struggling to regain footing. Analysts estimated that WCW lost between $60 and $80 million in 2000 while WWE ran away in the ratings.

While AOL Time Warner examined their assets, Fusient did the same with their impending purchase while Bischoff prepared for The Big Bang. Though the deal was announced on Jan. 11, the amount paperwork and due diligence in a transaction this massive took weeks to complete. Fusient originally predicted that the deal would be completed 45 to 60 days after the announcement. By March, though, the sale was still not official.

Meanwhile, every Monday on Nitro, WCW World Champion Scott Steiner rolled through the competition. DDP was set to his next big challenge at WCW Greed on March 18. Two days before the pay-per-view, though, Jamie Kellner — new chairman and CEO for Turner Broadcasting — and Turner Entertainment President Brad Siegel decided WCW’s fate.

“I thought that once Eric got to that spot [the deal announced but not signed], he had it done,” DDP said. “It was like when you think your daughter is getting married, you pay for everything, and you lay the whole thing out, then the groom doesn’t show up.”

On March 20, 2001, WCW’s Big Bang went bust.

“Jamie Kellner and other higher ups at the company wanted to make TNT the drama network and they wanted TBS to focus on comedy and sports,” Styles said.

With WCW not fitting into either plan, Kellner and Siegel agreed to cancel Nitro and Thunder.

Bischoff got the call from a business partner at Fusient while on the beach. The deal was off and the signed letter of intent was voided because without the TV timeslot, the company was worth a small fraction of the original price.

"I remember, Eric at that time saying, ‘get them to give us three months".’

    - Diamond Dallas Page

“Once Jamie Kellner articulated what everyone was saying behind closed doors, which was, ‘we don’t want anything to do with wrestling in any way, shape or form,’ the deal with Turner had absolutely zero value to us,” Bischoff said.

At the time, TBS spokesman Jim Weiss said in The New York Times, “Basically we’ve decided that professional wrestling, in its current incarnation is not consistent with the upscale brands we’ve built at TNT and TBS. Therefore we will not be carrying it.”

It was heartbreakingly ironic that the TV timeslot killed the sale, because Bischoff never really wanted it in the deal anyway.

“Eric was really excited about taking over WCW, but I know he did not want to keep the show on Turner,” DDP said. “I remember, Eric at that time saying, ‘get them to give us three months and I will get another network to pay for the show.’ What network wants to buy a show that’s been cancelled?”

Eric Bischoff calls in to WCW Nitro to reveal his plan for the final night of the brand and to extend an invitation.

Two days later, World Champion Scott Steiner beat Page at WCW Greed on pay-per-view, while announcers continued to look at the future of WCW and the promising young talent like Kwee Wee and Jason Jett. The next night, though, Bischoff called into Nitro.

“Many of you may know that for the past six months, I’ve been working with a group of people whose goal it was — and is — to acquire World Championship Wrestling and to grow it once again to become a competitive, dominant wrestling organization worldwide,” Bischoff said with a defeated tone. “But recently we’ve hit a couple of roadblocks that may be, in fact, brick walls.”

He scheduled a “night of champions” for the following week’s Nitro in Panama City, Fla., and invited all former World Champions to appear, hinting that it could be the final night of wrestling on a Turner network. Now that the TV timeslot, supposedly a sticking point in WWE’s previous talks with Turner, was gone, WWE resumed negotiations. That Friday, WWE announced it had purchased WCW from AOL Time Warner for an undisclosed sum, but estimates had it around seven-figures.

Shane McMahon and WWE brass headed to Florida, for the final Nitro, which Mr. McMahon opened by announcing that he officially owned WCW. The Monday Night War was officially over.

When Bischoff looks back 15 years later, though, he can’t help but think WWE’s purchase was the healthiest move for the future of sports-entertainment.

“Had Fusient been successful in buying WCW, ultimately there would have been no one on that side of the equation, including me, that would have had the commitment to the business that Vince McMahon has had throughout the years,” Bischoff said.

May 6 ultimately came and nothing happened. The creation of a new WCW was forming in WWE, and the “big bang” didn’t occur until May 28, when WCW Superstar Lance Storm ran into a WWE ring and kicked WWE Superstar Perry Saturn in the face. Three weeks later, DDP joined him on Raw, as well as an influx of WCW Superstars as part of an Invasion.

As for Big Bang, Bischoff thinks it was a success.

“I did such a great job at creating anticipation, that people are still anticipating, to this day, the pay-per-view that never happened.”

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That was a cool read,huh? Hope you enjoyed this little Nostalgia trip thanks to WWE.com.

Until Next Time,Stay Gold,Space Cowboys,and Resist Modern Attitudes!!!

Saturday, February 18, 2023

The Robot Master Index Part 2 (MMandB - MM11)

Welcome to Part 2 of The Robot Master Index. This time we'll be tackling Mega Man and Bass - Mega Man 11. As well as Mega Man V GB.

Note: I've decided to add The 8 Stardroid Bosses to the mix as well,since they fill the same role as Robot Masters in their game,Mega Man V GB. I will NOT be including the Robot Masters from the 2 PC Games OR Rockman and Forte: Challenger From The Future. Why? Because They Suck!!!

Anyway,let's continue.

"Handsom/Pretty Type" Robot Masters - Burner Man,Tornado Man,Splash Woman,Chill Man,Fuse Man,Blast Man,and Tundra Man.

"Cartoony and Weird Type" Robot Masters - Pirate Man,Magic Man,Astro Man,Tengu Man,Dynamo Man,Plug Man,Jewel Man,Galaxy Man,Hornet Man,Concrete Man,Pump Man,Sheep Man,Solar Man,Blade Man,Nitro Man,Commando Man,Bounce Man,Impact Man,Torch Man,and Acid Man,

"Monster Type" Robot Masters - Cold Man,Ground Man,Magma Man,Strike Man,and Block Man,

"Straight Shot" Master Weapons - Remote Mine,Spread Drill,Laser Trident,Commando Bomb,Chain Blast,Grab Buster,and Photon Missile.

"Explosive" Master Weapons -  Remote Mine,Commando Bomb and Chain Blast.

"Blade" Master Weapons - Tengu Blade,Triple Blade,and Wheel Cutter.

"Ground Attack" Master Weapons - Ice Wall,Plug Ball,Concrete Shot,Chill Spike,Wheel Cutter,Scramble Thunder,and Salt Water.

"Boomerang-Type" Master Weapons - Magic Card,

"Multi-Directional" Master Weapons - Spread Drill,Magma Bazooka,Solar Blaze,Triple Blade,Bounce Ball,and Scramble Thunder.

"Aimable" Master Weapons - Remote Mine,Magic Card,Black Hole Bomb,Commando Bomb,Rebound Striker,Bounce Ball,and Scramble Thunder.

"Rapid Fire" Master Weapons -

"Chargeable" Master Weapons - Magma Bazooka and All Mega Man 11 Weapons (using the Double Gear System).

"Rotating Shield" Master Weapons - Jewel Satellite,Water Shield,and Acid Barrier.

"Rising" Master Weapons - Tornado Blow,Thunder Wool,Blazing Torch,Tundra Storm,and Bubble Bomb.

"Dropping" Master Weapons - Blazing Torch and Block Dropper.

"Full-Screen Attack" Master Weapons - Lightning Bolt and Tundra Storm,

"Melee Attack" Master Weapons - Tengu Blade,Pile Driver,and Break Dash.

