Mighty No. 9

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Mighty No. 9
Mighty No. 9 cover art.jpg
Developer(s) Comcept
Inti Creates
Publisher(s) Deep Silver
Director(s) Koji Imaeda
Producer(s) Keiji Inafune
Designer(s) Naoya Tomita
Artist(s) Takenori Kimoto
Composer(s) Manami Matsumae
Ippo Yamada
Takashi Tateishi
Engine Unreal Engine 3[1]
Platform(s) Linux
Microsoft Windows
Nintendo 3DS
OS X
PlayStation 3
PlayStation 4
PlayStation Vita
Wii U
Xbox 360
Xbox One
Release date(s)
  • NA September 15, 2015
  • WW September 18, 2015
Genre(s) Action, platform
Mode(s) Single-player, multiplayer

Mighty No. 9 (マイティーナンバーナイン?) is an upcoming action-platform video game in development by Comcept, in conjunction with Inti Creates, published by Deep Silver, and produced by Keiji Inafune. The creation of the game was based on the online crowdfunding website, Kickstarter,[2] and incorporates heavy input from the public. Mighty No. 9 very closely resembles another Inafune creation, Mega Man, in both gameplay and character design, and is considered by many as its spiritual successor.

The minimum Kickstarter goal for Mighty No. 9 was successfully funded on September 2, 2013, after only two days of the creation of the page.[2] However, several other features including additional stages, special modes and ports to other platforms were confirmed after additional "stretch goals" related to it were achieved, increasing the total funds obtained to over 400% of the original goal.

The game is in development for Linux, Microsoft Windows, Nintendo 3DS, OS X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. Abstraction Games and Engine Software[3] assisted with development, porting the game onto the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita.[4]

Gameplay[edit]

Gameplay in Mighty No. 9 is focused on 2D platforming with a blend of 2D and 3D artwork and animation. Players control a robot named Beck, who is able to run, jump and shoot projectiles at enemies he encounters. Furthermore, the player will be able to acquire both weapons and abilities from enemies they defeat. The game will feature an intro level followed by the eight main stages, 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.[2] A final set of stages 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 a dash, which can used to move quickly and cross large gaps. Upon weakening enemies by shooting them, Beck can dash through them in order to absorb a substance known as Xel (pronounced "Cel"). Absorbing Xel from enemies will grant Beck temporary enhancements, such as increased power or speed. By defeating bosses, Beck can obtain new transformation forms, giving him new abilities such as magnetic limbs.[2][5][6] Conversely, Call can't absorb Xel but can dash further than Beck and can use a shield that reflects projectiles and jetboots that slow her fall.[7]

Plot[edit]

A concept art of Beck

Mighty No. 9 stars an android named Beck, the ninth unit in a set of combat robots called the Mighty Numbers. At some point a form of computer virus attacks the rest of his fellow units, as well as machines around the world. The player, as Beck, must fight the rogue robots and discover the villain who threatens the fate of the planet.[2] Alongside Beck is his partner, Call. Comcept previously held a fan opinion poll in order to determine the most popular mockup design for Call. As a result, concept design "F" was selected as the base design for the character. According to the Kickstarter's FAQ, the name Beck was chosen as "his creator wanted him to have a human name, unlike his peers", and also because it fit his partner's name as well (as in "Beck and Call").[2]

There are three scientists involved in the story, each with a specific part to play:[8] Dr. White, the robotics designer who created Beck and the rest of the Mighty Numbers; Dr. Blackwell, the inventor of "Xel" technology that provides the basis for the Mighty Number and all robots in the game; and Dr. Sanda, who also works in "Xel" technology and has created Call but plays an otherwise unknown role at this point. Designers from Inti Creates as well as Comcept are both working on the designs of the characters in the game and have noted that "each [character is] intended to have his [or her] own unique look" within the art design.[8]

Development[edit]

Mighty No. 9 was announced in a conference at the 2013 Penny Arcade Expo by Inafune and his team.[9] The Kickstarter campaign for the project launched on August 31, 2013 and met its $900,000 USD target only two days later, on September 2.[2][10]

8-4, a localization company, is working on Japanese-to-English translation work for the project in addition to consulting and PR work.[11] 2 Player Productions is producing a four-part documentary series as the game develops, detailing every aspect that has gone into the creation of the game as well as providing developer commentary from Inafune and his team.[2]

