This is almost a good game. And I don’t mean that in a “it’s mediocre” kind of way, the way I see most people dismiss this game as disappointment. Frankly, based on the early gameplay and info, Mighty No. 9 exceeded my expectations. Before, I thought it looked bland and just had Beck dashing weirdly the whole time. In reality, it’s bland but the dashing it actually fun.
I enjoyed the parts of this game that were good, and there were good parts. But the parts that were not good threatened to cancel out the good parts, leaving me completely neutrally charged. I think that is the average feeling of someone who has completed the game.
Once you get into the rhythm of the shooting and dashing and cycling weapons, it actually plays well. Most of the Mighty Number levels are good. I actually looked forward to playing while I was still clearing that part of the game. But as soon as I was starting to come around, the level itself would do something to betray me.
I originally bought the game at launch and played it for like an hour before putting it down. I can’t remember why, but it could have been due to the crushing feeling that what I was playing did not feel enough like Mega Man, and the realization that the security of childhood was, from that moment on, forever lost to me. Either that, or I kept dying and couldn’t even beat a single boss. Yeah, I’m pretty sure that was why.
There are 2 key problems with Mighty No. 9. First, the difficulty is uneven and involves too many spikes. Every single level in the game has at least one part that is borderline frustrating and definitely there for the wrong reason. I’ve found that it’s usually right at the end- so there is some order in the chaos. Second, the end of the game blows and it seems incomplete.
The obsession with difficulty is something that I still don’t quite understand. At some point in the early 2000’s, some video game developers were hypnotized into believing that the games they were making were too easy, and that’s why we were not buying them. Mega Man Zero for example, was praised(apparently) for its difficulty, whereas most humans were able to scrounge a morsel of enjoyment from it despite the difficulty. I was not one of those people, but I’m sure they exist somewhere.
Pointedly difficult games were in vogue for a while, it’s true, and Dark Souls remains popular, but platformers like this are supposed to be straightforward. And really, it’s not the gameplay itself that is difficult. If you kill me by depleting my health bar, fine. I’ll try not to get hit next time. But that’s not how it happens.
You know, my favorite thing in the world is when I am playing a level in a game that is moderately challenging and relatively long, and then at the very end of the level there is a tricky area with instant-death spikes/pits that kill me and send me to the half way point. When I die at one of these parts I am filled with unspeakable elation and they only thing that could increase my mirth further would be to die 2 successive times at the exact same part and then game over and start at the beginning.
Why would you design a level like that when you already have literally 3 additional hard modes for people that enjoy such things? Do you realize that Beck hits his head on the spikes all the time? Do you think the ultimate Mega Man experience is to successfully jump across a dangerous spike pit? Do people actually enjoy it? I mean, I’m not saying get rid of spikes, but use them sparingly, okay? Each time I die on them I reflexively mutter, “So stupid…”
It’s not impossible. I beat it, and I am mortal. But it was mostly trial and error on bosses. That’s fine- that makes the video game world go round. But don’t make me do the level again. I’m frustrated just thinking about it.
On the other hand, the game itself has a glaring hole which is the second half of the game. If we can get passed the antagonistic level design, there are only 2 “wily” levels, not counting the Call level. In the later mega man games there were upwards of 8, and always at least 4, so I was hoping for something like that here. The final levels are the best because you have all of your weapons to use, and the levels can require you to use them differently that in the standard levels. I had a good feeling after the first one because it hit a lot of those marks, but the second, and final, level was frankly garbage for the garbage man. I liked the Mega Man X5 vibes from the design but the last boss was a completely random monster thing and I didn’t know what I was playing anymore.
The problematic production of this game, I guess, is to blame for the underwhelming second act. I hope when they delayed the release for the second time due to issues with the online(which was pointless and no one’s on it anymore anyway), that they were actually scrambling to try to add more end-game levels but ran out of time. Like I said, the gameplay is actually good, and the last levels were a real missed opportunity that drag the whole game down.
It’s unfortunate that Beck and Call’s adventures are so weighed down by the circumstances surrounding the game’s development, so let us delve into it. First, people act like Keiji Inafune is anything but a hype-man for this game. Considering how few Japanese game developers have any sort of recognition in the west, he was remarkably successful at establishing his personal brand and, as a result, the brand of his production company(whose purpose for existence is to make money).
However, although he was involved with the Mega Man franchise since its inception as an artist, he is NOT the creator of Mega Man. I don’t know if he managed to suggest this idea or if the video game press was so itchy to write articles about kickstarter that they had to invent that narrative. He produced several Mega Man games, but they were all later titles which he co-produced, including every single Mega Man Battle Network game. He seems to have been most deeply involved in the Mega Man Legends series, which is, of course, admirable, but he’s really not a visionary. And, therefore, he is not entitled in any way to “continue” the Mega Man series or create a spiritual successor. It’s all marketing.
In fact, you’ll notice that he is only credited as the “conceptor,” which I guess means that he didn’t do anything. However, he ended up being the public face of this game and my impression on the great, vast internet of ours is that the game’s failure is considered a personal failure on his part. But give the man a break; there were failures all around.
I was originally going to write a piece essentially defending Mighty No. 9, but I think I may have just added to the deluge of negativity. I did enjoy the game, but it did frustrate me as well, and I am not so easily frustrated. The ending, which I reached mere hours ago, left me with such an emptiness. I was willing to look past the enemy designs being uninspired since I can only remember like 3- sniper joe, turret, other turret. I was going to look past the cut scenes where the characters did not move their mouths or their bodies because I mostly skipped them. But in the end, the bad spoils the good like mold on bread. Some people can cut the mold off, but I say toss it all in the garbage.
Ah, I’m just kidding about throwing it in the garbage, but not about the other stuff. But there were some redeeming qualities. Getting combos is fun. By the time you replay a level for the fourth time you can go through it pretty fast which is where the game shines. Mighty No. 6 Aviator is actually pretty funny. The exploding bullet weapon can be used for everything. Beck’s big, kind heart has the power to heal hatred. But in the end, the closest thing to Mega Man you’ll find in this game is the ending theme by Mega Ran. Ahahahaa *laughs so hard that I fall out of my chair, spilling a full glass of coke all over myself*
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