Mega Man 9

"Don't let Dr. Wily reprogram this game!"

So we've been waiting 10 years for this game to come, and now, Mega Man has finally decided to start his next adventure on next-gen consoles. Let's get down to business.

Who is Mega Man?:

Mega Man is a robot, created by Dr. Light. His nemesis, Dr. Wily, frequently develops ways to destroy Mega Man and wreak havoc, but gets defeated by Mega Man every time.

How do the Games work?

You start the game, and have the ability to choose to fight any of the 8 bosses, or Robot Masters. Levels are selected by their boss, and that is the only clue to what you will fight in the level. You choose a boss, and you are greeted to a platformer, and you are armed with a gun. You face many traps, including enemies, short puzzles, bottomless pits, and deadly spikes, until you reach the boss. You fight the boss one-on-one, until you beat him. You collect a weapon that is based on the boss you just beat, and you get to select the next boss you want to face, one of which is weak to the weapon you just got.

Plot:

"Dr. Light built eight new robots, and now they are supposed to be scrapped. Dr. Wily convinced these robots to let him reprogram them. Unfortunately, since they are Dr. Light's robots, he must take the blame and he gets arrested. Mega Man begins a quest to prove Dr. Light innocent."

The plot gets a 9/10 since Capcom decided to put a strong plot in this game. I cannot complain, as there are very few plot holes, unlike most Mega Man games.

Graphics:

I give the graphics a perfect score since they are 8-bit, not only that, but it is smooth, and doesn't look bad. I have to give Capcom respect for this, as they have noticed that graphics don't make the game. They have left the Blue Bomber in all his 8-bit glory.

Gameplay:

They have kept the gameplay, shoot and jump. They have kept the enemies, the puzzles, the spikes, and the pits. Unfortunately, the game isn't very difficult, the level design is not the best, and you will only find yourself dying due to a boss, miniboss, or a cheap death, and thus, this gets a 9/10 from me.

Sound:

The sound sounds nice, not always realistic, but good. Most of the tunes and SFX are enjoyable, and fit the environment of the level you are in. This part of the game gets a perfect score from me, since I like the sound.

Replay Value:

This game has many things that will keep you hooked on it, including a time attack, where you can try to beat the stage in the fastest time possible, a survival mode, where you can see how long you can last against many, many, enemies, the ability to play as Mega Man's brother, Proto Man, who can charge his gun, slide, and has a shield, and two harder difficulties, which can challenge you with this game. Also, there are 50 challenges in the game to complete, varying from beating the game fast, beating bosses fast, only using the buster, not getting hit, etc. 10/10.



This game is a must-buy, it will not disappoint older fans of the series, and guarantees new players to get hooked on the series.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 10/27/08

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