Inafune has promised to provide "unprecedented access to seeing [his] team at work" over the development cycle of the Mighty No. 9. In the video promoting the Kickstarter, Inafune stated that he wanted to make the project one where he could get the fans involved, following the cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3 which similarly sought to get fans involved with the game's development process.[2]

On September 4, 2013, it was announced that the two mystery stretch goals that were previously announced were to be pushed back in favor of attempting to release the game on consoles quickly.[12] The mystery goals were still retained, and later revealed once funding reached the $2,200,000 goal and beyond. As each particular stretch goal was attained during the month of September, additional stretch goals were announced, pushing the final goal to the $4,000,000 mark.[13] The first of the documentary series by 2 Player Productions was released on September 26.[14]

The nine designs of Call used for the poll

An opinion poll was launched on September 27 to choose the design of Call, Beck's partner. The poll asks voters to choose among nine design choices labelled from A to I, all drawn by members of both Inti Creates and Comcept. The poll was closed and the result was posted on the evening of October 1, with designs E, F and H winning out.[15]

Ex-Capcom composer, Takashi Tateishi (who had previously done work for Mega Man 2), was revealed to have signed on to the Mighty No. 9 project on September 30.[16] He is joined by fellow composers such as Inti Creates' Ippo Yamada and the previously announced Manami Matsumae to produce the music and sound for the game. The same day, the game's use of the Unreal Engine was confirmed.[17]

The pledging campaign ended on October 1, 2013, raising $3,845,170 in total and becoming the then sixth most funded project in Kickstarter history (as of July 2014, it is eighth). An additional $201,409 obtained via PayPal increased the total money collected to $4,046,579, contributing to the achievement of all the stretch goals announced.

In an interview published in an issue of Game Informer, Inafune revealed he would not rule out Capcom, his former employer, as a potential publisher for the game, even if it meant re-skinning Mighty No. 9 as an actual Mega Man game. However, he added that he would only negotiate with Capcom if "they had the best terms".[18] An official website for the game was launched on November 21, 2013, alongside a backer exclusive forum.[19] On March 19, 2014, a development trailer was shown at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco, California.[20]

On 6 July 2014, there was another crowd funding campaign for bonus content. The first stretch goal is to raise $200,000 for full English voice acting in the game.[21]

On 30 October 2014, Comcept asked via their kickstarter page for an additional $198,000 to complete a DLC stage introducing Beck's rival: Ray.[22]

Funding[edit]

Kickstarter goals Funds required
(in U.S. dollars)		 Status achieved
in 2013
Project for Microsoft Windows greenlit $900,000 September 2
Two additional stages $1,200,000 September 3
Ports for Mac OS and Linux $1,350,000 September 3
New Game Plus and Turbo Modes $1,500,000 September 4
Production of a "Making of" video documentary $1,750,000 September 6
Bonus Boss Rush Mode $2,000,000 September 11
Ports for PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and Wii U $2,200,000 September 16
Challenge Mode $2,400,000 September 22
Extra end stage and boss $2,550,000 September 25
Beck and Call Co-op Challenge Mode $2,750,000 September 26
Intro stage and boss $2,900,000 September 28
Support character $3,100,000 September 29
Ports for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One $3,300,000 September 30
Ports for Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita $3,500,000 October 1
Single-player Call stage and boss $3,700,000 October 1
Optional retro-style soundtrack and special effects $3,800,000 October 1
Online Battle Race Mode $4,000,000 October 1

Release[edit]

Digital copies of the game were guaranteed to those who pledged $20 on kickstarter at release. An additional game manual, artbook/strategy guide, and the original soundtrack were guaranteed to those who pledged $40 at release. Physical copies of the aforementioned rewards packaged inside a box adorned with art of the backer's choosing, alongside a playable golden version of Beck were available to those who pledged $60. Further donations were given access to special items like extra bonus content or exclusive merchandise along access to beta versions and other collaborations with the game's development. Backers who donated at least $10,000 USD earned the right to attend a dinner with Keiji Inafune.[2]

The game originally was in development exclusively for Microsoft Windows, but ports for OS X, Linux, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita were confirmed after the funding reached previously established stretch goals related to it.[23][24] In regards to the Nintendo 3DS release, the co-founder and director of Renegade Kid, Jools Watsham, has publicly offered to assist in development.[25][26] However, Comcept had since confirmed that it officially arranged to work with Abstraction Games on both portable versions of Mighty No. 9.[4]

