Mega Man 9 - anyone played it yet?

[rock_nog]

Dear God, just downloaded it, and as I expected, it is friggin' hard. Good grief. But good, though - hard in that way that makes you keep coming back for more because it'll be so worth it when you finally clobber those creeps.

[erm2003]

I am going to download it and try is very soon. Can't wait! Should be a nice challenge.

[DarkFlameWolf]

Are there energy tanks? I can handle hard as nailz gameplay but not if I don't have a way of refilling energy midway through a level/boss fight. ala Megaman and Bass. God that game sucked so hard because you had to 1 life it most of the time without energy refills.

[erm2003]

On one of the video reviews I think I saw them available in the store you can access from the stage select screen. So you should at least be able to buy them using the bolts you can collect. I don't know if they will also be hidden on stages or not. I will know soon. :)

[Cloral]

How does it play with the Wiimote? Does it feel natural enough?

[rock_nog]

Feels just like any NES game on the Wiimote, honestly. At least in my opinion, one of the things I like about the Wiimote is how it doubles as a nice NES controller substitute. Granted, nothing beats the feel of a real NES controller, but still, it's pretty good, plus being wireless is sweet.

And yeah, you can buy energy packs in the store between levels (which unfortunately don't help me, as I'm too often killed by insta-death traps).

[*b*]

I just downloaded it, and damn, it's fun. Though, are the levels shorter than the "original" Mega Man games, or am I just used to Mega Man X levels?

[rock_nog]

They're definitely longer than Mega Man 2... A lot harder, too, in my opinion.

[erm2003]

Definitely harder, but it's nice to have a solid challenge here. I did beat one boss though. Now to figure out who to go after next...

[Cloral]

Definitely harder, but it's nice to have a solid challenge here. I did beat one boss though. Now to figure out who to go after next...

Yes, that's the fun of Megaman games.

I was worried about how it would play with the wiimote, but now I'm remembering that I played through paper mario that way, and it was fine. So I guess I'll be picking this up for Wii this evening.

[erm2003]

Yeah, the Wiimote is very comfortable because you don't have to worry about that trigger button underneath. It works with the Classic Controller too I believe, though I haven't tried that out yet.

[Kairyu]

Classic controller works great.

WARNING WARNING WARNING
DO NOT ENTER WILY'S TOWER UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO BEAT THE ENTIRE THING
IF YOU LEAVE MIDWAY THROUGH TO GO TO THE SHOP YOU HAVE TO BEAT ALL OF IT AGAIN

[erm2003]

Classic controller works great.

WARNING WARNING WARNING
DO NOT ENTER WILY'S TOWER UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO BEAT THE ENTIRE THING
IF YOU LEAVE MIDWAY THROUGH TO GO TO THE SHOP YOU HAVE TO BEAT ALL OF IT AGAIN

Wow, good to know. Thanks for the heads up. At the rate I am going I won't be there for a while anyway. :)

[MottZilla]

PS3 and 360 don't get MM9 till a bit later. I don't think the game is as hard as people keep saying, I think they just suck. Or like to complain. But I have to wait like a week before I can get it as I have only the 360.

[Kairyu]

It's not so much that it's hard, as it is you're going to die a few times each stage until you get the timing down. Suprise invisible blocks, enemies who drag you into spikes from nowhere, long sequences of tricky jumps between spikes and pits, etc. The usual Mega Man fare.

[rock_nog]

PS3 and 360 don't get MM9 till a bit later. I don't think the game is as hard as people keep saying, I think they just suck. Or like to complain. But I have to wait like a week before I can get it as I have only the 360.
How is saying the game is hard complaining? That's just ridiculous. It's Mega Man - it's supposed to be hard. Hell, the biggest problem in gaming today is that games aren't hard enough.

[erm2003]

I can easily beat the original NES games without a problem. They put a whole new level of trickery in this game... which I am enjoying. It was designed to be hard and it will hand you some cheap deaths the way it was designed. Enemies are purposely placed so that when you jump onto certain platforms you can be shot immediately and the momentum will carry you right back into a spike pit. It's just going to take a little extra time to get the stages down well (especially since I don't have much time during the week to begin with). But they are much harder stages than the original six. My first time through them I only made it to three of the robot bosses, one of which I was able to defeat since I bought an E tank. You will like it. It's old school Mega Man at it's best.

