As rock-hard as ever!
So what's it with mega man this time?! There are some berserk robots on the loose again, and this time the lights are all on dr. Light, who has been accused of using the robots to take over the world. And dr. Wily is all innocent this time.. Mega man is sent out to find the truth about this matter.
So he has to conquer 8 different levels and destroy 8 end level robots. When he beats a robot he gets his (or her!) weapon.
I think this 9th addition to the mega man series is very worthwile. I got the same deja-vu feel of throwing my controller away while falling in the same bottomless pit over and over again... But every time I tried to jump the gap again, and finally made it... That feels so great! The levelbosses are nicely designed, with some easy ones and some very tough ones, but they are not as cool as, for example, metal man, crash man, quick man etc. The soundtrack is good, but not as good as the one of mega man 2, which is still my favourite chapter.
The level design is also very good, with some tough (and I mean tough! Anyone remember the quick man level?) parts to conquer.
My conclusion is: If you are a fan of the mega man series, this is a must buy! It is a great addition, but it is not an evergreen like mega man 2 was (and still is!). I found that game more fun to play, because you didn't have the possibility to buy powerups, and had to do the job on your own. Also, the level design was better and more varied. And the bosses were cooler. ( I have my questions about Jewelman...;-))
If you are new to the series, and like platformgames, you should definitely give it a try. But beware (especially you casual gamers out there): The game is very, very hard, and sometimes frustrating. But once you master the sometimes unforgiving gameplay, it is very rewarding to succeed in the game! Enjoy!