Mega Man 9 Challenge List

This is a guide written out by me, showing how to get all of the challenges in Mega Man 9, in order on how they appear in the game.

Note: I haven't actually gotten all of the challenges in the game myself; there are two more I need to get to complete my list: "Truly Hardcore!" and "Mr. Perfect". But I know how to get both of those, so hopefully, this will still be helpful for those who need the help in this game.

Intro + Inspiration

So, as you can see from the image posing as the cover of this guide, I'm 96% done with the challenge list. But these challenges are legitimately really fun to complete, even though some of them might look very scary and intimidating. The hardest challenge I've completed on this list thus far is "Last Man Standing", but the challenge difficulty varies from person to person, I guess.

The most intimidating challenge is obviously the "Mr. Perfect" challenge, which is to beat the game without getting hit. Good thing that when you save the game, you also save your challenge progress in the game, too. So if you were doing a no death run for the "Invincible" challenge, and you save your game, the game will remember if you died or not, so that's pretty nice. I wish Mega Man 11 could do the same thing, as opposed to doing "1st Play" achievements. But anyways, let's get started!

This guide is almost purely from my own experience of Mega Man 9, and the way that I offer to complete some of these challenges may be pretty subjective to some people, but I hope this guide will help those who need the help! Thanks for reading in advance. Now, let's get started, for real this time!

1. Waltz

Description: Clear the game in 120 minutes or less.

This challenge basically speaks for itself. Just beat the game with less than two hours of game time. You can see your game time whenever you save a game.

Note: Staying in the stage select screen won't increase your game time. As long as you're in a stage, the game timer is active.

2. Tango

Description: Clear the game in 90 minutes or less.

This one also speaks for itself. Just beat the game with an hour and a half of game time or less.

3. Jitterbug

Description: Clear the game in 60 minutes or less.

Another one that's pretty clear. Just beat the game in less than an hour. This shouldn't be a problem if you have a decent amount of experience with the game.

4. Bust A Move

Description: Don't miss with the Mega Buster and clear the game.

This one is easier than it may sound. The ONLY weapon that you cannot miss with is the Mega Buster. That's it. You can miss with ANY other weapon. Just NOT the Mega Buster. When I was getting this challenge, I went after Splash Woman first to get the Laser Trident, and I would ALWAYS have it equipped for the rest of the stages.

Let me define what "missing" with the Mega Buster actually is: It's when you shoot a Mega Buster shot, and it does not deal damage to any enemy. If it flies off the screen, that is considered a miss. If it dings/reflects back off of an enemy, that is also consider a miss. If you shoot a boss while they have i-frames, that is also considered a miss. However, you may shoot the spikes in Wily Stage 1's boss with the Mega Buster, and the game won't invalidate it. Just make sure that none of your shots fly off the screen. I've had that happen to me before, because I wasn't being careful. Also, I don't recommend using autofire AT ALL when trying to complete this challenge for obvious reasons.

5. Headbanging

Description: Defeat 8 bosses without your helmet.

The game is talking about the eight initial bosses. You can do this in the last stage in the Wily Stages, the boss rush. Before you enter the Wily Stages, buy the Book of Hairstyles to remove your helmet. Then play through the Wily Stages without dying, and beat the bosses without dying either. If you die without your helmet, when you respawn, your helmet is back. Also, be careful, as Mega Man takes more damage without his helmet on.

6. Bunny Hop

Description: Clear any stage jumping 50 times or less.

You have to beat any stage in the game, including the boss, without jumping more than 50 times. I did this for Splash Woman's stage.

7. Mr. Trigger Happy

Description: Clear the game with more than 500 Mega Buster shots.

I don't know about you, but I completed this challenge my first time playing the game. Also, autofire is your BEST FRIEND if you want to complete this challenge. This challenge is A LOT easier than it sounds.

8. Double Trouble

Description: Visit all stages twice and clear the game.

When the game says "all stages", it actually only means the initial eight stages. You can revisit stages that you've already beaten, so just do that for all the stages, beat the game, and there you go.

