#SLN-004

[stardestroyer81]

Did y'all know that Amazon Man actually debuted in Rockman 2 and was cut so late into development that he ended up making an appearance in game's manual?

(Just to clarify, this is merely an edit! Check out the tags for full context!)

[stardestroyer81]

Hi everyone! Today, I have a bit of a smaller post seeing as yesterday I showcased a drawing I'm quite proud of with a particularly lengthy design process to go with it, though what I have for this post is something I've been wanting to show off for a short while now!

A few days back, when looking at Mega Man Ultimate's stage select (The most recent version from 2020, in particular), I decided that it was high time that certain aspects of it got a revision— most specifically, the bulky stage select icon borders.

While the portraits of the eight robot masters have been constantly reworked and improved upon since each one's conception, the stage select icon borders have remained untouched since I first started making Mega Man Ultimate content back in 2018. Given I've had four whole years of sprite practice under my belt since then, it was time for a redraw!

And who better to show off the new border than a fan favorite?

When drawing a new stage select icon border, I took inspiration from the ones used in Mega Man 2 and Mega Man 4, the former of which being my main reference. The initial 2018 borders have always felt a bit clunky to me, and there's a lot going on on all sides of it (Figuratively and literally).

Upon setting out to make a slimmer, more compact redesign, I wanted the border itself to be a lot more simplistic than the version from four years ago. Really, all I needed were some cool blue gradients and the classic blinking corner lights, and it didn't actually take me that long to whip something up with those design choices in check!

And that's not all— if you look really closely between both portraits of Amazon Man, you may be able to make out a few small changes so that his portrait looks the best it can be! I redrew the leftmost side of his helmet and eyes a slight bit, fixed the shading on his head so that it looks a bit more vibrant, and extended his right pupil up a pixel. While small, these changes make his portrait look leagues better than before!

While we're on the topic of SLN-004, it was when I had been making these changes that I wanted to try something in pertains to Amazon Man's design that I had not once ever considered before... what would he look like without his usual mouthpiece?

The answer is a little something like this! While not a permanent change to his design, the minute 'mouthpiece-less Amazon Man' crossed my mind, I just had to attempt spriting out what he would look like without it!

I've always envisioned Amazon Man to have a slightly darker, more tan skin tone than the usual lighter tone that most humanoid robot masters tend to have, similar to Blast Man. In addition, I felt that it would be appropriate to continue to stray from the norm by giving him a broader chin, which hasn't been seen in a robot master since Dive Man.

The full, reworked version of Mega Man Ultimate's stage select should be up very soon— since all that's left for me to do is figure out one last portrait— but for the time being, enjoy this sneak preview of what to expect for it!

[stardestroyer81]

SLN-003: Satellite Woman

Height: 5'8" Special Weapon: Reflect Satellite Good Point: Intelligent Bad Point: Sensitive Within the top ranks of the Space Surveillance Network, the astute Satellite Woman designs and tests satellite services in a top-secret base exactly one hundred parsecs away from Earth. Always equipped with the most recent satellite models on her back, Satellite Woman gains an extra edge in battle with her reflective satellites, able to reflect just about any projectile. When her defense isn’t cutting it, she is also equipped with her one of a kind satellite buster, capable of shooting hazardous lasers that can cut through solid steel. When she’s not in battle, she oversees operations of the Space Surveillance Network, meeting up with Astro Man for data reports every now and then. Due to her smart nature, she is a natural problem-solver, but dislikes being put on the spot. With her impressive agility and quick wit, she makes for an out of this world foe! Up next of the Synth Legion Numbers comes SLN-003, Satellite Woman, in all her starry glory! I personally believe that space-themed robot masters should be much more plentiful, so it’s no surprise that I actually have quite a few designed, Satellite Woman of course being one of them. I’m actually really proud of her design, she may be one of the better if not the best robot mistress I’ve come up with, though that all owes up to my love in designing interstellar-themed robot masters. I hope you enjoy her, and tune in next time when SLN-004 emerges from the shadows!

[stardestroyer81]

SLN-004: Amazon Man

Height: 6'0" Special Weapon: Amazon Wrap Good Point: Heroic Bad Point: Tackles dangerous situations head-on without a second thought Operating deep within the Tenzing Jungle, an enormous treescape in Australia, Amazon Man's original objective was to venture into parts unknown and bring undiscovered species of jungle animalia to light. It was when Synth recruited him into the Synth Legion that the Tenzing Jungle became an enemy base of operations that Amazon Man swore to protect with his very life. Amazon Man uses the leaves on his back to camouflage himself before seeking out his prey with his detachable Python Buster, which can deplete all of a robot’s life energy within a few minutes. Amazon Man, while not necessarily an introvert, enjoys the seclusion of jungles worldwide, and is a friend to all species that roam them. In addition to his unending heroism, he is a quite notable for his incredibly thick Australian accent. G’day! The valorous jungle explorer Amazon Man makes his presence known as the fourth unit of the Synth Legion Numbers! He may just be the most detailed in terms of design of the eight robot masters of the Synth Legion- he’s got thorned vines, flowers giant leaves and even a cool hat! Watch your back when in proximity of this wildlife extraordinaire- you never know when he’ll leap out! I hope you enjoy the design like always, and be on the lookout for SLN-005, the second giant of the Synth Legion! 

[stardestroyer81]

Do you have a favorite out of all your OCs?

It's no surprise I love to create original characters (Last time I counted each one, the end tally was in the upper sixties), but it would be a little difficult to answer this question confidently with only having posted, like, 2% of said original characters. When the day comes when I've gained enough confidence to post the really big ones, I'll likely reblog this ask and add onto it. But, for the sake of this post, I will focus on the characters I have shown.

The entire Mega Man Ultimate robot master line is especially close to my heart for several reasons. It took about two years to create the full line of bots, and with the immense amount of appreciation each one has gotten (SLN-004, for example), I think Zap Man still stands as my favorite of the bunch. He started out as a mere concept sketch I had no intention on broadening, but when it was brought to my attention that it looked good, I ended up finalizing the design, and that's what kickstarted the initiative to create seven more robot masters to have a full line.

I felt as though a majority of electric themed robot masters tended to have a more humanoid appearance (Elec Man, Bright Man, Fuse Man to name a few), and I wanted to try and design an electric themed robot master in a similar vein to Air Man or Needle Man. It was a design choice I certainly don't regret- Zap Man himself looks like he'd have fit snugly in Mega Man 3 as a result!

Another big one is the innocuous Quincy T. Page (And his stuffed cohort Dr. B. Ingus), my plaguesona that I designed a few months ago. He may be a recent addition to my collection of characters, but I absolutely adore him. I'm heavily planning on starting an ask blog for him (As well as the yang to his yin, Patricia Ravenwood) because he is just an absolute baby of a plague doctor. He perfectly encapsulates my softer side, and is an absolute joy to write for.

Speaking of soft boi sonas that I love writing for, how about the extremely recent Psycha Lumair? You wouldn't know from having only seen him in like two posts, but I have been doing a lot with him! I am using him as a protagonist for a project I am currently writing, and boy is this sheep a total softie. He is baby- perhaps just as much as Quinn- and he has easily earned his place among my favorite OCs I've designed.