Mega Man 9
Encyclopedia
Mega Man 9, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom
and Inti Creates
. It is the ninth numbered game in the original Mega Man series. Mega Man 9 is the first, new home console game in the original Mega Man series since Mega Man 8
and Mega Man & Bass
, which were released at least one decade earlier. Mega Man 9 was released on the downloadable gaming services WiiWare
, PlayStation Network (PSN), and Xbox Live Arcade
(XBLA).
Taking place during the early 21st century
, Mega Man 9 continues the adventures of the android hero Mega Man
. When destructive attacks by powerful robots begin occurring all over the world, Mega Man's creator, the good-hearted Dr. Light, is blamed. Mega Man's arch enemy, the evil Dr. Wily
, claims to be uninvolved in the incidents. It is up to Mega Man to stop the robots, prove his creator's innocence, and reveal Wily's true intentions. Mega Man 9 uses the classic 2D
side-scrolling
gameplay on which the series is based. Using both action
and platforming
elements, the player must complete a series of eight, initial stages in any order desired. Defeating each stage's "Robot Master" boss copies its unique weapon, which the player can select at will throughout the remainder of the game.
Although the game was developed for modern consoles
, Mega Man 9 features familiar 8-bit
visuals and audio similar to the Nintendo Entertainment System
(NES) as a "retro
" throwback to the earliest entries in the franchise. According to its producers Keiji Inafune
and Hironobu Takeshita, the development team intentionally made the graphics, sound, and gameplay of Mega Man 9 as simple as possible to adhere to the likeness of the fan and critical favorite Mega Man 2
, released in 1988. Mega Man 9 was a commercial success and received mostly positive reviews from the press. The game's popularity prompted Capcom to create a sequel, Mega Man 10
, which also utilizes a simple, 8-bit style.
(20XX). Dr. Light, the creator of the world's greatest android hero Mega Man
, is blamed for sudden incidents of destructive, robotic rampage. Mega Man's nemesis Dr. Wily
has no apparent connection to it. After showing a news video of Light declaring planetary domination and Wily refusing to follow him, Wily announces that he needs monetary donations to complete the robots he built to combat those of Dr. Light. Mega Man vows to fight to prove his creator's innocence and expose Wily's true intentions. After Mega Man begins combating the eight "Robot Masters"—Concrete Man, Splash Woman, Magma Man, Hornet Man, Jewel Man, Tornado Man, Plug Man, and Galaxy Man—Light is soon arrested. During the victory over the fourth Robot Master, a piece of scrap metal is left behind, revealing that the robot was shortly due for recycling
. Mega Man eventually picks up the last Robot Master's memory chip, which is analyzed to reveal Dr. Wily vowing to help the robots survive this expiration date and ultimately reprogramming them. However, before the information can become public, Wily swoops in using his flying saucer
and steals the chip.
Mega Man fights and defeats Wily, who immediately begs for forgiveness, at which point Mega Man scolds Wily by reminding of him of all his begging from all previous main Mega Man series games. Mega Man then discovers that Wily was responsible for arresting Dr. Light, and that Light has fallen ill. Afterward, Mega Man's ally Proto Man comes in and warns the hero that it is a trap, stating that the seemingly ill scientist is an impostor used by Wily to make the initial news video. Mega Man then takes his chances with Wily, and while he is disabled when Wily's fortress comes down on him, Proto Man returns quickly to save him. In the end, Dr. Wily escapes, Dr. Light is freed, and the status quo
is restored. The eight Robot Masters are rebuilt and given new functions working alongside Light and his other robots.
-platform game
in which the player controls the titular character and must complete a number of 2D
side-scrolling
stages. The start of the game presents a select screen of eight stages from which the player can choose to complete in any order desired. Within each stage, the player advances by running, jumping, avoiding traps, shooting enemies and mini-bosses, and ultimately battling the Robot Master boss at the end. Mega Man begins with a "Mega Buster" arm-cannon weapon, but as each boss is defeated, a unique weapon is added to his arsenal. Because each Robot Master is weak to a specific weapon, the player may strategize the order which the stages are cleared. The player also begins the game with the option to call on Mega Man's dog Rush, who can transform into a "Coil" springboard for jumping higher or a "Jet" for transversing long distances in the air. Mega Man health, his special weapons, and his Rush options are all limited by energy gauges that can be refilled by picking up items found throughout each level. Special screw
s can also be picked up and used to buy items at Auto's shop between stages. These items include extra lives
, tanks that refill energy, and one-time-use items that call on Mega Man's companions Eddie and Beat for help.
