Zero's redesign EXPLAINED!
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- čas přidán 20. 06. 2024
- Zero is a fan favorite from the Mega Man games. Even non-Megaman fans know of him thanks to his overwhelming OP trend in fighting games. However, when he got his own series a whole new look was given without any explantion. Was a reason even given? If so where at? I scoured all the sources I could to bring you everything on the topic!
Be sure to check out the others who helped out!
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The mechanical reason is because sprites had to be compact and functional.
The lore reason is upgrades.
Upgrade wise, Zero is way faster than his original body, refight omega, your triple slash is nearly double the speed of his. Gameplay wise, this tightens up control
Exactly, Because by the time of the elf War most reploids for being built with synthetic muscles that could lift more and react faster than hydraulic and pneumatic Pistons while maintaining a smaller body frame making them harder to hit.
or maybe it's not even the same Zero. It could be a reimagining like MmX, and mm legends. I remember someone trying to make sense of the timeline for every mario game and every zelda game.
you just saved me 13mins. Thank you.
@@CheeseshredderWhat do you mean reimagining?
The X series is a sequel to the Classic series and Zero is a sequel to the X series.
Its because he hid himself while he rebuilt himself.
This guys onto something...
This killed me
Fun fact, if you get the X Capsules as Zero, he clarifies that that was just an excuse he made, and he doesn't actually know how he survived, saying that his systems either repaired him automatically, or someone else repaired him in secret.
It isn't revealed what was responsible for his return, but we can all take a guess (Dr. Wily, a la Isoc).
Simply not true. Omega is using Zeros original body from X1, and he looks identical to MMZ Zero except for color. Its just a style change and hes meant to look exactly the same as the X series.
Which game? @@whichcache2517
From what I understand with the lore and the series itself, it isn't just a design choice, because by ZX it was stated that since "Reploids" had upgraded so much, that the only easy way to tell them apart from a human was the crystal on their foreheads, and by that era humanity was also getting used to getting upgrades too, as some humans had been getting cybernetic upgrades so they could compete with reploids, and by the Legends era the "Carbons" couldn't be told apart from humans and reploids, so thats why it makes sense that it was just the technology getting better.
But to look child like, um...
But Zero never had an upgrade, he was locked during X series and wake up already different, nobody touched him, it's not explained why he's wearing a different armor when he wakes up, and now we know it was simply a re-design, they threw away old Zero's form, this is how Zero has always been now... So stupid, old design was way better. And changing it without a lore is just lazy.
@@alexrodrigues4775 Lol. Zero has never had an upgrade? Did you forget his prototype body was destroyed in X1, and then he was rebuilt as he was intended to be by Serges in X2? Then the guy was basically just a torso in X5, and somehow his auto repair system, which is like nanobot technology or something, fixed him up by X6. I would call those times as upgrades, since he was stronger than he was before when they happened, but then X8 came around and he was made to be more humanoid, and its unknown if it was that his body just adapted, or if like what happened to X in Command Mission, he was upgraded somehow so he could also be compatible with force metals, as X also had very complicated internal systems, but he was confirmed to have upgraded, so it makes sense for Zero to have been as well. Some changes could be just design choices, since even in the first X game, Zero did not have the green gems on his body, it was only after X2 and onward that they designed him with them, so I will stick to the lore wise explanation that it was just the technology changing.
@@Chrisezo lol you misunderstood, of course Zero has had upgrades throughout the series.
What i said is that, after he was sealed away during the events of Megaman X series, he was then woken up at the start of Megaman Zero series and was already with his different appearance.
Everyone wanted to know what happened between games for him to have a new armor.
Turns out it was just a redesign without ingame explanation, which is terribly lazy and disrespectful to Megaman legacy imo.
@@shadowopsairman1583 That isn't the design, it's the artstyle. Everyone has those facial proportions in Nakamura's art.
I have my own explanation, both x and zero's x series body was badly damaged after the elf wars. Because their bodies were a mystery to many scientists, they couldn't be rebuilt. So they gave them new sleeker bodies to keep up with the current technology.
That or energy reduction costs. Maybe even to adapt to elvish technology, as you hinted at.
Hey friends, is it just me who thinks new bodies make it seem like technology has regressed?
@@ulquiorraemobrstatus6536 I mean... no because they function at a superior rate to what we see in the X-series (when they have proper energy resources anyway).
And it does feed into the overall lore of Robots and Humans becoming so integrated in both form and function that they become indistinguishable except to the most discerning of eyes.
I'd still like an Elf Wars game in this style.
Same
YES
@@RockmanHQ X9-X10-X11-X12 Could Be Elf Wars!One Year Per Game!MAKE IT CRAPCOM!NOOOOWWWWW!
would be my forever goat
How about a halfway design. Omega has the Zero 3 final design but elf wars Zero is based on the Elf wars panel on the Archie Comics Mega man issue 55. It would be interesting that his copy body originally used a lot of Zero's older armor as an ad hoc repair.
This is one of those things that would be easy to sort out definitively if there weren't so much conflicting information. Capcom staff, Inti's staff, and Inafune all have conflicting points.
