Mega Man Zero 4 E3 2005 Preshow Report

Capcom today released a bevy of new details on Mega Man Zero 4, the latest entry in the franchise for the GBA. This fall, gamers will take out the eponymous blue bomber on a new adventure as he attempts to thwart the evil Dr. Weil.

In Zero 4, Dr. Weil has managed to take complete control of New Arcadia, and it's up to Zero to help forge a new alliance between humans and reploids to defeat the evildoer and overthrow his illicit rule. To aid him in his quest, Zero's going to have some new gameplay mechanics to rely on, including weapon seizing, weather changing, item recipes, and elf customization.

Weapon seizing is a new twist on a classic Mega Man mechanic. When Zero "skillfully" defeats enemies, he'll be able to collect their weapons and parts to augment his own combat abilities. More interestingly, the new weather customization ability will let Zero manipulate the weather to affect the level environments. For instance, if a field of spikes prevents your forward progress, you'll be able to summon an ice storm to freeze over the spikes and allow you to pass. On the flip side, inclement weather will sometimes obscure hidden passages, forcing you to switch to clear weather to reveal the game's secrets.

Item recipes involve transmuting parts found in the gameworld, as well as those obtained from fallen enemies, to make new chips to add to Zero's cache of supplies and equipment. Lastly, elf customization lets you access new abilities in Zero according to how you're most comfortable playing. "Nurse-type" customization will regenerate Zero's health, "animal-type" customization lets you dodge more quickly, and "hacker-type" customization increases attack and movement abilities.

Mega Man Zero 4 is on track for release in North America this fall. Keep your eyes on GameSpot for more details as they arrive.