"Homing" Master Weapons - Hornet Chaser

"Rebounding" Master Weapons - Tengu Blade,Rebound Striker,and Bounce Ball.

"Stream" Master Weapons - Wave Burner and Electric Shock.

"Sound-Based" Master Weapons - None.

Un-Categorized Master Weapons - Copy Vision,Black Hole,and Deep Digger.

Master Weapons that have "Elemental Effects" - Concrete Shot,Scramble Thunder,Blazing Torch,and Tundra Storm.

"Fire Elemental" Robot Masters - Burner Man,Magma Man,and Torch Man

"Ice Elemental" Robot Masters - Cold Man and Tundra Man

"Electric Elemental" Robot Masters - Dynamo Man,Plug Man,and Fuse Man

"Earth Elemental" Robot Masters - Ground Man (technically),Concrete Man (technically),and Block Man.

"Wind Elemental" Robot Masters - Tengu Man and Tornado Man

"Water Elemental" Robot Masters - Splash Woman,Pump Man,and Acid Man (technically).

"Wood/Nature Elemental" Robot Masters - None.

"Explosive-Themed" Robot Masters - Commando Man and Blast Man.

"Blade-Themed" Robot Masters - Blade Man.

"Vehicle-Themed" Robot Masters - Ground Man (technically),Galaxy Man,and Nitro Man.

"Mythological Being-Themed" Robot Masters - Tengu Man,and Splash Woman.

"Animal" Themed Robot Masters - Hornet Man and Sheep Man.

"Space-Themed" Robot Masters - Astro Man and Galaxy Man

"Big Dude/Powerhouse" Themed Robot Masters - Ground Man,Concrete Man,Commando Man,and Impact Man. 

"Object-Themed" Robot Masters - Cold Man,Plug Man,Pump Man,Strike Man,Impact Man,and Block Man.

"Horror-Themed" Robot Masters - None.

"Toyetic" Robot Masters - Bounce Man.

"Legless" Robot Masters - Astro Man and Splash Woman,

"Handless" Robot Masters - Pirate Man (sort of),Magma Man,and Impact Man.

"Warrior-Based" Robot Masters - Tengu Man,Pirate Man (technically),and Torch Man.

Robot Mistresses - Splash Woman and Honey Woman (scrapped robot mistress)

"Robot Master-Like" Robots - Venus,Mars,Neptune,Mercury,Pluto,Uranus,Saturn,Jupiter,and Terra.

Mega Man and Bass Master Weapons - Tengu Man's Tengu Blade,Astro Man's Copy Vision,Cold Man's Ice Wall,Ground Man's Spread Drill,Magic Man's Magic Card,Pirate Man's Remote Mines,Burner Man's Wave Burner,and Dynamo Man's Lightning Bolt.

Mega Man 9 Master Weapons - Concrete Man's Concrete Shot,Galaxy Man's Black Hole Bomb,Jewel Man's Jewel Satellite,Hornet Man's Hornet Chaser,Plug Man's Plug Ball,Magma Man's Magma Bazooka,Tornado Man's Tornado Blow,and Splash Woman's Laser Trident.

Mega Man 10 Master Weapons - Chill Man's Chill Spike,Commando Man's Commando Bomb,Strike Man's Rebound Striker,Solar Man's Solar Blaze,Blade Man's Triple Blade,Sheep Man's Thunder Wool,Nitro Man's Wheel Cutter,and Pump Man's Water Shield.

Mega Man 11 Master Weapons - Acid Man's Acid Barrier,Torch Man's Blazing Torch,Block Man's Block Dropper,Bounce Man's Bounce Ball,Tundra Man's Tundra Storm,Fuse Man's Scramble Thunder,Impact Man's Pile Driver,and Blast Man's Chain Blast.

Mega Man V GB Master Weapons - Saturn's Black Hole,Pluto's Break Dash,Neptune's Salt Water,Mercury's Grab Buster,Uranus' Deep Digger,Jupiter's Electric Shock,Venus' Bubble Bomb,and Mars' Photon Missile. There's also Terra's Spark Chaser.

 

And that's the Robot Master Index. Maybe,one day I'll do something similar - in a smaller scale - for the Maverick Bosses of the Mega Man X Series. 

Until Next Time,Stay Gold Space Cowboys.

And Resist Modern Attitudes.


The Robot Master Index Part 1 (MM1 - MM8)

Introducing one of my contributions to the Mega Man Fandom - The Robot Master Index. Here I will place each existing Robot Master from the Classic Series into various categories.  

Note: I've decided to add The 8 Stardroid Bosses to the mix as well,since they fill the same role as Robot Masters in their game,Mega Man V GB. I will NOT be including the Robot Masters from the 2 PC Games OR Rockman and Forte: Challenger From The Future. Why? Because They Suck!!!

Anyway,let's get to it.

"Handsom/Pretty Type" Robot Masters - Proto Man,Mega Man,Roll,Elec Man,Ice Man,Metal Man,Quick Man,Crash Man,Wood Man,Flash Man,Shadow Man,Magnet Man,Pharaoh Man,Ring Man,Dive Man,Star Man,Crystal Man,Gyro Man,Plant Man,Flame Man,Centaur Man,Knight Man,Tomahawk Man,Yamato Man,Slash Man,Freeze Man,and Sword Man.

"Cartoony and Weird Type" Robot Masters - Bomb Man,Guts Man,Cut Man,Fire Man,Bubble Man,Heat Man,Gemini Man,Top Man,Hard Man,Snake Man,Spark Man,Bright Man,Dust Man,Drill Man,Skull Man,Gravity Man,Charge Man,Wave Man,Stone Man,Wind Man,Junk Man,Burst Man,Turbo Man,Spring Man,Shade Man,Clown Man,Grenade Man,Frost Man,Tengu Man,Search Man,Aqua Man,and Astro Man.

"Monster Type" Robot Masters - Air Man,Needle Man,Toad Man,Napalm Man,Blizzard Man,and Cloud Man.

"Straight Shot" Master Weapons - Proto Buster,Mega Buster,Ice Slasher,Fire Storm,Crash Bomb,Atomic Fire,Hard Knuckle,Spark Shot,Drill Bomb,Dust Crusher,Crystal Eye,Star Crash,Yamato Spear,Scorch Wheel,Thunder Bolt,Thunder Claw,and Flash Bomb.

"Explosive" Master Weapons - Hyper Bomb,Crash Bomb,Drill Bomb,Napalm Bomb,Danger Wrap, Flash Bomb,and Ballade Cracker..

"Blade" Master Weapons - Rolling Cutter,Metal Blade,Shadow Blade,Gyro Attack,Silver Tomahawk,and Screw Crusher.

"Ground Attack" Master Weapons - Hyper Bomb,Bubble Lead,Search Snake,Napalm Bomb,Water Wave,Wind Storm,Flame Blast,Wild Coil,Ice Wave,Tornado Hold,Water Balloon,and Screw Crusher.

"Boomerang-Type" Master Weapons - Rolling Cutter,Quick Boomerang,Ring Boomerang,and Knight Crush.

"Multi-Directional" Master Weapons - Thunder Beam,Power Stone,Blizzard Attack,and Wild Coil.

"Aimable" Master Weapons - Metal Blade,Leaf Shield,Hard Knuckle,Shadow Blade,Pharaoh Shot,Gyro Attack,Danger Wrap,and Freeze Cracker.

"Rapid Fire" Master Weapons - Quick Boomerang,Needle Cannon,and Yamato Spear,

"Chargeable" Master Weapons -Proto Buster,Mega Buster (4-8),Atomic Fire,Pharaoh Shot,Wild Coil,Noise Crash,and Homing Sniper.

