Mega Man 9 will be available for download starting Sept. 22, according to a Capcom press release. Wii owners, via WiiWare, will be first to get the game, while PlayStation Network users can download the game on Sept. 25; the game will release on the Xbox Live Arcade on Oct. 1.

According to an interview with Nintendo Power, Mega Man-creator Keiji Inafune saw the rise of the various digital distribution networks as the best way to release a new Mega Man title. He said that many classic games "[don’t] fit into the grandiose and expansive world that the consumer gaming industry has become" and that a disc-based launch of such a game "would be quickly criticized for things like being simplistic, outdated, or too expensive" unless given a modern touch.

The development team is creating the game using an engine designed to emulate 8-bit platforms in a callback to Mega Man’s history. Players can turn on visual effects like flicker and lag to complete the look-and-feel of a classic Mega Man game. The game’s music and sound will also be styled after earlier entries’ audio.

Mega Man 9 will be the first game to include a female "Robot Master" in the eight to ship with the title. Splash Woman, as she is called, comes with others such as Galaxy Man, Magma Man and Tornado Man.

In celebration of the impending releases, Capcom has released 35 new screenshots and 10 pieces of artwork. You can find some of our favorites below.