This article has been added to the site, because judging by the request thread, people don't know how to use it.
It's also to answer some nagging and daft questions I have been asked in the past.
This should hopefully help those without brains or eyes, and provide a decent read for just about anyone else.


General Information Wait.. this says Sprites Inc, but I only see Megaman!
Inc, as it says in the title, is a Megaman Sprite Archive. Pretty much the number one stop point for 97% of Sprite Comics out there, and anyone else that remotely uses Megaman.
Yes, other sites may have pretty little thumbnails and cover other series... but we do one thing they don't.
We cover Megaman pretty damn well. We're constantly trying to get rips that are as accurate and complete as possible, which is a major key difference between here and elsewhere. Just because something has been ripped, doesn't mean it can't be made more accurate, have additions or even be re-ripped entirely.

Can you give a little history on Inc?
Inc started off as a combination of Nightmare Zero's and Heatman's archives, and while it wasn't at all complete, (or in cases, even ripped well.) had damn near every major character on it.
And that was how it started. I think. I wasn't actually a Megaman fan back then, so I'm not 100% sure of the history.
Before Planet Megaman ended up being deleted due to s rather bizzare series of events, Heat approached me about him not wanting to continue the site anymore.
And asked if I would instead. I accepted. Little did I know the entire site was about to be wiped out and i'd have to start the retreival, organisation (and even several rips) from stratch...
It's called Backups Heat... >.<
Ouch. That was a lot of sprites to upload onto the net. And sort out. And beg people for.
Still, we're here aren't we? Despite the site being wiped out AGAIN a short while later due to unfortunate circimstances, you just can't keep INC down, whether it be maintainers quitting, industrial revolution,, server hosts getting a god complex, computer explosions, or indeed, acts of God.. you just can't keep it down.

How is Sprites INC organised?
Inc's Archives are split up into folders, and each folder with all its content is then viewed at once when you open it on one single page.
Now just placing every Megaman rip ever created into one folder WOULD be very hard to use, (And kill any 56'kers still around. No, physically rip their spinal cords out.) so these folders are organised into different games, catergories and characters.

So how is it split up?
The most basic split is, of course, by series.
See those buttons above the one you click to come here? Those really pretty things with in-game images on them?
It's also quite bad that Megaman HAS this many spin-offs that the buttons can stretch so far across. Heaven help us when Capcom make more!
Each series is then split up per game. Some series have far more games than others, but the basic way these are ordered on the pages, are:
* Main Series (So Megaman 1 to 8, X1 to 8, BN1 to 6, etc)
* Side Games (Megaman 1GB to 5GB, Xtreme 1 and 2, Battle Network 4.5..)
* Spinoffs (Megaman Soccer, Battle Chip Challenge)
* Cameo Appearences (Capcom World, Marvel vs Capcom, SNK vs Capcom, Bokotai)

We then have seperate folders for each of the main characters too. Those pictures at the TOP of pages. Yeah, the mugshots.

So each game has a folder... as does each character...
Well, technically, each game has LOTS of folders. Split into enemies, bosses, and just about anything else thats physically rippable.
Now, this is where it gets tricky. You see, on the old Inc there wasn't many folders per game. How-ever in the interests in organisation and looking a bit prettier, things have been split up far more.
Now I can see, this is where people get a little confused. The old Inc was simple and ugly. This one is getting more and more complex. I'll cover the main points and in perticular what people have asked about.


Categorisation Questions So what gets a Character a mugshot?
4 things:
* The importance of the character. Obviously, ANY Megaman gets his own folder.
* The number of appearences in the games. Dr Cossack was quite important in Megaman 4, but did he appear elsewhere? No.
* The number of sprites that character has. Now this is where people have gotten confused. Elpizo in perticular, has recently gotten his own folder and mugshot, and he only appeared once.
There is a reason - he has a heck of alot of sprites. He is also of importantance in that he gets the to be the first character in Megaman history to... well.. KILL Megaman!
How does that not make him important?!
* Whether the character actually survives the game they're in.
Pandora and Prometheus survived ZX intact, so it's likely they'll reappear in the next game.

So what about Giro? Why doesn't he has a folder?
When I finally got my hands on an import copy, I was suprised. Up until that point, everyone had built him up to be a major character.
He wasn't. In the terms of the game, he was the final intro stage boss. Until he is confirmed as appearing in the next ZX game, (which he probably will), it'd be like giving Dynamo or Mac their own folders.
That folks, isn't happening.
(Yes, Dynamo appeared twice, but considering there was no difference in sprites, nor did he have any storyline relevance the second time round, it seems very pointless.)