"Rotating Shield" Master Weapons - Leaf Shield,Skull Barrier,Star Crash,Plant Barrier,and Junk Shield.

"Rising" Master Weapons - Air Shooter,Silver Tomahawk,and Tornado Hold.

"Dropping" Master Weapons - .

"Full-Screen Attack" Master Weapons - Time Stopper,Rain Flush,Flash Stopper,Gravity Hold,Centaur Flash,and Astro Crush.

"Melee Attack" Master Weapons - Top Spin,Charge Kick,Slash Claw,and Flame Sword.

"Homing" Master Weapons - Magnet Missile,Dive Missiles,and Homing Sniper.

"Rebounding" Master Weapons - Gemini Laser,Noise Crash,

"Stream" Master Weapons - Quick Boomerang.

"Sound-Based" Master Weapons - Noise Crash.

Un-Categorized Master Weapons - Proto Shield,Super Arm,Mirror Buster,and Sakugarne.

Master Weapons that have "Elemental Effects" - Ice Slasher,Spark Shot,Scorch Wheel,Freeze Cracker,Thunder Bolt,and Flame Sword.

"Fire Elemental" Robot Masters - Fire Man,Heat Man,Flame Man,Turbo Man,and Sword Man.

"Ice Elemental" Robot Masters - Ice Man,Blizzard Man,Freeze Man,and Frost Man.

"Electric Elemental" Robot Masters - Elec Man,Spark Man,Cloud Man,and Clown Man.

"Earth Elemental" Robot Masters - Guts Man (technically),Stone Man,

"Wind Elemental" Robot Masters - Air Man,Wind Man,and Tengu Man

"Water Elemental" Robot Masters - Bubble Man,Dive Man,Wave Man,Burst Man,and Aqua Man.

"Wood/Nature Elemental" Robot Masters - Wood Man and Plant Man

"Explosive-Themed" Robot Masters - Bomb Man,Crash Man,Napalm Man,Burst Man,and Grenade Man

"Blade-Themed" Robot Masters - Cut Man,Metal Man,Tomahawk Man,Slash Man,and Sword Man. 

"Vehicle-Themed" Robot Masters - Dive Man,Gyro Man,Napalm Man (technically) and Turbo Man.

"Mythological Being-Themed" Robot Masters - Centaur Man,Junk Man,Cloud Man,Shade Man,and Tengu Man.

"Animal" Themed Robot Masters - Snake Man,Toad Man,and Slash Man.

"Space-Themed" Robot Masters - Gemini Man,Star Man,and Astro Man.

"Big Dude/Powerhouse" Themed Robot Masters - Guts Man,Wood Man,Hard Man,Dive Man,Stone Man,Junk Man,and Frost Man.

"Object-Themed" Robot Masters - Heat Man,Air Man,Wood Man,Spark Man,Dust Man,Plant Man,Blizzard Man,Frost Man,and Grenade Man.

"Horror-Themed" Robot Masters - Skull Man, Shade Man, and Junk Man.

"Toyetic" Robot Masters - Top Man and Spring Man.

"Legless" Robot Masters - Cloud Man and Astro Man.

"Handless" Robot Masters - Fire Man,Crash Man,Needle Man,Spark Man,Drill Man,Wave Man,and Napalm Man.

"Warrior-Based" Robot Masters - Proto Man,Mega Man,Quick Man,Shadow Man,Ring Man,Skull Man,Blizzard Man,Plant Man,Tomahawk Man,Yamato Man,Knight Man,Centaur Man,Wind Man,Flame Man,Slash Man,Search Man,Tengu Man,and Sword Man.

Robot Mistresses - Roll.

"Robot Master-Like" Robots - Enker,Quint,Punk,and Ballade. Also,Hyper Storm H.,Mega Water S.,Buster Rod G,and Doc Robot.

Mega Man 1 Master Weapons - Mega Man's Mega Buster,Cut Man's Rolling Cutter,Guts Man's Super Arm,Ice Man's Ice Slasher,Bomb Man's Hyper Bomb,Fire Man's Fire Storm,and Elec Man's Thunder Beam.

Mega Man 2 Master Weapons - Air Man's Air Shooter,Metal Man's Metal Blade,Bubble Man's Bubble Lead,Quick Man's Quick Boomerangs,Flash Man's Time Stopper,Crash Man's Crash Bombs,and Wood Man's Leaf Shield.

Mega Man 3 Master Weapons - Proto Man's Proto Buster and Proto Shield,Gemini Man's Gemini Laser,Needle Man's Needle Cannon,Magnet Man's Magnet Missiles,Hard Man's Hard Knuckle,Top Man's Top Spin,Snake Man's Search Snake,Spark Man's Spark Shock,and Shadow Man's Shadow Blade.

Mega Man 4 Master Weapons - Bright Man's Flash Stopper,Pharaoh Man's Pharaoh Shot,Dust Man's Dust Crusher,Toad Man's Rain Flush,Drill Man's Drill Bomb,Ring Man's Ring Boomerang,Dive Man's Dive Missile,and Skull Man's Skull Barrier.

Mega Man 5 Master Weapons - Gravity Man's Gravity Hold,Star Man's Star Crash,Gyro Man's Gyro Attack,Napalm Man's Napalm Bomb,Crystal Man's Crystal Eye,Wave Man's Water Wave,Charge Man's Charge Kick,and Stone Man's Power Stone.

Mega Man 6 Master Weapons - Plant Man's Plant Barrier,Blizzard Man's Blizzard Attack,Wind Man's Wind Storm,Flame Man's Flame Blast,Tomahawk Man's Silver Tomahawk,Centaur Man's Centaur Flash,Yamato Man's Yamato Spear,and Knight Man's Knight Crush.

Mega Man 7 Master Weapons - Freeze Man's Freeze Cracker,Burst Man's Danger Wrap,Cloud Man's Thunder Bolt,Junk Man's Junk Shield,Spring Man's Wild Coil,Slash Man's Slash Claw,Shade Man's Noise Crash,and Turbo Man's Scorch Wheel.

Mega Man 8 Master Weapons - Frost Man's Ice Wave,Tengu Man's Tornado Hold,Clown Man's Thunder Claw,Grenade Man's Flash Bomb,Aqua Man's Water Balloon,Sword Man's Flame Sword,Astro Man's Astro Crush,and Search Man's Homing Sniper.

Mega Man: Dr. Wily's Revenge Master Weapon - Enker's Mirror Buster.

Mega Man II GB Master Weapon - Quint's Sakugarne.

Mega Man III GB Master Weapon - Punk's Screw Crusher

Mega Man IV Master Weapon - Ballade's Ballade Cracker.

Because the list of Robot Masters is So Long,I'm gonna have to split this Index into 2 parts. So See ya in Part 2.

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Jason's Gallery - Ryo x Kasumi: Springtime Love (Valentine's Day Fanart)

Being that Spring is the season of rebirth, just like the cherry blossoms that fall like rain drops, there is one other thing that is blooming, and that is the love between Ryo Sanada and Kasumi. As the star-crossed lovers enjoy the blossoms fall, as she leans on her beloved samurai prince, the ninja mermaid princess feels so warm, as she blushes over his presence, knowing that he is the one for her.

Kasumi: "Ryo, being close to you makes me feel warm. I haven't felt this way since I was with my family. Even though I won't being with my brother, mother and Ayane, at least...at least I have you, my brave and noble handsome prince. Being with you feels...complete."

