Thoughts of a Random Gamer

Mega Man is one of the greatest and most endearing characters ever to grace a video game console. Early eight-bit Mega Man games helped to usher in the age of the platformer, while still managing to rewrite the rules of the genre as they went along. When Capcom announced that Mega Man would be returning to his eight-bit roots for Mega Man 9, fanboys around the world experienced a collective nerdgasm.

It had been a number years since I last ventured into the asshole tenderizing world of Mega Man 2. Mega Man 9 was quick to once again welcome me, with a nightstick in hand and malice in its heart. From the very first moment you are thrown into gameplay, it becomes very evident that you will need to learn how to accept death with dignity, because it is something you are going to experience an innumerable number of times.

What stands out most is the game's attention to detail. Everything from the music and the character design, all the way down to the level layout and enemy behaviors seemed like something right out of an NES game. There was even an option in the game's settings that would purposely create a screen flicker when there are too many enemies on the screen at the same time. While having it enabled gave me a nostalgic trip down memory lane, it also reminded me why we left the eight-bit era behind almost twenty years ago.

My biggest shock was when I tried to slide under a jumping enemy, only to discover that in Mega Man 9 there was no power slide. Another missing power that I was accustomed to from past Mega Man games was the Mega Blaster. This meant that I no longer had the ability to charge up shots, in order to inflict more damage. The return to Mega Man's roots has been both a challenging and eye opening experience.

As I mentioned earlier, this game is extremely difficult, so unless you have a masochistic side that you need to indulge, only hardcore fans should apply. I will have a final review if I ever manage to complete the game. Wish me luck, because Lord knows I am going to need it!

Check out the trailer for Mega Man 9 below:

There is something to be said for a little immature humor once and a while...