Using the original Mega Man
and Mega Man 2
as the main inspiration for the gameplay in Mega Man 9, several significant features from previous games were left out. Specifically, Mega Man lacks the ability to slide along the ground and the ability to charge up his Mega Buster for more powerful shots. Aside from using or omitting various elements from past games in the series, Mega Man 9 introduces a time attack
mode and 50 optional challenges where certain requirements should be met to be accomplished. These range from defeating a boss using only the Mega Buster to clearing the entire game without taking any damage. Downloadable content
for all three versions of the game was made available for purchase during October 2008. Proto Man can be downloaded as a playable character. Proto Man is able to slide, can charge up his buster, and takes double the damage of Mega Man, among other differences. Additional downloadable add-ons include higher difficulty
modes, an endless
stage, and a special stage featuring a new boss, Fake Man.
and Inti Creates
. The latter company had developed the Mega Man Zero
and Mega Man ZX
spin-off series and employs many former Capcom members that worked on previous Mega Man games. The first six games in the original Mega Man series were released on the NES
during the late 1980s
and early 1990s
. A plethora of spin-off series, related games, and compilations were published by Capcom as a result of the original series' immense popularity. The most recent entries in the main series, Mega Man 8
and Mega Man & Bass
, were first released on more advanced home consoles in 1996 and 1998 respectively. Keiji Inafune
, a designer, artist, and producer at Capcom, has been involved in most of franchise's development. As early as 2004, Inafune had been publicly expressing his desire to make a Mega Man 9 as a "throwback to the super old school", but that its creation would highly depend on the input of fans.
According to Inafune, the simple fun of a classic Mega Man game "doesn't fit into the grandiose and expansive world that the consumer gaming industry has become, and so you have to make games that match the current expectations". He also believed that pushing for the creation of a Mega Man in the style of the original "would be quickly criticized for things like being simplistic, outdated, or too expensive", thus making it too difficult to develop such games in the current climate. Inafune cited the rise of retrogaming
services like Nintendo's Virtual Console
for allowing the development team to put together Mega Man 9. Not only does the game carry the gameplay and storyline elements of older games, Mega Man 9 is a return to the series' roots, as the graphics and music resemble how their original games looked and sounded on the NES's 8-bit
hardware. Inafune felt that the "time was right" for choosing this style of game in order to please its fans. Capcom's management was supportive in making Mega Man 9 downloadable, but they wanted the game to be 3D
instead of 8-bit as they thought the latter would only appeal to Mega Man fans. The team additionally discussed giving players the option to choose between 8-bit and current generation styles. However, the idea for using 8-bit solely eventually won out. The staff was concerned with surpassing Mega Man 2 rather than Mega Man 8, as the second installment in the series tends to receive the most critical praise.
The development team that worked on Mega Man 9 consisted of about 20 people total. Producer Hironobu Takeshita explained that although Inti Creates used their previous experience to create the gameplay, the technical aspects like the graphics and sound, were more difficult to finetune. As the team had a tendency to make these attributes complex, Inafune would often scold them to simplify their work and "bring it back to the basics". Inafune designed both Plug Man and Splash Woman, while the artists at Inti Creates created the remaining six Robot Masters. Plug Man was used as an example to guide the younger designers in making characters with simple yet unique features. The idea for Splash Woman, the first female Robot Master of the original series, was requested by the planning team. Rather than use NES technology, Mega Man 9 runs on a new, proprietary engine that simulates the behavior of 8-bit video games. The game even includes "Legacy Mode", which emulates the low video processing power of the NES by partially rendering sprites
, thus causing them to flicker
when too many are on screen simultaneously. The developers also considered distributing the game on NES cartridges
, but without technology to bridge the gap between the cartridges and current gaming hardware, the idea was scrapped. Takeshita clarified that Mega Man 9 is much too large to actually fit on an NES cartridge.
and his Inti Creates sound team. Yamada, a veteran composer for Capcom at this point, worked "with a sense of nostalgia", while the younger designers had to study and imitate the older games. Sound director Yū Shimoda analyzed the audio of the NES Mega Man games for several months before beginning the project. Yamada insisted that the game contains no actual NES music, but rather the "spirit of NES music", as no such hardware restrictions were present as they had been during the development of the first six games. Most of the tracks were created with the quality of these past games in mind, but only a handful deliberately reference songs from previous games. Character and levels designs were "fundamental to the process of generating the music". Computers running Music Macro Language
were used to produce the game's sound effects. Yamada explained that taking away the sound of charging up the Mega Buster allowed for many more sound waves that it would have obscured or blocked out.