The only part of it that has been consistent is that Capcom technically considers every Mega Man series a "possible future" deal, so there's no _strict_ canon that isn't specific to a series.
Which is why XCM is also canon
The answer is quite simple Because by the time of the elf war in universe reploids were becoming more human like including using synthetic muscles that were better than hydraulic and pneumatic Pistons which allowed them to have a thinner body frames. Zero's original body had been upgraded with those same synthetic muscles and systems, the thing that people have to remember is the things that made zero so strong were his strong spirit, Fierce determination, and one of the only two Hardware pieces that actually mattered is power supply which was damn near infinite energy with a very high output of said power. The synthetic muscles just made it easier for him to Output this power.
Honestly, Omega’s appearance in the final battle has always seemed rather straightforward to me. We see him altering his own body (Zero’s original body) multiple times with the Dark Elf’s power. He keeps going bigger and bulkier, but Zero manages to keep up with and defeat him every time. So, Omega just says “screw it” and changes his body again to mimic Zero’s current one: sleeker, more agile, yet still retaining some of Zero’s abilities from the X games.
that is his true body though. In MMZ Official Complete Works you can see that his "Zero" body is inside the bigger mech made by Weil
@@JoaoPaulo-jy2sb Really? I thought the "mech" was just the old Zero body but heavily modified. I mean, it even bears a strong resemblance to the original if you look closely.
@@goldlight1322it’s an armor containing the body not the body itself
@@goldlight1322 Iirc, the Armor on the outside is a kind of conduit that is supposed to channel his power for project Elpizo. Its not just so he's big and bulky, its a machine to control the minds of reploids first, a battle armor second. Which would explain why its so easy to defeat 😂 The second form is Dark Elf shenanigans (similar to that of Elpizo or that random pantheon mini boss)
It’s zero original body, the redesign was actually happening during the elf war, i forgot if it was post or during the elf war itself.
personaly i preffer the redesign,not only is less comical without them wierd legs and arms but its also something that carried over to EVERYTHING IntiCreates,from BlasterMaster character's design to the ultimate homage to the Zero franchise Gunvolt AND LuminousAvanger IX,its sheer proof of how much Inti cared about megaman as a franchise just as much as Inafune did
I've always followed Reploid Revo's reasoning for the in-universe change.
Even accounting for the century of war, energy crisis and rebellion, technological advancements still occurred, reploids being direct beneficiaries of that. Gears and rods replaced with artificial muscles, body proportions slimmed out to appear more humanoid while not losing strength, etc.
As for the whole body shenanigans, while Weil himself making the modifications to both of Zero's bodies is possible, I'd just as easily assume enough time passed since the X series that Zero upgraded to that form over time. The only historical specifications we have are which century each series took place in. No exact years.
Not a bad theory too bad that Reploid Revo is a jerk, the guy can do some good videos but as a person he is very terrible.
Why??? @@Mike-xh2vm
@@Mike-xh2vm What did he do to recive your negative view on him?
@@Just_a_teddy_bear He is very rude, he bans people from his discord (and lie) when they dissagree with him. That's all opinions that he dissagrees with are enough to get you kicked out with no manners. Later on I learned I wasn't the only one, on the Megaman Reddit I learned plenty of people got kiccked out too for sharing their opinions, I don't think that's way to treat fans of his content. If he has told me, I would have left without making problem.
@@Mike-xh2vm He blocks people for not agreeing with him on certain topics? Wow, that petty as hell
Not to mention the Phoenix Magnion phantoms having the X-series proportions since they were all from the time before the technology upgrade!
Thanks for the visual cameo
I can't believe I forgot to work that in. I was even looking at them when researching.
@@RockmanHQ RockmanLQ reporting!
Dang. You got me.
Force Metal was explicitly stated to be from outer space. I don't think Dr. Light or Wily planned for reploids to find kryptonite and use it as steroids.
Where in the video was force metal mentioned?
@@lordmonarch2995 Are you stupid? Oh yes you are. Go google up the term critical thinking and then come back.
Force metal is from Megaman X Command Mission, which happens in an alternate 22XX ≠ Megaman Zero timeline
You are all idiots.
Upgrade wise, Zero is way faster than his original body, refight omega, your triple slash is nearly double the speed of his. Gameplay wise, this tightens up control
Zero looks that way because he just evolved with the times, remember the games are leading into Legends series so naturally robots will look more human like. Shit in ZX series you would only be able to tell if it’s a reploid from looking at the Triangle tattoo on their forehead if not for that tattoo they would appear as a regular human!
But Zero never had an upgrade, he was locked during X series with his previous appearance, and woke up in Z series already looking different.
There's no in game explanation.
You have your own head cannon to fix reality, but truth is, they were lazy and did Zero dirty, gave him an ugly armor and deleted the previous one from the lore of their games.
@@alexrodrigues4775Look at the Zero designs in X1-X8. He changed over time.
@@dansmith16 Okay but he was unsealed, so it's easily explained.
Problem is that he changed armor while sealed.
Someone else must've done it, who was it? There's no explanation.
