Replayed this one and resisted the temptation of using the Collection's additional save features. I took on this challenge raw!
So what do I think of the game? Mega Man 9 is the best version of this expression of retro-styled Mega Man. The levels are tight and interesting. The boss weapons are unique and multi-faceted (got a lot of use out of each). The boss fights themselves are challenging but satisfying to master. The shop feature is appreciated and useful although I wish the text was sped up.
The Wily Stages might be a titch too hard but they're still pretty good although I have my complaints for the banality of the first Wily Stage boss and Twin Devils. I like how the campaign eschews the template of later day Mega Man NES titles and has the 8 Robot Master levels then the final four Wily Stages. They're pretty hard but having that singular gantlet (in which you can prepare with many lives and E-tanks) is a strong, tight gameplay decision.
This is pitch-perfect simplicity. It's a handful of the franchise's mechanics with a lot excess stripped away and refined until it came out just right.
So what do I think of the game? Mega Man 9 is the best version of this expression of retro-styled Mega Man. The levels are tight and interesting. The boss weapons are unique and multi-faceted (got a lot of use out of each). The boss fights themselves are challenging but satisfying to master. The shop feature is appreciated and useful although I wish the text was sped up.
The Wily Stages might be a titch too hard but they're still pretty good although I have my complaints for the banality of the first Wily Stage boss and Twin Devils. I like how the campaign eschews the template of later day Mega Man NES titles and has the 8 Robot Master levels then the final four Wily Stages. They're pretty hard but having that singular gantlet (in which you can prepare with many lives and E-tanks) is a strong, tight gameplay decision.
This is pitch-perfect simplicity. It's a handful of the franchise's mechanics with a lot excess stripped away and refined until it came out just right.