and Nintendo Power
, revealing that the title would be appearing on the Nintendo Wii as a WiiWare title. It was initially slated to be exclusive to WiiWare, with earlier reports of Microsoft's XBLA
and Sony's PSN editions being denied by Capcom. However, gaming sites like IGN
confirmed it for PSN and XBLA shortly thereafter. Various regions including North America, Japan, Europe, and Australia saw releases of the game between September 2008 and June 2009. A mobile phone
incarnation of Mega Man 9 was also released in Japan in late 2010.
The North American promotional artwork for the game, designed by Gerald de Jesus of iam8bit
, is meant to be reminiscent of the domestic cover art for the original Mega Man game. According to Capcom employee Chris Kramer, the marketing group felt that if they were going to release a game that graphically resembled one that came from 1987, it would be best to have the marketing campaign reflect that. T-shirts bearing the artwork were created for Inafune and Takeshita to wear at the game's official debut at the Electronic Entertainment Expo during the summer of 2008. The t-shirts were later made available to the public via Capcom's online store. A "limited edition" press kit
, intended for members of the media, using that cover art was then created by iam8bit. Being as faithful to the original 1987 release as possible, the iam8bit crew disassembled hundreds of vintage NES cartridges and inserted mini CD
s inside. Though the CDs do not contain the actual game, they feature an array of screenshots, artwork, and game information. That was then packaged in a custom-created, classic-looking NES box, complete with shrink-wrap and bargain bin price tags. The press kit was also put on sale at Capcom's store.
To help promote the game in Japan, Capcom released merchandise including "E-Tank" energy drink
s and two CD soundtracks. The Rockman 9 Original Soundtrack was released on September 12, 2008. The soundtrack, consisting of the game's 35 music tracks, includes a booklet with liner notes
written by the Inti Creates sound team, as well as artwork and information on the eight Robot Masters. The Rockman 9 Arrange Album was released on October 10, 2008. This album features arranged
remixes of the same songs by Yamada, his team, and several guest composers from past entries in the Mega Man series.
. 1UP.com
gave the game a B+, praising its old school-aesthetic and challenge. IGN gave the game an 8.6/10 and awarded it with an "Editor's Choice" award across all platforms. It was praised for "having some of the best level design in the series". The Official Nintendo Magazine gave the game 90% noting that "it will keep you busy for hours" and "screams retro". It did mark it down because "it might be too frustrating". However, Edge
scored the game a six out of ten. The magazine responded positively to the game's enemy design, though criticized the game for trying to fit in to the "retro cool category" and being not as good as the previous games.
The WiiWare version of Mega Man 9 has received additional recognition from various publications. In Nintendo Power
s "Game of the Year" section, Mega Man 9 was scored as the best WiiWare game of 2008 by both readers and staff. It was nominated for "Best Platforming Game for the Wii" by IGN in its 2008 video game awards. It was also nominated for "Best Wii Game" and "Best Downloadable Console Game" on GameSpot's "Best of 2008". Gaming Target
selected it as part of their "40 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2008" feature. Both IGN and GamePro
have considered Mega Man 9 as one of the top 15 WiiWare games available. In 2011, IGN listed Mega Man 9 as the 5th-best WiiWare game and the 14th-best PSN game of all time.
Although no financial figures for Mega Man 9 have been released, Christian Svensson (Capcom's Vice President of Business Development) debunked all sales rumors shortly after its launch, stating that the company was "cautiously optimistic" about its performance on WiiWare. Both Svensson and Capcom's Seth Killian stated months later that the company was "definitely happy" with the sales of the game. Inafune also expressed his satisfaction with game's success, proclaiming that it far exceeded their expectations. A follow-up game, Mega Man 10
, was released in March 2010 for WiiWare, PSN, and XBLA. This sequel also features retro-style graphics, audio, and gameplay.
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
and Inti Creates
Inti Creates
is a Japanese video game development company formed by ex-Capcom staff in May 1996, best known for the creation of the Mega Man Zero series and Mega Man ZX series...
