Tips for Playing Mighty No. 9

After spending countless months delayed following its KickStarter funding, Mighty No. 9 finally arrived. The latest effort from Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune has a lot in common with the Blue Bomber, but with just enough originality for fans to give it a try. Think you can beat this difficult game? Read our Mighty No. 9 tips before playing.

Mastering the Boost in Mighty No. 9

First up, you’ll want to get the hang of your dash ability. You can figure out how jumping and shooting work in the game, but being able to boost is a vital ability that will keep you alive in certain sections, like getting across gaps or dodging a boss attack.

You can either dash straightforward (in a chained fashion – you can do it more than once), or slide on the ground with a slide dash, which is great for getting across overhead objects in Mighty No. 9, like saw blades and smaller gaps.

In addition, you can use the dash to absorb enemies for their Xel energy, which we’ll cover in more detail below. The tip is making sure they’re stunned first, by shooting them enough times that they become dizzy. From there, you can dash right through these enemies and finish them off.

Boost Tips in Mighty No. 9

Now let’s talk about absorbing Xel. What you’ll want to do is shoot an enemy enough so that you see small color waves surrounding them – they can be a variety of colors, depending on the enemy. For instance, larger shockwave dispensers have a yellow aura, while smaller robots can be green or blue.

This Xel not only lets you defeat the enemy, but also provides Beck, the lead character, to gain special abilities in Mighty No. 9. These can vary across four categories:

Speed: This will give you the ability to run faster through a stage. This is good for players working on a speed run during streaming sessions.

Extra Damage: You’ll gain access to a temporary laser that provides additional firepower. You’ll want to try to pick this up before getting into any boss fights.

Life: If you’re running low on health, you’ll be able to pick up some extra life. Also be on the lookout for health packs.

Defense Boosts: This will provide some extra shielding. Use it wisely, particularly during boss battles.

Keep in mind that the more of an enemy you absorb, the higher percentage you get of the item you pick up. For instance, if you miss hitting them directly, you’ll get about 80 percent, whereas you’ll earn 100 percent of the bonus if you contact them at the right moment of the boost.

You can also earn bonus points by getting more than one enemy at a time. It can be a bit of a challenge if you have multiple foes firing at you, but you can start racking up combos and increasing your score as a result. Give it a try, and don’t be afraid to use that dash ability more than once to get them all.

Mighty No. 9 is available now, so be sure to check it out!

Don’t forget to check out our first look at Mighty No. 9!