Mighty No. 9

45%
Game Brain Score Based on 2,025 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • story
Mighty No. 9 Game Cover
Explore the galaxy in the franchise's first open-world game.
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Mighty No. 9 is an Anime Shooter game that combines 2D platforming with 2D and 3D artwork. Players can run, jump, and shoot projectiles, acquiring new weapons and abilities from defeated enemies. The game features single-player and local multi-player modes, including 2-player co-op and split screen, as players navigate through eight stages and face off against bosses, culminating in a final showdown. An additional level, starring Call, is also available.

  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Xbox One
  • Xbox Series X|S
  • Linux
  • Nintendo 3ds
  • Play​Station
  • Play​station 3
  • Play​station Vita
  • Wii
  • Wii U
  • Xbox
  • Xbox 360
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

45%
Audience ScoreBased on 2,025 reviews
gameplay232 positive mentions
graphics102 negative mentions
  • The game has a unique absorption mechanic that adds a fresh twist to the gameplay.
  • Boss fights are generally fun and challenging, requiring players to learn patterns.
  • The character designs and art style are appealing, with some memorable moments.
  • The level design is often frustrating, with many cheap deaths and poorly placed hazards.
  • Voice acting is subpar, with characters lacking emotional depth and animation.
  • The game suffers from performance issues, including frame drops and unresponsive controls.
  • gameplay1,000 mentions

    The gameplay of "Mighty No. 9" has received mixed reviews, with many players expressing frustration over its core mechanics, particularly the dash-and-absorb system, which often feels clunky and counterintuitive. While some appreciate the fast-paced action and the potential for speedrunning, others criticize the level design and the reliance on instant-death traps that disrupt the flow of gameplay. Overall, the game is seen as a flawed homage to the Mega Man series, with a blend of innovative ideas and significant execution issues.

    • “The gameplay is solid, music is great, and I personally found the writing to be pretty charming.”
    • “The gameplay is smooth, and the dash mechanic is a standout feature—so much fun and really makes every stage a blast.”
    • “The core mechanic of destabilizing enemies and dashing into them is fun and the game's not difficult, although there are incredibly frustrating parts.”
    • “The dash mechanic was supposed to be the highlight of the game and what makes it fun, but honestly the whole entire game is designed around it and ultimately it only serves to make the game more frustrating than fun.”
    • “The gameplay is absolutely tedious.”
    • “The gameplay feels very stale; the fact you have to use the dash to kill your enemies is a bit redundant.”
  • graphics554 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received mixed reviews, with many players expressing disappointment over a significant downgrade from initial promotional materials. While some appreciate the art style and find it reminiscent of classic Mega Man games, others criticize the visuals as outdated, likening them to early PS2 or Dreamcast titles, and note issues such as lack of detail and poor animations. Overall, the consensus suggests that while the graphics may not be the game's strong point, they do not entirely detract from the gameplay experience.

    • “I love the art style and the character designs.”
    • “The graphics look great even today.”
    • “The graphics are fine, you can clearly distinguish between enemies and your character.”
    • “The graphics look worse than a Dreamcast or early PS2 game.”
    • “The graphics are a joke.”
    • “The graphics are terrible in the full game compared to the backer demo; the bushes in the first level look like something made on an N64-based engine.”
  • story440 mentions

    The story of "Mighty No. 9" is generally viewed as bland and uninspired, often compared unfavorably to classic Mega Man narratives. Many reviewers noted plot holes, rushed elements, and a lack of character depth, leading to a narrative that feels generic and fails to engage players. While some appreciated the nostalgic callbacks to Mega Man, the overall consensus is that the story is a weak aspect of the game, with poor execution and dialogue that detracts from the experience.

    • “The story has more depth to it than people give it credit.”
    • “The story is engaging, though I prefer how the Japanese version plays it straight.”
    • “The story is pretty straightforward.”
    • “However, there are some aspects that I felt were a bit rushed and had some plot holes.”
    • “The story bits are really slow and break the pacing of the game, and while there is an interesting story in there somewhere, the telling of it makes you not care so much.”
    • “The story is bland and drones on without your consent, the voice acting and script leaves much to be desired and the level design tries to pass off fake-difficulty tricks as true difficulty.”
  • music331 mentions

    The music in "Mighty No. 9" receives mixed reviews, with many players finding it generally forgettable compared to the iconic soundtracks of the Mega Man series. While some tracks are praised for their catchiness and nostalgic feel, particularly in the optional 8-bit mode, others describe the overall soundtrack as bland and uninspired. The sound design is often criticized for being too quiet or overshadowed by sound effects, leading to a lack of memorable themes that resonate with players.

