Zero (Mega Man)
Zero | |
---|---|
Mega Man character | |
First game | Mega Man X (1993) |
Created by | Keiji Inafune |
Designed by | Keiji Inafune Toru Nakayama (Zero series) |
Voiced by |
|
In-universe information | |
Species | Android |
Weapon | Z saber sword |
Zero (
First developed by Keiji Inafune when he was attempting to create a new design for the X series, Zero was instead used as a secondary character. In the Zero series (developed by Inti Creates), he was the protagonist and had a change in his design that was meant to impart a more "human feel" to him. He also has a minor role in the ZX series as Model Z.
His inclusion in the Mega Man X series has generally received positive critical response from reviewers. His story within the Mega Man Zero series received similar response, partly because he became more darker and mature compared to previous Mega Man characters.
Appearances
In Mega Man video game series
Zero debuted in
Zero debuts as a fully playable character in
The Mega Man Zero series features Zero as the title character. Set around 100 years after the X series,
Zero also reprises his role from the first game in three mangas by Iwamoto Yoshihiro,[12][13][14] and the prequel Irregular Maverick Hunter X by Ikehara Shigeto.[15] This version in the former is depicted as having full hair and is constantly taking off his helmet compared to the original games.
Other appearances
The Mega Man Zero version of Zero appears as a sub-boss in
Zero's appearances in the two manga series based on the Mega Man X series resemble his video game portrayal.[25][26] However, in the Mega Man Zero manga, Zero is depicted as a Reploid having two personalities depending on his usage of a helmet: without his helmet he is portrayed as cowardly, whereas the other one resembles his video game counterpart.[27] Zero also makes guest appearances in the Mega Man comic series by Archie Comics, appearing in stories set shortly before the events of Mega Man X and as part of the "Worlds Unite" crossover event.[28]
Conception and creation
Zero was created by designer
Believing they were too similar in Mega Man X3 (in which Zero could only be played as for part of each level), Capcom wanted Zero to be further distinguished from X for his first appearance as a fully playable character in Mega Man X4. This resulted in the removal of his Z-Buster (his equivalent of X's X-Buster), leaving only his lightsaber-esque Z-Saber. This close-range combat weapon stood in stark contrast to X's projectile weapons. Due to the difficulty of playing as Zero, the vast majority of the developers were against that decision at first during Mega Man X4. As a result, Zero was given special techniques (some of which hailed from the Street Fighter franchise) by defeating each boss, which resulted in the approval from the developers. In order to make Zero's story more engaging, Capcom created Iris, a female Reploid, believing it was a fresh idea not used in previous games in the series.[32] Ever since the series started, Inafune wanted to add Dr. Wily to the story leading to the twist of Mega Man X4 that reveals he created Zero to set the climax of the series.[33]
The concept of Zero starring in his own series was proposed by Inafune.
Ever since the series' beginning, Haruki Suetsugu was impressed by the handling of the relationship X and Zero had. From his point of view, X was a character who often makes mistakes in combat yet tries again in order to improve. As a result, the artist felt he could relate with X. X was written to be a "B class" Hunter in contrast to Zero being "Special A" rank. This allowed him the draw more frequently across the series.[37] Nevertheless, he regretted some of his illustrations as X lacked the cool appeal Zero originally had.[38] Based on his points of view from the original Mega Man X, Higurashi wanted fans to see X and Zero as dark archetypes of heroes rather than typical ones.[39] Nevertheless, the developers were afraid of a negative backlash if the fans found X and Zero to be too different from their original personas.[40]
Inafune drew inspiration for Zero from the arcade game,
Design
Designed to be "harder and wilder" than the original Mega Man, Zero's design ultimately resembled X in several ways due to his initial character concept, Inafune's insistence on drawing the character, and input from other project artists.[42] In the X series, Zero has red and white armor with twin "horns" on his helmet. This was found challenging to animate in Mega Man X4 as the pixels are meant to be divided between his red armor and long blond hair.[32] Zero also has his signature long blonde hair. Starting with Mega Man X2, Zero received a slight redesign. His shoulders were given plating with a "Z" symbol on his left shoulder, his armor was made to be slightly bulkier, and his chest and foot parts got additional gold plating. Zero also started wielding his signature weapon, the Z-Saber, an energy-based sword that introduced melee combat to the Mega Man games. His original, now secondary weapon is the Z-Buster, a cannon mounted at the end of his right arm, similar to X's X-Buster.[43] A tertiary weapon that would orbit around Zero was also considered, but left uncompleted. Unlike the original Mega Man, who had a full head of hair under his helmet, Zero has a smooth secondary helmet, intended to imply the characters were older.[42] In Mega Man X4, Zero was going to receive his own enhanced armor in the same way X does, but the development team decided not to finish it.[44]
In the Zero series, Zero sported a much more humanized and sleeker redesign. His mecha-inspired armor was eschewed for a red uniform consisting of a vest, gloves, and boots, while his arms and legs were more anatomically detailed. His Z-buster was no longer fused inside his hand, instead it was a handgun, Buster Shot, that fired energy bullets. The Z-Saber also became a triangular holographic blade, rather than a lightsaber-like weapon.[45] Early concept art featured Zero with solid-black, pupil-less eyes, though this changed to a normal set of eyes as development progressed.[46]
Keisuke Mizuno designed Zero's Dive Armor for Mega Man X Dive. It was designed based on the in-game armors and fused together. Mizuno thought it turned out to be quite innovative because the previous Zero looks did not have horns. Unlike the several armors X always wears, the ones from Zero proved to be challenging to design since Zero's regular form was made to be more complex than X's. As a result, Mizuno thought about the iconic parts of Zero, which parts symbolize Zero, and which parts are the most important and must be kept when the shape of his body changes. The head and the silhouette were the most important ones to create while also retaining the common colors. In order to make Zero Dive Armor more appealing, Mizuno made the character a dual-wielding fighter in the process.[47]
Casting
Ryōtarō Okiayu has been Zero's voice actor in the Mega Man X series since its fourth installment. He was grateful for the role he was given to do mostly in the crossover Project X Zone.[48] Lucas Gilbertson stated that he did not think of Zero as a robot but instead as a swordsman, making his work enjoyable. While finding it challenging, Gilbertson liked yelling during recordings, something that was common in Zero's character. Another aspect the actor enjoyed was the staff member he worked with and thus expected to voice Zero in the future.[49]
Critical reception
Zero's character was met with positive critical response by publications for video games.