@@alexrodrigues4775Nanomachines
@@alexrodrigues4775 he wasn't locked during the x series. Zero was part of the elf wars and then locked himself. Presumably upgraded then
I find this interesting that after so many years people are still debating about this! Just goes to show how passionate the fans are. Did you all do the Capcom survey?
Funny this vid came out, just as I finished Zero 4 last night.
To me, people are overcomplicating Zero's redesign. It's just an art style change. No matter what the lore implies, it has to look different. Even in childhood, by the time even I saw the game's box art, I understood that. Can't blame people for digging every nook and cranny that's left of the Mega Man content that we got, though, but there's not much else of importance, either.
There is always a meta level reason if you wanna explain it simply. Yeah it's an art style change, but how does it work in the canon? It's because later games went for more sleek and humanlike designs to show how tech advances overtime reploids are now look more human.
You can easily oversimplify and say the devs did it just because they had to just because. Why turn Leon into an action hero in RE4? To appeal to a wider audience. Why cut off Nero's arm? To give him a new mechanic and give an excuse to bring Vergil back.
@@NovaBlazerZX Well, yes, there's always some reason on the meta level. I'm not sure that your examples work quite as intended, though; Leon's action hero status and Nero's arm are already imbedded into Leon's character and DMC's plot respectively, but the MMZ art shift isn't relevant from a plot perspective. The art is a depiction of the story, but it's not a part of the storyline in the same way.
@@RouroniRockman It doesn't have to all that super plot relevant. They have handwaved things like it in the series already. Like the jump from Classic to X and then X to Zero. It's simply time passage and things change, like technology. You can chalk it up to they wanted a different take of the games for their respective sequels. But to hit home the fact that these are sequels, the robots all start to look more complicated and more sleek with complicated designs and complex names. The design choices and world they want to build can go hand in hand. They can intend it initially or fill the blanks later and make up a reason for the change.
Honestly I think people want another explanation, or a in-universe explanation, because the design is so drastic and just going 'they just drew him different, but is the same design in universe' is not very satisfying for a lot of people (me included).
But if that is, then it is what it is.
@@NovaBlazerZX You're not wrong that they can justify changes retroactively, but that's not always what ends up happening, especially in these types of situations. I can think of at least a handful of media where there were design changes for characters that went unaddressed in-universe. Just off the top of my head, the Joker in the DCAU went through 3 different designs from Batman the Animated Series through Justice League Unlimited, his final one effectively becoming a retcon for the previous two. "There can be an explanation" does not always mean that "there is an explanation", especially in fiction. Is it less enticing for the reason to be purely meta? Of course. But sometimes the boring answer is the one you're going to get.
i remember when i saw the cover art of Mega Man zero , i honestly thougt this was a game set before the X series and you was playing as a young zero. surprised is set after x series.
That could've been a really cool direction for them to have gone!
@@Shamazya I remember I imagined the game, having zero going against willy and other creations he made, but somehow Megaman,bass and the others were absent.
I had theory that omega was Og Zero but with the controll chip reactivated and that omega is the embodiment of the Z virus
didnt they say that somewhere that was the case and they took the pure good soul of zero and put him in another body as the virus was too much for him or something???
@@supersonicjc It's in MMZ4, I believe. They was cocky because they had Zero's original body and power. However, it's not just the body that made Zero and why he was able to beat Omega. I remember a rumor back in the day that they actually wanted to use the Zero body sprite from the X games but couldn't due to sprite limitations or something.
I forgot why, but something did happen why he went into a hibernation, similarly to X going into a hibernation, only to become a cyber elf essentially.
It’s been stated somewhere that Omega was an original personality created by Weil however they teased that the original programming in the body may be influencing Omega so the bloodthirst may in part be from the Maverick part of Zero in the body
Yea something like that
If I remember correctly, one initial plan for Omega was for him to be the literal personification of the Maverick Virus. Key word being initial.
Weirdest thing in megaman: Reploids having a cannon in each leg and still running fine, without tripping
Personally, I much prefer the X series version design of Zero.
Thanks for making this video! I was pretty curious about this myself.
Phoenix magnion uses an attack that shows repliods from the X series as they appear in that series, and since they look accurate, then it would make sense that X and Zero would as well, I subscribe to the theory that during the elf wars X and Zero were modified possibly to use cyber elves.
In the Mega Man Zero Complete Artbook the concept art of Omega that shows the outershell-body looking more like a sarcophagus had the inner body looking more blocky in the shadows it's stepping out of so it feels like they were at least considering to have Omega look like Zero's original look at some point during production.
You'll never convince me that it was anything more than a stylistic change to make the game stand out. Once it was a hit enough to make it a running series and semi-officially enter it into canonicity, they had to come up with 'reasons' as to why it was the way it was. Retcons, adoptions of fan theories, and token nods via future games were all just thrown in to satisfy the fan demand for explanation. After all... what's the explanation for why humans look so different stylistically between the games? It's not like they were getting upgraded. That wouldn't happen until ZX.
Just like the whole 'What happened between Classic and X series' scenario, Capcom put absolutely no thought into any of this prior to the release of the first game, and only started to incorporate it as a potential story element after it was a success.