Ryo: "If that's how you feel, then I feel complete, too."

Kasumi: "Thank you, Ryo. (giggles)"


Happy Valentine's Day!

Monday, February 13, 2023

3 Memorial Tribute Artwork and The Passing of a Wrestling Genius - RIP Lanny Poffo

I never got a chance to post them near the end of the year (due to my busy schedule), but I will show you the fanart to the very 3 icons that have since passed away.


A small, simple tribute to the late great comedian, Gallagher, who is best known for, judging from this image, smashing watermelons with his Sledge-o-matic mallet. Godspeed, good sir. No one can bash melons like you do. Be at peace.


To the greatest Ranger who is as multicolored as the rainbow. Your legend will never die, as long as we remember you fondly. Be a peace, good sir, and may the power protect you always. Godspeed. Once a Ranger, always a Ranger.


With all the Michael Keatons, Val Kilmers, George Clooneys, Christian Bales, Ben Afflecks, Robert Pattersons, and the Adam Wests of the world, in this universe, in this world, just like with Peter Cullen with Optimus Prime and Jodi Benson with Ariel, Kevin Conroy wasn't just the voice of Batman, he IS Batman. Whenever we read a comic with Batman, we often hear his voice when speaking or when thinking through a thought bubble. For 30 years, that man, through all the hardships in his life, he was truly the heart and soul of Batman. Underneath all the gruffy expressions, he is as vulnerable as any of us. He is human and none of us is perfect. The world has become more darker without him. But as long as we remember what he has done for us, not just for us comic book fans, but for all fans in general, he will never truly be gone. They will be others carrying on voicing the Dark Knight, but there will never be another one like him. He was truly one of a kind. He is vengeance, he is the night, he is Batman...forevermore. Be at peace...Detective.

And before I end this blog, let me give you a heads up in the world of wrestling. Lanny Poffo passed away on February 2nd, 2023, he was 68 years old. In his career, started off as "Leaping" Lanny Poffo before becoming best known by his well known gimmick as The Genius. Not only he is a wrestler, but he is the son of Angelo Poffo, as well as  the younger brother of Randy Poffo, better known as "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Not as well known as his famous brother, Lanny was known for two things in wrestling that I remember the most, his partnership with Curt Hennig aka Mr. Perfect and being manager of the Beverly Brothers after The Coach left the WWF for some reason. On a silly note, as The Genius, being known for wearing his ceremonial cap and gown, a ritual for graduation, why he didn't use Pomp & Circumstance as his theme instead of Macho Man, I'll never know. When he was not wrestling, he was a poet, actor and a motivational speaker. Poffo died of heart failure according to his fellow wrestler and friend, "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. He will be missed, but he won't be alone in the afterlife, knowing that he will be with his brother. You are a cream in the crop, just like Macho Man. Godspeed, you leaping genius, you.

(TAPS plays)

Lanny Mark Poffo
(December 28th, 1954 - February 2nd, 2023)

This has been a Retro Rebellion Special Report


Wednesday, February 8, 2023

Retro Gamer Review - Bionic Commando (NES)


Cover Art from the PAL and European version of Bionic Commando

"I'll talk about the person I met when I was young...

"In 198X, we've found the Badds' top secret material called Albatross, which was never put into practice.

"Imperial Forces' Generalissimo Killt has seen the plan, and decided to execute to plan himself.

"The Federation tried to his attempt by sending our hero, Super Joe. But lost contact with him. One brave man was sent with a special mission...to rescue Super Joe.

"The story begins..."

                                                                                                                        - Opening Narration


Bionic Commando is a 1988 action/adventure platformer, developed and created by Tokuro Fujiwara and published by Capcom. Based on the arcade game of the same name (more on that later), this game is one of many that doesn't require the player to jump, but use a grappling hook to traverse through the game, particularly a Bionic Arm. This game wasn't the first to use this mechanic, but newcomers and veteran gamers alike would get a kick out of this. Anyway, let us begin and this is quite a story, indeed. Speaking of which...


Story: Even though the short narration explains bits and pieces of the plot, let me give you the abridged version of this story.


It was the year 198X A.D., the Federation uncovered a plot by the Badds (or Nazzs in the instruction manual, more on that later) called Operation: Albatross, which was never put into practice. All that changed when the Imperial Army's Generalissimo Killt decided to put the plan into action. Fearing what Killt was planning to do, the federation sent their top operative, Super Joe, to stop the Imperials and keep Albatross grounded. But just as he began his mission, they lost contact with him. Fearing the worst, the Federation sent down Capt. Nathan "Rad" Spencer, a fearless commando with his trusty rifle and his Bionic Arm, to rescue Super Joe and bring down Albatross before the Imperials make their plan come to fruition.


Capt. Nathan "Rad" Spencer, the Bionic Commando himself, in all of his bionic, pixilated glory!


Concept: You play as Capt. Nathan "Rad" Spencer (or Ladd as he was called in the game), as he traveled across many areas occupied by the Imperials. Your mission is to rescue Super Joe and stop the Imperials from putting Operation: Albatross into action. Your weapon of choice is your long rifle, which starts off with normal shots, but gets upgraded as you progress through your missions, along with acquiring other items and equipment to help Rad, including additional communicators. The one defining gameplay concept is your trusty Bionic Arm, a grappling hook of sorts that can help you swing through chasms and spike floors, pull you up into a platform or you can use it to deflect enemy bullets. If that's not bionic enough, then I don't know what is.


The Area Map, where Rad Spencer has to traverse to save Super Joe and shutdown Operation: Albatross before the Imperials raise it from the sky.


Gameplay: You guide Rad Spencer through all the areas occupied by the Imperials labeled on the map. With the exception of Area 0 (your starting point), the areas labeled in white are the Imperials' operation sites, where you must infiltrate and blast them hard. When you land on an area, you get the option of selecting your weapon of choice, protective gear, additional equipment and most importantly, communicator chips. After gearing up, Rad gets parachuted into the area and begins the mission. With your gun and Bionic Arm, you blast and swing your way from point A to point B. Rad starts with no health, but when you blast away an enemy, they drop a bullet you collect. The more bullets you collect, the more you gain an addition health point. My advice to you is the increase your health gauge before going further. Playing the game with no health is considered suicide. Sometimes, a parachute with a pillbox will drop down. You take that down and it will give a random item like a an additional bullet for increasing your health gauge, a medicine to restore your health, a 1up or a POW barrier that protects you for a short time. Halfway through your mission, you stop by at the communications room. Depending on which communication chip you got, you can either contact your fellow members of the Federation and/or wiretap what important information the Imperials spew out. Be careful, though, sometimes the alarm goes off and some of the Imperial troops attack you when you wiretap. However, if you use the wrong communication chip, the message will all go "GA, GA, GA." It is imperative to have the right communications chip in order to use the communicator properly in order to open the main reactor room at the end of the area. Speaking of which, when you enter the reactor room, you got to destroy the reactor. Simply, right? But not always. Sometimes you have to deal with other enemies before going after the reactor, whether it's small grunts, soldiers with shield mounted cannons, security robots or even bionic-enhanced soldiers of their own. With the exception of Area 7, the success of your mission will result in gaining addition weapons and/or additional equipment. The other areas, which are labeled in red, are called neutral areas. These areas are occupied by Federation forces, and they can help you give you items like 1up and health restoration, and not to mention the additional communications chips you need. Some neutral areas require a permit to enter. And unlike the regular mission areas, the neutral area prohibit any form of violence and any attempt to shoot will result in immediate retaliation, so be careful when doing so. And finally, whenever you travel through the map, you will encounter enemy convoys. When you do encounter one, the gameplay shifts into an overhead view, which was similar to another famed Capcom game, Commando. Blasting certain enemies drop an eagle symbol, which are continues, which are vital to your survival. If you get a Game Over, and depending how much continues you got from the overhead missions, you will continue where you left off. Grab every eagle as you can, cause you are going to need them.


