Wii Warm Up: Retro Man 9

by JC Fletcher { Jul 4th 2008 at 10:00AM }

Chances are, you already know how we feel about Mega Man 9's appearance, but in case we haven't sufficiently conveyed our reaction: DOCTOR WOWEE. For us, it isn't about nostalgia. It's about the fact that, done properly, 8-bit is a beautiful art style that shouldn't be abandoned. And few games did it better than the Mega Man series. As nice as Mega Man 8 looked, the style of the NES games is much more distinctive.

Do you agree? Is the NES-esque presentation a wonderfully bold visual choice, or pandering to retrogamers?

Tags: action, capcom, graphics, mega-man, mega-man-9

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

shawn @ Jul 4th 2008 10:11AM

i find nothing wrong with this 8 bit style..alot are complaining just on the graphics,that is pretty much the gimmie generation,they want graphics they could give 2 shits about gameplay...its all about gameplay with megaman it was never about graphics

Tyler @ Jul 4th 2008 10:53AM

I absolutely love the style. 8-bit games prove to you that gameplay is more important than cutting-edge graphics. The lay person will think this game is old, but they'd obviously be missing out!

Jeff-Bob @ Jul 4th 2008 10:55AM

I'm not sure how I feel about the graphics. I don't mind the retro 8-bit graphics but I almost wish that they would release Megaman 2 on the VC and make MegaMan 9's graphics with the "feel" of 8-bit but with better colors and animation.

Sam @ Jul 4th 2008 11:07AM

same here, i think it would be neat to see the 8-bit style with updated explosions and weapon animations, maybe even backgrounds.

psyborg @ Jul 4th 2008 11:12AM

Theres always Super Paper Mario for that sort of thing. Bitlands!

psyborg @ Jul 4th 2008 10:55AM

This isn't a gameplay vs graphics thing, because this game is beautiful so it could potentionally have both. 8bit is a great style and perfect for Mega Man. I cannot stress enough I gorgeous this game is.

Definatly most my anticipated game for the year.

Randy @ Jul 4th 2008 10:58AM

IMO, Nintendo's First party titles always looked the prettiest, while having solid gameplay. I think the visual style is a good choice so long as the game's length isn't too long or too short.

Raje @ Jul 4th 2008 11:26AM

I think this graphics/gameplay style is the best choice. The graphics look great just the way they used to, and Capcom's choice to go w/ the MM2 style (no charge shot, no sliding, etc.) is a bold but beautiful choice. 2 was HARD, and with the introduction of the slide and the charge after #2 came an easier difficulty level. (of course they did get harder again, but 3-5 are definitely cake) I want this game to be as hard, if not harder than 2.

nig @ Jul 4th 2008 11:43AM

it's lazy, is what it is. like porting 20 year old assets. there doesn't seem to be much, if any improvements compared to ye olde NES games, in terms of colours, animation and detail. 8-bit doesn't mean it lacks detail..... does it? *scratches head*

8-bit.artist @ Jul 4th 2008 12:29PM

lazy?! wtf

nig @ Jul 5th 2008 7:10AM

well yes. lazy, cause just because it's a lovely hark to the good ol days when a Mega Man game was supposed to be good, when we didn't act surprised when it wasn't horrible, it doesn't mean they have to cut and paste the whole thing.

great gameplay? bring it. frustration to the point of pulling hair our of my chest because i'd already pulled out every strand on my head in the second level? about damn time. but surely it doesn't mean they have to make it look identical to the NES games just to assure "el hardcore" that it will have the its gameplay.

lazy because, how hard can it be to emulate 1987 graphiekz with today's technology? it's like (a VERY crude example!) using a 6x brush on MS Paint while everyone else zooms in to individually paint as many pixels as they can.

then again, as you can probably tell by the example i used, i've never designed a video game before. you, however, judging by your username....
..
um, correct me if i'm wrong? :P

Gundam_Warrior @ Jul 4th 2008 12:08PM

My concerns lay within this question: Will the original premise to Mega Man 9 still be about Mega Man and Zeros first (and maybe last) confrontation?

This was the rumor for the longest time and personally thats what I hope to see in this game.

LeMi @ Jul 4th 2008 1:15PM

Well, you wont see it here. Zero is from "Mega Man X" and Mega Man from that series (Mega Man X) is not the original mega man.

LeMi @ Jul 4th 2008 1:19PM

Well, you wont see it here. Zero is from "Mega Man X" and Mega Man from that series (Mega Man X) is not the original mega man.

Nabe @ Jul 5th 2008 2:40AM

LeMi, I think you're misunderstanding Gundam_Warrior. Zero was from Mega Man X, but Zero was created in the time of Mega Man. Gundam's just speculating that perhaps Zero and the original Mega will meet up in this game.