These things happened all the time. Style redesigns were not uncommon in that era, even from game-to-game, and by the time Zero 1 came out many felt that the 'bulbous limb' style was out of fashion and no longer appealing as it was a nod to the old-style robots of the 50s (particularly Astro Boy), even though it is personally my favorite of the Mega Man artistic styles.
I wouldnt say the X series had no thought about connecting to classic given Light was present in X1 but yeah i agree is all just an artstyle change to make the game stand out among the megaman line up and probably also for practical reasons ( slimmer/simpler designs for a game thats going to be on a platform with not as much screen real-estate.) its weird how people have to have lore explanations for stuff like this.
@@LeoHeart272 Sorry, I didn't mean that there would be NO connection at all between the series, I meant specifically that infamous 'What happened?' connection. The 'Where is Mega Man? What happened to Light Labs and all the robot masters?" You know... the whole reason that the 'Zero Armageddon' theory exists.
Capcom's train of thought when developing X never went beyond 'just have it take place in the future'. They STILL have no answers for these questions and I don't think they ever intend to because to do so would be to put a 'cap' on the classic series and potentially make it more difficult to make classic games. IF they ever answer that question it will be the final game that they ever intend to release for the classic series.
And I'm further convinced that the only reason they went out of their way to purposefully debunk the 'armageddon' theory was because it's just too dark for a Mega Man Classic plot and they didn't want the association.
But I mean... it's far from the only plot hole in the Mega Man series. Mega Man 3 (Classic) implied that humanity had already mastered interstellar travel but they're still using 20th century Space Shuttles by the time we get to X5....
@@Pulmonox To be fair, the Armageddon theory doesn't work because Zero was unable to be controlled by Dr. Wily when the man was still alive. After all of Bass' insubordination, the failed doctor would be smart enough to not release an uncontrollable killing machine that makes no distinction between allies and everything else. Lest we forget what we saw in X4 of Zero when he was found.
It was a genuine art design change. Why is that so hard to believe, bruv? This has been addressed by the creators of the franchise. TORU NAKAYAMA was given artistic license to redesign as he saw fit. This was done by keiji inafune. This is backed up by multiple people who were on the team.
The zero designs are by far my fav megaman design! The poses for zero in the guides were soooooo dope!!
Speaking of Gundam redesign Zero vs Omega and Zero vs Weil do have similarities to Wing Gundam Zero vs Epyon and Crossbone Gundam X3 vs Divinidad respectively.
The reploid's style in megaman zero is so cool to see, they look swifter and more flexible.
I respectfully disagree. In my opinion, they look weak and feminine.
Good video. Inafune was FOS tho. When Powered Up came out, he'd said that the new SD style was how he always intended for Mega Man to look. It didn't work out because Powered Up didn't matter after the fact, so Mega Man looks how he looks now, which leans toward the MM11 style.
@ReploidREVO I'm gonna' do my best to find it man but it was from an interview that happened prior to the release of Powered Up... that was long ago. Will link you if/when I find it.
@ReploidREVO This was GameSpy from the 2005 Tokyo Gameshow, you'll see the quote below I copied and pasted. I got it from page 3 of the article. Copy and paste this without the quotations in google and it should be the first link: "Mega Man on PSP -- Keiji Inafune and Tatsuya Kitabayashi Interview"
Gamespy : "The new art style for the game is really, really cute. What prompted the new style?"
Inafune: "Believe it or not, what you're seeing on the PSP is what I originally intended Mega Man to look like. But as I was making the game for the NES, there were limitations on the hardware and the graphics, so he ended up looking how he looked in those games. Now that I have hardware that has far fewer limitations as far as the graphics, I can finally show the true Mega Man that I wanted to show."
Zeros body represents his red armor making him look like a robotic samurai.making it so much better.
It is mostly said by Reploid REVO that, prior to the Elf Wars where Zero originally have the megaman Zero design, his original body has gone missing and in doing so led to him using a spare body similar to his original body during that time period to join X once the Elf Wars arrived. Meaning that somewhere after megaman X 8 and before the beginning of the elf wars is where the technology has evolved
a persona theory in lore for the design change it could be that ceratanium (the in-universe mineral) that is used in the construction of reploids it's going scarce due to the constant and massive production of reploids, making the use of other technologies and limiting the use of the mineral allowing the design of more compact bodies, that explanation could also serve for why ceratanium is rare element for making parts in mmz4
It was artistic redesign, no lore explanation. Ask Toru Nakayama, he designed zero for the series.
Beautiful video, the histoty of Zero desing is So amazing and incredible. 🛐💜
Thanks You Rockman HQ, i'm SO proud of You. Your videos are full Masterpieces. I want to know more about the Megaman Saga. Take care, my friend. See You Next time.
Rock On! 🧐🥂
I would love a Mega Man X9 where X uses his Command mission design, Axl is slightly modified and Zero has the design seen in Archie Mega man issue 55 during the Elf wars. Zero's design there is basically his Zero design but color wise in his X series with the chest, Helmet and the Shoulder Guards of X2 onwsrds. It would be interesting as while the copy body is perfect it was left purposely incomplete meaning old spare parts had to be used and X upgrade parts as well.
