I've always liked Mega Man (well, the NES ones) - they're some of the best crafted titles available on the NES, bar-none. I just never understood how to play them. These are not games you can just run and jump your way through (like say, Mario), they're simply too hard for someone like me. And that is pretty much how I left things, 'here is something for those hardcore types to do well at, while I work my way through with the aid of the good old Game Genie'. I still got to experience the solid level design, the top-notch art direction and music, and I had a good time.
Fifteen years or so later, along comes Mega Man 9 to bring all that back. I was certainly excited to see a new retro-styled game in this day and age, but I also became immediately concerned - there would be no way on the Xbox or Wii for me to cheat so that I could get through it! I pretty much resigned myself to getting it and being unable to do anything but beat some of the robot master levels. I could see Wily himself by proxy, watching someone play on YouTube.
So what did I finally understand? You were never supposed to run and jump your way through! Mega Man is about planning - about plotting your way through the difficult platforming segments ahead of time, about knowing where to place yourself to avoid damage in boss fights, and about utilizing the tools you are given to your advantage at every turn. And so, by planning my moves ahead of time I was able to actually, legitimately, beat a Mega Man game all on my own - what's more, I was able to beat what is considered a very hard Mega Man game on my own.
I don't think I've ever been more proud of a gaming accomplishment in my life. (120 stars? Pfft, I can do that in my sleep at this point - I beat a Mega Man, baby).
For being one of the hardest Mega Man titles out there, it does give you some help. The blue bomber is able to collect various bolts and screws in levels he can exchange for items (energy tanks, spike guards, lives and the like). As an added bonus, there is a spot where you can grind for these on some infinitely spawning enemies using Jewel Man's jewel shield that allowed me to max out my inventory before attacking our good friend Wily -- this still just saves you some time lost due to some simple mistakes, the rest, I'm proud to say, was all me.
And how about those retro-stylings? The 16-bit era and beyond saw Mega Man get a bit distracted - it simply isn't as easy to control a more articulated character (as seen in Mega Man X, for example), and the extra hardware power was usually put towards throwing more stuff on the screen or making things more busy. Gone were straightforward corridors, replaced by spralwing 4-way stages that were mostly a pain to navigate. Far from being a cheap way out, the simplified styling enhances the gameplay. And if you're like me, someone who loves the 8-bit look and sound, Mega Man 9 is an outright treat. The series always had far and away the best soundtracks on the NES, 9 revels in using the NES sound to its fullest, creating wonderfully rich (synth) textures - I mean, listen to Jewel Man's stage up there. It's amazing - even Capcom didn't do stuff like that in the day.
Publisher: Capcom
Developer: Inti Creates
Released: September 2008
Obtained: 10/4/2008
8.5/10
Developer: Inti Creates
Released: September 2008
Obtained: 10/4/2008
8.5/10
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