. It is the ninth numbered game in the original Mega Man series. Mega Man 9 is the first, new home console game in the original Mega Man series since Mega Man 8
Mega Man 8
Mega Man 8, known as in Japan, is a video game released by Capcom. It is the eighth installment in original Mega Man series, and was originally released in Japan on the PlayStation on December 17, 1996. The following year, Mega Man 8 saw a release on the Sega Saturn and was localized for both...
and Mega Man & Bass
Mega Man & Bass
Mega Man & Bass, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom. It is a spin-off title in the original Mega Man series and was originally released exclusively in Japan on April 24, 1998 for the Super Famicom...
, which were released at least one decade earlier. Mega Man 9 was released on the downloadable gaming services WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
, PlayStation Network (PSN), and Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
(XBLA).
Taking place during the early 21st century
21st century
The 21st century is the current century of the Anno Domini era or the Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The century began on January 1, 2001 and will end on December 31, 2100. The years from 2001 to 2010 are historical; the years from 2011 to 2100 are subject to futurology and...
, Mega Man 9 continues the adventures of the android hero Mega Man
Mega Man (character)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a cybernetic video game character, and the main protagonist of what has been referred to as the original Mega Man series developed by Capcom since 1987. The pixel art for the character was created by the designer of the original game in the series, credited under...
. When destructive attacks by powerful robots begin occurring all over the world, Mega Man's creator, the good-hearted Dr. Light, is blamed. Mega Man's arch enemy, the evil Dr. Wily
Doctor Wily
, full name Albert W. Wily, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the original Mega Man series of video games. Designed by Keiji Inafune, he appeared in the first Mega Man video game and later in promotions and other media related to the series...
, claims to be uninvolved in the incidents. It is up to Mega Man to stop the robots, prove his creator's innocence, and reveal Wily's true intentions. Mega Man 9 uses the classic 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
side-scrolling
Side-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
gameplay on which the series is based. Using both action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
and platforming
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
elements, the player must complete a series of eight, initial stages in any order desired. Defeating each stage's "Robot Master" boss copies its unique weapon, which the player can select at will throughout the remainder of the game.
Although the game was developed for modern consoles
History of video game consoles (seventh generation)
In the history of video games, the seventh generation of consoles is the current generation , and includes consoles released since late by Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony...
, Mega Man 9 features familiar 8-bit
History of video game consoles (third generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the third generation began on July 15, 1983, with the Japanese release of both the Nintendo Family Computer and Sega SG-1000...
visuals and audio similar to the Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
(NES) as a "retro
Retrogaming
Retrogaming, also known as old-school gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports or compilations...
" throwback to the earliest entries in the franchise. According to its producers Keiji Inafune
Keiji Inafune
is a video game producer and illustrator. He was the former head of Research & Development and Online Business and Global Head of Production at Capcom, best known as the illustrator and co-designer of the character Mega Man, as well as the producer of the Onimusha and Dead Rising video game series...
and Hironobu Takeshita, the development team intentionally made the graphics, sound, and gameplay of Mega Man 9 as simple as possible to adhere to the likeness of the fan and critical favorite Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2, known in Japan as , is a platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the second installment in the original Mega Man series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, and in North America and PAL regions the following years. Mega Man 2...
, released in 1988. Mega Man 9 was a commercial success and received mostly positive reviews from the press. The game's popularity prompted Capcom to create a sequel, Mega Man 10
Mega Man 10
Mega Man 10, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the tenth main entry of the original Mega Man series...
, which also utilizes a simple, 8-bit style.
Plot
Like previous entries in the series, the fictional events of Mega Man 9 take place during the 21st century21st century
The 21st century is the current century of the Anno Domini era or the Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. The century began on January 1, 2001 and will end on December 31, 2100. The years from 2001 to 2010 are historical; the years from 2011 to 2100 are subject to futurology and...
(20XX). Dr. Light, the creator of the world's greatest android hero Mega Man
Mega Man (character)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a cybernetic video game character, and the main protagonist of what has been referred to as the original Mega Man series developed by Capcom since 1987. The pixel art for the character was created by the designer of the original game in the series, credited under...