"Defeats his evil X and their four kids" took me a sec 😅
I am glad someone finally caught it. I was kinda proud of that little zinger.
I know someone who didn't played Megaman Zero because of Zero design.
Yeah, i didn't like zero's redesign either. In my opinion megaman zx did a zero design better than megaman zero
I think _The great Clement_ was in that category untill he did his lets play iirc
I'm one of them. Couldn't care less about ZX fans opinion.
@@aleisterowley2800 I went into Advent pretty much blind, it was a blast
My head cannon lore about the design choice is that ReploidForce/MaverickHunters kept improvising personnel alloy for further environmental adaption.
Zeroes case was more to make him easy to integrate him in society as he was much more feared than other Mavericks.
Yeah its pretty much an artstyle change, but i gotta say, Command Mission's X is my favorite design along with MZ's Zero
Mega Man, Zero and Bass aren't "reploids". They are ROBOT MASTERS.
Technically, while the Reploids evolved to be more like Humans, Mega Man and Zero shouldn't have unless they'd been rebuilt.
I'm also shocked that they never actually show us the Reploid creation process or how they gain individuality. They show Gray in a tube in ZX Advent, but not much more.
Yeah that was something I was disappointed by, the creation process I mean. At least in X4 and X5 you at least see Zero's creation process and Maverick Hunter X expands on the creation process with X. I felt like given that X and Zero were advanced robots or "Robot Masters" they should retain their og look, plus shows that they are robots from a bygone time period. But Inti stated they had a hard time trying draw X series Zero and weren't satisfied with how they turned out, so they threw it in Nakayama's court and gave him free reign.
Its Nakayamas Zero
MMZ Zero
Its a retcon as far as I see it
If X and Classic were made in the Zero style they'd look completely reimagined, not just Zero was redesigned but everything in the world is completely different
Thats the only thing that makes sense to me
I don't need MMZ to connect to MMX perfectly, it functions perfectly fine as its own secluded series
That's what Inticreates intended all along, for the Z series to be it's own thing and not scene as an "upgrade."
I thought the redesign was to make Zero look more human to fit in with the characters of the Zero universe.
Great video
Very cool to see more megaman zero
I swear i would have already played all of the Zero games if the art design was more similar to the X games.
youtube has exposed me to a sudden surge of content about my favorite megaman series, and i'm all for it
Huh, didn't expect you to cover this subject so late. Also, was wondering what you'd been doing, coincidence something of yours popped up in my recs.
Also, hi from Discord, HQ~!
- Nono 0 u0)/
There was a.... boss from Zero 2, the phoenix guy. One of his moves was to summon ghosts/illusions of reploids from the past like Bit and Colonel. And the sprites used for them was the old bulky X-series sprites. i think this adds more to how the design upgrades are indeed canon.
Can you tell me what song that is in between the breaks? It’s giving me nostalgia
The Ruins of Lab - Remastered tracks Rockman Zero
The only reason i can think of is they want to change the badass looking zero to a cute little zero.
I remember playing this series and it mentions that Zero and X left their chips behind and I thought the redesign was a mix of both of them. Wow didn’t realize it was just Zero
I prefer the newer look over the old one. but then again I had Zero on the GBA before ever playing any of the X games
Wait, the question Keiji was asked was about Reploids of the Zero series in particular, not specifically Zero himself who maybe could be considered a Robot Master of a different era, so isn't it possible he was just referring to Reploids of that time period rather than Zero? I feel like we don't have enough conclusive information to definitively claim that Zero looks different due to upgrades, although we do know explicitly that it was claimed to be an art change for Zero specifically, since in the interview with that they specifically mentioned him.
The rest of the evidence you proposed kind of feels like a stretch to me, but I appreciate the fact that you didn't waste time, got to the point, and stated your sources, even if I personally feel there isn't enough explicit information like there is with the art style change quote to support the idea of Zero looking different due to upgrades.
i always thought there was never any actual change it was just a different art style and it looks like i was right
To me the lore reason is that some (or the rest) of zero’s armor just fell or rusted off. Considering he kept dying in x, it’s bound to happen. The irl reason is just art style change, but I still like his z series design more
I always followed my Headcanon personally. I think the aesthetic change happened during the Elf Wars. I tend to think that Omega used Zero's original body as a base all along. I remember reading somewhere in the complete works that an "ancester of Ciel" designed the "Copy Zero" so I tend to look at it as Zero vs Omega (X-series Zero) happened during the Elf wars. Changing Zero's appearence would eliminate confusion on the battlefield (evil twin scenario) and after Omega's eventual defeat? Weil might think that the Copy (cheap as it was) might have been more optomized with modern tech, so would reconstruct Omega with this in mind.
I'm glad the art style changed because i love toru nakayama's style and it's been a huge influence in my life.
