Review Roundup: Mighty No. 9 doesn’t live up to Mega Man’s legacy

The long wait for Keiji Inafune's spiritual successor to Mega Man is finally coming to an end. Tomorrow, the game that was delayed multiple times will finally be released to the drooling Mega Man loving community.

Unfortunately, it appears as though the game is not what every Mega Man lover desires. If anything, the game appears to pale in comparison to Mega Man. According to reviews, the gameplay and art are simply not any fun. You can tell an attempt was made to create a great game, but it isn't a game to write home about.

Without further ado, check out a couple of the reviews for yourself:

IGN

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

Destructoid

My opinion of Mighty No. 9's gameplay hasn't changed much since my time with the demo many moons ago. You get used to the systems Inafune and his team have put in, especially boosting, which is used to "absorb" enemies after dealing damage with your arm cannon shots. The combo system (granting players chains if they absorb foes faster) isn't nearly as cool as Comcept and Inti Creates think it is, but it works because it encourages smart and swift play…

But all of this excellent gameplay design is only as good as the scenery you're playing it in, and sadly, most of Mighty's levels are too by-the-book.

6.5/10

GamesRadar

After the gnashing of teeth from numerous delays, it’s a shame that Inafune & co’s remix of their greatest success is just passably adequate. For every idea that elicits appreciation, there’s the enforced repetition that deflates the initial buzz or a frustratingly cheap missed jump that sends you hurtling back to the start and your pad into the wall. As you work through the game, the core blasting and dashing is solid, the levels get more experimental and there’s a goofy B-movie charm that will keep you attempting to reach the end. How close you get it depends on how much you need a baldly nostalgic Mega Man clone.

2.5/5 (5/10)

GameSpot

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

VideoGamer

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