I thought it was one of the entrants of Nintendo Power's Robot Master Creator Contest. At least I thought that had been held in the USA. The US Mega Man series is from Japan's Rockman series, which is released in Japan a couple years before the US games for the most part, though MM5's were at the same time. I don't have the game with me, and I can't find any relevant screenshots of the credits, so I don't know who came up with Charge Man and can't tell if he has a Japanese name or not. I'll have to watch the credits again the next time I watch a run-through of the game.
For obvious reasons, most people think of Charge Man as a ticked-off Thomas the Tank. Well, we've got Thomas over here, and they've got Change Man over there (as well as the other stuff you've mentioned).
-EDIT-According to the credits at the end of MM5...
"DWN. NO-38 CHARGE MAN-TOSHIAKI SUGIURA"
Well, all of the names at the end of MM5 are Japanese, so I have no idea what happened with the North American RM entry contest. Oh well. I had thought MM%'s were NA creations, which is why I wondered what type of loco it was based on. Now another thing...would Charge Man technically be a 0-0-0 locomotive?
Typical Japanese manga, probably influenced by the JNR's numerous standard steam locos - hundreds of which are stuffed and mounted all over the country, as well as a LARGE handful still operating.
Knowing Japan and things Japanese, I'm sure that 4449 was the farthest thing from the creator's mind. It's on the wrong side of a very wide ocean, both geographically and culturally.
Chuck
I wasn't sure to ask this here or the steam forum. Being that the Steam forum probably has little to do with the 20XX A.D. years, here seems better. So, what type of loco is Charge Man? What type of loco is the lead unit on his bullet train? Here are numerous links of pics to evaluate him:
http://www.mobygames.com/game/nes/mega-man-5/screenshots/gameShotId,83410/http://media.photobucket.com/image/charge%20man/deathwish01b/mugen/Charge-Man-stage.gifhttp://www.avatarist.com/avatars/Games/Sprites/Mega-Man/Charge-Man.htmlhttp://www.sinister6.com/images/cds/chargeman2.gifhttp://images.wikia.com/megaman/images/1/18/Chargeman.pnghttp://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Games/M/Mega%20Man%209/Everything%20Else/Mega%20Man%20Week/Wallpapers/2008-07-01/img812--article_image.jpghttp://www.spriters-resource.com/nes/mm5/sheet/4692http://www.spriters-resource.com/gameboy_advance/mmbn6/sheet/15062http://www.old-wizard.com/top-10-lamest-mega-man-bosseshttp://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/0/2598/243978-charge_man_profile_super.pnghttp://www.increasemyvocabulary.com/definition/of/chargeman/http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_v1puszgLZs0/SuSoeT0zBrI/AAAAAAAABMM/G0QGQKrHAp8/s1600-h/013ChargeMan.jpghttp://www.sydlexia.com/megaman.htmhttp://benlundy.blogspot.com/2009/07/top-ten-megaman-villains-of-8-bit-era.htmlhttp://capcom.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Mega_Man_Battle_Network_6_NetNavi_Imageshttp://i1.squidoocdn.com/resize/squidoo_images/250/draft_lens2343994module13125814photo_1229836514chargeman.jpghttp://s588.photobucket.com/albums/ss321/AkuNoOuji/Rockman/?action=view¤t=chargeman.gifhttp://randomhoohaas.flyingomelette.com/rah/megaman/MEGAMANOVA-chargeman.JPGhttp://seanacid.deviantart.com/art/Happy-Thomas-Charge-Man-205574286
To me, he seems to have a bit of the SP 4449 in him...maybe it's just the colors. Do you see SP 4449 being recycled into him? Here are more pics of SP 4449 for easy comparison.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&cp=5&gs_id=e&xhr=t&q=sp+4449&gs_sm=&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1024&bih=592&wrapid=tljp131740471036208&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi
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