Damn, I did not expect to walk away from Mega Man 9 expecting to call it one of my more least favorite games in the series so far, because I heard mostly good of the game. And you know what, some of that good is really good. I do like the bosses, I like the weapons, I even really like the Wily bosses, they're the most consistently good (though not the absolute highest) they have been yet. I even like the story because it's point about an expiry date for robots is an interesting point I kind of wish was expanded on a bit more.
I just don't like playing this game. And I'm admittedly a bit upset to say that, because i knew some of stuff to expect. I knew this game removed some key tools like the slide and charge shot, and also the ones unique to 8 that I really liked. I heard a lot of good things about the weapon variety and bosses of this game, and a lot of that made me excited to finally see why people like it. I just wish the level design wasn't so dickish.
Each and every level of the game to varying degrees is filled with enemies with annoying patterns that love to potshot you, a plethora of death spikes and other insta-kill obstacles all across the game, and some really frustrating platforming sequences stringing these aspects as well as annoying mini-bosses that just make some levels really not fun. Jewel Man's is the worst, but I don't like Magma Man or Hornet Man's stages either. Pile all of this ontop of feeling overly limited from a lot of the stuff prior games had, especially 8, and you can kind of get why this game just doesn't do much for me.
I do know Proto Man has some of the stuff i'm looking for, like a slide and charge shot, but pile on the level design issues I have with his tendency to take double damage from everything, and no. I'm not doing it.
I'm not saying Mega Man hasn't had hard moments or bullshit level design. I think even some of the games I like a lot like 5 and 8 have some cases of it that you can point to. This one is just more consistently frustrating for all I described.
Don't get me wrong, I think this game does have some cool gimmicks here and there for it's stages, either revisited ones like the bubbles in Splash Woman's stage, or the weather changing in Tornado Man's stage, but also the enemies that create fake blocks you have to remember to stay away from in Concrete Man's stage, the shielded enemies you have to shoot to clear a path in Hornet Man's stage, the Teleporters in Galaxy Man's stage, and kind of the grabby dudes in the same stage. I think there is cool stuff, but not enough to erase the tedium.
This game feels too stripped back for me. I don't think it's intended to be an "evolutionary step forward", more to appeal to people who just wanted a new mega man game, especially those that liked 2 a lot, but even as that, I think it's just let down by how frustrating it is to play overall. Which again, sucks. I love a lot of the characters and bosses in this game, and a mega man game peddling a really interesting point with it's narrative is surprisingly welcomed. But... I dunno.
Either way, here's my boss rankings if you're curious.
8 - Concrete Man
7 - Plug Man
6 - Hornet Man
5 - Tornado Man
4 - Magma Man
3 - Jewel Man
2 - Galaxy Man
1 - Splash Woman
I just don't like playing this game. And I'm admittedly a bit upset to say that, because i knew some of stuff to expect. I knew this game removed some key tools like the slide and charge shot, and also the ones unique to 8 that I really liked. I heard a lot of good things about the weapon variety and bosses of this game, and a lot of that made me excited to finally see why people like it. I just wish the level design wasn't so dickish.
Each and every level of the game to varying degrees is filled with enemies with annoying patterns that love to potshot you, a plethora of death spikes and other insta-kill obstacles all across the game, and some really frustrating platforming sequences stringing these aspects as well as annoying mini-bosses that just make some levels really not fun. Jewel Man's is the worst, but I don't like Magma Man or Hornet Man's stages either. Pile all of this ontop of feeling overly limited from a lot of the stuff prior games had, especially 8, and you can kind of get why this game just doesn't do much for me.
I do know Proto Man has some of the stuff i'm looking for, like a slide and charge shot, but pile on the level design issues I have with his tendency to take double damage from everything, and no. I'm not doing it.
I'm not saying Mega Man hasn't had hard moments or bullshit level design. I think even some of the games I like a lot like 5 and 8 have some cases of it that you can point to. This one is just more consistently frustrating for all I described.
Don't get me wrong, I think this game does have some cool gimmicks here and there for it's stages, either revisited ones like the bubbles in Splash Woman's stage, or the weather changing in Tornado Man's stage, but also the enemies that create fake blocks you have to remember to stay away from in Concrete Man's stage, the shielded enemies you have to shoot to clear a path in Hornet Man's stage, the Teleporters in Galaxy Man's stage, and kind of the grabby dudes in the same stage. I think there is cool stuff, but not enough to erase the tedium.
This game feels too stripped back for me. I don't think it's intended to be an "evolutionary step forward", more to appeal to people who just wanted a new mega man game, especially those that liked 2 a lot, but even as that, I think it's just let down by how frustrating it is to play overall. Which again, sucks. I love a lot of the characters and bosses in this game, and a mega man game peddling a really interesting point with it's narrative is surprisingly welcomed. But... I dunno.
Either way, here's my boss rankings if you're curious.
8 - Concrete Man
7 - Plug Man
6 - Hornet Man
5 - Tornado Man
4 - Magma Man
3 - Jewel Man
2 - Galaxy Man
1 - Splash Woman