While most of Mega Man 9 could have traveled to 1990 without any questions, it does wisely incorporate a few attributes of modern gaming. The first are the challenges, which range from the obscenely obvious ("Clear the game once") to the obscenely difficult ("Clear the game without getting damaged"). By adding a few simple boolean flags into the game, the replayability and fun factor are greatly increased. Completing some of these challenges could take years. Seriously, you want me to clear the entire game without missing a single shot with the Mega Buster?!
Additionally, Capcom made the very wise decision to add a Time Attack mode. A popular activity amongst retro-enthusiasts is the speed-run, in which a gamer attempts to clear a level or entire game in the shortest amount of time possible. Some even make competitions out of it. Mega Man 9 goes ahead and makes it an official part of the game, allowing players to record their best times and rank themselves locally or through online leaderboards. Such current-gen touches are very compatible with and certainly welcome in this old-school romp.
