Let me start this entry off by saying this: I'm an avid Mega Man fan. I've played most iterations of the series to completion and there will always be a soft spot in my heart for the mini blue bomber. I still remember the first time my Dad brought Mega Man home for me to play and enjoying every minute of it. I have very fond memories of Mega Man but also very frustrating ones.


When I was younger, my parents didn't have all the money in the world and I was lucky to get maybe 2 or 3 games for Christmas. Keep in mind that Christmas only comes once a year and sometimes I didn't receive a game at all. I appreciated this so much because it made me into the gamer I am today. Only getting a few games a year made me, dare I say, fall in love with games like Mega Man. I still remember the first time I beat the very first Mega Man and how much joy I got out of putting in the time and effort to memorize every level down to perfection. I appreciate the fact that Capcom didn't attempt to make an easier Mega Man title and love the thought of younger gamers getting the chance to experience such a game of this nature. They kept the game the way it was suppose to be: nice and challenging.



Fast-forward to 2008 and now I'm in a position financially to buy pretty much any game I desire. No longer do I have to choose one game and stick with it for a year. This brings me to my first point: I don't want to have to remember a game's map to get into or through it. Video games become an outlet from the day-to-day drag that is normal life. I work 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and I use video games as my primary source of entertainment. When I play a video game, I want to be at peace and most importantly enjoy the time I spend with it. That's not to say that I don't enjoy a challenge, because I have beaten both Ninja Gaiden games multiple times and still enjoy the challenge. Granted Mega Man and Ninja Gaiden are two different genres of games, but they are still challenging nonetheless. All I'm saying is Mega Man offers up a different type of challenge that I no longer enjoy.

I think one major reason I'm really just not that into Mega Man 9 is the simple fact that Capcom chose not to carry any of the game mechanics they introduced post Mega Man 2 into this game. Where's my slide? Where's my charge shot? One deciding factor for me to continue buying a game in a franchise is because the new title has more innovation on the previous games. Mega Man 9 does not deliver for me in this aspect. I want my games to evolve not backslide. Being that this is pretty much Mega Man 2.5, I know the experience I'm going to get with it and it's not going to vary much. Nostalgia is a powerful sedative and can give you rose tinted glasses when viewing past experiences with games. I have fond memories of the series and would like to keep it that way.



So that's pretty much it. I'm sure the game is amazing and don't think that I'm saying that it's a bad game; that couldn't be farther from the truth. I just want to give everyone a perspective of someone who enjoyed his time with Mega Man in the past but wasn't bitten by the nostalgia bug this time around. If you haven't played a game like this, I encourage you to do so. I think playing any NES game, especially one as challenge as Mega Man, will give you a new appreciation for the games you play today.

Now, when they release a 2D Metroid, I'll be all over it.
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