He's back .... the jumpy little blue guy with the arm cannon who goes around shooting robots gone bad.
Say "hello" to Mega Man in "Mega Man 9," which returns our hero to his original series (not his last "X" series). This time creator Dr Light's robots are going crazy and causing mayhem. It's Mega Man's job (your job) to stop them the old-fashioned two-dimensional way.
Yes, the graphics are eight-bit like this single-player's predecessors. I like it that way, more than I would if Capcom went with today's animation. I mean, "Mega Man" with "Metal Gear Solid 4" graphics would be like a cat with a bark. It's like, "What? No. Stop it. Go away!" That's how I feel.
Anyway, the eight new robot masters include Galaxy Man, Jewel Man and Concrete Man. The most important point about the boss lineup is there's a female enemy for the first time, Splash Woman. Dr. Wily, Dr. Light's rival, is mixed up in this plot, too.
The gameplay is pretty fun though Mega Man's Power Slide is missing. The levels are the same as before (don't get me wrong, I think they're cool) and there are a few twists and turns here and there with different bosses and different backgrounds. Oh, I shouldn't forget about the spikes. They kill you in one hit.
I still haven't figured how to dodge them. You can survive a black hole, but you can't escape very closely packed spikes. You'd think Mega Man could just walk over them. I mean, if he climbed slowly, he could go right over.
You will want to find and collect bolts and screws (some are bigger then others) that can be used as currency for an extra life, energy tanks, mystery tanks and other weapons. I found the "shock guard" the most useful -- in case you land on spikes!
This is a downloadable game off the Wii Store, PlayStation Network and the Xbox Live Marketplace, which means there is special downloadable content. One downloadable element is Proto Man mode, where you can play as Proto Man, Mega Man's red friend (and one of my friend's personal favorites). The endless attack mode speaks for itself. Capcom is releasing three harder modes this week on the WiiWare Channel.
The gameplay is pretty classic. If you've played other games in this series, you will feel at home. I am going to give this a nine out of 10 because it's so fun and classic, right down to the music. I would give it a 10, except the designers could have had more fun with the Xbox Live version. But I am willing to wait for "Mega Man 10." See ya!
Liam Gascoin, 13, one of the nation's youngest gaming critics, writes exclusively for The Times. Reach him at TheVidKids@aol.com.