9. Mr. Perfect

Description: Clear the game without getting damaged.

Yes, you have read that correctly. You must do a no damage run of this game. Good thing that you can save your game and the challenges won't get invalidated. I recommend completing ALL of the other challenges before completing this one, to make sure that you have enough practice for the game. I'm gonna complete this challenge soon myself, and I'm pretty confident about it. There are a lot of no damage runs of this game on YouTube already, so you can use those if you need help.

I haven't beaten this game without getting hit yet, so I wouldn't consider myself a reliable source if you want no damage strategies, but I made another guide showing my boss order for this game, as well as the three other games in the Mega Man Legacy Collection 2.

10. Invincible

Description: Clear the game without dying.

E-Tanks, the Spike Guard, Beat, and Eddie are all very useful in completing this challenge. So, yeah, good luck on getting this one.

11. Almost Invincible

Description: Clear the game without continuing.

It basically means beat the game without getting a game over. This shouldn't be too hard if you load up on stuff in the shop.

12. No Coffee Break

Description: Clear the game without using any energy or mystery tanks.

As long as you have decent experience with the game, this shouldn't be so bad. You can pick up energy, and you can use the Shock Guard.

13. Air Shoes

Description: Clear the game without falling into any holes.

Using Beat WILL invalidate this achievement. Also, if you're having trouble, Rush Jet is your BEST FRIEND. And so is Rush Coil.

14. Mega Diet

Description: Clear the game without picking up more than 8 energy pellets.

You have to pick up the energy pellets that the robot masters drop on defeat in the boss rush in order to exit the rooms. The robot master energy pellets will NOT despawn, so you have to go through the entire game without picking up any energy pellets.

In Wily Stage 3, use the Hornet Chaser to move the one energy pellet in the small room out of the way.

15. Encore

Description: Clear 4 stages using the same special weapon.

I used Laser Trident to complete this challenge. I used it for Plug Man, Tornado Man, Galaxy Man, and Concrete Man.

16. Peacekeeper

Description: Clear the game by defeating the fewest number of enemies possible.

So, this is basically a Pacifist run. You can kill enemies from mini-bosses, though.

In my opinion, the hardest stage to clear for this challenge is Wily Stage 3, especially in the room before the boss. I recommend facing the opposite direction when you know you're about to get hit so that when you do get hit, you get pushed in the direction you were facing previously. It's a strategy that I've seen a lot of speedrunners use. Jewel Man's stage is also pretty annoying to do like this, too.

17. Conservationist

Description: Clear the game by using the least amount of weapon energy possible.

There are some points in the Wily Stages where you NEED weapon energy to progress, but for all the initial eight stages, you don't need it. Also, it LOOKS like the game doesn't care how much Rush Jet you use. But anyways, I'll show you all the places where it is absolutely necessary to use a weapon, and what weapon to use for that place.

In the first room in Wily Stage 1, there's a ladder. Use either Tornado Blow or Rush Jet to get up there.































In the second room, use either Tornado Blow or Rush Jet to get up there. When I was doing this challenge, I used Tornado Blow.






























In the third room, use Rush Jet to the platform with the 1-Up.






























After I believe 4 screens, there is a lava beam. Use Rush Coil to get past it.




















When you're on the ladder, press right and the fire button simultaneously to summon Rush to Mega Man's right. This will be crucial for the following room.










When you get to the second screen on said ladder, spam the fire button. Rush should automatically appear to your right. Use Rush right when he touches the ground and jump up to the ladder farthest to the left.










Use Concrete Shot on the topmost lava beam, then walk across it to get to the ladder farthest to the right.










Both of these jumps are possible. You don't need Rush Jet until you climb the ladder.








































That's all the times you'll need weapons in Wily Stage 1.

In Wily Stage 2, take the LEFT ladder up, and use Rush Jet to get up. If you're close enough to the wall, you can use Rush Jet without using even a pixel of energy here!




















