Mega Man 11 Demo Live on Switch, Others

Mega Man 11, the hotly anticipated newest entry in the platforming series, is coming out on October 2^nd. Before it releases, however, players will have a chance to play the demo, which is available now on Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and PS4. Fans of the Blue Bomber will have a chance to face off against Block Man at varying difficulties. If you beat him on every difficulty, you’ll even score items to use in-game when the full version releases!

IGN

Welcome Back

Mega Man’s been out of the spotlight for some time. In fact, the previous entry, Mega Man 10, was released all the way back in 2010. Mega Man 10 and Mega Man 9, which were released digitally through online retailers, had old-school style graphics. They were throwback-style games, hearkening to the NES era of Mega Man. Mega Man 11, by contrast, has a very modern, sleek style including voice acting and smooth animations. It’s good to see the blue robot getting back to busting up Robot Masters!

Something Old, Something New

The formula seems to be largely unchanged this time around. You control the title character, navigating blisteringly difficult levels. Each level is themed around its Robot Master, a powerful robot who controls the enemies found in the stage. At the end of the stage, you engage in tense, white-knuckle battles with the Robot Master. Upon defeating them, you’re rewarded with access to their weapon and bragging rights. After defeating all eight of the Robot Master, you take on the villainous Dr. Wily in his lair.

It’s not a complete remake of previous entries, though. This time around, the aesthetics are vibrant, colorful and happy. It’s not a nostalgic indulgence of NES style, unlike Mega Man 9 and 10, excellent though they were. Instead, it’s a nostalgic game due to its attitude and gameplay. Also making their first appearance are the Double Gears. The Double Gear system is a new power-up system that allows Mega Man to perform some unique power moves.

Some Double Gears will allow you to slow down time briefly, and others let you overcharge your Mega Buster. They add a new layer of depth to the old-school Mega Man formula.

Mega Man 11 Releases October 2^nd

The full game will release on October 2^nd on Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch and Windows. The Nintendo Switch special edition version will also include a Mega Man Amiibo! That’s just in time for Super Smash Bros Ultimate, so if you’re a Switch owner this one’s a must-have!