Rockman 9: Yabô no fukkatsu!!

In the film "Skyfall" it's said that the old ways are sometimes still the best ways. This is another of my favorite entries of the series and on my list of favorite video games of all time. I'll admit when I heard and saw the release of this entry it took me by surprise, and it was a pleasant surprise. I've been a fan of the franchise for years from childhood to even adulthood, after the eighth "Mega Man" entry (story for another time) for the PS1, we haven't had another entry for years. I personally thought we would have had one at the time of the PS2 and Xbox but nope.

It wasn't until the age of the Nintendo Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 me along with a lot of other Mega Man fan's prayers have been answered and thankfully didn't disappoint. This was a sequel a long time coming, and you could say this game came at a time when long time coming sequels started to become prevalent from "Blade Runner 2040" and "Top Gun Maverick".

I'll admit when I first played this game it felt like a wiff of fresh air. But also, it felt like a visit to one of those retro arcade places which has all the good pinball machines and retro arcade games that just make you feel like you're a kid, teen or whatever young age of your choice again and you've came back to that old video arcade that you use to go to. Though for the rookies to the franchise this game would be a good history lesson and gateway game into the franchise or even just platform action games in general.

Part of what makes this game stand out is the fact that it was a return to form the fact that you see this game in the original retro graphical presentation. This was something unheard of or sought after at the time, most of the time with the progression and development of video games they just continue to go with one graphical presentation and methodology and simply move on once the next one comes along. This game along with many others broke that rule for good and it makes sense when you think about it, even when video games continue to evolve throughout the years doesn't mean certain practices themselves have to be. To this day a lot of game developers homebrew, indie, and even mainstream utilized all the practices now, so now they'll never be lost.

And of course, comes the game itself, for the veteran fans out there "Mega Man" is still "Mega Man" and that's the way we want it. In a way it goes with an old saying "the more things change the more they stay the same." One of the things that's different is that Mega Man doesn't have so many gadgets and fancy moves in this game as he did in some previous sequels. This is a good thing because it means the character is no back to basics, it's not an uncommon move as most comic book runs do that with famous characters when they start to get too gimmicky, powerful, or even completely out of their element.

You still do have your trusty robot dog to help you get to higher places and like in every "Mega Man" game you do acquire a new ability or two depending on which Robot Masters you beat. I really like the Robot Masters in this game along with their levels which fit their themes. I'll just say a couple as just about all of them stand out (same for past Robot Masters) Galaxy Man: Ok, I might be a bit bias as I'm a "sci-fi" fan but unique opponent all the same. Really like the design of him sort of reminds me of the Transformer "Cosmos" whom is a robot that can transform into a UFO. Galaxy Man is designed like a UFO and as for fighting is decent as he can fly, he shoots down this energy circle that can do damage but also acts as a portal for him to come out and also sucks you in to do damage.

Splash Woman: For one thing this is the very first female Robot Master which is cool as most have always consisted of males or are just made into inhuman monsters. Not just unique in gender but design as well as we see she's a Mermaid, which is kind of cool and you could say true to the Mermaid in mythology as most are evil. And she puts up a good fight as she has aqua superpowers to drown you; from calling out to robot Piranha to eat you from her song. But also a laser triton where she drops bolts down at you.

And of course, the highlight is the music, this game has plenty of rocking tunes, three of my favorites are the Concrete Man, Plug Man, and Hornet Man stages. They're on my long list of favorites "Mega Man" music, which also makes my dance parties and workout sessions even longer and more interesting.

If you're a rookie to the series or even platform action gaming in general and you've just heard about "Mega Man" or never even played the NES volumes in your life, then this game is a good place to start. And for veterans of the "Mega Man" franchise it's a welcome return.

Rating: 4 stars.