All these jumps in this room are possible to make without Rush.










DO NOT USE LASER TRIDENT HERE! Instead, use Rush Jet over the spike pit on the right.










There are these hologram enemies here that make fake floors. These are all the fake floors in the room. If there's a hologram enemy shining the floor, the floor it's shining is fake.






























Use Rush Coil in this room. Be careful with how you jump. If you fail your jump here, or if you bonked your head or something, you have to redo this stage. You can use the "Checkpoint Save" feature in the Legacy Collection 2, if you'd like.










Unfortunately, I didn't take any screenshots for the next room. Sorry about that. The fake floors in that room are the three middle blocks under the spikes, and the three blocks to the left of the ladder. But here are the screenshots for the room after that, showing all of the fake floors.






























This jump is possible to make without utilities.










In the water part of the stage, there are only three blocks that NEED to be destroyed. These screenshots show the three blocks and their locations. (Technically, I destroyed four blocks, but one of those four were aligned with one of the blocks that HAD to be destroyed.)






























You won't be needing any weapons in Wily Stage 3.

In Wily Stage 4, just run into all of the lasers. The very last laser in the stage can be crossed with use of either the Rush Coil or Concrete Shot. (MAKE SURE TO ONLY USE ONE CONCRETE SHOT OR ONE RUSH COIL, OTHERWISE THE CHALLENGE WILL BE INVALIDATED!) And you can't screw up your Rush Coil or Concrete Shot, then use the other weapon, otherwise the challenge will be invalidated.

18. Farewell To Arms

Description: Clear 4 stages without using a special weapon.

For some reason, you can't actually claim the challenge until you beat the game. So, if you beat 4 stages without using any weapons, you're good. You just have to beat the game now in order to actually complete the challenge.

19. Gamer's Day

Description: Clear the game 5 times in 1 day.

You just need to clear the Wily Stages 5 times in one day. When I was completing this challenge, I just reloaded a save that I made after I defeated the 8 bosses, after I beat the game once. And I did that five times, in one day.

20. Daily Dose

Description: Clear the game once a day for 3 days.

You must beat the Wily Stages 3 days in a row. Just allot some time during those 3 days to beat the game!

21. Whomp Wily!

Description: Clear the game once.

Just beat the game. That's it.

22. Truly Addicted!

Description: Clear the game for the 10th time.

Just beat the game 10 times. If you're hunting down these challenges, then you should unlock this one pretty soon.

23. Truly Hardcore!

Description: Clear the game for the 30th time.

The other challenge that I didn't complete yet. Patience is key to getting this one. After you have beaten the game 30 times, you should then be ready to go after Mr. Perfect.

24. Conqueror

Description: Defeat your 100th enemy.

This one isn't that bad. You should unlock it as you keep killing enemies on your first playthrough.

25. Vanquisher

Description: Defeat your 500th enemy.

As you're going after challenges, this one should also randomly come, too.

26. Destroyer

Description: Defeat your 1000th enemy.

"Truly Addicted!" is a challenge that can probably help you complete this.

27. World Warrior

Description: Defeat every type of enemy.

To complete this challenge, you must defeat every type of enemy, and all of their different color schemes, too, including projectiles that can be destroyed, like flames, and hornets, and sharks, and those blue lasers that Wily Stage 2's last form shoots out. So, do some experimenting with the Black Hole Bomb.

The end credits show almost every enemy in the game. I'll show you screenshots of the end credits:










About the parachute enemies, you have to kill them when their parachute gets busted, and also, you have to kill its head by itself, as if you shoot the head, the parachute floats up. I don't know if you also have to kill the parachute by itself if you killed its head, though. I don't remember if I did that or not, but I guess it it better to be safe than sorry.










You must kill those birds and their rocks. The rocks split in pieces when they hit the ground. Make sure to kill one of the two smaller pieces.