What's the difference between a Boss and a Sub-Boss?
What defines a boss in a Megaman game, and on Sprites INC is the following:
Classic, X, Zero and ZX
* Any enemy character that appears at the end of a stage.
This includes Robot Masters, Fortress Bosses and Sub-Stage bosses.
This also means Mad Grinder, Giant Enemy Crab and Giant Mechaniloid from Megaman 7, 8 and Zero 1 respectively, count as bosses.
This definition applies whether they have the regular or fortress boss music or not. They're still the end of stage boss for that level.
Despite how some people have labeled them in the past, they are neither enemies nor Sub-Bosses.
This definition is the primary reason the Boss section now includes fortress bosses and not just Stage Bosses.
They were previously labeled as enemies, when they really aren't.
* The definition also applies if they use either the Stage Boss or Fortress Boss music while fighting them, regardless of their placement in the stage.
So the King Tank Bosses and Copy X's Minor Guardians from Rockman and Forte and Zero 1 respectively, count as bosses.

Battle Network and Starforce
* Any Net-Navi that is fightable counts as a Boss, including the optional ones or allies. * The insanely huge Virus or Navi sprites that are ALWAYS fought at end-game. Obviously, these guys are bosses.

What defines a sub-boss in a Megaman game, and on Sprites INC is the following:
Classic, X, Zero and ZX
* A enemy character that locks off part of the stage while you're fighting it.
Regardless of whether the game has sub-boss music or gives the sub-bosses health bars is not an issue.
This means, that pink bug thing from X2, regardless of how you look at it, is a Sub-Boss.
* This also applies if an enemy character is by general means unpassable (i.e no cheating) and has a insane amount of HP.
So Roller Joe, the cave-digger and the crush guardian from Megaman 7, X1 and X3 count as sub-bosses.
They CAN be passed by cheating, but generally you have to destroy them to bypass.
* An enemy that isn't beatable by coventional means and locks off the stage also counts.
Meaning the password machine of Rockman and Forte is also a sub-boss. Just a very easy one at that.
* A group of enemies that use specifically use a Sub-Boss music is, well, still a sub-boss, but only if it doesn't show up as a regular enemy in the game.
Zero 3 is a good example of this. That game was full of them.
Battle Network and Starforce
* In Battle Network, Sub-Bosses are always recoloured enemies that are stronger than usual. Litterarly, therefore there is no Sub-Boss folder for either game series.
* The PolarBear "boss" in Battle Network one, was also a recoloured enemy, and unless i'm mistaken, also shows up as a regular enemy later in the game as well.


"Why Isn't There?" Why isn't there Sprites from Megaman Powered Up/X7/X8/MHX/Network Transmission/Etc?
Please read this.
With the exception of the 2d Elements of the games, THEY ARE NOT RIPPABLE AND DO NOT CONTAIN SPRITES.
We'll accept textures, cutscenes, mugshots, battlechips, etc. But nothing else.

But I've ripped them!
You've taken pictures of a 3d Model and pasted them into paint. Good for you.
They still aren't a sprite, so we don't accept them.

But...
What part of "we don't accept 3d "sprites" is hard to understand?

Why isn't there any Battle Sprites from Starforce?
Because they don't exist. As with above, the battles themselves are in 3d.

Why isn't this or that ripped?
Because it hasn't been ripped yet. We're getting round to it.

I have a sheet that used to be on Sprites Inc but isn't anymore!
Then PLEASE! Send it! As has been said before, we've had to rebuild this archive from stratch TWICE. Things have been lost or corrupted on the way.

Where's Dynamoman and the X6 Cutscenes?
Both of these became corrupt and therefore unusable.
They need re-ripping. (I'm currently working on Dynamoman but can't help with the X6 cutscenes.)


Using the Sprites Terms of Useage:
All sprites on this site may be used for any non-profit project.
How-ever, we do not allow these sheets to be taken and placed on another site, and would prefer you to link directly the sprite pages.

The exception to this is if the original ripper of the sprite gives you his or her permission to use that sheet.

Crediting
We can't make you give credit, but should you want to give credit, simply put "These sprites were ripped by Sprites INC".
Alternatively, if you're a really really nice person, you can contact me and I can send you what I have or know about whom ripped each sheet that you're using, until we get the credit section of the site uploaded.

Why Non-Profit?
Because using Capcom's work and characters without their permission with you making money off it, would really piss them off.


Stupid Question Time! (Which I have Really Been Asked)
Isn't Sprite Ripping Illegal?
If Capcom have a beef with Sprite Rips, they can attempt to close every Megaman site on the internet and piss off everyone who considers themselves a fan.
Capcom isn't stupid. They allow things to happen because its damn good publicity.
The fact that nearly every spriter starts with Megaman sprites also helps sales.

Why Don't you cover other series?
... do you know how long it took JUST to do Megaman!?

What Happened to Heatman? ;_;
See the "History" part.

What happened to Gauntlet?
He got sick of Inc and moved on.

What happened to Megaman Community?
Nyne and Cynix got a god complex and it died.

Why did Inc move servers from Planet Megaman/Megaman Community?
See above.

What's with the ugly forum?
We're working on it.

Help! I can't register at the forum!
You've read the rules right?

Eww! Furry!
Huh?

You, you sick git!
...?

You know..
I fail to see a point here.

Still... Ew.. furry.
... ok...

You're mis-spelling color! And armor! And organize!
No. America is. I'm British.
The world is bigger than America, despite what some of you believe.

Smeg?
Smeg Off!