The chaos of last week’s Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles is behind us, but we still have a major duty to fulfill: the non-awards!
You see, while most publications will focus on mentioning the games with the best graphics or interesting gameplay, we like to give shout-outs for the sort of stuff that no one else is really bothering with. Some of our non-awards recognize cool moments, some focus on awkward gaffes, and some even complain about donuts.
Welcome to the GamesBeat E3 2015 Non-Award Awards! (Here’s last year’s choices).
What makes a Mega Man game a Mega Man game? Surely, an appearance by some sort of incarnation of the Blue Bomber is mandatory. But after E3, I’m not so sure.
You see, I finally got to play Mighty No. 9, a 2D action-sidescroller from the mind of Keiji Inafune, who was for many years the shepherd of the Mega Man franchise before he left Capcom. His new game, however, is pretty much a new entry in the series in everything but name. You’re playing as a blue, boy-like robot who shoots laser bullets at other robots.
Still, Mighty No. 9 manages to be more than just a spiritual successor. The new hero, Beck, can dash into his enemies to instantly destroy them after they’ve taken a few hits. They makes the gameplay feel faster than it did in the classic Mega Man titles. You’re even rewarded for quickly dashing through multiple enemies with boosts to your attack damage and other stats.
As a big Mega Man fan, I was really happy to see how great Mighty No. 9 is looking. Capcom may not have much interest in making a new game in the series these days, but Inafune’s new project will scratch that mega itch just fine.