The recently released Kirby Mass Attack for Nintendo DS has players guiding around a small mob of the titular pink puffballs. I picked up my copy, earned some questioning glances from Gears of War 3 fans, and hurried home to once again save Dreamland. I gathered my small army and delighted as they chased after the stylus, ate scores of fruit, and ganged-up on their enemies. One thing was definitely missing though. The mini-Kirbys have lost the use of their inhalation and power-copying abilities. You know what? I don't miss it. The highly original content of each level in this game makes up for Kirby's weakened state. It seems that the quantity of heroes in this game is enough to overcome the "quality" of their powers. Noticing the absence of his trademark move made me think of another power stealing character: Mega Man.

When I was younger, Mega Man 2 was one of my favorite games even though I couldn't beat it. I must've played for hours cursing every moment I stepped on a row of spikes Then in my teenage years I discovered the Mega Man Legends series and couldn't have loved an android any more (at least not legally). Because of the fact that I am a huge fan of the Blue Bomber's franchise, I was disheartened to hear about the cancelations of Mega Man Universe and Mega Man Legends 3 this year. Contrary to Mega Man's two cancelations, Kirby is having two releases within about a month of each other. Kirby's Return to Dreamland will go on sale October 24, 2011 for the Nintendo Wii: the console that currently sits on my TV stand collecting dust as it waits for Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword. Granted, this doesn't mean it will sell well but at least it wasn't canceled. So what is the Kirby franchise doing better? Perhaps Bad Box Art Mega Man hurt Mega's image a little bit.

That may be a bit of an unfair statement but could you play a whole level using that character model? Even if the box art was bad, it doesn't mean that the character has to look terrible as well. It could be argued that he looks worse than the original. To be fair though, Mega Man Universe had a decent premise. The idea was to let the players make their own levels, share them, and use customizable Mega Men to beat them. They even had plans to include Ryu from Street Fighter and Arthur from Ghosts and Goblins. It should have been an awesome side scrolling platformer with RPG elements. The problem, though, is that great ideas need good art to give them life. Kirby's Epic Yarn, another innovative game with a weakened Kirby, had eye-popping artistic style. Every stitch, bead, and button was important. The colors and textures were carefully chosen in order to accentuate the arts-and-crafts themed gameplay. Conversely, the graphics of Mega Man Universe were unappealing; stuck somewhere between retro and modern, in a bad way. The gameplay trailers posted online did little to create interest in the game. The videos show 3D characters running-and-gunning on 8 bit level designs. Screenshots of the game looked like bad Microsoft Paint mashups. Capcom should have taken the Sonic Generations approach: 3D graphics on a 2D plane. Here is a link to one of the official trailers for the game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vc5OWPsUhwA.

Mega Man Legends 3, however, had everything going for it. Hundreds of rabid fans toiled away creating content for the game in Capcom's Devroom. It was supposed to be the first game that let gamers in on the development process. The graphics were at least on par with Playstation 2 titles and the MML3 Prototype Version was about to be released for the Nintendo e-Shop. Then, it too, was cut down like Woodman. It seems that some of the company at Capcom was afraid of the transparency that this project created. They felt users were too involved in the multi-approval process. On July 18, 2011 the cancelation of Mega Man Legends 3  was posted in the Devroom. Many feared this would be Game Over for Mega Man:

"Q. This is the second Mega Man game cancelled this year, what does this mean for the future of the Mega Man Franchise?

A. Mega Man is still an important franchise within Capcom’s portfolio and we will continue to pursue opportunities to create new titles in the series." (FAQ from Capcom Devroom)

Hal Laboratory, Inc. seems to be more adept at changing the formula of the Kirby franchise and, frankly, is putting out decent games. The target audience of these games has little bearing on this matter because Kirby and Mega Man attract gamers of all ages and skill levels. Even I was surprised when I saw my first game over screen in Kirby Mass Attack. Each game in the Kirby series introduces the right amount of change in style and gameplay. Classic, side-scrolling Mega Man games are still as popular as ever, which is clearly evidenced by the enthusiastic reception of the Mega Man 9 & 10 games. Fans obviously want more Mega Man games and they are willing to work hard and wait patiently for them. Gamers are also very excited to see Capcom incorporate some RPG elements into their endeavors.

Right now it seems that Kirby adpts new games while Mega Man copies them. So the question is, does Capcom stick to their guns or do they swallow their pride and continue trying to innovate? My answer, the Blue Bomber needs to take a deep breath and learn something from the Pink Brawler. You need to be able to adapt at any time, not wait until after the battle is won.