Rockman Elysium

Head there to read the article. No direct links to the image from here for a variety of reasons.

They also say:
- You can play as Blues.
- The graphics are in the 8-bit sprite style, but not the classic Famicom/NES one.
(from the screenshot, I think it looks 16-bit...)
- It doesn't have anything to do with the X series.
- Tango is in it, and works just like the Rockman World Game Boy version.
- The game doesn't support full wide screen YET, but it will.
- It does support 480p.

This is now the second person (if it's not the same person) saying that Blues is a playable and that the game doesn't link to X. I checked the EXIF data of the larger image and confirmed that this IS a cell phone picture, from an LG phone, taken today. Granted, it'd be easy to make a photoshop on a screen, then take a picture of it, but are we getting into the realm of absurd paranoia to say that?

My personal speculation is that this is coming out of Backbone Emeryville as developer working with CoA, because of their very-recent handling of 1942, Bionic Commando and the revised Street Fighter for XBLA/PSN. "The Shadow" has stated two developers are on it - a recent PDF press release from Backbone's parent company mentions "several" classic franchises that they're working on, and the prior 3 have already been revealed.

Most are now focusing on waiting for an announcement at E3 in July.

The crafty folks watching the governmental registry databases for Australia dug this up today!

The official Australian governmental media classification board site is here:
http://www.classification.gov.au/special.html?n=46&p=156&sTitle=mega+man+9&sMediaFilm=1&sMediaPublications=1&sMediaGames=1&sDateFromM=1&sDateFromY=1970&sDateToM=6&sDateToY=2008&record=228120



The news is flying across the Megaman sites and gaming interwebs now. Whatever it turns out to be, SOMETHING with the legal name of Megaman 9 has been commercially registered in Australia. SOMETHING is definitely going on.

As far as platforms, PS(3) Network and X-Box Live Arcade digital direct download is spoken of. Red Ant is an Australian distribution company that releases Capcom material in that country with branches into DVD production as well as game-releases. A look at their recent releases definitely points to a recent trend of downloadable content for PSN and XBLA. (Dammit, am I going to have to get a PS3 now?!)

Sources are the ever-reliable Protodude's Rockman Corner and Rockman Perfect Memories:

Rockman Perfect Memories

Protodude's Rockman Corner

GoNintendo

Bookmark Red Ant directly for further developments: http://www.red-ant.com.au/Announcements.aspx

More: I have checked the US database of searchable copyright registrations for Megaman and, at this time, Capcom does NOT appear to have registered the title in the US. However, that does NOT mean it doesn't exist, or may still be tied up in applications, or any number of other things. Capcom's only current copyright registration for 2008 is something related to Street Fighter II.