Inti Creates Reveals Its Latest MegaManlike: Indie Side-Scroller Azure Striker Gunvolt

Inti Creates today announced a new MegaManlike at indie gaming conference Bitsummit. Azure Striker Gunvolt is a new 2D side-scroller for the 3DS, with more than a passing resemblance to a certain post-Blue Bomber franchise.

Of course, Inti Creates has seen its name on the rise lately, thanks to its involvement in Mighty No. 9, Shantae: Half Genie Hero, and Rockman 9. However, the company made its name with the Mega Man Zero and ZX series for Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS, respectively.

Inti Creates unveils a new 2D action game at @bitsummit! GunVolt for 3DS shop coming this summer, Inafune helping pic.twitter.com/dL1FSkxId8

— Mark MacDonald (@markmacd) March 7, 2014

If you are a fan of the Megaman Zero games the director of Gunvolt is that guy. #iamverymuchafan

— Justin Epperson (@sprsk) March 7, 2014

Legendary Mega Man developer Keiji Inafune is helping out with development, but it appears the old Mega Man ZX developers are actually at the helm. For the record, the director for those games were Ryota Ito. (Update: the lead developers and their positions have since been confirmed; Keiji Inafune is executive producer, Yoshihisa Tsuda is game director, Takuya Aizu is producer, Yoshitaka Hatakeyama is doing art direction, and Ippo Yamada is in charge of music and sfx.)

Gunvolt lives in a world teeming with psychic power, and is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He joins a revolt to fight a global corporation that subjugates psychics, but stops short of following orders to kill a pop singer when he discovers she is an avatar for a psychic. As Inti Creates puts it, this changes his destiny.

Inti Creates also revealed at BitSummit that they strove to balance needs of casual and hardcore players. The idea was to make a very fast game, but to balance it out for all players as well. Gameplay was a major focus, although the game’s scenario and its indie underpinnings were also major considerations.

Azure Striker Gunvolt is coming to Japan, and then the US, as an exclusive 3DS digital download for this year. You can watch the official trailer below.