Many of you are already quite familiar with this character, since news of Mighty No. 9 took PAX Prime 2013 (and many a message board) by storm August 31st. I’m not one to be hyperbolic and describe something as a storm, but…perhaps by the end of this Crowdfunding Spotlight, you’ll see why my description is justified.
As many know, Keiji Inafune no longer has a hand in Mega Man games. To make a long story short: Mighty No. 9 is Inafune’s creative prowess reborn, perhaps his answer to Capcom cancelling Mega Man Legends 3. It’s an all-new Japanese side-scrolling action game that “takes the best aspects of the 8- and 16-bit era classics you know and love, and transforms them with modern tech, fresh mechanics, and fan input into something fresh and amazing!” Effectively, Inafune was looking to recapture Mega Man Legend 3’s ideas of fan involvement and input—and for that, he turned to Kickstarter.
You play as Beck, ninth in a line of powerful robots and the only one not infected by some mysterious computer virus that’s caused everything mechanized to go berserk. As far as gameplay goes—indeed, think Mega Man, but take it a step farther, because Beck can steal abilities from regular foes in addition to bosses if certain conditions are met. Also, Beck can transform, allowing for completely new skills and abilities.
I think all these pieces of concept art and my brief explanation do enough to describe what makes Beck an homage to certain 8-bit heroes in addition to what makes him more modernized. But what of the other numbered robots? Due to this virus, the robots who once worked side by side with Beck have taken over key locations across the globe and are unleashing all kinds of havoc. Beck has no choice but to destroy his former comrades.
Apparently, these robots (whose designs are still being worked on) were originally designed for industrial use, but now they’re all super fighting robots, their skills honed by hours of public robot-on-robot combat in the Battle Colosseo.
Here’s a brief look at who’s behind the development of this game. The project lead is, of course, Keiji Inafune. Game design shall be handled by Naoya Tomita, one of the level designers with a legacy that goes all the way back to the original Mega Man. The lead character designer is Kimo·Kimo, whose work at Capcom includes designs in Street Fighter Alpha 3 and even The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap. And the music will be handled by Manami Matsumae, the talented woman responsible for creating the entire soundtrack for the original Mega Man as well as its sound effects. There’s so much more star power behind this game that it’s impossible for me to list them all (while attempting to keep this editorial brief).
The game is being developed for Windows initially, but after it reaches its funding goal of $900,000 (USD), the game’s developers will begin looking at Mac OS, Linux and console versions by way of stretch goals. That $900,000 will have to reach $1,350,000 for Mac OS and Linux versions and all the way up to $2,500,000 for PS3, Xbox 360 and Wii U versions to be created.
…But what’s that, you say? The $900,000 goal has already been reached, and then some? Indeed. Mighty No. 9 reached its goal within 48 hours of its announcement. To call support for this game a “storm” is indeed an understatement. Even in the several minutes it’s taken me to write up this piece, the number has jumped from approximately $905,000 to $925,000. It’s crazy to watch the numbers (and supporters) jump up minute by minute, hour by hour.
Mighty No. 9 is currently planned for a 2015 release. We’ll be sure to offer more information as it comes, but for now, what are you waiting for? Go check out the game’s Kickstarter and be a part of the team! This is classic Japanese side-scrolling action, evolved and transformed by Inafune, his all-star team of devs…and you!
