The past is the future for Capcom, especially in handheld gaming. The developer is working on several different sequels, anthologies, and graphical overhauls of its various game series.

Mega Man ZX brings the robot-blasting game series to the Nintendo DS, taking the Mega Man saga even further into the future. Mega Man ZX takes place several centuries after the events of Mega Man Zero--which takes place centuries after Mega Man X, which takes place centuries after Mega Man. In the game, players must fill the shiny metal boots of Vent and Aile, two humans who use biometal to gain characteristics and powers very much like those of Mega Man X and Zero. Biometal is the main point of the game, letting powers be mixed and matched between the Z and X biometals and those aquired from fallen bosses. The premise might seem strange, but at the game's heart is the same running, jumping, shooting, power-stealing action that the Mega Man series is known for.

Phoenix Wright returns to the DS in Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Justice for All. Capcom's impossibly coiffed lawyer once again hits the courtroom to win new cases with new friends and new powers. The legal action has been refined and tweaked from the original Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney, but the quirky humor and clever puzzle-solving stays the same.

Capcom's old games are coming straight to the small screen. A handful of Capcom's various classic games are headed for the PSP and the Game Boy Advance with Capcom Classics Collection Reloaded and Capcom Classics Mini Mix, respectively. Also destined for the PSP is the graphically overhauled Ultimate Ghosts 'N Goblins, the frenetic brawler anthology Power Stone Collection, and the Street Fighter II-themed block-dropper Capcom Puzzle World. Finally, Monster Hunter Freedom is scheduled for the PSP, and Mega Man Battle Network 6 is coming to the Game Boy Advance, with the latter featuring two different versions of the game.

Article discussion: Compact Capcom Classics