Controls: The controls for the game are mostly simple, and I mean, "mostly". Your D-Pad moves Rad left and right and pressing down helps him duck. The B-button fires your gun while the A-Button deploys your Bionic Arm. When pressing the A-Button, depending on what direction, your Bionic Arm deploys in a upper left and/or upper right position. Using the D-Pad, you can change the range on how your Bionic Arm is deployed. For example, if you simultaneously press Up and A, you fire your Bionic Arm upward or simultaneously press left or right and A, your arm fires straight forward, perfect for either for deflecting bullets, grabbing nearby items or pushing enemy troops to their doom. When you duck down, your arm fires forwards automatically. And once you grapple, you press A to start swinging then either swing back and forth while pulling yourself up in the next platform or doing a quick grapple upward by pressing Up. While you're swinging, depending on the direction you are headed, pressing Left or Right releases Rad and follow up with another swing or landing on a platform. And if you are lucky, when you get the Iron Boots, as you swing against an enemy grunt, instead of shoving them, they ended up dead to rights. The Bionic Arm is also useful for the overhead missions, but when using it, Rad spins it to deflect a lot of enemy bullets. Usual the Start Button is what pauses the game, not in this one. The Start Button is one certain items you use, either your health medicine or your Flare Bombs (more on that later when I talk about the equipment). The Select Button is used for pausing the game, which shows us the Area Map, how many bullets collected to increase your health, the next level in increasing your health and how many lives you got. And here's a little trick that can help you complete the mission without resetting game. By simultaneously pressing A, B and Start, you will go back the Area Map. This is very useful for either going back and switching to the right Communication chip or if you are stuck in one part of the area you can't escape from. Trust me, it just might save your life.


Items & Equipment: To get through the Imperials and rescue Super Joe, Rad has to rely on more than just his Bionic Arm and rifle alone. Throughout his mission, Rad will acquire additional weapons and equipment to aid him to shut down Albatross. Here is a list of Rad's equipment, starting with:


Weapons:

Normal Gun - Your default gun

Wide Gun - A short ranged weapon that fires in a triangular angle, one in the middle and two shots from the upper right and lower right respectively. Acquired in Area 4.

Rocket Launcher - The best weapon in the game. Despite firing one shot at a time, it's blast packs a punch with its one hit kill. Acquired in Area 5.

3-Way - Similar to the Wide Gun, unlike the the aforementioned weapon, the top and bottom blasts fires up and down respectively. Powerful enough to break walls, including the one in Area 7. Acquired in Area 9.

Joe's Machine Gun - Super Joe's trusty rifle. Fires in a spread pattern. And on a nostalgic note, if you play the overhead stages, equip this weapon, just to relive the action straight from the original Commando. Acquired in Neutral Area 18 after rescuing Super Joe in Area 7. To get the weapon, talk to the one called Destroyer-3 in the aforementioned Neutral Area 18.


Special Equipment:

Flare Bombs - These will light an otherwise dark room as you travel. To light up the place with the flares, press Start. The Flare Bombs are for Area 4 only. Acquired in Neutral Area 13.

Energy Recovery Pills - Seriously? These don't look like pills to me. It's just a jar of medicine, if you ask me. Anyway, pressing Start recovers your health. And it can only be used once per Area, so save that for emergencies. Acquired in Area 1.

Permit - This will grant you access to Neutral Area 14. Acquired in Area 6.

Iron Boots - As you swing towards enemies, instead of bumping them off, they will get killed by those iron soles. Acquired in Area 8.

Rapid Fire Device - This will make your normal gun fire rapidly by pressing and holding B, making it easier for you to give your button mashing a break. Acquired in Area 3.


Protective Gear:

Charm - A crucifix around your neck that protects you from one hit. Acquired in Area 2.

Helmet - General Mack's lucky helmet, which protects you from three hits. Acquired in the hidden areas between Neutral Areas 14 & 17 and Neutral Areas 15 & 18 respectively, provided that you interrogated one of the Imperials in the aforementioned Neutral Area 17.

Bulletproof Vest - Blocks every bullet shot at Rad. Acquired in Area 11.


Communicators:

Alpha - Your default communicator, which you use for Areas 1, 4 and 5.

Beta - Useful for Areas 2, 3 and 6. Acquired in Neutral Area 16.

Gamma - Useful for Areas 7, 8, and 9. Acquired in Neutral Area 14.

Delta - Useful for Areas 10, 11 and 12. Acquired in Neural Area 15 (provided that you deal with that unbreakable wall there. More on that later).


Graphics: For an NES title, especially one made by Capcom, it is colorful and well detailed at best, from the backgrounds like the mountains (most of them in the blue skies of the neutral areas to the redness in between at Area 5). It has sort of a Megaman type vibe to it. Speaking of which...


Music: The music itself is as equally memorable as the gameplay itself. It was composed by Junko Tamiya, who went under the pseudonym of "Gondanim". Most of the music in this game were mostly original, Tamiya composed two of the music tracks straight from the original arcade game, originally done by Harumi Fujita, which are themes of Stage 2 (The Forefront) and Stage 4 (The Control Tower), which are used for the main theme and Area 8 respectively. Here are my favorites:

- The Bionic Commando Theme (The Main Theme/Area 1, 4, 3, outside Area 2 and Area 7 - Straight from the arcade version)

- Area 8 Theme (Straight from the arcade version, as well)

- The Theme for Areas 5, 6 and 10

- Imperials' HQ - Area 12 Theme

- Albatross Fight (Boss Fight against the Albatross after Master-D's resurrection)


History: Bionic Commando started its life in the arcades in 1987. Created by Tokuro Fujiwara aka Professor F aka Arthur King (his pseudonyms), after his time at Konami when he created Roc 'N Rope, which has similar gameplay to Bionic Commando, he left the company and joined Capcom in 1984 when he created his first game since joining, which was Pirate Ship Higemaru (Bomberman with Barrels as I like to call it). It was not until 1985, when he hit pay dirt when he help made 2 of the legendary games for Capcom to date, Ghosts 'N Goblins and Commando. Known in Japan and in other regions as Top Secret, you guided the titular hero, who was called Super Joe in the U.S. version, through 5 stages of heart pounding action. Similar to the aforementioned Roc 'N Rope, Bionic Commando's gameplay was unique at the time, where you acquired to use your Bionic Arm to grapple through platforms and swing through chasms , since you can't jump at all. Regarding naming the hero Super Joe, the higher ups at Capcom figured that this game would be the spiritual sequel to the original Commando, whose main hero is named Super Joe. They did the same thing for the release of The Speed Rumbler (Rush & Crash) in 1986. Super Joe didn't have real name until Bionic Commando Rearmed when he gotten his name, Joseph Gibson, which was also the name he went under in another Capcom run and gun classic, Mercs. Under Fujiwara's guidance, Capcom created the home version of Bionic Commando in 1988, which was not only different from the arcade version, it was also the sequel to the aforementioned arcade game. A Game Boy version was released in 1992. Although the story is the same, but it took place in a futuristic setting. Then, in 1999, Bionic Commando: Elite Forces was released on the Game Boy Color., which was a completely different story than the original. It was not until 2008 when Capcom and Swedish game developer Grin, created and released the remake, Bionic Commando Rearmed. The story is the same as the original, but with better graphics, remixed music, better boss battles and new weapons for Rad to use against the Imperials and Albatross, among other things. This was followed up by a newer, darker version of Bionic Commando in 2009. Finally, Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 was released in 2011. Mostly the same as the original Rearmed, but now, you can jump in this game, making you do awesome moves to take out your enemies.