, is blamed for sudden incidents of destructive, robotic rampage. Mega Man's nemesis Dr. Wily
Doctor Wily
, full name Albert W. Wily, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of the original Mega Man series of video games. Designed by Keiji Inafune, he appeared in the first Mega Man video game and later in promotions and other media related to the series...
has no apparent connection to it. After showing a news video of Light declaring planetary domination and Wily refusing to follow him, Wily announces that he needs monetary donations to complete the robots he built to combat those of Dr. Light. Mega Man vows to fight to prove his creator's innocence and expose Wily's true intentions. After Mega Man begins combating the eight "Robot Masters"—Concrete Man, Splash Woman, Magma Man, Hornet Man, Jewel Man, Tornado Man, Plug Man, and Galaxy Man—Light is soon arrested. During the victory over the fourth Robot Master, a piece of scrap metal is left behind, revealing that the robot was shortly due for recycling
Recycling
Recycling is processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution and water pollution by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse...
. Mega Man eventually picks up the last Robot Master's memory chip, which is analyzed to reveal Dr. Wily vowing to help the robots survive this expiration date and ultimately reprogramming them. However, before the information can become public, Wily swoops in using his flying saucer
Flying saucer
A flying saucer is a type of unidentified flying object sometimes believed to be of alien origin with a disc or saucer-shaped body, usually described as silver or metallic, occasionally reported as covered with running lights or surrounded with a glowing light, hovering or moving rapidly either...
and steals the chip.
Mega Man fights and defeats Wily, who immediately begs for forgiveness, at which point Mega Man scolds Wily by reminding of him of all his begging from all previous main Mega Man series games. Mega Man then discovers that Wily was responsible for arresting Dr. Light, and that Light has fallen ill. Afterward, Mega Man's ally Proto Man comes in and warns the hero that it is a trap, stating that the seemingly ill scientist is an impostor used by Wily to make the initial news video. Mega Man then takes his chances with Wily, and while he is disabled when Wily's fortress comes down on him, Proto Man returns quickly to save him. In the end, Dr. Wily escapes, Dr. Light is freed, and the status quo
Status quo
Statu quo, a commonly used form of the original Latin "statu quo" – literally "the state in which" – is a Latin term meaning the current or existing state of affairs. To maintain the status quo is to keep the things the way they presently are...
is restored. The eight Robot Masters are rebuilt and given new functions working alongside Light and his other robots.
Gameplay
Mega Man 9 is an actionAction game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
-platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
in which the player controls the titular character and must complete a number of 2D
2D computer graphics
2D computer graphics is the computer-based generation of digital images—mostly from two-dimensional models and by techniques specific to them...
side-scrolling
Side-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
stages. The start of the game presents a select screen of eight stages from which the player can choose to complete in any order desired. Within each stage, the player advances by running, jumping, avoiding traps, shooting enemies and mini-bosses, and ultimately battling the Robot Master boss at the end. Mega Man begins with a "Mega Buster" arm-cannon weapon, but as each boss is defeated, a unique weapon is added to his arsenal. Because each Robot Master is weak to a specific weapon, the player may strategize the order which the stages are cleared. The player also begins the game with the option to call on Mega Man's dog Rush, who can transform into a "Coil" springboard for jumping higher or a "Jet" for transversing long distances in the air. Mega Man health, his special weapons, and his Rush options are all limited by energy gauges that can be refilled by picking up items found throughout each level. Special screw
Screw
A screw, or bolt, is a type of fastener characterized by a helical ridge, known as an external thread or just thread, wrapped around a cylinder. Some screw threads are designed to mate with a complementary thread, known as an internal thread, often in the form of a nut or an object that has the...
s can also be picked up and used to buy items at Auto's shop between stages. These items include extra lives
1-up
1-up , pronounced "one up", is a term in console video gaming that commonly refers to an item that gives the player an extra life, to complete the game. In certain games, it is possible to receive multiple extra lives at once...
, tanks that refill energy, and one-time-use items that call on Mega Man's companions Eddie and Beat for help.
Using the original Mega Man
Mega Man (video game)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first game in the original Mega Man series and the entire Mega Man franchise...
and Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2
Mega Man 2, known in Japan as , is a platform game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the second installment in the original Mega Man series. The game was released in Japan in 1988, and in North America and PAL regions the following years. Mega Man 2...
as the main inspiration for the gameplay in Mega Man 9, several significant features from previous games were left out. Specifically, Mega Man lacks the ability to slide along the ground and the ability to charge up his Mega Buster for more powerful shots. Aside from using or omitting various elements from past games in the series, Mega Man 9 introduces a time attack
Time attack
A time attack is another term for time trial. The term is commonly used in Japan for individual time trial events for motor vehicles that involves a vehicle running around the circuit in lieu of a qualifying lap and the term is widely adopted outside the country for tuner event and...
