Well, another Independence Day is upon us, America, and even though it’s a national holiday, we wanted to be sure and do some  kind of commemorative post.

Our first thought was to talk about Capcom “freedom fighters,” but then it occurred to us that virtually every character that fights is arguably fighting for some form of freedom. Then it occurred to me that if there were one exception, it would probably be Monster Hunter,  where by and large, the characters are just fighting because it’s their job. Then it occurred to me how ironic that is since no fewer than  two Monster Hunter games have the word “Freedom” in the title. Then I was like, “Hey, this article writes itself!” 

But ultimately I realized that there’s a much more apt Independence Day connection running through Capcom’s vast catalog of titles–explosions! Yes, whether you’re blasting NEVEC soldiers with a hand cannon in Lost Planet 2 or obliterating an enemy stronghold in style in  Sengoku Basara,  you’ll scarce find a Capcom game that doesn’t appeal to mankind’s primal desire to blow things up.

Some Capcom games even have actual fireworks in them. Remember the Dompan enemies in Bright Man’s stage in Mega Man 4?

Then there were those highly useful firecrackers in  Dead Rising 2 (and Off the Record).  Great for luring zombies to a comical demise.

Of course, they upped the ante significantly in DR3….

A whole fireworks store! Please: no smoking.

In Bionic Commando, the flare item is both practical  and a dazzling sight.

Well…for its time.

So! What’re  you blowing up for this auspicious occasion? What are your favorite fireworks and/or explosion-related memories in your experiences as a Capcom gamer? Have at it in the comments, and have a happy holiday!