An additional copy of Mighty No. 9 will be available to purchase as physical distribution, along with a backer's digital version. The physical copy is manifested in one of two forms of the backer's choice. The first is a DVD-ROM adorned with the game's illustration, available after the addition of $26 to the minimum pledge. The second is a USB flash drive also adorning the game's illustration, but molded in the appearance of either a Nintendo Entertainment System or Family Computer cartridge, available after the addition of $36 to the minimum pledge.[27][28] The game was originally scheduled to be released in April 2015.[29] However, on April 28, 2015, Comcept announced that the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U and the PC version of the game will be released in September 15, 2015 in the Americas and September 18 worldwide, for both public retail and download (Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions will not have a physical release however), so as to allow the company to take further time and resources to polish the game and to add Japanese and French voice-overs. The Vita and 3DS versions will be released at a later date. They also announced that they had partnered with Deep Silver to distribute the retail version of the game.[30]

Franchising[edit]

In a February 2014 interview with Polygon, Inafune expressed his interest in developing a larger meta-franchise for Mighty No. 9 beyond the release of the game, including a possible live action movie. Other adaptions included a "comic book, manga, anime, movie, TV drama series" among others. In discussion with Polygon, he stated that "it's not actually a 100 percent set deal yet," and that "it is something we are looking forward to and considering the possibilities of". In regards to a production company for the movie, he mentioned collaboration with Contradiction Studios as a possibility.[31] Tim Carter, a Contradictions film writer and producer, revealed that his company was working on the film adaptation and that he had been in talks with Inafune.[32]

On July 7, 2015, it was announced that Legendary Pictures and Comcept would collaborate to make a Mighty No. 9 feature film.[33]

At Anime Expo 2014, an animated series based on the game was announced by Keiji Inafune, with animations created by Tokyo-based Digital Frontier.[34] The series is scheduled for release in Q2 2016.[35]

Keiji Inafune's next game, Red Ash: The Indelible Legend will share many similarities with Mighty No. 9, including the characters Beck and Call.[36]

Reception[edit]

Pre-release[edit]

