Mega Man 9 arrives today on the PSN!

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What a big day, huh? It has got to be the best week ever for the store. (Ro Hernandez told me to write that.)

I am honored to announce that Mega Man 9 will be available today on the PLAYSTATION Network for only $9.99. Our beloved Blue Bomber returns to his 8-bit roots in this 9th adventure of the original storyline. Here’s the rundown:

In the year 20XX, after the events of Mega Man 8, multiple riots have sprung up all over the world. Many people suspect that this is another plot from Dr. Wily. Dr. Light is stunned to recognize that some of the robots rioting on the TV screen are his own creations. Even more stunning, Dr. Wily appears on television to proclaim that Dr. Light is the evil mastermind behind these latest catastrophic incidents. Now, Mega Man must set out to stop the rogue robots and discover the truth behind the attacks. *SPOILER ALERT* (It really is Dr. Wily’s evil plot to rule the world. Shhhh!)

This project has really been a labor of love for all the hard core Mega Man fans. When I first read the game design doc for this project, I though this was some kind of joke. 8-bit graphics in this day and age? Intentional flickering and tearing? Extra difficulty levels? Whaaaat? When I started to really delve into this assignment and talk to hundreds of Mega Man fans, I began to understand that there is a certain affinity, a passion for this character. People would tell me their experiences with Mega Man 2 and how they had to sneak in play sessions to avoid their mom yelling at them for spending too much time with their NES. I started to feel better.

Inafune-san got it right with this game. This is his baby. He knew the importance of living up to the original series and how introducing “9” meant high expectations. He recruited a large team (yes that’s right), with the talent to pull this off. A team that knew what a pixel perfect jump meant. A team that understood the intricacies of classic level design, on how placing a certain enemy at a certain place would affect a person’s speed run strategy. A team that could compose an epic musical score within the limitations of 1980s technology. Try to pull off a Picasso with 4 crayons and you’ll understand that creating an 8-bit classic in this era is not an easy task. Play the game, or just try out the demo first, and enjoy the little details that scream “fan service”.

If this is the first time you’ll play a Mega Man game, you’ll understand why older gamers complain that games these days just aren’t as challenging anymore (Damn kids, jk). Be patient though and don’t throw your DualShock through your screen. I bet you’ll have a sudden itch to go back and try the level again. You’ll cuss, you’ll kick your dog and pick fights with your girlfriend. When you finally complete the level after the umpteenth time, you’ll finally realize the magic that is Mega Man.

On a side note, I know you’ll have a lot of questions, and I expect this thread to be pretty active. If I don’t get to your answers right away, it’s because I’m at the Age of Booty party introducing for the first time to the public, playable Proto Man (Horse armor, he is not). Talk to you soon!

Your friend from Capcom,
John D

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137 Comments

86 Author Replies

  • yeah ok you got me with the “lag” excuse…i wonder when will be able to use remote play to its full potential without the fear of missing jumps and falling to our doom

  • yo John:

    can you kindly tall us about Capcom,s tokyo game show 2008 lineup

  • @ John Diamonon (reply on comment 38)

    Thanks for the response. You mentioned in a previous response that you addressed this issue (trophy support issues) in the past. Is there an article you may be able to point me towards?

    • I addressed why you won\’t see trophy support right away on responses to numberous comments of all my previous blogs. Go click on my name at the top and it will give you a list of my recent blogs. I\’ve answered this concern way too many times! :)

  • Awesome! I’ll be picking this and WipEout HD up when I get home.

    Any chance of Capcom releasing Giga Wing or a sequel on the PSN?

  • Lol @ 8bit lag.

  • @19 Tiresome really.

  • I’ve been watching videos from this game since Monday. I can’t wait to get home from work today and download it. I’m 30, I grew up with Nintendo and Mega Man. I can’t wait to play this game. I’m glad you guys had the balls to give this retro idea a try and I hope it pays off huge for Capcom.

    • It\’s one of the boldest moves in the industry. Talk about the risks, man. Just the response itself makes it worth it for me. (The company would also like your download support please)

  • Saweeet! I can’t wait to get off work so I can download and play the heck out of Mega Man 9!

    BTW, no trophies = no big deal. Just the fact that it’s an old-school Mega Man game is incentive enough for me to play(over and over and over)!

    Thank you John D. and Capcom!

