ID@Xbox Spotlight: Classic Platform-Shooting Returns in Mighty No. 9

One of the first successful Japanese crowdfunded video games, Mighty No. 9 is an incredibly exciting proposition for those who appreciate the classic era of platforming games. Designed by Keiji Inafune – the man behind the iconic Mega Man series – Mighty No. 9 brings Inafune’s decades of expertise and boundless imagination to a new generation of gamers.

In the game, players take on the role of Beck, the ninth in a series of combat androids called “Mighty Numbers,” which have been given powerful abilities to help bring security and stability to their world. The problem is that the other eight Mighty Numbers – along with tons of other, lesser combat droids – have been infected with a virus that has turned them against the good guys and set them on an evil path. It’s up to Beck and his female counterpart Call to navigate through some tricky levels, blast their way through some tough baddies, and take down the evil forces behind the viral outbreak.

As Beck progresses through Mighty No. 9, he can assimilate his defeated opponents’ powers, and then use these powers to reach new areas or more easily bypass tough obstacles in later levels. For example, defeating an enemy who has heavy armor may allow Beck to transform into a tank, allowing him to traverse spikes with no damage. Or, defeating an enemy with many limbs may allow Beck to add new ones to his own body, making it possible to climb to formerly inaccessible areas.

And this isn’t just the result of killing bosses, either: Beck can assimilate skills and forms from regular enemies and mini-bosses, too. Since the levels can be played in any order (with the exception of the very last one), this means that Mighty No. 9 has many different possible paths to victory, and players may wish to retrace their steps through previously completed levels once they’ve gained new powers, to see if they can reach any new, secret areas.

Although it uses some 3D textures, Mighty No. 9 is, at its core, a classic 2D platformer that incorporates modern techniques into an immediately recognizable, old-school style. Fans of platformers from yesteryear, as well as folks who love today’s sidescrollers, will find plenty to dig into here. Moreover, the team behind the game has added new campaigns, audiovisual content, and side missions throughout the development process, thanks to continued funding from its very dedicated community of fans.

So, whether you’re new to sidescrolling shooters or you’re a die-hard fan of the old-school ways of robotic destruction, you ought to be excited for Mighty No. 9. This is a classic design fused with modern techniques, and it will bring the best of both world to your Xbox One later this year via ID@Xbox.