Get Equipped with Mighty No. 9

When I was a kid, I played a lot of Mega Man. I had a dark blue winter jacket with ribbed sleeves, and sometimes at recess I would subtly tuck my left hand in the sleeve and that would be my Mega Buster, and I'd play Mega Man on the school playground. With everything else on Nintendo, I think I connected with Mega Man the most. Something about the character designs throughout the series immediately grabbed me.

Today at PAX Prime, Mega Man's creator, Keiji Inafune, announced a new game, funded through Kickstarter, that carries his classic game's legacy: Mighty No. 9. I could barely contain my excitement at the announcement; that's not true, I screamed and flailed my arms like an idiot. It was as if this project was not being presented to me, but to my inner child directly.

The project promotion video begins clearly intended to touch on nostalgia, opening with an upward pan of a glossy skyscraper. The camera finds Mr. Inafune, dressed in blue, ready to make his pitch. Continue with a discussion over classic Famicom games in a Super Potato game store; fans voicing their desire for a game that feels like what they know, but still offers something new and fresh. It is the tender/flaky pie crust of the video game culture. The video continues with images of a girl in a red dress walking a fluffy pink poodle, a visual study of humanity's relation to machines, metal, concrete, and electricity. Finally, a reveal of the main character, Beck, going from clay sculpture and pencil sketch to full-color digital art.

Mega Man fans have endured hard times, their old favorite getting watered down by bland annualized sequels and spin offs. Mr. Inafune knows this, and he knows that he carries the fans' passion and goodwill. By letting Mega Man go and presenting a new, very similar character, I hope this represents him retaking control of the vision. Mighty No. 9, as a fan-focused outreach, carries the hallmark of a passion project. I believe in Keiji Inafune when he has a passion project. I believe he can be Mighty.

What I'm playing:

-Main Campaign: Mega Man 2, Divekick!

-Side Quest: Don't Starve, Secret Ponchos, Incognita

Future-Now: The Running Man

I'm watching The Running Man again. That is, as of this writing, the credits have just rolled. I've also had a couple drinks, and this is the sort of post that happens when I drink and watch old favorites.

I'm not sure why I like The Running Man so much. It's not very well filmed. The script isn't good. The scenery is flat. It's fairly cheesy sci-fi all around. It plays like the most typical fare in the Schwarzenegger stable, with all of his usual punch lines.

Today, 25 years after release, The Running Man also seems surprisingly prescient.