Mighty No. 9

Overview

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.

-- As reviewed by IGN

TechSpot Metascore

Based on 29 expert reviews

Excellent:

0
Good:

2
Average:

4
Bad:

23

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Last revision on October 16, 2019

Reviewers Liked

Respectful homage to platforming's golden age
Decent arcade blasting
Encourages and rewards fast, exacting play
Retro music hits all the right chiptune notes
Dash system

Reviewers Didn't Like

Unforgiving learning curve with high expectations
Doesn't carve its own identity well
Muddy graphics
Dull bosses
Uninspired level design
Poor voice acting
Some framerate problems

Expert reviews and ratings

I don’t get that same feeling from Mighty No. 9, which is why my game is sitting with two robot bosses left to save. It’s not the spiritual successor I was hoping for. It’s a passable game that’s attempting to use clout it barely has to fill in the rough edges.

By TechSpot on June 23, 2016

Mighty No. 9's dash mechanic is a lot of fun, but bad art, imprecise hitboxes, and awful level design make the experience extremely...

By PC Gamer on August 17, 2016

While Mighty No. 9 didn't end as a complete disaster, it definitely doesn't live up to the standards of being a spiritual successor to Mega Man. Instead, what you have here is an average platformer that will take up a few hours of your time before you...

By gotgame.com on August 01, 2016

Mighty No. 9 is cut straight from the heart of one of Capcom's best-loved franchises, but suffers several wounds in the process. Whilst it makes some attempt to shine on its own merits, I can't help but feel it's this retro love that holds it back....

By New Game Network on July 03, 2016

Mighty No. 9 is the video game equivalent of the classic “we're going to Disney land” trope, only to wind up disappointed at the dentist's office. After over 60,000 backers donated almost 4 million dollars and numerous noteworthy delays culminated in...

By DarkZero on July 01, 2016

Mighty No. 9's story is a fascinating one. From the start, this was a game that was supposed to appeal to those who miss the days of the 2D platformer, the game's inspiration mainly deriving from Keiji Inafune's work from the Mega Man series. People...

By nintendoworldreport.com on June 28, 2016

If nothing else, Mighty No. 9 mostly functions in its role as a reminder of how much we used to love Mega Man games. There are eight enemy robots to battle against, and they look vaguely like (but different enough from) the Robot Masters that Mega Man fans remember fondly from the past three decades. There are kindhearted scientists and brave robot boys and girls who want to rid the world of simple, clearly defined evils.

By Polygon on June 23, 2016

From its bland level design to its boring Playmobil-style aesthetic, Mighty No. 9 is a testament to everything that can go wrong with a crowd-funding campaign. Considering that Comcept is already talking about making a sequel, this likely isn’t the last we’ve seen of this store-brand version of the Blue Bomber. Maybe Mighty No. 9 2 will be the Mega Man rebirth we so desperately desire, but at this point, Inafune’s attempted return to glory is a bona fide swing and a miss.

By HardcoreGamer on June 23, 2016

Mighty No. 9 has set a precedent. Whenever anyone considers crowdfunding a game, they're going to look at this Keiji Inafune project and second-guess their decision. This isn't a triumph. It barely even feels like it's trying. Rather, Mighty No. 9 has...

By Cheat Code Central on June 22, 2016

Following Mighty No. 9 has been one hell of a ride. Having backed it in 2013 at a low pledge level, I can't say that I'm exactly disappointed with the end result. It still has a lot of baggage to unload (the 3DS and Vita ports aren't even dated yet), but most Mega Man fans will find solace in the fact that it didn't end up being a disaster. Other than the art style, of course.

By Destructoid on June 21, 2016

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