[DarkFlameWolf]

Just downloaded the game and chose plug man first. Boy did I make a mistake. Disappearing block trials galore. Oy, if this is just a taste of what's to come, I have a huge challenge ahead of me.

[Mr. 207]

This game is definitely hard as hell. I was all cocky going into playing it because I figured "Well, I can whip the other Mega Man games into submission just like that". Well I forgot that the reason for that is I have played them so many damn times. The game is definitely tons of fun though. I actually prefer the classic controller to just the wiimote. The wiimote is pretty much like the NES controller except its too small for my hands. The classic controller is much better for me.

Anyway, for those of you who haven't got to the Wily stages yet be ready. These are hard. Very hard. And I'm only on the first one.

[MottZilla]

How is saying the game is hard complaining? That's just ridiculous. It's Mega Man - it's supposed to be hard. Hell, the biggest problem in gaming today is that games aren't hard enough.

I didn't say I was talking about you. Elsewhere on the internet people have made a fuss over the difficulty. Obviously everyone that has posted in this topic so far appreciates the challenge.

I do think Mr207 made a very good point. Part of the reason you can whip those old Mega Man games so well is by playing them a few thousand times. You know what to do. But when you suddenly have new levels and enemys you have to learn again.

[*b*]

So, got the robot masters down, and off to Wily's Castle. The stages are hard if you don't know what to do, but after a couple lives/a game over, they get pretty easy. I think my only complaint with the game so far is how useless a few of the powers are. The bosses are easy with just the Mega Buster, except Concrete Man

As far as the storyline goes, I'm not sure if this has been confirmed or not, but it looks a lot like the tie-in between the original Mega Man series and Mega Man X

[fatcatfan]

I just downloaded it and haven't started playing, but I'm already disappointed. I'm sure it's a great game, but it was much publicized on the internet that you could play the game with the gamecube controller and, thus, an original NES pad using RetroPort. This has turned out not to be the case. The device works fine with, say, SMB1 on the Virtual Console, but from what I have been able to determine so far, it is not recognized by MM9 - RetroPort or simply Gamecube controller.

If I'd known this I'd likely have waited and bought the XBLA version for the achievements.

[The_Amaster]

Haven't played 9 yet, but I downloaded 2 last week, and like the others said, Wiimote feels a lot like original NES.
More so than a 360 controller I'd think, which uses their d-pad, something I've found a tad stiff.

Out of curiosity, what is the deal with achievements? More and more, they're everywhere, and I really don't see the point.

[Nicholas Steel]

fatcatfan
HolyShit!!! your back :O ?!?!?

[Warlock]

PS3 and 360 don't get MM9 till a bit later. I don't think the game is as hard as people keep saying, I think they just suck. Or like to complain. But I have to wait like a week before I can get it as I have only the 360.

Yeah, I'm waiting for this one as well. I have been tempted to just get it on Wii, but it's such a damn hassle to clean out like 10 VC games everytime I download something because the hard drive is rediculous. I'd rather just wait and get the version with achievements :P (though potentially crappier controls) Maybe when they make a HD addon I'll start buying more stuff for that system.

[DarkFlameWolf]

Wow, I've tried all 8 robot master levels, yet to finish one. Whew!

[rock_nog]

I finally beat Galaxy Man - woo hoo, my first victory! I will say, I'm convinced it's at least somewhat more difficult than Mega Man 2 - so far, when I have found crossovers, like disappearing block puzzles, the ones in Mega Man 9 seem more involved than anything I remember from Mega Man 2.

[bob1000]

I got it the day it was released. I only beat Galaxy Man so far, but his Black Hole has become one of my favorite Megaman weapons of all time.
Speaking of which, I discovered a trick with the Black Hole. For the people who haven't found it yet, if you encounter a hole that enemies are coming out of, place a Black Hole there, then jump over the hole.
Cheap, but if you want to beat MM9, you have to be as cheap as the game is.

