One element of appeal I completely missed in my Mega Man 9 post was the cost factor. As I said before, I applaud the aesthetic direction Capcom’s taking this one. But I hadn’t really considered what that lo-fi design choice could mean for the bottom line, until I read Chris Kohler’s great piece on Koji Igarashi and the latest installment in the Castlevania franchise.
There’s already quite a bit of negative press surrounding Castlevania Judgement, and with very good reason. How the hell does a head-to-head fighter fit in the Castlevania universe? Symphony of the Night and Rondo of Blood were terrific recent entries in the series, so it’s not like Konami forgot how to make a good vampire-slaying game starring the Belmont clan.
The fighting game approach it just feels like Konami’s blatantly going back to the well to take advantage of die-hard Castlevania fans, and sullying their sturdiest franchise in the process. And it gets so much sadder when you realize Igarashi couldn’t get the budget for a true followup, so the Konami braintrust’s next move is “toe-to-toe brawler.”
And that’s why Capcom’s decision to go 8-bit is so brilliant. Mega Man 9 will feel like a true followup in the series, probably even more so than Mega Man 7 and 8. It can be cranked out by a tiny staff (compared to most current-gen development teams), and delivered via Wiiware for what EA probably spent on snacks on bottled water for the Madden ‘09 build cycle. And, they can bench test a bunch of new, fresh-out-of-school designers before dropping them into more heavy-duty design teams for the next Resident Evil or Lost Planet games.
I hope Konami thinks about taking Castlevania back to its roots in similar fashion. Of course, a new Zombies ate my Neighbors wouldn’t hurt while they’re at it.
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