No, I don’t have some inside scoop on one of the most demanded sequels in existence. What I do have is my grumbling about why we need this game now.

I’ll make this clear right off the bat: Mega Man Legends 3 tops the list of my “most wanted games ever.” Yes, I’d even take that over a game that bridges the gap between the original Mega Man series and Mega Man X! The story in Legends was arguably the best out of all of the Mega Man series, but it’s been left without a conclusion.

For the uneducated, I give you a bit of history. Mega Man Legends was released for the PlayStation in 1997 (a year later in the US), and was the second spinoff of the original Mega Man series (the first being Mega Man X). Aside from being the first Mega Man game in 3D, Legends also was radically different than any Mega Man game that had come before it. Gone were the selectable levels, themed bosses, and weapon stealing: in their place, we had a sprawling adventure featuring huge interconnected dungeons, adaptable weapons, and a cast of interesting and eminently likable characters. Even the “bad guys” were awesome!

Instead of being a robot constructed by a benevolent scientist, our hero this time was Mega Man Volnutt, a teenaged treasure hunter exploring the underground ruins on Kattelox Island. Why “Mega Man”? Well, he was found in the ruins as a baby, and named after his adoptive sister Roll’s favorite video game hero. (“Volnutt” is his last name, kids.) Still confused? Play the game, and it’ll all make sense. Suffice it to say that there’s a lot more to Mega Man, his world, and his backstory that it seems.

The ending of Mega Man Legends (don’t worry, I won’t spoil it for you) was a massive cliffhanger, and by design, it made no sense. Fortunately, the sequel Mega Man Legends 2 came out in 2000 to address these plot threads. Unlike most sequels, however, it actually explained everything, and all of the missing pieces and questions fans had fell neatly into place. Of course, that game ended on a cliffhanger as well, but it was more of a “What will happen to our intrepid heroes next?” ending rather than a “GOD DAMN IT WHAT THE FUCK JUST HAPPENED?!” ending.

A spinoff/prequel starring the Bonne family, aptly titled The Misadventures of Tron Bonne, came out between the two main series games in 1999 (again, the US release came a year later). This game mixed overworld action with puzzle solving, as well as some light RPG elements: you could “level up” the lovable Servbots to make them more useful. While it didn’t add much to the story of Mega Man himself, it’s another game where the focus on characters really shines, and it helps explain the Bonne family’s motivations a bit more.

So, we’ve got fantastic characters, a great plot, coupled with a solid game engine…but whatever happened to a third game that could potentially wrap up the entire series? The PlayStation 2 was (and still is) hugely popular, so it would’ve seemed a natural fit for Mega Man Legends 3. But…it never happened. Here we are in the post-PS2 era, and still no sequel! You’d think the Wii or even the DS would be a perfect fit, considering the platforms’ immense popularity…especially in Japan, where Mega Man is practically a national hero!

C’mon, we get copious amounts of violent action games, FPSes in varying shades of brown and gray, and other generic bullshit, but we can’t get one last Legends game?! Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune has admitted in the past that development costs were a big stumbling block against making a new game, and that’s understandable. However, Inafune’s been rising faster up the ranks at Capcom due to hit games like Lost Planet and Dead Rising, and it’s a matter of public record that he still wants to make a Legends 3. He’s definitely got a lot more clout now. Well, get on it, Inafune-sama!

Aside from the creator’s obvious love for the series, there’s another glimmer of hope. Even though it’s been a decade since the last Legends game, Mega Man Volnutt and his pals have still remained popular. There’s been Mega Man action figures, and Roll, Data, Tron Bonne, and the Servbots have been immortalized as various figurines and statues. Tron also made a notable appearance in Marvel vs. Capcom 2, where she did battle in her walking tank, the Gustaff, with her Servbot lackeys providing support. Tron, Mega Man, and others (can’t say who without spoiling things) also appeared in Namco X Capcom. Both Legends games were ported to the PSP in Japan, and more recently, Mega Man Volnutt was a combatant in the fighting game Tatsunoko vs. Capcom. A few of the stages in that game even take place on the hangar deck of the Gesellschaft, the Bonne family’s mighty airship. (And yes, there are Servbots!) For someone who hasn’t had his own damned game in a decade, the Mega Man with the funky surname sure has some staying power.

See? The interest is there. The passion is there. And the fans have always been there. So just make the fucking game, already!