I'm so Xtremely happy this fandom lives on... Like, IMMENSELY. Thank you for the video! ✨
We all know Zero's design from Mega Man Zero games is what he should have looked like as Zero.EXE
Because it's BETTER! Seriously, I have always hated zero's vacuum tube nipples from the day I first saw him. The redesign was a godsend.
In all seriousness though, I just like those type of proportions (skinny body, big boots and gloves, overall teenage-child look). The mmx designs weren't really my thing. classic Mega man, zero and zx for me!
Happy to see the Zero love.
Happy to see people haven't forgotten the OG.
10:22 The chad in the center has great fashion sense!
It's kinda cool to think of it as an upgrade to the advancement in technology. Which is why you can possibly explain why their bodies are more human looking, with muscles and all.
I'm the "I don't care, let me play and peace!" guy in 10:26. There's also anniversary art that has Zero in old an new designs in front of a set of runners containing his accessories.
I find a small flaw in the "lore" expressed in the Omega character profile:
If Weil did modify the body, wouldn't it made it look different than Copy Zero? Just to avoid a long text block, let's point out the not of a story:
1. Zero locks down it's body for purging the Maverick Virus. Gets a new copy body to use.
2. Weil steals original Zero body and implants Omega into it.
3. Elf-Wars catastrophe with Omega at it's core, got nuked by Zero and X.
4. Zero's new body is most-likely infected with M.Virus. Into lockdown for purge.
5. X uses it's body to contain mother Elf and it's consciousness is turned into a cyber-elf.
So, copy was done before Weil steals the original, which is subsequently modified to create Omega... and they look exactly the same despite being the original body? The modification Weil made are only the big white and purple giant body and the original is untouched? This is as mudded as the Maverick Virus influence on the designation of Maverick to a rogue robot.
In my opinion, the art change is just that: interpretation of a different artist because it is just that: an interpretation. Personally, I find Inafune's commentary a way to expand the perception of his influence on the project (something he has done previously).
The timeline of post X series pre elf wars is an enigma. But to do some corrections, Zero was sealed to study him as his body’s unique reaction to the Virus (shown most prominently I n X5). Weil was a part of the government if I recall being part of a faction (I forget if speculation or was stated) so he was working on his solution in parallel to the one Ciel’s ancestor would create (this is likely when the Weil creating the new body came from in the timeline). The Elf Wars has some details and one of which was that while Weil was making baby elves was unable to combine Omega and Dark Elf with the final battle (X’s faction at the very least at this point having the dark elf and possibly using it) being depicted in a CD Drama where X and Zero commit a Final Strike from command mission to disable Omega. The Maverick virus by this point has been wiped from existence, Zero voluntarily sealed himself once more believing the devastation from X series to Elf Wars was his fault like he was cursed to cause destruction and disaster. You got the sealing of Dark Elf right other than the action causing some form of trauma that split his cyber elf into 5 pieces.
Now considering Weil’s revival of Copy X I think it’s a good chance that Zero already looked like his Zero series body which was then copied by Weil if one is to believe the timeline I mentioned up there (it may be based on the XDive profile or the speculation discussions that came from knowing Weil made the copy body )
Exactly, it's an interpretation Inti even stated it as much. Just throwing this in to back you up on that.
Inticreates had stated that the Zero series body was not meant to be seen as an upgrade. It is meant for the series to be told apart from the X series, since Capcom blatanly made X6, which threw everything off course. Inti out of desperation had to change X from being a villain and make it where it's copy X instead because of Capcom. The Zero series style is basicially similar to how anime would get a makeover for a movie debut or when it comes to introducing a new season.
In the Complete Works of the Z series, Nakayama even said in the interview, "I don't know if you would call them changes... We wanted to impart a sense of evolution. By virtue of the opinion that everything leads to Legends, we felt that we need to move away from the mechanical feel of the X series. That is probably what has been perceived as "changes" with the series. It's not that we were changing it enough to connect it directly to Legends, but we are certainly shifting towards a more human direction." Also, they had a hard time drawing classic Zero and were unsatisfied with the results, so they gave Nakayama creative freedom.
Both Zero and Omega would have classic Zero's full complete squared pauldrons armor.
what are the background themes from
nice vid btw
So did Zero's original personality get transfered into the copy? That could be a possible reason as to why he was suffering from amneisia?
thanks for making this video because I was curious about this myself and I say it has some good lore reasons for all of this and omega being around the same size and body type as you in the battle does make you wonder as you fight him but it would of been awesome for omega to then lose control like not be under weils control because of the virus or darkness or whatever it was that zero was confronted with during the X series meaning we could of gotten omega leaving and becoming an even bigger threat if they went with that path because then we could of had a omega with a slick black design with the wings a version of zero did have and that would of made a interesting fight and could of made a game where we could play as zero like always or even switch control to the new and improved X but that is what I wish they could of done but either way I did like the zero series when I played them.
I subscribe to the idea that as tech got better. Zeros body got smaller, sleeker.
Network Transmission and NT Warrior series came out.
Another analyzing Maverick Hunter nudged in by Reploid REVO? Subbed :P
I admittedly preferred it to not just be a artstyle thing.
