It's 20XX (Hey, it actually is 20XX) and it's time for Noveliss and Mega Ran AKA the Maverick Hunters. The Capcom game Mega Man came out in 1987, with the spinoff Mega Man X debuting about six years later in '93. The original Mega Ran album came out in 2007, and Random has gotten questions about 'when are you going to do Mega Man X though?' from all us SNES kids for about 15 years. Now we got the debut of Zero, and the reawakening of Mega Ran, thanks to this new album from Noveliss and Mega Ran.

This is my first time listening to flows from Noveliss, and I am digging his futuristic style on this album. Sort of like a boxer hitting you in the face just as you let your guard down, every time. Mega Ran comes through clear on these tracks as well, as to be expected from an artist that has this discography. Beatsmith Yon Li has plenty of smooth sounds to paint the world of Neo Arcadia.

Noveliss and Mega Ran come out the gate hard with opening track "Complete The Mission (prod by Yon Li)." Zero makes his rap debut through Noveliss while Mega Ran is resurrected in the future of Neo Arcadia. They drop hot mega man laced lines all on top of a bumping Stage Clear theme remix by Yon Li. I always enjoy when an album comes in hot right out the gate. Got to grab my attention immediately.

Things feel real old school on the beat for "How Many Lives? (prod by Yon Li)," Noveliss gives a spiraling rap about putting in the work. Sometimes you lose a need an extra continue to keep moving, no shame in that. Random drops a verse with some emphasis. You know I heard that Battle Network line. All on a beat that sounds warped like a VHS tape with bad tracking. Things get wavy on "Dear Summer (prod by Yon Li)." Maybe it's the heatwaves rising up off the concrete. That half nostalgic, half pleading hook, and washed out beats make a dreamy sound. That bass kick keeps things hard enough to keep up with the rhymes on this track. Best rappers in Neo Arcadia? Appears so.

Things move fast, and forebodingly on "Reploids (prod by Yon Li)." Damn all these reploids. Then we get a surprise intro on "Clash Of The Titans (prod by Hir-O)." The best part about the apocalyptic future where robots fight humans for world supremacy, is that pro wrestling is still quite popular. We got a few wrestling references before, but it doesn't get more wrestling than Kenny Omega. Noveliss and Mega Ran step hard on this track, and lay a lot of their wrestling references on the table here.

"Bubblegum Crisis (prod by DJ DN³)" might be my favorite track on the record. Noveliss again with that nonstop flow to uplift you when you're on that grind. The old school funk of that DN³ beat gives this whole track a strong groove to it. Got to nod your head. Random on the hook, then delivers his verse on seeing just the highlights when he's on the grind. The kind of track you listen to when you need to be reinvigorated baout whatever your chosen art or craft is.

Noveliss puts it down for the games and music that inspired this album on "Memory Card (prod by Hir-O)." A love of music, art, and video games gets you amazing art like this. A very dreamy beat from Hir-O makes this beat feel extra old school, even on an album dedicated to a nearly 30 year old game. Ran drops in on the second verse, as is the custom, and lays out some of his own background. Memory Card? No Memory Card? Maybe it's okay if that memory card accidentally gets erased sometimes.

Mega Ran kicks off the final cut on Maverick Hunters, "Imposter Syndrome (prod by Yon Li)," dropping the hook to set up his verse on defeating that fear of sharing what you love. Noveliss bookends the album with the final verse on the diverging interests of youth that eventually led to his rap career and this album. All with dope rhymes of course. On top of that dramatic piano beat by Yon Li, Maverick Hunters really closes with some feeling, until we fade out on what I assume is a Mega Man X reference? I do hear some Mega Man X sound effects. I only really played X and X-4. i.e. The good ones that aren't impossible to find.

Been bumping this album a lot. You can do the same by grabbing the album over on Mega Ran's bandcamp page for the Maverick Hunters album with Noveliss. You can also check out more Noveliss on his official website.