One has to wonder who it is that should be thanked that we are, at long last, getting Mega Man 9.

Could it be God in Heaven above? The money-grubbing suits at Capcom of Japan? Perhaps the passion of Producer Keiji Inafune for the franchise which he helped to establish? Or maybe it's all of the above, but also one other group: The fans.

According to "Slick" Seth Killian of Capcom (nickname mine; ever seen the guy play Street Fighter II with one hand?), when asked if Capcom was taking fan feedback for the game, he stated that "Rather than looking for specific thoughts from fans, I'd have to say this game ITSELF is basically fan-driven. It's pretty clear that without the kind of deep fan love for Mega Man, and Capcom's respect for those feelings, an idea this crazy would have just been laughed out of the room."

So there you have it, folks. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of passion and determination to get what you want. And lucky for us, Capcom seems more receptive to its fans as a whole these days.

Oh, and if you haven't seen it, check out the first footage of the game.