A true throwback to the early days of gaming that pretty much everyone assumed were gone forever, Mega Man 9 is a reminder of what gaming was, and still can be all about: you, your controller and a challenge.

The ninth installment in Capcom's Mega Man series, which dates back to 1986, Mega Man 9 is an all new 2D platforming adventure designed to look, play and sound just like classic 8-bit games from the NES and upright arcade era. As the game opens it is revealed that a brief peace has been shattered by rampaging robots, and the question of who is behind it is raised? It could be the usual suspect Dr. Wily, but it could also be Mega Man ally Dr. Light. The one certainty is that you will be the one to take on the eight robot masters in themed 2D scrolling action to save the day. In defeating each you will gain a weapon that is crucial in defeating one of the others. It's up to you to figure out which is which and take the battle to them bots.

Just as in all 8-bit games, Mega Man 9's controls and gameplay are simple and straight forward. Mega Man can run, jump and
shoot, that's it. There is no ducking, no tricks and definitely no auto
saves. So, when you die, you are right back at the beginning of the level, hopefully mustering enough compulsive gaming tendencies to give
it another shot and power on through. Truth be told, I can't remember a time in the recent past when I've
struggled so hard to clear a level, or gained as much satisfaction when
I finally did. That's right, listen up all you hardcore Next-Geners out there. When you can whip through these levels as easy as you do on the shooter of the hour, then you'll be hardcore. I'd say MM9 was worth the ish download cost just for the initial go of it, and I assure you I've got more than a few levels to go. So, whether you are looking to inject a little nostalgia into your game, or are just in search of a challenge, this is definitely a cheap way to get either.


Mega Man 9 is available for download and play on Xbox LIVE Arcade, PlayStation Network and the Wii Shopping Channel. Although game features included and exact cost via each of these may vary slightly, here is what you can expect from the Xbox LIVE Arcade version that was sampled for this review. See the other versions on their respective platforms for particulars those:

• Players supported: 1
• Cost: 800 Microsoft points
• Leaderboard support: Yes
• LIVE Achievements: 12
• Additional downloadable content: Themes, Extra modes, attacks, gamer pics
• 50 built-in challenges that can be completed on different levels

--Hobson's Choice

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