Mega Man 9 [Wii, PS3, X360]

Posted April 5, 2009 by Michael Curley in PS3, PS3 Reviews, Reviews, Wii, Wii Reviews, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Reviews.

Reviewed on the Nintendo Wii

When you think of Mega Man, you’ve probably got fond memories of afternoons spent in front of the old Nintendo, trying to slug it out with the eight Robot Masters before mom called you down for dinner or to do some chores. Mega Man 9 succeeds largely in bringing back those memories, and it’s a solid game to boot.

Just like the classic games in the series, the game’s controls are tight and simple, but the game itself is very difficult to master. The controls harken back to the second game in the series, without even the Blue Bomber’s signature slide move or charged attacks. There’s just run, jump, and shoot, and that’s all the game really needs. The Robot Master weapons are all useful, even when you’re not fighting the bosses. The controls are responsive and the game’s well balanced to be difficult, but very rarely comes off as unfair. Don’t get me wrong, though: This game will kick your ass, and you will miss the movement and attack options from the other games. Of course, that’s part of the fun and the old school feel.

The graphics and sound design likewise harken back to the NES, with the 8-bit sprites and music. The game isn’t trying to compete with newer games and graphics, so there’s no point in comparing. The graphics as they are are bright and colorful, and the effects are held over from the original games. There’s an option to add sprite flicker to further mimic the old school games, which was a nice touch. The sounds are similarly taken from the old games, and the music is pretty catchy too.

All three versions of the game have Achievements, and they’re of the usual type: Beat the game the first time, or quickly, or beat a Robot Master with only the buster, etc. Amusingly, the Achievements about beating the game don’t even try to hide the fact that Dr. Wily’s behind everything, which is probably on purpose. The game’s whole point is to be a cheerful reference to the older games, and it just wouldn’t be right if it wasn’t obvious Wily was behind it. Going even further with the nostalgia, Capcom even went so far as to make a fake box art recalling the hilariously bad art from the first few games.

In addition to the normal mode, there’s the Endless Attack Mode you can buy and download, which is an endurance run. It’s purely for challenge, but it’s good fun if you’re tired of beating the game repeatedly. For a few more bucks, you can also unlock Proto Man for an additional challenge, since he takes hits harder than Mega Man.

If you’re at all a fan of the old school Mega Man games, this is a must play. It’s cheap on Xbox Live Arcade, the PlayStation Store, or Wii Ware, and it’s a very well put together trip down memory lane.

Tagged as Capcom, Inti Creates, mega man, Mega Man 9, MM9