Mega Man 9 is an Platformer Action game released on Playstation 3 and developed by Inti. The Mega Man franchise is famous all over the world, also being known as Rock Man in Japan where it originated. This game was a return to roots and personally had me very excited. Some viewed this game as a novelty, but the curiosity was inescapable. Let’s go over Mega Man 9.
Story : This game has the same story as every other Mega Man game, but with a slight twist. Dr. Light is blamed for the apparent evil crazy robot surge and you must prove his innocence. Of course, we all know who’s really behind the plot and it’s up to Mega Man to save the day.
Graphics : The graphics are just flat out awesome. Obviously meant to be a throwback to the Nintendo days, everything is correct here. They did take a few liberties and enhance the detail in the sprites and animations, but for the most part things remind a really nice tribute to the days when games almost totally dependent on game play. The stages are beautiful and vibrant, each with it’s own unique flavor to kept it memorable.
Sound : The music of the Nintendo Mega Man games is legendary. This game really had a lot to live up to, musically. And fortunately, it delivered in a very big way. This game has incredible music. The chord progressions are interesting, the arrangements are 8 bit goodness, the melodies are all addicting and memorable. In short, this music is among the best of any Mega Man game which is an incredible feat. The sound effects all sound great too, just as awesome as they did in the Nintendo days.
Game play : This game plays like all the other 2d installments, which are by far the best Mega Man games. You only have two buttons, a start, a select, and the directional pad. Just like classic games of old. The game takes place before Mega Man 3 so you’re missing the slide and the ability to charge your shots. So they really did go very old school with this game. I do think they should have included both moves, as they really open up the possibilities game play wise. Still, I could see why they didn’t include them and don’t fault them for it. Many people are saying this is one of the most difficult Mega Man games ever, if not the most difficult. I can’t say I disagree, though I do believe a few of the SNES Mega Man X titles have stages that come close to this game. Make no mistake, you will die a lot and will have to practice each stage and dog fight to get through this game unscathed.
Re playability : There’s a ton of things to replay here, but it’s almost entirely optional. The re playability is almost entirely up to you. If you’re a rabid Mega Man fan, I think this game offers more re playability than a lot of the other Mega Man games and certainly more than other Nintendo Mega Man games.
Overall: 10/10. I can’t hate this game. People say it’s too difficult, but it really isn’t too much harder than the originals. Perhaps games these days are too easy?
