Mighty No. 9 is a 2016 action platform video game developed by Comcept, in conjunction with Inti Creates, and published by Deep Silver. The game was crowdfunded through Kickstarter and incorporated heavy input from the public. Mighty No. 9 closely resembles the early Mega Man series in both gameplay and character design, on which project lead Keiji Inafune worked, and is considered a spiritual successor.
The minimum Kickstarter goal for Mighty No. 9 was successfully funded after two days of the launch of the campaign in September 2013. However, several other features including additional stages, special modes and ports to other platforms were announced after additional "stretch goals" related to it were achieved, increasing the total funds obtained to over 400% of the original goal. The game was originally scheduled to be released in April 2015, but was delayed multiple times until it was eventually released for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One in June 2016, with Linux and OS X ports released in August 2016, with planned versions for the PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS never surfacing.
Mighty No. 9 was highly anticipated after it was announced, but lengthy delays and Comcept's decision to fund another project, Red Ash: The Indelible Legend, through Kickstarter were met with accusations of mismanagement. The game received mixed to negative reviews from critics upon launch, with criticism being directed towards the game's design, graphics, lack of content, voice acting, story, and technical performance on home console platforms.
Gameplay
Mighty No. 9 is focused on 2D platforming with a blend of 2D and 3D artwork and animation. Players control a robot named Beck (Mighty No. 9), who is able to run, jump, and shoot projectiles at enemies he encounters. Furthermore, the player is able to acquire both weapons and abilities from enemies they defeat. The game features an intro level followed by the eight main levels, which are freely chosen in any order by the player. At the end of each stage, Beck must face one of the other eight "Mighty" units in a boss battle. A final set of levels are unlocked at the end of the game, leading up to the final showdown. An additional level starring Beck's partner, Call, is also available at some point.
In addition to jumping and shooting, Beck's main ability is what the game calls "AcXelerate" (pronounced like "accelerate"), which can be used to move quickly and cross large gaps. Upon weakening enemies by shooting them, Beck can AcXelerate through them in order to absorb a substance known as Xel (pronounced "Cel"). Absorbing Xel from enemies grants Beck temporary enhancements, which are increased power for his attacks and the ability to shoot through walls (red), increased speed that allows Beck to run faster (green), and increased resistance to damage (yellow). There are also enemies that when weakened, turn blue. These enemies will refill your AcXel Recover 1 (AcXel Recover 2 is filled only at "Patch" checkpoints), which can be used to heal Beck. By defeating bosses, Beck can obtain new transformation forms, giving him new abilities such as magnetic limbs that can be used in various ways to deal with the enemies as well as traversing the levels. Conversely, Call can't absorb Xel but can boost further than Beck and can use "Patch service bot" that can activate a shield that reflects projectiles and slows her fall.
Raychel's (DLC) gameplay is also largely similar to Beck's gameplay, but with a few notable differences. Her default attack is a melee attack. She will instantly absorb any enemy whose health becomes too low (even if it isn't destabilized) to finish it off. Her counterpart to Beck's AcXelerate doubles as an attack and bounces off an enemy if they are not absorbed. Her health operates similarly to the way boss health works. She also earns different powers than Beck called "Variation Codes" from the bosses she defeats. The layouts of certain stages are altered to reflect this.
Plot
Mighty No. 9 centers around an android named Beck (Yuri Lowenthal / Ayumu Murase), the ninth unit in a set of advanced combat and utility robots called the Mighty Numbers. A computer virus unleashed by a mysterious hacker suddenly corrupt the programming of the eight previous Mighty Numbers and hundreds of other machines across the world, causing them to turn on their human creators. The player, as Beck, must eliminate the other Mighty Numbers and uncover the identity of the villain who threatens the fate of the planet. Alongside Beck is his partner, Call (Julie Nathanson / M.A.O).