After two non-NES games with the SNES and PlayStation, the series decided to go back to 8-bit. Mega Man 9 harkens back to Mega Man 2, as we can no longer slide or use the charge shot. I'm disappointed that has been removed for Mega Man in this 9th entry, but the levels and weapons made up for Mega Man's limited abilities
The story involves Dr. Light being blamed for Robot Masters going on a destructive rampage. Dr. Wily has no connections to these incidents, so it's up to Mega Man to fight for Dr. Light's innocence and expose Dr. Wily. It's a solid plot, even though it is clear already that Dr. Wily is behind everything, no surprise. I'm not going to talk about the rest of the story since I'm sure your favorite YouTubers have spoken about the whole plot in their reviews, so let's just move on to the gameplay
Mega Man 9 easily has the best weapons in the entire series that make up for your missing charge shot. My favorites include the Black Hole Bomb, which can suck up enemies and projectiles and does some crazy damage. The Diamond Sattelite is the best shield in the series, no doubt, since it can protect you from harm, and something like bullets won't even wear the shield off; you can keep it on and release it whenever you like. Like from 7 and 8, the bolt shop returns, and the currency returns to screws you've picked up from your adventure like in 7 instead of collecting all the bolts like in 8. Just a reminder, before you go to Wily Castle. Make sure you stock up on energy tanks because if you run out of them and are stuck on the levels because of your lack of E tanks, you have to start all the way back to Wily Castle, so use your E tanks wisely
During your journey to Wily Castle, obstacles will be in your way, like the Twin Devil. I was frustrated with it at first, but remember to be patient and recognize the patterns, and once I've successfully defeated the devil, the more I think that this boss wasn't all too bad. Anyway, once you've beaten the eight robot masters again, make sure you have a few energy tanks for the Dr. Wily fight. You'll need them since he has three phases
Overall Mega Man 9 is a solid entry in the series. It has solid music, weapons, and bosses, and I can see why it's a favorite for some. I consider this to be the most challenging but fair Mega Man game with fewer bs in your way. I guess that means it's my favorite, right? Well, no, and I'll tell you why. Since we're back into 8-bit visuals, there's not much different here compared to previous games before it since this is the 9th damn entry that was released 12 years after Mega Man 8. 2, 5, and 6 are still my favorites in the series with 9 being in my Top 5
There's one more thing before I wrap up this review. After you have completed the game, you'll unlock the extra modes that were initially DLC back in the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii days, including the method to play as Proto Man for the first time in a mainline Mega Man game. He has the charge shot and slide that was missing in Mega Man's adventure, but he takes double the damage as Mega Man meaning more deaths for me. I didn’t get far into Proto Man since I wanted to move on, but maybe in the future, I'll commit to finishing Proto Man Mode, but not now, since I have one more game to get through the Legacy Collection
Mega Man 9 is my favorite out of the games I've played in Legacy Collection 2, and I recommend it to those who are fans and newcomers to the series
The story involves Dr. Light being blamed for Robot Masters going on a destructive rampage. Dr. Wily has no connections to these incidents, so it's up to Mega Man to fight for Dr. Light's innocence and expose Dr. Wily. It's a solid plot, even though it is clear already that Dr. Wily is behind everything, no surprise. I'm not going to talk about the rest of the story since I'm sure your favorite YouTubers have spoken about the whole plot in their reviews, so let's just move on to the gameplay
Mega Man 9 easily has the best weapons in the entire series that make up for your missing charge shot. My favorites include the Black Hole Bomb, which can suck up enemies and projectiles and does some crazy damage. The Diamond Sattelite is the best shield in the series, no doubt, since it can protect you from harm, and something like bullets won't even wear the shield off; you can keep it on and release it whenever you like. Like from 7 and 8, the bolt shop returns, and the currency returns to screws you've picked up from your adventure like in 7 instead of collecting all the bolts like in 8. Just a reminder, before you go to Wily Castle. Make sure you stock up on energy tanks because if you run out of them and are stuck on the levels because of your lack of E tanks, you have to start all the way back to Wily Castle, so use your E tanks wisely
During your journey to Wily Castle, obstacles will be in your way, like the Twin Devil. I was frustrated with it at first, but remember to be patient and recognize the patterns, and once I've successfully defeated the devil, the more I think that this boss wasn't all too bad. Anyway, once you've beaten the eight robot masters again, make sure you have a few energy tanks for the Dr. Wily fight. You'll need them since he has three phases
Overall Mega Man 9 is a solid entry in the series. It has solid music, weapons, and bosses, and I can see why it's a favorite for some. I consider this to be the most challenging but fair Mega Man game with fewer bs in your way. I guess that means it's my favorite, right? Well, no, and I'll tell you why. Since we're back into 8-bit visuals, there's not much different here compared to previous games before it since this is the 9th damn entry that was released 12 years after Mega Man 8. 2, 5, and 6 are still my favorites in the series with 9 being in my Top 5
There's one more thing before I wrap up this review. After you have completed the game, you'll unlock the extra modes that were initially DLC back in the PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii days, including the method to play as Proto Man for the first time in a mainline Mega Man game. He has the charge shot and slide that was missing in Mega Man's adventure, but he takes double the damage as Mega Man meaning more deaths for me. I didn’t get far into Proto Man since I wanted to move on, but maybe in the future, I'll commit to finishing Proto Man Mode, but not now, since I have one more game to get through the Legacy Collection
Mega Man 9 is my favorite out of the games I've played in Legacy Collection 2, and I recommend it to those who are fans and newcomers to the series