[DarkFlameWolf]

well, here are my stopping points:
I've beat Magma man, Splash woman, Concrete man and Galaxy man.
In Tornado man's stage, I believe its the final area with the rain and rotating platforms. Those spikes get me every time. I can't beat it.
In Jewel man's stage, its the rock mini-boss. He's so insanely hard, anyone have his weakness or weapon to use against him?
In Plug man's stage, its simply the boss, he's too tough with just a mega buster, need weakness.
In Hornet man's stage, its the plant miniboss, he's very tricky, any weaknesses?

[Mr. 207]

well, here are my stopping points:
I've beat Magma man, Splash woman, Concrete man and Galaxy man.
In Tornado man's stage, I believe its the final area with the rain and rotating platforms. Those spikes get me every time. I can't beat it.
In Jewel man's stage, its the rock mini-boss. He's so insanely hard, anyone have his weakness or weapon to use against him?
In Plug man's stage, its simply the boss, he's too tough with just a mega buster, need weakness.
In Hornet man's stage, its the plant miniboss, he's very tricky, any weaknesses?

For Tornado Man's stage the only suggestion I can give that will help is practice. I found that area with the rain pushing you to the left very difficult as well, I just had to try it a bunch of times.

For the rock boss in Jewel Man's level, you have to make sure above all else that you are in the air when he lands, so that you dont get stunned. Even if it means taking damage from a falling boulder. Make sure not to be standing in the middle area when he comes down either. Try to be standing on the opposite side if at all possible so you can get as many shots in as possible.

Plug Man: His shots do have a pattern to them and once you learn it its possible to dodge at least a few of them. That said, I couldn't beat Plug man without using an energy tank, as every time I would get him down to about 3 or 4 bars left then die. If you want to know the boss weaknesses: http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/genmessage.php?board=950625&topic=45590703

Hornet Man: Not really any tricks to this. You just have to dodge his attacks and take your shots when you can get them. You'll never get more then 2 or so shots on him before he hides again. One tip I can give is don't go out of your way to attack him. i.e. if it means taking damage to get to his platform, don't do it. Just be patient and take your time. Getting their with as much health as possible doesnt hurt either.

[Kairyu]

In Tornado man's stage, I believe its the final area with the rain and rotating platforms. Those spikes get me every time. I can't beat it.
I just Rush Jet'd over anything that looked tricky in his stage.


In Jewel man's stage, its the rock mini-boss. He's so insanely hard, anyone have his weakness or weapon to use against him?
After he returns to the top, some dirt will fall off some of the rocks. The last rock where dirt falls is where he'll come down next time.


In Plug man's stage, its simply the boss, he's too tough with just a mega buster, need weakness.
His pattern is simple and slow- he'll either jump, jump+plugball, or very slowly fire a plug ball while standing. The Plug balls are also easy to dodge. They roll along the ground and walls until they're aligned with you vertically, then fall straight down. Just scoot back a little to get them to drop early, then walk/jump forward again before they hit you.
If you're really having issues, his weakness is -=SPOILER=-.


In Hornet man's stage, its the plant miniboss, he's very tricky, any weaknesses?
When he's not onscreen, try to keep as close to the rotating arm as possible. If he respawns in a spot where he's easy to hit, do so. If he doesn't, just dodge until he goes away. Since you've been keeping close to the arm, you should have enough time to wait him out.

[Saffith]

One bit of advice for Tornado Man's stage: on the rotating platforms, you can just jump repeatedly to stay on top of them. Makes most of them a lot easier.

[MasterSwordUltima]

One bit of advice for Tornado Man's stage: on the rotating platforms, you can just jump repeatedly to stay on top of them. Makes most of them a lot easier.

Haha, thats what I did, until the last run of them before the doors to the boss room. At that point, yeah, I just Rush Jet'd on in. However, I didn't have that luxury until I got Rush Jet.

Wily Castle 1 is hard. It sucks having to use C.Shot on the part with the three lava beams. I use Rush Coil to get past the single one, but the next screen owns me so bad.

[Also, I always laugh at the jokes about how C.Shot should be Splashwoman's weakness.]

I think I'm at 30% done with the challenges. Some of them are just way insane, like beating the game without taking any damage. Or beating the game without the helmet. No helmet = twice as much damage. So you basically HAVE to buy a buttload of those 1/2 damage items to make things "fair" again.

