Mighty No. 9 was one of the first titles to see significant success on the Kickstarter platform. Players contributed about $4 million to the project in the hopes of acquiring the spiritual successor to the Mega Man franchise. However, all they got was a mediocre imitation of the original.
The storyline in platform games is seldom the major focus and is sometimes overlooked. Dialogues in Mighty No. 9 are difficult to ignore owing to their incredibly low level. Poor dubbing doesn’t help matters. The action takes place in the future, during the gladiator robot conflict. Eight of them revolt against mankind, and nine our hero must stop them by visiting the following sites. We pick and choose which stages to do, and it takes around six hours to complete all of them. The difficulty level varies; some stages are easy to finish, while others are tough to complete. Worse, the game does not clearly depict many threats, so we must die to learn about them. Too frequently, we believe that failure is the product of bad map design rather than our own faults.
Mighty No’s major flaw is its lack of levels. They’re really bland. Except for one, none of the stages are remarkable. They are often flat, provide no alternate pathways, and do not stand out aesthetically; this is disheartening. While running to the right, we must fight adversaries with a simple rifle. It’s not terribly interesting, but the authors did consider broadening the combat. To finish the opponent and win additional points, we must dodge swiftly. We absorb some of it this way. This method is also the foundation for dealing with bosses that cannot be defeated with weapons alone. Boss fights are a little too conventional, but at least aesthetically varied. Each duel follows the same set of rules. There are far too few intriguing, unique mechanics in this game. What’s more, after three defeats, we have to restart the entire stage – thus if we die when facing the final adversary, we just don’t feel like starting from the beginning.
Defeating the monster grants you access to additional weaponry, such as rocket launchers and freeze bullets. This is an excellent solution, although we normally shoot in the basic style anyhow. New gadgets do not modify the gameplay on familiar stages, nor do they open up new pathways; they are only beneficial while fighting rebellious robots. The aesthetics are also one of the game’s flaws. It’s amazing that the original prototype, which was shown almost two years ago, appears to be superior than the final version. The horrible explosion effects and some textures stick out the most. It doesn’t help that there isn’t a compelling artistic concept.
Keiji Inafune, the designer of Mega Man, became disoriented. Perhaps he was unable to effectively manage the budget. In any case, it’s immaterial. The most crucial thing to note is that Mighty No. 9 falls short of expectations. It’s a mediocre platformer that annoys more than it entertains.