Mighty No. 9 is a 2016 action platform video game created by Comcept and Inti Creates, with Deep Silver as the publisher. The game was funded by many people through Kickstarter, and the public helped shape its development. Mighty No. 9 plays and looks similar to the early Mega Man series, which project leader Keiji Inafune worked on. It is considered a spiritual successor to that series.

The minimum funding goal for Mighty No. 9 was reached within two days of the Kickstarter campaign starting in September 2013. Additional features, such as more levels, special game modes, and support for other platforms, were added after more funding goals were met. This increased the total money raised to over four times the original goal. The game was first planned to release in April 2015 but faced multiple delays. It was finally released in June 2016 for PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Windows, Xbox 360, and Xbox One. Linux and OS X versions came out in August 2016. Plans for versions on PlayStation Vita and Nintendo 3DS were never completed.

Mighty No. 9 was highly expected after its announcement. However, long delays and Comcept’s decision to fund another game, Red Ash: The Indelible Legend, through Kickstarter led to criticism about poor management. Upon release, the game received mixed or negative reviews from critics. Complaints included issues with game design, graphics, limited content, voice acting, story, and technical problems on home console platforms.

Gameplay

Mighty No. 9 is a game that focuses on 2D platforming, combining 2D and 3D artwork and animation. Players control a robot named Beck (Mighty No. 9), who can run, jump, and shoot projectiles at enemies. Players can also collect weapons and abilities from enemies they defeat. The game begins with an intro level, followed by eight main levels that players can choose to play in any order. After completing each level, Beck must fight one of the other eight "Mighty" units in a boss battle. After finishing the main game, additional levels are unlocked that lead to the final showdown. There is also a special level featuring Beck’s partner, Call, which becomes available later in the game.

In addition to jumping and shooting, Beck’s main ability is called "AcXelerate" (pronounced like "accelerate"). This ability lets him move quickly to cross large gaps. When enemies are weakened by shooting, Beck can use AcXelerate to pass through them and absorb a substance called Xel (pronounced "Cel"). Absorbing Xel gives Beck temporary boosts, such as stronger attacks, the ability to shoot through walls (red), faster movement (green), and greater resistance to damage (yellow). Some enemies turn blue when weakened, and defeating them restores a resource called AcXel Recover 1 (AcXel Recover 2 is only restored at "Patch" checkpoints), which can heal Beck. By defeating bosses, Beck gains new transformation forms that provide unique abilities, such as magnetic limbs for attacking enemies and moving through levels. Call, Beck’s partner, cannot absorb Xel but can jump farther than Beck. She also uses a "Patch service bot" that creates a shield to reflect projectiles and slow her fall.

Raychel’s (DLC) gameplay is similar to Beck’s, but with differences. Her default attack is a melee strike. She automatically absorbs enemies whose health drops too low, even if they are not weakened. Her version of AcXelerate acts as both an attack and a bounce if the enemy is not absorbed. Raychel’s health works like boss health. She gains unique powers called "Variation Codes" from defeating bosses, and some levels are redesigned to match these changes.

Plot

Mighty No. 9 is a video game about an android named Beck (voiced by Yuri Lowenthal and Ayumu Murase), who is the ninth in a series of advanced robots called the Mighty Numbers. A computer virus created by an unknown hacker causes the first eight Mighty Numbers and many other machines worldwide to malfunction and attack their human creators. As Beck, the player must defeat the other Mighty Numbers and discover the identity of the villain threatening Earth. Beck is aided by his partner, Call (voiced by Julie Nathanson and M.A.O).

The game begins with a sudden global robot uprising. Beck is one of the few robots unaffected by the virus. He is assigned by Dr. White, the main creator of the Mighty Numbers, to locate and help his malfunctioning siblings. Beck has a special ability to take "Xels" (data parts) from damaged robots. By collecting Xels, Beck can restore the personalities of the affected Mighty Numbers and send information to Dr. White. He also works with Dr. Sanda, Dr. White’s clumsy colleague, and Call to investigate the cause of the robots’ violent behavior. Gregory Graham, president of Cherry Dynamics (the world’s largest robot manufacturer), denies responsibility for the crisis and blames Dr. Blackwell, a former mentor of Dr. White who is imprisoned in a maximum-security facility.