mode and 50 optional challenges where certain requirements should be met to be accomplished. These range from defeating a boss using only the Mega Buster to clearing the entire game without taking any damage. Downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
for all three versions of the game was made available for purchase during October 2008. Proto Man can be downloaded as a playable character. Proto Man is able to slide, can charge up his buster, and takes double the damage of Mega Man, among other differences. Additional downloadable add-ons include higher difficulty
Difficulty level
In general usage, difficulty level refers to the relative difficulty of completing a task or objective.In computer and video games, the term specifically delineates the ease or difficulty with which an average user may complete a game or a part of a game. Arcade games as well as many early console...
modes, an endless
Eternity
While in the popular mind, eternity often simply means existence for a limitless amount of time, many have used it to refer to a timeless existence altogether outside time. By contrast, infinite temporal existence is then called sempiternity. Something eternal exists outside time; by contrast,...
stage, and a special stage featuring a new boss, Fake Man.
Development
Mega Man 9 was co-developed by CapcomCapcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
and Inti Creates
Inti Creates
is a Japanese video game development company formed by ex-Capcom staff in May 1996, best known for the creation of the Mega Man Zero series and Mega Man ZX series...
. The latter company had developed the Mega Man Zero
Mega Man Zero
The Mega Man Zero series, known as in Japan, is the series succeeding the Mega Man X story-line, and the fifth series in Capcom's Mega Man video game franchise, co-produced by Keiji Inafune, and directed by Mega Man Legends series director Yoshinori Kawano...
and Mega Man ZX
Mega Man ZX
Mega Man ZX, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Inti Creates and published by Capcom for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is the first game in the sixth series of the Mega Man video game franchise. For the first time in the Mega Man series, the game features both a male and a...
spin-off series and employs many former Capcom members that worked on previous Mega Man games. The first six games in the original Mega Man series were released on the NES
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
during the late 1980s
1980s
File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...
and early 1990s
1990s
File:1990s decade montage.png|From left, clockwise: The Hubble Space Telescope floats in space after it was taken up in 1990; American F-16s and F-15s fly over burning oil fields and the USA Lexie in Operation Desert Storm, also known as the 1991 Gulf War; The signing of the Oslo Accords on...
. A plethora of spin-off series, related games, and compilations were published by Capcom as a result of the original series' immense popularity. The most recent entries in the main series, Mega Man 8
Mega Man 8
Mega Man 8, known as in Japan, is a video game released by Capcom. It is the eighth installment in original Mega Man series, and was originally released in Japan on the PlayStation on December 17, 1996. The following year, Mega Man 8 saw a release on the Sega Saturn and was localized for both...
and Mega Man & Bass
Mega Man & Bass
Mega Man & Bass, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom. It is a spin-off title in the original Mega Man series and was originally released exclusively in Japan on April 24, 1998 for the Super Famicom...
, were first released on more advanced home consoles in 1996 and 1998 respectively. Keiji Inafune
Keiji Inafune
is a video game producer and illustrator. He was the former head of Research & Development and Online Business and Global Head of Production at Capcom, best known as the illustrator and co-designer of the character Mega Man, as well as the producer of the Onimusha and Dead Rising video game series...
, a designer, artist, and producer at Capcom, has been involved in most of franchise's development. As early as 2004, Inafune had been publicly expressing his desire to make a Mega Man 9 as a "throwback to the super old school", but that its creation would highly depend on the input of fans.
According to Inafune, the simple fun of a classic Mega Man game "doesn't fit into the grandiose and expansive world that the consumer gaming industry has become, and so you have to make games that match the current expectations". He also believed that pushing for the creation of a Mega Man in the style of the original "would be quickly criticized for things like being simplistic, outdated, or too expensive", thus making it too difficult to develop such games in the current climate. Inafune cited the rise of retrogaming
Retrogaming
Retrogaming, also known as old-school gaming, is the hobby of playing and collecting older computer, video, and arcade games. These games are played either on the original hardware, on modern hardware via emulation, or on modern hardware via ports or compilations...
services like Nintendo's Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
for allowing the development team to put together Mega Man 9. Not only does the game carry the gameplay and storyline elements of older games, Mega Man 9 is a return to the series' roots, as the graphics and music resemble how their original games looked and sounded on the NES's 8-bit
History of video game consoles (third generation)
In the history of computer and video games, the third generation began on July 15, 1983, with the Japanese release of both the Nintendo Family Computer and Sega SG-1000...
hardware. Inafune felt that the "time was right" for choosing this style of game in order to please its fans. Capcom's management was supportive in making Mega Man 9 downloadable, but they wanted the game to be 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
instead of 8-bit as they thought the latter would only appeal to Mega Man fans. The team additionally discussed giving players the option to choose between 8-bit and current generation styles. However, the idea for using 8-bit solely eventually won out. The staff was concerned with surpassing Mega Man 2 rather than Mega Man 8, as the second installment in the series tends to receive the most critical praise.
