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With services like XBLA, PSN and WiiWare, several companies are finding new ways to breathe new life into old IPs. While this usually means updated mechanics and a fresh coat of paint, Capcom is taking a completely different direction with Mega Man 9.
Mega Man 9 looks and feels like an 8-bit NES game, which is a risky move by Capcom since it could potentially alienate younger gamers who equate good visuals with good gameplay. For old timers like me, however, Mega Man 9 has the potential to be everything we remember about “the good old days”.
Both the story and structure follow the same pattern as the NES games. Dr. Wiley is up to no good and it’s up to Mega Man to stop him. This time, it looks like robots are going haywire all over the world and the world’s foremost robot expert, Dr. Light, is being blamed. The only things standing between Mega Man and clearing Dr. Light’s name are eight levels and Wiley’s army of themed robots. As usual, each of the levels will tie into the end bosses’ special traits. Capcom hasn’t revealed too much about the bosses or their traits other than one will be a woman, though you can probably expect several Mega Man staples to appear. Looking at early screens, levels should include a jungle level, a laval-filled fire level, some sort of electric/ mechanical level and the ever-popular water level, complete with jump-altering water and mine-lined walls.
Based on early footage, it looks like Mega Man 9 will also incorporate several of the game’s trademark obstacles. In addition to the previously mentioned water and mine combo, the always fun timed, disappearing platform puzzles are back, as well as one or two “lights out” areas. Going on past experience, there's also a good chance we'll see a free-fall through death ray at one point. These are joined by a few new obstacles like a momentum-based swinging platform and what appear to be magnetized platforms.
Look for Mega Man 9 on XBLA, PSN and Wiiware this Fall. |