[Saffith]

Wily Castle 1 is hard. It sucks having to use C.Shot on the part with the three lava beams. I use Rush Coil to get past the single one, but the next screen owns me so bad.
You can use the coil on the second screen, too, but you have to be quick about it.

[Nicholas Steel]

I think I'm at 30% done with the challenges. Some of them are just way insane, like beating the game without taking any damage. Or beating the game without the helmet. No helmet = twice as much damage. So you basically HAVE to buy a buttload of those 1/2 damage items to make things "fair" again.
Think about the computer though, wearing the helmet makes it unfair for the enemy :'(

[AlphaDawg]

Wily Castle 1 is hard. It sucks having to use C.Shot on the part with the three lava beams. I use Rush Coil to get past the single one, but the next screen owns me so bad.I'm stuck at this screen as well... :(

I'm finding MM9 to be the second-hardest MM game I've played, behind only Mega Man and Bass. Granted it's been 15 or so years now, but I don't remember ever having this much trouble with an NES MM game, even on the first play-through.

[erm2003]

If you are still stuck on that screen, here's a quick way through it to avoid the whole Concrete Shot trick. Make sure you have Rush Coil selected BEFORE you enter the screen. The trick is to make Rush appear to the right as soon as you enter the screen. You can do this while still on the ladder. Quickly climb, jump on Rush, and you should be able to reach one of the ladders before the magma beams can get to you. I did this before I even knew the Concrete Shot would work on those things.

[Petoe]

This game is pretty good! It is also the toughest Mega Man game ever. You just can't run through the screens, you have to study them and learn them, and that takes a lot of extra lifes and patience... but I find the game enjoybale, and it is right behind the classics such as MM2 and MM3.

[Alex-Link]

no but im really curious why its number one on gamefaqs wii games, hmmm

[Kairyu]

I'm stuck at this screen as well... :(

I'm finding MM9 to be the second-hardest MM game I've played, behind only Mega Man and Bass. Granted it's been 15 or so years now, but I don't remember ever having this much trouble with an NES MM game, even on the first play-through.

Just as a note, for anyone still trying to use the C. Shot, it's a lot easier if you do a short hop before firing, since the shot arcs downward.

[AlphaDawg]

I finally made it past the liquid hot magma using Rush Coil. I started to make my way through stage 2, but ran out of lives and supplies, and thus had to leave to gather some bolts. Anybody have a suggestion for a stage I can play through and gather lots of bolts?

Note it may be a while before I can act on this, because the TV we have the Wii hooked up to mysteriously decided to stop working yesterday. I'm far too lazy to move the Wii to another TV.

[Modus Ponens]

When I want supplies I play through Plug Man's stage over and over. You always get some fifty-odd bolts, plus if you're thorough you'll also pick up an energy tank and a couple of extra lives each time through.

[DarkFlameWolf]

I. HATE. TORNADO. MAN'S. STAGE.
Seriously, I do. When I've just finally acquired the rush jet, passed the second rainy, rotating platform area. I get to yet another area with rain now going right. Die many times, restart from beginning.
I hate this level....oh so much.

[erm2003]

Tornado Man's stage takes a lot of practice... what else can be said. A small tip that helped me out a lot when I got to the snow area. On the second screen with the shield guys where you have to head to the right after jumping down... take them out and then don't worry about the upper platform restricting your jumps. I thought I would have to be more careful with the jumps there so I don't hit the platform and get cut short on the jump but it doesn't restrict the height. So don't worry about how high you have to jump, just get past the spikes.

[MottZilla]

If you need bolts, you should do this, aqquire Jewel Man's power. Goto Plug Man's stage. Activate Jewel Shield and stand ontop of a "Can" shaped enemy spawn. You'll just sit there destroying them collecting bolts every so many kills. Leave the game on doing this and go do something else. Come back and you'll have alot more bolts. I got up to 999 in a couple hours.

All the stages and bosses require practice. Nothing in the game is forgiving. The game is sort of like Battletoads. It requires memorization and precise control.

I think the game is nice overall, and I definitely want to play the Protoman Mode. But I think they probably made the game a bit too tough. I think it'll turn off alot of people.

[Pineconn]

I just downloaded it. I played all 8 stages and got creamed. I'm going to find out what the "first" stage is, work on it, and go from there.