Rad Spencer comes face to face with Master-D, or should I say, Adolf Hitler!


Regional Differences: Even though this game is awesome, it is not without controversy, especially with the Japanese and European versions. You see, in the U.S. version, the main villains were simply known as the Baddz or the Nazz. However, in other regions like Japan, this wasn't always called Bionic Commando. Near the end of the game, when you confront Killt or General Wiseman in the Famicom version, he gets killed off by their mysterious leader named Master-D. But at first glance of his face and mustache, Master-D is none other than one of history's most infamous monsters of all time, Adolf Hitler. That's right, folks, the Baddz, the Imperials are nothing more than Nazis. And since this game is the sequel to Commando and its alternate name is Top Secret, it went by its alternate title, Hitler's Resurrection: Top Secret. And when it reached state side, any references to Hitler and the Nazis were removed, including replacing the swastika with the eagle emblem for the Imperials themselves. However, one thing didn't change, aside from Master-D's dialog having mild swearing, we got this gory image, and how it got passed Nintendo censors, I'll never know.

Rad: "Your number's up, monster!"


Bad Aspects: There is nothing bad to say about this game. But there are a couple pet peeves I will talk about they are completely minor. As I stated before, although we got the Bionic Arm, our character can't jump. But that was remedied by Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 and the 2009 version, but that story is for another time. However, there is one slightly problematic part of the game that got me buffaloed. When you were in Neutral Area 15, where you confront Killt for the first time, there is a wall that blocks your path. Normally, when you get your 3-Way gun, the wall gets destroyed, no harm, no foul. But since they didn't fixed this problem when the game was released, even if you fire at the wall, the same thing will happen every time you are in a neutral area, when you fire, they will all fire back. That is why, if you a master in timing your Bionic Arm, you can swing under the barrier without firing a single shot, and I mean really, REALLY, good at timing. And, not to mention that not all bosses, aside from the Imperial Bionic soldier in Areas 5, 7 and 12, are that challenging. Other than that, there is no problems other than these minor hiccups.


Pros:

- Bionic Arm Action

- Colorful Graphics

- Awesome Memorable Music

-  Deep Story

Cons:

- No Jumping

- Bosses Are Not That Tough (Except for the Bionic Soldier in Areas 5, 7, and 12)

- Glitch in Barrier Wall in Neutral Area 15


Final Report: Overall, not really the first gameplay wise, Bionic Commando's gameplay, overall story and heart-pumping music keeps you going, fighting against enemy soldiers with your gun, Bionic Arm and your wits. And if you got an NES like myself, you will get kick out this and it will not disappoint. Believe me, I know. And if you enjoy this, I'm pretty sure you will play the other games in this underrated franchise, including Rearmed.

Final Score: 9.0 out of 10

Until next time, stay frosty, and keep on gamin', my friends.


Saraba da (Farewell), for now!


"Now, so much time has elapsed and I'm old now. I think it's time for me to tell you the whole story. I hope this story will be told for a long time..."



Tuesday, February 7, 2023

What If Captain N Continued

Welcome to a fresh new segment called What-Ifs. Where I talk about various What-If Scenarios for various Forms of Media from the 80's to the Early 2000's.

And I'm gonna begin with Captain N - The Game Master. Or More Specifically,What If The Show Lasted Longer than it did. Before going into My Scenario Idea,Lemmie give you the 411 on Captain N's cancellation.  

Captain N - The Game Master was a Saturday Morning TV Show where a Teenager from Earth gets warped to a Realm where Video Games are Real. His mission is to lead a team of Video Heroes (The N-Team) against the Evil Mother Brain and her Forces of Chaos/League of Darkness. 

The Show ran from September 9th 1989 - October 26th 1991. Due to NBC severing the time for Animated Shows,DiC Entertainment was forced by the network to cut the Show from 22 minutes to 11 for it's 3rd Season And to cut Animation and Art costs by outsourcing to a cheaper company. And on toppa that,the Season only had 7 Episodes,while the previous 2 had 13 each.

In Late-October of '91,The Show (along with other animated shows were canceled and NBC would focus on more Teen-Oriented Live-Action Programming. Nintendo of America was said to also be behind the show's cancellation.

But what if that total cancellation never happened and Nintendo of America was convinced to let the show continue and allow it to be picked up by another Network (possibly a cable network,like the USA Network).

What would a hypothetical Season 4 would be like. Well,here's my idea.

First and foremost,the General Format will be returned to normal,meaning that each Season will contain 13 22-Minute episodes. I'm also getting rid of Kid Icarus' and Mega Man's Speech Impediments. No one will miss those. Finally,the New Season would make it's debut in September of  '92.

Anyway,the first episode will be a Battletoads episode,since it was once of Nintendo Power's faves at the time and there were no Battletoads eps in Season 3,I'd figure Nintendo would want that Game promoted first.  

Anyway,Prof. T. Bird summons the N-Team after the Battletoads are captured by Mother Brain and the Dark Queen. The 2 are plotting to conquer Videoland with a new Energy Blaster Cannon that Dr. Wiley made and need Toad Life Energy and Slime to power it. Mother Brain needed the Dark Queens help to capture the Toads and promised the Dark Queen 50% of the Universe.

Long story short,the N-Team go to The Battletoads World (Ragnarock),fight the Dark Queen's Minions,rescue the Battletoads,Team-Up with them,and foil the Bad Guy's plan. 

For the next episode,we go back to Megaland for a (loose) adaption of Mega Man 4. At Dr. Wiley's suggestion,Mother Brain kidnaps an up-and-coming Megaland Robot Designer,Dr. Cossack,and brain washes him into doing her bidding. She has her new scientist send his Robots to conquer Videoland in her name - starting with Megaland. 

After Dr. Cossack announces his intentions to the Galaxy,the N-Team spring into action. After destroying the Robot Masters,the N-Team face Dr. Cossack. Dr. Cossack comes back to his senses after defeat. Dr. Cossack and Dr. Wright decide to work together for a better Megaland.

One cool thing about this episode is that Megaman gets to not only take the powers of the defeated Robots,but uses them as well. Sadly,Kalinka Cossack and Protoman will be adapted out. Don't worry,Protoman will be featured next season in the Mega Man 5 adaption.

Episode 3 of Season 4 has Simon's Great-Grandmother,Sypha visit the Palace of Power to evaluate Simon. Sypha is not a fan of Simon and considers him a disgrace to the Belmont name. The 2 fight a lot in a comedic way. Meanwhile,The Count launches an attack on Videoland.

The N-Team battle the Count's monsters all throughout Videoland. Simon,wanting to prove himself to his Great-Grandmother,goes to stop the Count himself. Eventually,the N-Team needs to step in and help. Simon and the N-Team save Videoland and Simon gets a little bit more respect for her Great-Grandson.