As Beck helps his siblings, Dr. White finds traces of code from his abandoned project, "Trinity," a robot capable of learning and growing by absorbing other robots. Since Trinity was funded by Cherry Dynamics, Dr. White visits Graham while Call and Dr. Sanda investigate Blackwell. During their mission, Call questions why Dr. White designed Beck as a battle robot instead of a peace symbol. They learn that Graham’s attempt to copy Trinity’s design for military use caused the uprising. Trinity can control and assimilate other robots, making her a danger to humanity. Blackwell, who understood this risk, forced Dr. White to shut down the project, leading to his imprisonment and Graham’s control over White.

Dr. White confronts Graham about restarting Trinity, but Graham denies responsibility. White reflects on how he used lessons from Trinity to create Beck, who avoids combat unlike Trinity. Graham then reveals that White is Blackwell’s illegitimate son, Bill.

As Beck stops Trinity’s plan to wage war on humanity, she grows powerful enough to assimilate non-robot objects. Beck, the only robot immune to her control, defeats her alone. He restores Trinity to her original form, and with the help of the other Mighty Numbers, they escape.

A post-game scene shows Trinity becoming friends with the Mighty Numbers, Dr. White giving her a proper body, and Beck participating in a fighting tournament to improve his skills.

In a post-credits scene, Dr. White visits Blackwell in prison to share news of Trinity’s change of heart and proposes a new method to help robots grow responsibly. Blackwell dismisses the idea, calling White "Bill," and refuses to believe in his success. White vows to prove his critics wrong. As the screen fades, Blackwell says only time will reveal whether Beck is a help or a threat.

Development

In 2013, Keiji Inafune and his team announced Mighty No. 9 at the Penny Arcade Expo. The Kickstarter campaign for the game began on August 31, 2013, and reached its goal of US$900,000 just two days later, on September 2. A company called 8-4 handled the Japanese-to-English translation, as well as public relations and consulting work for the project. 2 Player Productions created a four-part documentary series during the game’s development, showing details about the game’s creation and including comments from Inafune and his team.

Mighty No. 9 was praised for bringing back the style of Mega Man games, which Capcom, the owner of the Mega Man franchise, had not developed in a long time. The game was one of the first video games in Japan to be funded by the public through a Kickstarter campaign.

Inafune promised fans would see his team working on the game throughout development. In a Kickstarter video, he said he wanted to involve fans, similar to his earlier project, Mega Man Legends 3, which was also canceled. On September 4, 2013, the team decided to focus on releasing the game on consoles quickly instead of working on two mystery stretch goals. These goals were later completed when funding reached US$2,200,000 and beyond. Additional goals were added each time a stretch goal was met, raising the final target to US$4,000,000. The first documentary by 2 Player Productions was released on September 26.

On September 27, a poll was started to choose the design of Call, Beck’s partner. Voters picked from nine options labeled A to I, drawn by members of Inti Creates and Comcept. The poll ended on October 1, with designs E, F, and H winning. The game’s soundtrack was mostly composed by Manami Matsumae, known for Mega Man music, with help from Ippo Yamada. Additional tracks were contributed by Takashi Tateishi, from Mega Man 2, and Masahiro Aoki.

On September 30, 2013, the game’s use of Unreal Engine 3 was confirmed. The Kickstarter campaign ended on October 1, 2013, raising US$3,845,170, making it the sixth most-funded project on Kickstarter at the time. An additional US$201,409 raised through PayPal brought the total to US$4,046,579, achieving all stretch goals. In an interview with Game Informer in October 2013, Inafune said he would consider Capcom, his former employer, as a publisher if they offered the best terms. An official website for the game was launched on November 21, 2013, along with a forum for backers. On March 19, 2014, a development trailer was shown at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco.

In an interview with Polygon in February 2014, Inafune said he wanted to create a larger franchise for Mighty No. 9, including a possible live-action movie, comic book, manga, anime, and TV series. He mentioned working with Contradiction Studios for the movie. In July 2014, a new crowdfunding campaign raised US$200,000 for full English voice acting. On October 30, 2014, Comcept asked for US$198,000 to add a DLC stage featuring Beck’s rival, Ray.

At Anime Expo 2014, an animated series based on the game was announced, created by Digital Frontier. The series was planned to air in early 2016 but did not release. In July 2015, Legendary Pictures and Comcept announced plans to make a Mighty No. 9 movie.

Inafune later revealed a new game, Red Ash: The Indelible Legend, which shared characters with Mighty No. 9. Its Kickstarter campaign failed to meet its US$800,000 goal, raising only US$519,999. However, Chinese company Fuze later funded the project.

Delays in the game’s release and the failure of Red Ash’s campaign led to accusations of poor management and communication. Producer Nick Yu apologized for delays, explaining that multiplayer mode development caused delays. He also said the company needed to fund the game as some employees from Mighty No. 9’s team were jobless.

