In this era of instant communication, ubiquitous gaming coverage, and internal leaks, it’s tough to keep anything about a game under wraps.  Capcom has been pretty successful, though, at keeping an air of mystery surrounding Mega Man Universe.  We know it’s a customizable 2.5D side-scroller based on the classic Mega Man games, but other than that, details have been scarce.  Joystiq, however, was able to get an interview with producer Akiko Ito, who gave us more information in a five minute interview than we’ve gotten since the game’s announcement.

Starting off with a talk about the genesis of the game, Ito mentioned that Capcom didn’t start production on Universe until March or April of this year, and that in addition to series creator Keiji Inafune, the producer of the first two Mega Man games, Tomoya Tomita is also involved in development. 

On the topic of customization, Mega Man Universe will include a character editor and a level creator.  Custom characters will only be playable by their creators, but custom levels will be sharable online.  Collecting new parts for custom characters will be a diverse hunt, as certain pieces might be unlocked by beating bosses, clearing levels, or purchasing them with screws found in the game.  Those who have no interest in creating their own Mega Men or stages will be able to play the game straight through a classic eight-boss plus Dr. Wily game as Mega Man.

Perhaps the biggest reveal is that Mega Man Universe is based on Mega Man 2.  It will include recreations of every level from the seminal side-scroller, and each will be customizable.

Ito wasn’t able to give much detail about the various Capcom characters making an appearance in the game, but did mention that not all characters will be available from the get-go.  She also discussed the process of utilizing the Capcom-unity website to get fan opinion of what characters and stages should make the cut, and that this process is still ongoing.

Finally, Ito was unable to provide even a rough estimate for a release date, but was nice enough to name her #1 pick for the game’s roster, Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney.

The interview is worth checking out in its entirety, if only to take a look at the many images of the game, which show gameplay, character customization, and level creation.