NEIN!
Mighty No. 9, the kickstarted spiritual successor to Mega Man, is FINALLY available. This fast-paced precision platformer starring the titular android, Beck, has received some pretty negative prerelease criticism due to multiple delays and a botched marketing campaign, including a now infamous trailer claiming “you’ll make make the bad guys cry like an anime fan on prom night.”
But that was before the game was released; now that it’s out, is it worth your time?
Let’s find out. Below are excerpts from several notable reviews of Mighty No. 9.
IGN (reviewed by Vince Ingenito):
“Despite its pedigree, Mighty No. 9 doesn’t seem to have a good sense of what was fun about Mega Man, or 2D action-platformers in general. There are brief moments where its pieces come together, but even then it’s hamstrung by its visually joyless art and animation. The soul of the Blue Bomber just isn’t here, and worse yet there’s no endearing personality of its own, and as a result, Mighty No. 9 feels much more like a second-rate imposter than a spiritual successor.” 5.6/10
GameSpot (reviewed by Peter Brown):
“For a game that’s meant to bear the legacy of a classic series, Mighty No. 9 barely succeeds. It may rouse excitement from time to time, but by and large, it lacks a pervading sense of artistry, both in its level design and presentation. Platformers–and even Mega Man-like games in particular–are readily available. For one to stand out and leave a mark, it has to do something novel that speaks to the player and the conventions of the genre; something to spark wonder and excitement. Mighty No. 9 is an inoffensively average game sprung from the memories of the past, with little to show for its position in the present.” 5/10
GameInformer (reviewed by Andrew Reiner):
“Mighty No. 9 was supposed to be the game that sated our long-starved appetite for a new Mega Man entry, but it instead just made me want to play the old games again. I still think there’s room in the gaming world for a new, classically designed Mega Man experience, but it can’t just be a faceless and creatively sapped clone. Games like Shovel Knight feel more like a spiritual successor than this half-baked misstep.” 6/10
Destructoid (Reviewed by Chris Carter):
“Following Mighty No. 9 has been one hell of a ride. Having backed it in 2013 at a low pledge level, I can’t say that I’m exactly disappointed with the end result. It still has a lot of baggage to unload (the 3DS and Vita ports aren’t even dated yet), but most Mega Man fans will find solace in the fact that it didn’t end up being a disaster. Other than the art style, of course.” 6.5/10
VideoGamer (Reviewed by Tom Orry):
Mighty No.9 is not the classic many hoped it would be. It has moments of quality, and long stretches of competency (although you can finish in 3-5 hours), but numerous terrible design choices and ugly presentation make it incredibly hard to play without becoming frustrated. Regardless of how much you like the Mega Man series, in Mighty No.9 you’re unlikely to find a game that comes close to that legacy. True fans may well find the lack of class here even harder to take. 5/10
While we haven’t got a chance to play it yet, the general consensus seems to be that Mighty No. 9′s muddy graphics and dull design keep it from being a faithful Mega Man follow-up, and isn’t the game fan’s wanted it to be. Bummer.
Mighty No. 9 is now available for PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, and PC.