IGN repeated their positive sentiments about Zero in their list of characters they wished to see appear in a future
In regards to his Mega Man Zero incarnation, GameSpot believed the character's redesign was well employed based on his presentation.
Zero's connections with the original Mega Man characters have been the subject of speculations within fans. As it is believed that Dr. Wily created Zero in the image of Protoman or the possibility that he was responsible for multiple deaths offscreen as it is unknown what happened to the original Mega Man cast, explaining their absence in the X storyline. In 2018, Capcom left clues about how Wily dies when creating Zero but the idea of Zero killing the Mega Man characters was negated.[71] GamesRadar regarded both X and Zero "crossover veterans" based on their multiple appearances and looked forward to their team up in Project X Zone where the duo teamed up for the first time in a crossover.[72] Game Informer considered X and Zero as one of his favorite characters in gaming, and thus wanted to play as them in Project X Zone 2.[73] In a comparison of the three main characters from Mega Man X8, Luthfie Arguby Purnomo from Studies on Shift noted that X's weapons symbolized his status as a cultural hybrid in contrast to the Western Axl and the Eastern Zero.[74]
Footnotes
- ^ a b "Losing your voice - 10 characters that changed actors". GamesRadar. April 4, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2018. A green check mark indicates that a role has been confirmed using a screenshot (or collage of screenshots) of a title's list of voice actors and their respective characters found in its opening and/or closing credits and/or other reliable sources of information.
- ^ a b c d e "Zero Voices (Mega Man)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
- ^ Capcom (January 1994). Mega Man X (Super NES). Capcom.
X: I guess I'm not powerful enough to defeat him... Zero: X, you shouldn't expect to defeat him; he is designed to be a war machine. Remember, you have not reached full power yet. If you use all the abilities you were designed with, you should become stronger...you may even become as powerful as I am.
- ^ Capcom (September 1997). Mega Man X4 (Sony PlayStation). Capcom.
Zero: Iris, there's no world just for Reploids. It's only a fantasy. Iris: Yes... I know... But I wanted to believe it! ... I wanted to live in a world where only Reploids exist...... with you.
- ^ Capcom Production Studio 3 (2000). Mega Man X5 (PlayStation). Capcom. Level/area: Unknown stage 3.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Capcom Production Studio 3 (2001). Mega Man X6 (PlayStation). Capcom. Level/area: Introduction.
{{cite book}}
: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Capcom (2003). Mega Man X8 (PlayStation 2). Capcom.
Zero: Well, don't let it get to you. Just becoming Sigma could hardly be called evolution. Anyway, X... Even if we Reploids are destined to join the scrap heap when that evolutionary step does comes about, we still have to fight... Not only against the Mavericks, but against our own destiny as well...
- ^ "Mega Man X DiVE Shows Off X and a Mysterious Zero in Its Latest Trailer". Silconera. 14 February 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- ^ "Mega Man X DiVE Shows Off X and a Mysterious Zero in Its Latest Trailer". Silconera. 14 February 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2023.
- ^ Capcom (2008a), p. 18.
- ^ Capcom (2008a), pp. 20–21.
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- ^ IGN staff (2003-07-31). "Secret SNK vs Capcom Characters". IGN. Retrieved 2012-01-29.
- ^ Alfonso, Andrew. "Onimusha Guide & Walkthrough". IGN. Retrieved January 31, 2012.
- ^ Bozon, Mark (2009-10-13). "Character Unveil: Tatsunoko vs. Capcom". IGN. Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
- ^ Ciolek, Todd (2010-11-17). "The X Button Yet More Heroes". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2010-11-17.
- ^ "Project X Zone 2 Is Coming To The West This Fall". Siliconera. 12 April 2015. Retrieved April 24, 2015.
