Proto Man

Proto Man, known in Japan as Blues (Japanese: ブルース, Hepburn: Burūsu),[6] is a fictional character from Capcom's Mega Man video game series. Proto Man first appeared in the 1990 video game Mega Man 3 as a mini-boss Mega Man had to face periodically, and was known as Break Man (though Proto Man's in-game appearance differs slightly from Break Man's). At the end of Mega Man 3, it is revealed that Break Man's actual name is Proto Man, and that he is Mega Man's older brother. Proto Man made further appearances in many more Mega Man games, sometimes as a playable character, often receiving critical praise.

Proto Man
Mega Man character
Promotional artwork of Proto Man for Mega Man 10
First gameMega Man 3 (1990)
Created byKeiji Inafune
Voiced by
In-universe information
SpeciesRobot Master
WeaponProto Buster and Shield

Concept and creation

Proto Man debuted as a mini-boss in Mega Man 3, and is later revealed to be Mega Man's brother. Character designer Keiji Inafune stated "We wanted people to be unsure whether Proto Man was a friend or a foe. On one hand, he'd seem like a rival to Mega Man, but at the same time he'd seem like a comrade."[7] Several anime characters Inafune used to watch inspired Proto Man. The design also involved a "cool factor" as well as a sign of his superiority over Mega Man: his shield.[8] Higurashi considers Proto Man and Rush to be the main attractions of Mega Man 3. The glow from his eyes were inspired by Break Man.[9] Hideki considers Mega Man 5 as a "Blue"'s Trap resulting in major focus when making illustration focusing on the returning character.[10] For Mega Man 8, Kaji expressed difficulties in making the illustratios which led Inafune to revise the ones from Proto Man.[11]

Appearances

Video games

Proto Man is the early prototype of Mega Man that made his first appearance in NES game Mega Man 3 (1990) and is found in the Magnet Man, Hard Man, Shadow Man and Gemini Man levels. He has a grey and red uniform and a yellow scarf. He wears a red helmet with a silvery decoration and a dark visor which hides his eyes. He always appears after his distinctive whistle.

At the end of Mega Man 2: The Power Fighters, it is revealed by Dr. Light that Proto Man's body has a fatal defect in its energy system, and as a result is in great pain and has a more limited lifespan. In Mega Man Powered Up, Proto Man reveals in a dialog with the Yellow Devil that his reactor is already unstable, which due to being a Nuclear reactor, could result in disaster with "one big shock". In the various Mega Man manga, Proto Man has appeared in casual clothing, usually standing atop a building wearing a trenchcoat, sunglasses, slacks, and black shoes. His scarf is tucked into the trenchcoat, but still noticeable.

He can be unlocked as a playable character in Mega Man Powered Up,[12] the PlayStation Portable remake of the first Mega Man game, as well as in Mega Man 9 as part of that game's extra downloadable content in the original release[13] or in the Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 release of Mega Man 9 by either completing the game or by using the secret code at the Mega Man 9 title screen.[14] He is also a playable character in Mega Man 10.

Other appearances

In the Ruby-Spears Mega Man cartoon, Proto Man, having been reprogrammed by Dr. Wily, is villainous and serves as Dr. Wily's main henchman alongside Cut Man and Guts Man in the cartoon series, having similar capabilities as Mega Man and identical to his appearance in the games except the fact that he lacks his shield. He is obsessed with destroying Mega Man and sometimes gets in the way of Wily's plots by going out of his way to do so.

In Dead Rising 2: Off the Record the player can unlock a Proto Man costume, which can be used by the main character Frank West.[15]

Proto Man also appeared in Mega Man's comics published by Archie Comics.[16]

Another spin-off of the series, Mega Man Battle Network, features ProtoMan.EXE as a friend and rival of the protagonist, MegaMan.EXE. In this series, the characters are computer programs called "NetNavi" rather than robots and exist only in the digital world, although connections to the real world exist and progress through the series. Each person has his or her own NetNavi, and are known as "operators". MegaMan.EXE's operator is Lan, the series protagonist along with MegaMan, while ProtoMan.EXE's operator is Chaud, Lan's rival and a master operator, working with law enforcement.

Proto Man also features as a central character in the works of the band the Protomen, namely in their retelling of the Mega Man series as a dystopian rock opera.

Proto Man makes a cameo in Nova's ending in Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 as a member of the new "Mega Nova Corps."

In Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U, Proto Man's armor and helmet (through paid DLC) can be worn by Mii fighters. He also appears as a collectible trophy in the Wii U version. In the following game, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, Proto Man appears alongside Bass in Mega Man's updated Final Smash. On September 4, 2019, it was confirmed on Nintendo's official YouTube Channel that the Proto Man costume for the Mii Fighters would be returning in Ultimate as DLC and was released later that day.[17]

He is a playable character in the fan-made Mega Man 2.5D, Mega Man Maker and Mega Man: The Sequel Wars, an unofficial remake of the last six NES games of the main series made for the Sega Genesis by fans of the franchise, adopting the same art style as The Wily Wars, whose release took place in 2023 with the first chapter, Episode Red (which is Mega Man 4).[18]

Reception

Proto Man's character was generally received with positive critical response by publications for video games. Complex ranked eight a Proto Man action figure on its list of "The 50 Coolest Video Game Action Figures and Statues".[19] GamesRadar listed him and Mega Man as having one of the best brotherly rivalries in gaming, commenting that he is "quite the anti-hero" and "the cool cat of the two."[20] The same site also said "Everyone loves Mega Man, but some fans prefer the bad boy style of his rival/ally Proto Man", and listed Proto Man as one of the 30 best Capcom characters of the last 30 years, adding "It's hard to say who’s the better robot slayer, but Proto Man’s scarf and shield at least make him the more fashionable of the two."[21] Gavin Jasper of Den of Geek listed him as one of the character missing from the Marvel vs. Capcom series that should have been in, stating "So we've had Mega Man, Mega Man's sister, and now Mega Man’s Reploid brother. Strangely, his rebellious brother has never received his day in the crossover spotlight. Sure, there’s not too much that differentiates him from Mega Man, other than cosmetics and his stationary shield, but Mega Man’s move list is built on stealing weapons and there are so many other Robot Masters to steal from."[22] Ozzie Mejia from Shacknews listed him as one of the characters they wanted to see in the Super Smash Bros. series, adding "Proto Man could utilize an entirely different set of robot master moves, while also using some of his abilities. What separates him from Mega Man is his Proto Buster and his Proto Shield, both of which would fit the Smash Bros setting just fine."[23] His scarf was praised by Blockfort for being impressive and the most famous from the franchise.[24]

Comic Book Resources writer Daniel Kurland included Proto Man in a list of sidekicks they wish they could play as in a game, listing off Mega Man 3 and saying "DLC for Mega Man 9 gives into temptation and makes Proto Man playable, as well as the PSP remake of the original game, Mega Man: Powered Up, but it’s not the same. A playable Proto Man in Mega Man 3 would have pushed the franchise in a fascinating direction."[25] Reviewing Proto Man's DLC appearance in Mega Man 9, he was praised by Mark Bozon at IGN, who stated "Yes, you're going to have to pay for it, but after going hands-on with Proto Man Mode, and busting up the eight master robots once again, we can tell you that this should be the easiest two bucks you've ever spent. Proto Man is the real deal on Mega Man 9."[26] In a review of Mega Man 10 by Colin Moriarty of IGN Proto Man being playable by default (as opposed to DLC as in Mega Man 9), saying that while they preferred playing as Mega Man, "playing as Proto Man adds more depth to the game, and gives you a reason to play through again once you've beaten Mega Man 10."[27] Tim Turi at Game Informer gave his playable appearance in Mega Man 10 similar praise, noting "His unique attributes require you to rethink how you approach the game, and his vulnerability instills a constant fear of death. Powering through Mega Man 10 with Proto Man is as harrowing as it is rewarding."[28]

The absence of Proto Man in Mega Man 11 has been criticized.[29][30][31] Mega Man 11 producer explained his exclusion in the game, where it is stated "What we struggled with the most was how to develop a clear and engaging story that builds upon the previous installments while appealing to a wide range of players; new players picking up a Mega Man game for the first time, those who may have forgotten the series' backstory, and the hardcore fans who remember the events of 9 and 10 as though they happened yesterday. After the long gap between 10 and 11, we decided to focus on sharing an untold story that touches on the past of Dr. Light and Dr. Wily."[32]

Besides gaming, there were other instances where Proto Man was commented on. For the Archie Comics, writer Ian Flynn regarded Proto Man as one of the franchise's most beloved characters and felt he was a more tragic character when compared with the more heroic Mega Man.[33] Comics Alliance praised Proto Man's portrayal due to his identity issues and deep interactions it leads to.[34] In regards to merchandising based on the character, Turi took a liking to a hood based on Proto Man.[35]

