The Bottom Line
Pros
- Pure old school goodness
- Analog stick works just fine, don't worry about the d-pad
- Catchy music
- Store makes game a bit easier
Cons
- Very difficult level design
- Silly downloadable content
Description
- Looks and plays just like an NES game
- Probably won't appeal to younger gamers due to the look and high difficulty level
- Game is brutally difficult. Check your ego at the door.
Guide Review - Mega Man 9 Review
Mega Man 9 is like a long lost relic from an ancient time that, when discovered, leads the civilization that finds it to a brighter tomorrow.Well, maybe I won't go that far. But Mega Man 9 does go to show how far fun, simple gameplay and good level design can get you even today. The Mega Man games are side-scrolling 2D platformers where start you off with a selection screen with 8 robot masters. You pick one, fight through the stage, and then kill the robot boss at the end. You can then use that boss' weapon against the other bosses, and the order in which you play through the game has a dramatic impact on how difficult it can be since each boss has a weakness against a different type of weapon. When you beat the 8 robot masters you travel to the evil Dr. Wily's fortress where you fight through a few more levels and then battle through all of the bosses again before fighting Wily. Each stage only takes a few minutes to beat, and the game can easily be beaten in less than an hour when you lean the ins and outs of everything.
Mega Man 9 plays exactly like the older NES games from 20 years ago. Also, the analog stick works just fine for this game, so don't worry about the 360's cruddy d-pad. Anyone that tells you otherwise is full of it. The only real change to the formula from past games is a store where you can buy energy tanks and other goodies to help you get through the game. It makes is easier, but you still need to learn the level layouts.
Which brings me to another point. This game is brutally, unfairly difficult. It takes a lot of trial and error to beat just one stage when you first start out, and if you are easily frustrated you might want to pass and play the Mega Man Anniversary Collection (MM 1-8) instead as those games are a lot easier than MM9.
If you have the fortitude for it, Mega Man 9 is worth the 800 points.
