Here's to the greatest sequel that I never dreamed would have existed. When you have such a steady stream of releases like the original MegaMan series did, all of them being quality games, you kind of wish the thing would go on forever. As the years piled on after MegaMan 8 though, it seemed like the classic MegaMan series, like so many other other icons from the golden age of gaming, had come to an end.

It's actually weird remembering MegaMan 9 as only being a year old; it does not seem it. Maybe it's the retro graphics, or my own bad perception of time. Or, it could be that, without even existing for a year, MegaMan 9 managed to ingrain itself as a classic in my brain, with a soundtrack and levels that are all too familiar with me now. This is not just a dream game for MegaMan fans, but a dream game for anyone who has played a retro title, and wished that among the big production 3D sequels and remakes that, just a good, solid new entry in their favorite titles of yesteryear would make a comeback.

I remember last summer, I was on vacation with my family, when the news first broke. Many were skeptical; it started as an unsure rumor, with no proof of how or why people thought this title was on the way. Why, after so long, would a company bring back a classic gaming icon, and make a direct sequel to boot? All you see nowandays is spinoffs or remakes; it's like the game companies are not brave enough to put the number at the end in case the game ends up doing terrible. And who should bring the good news, proof with screens and official print, other than Nintendo Power? It was a perfect revival, for both MegaMan and the classic magazine which many old fans had long since given up on. It seemed too amazing to be true, but there it was!

With all the excitement, there was a little worry too. There's some people who think that after seeing MegaMan 1 through 6, with the repeated graphics and gameplay, MegaMan titles grow like money-making apples. What they do not see is all the work that goes into designing something like this, with the enemy designs, music, level layouts, all of which have to fit into that old style and at the same time expand into new territory. While waiting for the release, I worried that the bosses might look terrible, or the music would not be on par. And I'm very happy to say any worry I had was quickly extinguished as soon as I saw those credits for the first time.

With all the boom MegaMan 9 created at its debut, hopefully everyone who would bother to read this blog knows by now how great MegaMan 9 looks, plays, and sounds. I was just excited to hear Capcom is planning to, in some way, celebrate the anniversary of its release today, because it truly deserves it. Capcom should be really proud to have pulled off something that, as far as I know, no other game company has managed to do, by bringing back a classic game series in such a faithful way. Thank you so much!

Awesome Art by SovanJedi