Mr Khan @ Jul 4th 2008 12:09PM

Might help us reclaim the days when video games put hairs on your chest

Shiningmonk_e @ Jul 4th 2008 12:39PM

I think it looks great. I love the 8-bit style and I hope they try to make more retro games like this. Maybe Mario or Metroid...

Duscrom @ Jul 4th 2008 12:56PM

Pandering, plain and simple.

That's why it's Wii only, that's why it's using 8-bit pixel art. I'm fucking sick of this whole gameplay v. graphics debate. You'd think after getting the millions of shitty looking games, that you'd realize that great games have gameplay AND graphics. I mean even going back to the original Mega Man and Mega Man X games.. they were visually stunning for their day.

If I wanted to play an 8-bit Mega Man, I'm more likely to go back and play Mega Man 2, or 3 or 4, then I am to play this identical game.

psyborg @ Jul 4th 2008 1:31PM

Ugh, some people just don't get it.

The Overlord @ Jul 5th 2008 7:14AM

Thank you, just thank you finally someone gets it you can't just bring out something thats WAY past its time for a NEW game what is that it's not even fun the reason everyone still plays NES games are for the nostalgic and memorys we had playing them back in the day but this is like a humongous slap in the face.

wait in the car @ Jul 4th 2008 12:57PM

I love the 8-bit graphics, and always will, but I'll be honest... I didn't play any Mega Man games after 3. It just seemed to me like they were becoming a bit repetitive. That's not to say they won't introduce some brilliant level design in this one (which is what this series is all about), but I certainly wouldn't have minded seeing some highly detailed otherwordly backgrounds and a fresh coat of paint on the Blue Bomber a la Bionic Commando: Re-Armed.

HellsHammer @ Jul 4th 2008 3:08PM

It just seems to me that graphics have spoiled most players' fun
It's not about how fun or difficult a game is anymore, just how graphically endowed it is.

I imagine most of those complaining about how the 8-bit, NES look is lazy and "like porting 20 year old assets" are the same people playing NES games on an emulator for between 3 to 5 minutes at a time.
It's quite a bit different if you've grown up playing Mega Man on NES. It's very generous of Capcom to take a risk (making an 8-bit title in 2008) for the fans who CAN appreciate it.

More like 'reviving a 20 year old classic'.

Garst @ Jul 4th 2008 7:42PM

I liked the series, but never understood why a robot exploded into blue balls or why a robot would explode immediately when it touched a spike.

lordwindowlicker @ Jul 4th 2008 9:24PM

Those were the days of our lives.. the best things in life are so few....

Drahken @ Jul 4th 2008 10:05PM

It's BECAUSE he's a robot. Duh. That's all the explanation they need. It's like on Futurama. Why is anything Bender does possible? Why can he stretch out ridiculously far or retain control of his body parts when they become detached?
Because he's a robot.

Jhongerkong @ Jul 5th 2008 2:05PM

Thats like trying to understand why a fat italian plumber goes out and stomps on turtles.

Nabe @ Jul 5th 2008 2:38AM

Why would the graphics matter, at all? The very notion is ridiculous.

This game is in 8-bit as a stylistic choice. It's similar to Okami, as an example, in that it has a unique style. In Okami's case, the style is that of early Japanese artwork. In Mega Man 9's case, the style is 8-bit, in reference to the classic Mega Man titles.

If you have a problem with the game's style, and you express it intelligently, then kudos to you, you have yourself a valid complaint. If you say the game has bad graphics, you're just showing others that you're an idiot. ;D

http://sub2change.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/07/the_more_you_know2.jpg

TJF588 @ Jul 5th 2008 3:05AM

This style of Mega Man is the least weird looking to me. You've got the modern Mega Mans (Mega Men) that look like the sort of cult-able children's animus, then you've got the horrible boxart kind, along with the I-dunno kind in the TV show, not to mention in the main series, that I'm not very much exposed to past what you see in MM9 screens. There's enough lack of detail so that he's not definitely cute or hard or whatever, but enough that you know that's supposed to be a face.

Is he yelling, is he smiling, is he shouting "OOOO"? Can't tell, and that's probably what cements this look for me. The is Mega Man in his most basic depiction, and so no matter how you want to view him, you can see him in your own given light.

... actually, I do think I know a few of the later games' sprites. Those are pretty good, what I'd think is respectable (unlike Chibi Man or Drunken Boxart Man) for the character.

Metalluz @ Jul 5th 2008 6:01PM

well i have the nes titles, really hard and demanding but also amazingly rewarding and fun, still i don't think it is about lazyness. This coming from a guy that thinks that they coulda pulled a paper maioesque look and keep the amazingly simple gameplay. Capcom took the risk, now it's a ''hit or miss'' kinda case. For me it looks like a miss.

Gewurztraminer says: R.O.B. is the last Cylon! @ Jul 6th 2008 1:28PM

I was never very good at the original NES Mega Man games, but depending on the price point I might get this.

If only the Mega Man X franchise could be so easily jump-started and redone with 16-bit SNES graphics.