Mega Man 9

"Classic Mega Man IS BACK!!"

I've been a Mega Man fan for years. So when I heard about Mega Man 9, I was totally stoked. When I heard that Inafune decided to go back to the old school 8-bit style, I was totally sold.

So after I downloaded it and started playing, I knew that this game was going to bring back every great memory I ever had. The game has taken most of its aspects from Mega Man 1 & 2 (somewhat from the other ones but mostly from the first two games).



Graphics: 10/10

Mega Man 9 does not strive to have the best graphics on the market but what it DOES strive to do is bring you back to the NES days of gaming. Everything in the entire game has been 8-bit-ified and I think it looks beautiful.

Within moments of starting a game, you are instantly thrown back to 1987 and the days of the original Mega Man. Mega Man runs like he used to in 1987; Mega Man jumps like he used to in 1987; Mega Man shoots, falls and even dies the exact same way he used to in previous games. Luckily, Mega Man does not run and slide like he does in the original Mega Man (many other Mega Man gamers probably know what I'm talking about here). There's even an option within the game to add a slight amount of flicker on the screen, adding more to the feel of an original NES game. The text that's used in-game is also the same as it was in Mega Man 4-6, which also adds to the nostalgic effect that the game has.

The graphics are done so well that it truly captures the feel of an 8-bit NES game. I went back and played the original Mega Man 2 after playing Mega Man 9 for a while. The differences are almost negligible because the games feel so close in graphical style. There's less blinking and flicker in Mega Man 9; however that is just an additional bonus to the already awesome graphics.

The graphics run very smoothly; I have never once noticed lag onscreen, even when it's filled with enemies. I am very happy to say that this is ONE aspect of the NES games that they did NOT preserve. There are some points all throughout the game that would probably not be possible on the NES. However, I believe that this minor "bending" of the rules just adds to the game experience.

Fun Fact: the promotional "box art" for Mega Man 9 was done in a method that is reminiscent of the original Mega Man. When I say that, I mean it was purposely drawn so terrible that it actually looks good.



Sound: 10/10

It is hard to describe in words the magic that you feel when listening to all the sounds in Mega Man 9. Not just the music but all the other sounds combined. The music really brings you right back to the original NES days. There are points where the music will drop some instruments because the other sound effects have taken over the channels (like the NES did).

The soundtrack has been expertly crafted to capture the feeling that the old NES games did. It really brings back the nostalgic feeling of the beat/low/high/etc. tones. Also, the tunes are catchy and you might find yourself humming them after completing the game (especially Tornado Man's stage). They even brought back some old tunes from Mega Man 2 (if you know Mega Man 2, you'll instantly recognize the tunes).

The sound effects are a blast from the past. Virtually every single sound effect in Mega Man 9 has been pulled from a previous game (with some new 8-bit goodies as well). The Mega Buster shots, hits, explosions, even the sounds that play as Mega Man dies are all reminiscent of the NES games that came before it.



Controls: 10/10

There are only two forms of controlling the game; the Wii Remote and the Classic Controller. The GameCube controller is not an option.

The Wii Remote is truly what this game was built for. By default, the 1 button is Fire and the 2 button is Jump; if you so choose to, you can switch these buttons as an option. Other than that, it plays exactly like an old NES controller: airtight, sharp and with zero lag whatsoever.

You hold the Wii Remote sideways and hold it like a normal NES controller. I personally have never once encountered a comfort problem but I have heard reports of people who have had discomfort and didn't like the control layout. If you do have that sort of problem, you can just use the Classic Controller.



Gameplay: 10/10

The original Mega Man games have been largely centered around three basic principles: run, jump and shoot. Everything else is an extension of that. Mega Man 9 does not change this basic formula because it works like a charm.

If you've been playing Mega Man games for years, you'll quickly notice that charging the Mega Buster has been removed, as has the mighty Mega Slide. Unfortunately, there is also no way to get said powers back on Mega Man. This was done to bring the series back to its Mega Man 2 roots. I would have liked to have the convenience of the Mega Slide; however, you can still complete the game just fine without it.

If you've played Mega Man 6, you might remember the Rush Adaptors. Unfortunately, they've not present in Mega Man 9. However, the old school Rush Coil and Rush Jet adaptors are still present and in their full glory.

This game follow the standard Mega Man formula: run through a stage, fight a boss, take their weapon and defeat another boss that is weak to it. The game is very well balanced and each weapon is balanced so that it will defeat a certain boss easier, but you still have to work towards you victory.

Each weapon seems like it was fine-tuned to serve not only a primary purpose (like killing enemies) but a secondary function that serves to further enhance the weapon's usage in any other situation. For example, one of the weapons, the Black Hole Bomb, is built like a black hole; it sucks in enemies and their shots, enemies themselves and practically anything else that is small enough to be pulled in by its power. Another weapon, the Hornet Chaser, is built to retrieve onscreen items that are out of reach by any normal means, as well as damage enemies in the process. The Laser Trident serves no huge secondary purpose but that's okay because it totally kicks ass in its own right (think of it as a mini-charged Mega Buster).

This game was created with Inafune at the helm and Inti Creates backing it up. In case you don't know, Inti Creates is also the primary developer behind the Megaman Zero series (which was originally renowned for its incredible difficulty). Mega Man 9 is fairly difficult (and I've been playing Mega Man games for years), but not to the point where it's obscenely difficult. Seasoned platformer veterans should have little to no trouble with this game; however, newbies might be slightly overwhelmed at first. Despite that, they shouldn't give up because the game prides itself on players learning the enemy patterns to survive.

The game is 12 stages long; it has the 8 Robot Masters and then 4 Castle stages after that. The game itself is relatively short by today's standards. However, there's much more to do after it's all said and done. You can go back and play it again to perform some of the achievements included in the game; you can go back and tackle Time Attack Mode. There's much more to do in this game than meets the eye so have some fun and even experiment a little!

The "nostalgia-effect" has been fully preserved in Mega Man 9. The jumping puzzles, block puzzles, staying up late just to finish off the game, even the points where you jump out of your chair and scream "THAT'S ****ING BULL**** MAN! I TOTALLY SHOT THAT THING!!"; yeah, they're all there in their 8-bit glory. :)



Extra Stuff:

There has been confirmed downloadable content (henceforth referred to as DLC) for Mega Man 9. They include: Protoman, who will have the Charge and Slide abilities; an extra stage and Marathon Mode (where you try to complete an endless level for points and the high score); finally, there's two extra difficulty modes.

In all, the DLC is $8; when combined with the game's price, that's $18 for all that. You might see people on the boards who are complaining about this. However, I try to keep it in perspective: Capcom could have put everything on a disc and sold it for $50; instead we get a $10 game and the CHOICE to purchase whatever we want for a known total of $18.



Final Thoughts:

If you are a Mega Man fan, this game is a must-buy. Period. It is just plain and simply FUN to play. If you're NOT a Mega Man fan and want to see what all the hooplah is about, try downloading Mega Man 2 (available on the Virtual Console in NA and EU) and then make your judgement from there.

This game has a great mix of nostalgia and gameplay to keep you engrossed for many many hours and play throughs. I definitely recommend you pick it up as soon as you possibly can and enjoy your Mega Man 9 today. :)



Final totals:
Graphics: 10
Sound: 10
Controls: 10
Gameplay: 10
Fun Factor: 10 (easily)

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 09/25/08

Game Release: Mega Man 9 (US, 09/22/08)