Mega Man 9 Review (XBLA)

Mega Man 9 has revived the retro gamer in me and I cannot get enough. However, it is mega frustrating because of its uber mega difficulty. It is as if they released this game to remind you of how hard games used to be. I'm talking the old games like TMNT, Golden Axe, Simpsons, 1942, and Strider to name a few. No matter how complex current day games have become, they are beatable and all too often, dare I say, easy. So it's no wonder that this 2-D game, with its simple jump and shoot controls has had me thinking of throwing my controller through the window every time I play.

Now I know I am painting a not so pretty picture here, but this game is actually pretty fun despite having to play levels over and over and over just to die in the same spot again. The anger usually subsides and laughs of bewilderment become abundant. The setup: 8 levels with a midpoint respawn, some mid-level mini bosses, 8 bosses with unique weapons, ridiculously hard but simple looking enemies, and the ability to save game after beating a level. Beat the bosses, and you gain the ability to equip their weapons. If you choose the the right weapons to use against the right boss you are rewarded with significant damage. My suggestion - consult a faq to get the right order you should go in or else you might as well sign yourself up for anger management classes.

That's really all there is to it and if you have played Mega Man 1 or 2 before then you know this is really it. A simple looking 2-D game with easy controls and concepts that is extremely hard. If you don't like racking up achievements, hate winning, enjoy getting owned by basic enemies, and love devoting time to dying over and over again in the same spot, then you'll love this game. Also, if you have patience, are exact in everything you do, have a sequential memory, and are persistent, you will love this game. If this doesn't sound like you, then don't bother with this one.

I'm giving this a retro rating of 7.0 out of 10