- ^ "Interviews// Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Producer Ryota Niitsuma". January 24, 2011. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
- ^ "Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Switch Game Adds Simon, Richter, Chrom, Dark Samus, King K. Rool". Anime News Network. 2023-09-24. Retrieved 2023-09-24.
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- ^ What Happens When Sega and Capcom's Heroes Unite? - IGN, 30 April 2015, retrieved 2020-08-14
- ^ Play. 3 (4).
- ^ a b Hirohiko, Niizumi (2007-09-24). "TGS '07: Mega Man celebrates 20th anniversary". GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
- ^ Staff (2008-09-05). "Inafune-san Answers Your Questions!". Capcom Digital Downloads. Capcom. Archived from the original on 2008-09-10. Retrieved 2009-09-18.
- ^ a b blackoak. "Mega Man X4 – 1997 Developer Interview". Shmuplations. Retrieved January 1, 2018.
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- ^ Capcom (2008a), p. 168.
- ^ Capcom (2008a), p. 171.
- ^ Capcom (2008a), p. 175.
- ^ Capcom (2008b), p. 197.
- ^ Capcom (2008b), p. 188.
- ^ Capcom (2008b), p. 226.
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- ^ November 18, 2007. Capcom, Holding of the Rockman 20th Anniversary Event. Keiji Inafune, New "Rockman" in Production (Japanese). GameWatch.
- ^ a b Capcom (2008b), pp. 205–207.
- ^ Capcom (2008b), p. 259.
- ^ Ariga, Hitoshi (Summer 1997). "X4 Original Mega Armor: The Untold Story". CFC Style Fan-Book CAP! (in Japanese). Vol. 4. Capcom. p. 8.
- ^ Capcom (2008a), p. 141.
- ^ Capcom (2008a), p. 147.
- ^ https://twitter.com/RX_DiVE/status/1554753954151485440
- ^ Amunshen (April 17, 2012). ""X" and "Zero" on Their Roles in PXZ". The Mega Man Network. Archived from the original on June 27, 2020. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- ^ "Lucas Gilbertson Answers Your Questions!". Rock Man Corner. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- Game Revolution. Archived from the originalon May 15, 2012. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
- ^ Schedeen, Jesse (2008-10-02). "Top Videogame Sword Masters". IGN. IGN Entertainment. p. 4. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
- ^ Knutson, Michael (2006-01-10). "Mega Man X Collection Review". GameZone. Archived from the original on 2007-06-16. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
- CBS Interactive. Archivedfrom the original on December 12, 2009. Retrieved December 26, 2010.
- ^ "Building The Perfect Mega Man X". Game Informer. March 21, 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- 1UP.com. UGO Networks. Archived from the originalon 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
- ^ East, Mark (1997-11-12). "Mega Man X4 Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
- ^ Elston, Brett (June 30, 2008). "The ultimate Mega Man retrospective". GamesRadar. Retrieved 2010-03-31.
- ^ "Learn why the voice acting from Mega Man 8 and X4 was so bad". Destructoid. 19 March 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
- 1UP.com. UGO Networks. Archived from the original on 2010-01-05. Retrieved 2009-09-17.)
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: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link - ^ "Mega Man X6 PS1 Capcom". Destructoid. Retrieved April 21, 2024.
- ^ Schedeen, Jesse (2009-04-20). "Player's Wanted: Marvel vs. Capcom 3". IGN. IGN Entertainment. p. 1. Retrieved 2009-09-13.
- ^ Staff (October 1997). "Mega Man X4 Review". PSM. No. 2. p. 58.
- ^ "Why Zero is Cooler than Mega Man X and how Mega Man 2 Was Made". Siliconera. September 2013. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
- ^ "The Most Interesting Mega Man Character is a Reploid Who Fell in Love with a Human". US Gamer. 26 February 2020. Archived from the original on 30 May 2020. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
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- ^ Tracy, Tim (October 1, 2002). "Mega Man Zero Review". GameSpot. Archived from the original on February 5, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
- ^ Lucas M. Thomas (July 8, 2010). "MEGA MAN ZERO COLLECTION REVIEW". IGN. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
- ^ "Review: Mega Man Zero Collection". Destructoid. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
- ^ "Mega Man Zero Review (Wii U eShop / GBA)". Nintendo Life. 23 December 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
- ^ "Companions Through Life and Death: The Story of Inti Creates and Mega Man". US Gamer. 24 December 2015. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved December 31, 2018.
- ^ "Mega Man X design document further explains the Zero and Dr. Wily connection". Destructoid. 12 February 2018. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
- ^ "Project X Zone roster: Meet all 60 playable characters". GamesRadar. 24 January 2013. Retrieved May 30, 2020.
- ^ "Project X Zone 2". Game Informer. February 12, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2020.
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References
- Capcom (2008a). Mega Man Zero Official Complete Works. ISBN 978-1-897376-01-0.
- Capcom (March 2008b). R20 Rockman & Rockman X Official Complete Works (in Japanese). Udon Entertainment. ISBN 978-4-86233-178-6.