    • “The music by Manami Matsumae and Ippo Yamada is actually very well-composed.”
    • “The soundtrack is probably not as memorable as those from the Mega Man series, but still there are a few really good pieces of music!”
    • “The music hits hard where it needs to and gives the overall experience a lot of driving energy.”
    • “The music is drab and boring.”
    • “The soundtrack is also disappointing; I can't remember a single song from the soundtrack after putting it down.”
    • “The music is entirely forgettable, the sound effects are flaccid and the repeated voice samples get grating in a hurry.”
  • optimization56 mentions

    The game's optimization has received widespread criticism, with many players reporting frequent frame drops, stuttering, and overall poor performance, even on high-end systems. While some users experienced stable performance, the majority noted that the game feels unpolished and amateurish, with significant technical issues that detract from the gameplay experience. Overall, the optimization is considered a major flaw, leading to frustration among players and undermining the game's potential.

    • “During my time with the game, I unfortunately encountered performance issues in the form of frame drops now and then, even though my hardware meets the maximum requirements for the game.”
    • “In that respect, learning levels and enemy patterns can be a genuinely enjoyable experience when aiming for optimization and experimentation.”
    • “Graphics options are what you expect from this sort of game (window options, resolution, anti-aliasing, etc.), and performance seems to be a rock solid 60 fps on my rig.”
    • “Originally, I was going to write off the performance as alright, but after going through the game some more, I started to notice some dips in the frame rate.”
    • “The optimization kind of sucks because until I found a 21:9 monitor, some bosses weren't even having full visual effects displayed on screen; this is distracting.”
    • “Game is highly unoptimized, leading to higher-than-necessary system requirements and huge performance drops out of nowhere.”
  • character development50 mentions

    Overall, the character development in the game is praised for its creative and diverse designs, with many reviewers highlighting the unique styles and appealing aesthetics of the characters. However, there are criticisms regarding the depth of character development and the execution of their designs in 3D, with some characters feeling underutilized or poorly animated. While the character designs are generally well-received, the gameplay and narrative aspects leave room for improvement in future installments.

    • “The character designs are fantastic, the story is fun enough, and the gameplay is good.”
    • “The named character designs run the gamut from cute to interesting to cool, with most being well designed.”
    • “I will say I liked the character designs; each character managed to stand out.”
    • “It's like this game wasn't supervised by anyone except in the character design part.”
    • “For all the hub-bub they had about voting on and finalizing her character design, they did nothing with her other than a short, tedious key card hunt stage with an agonizingly slow boss.”
    • “The graphics look like an early PS2 game, explosions are so bad I can do better with built-in after effects plug-ins, the game is not fun, the game froze when I was changing settings, the mouths don't move when characters talk, awkward animation, bad character designs and unoriginal names.”
  • stability43 mentions

    The game's stability has received mixed reviews, with many players reporting various glitches and bugs, particularly in specific stages, while others experienced smooth performance with minimal issues. Some users noted that despite the presence of bugs, the game can still be enjoyable, especially after recent updates that have addressed many initial problems. Overall, while some players found the game to be a "buggy mess," others reported a solid experience with no significant stability issues.

    • “I've encountered no glitches, the levels are well made, the music is great, the controls are smooth, and the gameplay is challenging but fair.”
    • “The game itself runs great and smooth on my 980 Ti, 6GB, 8350 FX, 16GB RAM, SSD.”
    • “No glitches, no crashes so far.”
    • “The main point is that this game feels like a bad first game, but has some good (or okay) things that can make the game at least bearable or fun despite the bad level design, the bad usage of instakill hazards in certain stages, hard-to-get-used-to mechanics (or just bad ones), glitches, and at times annoying bosses.”
    • “So many blatant glitches and gameplay errors that make this game unfair and not due to skill.”
    • “It's so buggy, the hurt boxes are off and there's a problem with a config file.”
  • emotional35 mentions

    The emotional responses to the game are mixed, with many players expressing feelings of disappointment and frustration, often humorously likening their tears to "an anime fan on prom night." While some moments are described as heartwarming and evoke nostalgia for the Mega Man series, overall, the writing and character investment are criticized as lacking depth, leading to a disconnect with the story and characters. Despite some heartfelt moments, many players felt the game failed to deliver a compelling emotional experience.

