Mega Man 9

"Classic Mega Man is alive once again and better than ever!"

Maybe this just shows my age, but I personally think this is one of the best new releases for the Wii since the system came out. When I heard the announcement of Mega Man 9, I couldn't help but download the original and its sequel for Virtual Console. After playing those two games for the first time since the NES days, my anticipation for this new game only increased. It was an odd feeling playing the originals for the first time in over 15 years, learning my love for them had more than doubled since I last played them.

My first impression of this game was a mixture of nostalgia and amazement. This is honestly one of the best games to have come out in years, no joke. I had ignored the Mega Man franchise for years once they started focusing on "Battle Network" and "Mega Man Zero" series. Even the later classic Mega Mans and Mega Man X's were less than great. But this game, I feel, has redeemed the entire series. It's a revival no one thought would happen, but everyone knew we needed.

STORY: 5/10 The story is pretty basic, Dr. Wily pretends to be done with his usual "take over the world" demeanor and blames everything on Dr Light. Turns out Dr Wily was lying and really is back to his old games (big shocker). Much to Mega Man's dismay, Dr Light is taken in as the culprit. So it's up to Mega Man, Roll, and Rush to save him (and the world).

GAMEPLAY: 10/10 Although they took out the dash and the charge shot, this game's gameplay is perfect. I hate using the world "perfect" because it denotes that there are absolutely no faults, whatsoever. But honestly, I can't find one fault in the gameplay. It plays just like Mega Man 2 did, which is a very good thing. It's tight. It's simple. It kicks butt. A lot. And honestly, if we didn't know any better we would think that it really did come out on the NES back in the day. That's how much it plays like the originals. The difficulty is still there as well, which I find is very much a good thing.

GRAPHICS: 8/10 This is hard to grade, because the graphics are terrible for this day and age. BUT Capcom intentionally made it NES-style. The graphics are actually slightly above NES quality believe it or not. And I don't even think this game could have been made on the NES, exactly as it is. Everything looks largely the same as Mega Man 1-6 did. The same Mega Man sprite. The same crisp, clean, pixelated graphical style. Everything is there.

SOUND: 9/10 Awesome tunes. One of my favorite Mega Man soundtracks, on par with Mega Man 3. Every stage was a catchy beat to it and the same "boss select" jingle is there a la the other classic Mega Mans. There is very little to not like about it. To NES-ify it even more you can hear there are only 8 tracks, certain sound effects cut out portions of the music. You hardly even notice it, especially since it feels so close to an actual NES game.

OVERALL: 9/10 "Perfect" is a word I hate using. I honestly can't think of one game out there with absolutely zero flaws. But this is as close to perfect as they come. This is my favorite Mega Man right behind Mega Man 3. They added a nifty little upgrade purchase system in which you collect bolts and screws throughout the levels, used as currency to buy such items as energy containers, extra lives, and so on. To add to the challenge, I try not to use them, but it certainly makes things for feasible towards the end of the game when you stock up on such items. There are a few little extras that I won't spoil for you, but by and large, it's a classic Mega Man game. If you've played any of the original NES Mega Mans, expect pretty much the same. Which is not a bad thing at all. So, in conclusion, this game is obviously not for everybody, hence the reason I can't award it a perfect score. Its difficulty might put some off, or its "lack of graphic style" might also shun other people. But for true Mega Man fans, and even those of you who never played a Mega Man title but enjoy action titles, this game is for you. You'd be a fool not to download it. For those of you who are even a bit curious, download Mega Man 2 on the Virtual Console, since it's a bit cheaper. If you enjoy that one, you owe it to yourself to download this game. I can't praise this game enough. Mega Man....welcome back!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/29/08

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