The development team that worked on Mega Man 9 consisted of about 20 people total. Producer Hironobu Takeshita explained that although Inti Creates used their previous experience to create the gameplay, the technical aspects like the graphics and sound, were more difficult to finetune. As the team had a tendency to make these attributes complex, Inafune would often scold them to simplify their work and "bring it back to the basics". Inafune designed both Plug Man and Splash Woman, while the artists at Inti Creates created the remaining six Robot Masters. Plug Man was used as an example to guide the younger designers in making characters with simple yet unique features. The idea for Splash Woman, the first female Robot Master of the original series, was requested by the planning team. Rather than use NES technology, Mega Man 9 runs on a new, proprietary engine that simulates the behavior of 8-bit video games. The game even includes "Legacy Mode", which emulates the low video processing power of the NES by partially rendering sprites
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
, thus causing them to flicker
Flicker (screen)
Flicker is a visible fading between cycles displayed on video displays, especially the refresh interval on cathode ray tube based computer screens. Flicker occurs on CRTs when they are driven at a low refresh rate, allowing the brightness to drop for time intervals sufficiently long to be noticed...
when too many are on screen simultaneously. The developers also considered distributing the game on NES cartridges
ROM cartridge
A ROM cartridge, sometimes referred to as a cart, is a removable enclosure containing read-only memory devices designed to be connected to a computer or games console....
, but without technology to bridge the gap between the cartridges and current gaming hardware, the idea was scrapped. Takeshita clarified that Mega Man 9 is much too large to actually fit on an NES cartridge.
Audio
The musical score and sound effects for Mega Man 9 were composed by Ippō YamadaIppo Yamada
Ippo Yamada is the alias of a video game music composer and producer. He has contributed music to such titles as Mega Man Zero , Mega Man ZX , and Mega Man 9...
and his Inti Creates sound team. Yamada, a veteran composer for Capcom at this point, worked "with a sense of nostalgia", while the younger designers had to study and imitate the older games. Sound director Yū Shimoda analyzed the audio of the NES Mega Man games for several months before beginning the project. Yamada insisted that the game contains no actual NES music, but rather the "spirit of NES music", as no such hardware restrictions were present as they had been during the development of the first six games. Most of the tracks were created with the quality of these past games in mind, but only a handful deliberately reference songs from previous games. Character and levels designs were "fundamental to the process of generating the music". Computers running Music Macro Language
Music Macro Language
Music Macro Language is a music description language used in sequencing music on a number of computer and video game system platforms.MML is also sometimes known as Music Markup Language, by conflation with the XML musical notation markup language of that name...
were used to produce the game's sound effects. Yamada explained that taking away the sound of charging up the Mega Buster allowed for many more sound waves that it would have obscured or blocked out.
Release
Capcom of Japan officially announced Mega Man 9 during July 2008. Official details were first confirmed via the magazines Weekly FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
and Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
, revealing that the title would be appearing on the Nintendo Wii as a WiiWare title. It was initially slated to be exclusive to WiiWare, with earlier reports of Microsoft's XBLA
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
and Sony's PSN editions being denied by Capcom. However, gaming sites like IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
confirmed it for PSN and XBLA shortly thereafter. Various regions including North America, Japan, Europe, and Australia saw releases of the game between September 2008 and June 2009. A mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
incarnation of Mega Man 9 was also released in Japan in late 2010.
The North American promotional artwork for the game, designed by Gerald de Jesus of iam8bit
Iam8bit
iam8bit is a production company, creative think tank and art exhibition based in Los Angeles, California. The company works in many entertainment industries including video games, film, fashion and music. They have produced many projects including exclusive taste-maker mailers, large scale...