All in all, I am loving it so far.

[rock_nog]

I recommend Galaxy Man - I consider myself fairly nubish when it comes to Mega Man, and that's one stage I've actually managed to complete.

[SUCCESSOR]

There's a mega man 9? When did this happen?

[MottZilla]

It came out in the last two weeks. It for download on the Wii, PS3, and 360.

[rock_nog]

Mother puss bucket!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Man_9

[SUCCESSOR]

Mother puss bucket!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Man_9

I read the wiki right after I posted like I should have done before I posted. Sounds neat but I can hardly get into mega man games after I played X. The whole not sliding or climbing walls doesn't do it for me.

[Nicholas Steel]

megaman 3 onwards has sliding ;) but no jumping while sliding :) I agree that the 3 Megaman X games on the SNES are hard to beat in terms of gameplay and overall quality.

[Pineconn]

I recommend Galaxy Man - I consider myself fairly nubish when it comes to Mega Man, and that's one stage I've actually managed to complete.

Yep, that's the one I started with and beat. Then I beat Jewel Man, Plug Man, and Tornado Man (I seriously didn't think his stage was too hard - also, I was able to beat Tornado Man easily with the Plug Ball and no Energy Tanks).

I think I'm going to try to tackle Splash Woman's stage next.

[Flash Man]

All the stages and bosses require practice. Nothing in the game is forgiving. The game is sort of like Battletoads. It requires memorization and precise control.

Once you have it memorized you will start pushing the buttons in the right order and just wizz through the stages. I will definitely agree with that.

[Kairyu]

The only reason I didn't have the whole game beaten the day it came out was that I tried to leave Wily Tower to get some supplies between the second and third levels and was like "screw you Wily go waggle your eyebrows somewhere else I'm not playing your gay stage again tonight."

Seriously, if you've played Mega Man before, you know how to handle this game. One continue to figure out how to get through the 3-5 surprise deathtraps throughout the stage, one life to figure out the boss' pattern, and any deaths after that are entirely your own fault.

[Cloral]

I recommend Galaxy Man - I consider myself fairly nubish when it comes to Mega Man, and that's one stage I've actually managed to complete.

Galaxy Man is a good place to start. The stage largely comes down to memorizing where those stupid robots drop down on you, and Galaxy Man himself is pretty easy with the base weapon.

[Masamune]

These robot weaknesses don't make any sense. Why is concrete man week against a trident, and why is galaxy man week against concrete? And what about a jewel is susceptible to gravity? What the fuck.

[Radium]

I want this on the DS.

[Saffith]

These robot weaknesses don't make any sense.
... When have they ever?

[Cloral]

... When have they ever?

Megaman 1: Ice -> Fire -> Bomb -> Rock -> Cutter -> Elec
Megaman 2: Metal -> Bubble -> Heat -> Wood -> Air -> Bomb -> Stop -> Fast
...

OK, so they don't all make sense. But a lot of those do. I.e. you use water against fire, fire against wood, bombs against rock, and so on. And yeah, a lot of the weaknesses in MM9 weren't what I expected. I went to magma man after splash woman, expecting her weapon to be strong against him. Guess what - not the case at all.

[MottZilla]

Same here Cloral. I naturally assumed that Water beats Fire so I was pretty annoyed when the Trident did like 1 damage point. That's why you might as well get the weakness chart off the internet before you play it since it's not like you could figure it out with common sense.

I think the Protoman mode DLC is supposed to be out sometime this week.

[Pineconn]

Beat Magma Man and Splash Woman. Still need to do Hornet Man (haven't gotten past the mini-boss yet) and Concrete Man (got to him, but I didn't have the appropriate weapon when I did).

To be fair, it wouldn't make much sense for the Laser Trident to be Magma Man's weakness, even though that is Splash Woman's weapon.

[MottZilla]

And Tornado Man makes sense? High winds tend to spread fires, not always put them out.

[Cloral]

Then again, they did the same thing in Megaman 6 - Wind Man's weapon was the best way to beat Flame Man. And you then used Flame Man's weapon against Blizzard Man. So at least it isn't without precedent.

[Saffith]

Also Flame Mammoth, Magma Dragoon, and Mattrex in the X series.

