Official Japanese Website

Platform: PlayStation 3, Nintendo Wii, Xbox 360

Genre: Action

Number of Players: 1

1987 would be year that the video game industry would give birth to yet another icon. Keiji Inafune would join Capcom that year and at 22-years-old, a simple concept like rock-paper-scissors would be the thing that would influence the creation of Rockman. When the game was imported to the United States however, it underwent a name change and soon, Nintendo owners got a taste of Mega Man, a character which we could not being seeing the last of with a single game.

Over the years, Mega Man has spawned eight different sequels in the “classic” series, it transformed into Mega Man X on the Super Nintendo, it has been seen in some form on just about every video game console created since it was first released and led to anime, toys, and the Blue Bomber as some know him has become the recognizable mascot of Capcom. While the X series wasn’t bad at all and stuck with the feeling of the original series, most wont’ argue that Mega Man has also been a victim of some rather bland ideas, such as trying to take the series into a 3D realm. Even the attempts to revive interest with franchises like Mega Man Zero and the XZ series haven’t quite been met with nearly as much fanfare as what a new, numbered sequel would be.

That’s where Mega Man 9 fits into things. It has been twelve years since Mega Man 8 was released and the original series is going back to its roots. As with the other games in this line, things are set in the year 20XX and Dr. Light, the man who created Mega Man, has found himself accused of being responsible for a sudden rampage of robots. Even long time Mega Man foe Dr. Willy seems to be completely innocent with no connection whatsoever, and there’s apparent video proof of this claim. Mega Man however knows that Dr. Willy is behind the events and sets out to prove that Dr. Light isn’t guilty at all.

The storyline behind the original Mega Man might be incredibly simple, but back in the days of the original NES, complex plots weren’t necessary as much as good, solid gameplay. The first thing that is going to be noticeable is that Mega Man 9 doesn’t look like the current wave of video games. It’s not trying to replicate what has been seen on the Nintendo DS, it’s not trying to go for the RPG aspect that some of the other titles in the series have and it doesn’t even have the refined look of the games in the Mega Man X series. Instead, it looks virtually identical to the games found on the NES and this has been take to such a degree that even if you have a high definition TV and your settings are set to appropriately display high definition games, it really won’t be necessary. Mega Man 9 is in all regards the true return of retro gaming that many of us have been craving.

The problem over the years has been that while developers have wanted to revive some of their classic titles, they also want to try and modernize them, loosing what made these games classics in the first place. Konami at one point apparently learned that lesson when fans weren’t happy about the 3D Castlevania that was released on the Nintendo 64, but despite promises to “not to that again,” they have done so and most still haven’t embraced the other console releases as much as they have the portable ones. If Namco could just step back for a moment and decide to release a 2D Pac-Man that has mazes that aren’t covering multiple screens, I think they’d find that fans were most pleased and Capcom meanwhile has apparently heard the frustrations of gamers who want familiar names without the need to try and take retro into the next generation.

The gameplay mechanics of the Mega Man games have also always been very simple to grasp. This is a platform game after all from back in the days when two buttons were more than enough. The idea is this; run and jump, that’s really it. Players start by deciding which of the robot bosses they’d like to try and take down first, and that’s where the rock-paper-scissors aspect comes into the game. While your Mega Buster, your primary weapon, can be used to destroy any of them, you’ll find that one or two are more vulnerable than others. Defeating the boss will award you with their weapon which in turn can be used to easily defeat another boss and this continues on until the final confrontation with . . . . long time fans already know; Dr. Willy. Mega Man 9 follows the time honored tradition of always fighting the same villain at the end of the game. Mario wouldn’t be quite the same if you weren’t going to confront Bowser, Link must face Ganon, and whatever member of the Belmont clan is included in the latest Castlevania must confront Dracula in some form.

Mega Man 9 also uses the old school premise of lives and energy. Energy comprises not only your health but another variant powers up those great weapons that you’ll take from fallen robot bosses. The minor robots that you’ll contend with during the course of the stage will often yield energy or weapon pellets and on rare occasions, extra lives. Mega Man can also stock up on reserve energy tanks which will make things much easier if he should find his main energy depleted. There are also screws to be collected which can be traded at the items shop where you can buy items and even some much needed aid such as Beat, a robotic bird who will appear to catch Mega Man should he fall into a perilous gap. The game also offers challenges, fifty of them in total, which will test even the best Mega Man player. Can you clear the game in 120 minutes, 90 minutes, or even under 60 minutes? How about jumping less that 50 times in a stage or, probably the one that is going to be the most difficult to get, finishing without taking any damage? These are only a few of the challenges that players can tackle, and they definitely are not going to be easy.

Developers should take note; if you’re hoping to resurrect a classic game from the glory days of gaming, you don’t need to try and push it into new territory. Mega Man 9 is a grand return to the retro days that has all the spirit, look, and even sound that made the original Mega Man and it’s sequels so much fun to play and such an iconic entry into the history of gaming. If fancy, 3D worlds are your thing, Mega Man 9 is probably going to disappoint, but for those of us who love new games with a classic look, this is a definite must own title that almost makes you feel like your back in the late 80’s, minus the bad MTV music, mullets, and other horrific things that were a part of the decade.

-mike-