    • “This game made me cry like an anime fan on prom night.”
    • “I played, I thought, I cried.”
    • “Heart-wrenching.”
    • “You aren't going to care about the story with a game like this; it will just be remembered as a game that apparently had a boring story that nobody cared about.”
    • “$4 million to help create a bland game with poor level design, boring bosses, a boring story, and a god-awful ending is just ridiculous and really should have people scared for any future Kickstarter 'promise' because frankly that's what most of them are.”
  • replayability34 mentions

    Overall, the game boasts high replayability due to its various difficulty options, challenge modes, and the ability to play through levels with different characters. Players appreciate the added value from DLC and the challenge of mastering mechanics, though some criticize the lack of deeper content and the short length of the game. While many find the replay value satisfying, opinions vary, with some noting a lack of engaging multiplayer and hidden secrets.

    • “The ray DLC does add a nice bit of replay value to the game!”
    • “There’s a ton of replay value with the varying difficulty options of the main campaign along with all the extra challenge stages.”
    • “Replayability helps this game a lot, and I'd say your enjoyment stems from how much you like pushing yourself to complete challenges and perfect various stages.”
    • “The game is painfully short and the only replayability is a lackluster arcade, speedrun and leaderboard competition.”
    • “It has simple story, simple mechanics, and no replayability (at least for me).”
    • “Decent replayability thanks to new game plus, boss order, and side challenges.”
  • humor30 mentions

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with some players finding it unintentionally hilarious due to its poor design, awkward voice acting, and cheesy dialogue. While some aspects, like quirky character interactions and absurd gameplay mechanics, elicit genuine laughter, others feel the humor falls flat or is overshadowed by the game's shortcomings. Overall, it seems that the game's comedic elements can provide entertainment, especially for those familiar with the Mega Man series, but may not resonate with everyone.

    • “This is such a joke of a game that it's hilarious that it passed the testing phase.”
    • “I often find myself laughing even after dying.”
    • “The horrendous models, lack of motion, and awful, cringeworthy dialogue had me laughing out loud more than once.”
  • grinding24 mentions

    The grinding aspect of the game is widely criticized for being tedious, repetitive, and unfun, with many players expressing frustration over poorly designed levels that lack engaging challenges and checkpoints. Reviewers note that the gameplay often feels slow and drawn out, detracting from the overall experience and making it a chore rather than an enjoyable endeavor. Overall, the grinding mechanics contribute significantly to a sense of boredom and disappointment in the game's design.

    • “It's just tedious and annoying.”
    • “Poorly designed, tedious, annoying, and overall, just unfun.”
    • “I really wanted this game to succeed but the overall gameplay is just boring and tedious.”
  • monetization12 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many reviewers labeling it a cash grab that capitalizes on nostalgia rather than delivering a quality experience. The game's marketing and advertising strategies have been described as tone-deaf and misleading, contributing to a negative perception among players, particularly those who backed it on Kickstarter. Overall, the monetization approach has overshadowed the game's merits, leading to disappointment and backlash from the community.

    • “It's not a fun game, but rather a cash grab from a desperate game designer who could have made a masterpiece, but instead churned out this mess.”
    • “A game that's cursed by its name, Mighty No. 9 hit the market (late) amidst a cloud of negative perceptions; people didn't like the change in art style, delays in production, and a horribly tone-deaf advertising campaign.”
    • “This is just a sad cash grab from someone that might have been better off staying retired.”
  • atmosphere7 mentions

    The atmosphere of the game has received mixed reviews, with many users noting a lack of depth and engaging storytelling, leading to a repetitive experience across levels. While some appreciate the calming charm of the cutscenes and the music's pacing, others criticize the overall graphics and voice acting for failing to enhance the game's atmosphere. Overall, the game struggles to create a compelling environment, often feeling more like a cash grab than a fully realized experience.

    • “Unlike the uber-atmospheric music of Skyrim, these were themes I would actually like to hear outside of the game.”
    • “The graphics are nothing great, but I find charm in the way that the cutscenes unfold with the looping animations; it has a very calming atmosphere to it for me.”
    • “This game is lacking in so many levels: music, graphics, atmosphere, level design... the only thing the game is good at is making you feel like this project is only alive to squeeze out some money from the pockets of old Mega Man fans.”
    • “The atmosphere really has no depth, which ends up making each level kind of feel the same.”
    • “The music is good and helps create pacing, but the voice actors, with the exception of Steve Blum, fail to keep the atmosphere or action at the proper pacing with bad delivery.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

47% average critic score

Buy Mighty No. 9

Play time

5hMedian play time
5hAverage play time
3-9hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 5 analyzed playthroughs

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