[Dark Knight]

Someone care to explain why Mega Man can suddenly not slide or charge his Mega Buster? What is the purpose of removing something that has been a staple of the series for a long time?

[ZTC]

Because they were basing the gameplay style off of MM and MM2. If I remember right, Protoman can slide and charge his buster, and additional releases will give Mega Man additional abilities. (not to sure on that one though...) This should see releases for the DS and PSP, but what are the chances of that happening? :/

[Nicholas Steel]

yep, sliding was introduced in Megaman 3, and even then you couldnt jump/shoot while sliding... charging your x buster was introduced in megaman 4 or 5?

[Dark Knight]

Wait...that's the only reason? That's a retarded reason to remove things introduced in previous entries. Sliding has been a staple since 3 and charging the Mega Buster since 4. Removing it several sequals later is pointless, based on MM and MM2 or not. They could have at least kept the ability to slide.

And yes, Protoman is supposed to be able to slide and charge his buster but he gets knocked back twice as far and takes twice as much damage when hit. Pass.

[MottZilla]

Wait...that's the only reason? That's a retarded reason to remove things introduced in previous entries. Sliding has been a staple since 3 and charging the Mega Buster since 4. Removing it several sequals later is pointless, based on MM and MM2 or not. They could have at least kept the ability to slide.

And yes, Protoman is supposed to be able to slide and charge his buster but he gets knocked back twice as far and takes twice as much damage when hit. Pass.

Clearly you didn't play Mega Man Powered Up on PSP that had a Protoman playable mode which was awesome. Infact on MMPU you could play as all the bosses.

[Dark Knight]

Don't own a PSP so no, I'd like to though. Oh well. MM9 is still fun.

[Modus Ponens]

So Proto Man mode is available for the Wii, at least. It's really fun! Among other things, I like seeing Proto Man in different colors. The differences are that, as mentioned, he can slide and charge up his Proto Buster, and also he uses his shield while he jumps, so you're safe from most projectile frontal assaults while you're jumping. But, as mentioned earlier, he takes double damage (which can really suck in some cases) and gets knocked back further when he gets hit, and also, his Proto Buster can only have two shots on the screen at a time. Finally, you can't visit the store, and so there are no bolts anywhere. (Oh, and the 1ups are Proto Man heads instead of Mega Man heads, of course.)

Also released was Endless Attack mode, where you play through an endless stage to see how far you can get on one life. Every now and then, a boss is thrown in, and you have to deal with him (or her). When you finally die, your distance, in screens, is recorded and compared with everyone else's, which means you lose because of the Japan factor. (I thought I did so damn well when I got past my 107th screen, only to see that the champ has 1016 screens.) It's a good deal of fun.

I was happy to see that when you choose the special modes menu option to find the Endless Attack mode, there are two more question marked-out items in that list, so it's nice to see that there's still more to come.

[Warlock]

Yeah, I beat it last night (managed to randomly get the Quick Draw X challenge too :D haha) - waiting on Proto Man mode for 360 before I play it again. I'm curious what his ending will be, since he was in Mega Man's ending, so they obviously can't be the same.

P.S. - the 360 d-pad plays great, I was really surprised. I had absolutely no trouble with it at all, which is amazing because it usually sucks so bad.

[Saffith]

Some areas in Endless Attack mode are based on areas from previous games; so far I've seen the entrance to Wily's castle from the first game and the long disappearing block section of Heat Man's level, including the 1-up.


I was happy to see that when you choose the special modes menu option to find the Endless Attack mode, there are two more question marked-out items in that list, so it's nice to see that there's still more to come.
Probably the different difficulty levels for the main game, I'd guess.

[Modus Ponens]

P.S. - the 360 d-pad plays great, I was really surprised. I had absolutely no trouble with it at all, which is amazing because it usually sucks so bad.

This is very good news to me. I have never actually used the 360's D-pad, but it did look like I wouldn't like it, and I've been kinda longing for a 360, what with all the Beautiful Katamari and the Virtua Fighter 5 and the Final Fantasy XIII and all, but I wasn't looking forward to playing VF5 with a crappy D-pad. So the question becomes, if the D-pad "plays great" in MM9, but "usually sucks so bad"... what's the story here, and would it suck in VF5?

