Mega Man 9: Robotic Recycling or Revival?

[Editorial: Games!]

Is Mega Man 9 being overhyped? There's no doubt it's a must-play game, especially for Mega Man fans, but the buzz about it being among "the best" in the series seems to be crossing the line. As a fan of Mega Man since Mega Man 2 on the NES who has played through all of the main entries in the Classic, X, and Zero series, the prospect of Mega Man 9 offered a wealth of creative speculation. My imagination only became more active upon hearing it would be done in an 8-bit retro visual style and feature such unconventional additions as Splash Woman and Hornet Man alongside long-absent, obvious choices such as Magma Man and Tornado Man. Seeing new Robot Masters for the first time is always a treasured moment for the Mega Man fan, as imagination, expectations, and reality intersect when the stage select screen appears...

However, as the finalized designs trickled out into the media, I was left with mixed feelings. While it is fantastic to see new Classic-style Robot Masters, their presentation has come off as largely uninspired. Yes, one could easily say they are all in the correct motif of the Classic series, but one is left wondering if Capcom was overly cautious in its design choices. Going down the list of the eight "new" Robot Masters:

Concrete Man, rather than having something to set himself apart like a concrete mixer integrated into his body, comes across as a recolored Guts Man or retooled Stone Man. Tornado Man, from the green paint job to the winglike helmet extensions, could be Harpuia's little brother. Likewise, the mermaid-esque Splash Woman could be Leviathan's estranged sister. And since Inti Creates (the makers of the Mega Man Zero series) is behind Mega Man 9, it makes those influences even more obvious. Moving on, Galaxy Man's motif and face design immediately come across as a reimagining of Astro Man; the fact that Mega Man V (for Gameboy) featured a full cast of space-based bosses--including one with an orbiting ring and black hole powers (Saturn)--makes this design seem all the less fresh.

Now, stare Jewel Man in the eyes; you start to get images of Top Man sporting a giant pink jewel set on his head and equipped with the bling of Gemini Man. Meanwhile, Plug Man is an unabashed reworking of Dynamo Man, removing the glass helmet and replacing the electrical conductors with plug prongs. Magma Man is the worst offender, as he nearly looks like a red Needle Man (ironically, in Nintendo Power Vol.234, the artist behind this design said he thought this also, but that it was an unintended outcome). Finally, there's Hornet Man, which I must confess is probably the most unique of them all. While it is a reusing of the hornet theme from Mega Man X3's Blast Hornet, this is a very new interpretation, where the best Classic series parallel would be seen in the head of Ring Man or maybe the mouthpiece of Crystal Man--but that is admittedly a stretch.

Still, what this means is that there is only a single Robot Master among eight where one does not immediately have a Robot Master or Mega Man villain from the past pop into one's head. That's not to say that these designs do not have their charm (far from it!), but they just may not be all that innovative or memorable in the larger historical pantheon. Even Mega Man & Bass' additions, for example--with the exceptions of the Mega Man 8 repeats--were more striking.

I wish the lack of inspiration was just in the Robot Master designs, but the levels, too, possibly reuse more resources than I would have expected. There appears to be sprites reappearing from as far back as Mega Man 1, and Splash Woman's stage features a bubble-riding section with the exact same opening layout as the bubble-riding sequence introduced in Mega Man 5's Wave Man stage.

Even Tornado Man's seemingly unique, vertically rotating platforms in the sky are reminiscent of Gyro Man's horizontally rotating platforms, and the level's feature of changing weather conditions proves to be in the same tradition as Cloud Man's stage. Further, the stages' backgrounds seem less detailed than even the NES Mega Mans, particularly the latter entries. I understand this was a "back to basics" game, but I believe the literalness of that phrase was taken at the game's expense in some cases.

In fact, I question the whole decision to have it be 8-bit. Graphics in of themselves are not the reason the Mega Man series has been inconsistent in recent years. 16-bit can have classic gameplay, and would have been a better canvas to create more dynamic new levels and characters, as seen in the creative potential presented in Mega Man 7 and Mega Man & Bass (which felt more true to the Mega Man series than the 32-bit Mega Man 8). Such visuals might have made the game more inviting for newer gamers as well, and it still would have been relatively cost-effective to develop.

Along these same lines, this business of removing the Mega Buster and slide from the core game is debatable. Both of those elements allowed for additional stage obstacles and tactics in the past. True, as certain fans moan, perhaps they did make some challenges easier; but I would contend that they had became part of the fundamental definition and tradition of Classic Mega Man. If these two moves would have been included, they could have been retooled in various ways to maintain the "old-school challenge." As an example: Rush's usefulness has varied game to game, and thus most so-called "game-breaking" devices within a game's design can be limited to be more balanced with regard to fun factor and challenge. Keep in mind, I'm saying all this, and Mega Man 2 is perhaps my favorite Mega Man game.

Regardless of these potential shortcomings, there are some elements that were squarely nailed, such as the decision to make eight bosses selectable from the start again. While the 4 x 4 design of Mega Man 7 and Mega Man 8 was interesting, and allowed for some neat gameplay tricks, it limited a player's choices. (That said, as a consequence, the usefulness of the Robot Master weapons in Mega Man 9 seems to be limited to offensive and defensive usage once again, as opposed to altering the terrain as seen beginning with Mega Man 7). The music is another element that deserves mention, as it is part of Mega Man's identity and fame. This is a solid soundtrack. While some songs are only average, none are particularly hard on the ears, and tracks such as those used for Tornado Man's stage and the opening theme are instantly among the best of the best.

My final verdict on Mega Man 9 is still out, as I have not had the opportunity to play through it. It looks to be a lot of fun and definitely worth playing; however, as a longtime fan, and from what I have read and observed from interviews, images, and videos, it also feels like a missed opportunity. I hope to follow up this editorial with a full review in the future so that a more comprehensive look can be undertaken. In the meantime, while I respect what the creators were trying to do with this game, I believe this project could have been far more ambitious and rewarding to the long-awaited numeric addition of "9."

With any luck, there will be a "10" that can build from this entry more markedly. And, given the impressive sales numbers thus far, a tenth entry down the line appears to be a likely occurrence.

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