2. Mega Man 9
It’s fitting that the very announcement of Capcom’s retro Mega Man revival would be frustrating, hair-pulling and difficult to deal with.
To me, it seemed an obvious cash grab rather than a genuine revival.
Mixed feelings over its design aside, no one who grew up playing Capcom’s classic franchise can say the ninth installment isn’t every bit as spectacular as the Blue Bomber’s earliest NES adventures.
Mega Man 9 lives up to its legendary pedigree not by embracing modernity and accommodating the expanded video games audience, but by spitting in the face of contemporary conventions and making a conscious effort to be as deliberately old-school, unwelcoming to the uninitiated, gameplay-focused and insanely challenging as possible.
Eight new robot masters, online leaderboards, downloadable content and the return of Mega Man for only $10. Even a cynic has to ask:
What more can a fan ask for?
