Actually I consider myself quite a retro gamer myself, but I enjoy retro games, because of the gameplay. Especially with MegaMan it's all about the gameplay for me. Fighting your way through adverse conditions in each level and then reach the boss, that will kick your butt if you don't know what you are doing, is exhilarating, because it has simple controls and polished level design.

When people talk about MegaMan, they often think about the NES MegaMan games and consider them all to be very similar or even the same, because of the graphics, but they actually weren't. MegaMan has evolved with each game. The first game actually had a scoring system, that was cut in the following games. MegaMan2 upped the number of bosses to the later to become standard of 8 and introduced the E-Tank and password system. MegaMan3 introduced sliding and Rush, MegaMan's trusted robot dog, MegaMan4 introduced the MegaBuster (a charged up standard weapon), MegaMan7 finally made the jump to better graphics and featured a shop, MegaMan & Bass introduced a second playable character and MegaMan8 took the idea of chargeable boss weapons from the X series.

The demise of the original MegaMan series was the introduction of the SuperNintendo and the new MegaManX series. Capcom was considering to move the MegaMan series to the SuperNintendo since the fourth MegaMan game, but instead chose to keep it on the NES and instead make the MegaManX games for the SuperNintendo. So when MegaMan 5 and 6 got released, many people had already moved on to the SuperNintendo and didn't go back to play those games on the NES.

With MegaMan7 making the jump to 16-bit, the graphics were vastly updated. MegaMan had more animations and all stages had really nice backgrounds. MegaMan8 took it even one step further and had fantastic 2D graphics. I know a lot of retro gamers go on about how 16bit graphics were classic and the most beautiful 2D graphics, but that is just a lie. A stupid lie. 2D graphics on the PS1 are PS2 are much better and even now on the PS3 or 360 games in 2D and HD look absolutely amazing. Unlucky for everyone there aren't many 2D games nowadays, because 3D graphics are much easier to animate.

After seeing the graphic glory of MegaMan8, going back to 8bit graphics in MegaMan9 is like a kick in the balls from a girl you really like for me. I love the MegaMan franchise for it's gameplay, but seeing them going back to the old graphics just to please the retro guys is retarded. They are going crazy, because 8bit graphics results into a great game to them. But would they be happy about the next 2D Metroid being in the old NES Metroid graphics? Or the Final Fantasy going back to the original NES graphics?

Also people are talking about MegaMan finally coming back to his roots. Well actually MegaMan hasn't strayed much from his roots. Of course there are the BattleNetwork titles, that are actually nice little RPGs if you play them, but the X series, the Zero series and also the ZX series all feature typical MegaMan gameplay.

MegaMan9 will cost about $10, which is an OK price, but it is certainly not a bargain. The production of this game costs very little since it mostly reuses many old sprites and even old music. If you look games like Bionic Commando Rearmed or even the PixelJunk series, you have to admit, that there is much more money involved into making those games, but they don't sport a higher price tag.

I have little doubt, that MegaMan9 will have nice gameplay from the little footage, that is available now, but the graphics are 20 years old. Actually I've seen more beautiful rom hacks than that.

Maybe if Capcom went the whole way and made this an actual NES game and even sold a limited edition NES cartridges with this game on, they would have made their target audience even happier.

As of now I am really bummed out about MegaMan9. I am certain it will be a great game, since MegaMan hasn't disappointed me that often (X7 and X Command Mission, I HATE YOU!), but it could have been so much more. So very much more.

Random thoughts:
- Rockman 2: The Power Fighters is brilliant.
- They should make a MegaMan game with ALL bosses in there.