  • Wow, how many great series and franchises Capcom have…
    (I voted for Final Fight)

    • I\’d like to see a remix version of that. That\’s me talking as a fan and not an employee (SO DON\’T PICK THAT UP YOU ONLINE GAMING SITES!)

      lol.

  • Whats the release date for Bionic Commando Next-gen?

    Can we expect this game in 2008 at all?

  • Is this in 1080p?

    That’s all that really matters of course!

    (No, not really.)

  • When is the physical copy coming out for those of us who want one?

    Sorry Capcom – DLC is *not* ownership.

    No physical media for me = no sale.

    And yeah, Onimusha 5 please.

    • No plans for a physical copy. You still haven\’t jumped on the digital download train? Come on, it\’s nice in here.

  • John thank you for answering me @#49, every poster on this blog should be like you :)

  • Sweet updates up here in Australia!

    Thanks D.

    haha gonna wake the old man up and play some megaman!

  • mega man 9 is cool, Capcom is cool, John is also cool, but the coolest is resident evil 5! ;)

  • Is it also coming in Europe today John?

  • i remember playing mega man when i was like 2 or 3 it was one of the first games that i beat when i was young

  • Thank you Capcom! MM2 was my favorite game on the NES and I can’t wait to relive the glory days of the 8-bit era today!

    Also, give the Bionic Commando Rearmed team my personal thanks, it was a bucket of pure awesome-sauce!

  • #65 Forget what I asked, it’s out ;)

  • Hey John!

    I added you as a friend! Also, I am a long time Proto Man fan. When will he be available?

    Thanks!

  • If you make another Megaman I suggest doing it BC:rearmed style. Higher image quality but still a 2d game. I think 3D would kinda kill the series like sonic that you eluded to.

  • Thanks Capcom

    Were not Worthy
    Were not Worthy

  • Mega man 9? humm has some classic cool tunes and look. More money to spend today.
    By the way wheres my STRIDER games John!! I know I would scream like a little girl if something showed up.
    add me if u want PSN id “Trieloth”

  • LOL all i see is red Nice support John.

  • Today will be a great day. Wipeout and Mega Man will be my first ever PSN purchases.

  • yahooo! both good game in one day… this is sweet… i can’t wait to load this stuff up already… btw, any JRPG trophy’s for any of them? keep up the good work thou.. i know its ruff and hard work.. but in the end , its all worth it.

  • Hey John,
    thanx again for replying to all the questions! I really think you are a great spokesperson for these games you basically sold me on Bionic Commando rearmed when I was on the fence. Now you don’t really need to sell me on anything since this game will be amazing, but none the less great job.

    I have one question, Will a potential patch be in the works for added trophy support much like is being done for rearmed?

    Thanx again, Im gonna add you today when I pick up wipeout and MM9. Its gonna be from Marauderxt so accept :)

  • Maybe I’m just a butthead, but at what point did the devs consider

    “Oh my god! Do you see this innovative new cell processor? HD capability output? This is what Next Gen is all about! First things first, we gotta yield this technology to its maximum output, lets start by creating some sick azz games! Okay, the framework?, well perhaps we gotta harness all this advanced technology, because it can get outta control. Hey how about we create a new innovative product, based upon something over 20 years old. Yeah! and lets make it appear as if its over 20 years old. Dude these 8-bits look sick on 1080p, I’m glad I bought this LCD HDTV.”

    But honestly at what point, directly or a few minutes after getting hit over the head with a brick, did everyone decide that making new games based upon the plastic LCD screen handheld games that you can buy at the $1 store, was a great way to utilize the ps3’s advanced technology?

  • My NES still works :)

    Never had Mega Man though (don’t hit me)!

    Ah the 80s!!!

    Can’t wait to try it out!!

    :P

  • Speaking of mega man… PSone had a few games in that series, like Mega Man 8….. and the PSN has a thus far poorly supported PSone classics feature….

    Pass the word along for us, we want more PSone games from Capcom on the store. Not just MM either, X-Men versus Street Fighter, Alpha 3, (thanks for Warriors Dreams, surprised how playable it still is) and all the games Japan has that we do not, like Dino Crisis, RE Directors Cut, and RE2. We really do want these games.

    Looking forward to buying MM9, I would have been one of the people to buy it on WiiWare, but I’m sick of playing musical chairs with my memory and games on that system.

  • @77

    Yeah, let’s just ignore all the other great downloadable current gen games Capcom has made, and has coming, and the retail games like Resident Evil 5 and Street Fighter 4. If you’re not a fan of MM9, they have a lot more stuff to choose from. It’s one game out of many, if it’s not to your liking, don’t buy it.

