Mega Man powers up Star Force 3

Mega Man may be best known for his side-scrolling platformer antics, but the Blue Bomber also has roots in the role-playing genre. Today, Capcom announced Mega Man Star Force 3, the latest installment in its handheld-exclusive action role-playing game spin-off series. The game is expected to arrive in the US for the DS early this summer.

A departure from the traditional Mega Man versus Doctor Wiley storyline, Star Force 3 follows the pursuits of Geo Stelar. Though he exists in the physical world, Stelar is able to enter the digital world and become Mega Man through a special tool. Unfortunately, this connection to the digital world is threatened, necessitating his attempt to save the world.

The biggest change Star Force 3 introduces to the series is the noise change mechanic, which randomly affects Mega Man and his surroundings. However, Star Force 3 will also maintain the series' traditional action RPG gameplay, where players gain special abilities and attacks after defeating certain enemies and boss characters.

Like previous installments in the Star Force series, Star Force 3 will come in two variations: Black Ace and Red Joker. Following a similar strategy to Nintendo's Pokemon, the two versions include unique differences that can be shared with others by way of the DS's Wi-Fi networking capabilities.