[MottZilla]

Yeah, I beat it last night (managed to randomly get the Quick Draw X challenge too :D haha) - waiting on Proto Man mode for 360 before I play it again. I'm curious what his ending will be, since he was in Mega Man's ending, so they obviously can't be the same.

P.S. - the 360 d-pad plays great, I was really surprised. I had absolutely no trouble with it at all, which is amazing because it usually sucks so bad.

I know it's strange! The 360 pad actually didn't suck complete balls in Mega Man 9. But I think it's because of the relatively simple use of the D-Pad. Fighting games are more likely I think to have problems with the D-Pad. I thought that there were a few places where the 360 D-Pad kind of sucked but I was able to bear it. I wish I could play it with a PS2 pad.

I can't wait for Protoman mode too. I would imagine the ending will be very empty for him though. Maybe it will cut right to the credits or something and forgo any dialog.

[Warlock]

I know it's strange! The 360 pad actually didn't suck complete balls in Mega Man 9. But I think it's because of the relatively simple use of the D-Pad. Fighting games are more likely I think to have problems with the D-Pad. I thought that there were a few places where the 360 D-Pad kind of sucked but I was able to bear it. I wish I could play it with a PS2 pad.

I can't wait for Protoman mode too. I would imagine the ending will be very empty for him though. Maybe it will cut right to the credits or something and forgo any dialog.

I don't know, I'm hoping they do something like Power Battles where he has a unique ending. They need to elaborate more on his defect (especially with the damn time gap between MM8 and 9 and the lack of mention of Zero and other MMX events in this game). They are just 8-bit sprites, so it shouldn't be that hard :)

[Din]

In terms of Megaman 9, the Dr. Wily stage just makes me want to punch the screen.

[Warlock]

In terms of Megaman 9, the Dr. Wily stage just makes me want to punch the screen.

Which one? Aside from a few nasty tricks (lava beam section sucks, even when you know how to do it), the Wily stages didn't seem too bad.

[Cloral]

waiting on Proto Man mode for 360 before I play it again. I'm curious what his ending will be, since he was in Mega Man's ending, so they obviously can't be the same.

I read on Wikipedia that when you play as Protoman there's no story.

[Mr. 207]

I actually think the real hard part about the Wily stages is in stage 3 with the gravity field and the spikes. Such a nasty trick they play on you there.

[MottZilla]

Protoman mode is definitely a new challenge. The effectively halved life bar (its not halved but 2x damage to it) certainly makes the already unforgiving game, even less so. But it's got the cool factor of playing as Protoman. And it's nice to have the Slide and Charge Shot. The shield isn't very useful though.

[Kairyu]

I actually think the real hard part about the Wily stages is in stage 3 with the gravity field and the spikes. Such a nasty trick they play on you there.

Jewel Satellite.
No, seriously, it works.

[Mr. 207]

Jewel Satellite.
No, seriously, it works.

Hmm...next time I replay it and get to that part I'll try that. My first play through I had 3 of the spike guards as backup and was going to try to use the tornado blow to stop him from catching me, but was late. Wasted all 3 spike guards, and still barely made it to the ladder.

[Nicholas Steel]

Yea, no story, it's just a "challenge mode" thing >.>

EDIT: bah, is there a way to make it take me to the latest post instead of the latest post I have not yet read?

[Saffith]

If you get over to the left side before you enter that screen, you can make the thing fall right away. Plenty of time to get out of the way, then.

[Warlock]

http://live.xbox.com/en-US/profile/Achievements/ViewAchievementDetails.aspx?tid=%09%5d%3bhe)j2v%04
(edit: hmm, looks like you need to be logged in to view that.. anyone know of a link that doesn't require a login?)

I wish there was a way to display challenges too :P

I kind of gave up on Protoman mode (eventually I'll beat it) and am trying to get more achievements/challenges done :) Trying to do Headbanging AND Trusty Sidearm at the same time = holy crap. If you want a challenge, do that :P

Anyways, like I said, working on Trusty Sidearm now, and as a result of trying to get Headbanging (beat all 8 robot masters without your helmet), I cannot die anyways. So I figure I might as well go for Invicible while I'm at it. It doesn't seem hard with enough Energy Tanks and such. Wily's levels are not that bad - just need to avoid dying in a few crappy parts (i.e. lava shooter things).