Make sure you kill those guys who like to grab you to drag you. Jewel Satellite is very good at doing that. Also, the green and orange eyes split into miniature versions of themselves, the green ones splitting into three, and the orange ones splitting into four. Make sure to kill them and their miniatures. Also, kill the UFOs. Also, in Wily Stage 2, make sure to kill the holograph platform-making enemies. I find it best to use Tornado Blow to kill those guys.










You can kill the shadow Mega Men with the Jewel Satellite very easily. Make sure the kill the 1-Up Mets, and also the electric rolling wheels can be killed with Jewel Satellite.










The wall enemies shoot out bullets that split in six smaller bullets. Make sure to shoot that bullet. I don't think you can kill the six miniature ones, but I'm not sure. Also, the spike enemies can be killed with Black Hole Bomb.










Make sure to kill ALL of the different types of Flower Presenters, and kill the flowers they shoot out, too. Also, make sure to shoot the bombs that the bomb-dropping enemy drops when you damage it. Also, make sure to kill both sides of the scissor, and kill the whole scissor, too.










Use Black Hole Bomb on the mini-boss so that you can kill the fire enemies on his back that he shoots at you. You should be able to kill everything else without a problem.










Make sure to kill those enemies that fly out of the pits. Also, make sure to kill those spinning-flying enemies, too. Also, make sure to shoot the bullets that the cannons shoot at you.

So, yeah, this challenge is harder than it sounds. I was actually completing this challenge at the same time I was completing the "Double Trouble" challenge, to make sure I didn't miss anything. Good luck with this one!

28. Trusty Sidearm

Description: Defeat the 8 bosses with the Mega Buster.

You can do this in the Wily Stages, if you'd like.

29. Pack Rat

Description: Collect 999 screws.

Hornet Man's stage is, in my opinion, the best stage to grind for screws.

30. Valued Customer

Description: Purchase all items.

Here is all the items in the shop:










You must also buy the helmet to put back on your head. That counts as a shop item.










(I completed this challenge the same time I completed the "Pack Rat" challenge.)

31. Shop A Holic

Description: Purchase 30 items or more.

To complete this challenge, what I did is that I bought the Book of Hairstyles and the helmet fifteen times, because the helmet costs as much as the Book of Hairstyles, which is 20 bolts.

32. Last Man Standing

Description: Defeat all bosses with only one pixel of energy left.

Oh, boy. I was not looking forward to writing about this. I would HIGHLY recommend completing this challenge in the Wily Stages.

I would like to share with you the way I completed this challenge. From a YouTuber by the name of Rockman2900.

So, before you enter the Wily Stages, you're gonna need to have the Shock Guard. That's the only necessary thing that you need if you want to follow this guide.

(DO NOT USE THE SHOCK GUARD UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO!)

Go into Wily Stage 1's boss with FULL HEALTH. The boss' bullets will deal 3 damage to you. Mega Man has 28 health, 3 × 9 = 27, 28 - 27 = 1. So, you have to get hit by the boss' bullets 9 times. You can count how many times you get hit, or keep track of your energy bar, and see if you're getting close to 1 HP. But anyways, this is the easiest boss to do for this challenge.

For Wily Stage 2's boss, on the first form, make sure to get hit by a missile three times, then get hit by the tail three times. I recommend getting hit by the missiles first, then using Jewel Satellite and get hit by the tail three times. You should be at 1 HP. Defeat the boss from then on without getting hit. The second form is weak to Magma Bazooka, so use charged versions of it. The third form is weak to Laser Trident. (You can also use Black Hole Bomb to get rid of the lasers if you're scared of jumping them.)

For Wily Stage 3's boss, none of his attacks deal an odd amount of damage, so we have to get hit by an enemy in the stage, then beat the boss no damage.

(Also, make sure you get that M-Tank in Wily 3! We're gonna need it in the subsequent stage!)

That enemy being this Sniper Joe.










Sniper Joe's shots all deal 2 damage, and Sniper Joe himself does 3. So, when you get to that Sniper Joe, get yourself to full health, then get hit by all his bullets. Notice that I'm facing left. That way, when I get hit by his bullets, I don't accidentally get pushed into the pit.

