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Mega Man 9 Review
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Photo from IGN.com
Forget for a second that this is the first true sequel to Capcom's original blockbuster franchise. This is more about what a big-name company is doing: they're taking a well-known franchise and creating an all new game that's only avaialable online on major consoles. In this day and age, that's consider a gamble. Well Mega Man 9 pays off in spades.
This sequel feels like a long forgotten game already made in 1988 but coming from a parallel universe where characters like Zero and concepts like Biometals never existed. Part of what makes this game charming is it's completely old-school design: the graphics, the control, the design, the music-it seems like it was made on NES before it was ported to the WiiWare, Playstation Network, and Xbox Live Arcade.
And just like the older Mega Man the simple graphics and controls (1 button jumps, the other shoots, and you only move in two directions) , the 'rock-paper-scissors' boss battles mask another hallmark of old-school games: difficulty.
In this day of age of memory cards, double jumps, charge shots, the game's difficulty will make anyone break 2 or 3 controllers by the time you actually get to the end. But, before anyone accuses the developers at Capcom of being sadist, what makes Mega Man 9 (just like parts 1 and 2) endearing and awesome, is the fact that every trick jump and boss battle is never cheap. It'll take gamers some time to actually get past some of the levels and getting past these levels are so enthralling that it's worth it to deal with only 2 check points in these long levels.
Another reason to keep sharpening your skills in this games are numerous modes and achievments (even on the Wii) to unlock-I guess it isn't completely old-school.
This game isn't a must-buy due to its awesome design alone, it's one of the few killer apps that can be enjoyed on all three consoles. And the industry and gamers deserves more games like in this future.
Grade: A-
Good: Incredible old-school design, extra modes
Bad: Maddening and infuriating difficulty
Publisher: Capcom Developer: Capcom Systems: Wii, PS3, Xbox 360 (online only)
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