Mighty No. 9's concept has been widely acclaimed for its return to the genre of Mega Man-styled games, going against the neglect of IP-holder Capcom to that franchise.[37][38][39] The game has been noted as one of the first crowd-funded video game projects launched in Japan, and has been praised for its candor of production to the public.[40]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Comcept USA. "THE FINAL DAY IS NIGH!". Kickstarter. Retrieved 30 September 2013. 
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Comcept USA (31 August 2013). "Mighty No. 9". Retrieved 1 September 2013. 
  3. ^ Robert Ward (26 June 2014). "Mighty No. 9 Producer On Call's Co-Op And Saving Robots Instead Of Trashing Them". Siliconera. Retrieved 7 July 2015. 
  4. ^ a b Whitehead, Thomas (2013-09-27). "Mighty No. 9 Sets an Ambitious 3DS Stretch Goal". Nintendo Life. Retrieved 2013-09-30. 
  5. ^ Goldfarb, Andrew. "PAX: Mega Man Creator Announces Mighty No. 9". IGN. Retrieved 1 September 2013. 
  6. ^ "Inafune: Mighty No. 9 Is "A Mix Of All The Sort Of Games I’ve Developed"". Siliconera. 
  7. ^ http://www.siliconera.com/2015/06/23/mighty-no-9s-call-adds-defensive-thoughtful-gameplay/
  8. ^ a b Comcept USA. "COMCEPT CONCEPT WEDNESDAYS: Three New Characters & Our Mascot Plushie!". Kickstarter. Retrieved 26 September 2013. 
  9. ^ Mallory, Jordan. "Keiji Inafune's 'The Mighty No. 9' hits Kickstarter". Joystiq. Retrieved 1 September 2013. 
  10. ^ "Mighty No. 9 by Mega Man Creators Meets Kickstarter Goal". Anime News Network. Retrieved 3 September 2013. 
  11. ^ Byford, Sam. "'Mega Man' spiritual successor coming to PS4 and Xbox One after smashing Kickstarter goal". The Verge. Retrieved 5 October 2013. 
  12. ^ Comcept USA. "$1.5 MILLION! NEW GAME PLUS & TURBO MODE ARE GO! AND BIIIIG STRETCH GOAL NEWS!". Kickstarter. Retrieved 30 August 2014. 
  13. ^ Comcept USA. "MIGHTY BOSS MONDAYS: Making Mighty No. 1 and BIG STRETCH GOAL UPDATE!". Kickstarter. Retrieved 4 September 2013. 
  14. ^ Reeves, Ben. "2 Player Productions Releases First Documentary Episode". GameInformer. Retrieved 5 October 2013. 
  15. ^ Comcept USA. "CALL OUT THE VOTE". Kickstarter. Retrieved 28 September 2013. 
  16. ^ Comcept. "SPECIAL SUNDAY UPDATE: MIGHTY GOOD MIGHTY SOUNDTRACK NEWS!". Kickstarter. Retrieved 30 September 2013. 
  17. ^ Comcept. "THE FINAL DAY IS NIGH!". Kickstarter. Retrieved 1 October 2013. 
  18. ^ "RawmeatCowboy" (2013-10-09). "Inafune would consider letting Capcom publish Mighty No. 9, talks about replacing Beck with Mega Man". GoNintendo. Retrieved 2013-11-10. 
  19. ^ "THE OFFICIAL MIGHTY NO. 9 COMMUNITY SITE IS OPEN!!". Mighty No 9. Official Site. Retrieved 24 November 2013. 
  20. ^ "Mighty No. 9 Video from the Game Developers Conference". The Mega Man Network. Retrieved 20 March 2014. 
  21. ^ ""Mighty No. 9" Gets Animated Series, Crowd-Funds for Bonus Content". Retrieved 7 July 2014. 
  22. ^ "COMMUNI-RAY, er DAY: MIGHTY HALLOWEEN! — Kickstarter". 
  23. ^ Chieng, Kevin. "Mega Man Creator Keiji Inafune Announces Mighty No. 9 [Update]". GameTrailers. Retrieved 1 September 2013. 
  24. ^ "Mighty No.9 confirmed for PS4, Xbox One, PS Vita, and 3DS". Gematsu. 2013-10-01. 
  25. ^ Watts, Martin. "Jools Watsham Offers to Help Create a 3DS Version of Mighty No. 9". NintendoLife. Retrieved 3 September 2013. 
  26. ^ Ishaan. "Developers Express Interest In The Mighty No. 9 For Nintendo 3DS". Siliconera. Retrieved 4 September 2013. 
  27. ^ Comcept. "SPECIAL FINAL TGIF UPDATE: PHYSICAL VERSIONS OF MIGHTY NO. 9! VITA & 3DS STRETCH GOAL! AND MightyCast No. 4!". Kickstarter. Retrieved 28 September 2013. 
  28. ^ "A Mighty Mid-Spring Update". Mightyno9.com. Retrieved 22 April 2015. 
  29. ^ Carter, Chris (April 28, 2015). "Mighty No. 9 will launch later than anticipated, in September". Destructoid. Retrieved April 28, 2015. 
  30. ^ Futter, Mike (April 28, 2015). "Mighty No. 9 Headed For Retail And Digital Release In September". Game Informer. Retrieved April 28, 2015. 
  31. ^ Mahardy, Mike. "Inafune to Turn Mighty No. 9 Into a Multimedia Franchise". IGN. Retrieved 10 February 2014. 
  32. ^ "EP LIVE WITH TIM CARTER!". EP Daily. Retrieved 10 February 2014. 
  33. ^ http://uk.ign.com/articles/2015/07/07/live-action-mighty-no-9-movie-announced-for-digital-platforms
  34. ^ "Mighty No. 9 Gets CG-Animated Series". Anime News Network. 2014-07-06. 
  35. ^ "Mighty No. 9 animated series announced". Nintendo Everything. 2014-07-05. 
  36. ^ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mightyno9/red-ash-the-indelible-legend
  37. ^ Plunkett, Luke. "Capcom Abandoned Mega Man. You Saved Him.". Kotaku. Retrieved 5 October 2013. 
  38. ^ Williams, Caz. "[PAX] Keiji Inafune Flips Capcom The Bird With Mighty No. 9!". ScrewAttack. Retrieved 5 October 2013. 
  39. ^ Seitz, Dan. "Why Capcom Won’t ‘Learn’ From ‘Mighty No. 9′". Uproxx. Retrieved 5 October 2013. 
  40. ^ Parish, Jeremy. "TGS: Mighty No. 9, the "First McDonald's in Japan" of Games". US Gamer. Retrieved 5 October 2013. 

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