What makes a great man? Is it an arm cannon? Is it an energy tank? No, I think one of mankind’s greatest abilities is to learn… not only from one’s mistakes, but to grow as an individual. After having a lively discussion with some hardcore Wii fans at the IGN Boards, I began to wonder if I was too harsh with my original review of Mega Man 9.
Another thing that forced me to reflect was a bad cold. I was stuck inside the house, hungry for chicken soup and entertainment. For a good part of two days, I played Mega Man 9. I was determined to beat this game. It was a feeling that I lost over the decades. Beating every video game I own just isn’t as important to me as it used to be. By revisiting the Mega Man series, and by chatting with hardcore gamers, I realized how much I changed as a gamer.
Now I realize that Mega Man 9 isn’t that much harder than Mega Man 2. Metal Blade might have been overpowered, but so is the Jewel Shield. I had to adjust to the new weapons to enjoy the game. While Mega Man 9 is faithful to the original series, the experience was unique. Just because I was good at other Mega Man games, it didn’t automatically make me great with Mega Man 9.
I still stand by my original statement. If you frustrate easily, this may not be a good game for you. However, I didn’t realize that a lot of gamers are hungry for hardcore gameplay. With the freetime to explore a challenging game, Mega Man 9 was a more enjoyable experience. Also, I had gotten a lot better at the game.
Here’s what I learned…
- Jewel Shield is useful. It can be used to harvest items from respawning enemies.
- The shop makes the game a lot easier. Use screws to buy power-ups.
- You can repeat levels to “farm” screws.
I set up Mega Man in a nice spot (on the Plug Man level) and then I let my Wii run. Some hours later, I had 999 screws in my inventory. With lots of energy tanks and extra lives at my disposal, the game was much easier. Knowing when to use the power-ups made it less difficult to beat Dr. Wily.
Do I still feel ripped off? No! 
Mega Man 9 did manage to make me feel happy when my body felt weak. Coughing, runny nose, those symptoms seemed to subside while I was playing. For a brief moment in time, things were like they were — nearly 20 years ago.
…but I still like Mega Man 2 better. 