  • I am not as nice John ;)

    Got to say you do great work for Capcom. Not that my image of Capcom was bad before but it’s definitely improved.

    Too be greedy would like some info on any new IPs you guys are working on.

  • Can’t wait to download!! This was the game series that really made me love gaming (The originals 1-4 were some of the best games ever made in my opinion) I’d love to see a “HD” remake of the originals!

  • I want to play this game on my PSP. This game should be available the day the PSP store launches on day 1. So i can download it.

  • Hey John,

    You see the Burnout guys around make sure to kick them for me.

    You talked about making or getting the future BCR trophies retroactive right. Guess what, its doesn’t happen easily.

    The Burnout team lied their game will be but now everybody gotta start from the beginning for trophies.

  • Hey John!

    Thanks so much for stopping by. The day I’ve waited 11 long years for has finally arrived! Here’s hoping there are no more 11 year waits in the future.

    This is truly a great day for me personally that I will remember for a long time as I have enjoyed the classic series for the last 18 years. (Since I was 8)

    Thank you John, thank you Inafune-san, thank you Capcom, thank you all so very much!

  • LOL @ above I was saying “Since I was 8”

  • I want to thank you, John, for actually reading every comment and replying swiftly! It’s good to see dedication to the market’s feedback and questions!

  • ”DLC takes up alot of resources and is not cheap”
    Tell that to CRITERION.

  • I love the idea of MegaMan 9, but the protoman DLC seems like a total money grab and leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Protoman should be a unlockable after beating the game not an extra $2. I’ll probably still buy this game, (after all I bought Powered UP and Maverick hunter X on the psp) but its no longer a day one for me.

  • Wow John this game looks awesome! I would buy Mega Man but i have no money at all. This will be my 1st buy once I add funds to my wallet and my second buy will buy Bionic Commando Rearmed. The demo was awesome.

  • John taking the time to reply to nearly every comment is great! Kudos on the good work here, I hope the game does as well as BC did in sales its first week.

    I’m going to buy it just because of how interactive you’ve been here!

  • The trailer for this game reminds me of the first time I ever played Mega Man. I had a 50 year old babysitter when i was about 6, and she had a NES and played Mega Man and Zelda. Its because of her that I have my love for video games, as well as Mega Man. GO 8-BIT FOR LIFE

  • I have to say thank you to Inafune San for bringing this game to the old school fans. I can’t wait to try it out. Mega Man 2 never left my NES. (Except for Mega Man 3.)

    I was put off at first that sliding and charging the mega buster was taken out… but now it just keeps the gameplay that much more old school.

    I do have to say, I am very disappointed at the lack of remote play support. I’ve got all three major consoles of this generation and had made up my mind, the PSN version is the one I want because of the possibility of remote play. (I got BCR on the PSN and not XBLA because of that!)

    Despite the bad news… I’ll stick to my decision because of my dualshock controller preference.

    I have to ask – If we fans show enough support… say buy 100,000 copies in a day…is there any chance at a remote play/trophy patch?

    John… give us a number to hit and I’m sure the internets will work their magic! lol

  • I’m all over it man; you convinced me. Thanks for that, by the way.

  • Funny, I remember skipping school and playing sick in 8th or 9th grade to beat MM 1…hmm some 20 yrs later now I may have to play sick from work to give this one a shot lol. Although honestly I wish it was re-done like BC:rearmed.

  • This game looks great!
    I know it doesn’t support trophies atm, but will you guys throw in a patch in the future?(plz :p)

  • Hey John D! Good to see you being active here at the blog again!

    One big request to pass on to the folks at Capcom. Can you guys please make an effort to include THROPHIES and IN-GAME MUSIC to all your future games?

    I know with games like MM9 and BCR there is already a great soundtrack but it doesn’t hurt to have the OPTION to use our own music. Doesn’t the XBLA version have this option?

    Thanks for your continued support for the PS3!

    Sincerely,

    Felipe M

  • Unfortunately I have to wait until later today to buy it! John, I actually have the first Mega Man cart, and yes, the artwork was terrible!

    I watched at the video again, and those levels look tough! I remember Mega Man 1 being harder than MM2 and I have never beaten it. Still looking forward to playing MM9 tonite!

  • LOL $10 for a non updated game.

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