Mega Man 10's Easy Mode Won't Be That Easy

[Ninjamedic]

I just don't understand this need to make these games as hard as possible. Yes, people like a challenge, but not acts in frustration. I played the early NES Mega Man games and found the difficulty to be challenging but still fun. I played a demo of Mega Man 9 and was turned off rather quickly. I didn't like how the game was making a concerted effort to kill me with hard jumps and platforms that threw me into insta-kill spikes. Just try to make a game that is hard but not to the point of controller smashing frustration.

How do you suggest they make a platformer difficult without including hard jumps?

Second, where did you run into any of that during the demo? There are no platforms that launch you into insta-kill spikes on Concrete Man's stage. There are blocks which you'll fall through, but they're clearly different than the rest. Hard jumps? You'll only find those at the end of the stage and there's a lot of room for error.

Ain't your thing? Fine. But criticize the game for what it is. Speaking as a fan, the difficulty is part of why I play.

And on the whole 8-bit graphics issue: I think of it as an art style. Graphics are so advanced at this point that I see no reason not to use whatever style best suits your work. Since MM9 was meant to ape Mega Man 2, they wanted to signal it was a nostalgia trip by using old graphics. Since MM9 did well, it looks like they're doing 10 in the same style.

Personally, I'd have no problem with better graphics. I'm a weirdo that loved MM7 and MM8 (I think MM7 is one of the best in the series). Sure, MM7's sprites were a little clunky, but I liked their overall style. But you know what? I squealed like a little girl when they announced MM9 was going to be 8-bit. I don't know exactly why, but those simplistic, bug-eyed NES sprites have a charm that'll never wear off on someone like me. Maybe it's a generational thing.

"Good" 3D is only good until the end of a console generation. Good 2D is forever.

I think they went overkill with the jumps and spikes for mm9, probably due to a lack of new ideas. A game's entertainment factor shouldn't rely on difficultly.

 

[Illustro Cado]

But for Mega Man that's part of the draw. Remove the difficulty altogether and there isn't a point.

In actuality, the spikes in MM9 were rather tame. Sure, if you haven't played an MM game in a while I can see how they'd trip you up, but they've done far worse in other MM games. MM2 is a great example; in one of the levels you're falling down a vertical shaft lined with spikes and you've got no way of knowing how, exactly, to position yourself so you can make it through the next screen. Not without trial and error, at least. And don't forget Quick Man's stage.

Also, in MM9, you've got a lot of tools to help you around obstacles like that. Shock Guards are the most obvious. You can carry up to three. You've can use the Concrete Shot to create extra platforms. You can use Rush Jet to get through the sections where you have very little space to jump because of the spikes above you. It was extremely merciful compared to the old NES games.

If it's not your cup of tea, fine. But you can't criticize Mega Man for being Mega Man.

 

[Wargamer]

Megaman is the gaming world's line in the sand. Yes, some games are an absolute *****, but part of the charm of Retro games is their stunningly hard difficulty.

Easy Mode does not belong here.

 

[CK76]

I think all games should have a minimum of three difficulty levels. Nicer if they have five. Games use to be about challenge in arcade days, now many of them have stories we want to see as well. Some people simply do not have time/ability/patience to get good enough to beat games on hard or even normal.

 

[Doctor Professor]

The Dueling Analogs post made me RAGE. So I thought hard about why attitudes like that exist - why people would object to the inclusion of optional accessibility-enhancing settings.

I came up with a pretty good answer. It's too long for a forum, so it's over here:
Status and Signals: Why Hardcore Gamers Are Afraid Of Easy Mode [http://www.pixelpoppers.com/2010/01/status-and-signals-why-hardcore-gamers.html]