Edit: And I just got Headbanging and Trusty Sidearm :D Now to go for Invincible (not dying) :P

[MottZilla]

Here's an achievement list. http://inside.mygamercard.net/2008/08/12/achievements-for-mega-man-9-reward-the-hardcore/

If you wanted to show off your achievements I guess tou could use your signature link there http://profile.mygamercard.net/WarlockSoL

[Warlock]

Here's an achievement list. http://inside.mygamercard.net/2008/08/12/achievements-for-mega-man-9-reward-the-hardcore/

If you wanted to show off your achievements I guess tou could use your signature link there http://profile.mygamercard.net/WarlockSoL

Yeah, but to view the specific MM9 achievements, it links back to microsoft's site -_-

[DarkFlameWolf]

Finally beat Tornado Man's stage. And I got to the first Wily stage. At first, I was like: Well, this isn't so bad. Tornado Hold is useful, Rush Coil actually getting some action, etc. etc.
Then I came across the red beams of death. I've read about using the Rush Coil as soon as you get on the screen, but he's so slow to appear as I call him that by the time I jump to hit his back, the beam hits me. EVERY TIME. He's just too damn slow to warp down to my flippin' level. Stupid Dog.

[Cloral]

Honestly, you're better off just freezing the beams the normal way. It isn't that hard once you get the hang of it. Just jump to the low platform, wait for the bottom beam to go, then jump to the right side. As the beam comes at you again, freeze it and jump on it. The next beam will soon come at you, do a small jump and hit it with the concrete and then jump on it. Rinse and repeat for the third beam, and you're home free.

Also note that if you hit a beam that is starting to thaw with the concrete, it will freeze again. This is useful if the beam you are standing on starts to thaw, as it will buy you a few extra seconds (assuming the beam coming at you from the side doesn't kill you first).

[Modus Ponens]

Here's the way I do the lava beam section:

1. Fill up all your weapons and life energy to maximum using the Jewel Satellite on those floating guys on the screen below the lava beams.

2. Climb the ladder to the first lava beam room. Move beneath the ladder that goes to the next room up. Call Rush Coil (or, if you're Proto Man, the Proto Coil) and when the lava is clear, hop on and grab the ladder.

3. Climb to the next room up. As soon as you are standing on top of the ladder, face right and climb back down so you don't get killed by the soon-incoming lava. You want to make sure you're facing right for this next bit. Leave the screen by climbing down and then climb back up again. Here's where you need to be quick—a minor delay will probably mean death.

4. Climb to the top of the ladder (you should now be facing right) and call your Coil again. Hop on immediately and grab the left-most ladder. Climb up enough that you'll be clear of the top lava beam. If you want to pick up an Energy Tank, read 4a. Otherwise, skip to 5.

4a. Climb to the top of the ladder on the next screen up. As soon as you're standing on top of it, jump up to the next ladder, which is directly above your head. Climb up it and carefully jump to the next ladder, to the left. If you want to take an extra precaution, shoot a Concrete Shot—not at the lava, but at the opposite wall, to be used as a platform to make reaching the ladder a little easier. Climb the ladder, shoot the blocks with a Laser Trident, claim your Energy Tank, and then climb back down. Jump down to the ladder you used at the beginning of this step to climb onto this screen in the first place, and climb down to the screen below.

5. While still hanging from this ladder, wait for the topmost lava beam to be fully extended across the screen. Shoot it with a Concrete Shot, then jump down onto it and quickly make your way to the rightmost ladder. Climb up it.

6. Climb to the top of the ladder on the next screen up. As soon as you're standing on top of it, jump up to the next ladder, which is directly above your head. Climb up it to the next screen, and to safety.

Hopefully this was clear. There is that one quick little step there where you have to be fast, but other than that it's all straightforward and fairly easy.

[erm2003]

I sat down and cleared the game tonight from beginning to end in one sitting. Now I have to work on some of the tricky areas to see if I can clear it a bit quicker. Great game though. I am still enjoying the challenge that this game offers. I am still debating if I want to get any of the extra content like Protoman.