, is meant to be reminiscent of the domestic cover art for the original Mega Man game. According to Capcom employee Chris Kramer, the marketing group felt that if they were going to release a game that graphically resembled one that came from 1987, it would be best to have the marketing campaign reflect that. T-shirts bearing the artwork were created for Inafune and Takeshita to wear at the game's official debut at the Electronic Entertainment Expo during the summer of 2008. The t-shirts were later made available to the public via Capcom's online store. A "limited edition" press kit
Press kit
A press kit, often referred to as a media kit in business environments, is a pre-packaged set of promotional materials of a person, company, or organization distributed to members of the media for promotional use...
, intended for members of the media, using that cover art was then created by iam8bit. Being as faithful to the original 1987 release as possible, the iam8bit crew disassembled hundreds of vintage NES cartridges and inserted mini CD
Mini CD
Mini CDs, or “pocket CDs” are CDs with a smaller diameter and one third the capacity.-Formats:Amongst the various formats are the* Mini CD single, a small disc. The format is mainly used for audio CD singles in certain regions , much like the old vinyl single...
s inside. Though the CDs do not contain the actual game, they feature an array of screenshots, artwork, and game information. That was then packaged in a custom-created, classic-looking NES box, complete with shrink-wrap and bargain bin price tags. The press kit was also put on sale at Capcom's store.
To help promote the game in Japan, Capcom released merchandise including "E-Tank" energy drink
Energy drink
Energy drinks are beverages whose producers advertise that they "boost energy." These advertisements usually do not emphasize energy derived from the sugar and caffeine they contain but rather increased energy release due to a variety of stimulants and vitamins....
s and two CD soundtracks. The Rockman 9 Original Soundtrack was released on September 12, 2008. The soundtrack, consisting of the game's 35 music tracks, includes a booklet with liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
written by the Inti Creates sound team, as well as artwork and information on the eight Robot Masters. The Rockman 9 Arrange Album was released on October 10, 2008. This album features arranged
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
remixes of the same songs by Yamada, his team, and several guest composers from past entries in the Mega Man series.
Reception and legacy
Mega Man 9 has received mostly positive reviews from gaming magazines and websites. The WiiWare, XBLA, and PSN versions of the game currently hold aggregate percentages of 83, 82, and 77 respectively on MetacriticMetacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
. 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
gave the game a B+, praising its old school-aesthetic and challenge. IGN gave the game an 8.6/10 and awarded it with an "Editor's Choice" award across all platforms. It was praised for "having some of the best level design in the series". The Official Nintendo Magazine gave the game 90% noting that "it will keep you busy for hours" and "screams retro". It did mark it down because "it might be too frustrating". However, Edge
Edge (magazine)
Edge is a multi-format computer and video game magazine published by Future Publishing in the United Kingdom. It is known for its industry contacts, editorial stance, distinctive anonymous third-person writing style, yearly awards and longevity....
scored the game a six out of ten. The magazine responded positively to the game's enemy design, though criticized the game for trying to fit in to the "retro cool category" and being not as good as the previous games.
The WiiWare version of Mega Man 9 has received additional recognition from various publications. In Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
s "Game of the Year" section, Mega Man 9 was scored as the best WiiWare game of 2008 by both readers and staff. It was nominated for "Best Platforming Game for the Wii" by IGN in its 2008 video game awards. It was also nominated for "Best Wii Game" and "Best Downloadable Console Game" on GameSpot's "Best of 2008". Gaming Target
Gaming Target
Gaming Target is a website covering video games and gaming culture that was founded on February 17, 1999 by Matt Swider.-History:When it launched in 1999, Gaming Target focused solely on the Nintendo 64 and Game Boy Color...
selected it as part of their "40 Games We'll Still Be Playing From 2008" feature. Both IGN and GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
have considered Mega Man 9 as one of the top 15 WiiWare games available. In 2011, IGN listed Mega Man 9 as the 5th-best WiiWare game and the 14th-best PSN game of all time.
Although no financial figures for Mega Man 9 have been released, Christian Svensson (Capcom's Vice President of Business Development) debunked all sales rumors shortly after its launch, stating that the company was "cautiously optimistic" about its performance on WiiWare. Both Svensson and Capcom's Seth Killian stated months later that the company was "definitely happy" with the sales of the game. Inafune also expressed his satisfaction with game's success, proclaiming that it far exceeded their expectations. A follow-up game, Mega Man 10
Mega Man 10
Mega Man 10, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the tenth main entry of the original Mega Man series...
, was released in March 2010 for WiiWare, PSN, and XBLA. This sequel also features retro-style graphics, audio, and gameplay.