Yeah, it would be thematically understandable that, though the years continue, he's the same as he was then, now, and would be in the years to come, but it also just felt like such an afterthought with the explanation.
It also would make what was meant to just be an Easter Egg Attack with Bit, Vile, Agile and Colonel, feel less like just a Easter Egg that spits in the idea of consistency with the rule, and makes it feel like Zero is literally being struck by the ghosts of a past so long ago to show the jump in body types that have become what they are.
Of course, at the end of the day, it was a case of trying to dissociate with what came before to a degree, but it's sometimes nice to just have connective tissue.
I don't really have any theories on the notion myself, I just found it nice to have there be some explanations rather than just handwaving it (Though with it being inherently ancillary media, it will have that handwave feel)
We need the X series to continue into the Elf Wars... I wanna play as a redesigned X or Axl in canon... That Archie picture was so sick... This must mean that Axl dies in the Elf Wars... Hard to tell...
Would have been some real nice fan service to use the old sprite set for Omega, though.
I personally like to think that the body zero inhabits in this series is just a standard reploid body made for non combative reasons because this version of zero does not have a buster or any weapon attached to his body (until the z knuckle), which is why he uses a buster shot rather than a buster.
i was always under the impression that the games took place 100 years after zero seals himself away in x6 in order to stop the spread of the virus. then lead to him getting his redesign for easier testing and studying, afterwards the copy body was made (the Zero you play as in MMZ) where hes uploaded into it but still contained out of fear of him being taken over. then i guess was forgotten about sealed away until Ciel finds him.
i figured that would explain both the redesign and why Omega looks like him despite being the original body. I believe this is all form the audio novel through fan translation. if I'm wrong then fee lfree to correct me, its been a while since i watched a video on zeros design in Z
Great video!! I’ve always wondered this question myself!
I like your theory with Wily updating Zero’s body then making the copy (that we play as)
Side note: is it confirmed that Zero Wily is the same Wily as OG Megaman Wily? Cause I feel like the later was just more misunderstood and mischievous where as the former is radical and evil!!
I think you are confusing some names given their similarly.
Dr Weil, known as Dr Vile in Japan, is the one who made Omega and is the main antagonist of Mega Man Zero.
Dr Wily is the comical old man from the classic games.
These are two separate people.
The music still carries these games.
I need another command mission
With the amount of time X and Zeros bodies were almost destroyed i wouldnt be surprised if during the elf war they had to continuously repair themselves so much that they just ended up the way they do in mmz. Then during the war Wiel gets to zero somehow and pulls the switch where he creates Omega then the copy who escapes to help x fight omega before going into stasis.
Mmz and mmx’s zero was badass no matter the changes
1. It's not read as "Version K.A.", it's "Version Ka", almost like the Japanese pronunciation of "car". And it's not the designer's initials, it's part of his name, Hajime Katoki.
2. Its...own...look?? I wonder if Nakayama-san also happened to work on the Rockman.EXE/Megaman Battle Network series...because the art styles are VERY similar...especially with the crossover content between ZERO3 and EXE4. It's almost as if ZERO1-ZX Advent was more of a future of EXE and Ryuusei no Rockman rather than a future of X.
3. That clown Weil: just like Isoc in X6 and Sagesse/Serges in X2, it seems to be believed that he's another reincarnation of Dr. Wily. I personally think that's a load of 🐳💩 (how could his consciousness survive THAT long and NOBODY KNEW ABOUT IT?)...but what do you think?
Wily survived all of the crap in the classic series, getting blown up ten times in the X series, got left for dead on the moon, and it took a reality warping super vaccine to finally kill him. And Zero is pretty much the same having lasted around 300 years before finally dying and then gets resurrected as a biometal. I could buy it.
Weird looking Zero is from a 2000's sprite comic? Which one? I used to read some of those alot
No specific one. It was a dig that ViA is just a recolor with minor tweeks, like many original characters for sprite comics back in the day.
@@RockmanHQ I see. Thanks
If they make a proto man game like megaman zero 1-4 i would die happy
Tbh there is missing point in Why omega was there..... In game there is a brief Info A-side from X's explanation about Zero's Original body been stolen by Dr.Weils But he didn't has the original blueprint for That exact zero's original body, while X try to plan a Back up plan and thats creating The copy body of Zero by the blueprint while Dr. Weils only got the shell without Memory core of Copy abillity
That's why we have 2 Zero's and Dr.weils Mention that omega is original Zero because of the shell alone... While X explain to Zero after Omega battle that His heart is original refering too the memory core of Zero himself (including Copy abilities)
I'm a "the simplest explanation is usually the best" kinda guy.
And that explanation is simply an art-style change.
The reason an in-universe re-design doesn't work for me is that Zero 3 has so much talk about Zero's original body, but if Zero has changed bodies multiple times since the start of the series then there's no reason for anyone to expect him to give a shit about whichever body Omega is.
I've seen people try to explain this away, but no one has given an explanation as concise as "it's an art change".
So, let's rewind and look at it from that perspective: the devs get a green light to make Mega Man Zero. They're making it for the GBA, a system with a VERY tiny screen. So, they need to make sprites that take up as little screen real estate as possible.