After a third delay in early 2016, Inafune said the team had no excuse for disappointing fans. Critics said the delays and unmet promises hurt the project’s reputation. A 2016 trailer for the game, called "Masterclass," received harsh criticism, including from Inti Creates’ CEO, who called it "unforgivable."

In June 2017, Comcept said the Nintendo 3DS and PlayStation Vita versions would be released by the end of 2017 but did not deliver them. By 2026, Comcept had shut down, and no updates about the game’s status were provided by Comcept or publisher Deep Silver.

Release

Digital copies of the game were promised to those who donated $20 through Kickstarter when the game was released. Those who donated $40 received the same digital copy, along with an extra game manual, artbook/strategy guide, and original soundtrack. People who donated $60 got a physical copy of the game, which included the digital rewards, placed in a box with artwork chosen by the backer. This box also included a playable golden version of the character Beck. Additional donations gave backers access to special items, such as bonus content, exclusive merchandise, beta versions of the game, and collaborations with the development team. Backers who donated at least $10,000 received an invitation to a dinner with Keiji Inafune.

The game was first planned for Windows only. However, after reaching certain funding goals, the developers confirmed versions for Linux, OS X, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo 3DS, and PlayStation Vita. For the Nintendo 3DS version, Jools Watsham, co-founder and director of Renegade Kid, offered help with development. However, Comcept officially partnered with Abstraction Games for the portable versions. In 2015, Abstraction left the project, and development of the handheld versions shifted to Engine Software. Abstraction later stated they joined the project late and left because of the risks involved.

An extra physical copy of Mighty No. 9 was available for purchase, along with the digital version. The physical copy could be chosen in one of two forms. The first option was a DVD-ROM with the game's artwork, available by adding $26 to the minimum pledge. The second option was a USB flash drive with the game's artwork, shaped like a Nintendo Entertainment System or Family Computer cartridge, available by adding $36 to the minimum pledge.

The game was originally planned to release in April 2015. However, on April 28, 2015, Comcept announced delays, stating that the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Wii U, and Windows versions would release on September 15, 2015 in the Americas and September 18 worldwide. This allowed the team more time to improve the game and add Japanese and French voice-overs. The Vita version would release later. Comcept also partnered with Deep Silver to distribute the retail version.

In August 2015, Comcept announced another delay, pushing the release to the first quarter of 2016 due to unresolved bugs and online feature issues. To thank backers, Comcept provided a four-stage exclusive demo and Steam codes for Mighty Gunvolt. The demo faced delays due to distribution problems. On January 25, 2016, Inafune announced a third delay due to more bugs. The final release date was set for June 21, 2016 in Japan and North America, and June 24, 2016 in PAL regions. Some platforms, like Xbox 360, had additional delays due to technical issues.

During a Twitch livestream, Inafune, through translator Ben Judd, explained that developing the game for multiple platforms was very challenging. He admitted responsibility for the delays and acknowledged the team underestimated the work required. Ben Judd added that the project involved more effort than expected, but he expressed hope for future sequels.

Despite updates to the game's Steam app data on July 21, 2016, the SteamOS and Mac icons were removed on July 28, 2016. These versions launched on August 25, 2016.

Fangamer, the company responsible for fulfilling Kickstarter physical rewards, announced in January 2017 that they could not deliver all materials due to missing assets from Comcept.

On January 5, 2025, Amazon cancelled pre-orders for the 3DS version of the game, nine years after the planned release date.

Reception

The PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One versions of Mighty No. 9 received "mixed or average" reviews, while the Wii U version received "generally unfavorable" reviews, according to Metacritic, a website that collects reviews. After the game was released, Kickstarter backers reportedly received broken codes and rewards that did not match what they expected. Because of the game's many delays, average reception, and communication issues, many backers were disappointed with the final product.

GameSpot gave the game a score of 5 out of 10, stating that Mighty No. 9 is an "average game inspired by the past but with little to offer in the present." IGN gave it a score of 5.6 out of 10, saying the game is "lacking charm" and "fails to entertain despite its famous background." Game Informer reviewer Andrew Reiner scored it 6 out of 10, noting that "much of the content feels reused" and that "the game’s style and energy are not as strong as in earlier versions." The Wii U version also had technical problems. Polygon gave it a score of 5 out of 10, stating that the game "feels like an explanation for why Capcom is no longer making Mega Man games."

Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu gave the game a more positive review, awarding it a score of 30 out of 40.