Episode 4 begins with Princess Lana being kidnapped by Mother Brain's minions. The N-Team head to Metroid to save her,unaware that they are walking into a trap set up by Mother Brain..a trap named Queen Metroid,Mother Brain's new Pet.  Thankfully,they are aided by Samus Aran,who's on a mission to terminate Mother Brain. It's revealed that the Galactic Governors,Supreme Rulers of The Universe,tired of the N-Team always failing to Destroy Mother Brain,sent Samus to finish the job.

The Team Saves the Princess and destroys The Metroid Queen. The Forces of Chaos flee after being defeated. Samus may have failed to destroy Mother Brain,but as a consolation,she activates Metroid's self-destruct mode,which destroys the Planetoid/Space Base.

After all of this Samus leaves for another bounty mission,declining Lana's offer to join the N-Team.

With Metroid destroyed,Mother Brain is now weak and near dying. The Forces of Chaos retreat to Mother Brain's 2nd home on Planet Zebes.

With Mother Brain in a horribly weakened state thanks to the destruction of Metroid,peace has returned to Videoland. This Episode marks the next-to-last time Kevin uses his NES Gear. It's also established that Videoland Time and Earth Time are different and that 10 years in Videoland is equal to 1 hour on Earth,so when Kevin returns home,it'll be as if he never left there.

The 5th episode takes place days after the previous one. As a mass celebration is going on at the Palace of Power,Mother Brain and her minions are at her Fortress (Fortress of Zebes) are plotting to find new energy sources to sustain a very weakened Mother Brain - And they find one in the form of The Goddess Bracelet,which resides on the Demon World (the world of ghosts and goblins/ghouls and ghosts).

Dr. Wiley is familiar with the World and decides to lead the mission. Besides King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard,Wiley also takes Cuts Man,Electric Man,Fire Man,and Ice Man,all rebuilt by the evil scientist. The N-Team also go to the Demon World,to sharpen their skills. They run into the Forces of Chaos,who,after being defeated,reveal that they are after the Goddess Bracelet to rejuvenate Mother Brain. 

The race is on for the Goddess Bracelet. Watching from his Castle,The Evil Sardius,the New Ruler of Demon World,who wants the Goddess Bracelet too,so that he can corrupt it and turn All of Videoland into his Demonic Paradise. 

Now the race for the Bracelet is a 3-Way. In the end,with Sir Arthur's help,the N-Team defeat the bad guys and find Bracelet. He reveals earlier that Demon World used to be a beautiful place,until the Demons took over and that until the Great Satan Rucifel is destroyed,the Demon Realm will continue to rule the World.

After giving Arthur the Bracelet,the N-Team head home.

Episode 6 would see the resurrection of Ganon by his minions,led by Agahnim. Link and Zelda are defeated and captured by the newly resurrected Ganon. Spryte,the Fairy Princess,who was with the Duo,escapes to the Palace of Power via Warp and warns the N-Team of Ganon's return.

Spryle warns Kevin that his Powerpad and Zapper won't cut it this time and must be upgraded. Thankfully,Her Auntie is Venus,The Fairy Queen,who will upgrade Kevin's gear. The N-Team head to Hyrule to stop Ganon and find a way to save Link and Zelda.

Meanwhile,Mother Brain's minions are in Hyrule,trying to steal the Triforce.Unfortunately,they run into Ganon's minion's who intend on taking the Triforce to their Master,who intends on conquering Videoland.

Ganon's minions capture Team Mother Brain,along with the Triforce. In Hyrule,as the rest of the N-Team are battling Ganon's minions,Kevin gets his Gear upgraded by Venus,Queen of Fairies (by tossing them into her pond).

The Power Pad becomes the Super Power Pad (a wrist-mounted SNES controller) and the Super Zapper (a superscope 6). As this is going on,Ganon uses the Triforce to Warp Hyrule into the Dark World from Zelda ALttP.  

Link and Zelda manage to escape and realize that the only way to defeat Ganon this time is with the Master Sword.

Episode 7 continues where the last one left off. The N-Team traverse Ganon's Dark Hyrule to face the tyrant in his Death Mountain Tower. Link finds the Master Sword in the Lost Woods,which,thanks to the power of the Sword Itself,remained mostly untouched by Ganon.

After getting the Master Sword,Link is given a New Shield by the Sword itself. Long story short,The N-Team,Link and Zelda defeat Ganon and take back the Triforce. Zelda uses the Triforce to restor Hyrule to normal. Ganon is destoyed once again and peace has been restored to Hyrule. Link and Zelda agree to become part-time members of the N-Team.

With Kevin's New Gear,the Show is Officially ready to promote The Super NES and it's titles. 

Anyway,Episode 8 takes place in the World of Final Fantasy II,where the N-Team is taking a small Vacation,unbeknownst to them,Golbez and his Archfiends are raiding the land,searching for the 4 Elemental Crystals. Golbez was hired by Mother Brain to bring her the Crystals. The 4 Elemental Crystals combined would recharge Mother Brain and make her more powerful than she's ever been.

The N-Team eventually get involved with the Crystal hunt,when Cecil and Rosa recruit them. The N-Team and FF2 heroes defeat the Archfiends and Golbez and return the Crystals back to their owners.

Episode 9 starts off with the N-Team having some Sky-Diving fun on the World of PilotWings. After that activity,The N-Team return to the Palace of Power,where they learn that the Videoland Universal Orphanage will be shutting down due to lack of funds. Thanfully,they also learn that the Annual F-Zero Grand Prix Race,held on the World of F-Zero Yearly,will be offering a 10 Billion Credit Reward for the Winner. The N-Team decide to participate...despite having no clue how to drive an F-Zero racer.

They meet Captain Falcon who,after hearing about the reason on why the Team is entering the Race,decides to train them in the Art of F-Zero Racing.  Long story short,the N-Team loses the Race,but the Winner,Captain Falcon decides to donate half his winning to the Universal Videoland Orphanage.

Episode 10 has Wiley create a Machine that converts Junk Food into a Powerful Energy - Energy that can empower Mother Brain. Eggplant Wizard knows a perfect place to get special sweets - Dreamland. So King Hippo and Eggplant Wizard are sent to Dreamland to collect as many Sweets as possible.

The N-Team visit Dreamland for some of the Best Cookies in Videoland. They meet Kirby,who acts as their guide. Elsewhere,Hippo and Eggy fight King Deedeedee (yes it's spelled this way in the Capt. N Universe) and his minions for possession of Dreamland's most delectable candy. Kirby and the N-Team enjoy some great snackage,while the Bad Guys battle it out. 

The Villains come to a truce and decide to share the wealth. The 2 sides begin pilfering every single sweet from Dreamland and the N-Team and Kirby stop them. Kirby become a Part-Time Member of The N-Team.

In Episode 11,The N-Team find a way to free King Charles,Lana's Father from the Mirror Zone,without releasing their Evil Counterparts. By using a machine that Dr. Wright made,The N-Team extract the King from the Mirror World. King Charles is back. Unfortunatly,the Machine had a very unseen side effect, because later that night,the Evil Mirror N-Team re-emerges from the Mirror Warp and destroys it.

The Evil N-Team causes havoc all over Videroland,while the Good N-Team is blamed. The 2 N-Teams face off,but find out that they can't destroy each other,without destroying themselves. King Charles tells the Good N-Team that the only way to stop their Evil Counterparts is by trapping them forever in the Magic Mirror,which is a Hyrulian artifact. The N-Team eventually get the Magic Mirror and trap their Evil Twins in it.