Bam: you have a clear and concise explanation for the re-design.
From there, interviews are with people who need to give answers to interest and/or satisfy a canon-obsessed fan base. Thus, you have comments like Inafune's vague allusion to 100 years of technological development.
I think that if they were REALLY thinking of it as an in-universe redesign, then they would have drawn Omega to look like X-series Zero to hammer home that "original body" comment from Weil.
And while I think the sprites were designed the way they were for screen real-estate purposes, that wouldn't matter as much for a single boss fight. The X-series Zero design is too bulky to be on-screen for the entire game, but it would be fine for one final boss fight.
zero's redesign on mmz looks lighter and more agile for me. it is definitely an upgrade
The redesign was the singular reason I never played them.
the wall dash was the singular reason I never play mega man X
I like to think it's just an art style change. He still canonically looks like his X's design
as much as I do like the Zero series design I still feel like it could use shoulder pads to stand out among other reploids (like especially 4 Guardians kinda makes this design lose uniqueness in the "recognize just by silhouette" test) maybe not the square boxes from X, but something sleeker, like his EXE version from BN just no so oversized, or maybe something like White Ranger from original MMPR, which could make the impact of Omega fight even better if he had sprite altered to show that his shoulder pad still has Zeros original iconic printing, while Zero we play as don't have it
My personal theory for Zero and Omega was that the copy was originally created to separate Zero from the dormant maverick virus within him, afterall it's speculated that zero "was" patient zero until his first battle with sigma, which infected him causing the events of X to X8, So I believe it's not too far off that MMZ Zero is in essence the "cured" version, whereas his original (Omega) was completely corrupted by the dormant Maverick virus as well as the Sigma Virus, as for why they look so different compared to MMX zero, I'd argue that as both viruses ran rampant through him, parts were changed and swapped to try and retain the original information blueprint of who zero is until inevitably the damage got too severe that separation of the original zero from his original body was the only viable option left - which resulted in the original body succumbing to both viruses and being held onto as a study case to try and find a cure of sorts
Again just my own theory as there's probably a lot wrong with this, but it does explain some gaps with justifiable reasoning
Huh... so going by the Gundam example, one can say the MMZ design can be called (jokingly) Zero Ver. Na.
Plus, and it is questionable as to when exactly, some argue that CM is PRE-X8. But... it could be possible CM follows Paradise Lost... but the whole new generation copy chip thing is called into question, then... especially as Axl is wounded in X8's ending.
On the concept of artistic redesigns, even Bandai Namco does that with their Digimon Amplified figures. They're redesigns meant to give the figures a modernized look and features. After all, the artists might stay the same, but after years, the company's artistic line might change
I thought Megaman zero was an alternate reality. In Marvel vs Capcom 3. Zero's ending suggests this.
honestly i just think at the beginning elf wars x and zero were fatalily wounded and were repaired with the current reploid model this would explain how omega was modifided and a little later zero was cloned from omega after weil took control which would explain why omega looks like the zero in the zero series
Problem is that if one believes Weil made the copy body it means the new bodies least for Zero happened before the war even happened
If You need even another piece of in-game evidence that it's not just an art style change You can look at phoenix magnion in Zero 2. In one of his attacks he grabs you at hits you with enemies from Zeros past. Being Bit, colonel, agile, and Vile. And none of them have been "zeroified" as it was put
He's cool in any style
2:39 Just a slight nitpick because Gundam is also my thing:
the "ver Ka." isnt the designer's (Hajime Katoki) initials. This also means it is read as "Ka" and not "K.A."
Fair enough. Apparently people got really upset on this one, I'm just a casual Gundam fan and not a single Ver.Ka has come out that I've wanted. Getting threatened over the pronunciation of a style has been a crazy unforeseen experience though. I went with what I've picked up on over the years. I'll do better next time.
Now I wanna see what mmzx models (at least just model zx, model x, and model Z, would look like in megaman X style since it’s clearly more based on the zero artstyle. But in universe it would look more akin to X zero so I’m curious what it would look like in universe and not to us. Even tho I understand there’s an I. Universe explanation to the redesign, I still like to think in universe they still have more characteristics resembling their original armors. At least closer to X8 and not full on what it is in Zero.
I like both artstyle. I can accept the theory of the advance armor layer thingy.
Big chunky OG armor Zero is cool. Slick run N gun/slash slim Zero is cool. ZeroExE is cool. All Zeros are cool :D
Well actually there never was tolded that Zero series take places in 22XX,just 100 years after ELF WARS, but when those Elf Wars was,maybe it's 23XX who knows ,Capcom says that X series events goes over few hundred years,so Command Mission can be canon
They didn't have to change X or Zero's design
I wonder why no one mentioned that Omega”s helmet almost have zero’s original design.
Right? Like, he's practically a "knight" style version of X series Zero. Sword holstered on his back, the half pipe/horned helmet, the pauldrons to an extent, yet no one said anything. A little thing and maybe a little off subject, but he shares the same coloration and similarities to Megaman Juno from Legends, like the arms and purple hair.