It still amazes us that after all of these years, Capcom made the daring choice to return Mega Man to 8-bit, Nintendo Entertainment System-style glory with Mega Man 9. We spoke with MM9 producer Hironobu Takeshita about the development of what's effectively the first NES game since 1994 (now available on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network, and WiiWare).
1UP: Are gamers readily embracing Mega Man's return to his 8-bit roots?
Hironobu Takeshita: We are very satisfied with the results. We've received many positive comments from fans who have long waited for a new Mega Man and we feel relieved to hear that 8-bit gamers are also happy with MM9.
1UP: Was this game a hard sell for Capcom's decision makers? Did anyone express concerns over how the game would be received?
HT: Management was supportive of the e-distribution idea but not of NES-style graphics. We heard lots of negative responses; they thought it would be better to make it 3D and that the 8-bit style would only appeal to the Mega Man fans, which would limit the sales potential. But we disagreed with this opinion. By sticking to this unique style, we believed that we could attract both Mega Man graduates and NES fans. We had different views, but eventually, management appreciated our spirit and desire to revive the 8-bit style.
1UP: We kind of hoped to see actual NES cartridges produced. We heard rumors that Capcom discussed this very idea, which resulted in a limited run of collectors' edition NES-style boxes. What stopped you?
HT: We all thought that it'd be great to see actual NES cartridge production! We put some serious thought into this, working with the U.S. staff. But fundamental differences in the technology prohibited us from producing cartridges without a program to bridge the NES cartridge and the current technology. This would have grown into a larger issue, so we reluctantly let it go. It was a great idea, however, so we wanted to use it somehow then thought of producing the box and cartridge case. By the way, this idea came out of our U.S. office; we are very thankful to our U.S. staff for this great idea!