After getting their names cleared,the N-Team puts the Mirror in a very safe place.    

Episode 12 will be used to promote a lesser known SNES game.

Episode 13 is the Street Fighter II ep. Dr. Wiley creates a machine that can transfer something called 'Fighting Spirit Energy' into Mother Brain to make her healthier. Wiley heads to the World of Street Fighter,Fighterland. 

The N-Team is also in Fighterland to check out the World Warriors. They meet the World's Star Fighter,Ryu.

Long story short,The N-Team participate in the Tournament,find Wiley out,and foil him. The N-Team lose the Tournament,but they had fun.

Not too shabby,huh? Now,say Captain N S4 was popular enough to get a 5th season. Well here are what I believe a 5th Season would look like. Debuting in the fall of '93,BTW.

Episode 5-1 will focus on the various Super Scope 6 games.

Episode 5-2 will be based on Mega Man 5,where Dr. Wright's long lost first Robot,and MegaMan's brother,ProtoMan,wrecks havock through out Videoland,just so he can proove that Robots are superior to humans. With him are 8 Robot Masters. 

Little does Videoland know,ProtoMan has been reprogrammed by Dr. Wiley. The purpose is to ruin Dr. Wright's good name.

The N-Team stop the Robot Masters and after defeating ProtoMan,take him back to Dr. Wright for restoration. When ProtoMan returns to normal he thanks the N-Team and promises to protect Megaland,while MegaMan's busy with the N-Team. ProtoMan's name is cleared,btw

Episode 5-3 will focus on another SNES title that's not too well known.

Episode 5-4 will focus on The Legend of the Mystical Ninja

Episode 5-5 will focus on The Forces of Chaos getting energy for Mother Brain on various Game Worlds. The N-Team won't have much of a presence. They succeed in getting some,but are thwarted most of the time by the respective World's Video Heroes.

Episode 5-6 will focus on The N-Team Member's Origins,the Origins and the War against Mother Brain,and the Origins of the N-Team itself. The first of a 2-Part Episode

Episode 5-7 will pick up where the last one left off. The 2nd Ep. of the 2-Parter.

Episode 5-8 will be based around Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.

Episode 5-9 will be a Wrestling Episode based on WWF Royal Rumble.

Episode 5-10 will be a funny one based loosely around The Lost Vikings

Episode 5-11 will be based around Battletoads Battlemaniacs

Episode 5-12 will be the Star Fox Episode.

Episode 5-13 will be The Super Mario All-Stars Episode. The First of 3 Captain N/Super Mario XOvers.

And since the 5th season was a success in promoting The Super Nintendo and it's games,Nintendo has commissioned DiC to do another season. Debuting in the Fall of  '94.

Episode 6-1 will be based around Super Mario Kart

Episode 6-2 will be based around Super Mario Land 2.

Episode 6-3 will be around on Street Fighter 2:Turbo. Bison wants Videoland and it's up to The N-Team and The Heroes of Fighterland to stop him.

Episode 6-4 will be based around Link's Awakening.

Episode 6-5 will be based around Kirby's Adventure. This Episode marks the Grand Finale of the NES Eps.

Episode 6-6 will be based loosely around Mortal Kombat 1. 

Episode 6-7 will be based around Super Bomberman

Episode 6-8 will be based around The Secret of Mana

Episode 6-9 will be based around Tetris 2. Lyle returns.

Episode 6-10 will have the N-Team battling The Forces of Chaos in Sports,with Dr. Wiley hoping that the Competition energy will help revive Mother Brain.

Episode 6-11 will be the episode that promotes the Super Game Boy.

Episode 6-12 will be based around Donkey Kong '94. Donkey Kong Jr. Wants a Bride for his Coming of Age present,so his father Donkey Kong kidnaps Lana. Now it's up to Kevin to save Lana from the Kongs. In the end,Kevin Rescues Lana and the Kongs have a Heel-Face Turn. 

Episode 6-13 has the Forces of Chaos transfer the Palace of Powers energy into Mother Brain. The N-Team find them out and head to Zebes to stop them. Meanwhile,on Zebes,Samus Aran finds a Baby Metroid,who takes a shine to her. Instead of terminating it,She allows it to follow her,think that it's abilities could be useful. Samus and the N-Team team up an finish Mother Brain once and for all.

7th and final season,before DiC and Nintendo decide to part ways. Debut in the fall of  '95.

Episode 7-1 will be the beginning of a 2-Part Episode based around Super Metroid. The N-Team and Samus Aran investigate a Cult on Zebes trying to resurrect Mother Brain with the Life Blood of Metroids. The resurrection is nearly complete,all they need is just 1 more Metroid. Before the possess could be stopped,Samus' Baby Metroid is captured and killed,resulting in the Resurrection of Mother Brain - way more powerful than ever.

Episode 7-2 Mother Brain quickly defeats the N-Team and starts to conquer Videoland. The N-Team,Link,Zelda,and Kirby joint together with an upgraded Samus (in her new gravity suit) to stop Mother Brain. They succeed with Team Work. Mother Brain Retreats to the darkest depths of the Galaxy.

Episode 7-3 Dr. Wiley,quits The Forces of Chaos and secretly plots against Mother Brain,so that he can Rule Videoland himself. He builds a new Powerful Robot to counter Mother Brain - Vile. Vile turns on Wiley and starts his assault on Videoland. Dr. Wright summons the N-Team to help save Megaland. MegaMan is damaged in the fight with Vile and is brought back to Dr. Wright for repairs. MegaMan is rebuilt into MegaMan X and both X and the N-Team stop Vile,who flees after defeat.

Episode 7-4 Megaland X is a new World that has appeared,it was once a peaceful World,until Sigma and his Mavericks took over. Vile reappears as Sigma's liutenent. A Group of Rebels,known as the Maverick Hunters have been fighting Sigma and his forces for months with no side closer to victory. Dr. Cain,summons the N-Team for help. The N-Team,along with Rebel Leader,Zero,defeat the Mavericks and bring an end to Sigma's reign. Knowing that Sigma will return one day and that Dr. Wiley is also still on the loose,now as an independent entity,MegaMan X decides to leave the N Team to protect both Megaland and Megaland X.

Episode 7-5 will be based on Ken Griffey Jr. Major League Baseball. Only Griffey will be a Griffin to avoid Copyrights.

Episode 7-6 will be based loosely on Mortal Kombat II

Episode 7-7 will be based loosely on Illusion of Gaia

Episode 7-8 will be based loosely on Final Fantasy III.

Episode 7-9 will be based on Super Punch-Out

Episode 7-10 will be loosely based off of Donkey Kong Country. Only with DK Jr. taking the place of the Donkey Kong from the DKC Trilogy.

Episode 7-11 will be based on a slightly lesser known Super NES title.

Episode 7-12 will based on a slightly lesser known Game Boy title

Episode 7-13 will be based on NBA Jam.

Episode 7-14 Mother Brain attacks and conquers the Palace of Power. She is eventually defeated once and for all by the N-Team and all of their Allies and Auxiliary Members. With Mother Brain destroyed,the War is Over. Kevin decides to stay in Videoland to help against the "Lesser Villains". 

Pretty cool,eh? Now,in this alternate reality there's a good chance that Ruby-Spears Mega Man,the Street Fighter Animated Show,or Mortal Kombat - Defenders of the Realm would never exist. All because Captain N continued. 

Well that just about wraps things up for this edition of What If..? Until next time,Stay Gold Space Cowboys.

And Resist Modern Attitudes!!