…………………………………………………

Mega Man 9 Game Review

Mega Man 9 is a 2008 platform video game developed by Capcom for the Wii among other platforms. It is the ninth numbered entry in the mainline Mega Man series.

………………………………………………….

“For starters, I’m going to do something about those robots!“

…………………………………………………..

This game was released over a decade after the last entry in the series. The creators decided to go back to the 8-bit style of the classic NES entries, which led to commercial and especially critical success. For me personally, the game looks and sounds great when put in that NES context, but for 2008 it looked too retro. In trying to emulate the feel of ‘Mega Man 2’, it succeeds only partially as it lacked the inventiveness and memorability of that iconic game.

The plot of this entry is somewhat more complex than the storylines from the NES era of games, but it still features the usual plot beats and the clichéd twist that is once again repeated here. The dialogue is solid, but the overall storyline was only serviceable, though the famous characters are well handled altogether.

When it comes to the gameplay, Mega Man 9 pretty much acts as the second entry. The level-select system is back, the entire structure is repeated once again and most of the enemies and even some bosses are similar to the aforementioned game. How health worked and the special weapons are all also repeated to great effect, though the inclusion of Mega Buster with no charged-up version was bothersome to me as was the problematic omission of sliding.

…………………………………………………..

This game relied too heavily on the bosses and they were mostly very good, but the stages themselves suffered as a result. A couple of them, especially the Jewel and Tornado Man’s stages were very well imagined and cool, but most were forgettable. The gameplay mechanics incorporated in a couple of stages were unique, but for the most part it’s the same old stuff we’ve seen countless times before and done better.

The eight robot masters are overall varied in terms of level design and difficulty level as always. The problem with most of them is that they absolutely require a special weapon as using just the Mega Buster sadly would not suffice most of the time, which was an issue for me as I appreciate a Mega Man game that at least gives you that option. Splash Woman is one of those bosses. She is nigh-impossible to beat with the regular weapon, but too easy with the special one.

The same goes for Plug Man, a highly annoying boss. Galaxy Man was easier, but far from a memorable encounter. Concrete Man and Jewel Man fared much better. The former has a distinct movement pattern that is easy to follow while the latter also has a pattern and getting to know them was so much fun.

…………………………………………………..

Tornado Man is another excellent boss, very well designed and not too difficult to properly beat. Magma Man is not like that. It’s not impossible to beat him with the regular weapon, but his movements are too unpredictable, making him frustrating to play against. Hornet Man also does not work. He is way too easy with a special weapon and way too difficult without it.

As for the Wily Castle bosses, they are also a mixed bag. Twin Devil is obnoxiously incomprehensible at first and annoying overall, Shark Submarine is forgettable and Spike Shooters is the only interesting boss among this first batch of obstacles. It’s a highly unique boss in its level design.

Wily Capsule is terrific. This final battle is just right – not too difficult and certainly not easy. But Wily Machine No. 9 was unfortunately too hard for me. Balancing those green balls and directing them toward the enemy made for an authentic volleyball-styled excursion for sure, but a frustratingly demanding fight nonetheless.

When it comes to the graphics, Mega Man 9 obviously was meant to be a throwback to the golden days of the first couple of entries in the series, most closely resembling the second game. It is overly retro in its visuals, though undoubtedly highly charming in its old-fashioned approach. It’s very well designed overall, but it’s something we’ve seen so many times before, and I do contend that a more polished and detailed style would have made it stand out more.

…………………………………………………..

The sound is similar. It is overly retro, though again undeniably endearing. The score is actually this game’s strongest technical aspect as it’s quite varied and fun with the final theme played during the credits being the most infectious highlight. The level design is also surprisingly strong for the most part while the game also controls well and it features a pretty solid menu system. It also has its own achievements, which was refreshing to witness, but the side activities that it presents aren’t all that interesting personally.

At the end of the day, Mega Man 9 is a solid entry in the series. It relied too heavily on its retro trappings, leading to very few innovations of its own, but it still was so much fun to play with the bosses being particularly well designed for the most part. The game looks and sounds faithful to the NES era for better and for worse while the overall gameplay structure was also repeated with great success. The stages needed to have been better, but at least most of the robot masters and the enemies in Wily Castle were terrific.

My Rating – 4

Ranking Mega Man 9 Stages:

1. Tornado Man

2. Jewel Man

3. Hornet Man

4. Splash Woman

5. Magma Man

6. Wily Castle

$تويتر \ Art على تويتر: "Here we are again with me making yet another iteration of my Wily Castle design. #pixelart #MegaMan https://t.co/CqrHj8YDmt"$