In the aftermath of the Mega Man 9 announcement, the internet seems rife with discussion about what the game's upcoming release means for the growth of digital distribution networks. Gamers are debating about whether it's a full, proper sequel to a long-standing franchise or a shameless cash-in on the same level as a ROM hack. Still others question the enthusiasm of the internet's gamers for a new sequel in a series infamous for a gushing stream of samey sequels, especially when the same gaming populace frequently decries the practice as shameless grabs for money. If Capcom's goal was to draw a lot of attention, good or bad, by announcing a retro-themed sequel, it's safe to say they've brilliantly succeeded.

Where the discussion has seemed light, though, is what this means for the core of the industry, game development itself. Over at GameSpite, Jeremy Parish has presented an analysis that starts off perplexingly strong: "Mega Man 9 may save video games." But don't let his hyperbole through you off. Parish goes on to expand on the fact that while the Mega Man X series was made with the SNES hardware in mind, the classic Mega Man series has always worked best on the limited NES hardware, similar to how Castlevania is a perfect fit for PS1-style hardware and Contra is the most fun on engines similar to an SNES.

Mega Man 9 is cause to believe that everything that's gone wrong with these old franchises can be made right again. As the recent spate of retro-tinged sequels like Dawn of Sorrow and the upcoming Wario Land Shake It (a true sequel to Wario Land 4, with the added benefit of high-resolution Production IG visuals and some thoughtful motion controls) demonstrate, there's still plenty of life left in those hoary old franchises -- plenty of new ideas to be eked from genre tropes that we all assumed were tapped out when the 16-bit era slouched to a halt. But bleeding-edge visuals and game elements may not be the best way to realize those inspirations. Really, what can you do to improve Mega Man with bloom lighting and shader mapping? Is 2D Mario platforming really any better with real-time light sourcing and self-shadowing? Classic franchises earned their stripes in the days when great graphics were still pretty laughably simple; they became classics because they offered satisfying gameplay beneath whatever passed for visual polish in 1988. So why not let those games live in their proper environment? Just as Halo is demonstrably silly as a 2D platformer, Mega Man (at least, the old-school variety of Mega Man) sucks in 3D. Gamers have known it for years; the fact that developers are realizing it (and, more importantly, that publishers are letting them act on it) suggests that there's hope for this medium yet.

It goes beyond the usual mantra that gameplay is more important than graphics and illustrates the point that just because you have more advanced technology does not mean that you should use it. Some games thrive on limited technology. To make the requisite film comparison any of these highfalutin analysis pieces needs, sometimes a film is more effective in black and white or with heavy film grain instead of the modern colorful, crisp HD standard (thanks Topgeargorilla!) - just imagine how different Rodriguez and Tarantino's recent film Grindhouse would feel if it had a clean transfer, or how Mel Brooks' Young Frankenstein would have looked in color. If Mega Man 9 is a success, we could potentially see a return to using more old technology for new games. And this way, a new game wouldn't have to stew for years before its release, something I'm sure we can all get behind.