References
  1. "Proto Man Voices (Mega Man)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 10 October 2021.
  2. "ProtoMan.exe Voices (Mega Man)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 9 July 2021. 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  3. "Proto Man Voices (Mega Man)". Behind The Voice Actors. Retrieved 9 July 2021. 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.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: postscript (link)
  4. Capcom. ロックマンロックマン. Capcom. Scene: Ending credits, 7:06.
  5. Capcom Production Studio 2. ロックマンエグゼ5DS ツインリーダーズ. Capcom. Scene: Ending credits, 1:20:04 in, キャスト.
  6. Interview with Kenji Inafune Mega. Man.Network (Originally published in Play magazine, volume 3, issue 4 (April 2004)). Archived from the original on December 15, 2005. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  7. Mega Man 3: Boss Fight Books #14. Boss Fight Books. 26 September 2016. ISBN 9781940535142.
  8. Capcom (2018). R20 Rockman & Rockman X Official Complete Works. Capcom. p. 41. ISBN 978-4862333827.
  9. Capcom (2018). R20 Rockman & Rockman X Official Complete Works. Capcom. p. 134. ISBN 978-4862333827.
  10. Capcom (2018). R20 Rockman & Rockman X Official Complete Works. Capcom. p. 138. ISBN 978-4862333827.
  11. Capcom (2018). R20 Rockman & Rockman X Official Complete Works. Capcom. p. 81. ISBN 978-4862333827.
  12. "Mega Man Powered Up Cheats". GameRevolution. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  13. Bozon, Mark (September 25, 2008). "Mega Man 9: Unlocking Proto Man". IGN. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  14. Mega Man Legacy Collection 2 is available now! -Capcom Unity
  15. Conditt, Jessica (October 16, 2011). "Frank West can be Proto Man in Dead Rising 2: Off the Record". Joystiq. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  16. "The Mega Man Network Interviews Ian Flynn on Proto Man & More". The Mega Man Network. June 20, 2012. Retrieved June 29, 2013.
  17. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate - Mii Fighter Costumes #3 - Nintendo Switch
  18. "Mega Man: The Sequel Wars - Episode Red". RetroRGB. 2023-06-08. Retrieved 2023-07-02.
  19. Amirkhani, Justin (February 6, 2013). "The 50 Coolest Video Game Action Figures and Statues". Complex. Retrieved April 21, 2013.
  20. Rubens, Alex (May 18, 2012). "The 8 best brotherly rivalries in gaming". GamesRadar. Retrieved April 20, 2013.
  21. "The 30 best Capcom characters of the last 30 years". GamesRadar. June 25, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
  22. "20 Characters Missing from the Marvel vs. Capcom Series". 20 September 2017.
  23. "Super Smash Bros. For Wii U and 3DS - Who missed the cut?". 15 September 2014.
  24. "Top 10 Best Video Game Scarves of All-Time!". Blockfort. September 25, 2023.
  25. "10 Games with Non-Playable Sidekicks We Wish We Could Played as". 25 September 2021.
  26. Bozon, Mark (2009-01-23). "IGN: Mega Man 9: Unlocking Proto Man". Archived from the original on January 23, 2009. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  27. Moriarty, Colin (11 March 2010). "Mega Man 10 Review". IGN. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  28. Turi, Tim (2010-03-01). "Mega Man 10 Review - The Retro Gamer's Dream Continues". Game Informer. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  29. "Does Mega Man 11 Have an Ace Up its Sleeve?". Hardcore Gamer. 2018-09-17. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  30. "Review: Mega Man 11- The Return of the Blue Bomber – The Outerhaven". Theouterhaven.net. October 2018. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  31. Foster, Neil (2018-10-15). "Mega Man 11 – Hardcore Gaming 101". Hardcoregaming101.net. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  32. Carter, Chris (6 November 2018). "Mega Man 11 producer explains why Proto Man and Bass didn't make the cut". Destructoid. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  33. "The Mega Man Network Interviews Ian Flynn on Proto Man & More". 20 June 2012.
  34. "Mega Man: Forgiveness, Ethics and the Nature of the Soul". 16 December 2014.
  35. "Proto Man Hoodie". Game Informer. Retrieved May 30, 2023.
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