Once you've reached 4 HP, get hit by Sniper Joe himself, then kill him without getting hit. You're gonna have to do the rest of this stage without getting hit by anything. You also have to beat the boss without getting hit, so make sure that you have his pattern memorized!

Now, for Wily Stage 4, the hardest part of this challenge. Get a game over, that way, you don't have to use your M-Tank right away, and also, you can have full weapon energy on everything!

Run into all of the lasers in this stage. (Make sure you didn't get hit by the first and third Mets of the stage, but run into the second one.) Don't use your Shock Guard until you come here:










Use your Shock Guard, then get hit by the laser once, then get hit by the Met's bullets once, then use Rush Coil, get hit by the laser again, then jump on Rush. You should be at 1 HP.

The easiest boss to defeat no damage is Jewel Man, so go after him first. Jewel Man's capsule is one of the two middle capsules on the left.

When you pick up a large energy capsule, it restores 10 HP. In all the other fights except Splash Woman, if you get hit by ANYTHING in the fight, and the Shock Guard is being used, you will lose 2 HP. So, in all the other fights, get hit five times. (Splash Woman's capsule is the one in the bottom left corner, next to Jewel Man's.)

(The Legacy Collection 2's checkpoint save is VERY useful here. After you beat a boss, make a checkpoint save in case you screw up.)

Save Splash Woman for last. When it's time for Splash Woman, use your M-Tank. And now, for the hardest boss to do this for. Splash Woman's fish do 1 damage, the Laser Trident does 3, and Splash Woman herself does 2, all with the Shock Guard active. Try to get hit by Splash Woman herself as much as possible, and try to avoid getting hit by the Laser Trident. You do want to get hit by either the Laser Trident or the fish at least once, as they both deal odd numbers of damage. If you get hit by either or twice, get hit by it again, so that your health will be odd again. An odd number plus an odd number equals an even number. Once you defeat her with 1 HP of health, it's now time for Wily himself.

You now have 11 HP. So get hit 5 times in this fight, as everything in this fight does 2 damage with the Shock Guard.

And HOPEFULLY, you were able to defeat part of Wily's fight without getting hit. My strategy was to only get hit by the dinosaur, then I do the rest of the fight no damage. If you want to do a no damage fight against Wily Capsule, Tornado Blow, Black Hole Bomb, Magma Bazooka, and Hornet Chaser are ALL your BEST FRIENDS!

This challenge was really hard for me to do. I wish you the best of luck if you're pursuing this challenge, too.

33. Survivor

Description: Defeat one boss with only one pixel of energy left.

You can complete this while also completing "Last Man Standing". I actually inadvertently completed this while fighting Splash Woman normally. x.x

(By the way, normally, Splash Woman's fish do 3 damage (which is rounded down to 1 if you have the Shock Guard equipped), and Splash Woman herself does 4 damage, and the Laser Trident does 6 damage.)

34. Hard Rock

Description: Reach a boss' room without getting damaged.

I completed this in Splash Woman's stage, but you can do this for any stage. Galaxy Man's stage is also pretty easy to complete this challenge in.

35. Heavy Metal

Description: Reach a boss' room without shooting.

I completed this in Splash Woman's stage. But, this challenge is just what it sounds like.

36. Speed Metal

Description: Reach a boss' room without stopping once.

I completed this in Concrete Man's stage. Basically, you cannot stop moving. You have to shoot or move. That's it. Also, don't risk getting the challenge invalidated and do NOT climb the ladder for the first elephant mini-boss. Make sure you have Laser Trident if you want to follow my strategy.

37. Fantastic 9

Description: Accumulate 9 lives.

You can buy 9 lives from the shop. A 1-Up costs 20 bolts.

38. Fully Unloaded

Description: Hit a boss with all special weapons before defeating it.

The two best bosses to fight for completing this challenge for are the shark boss in Wily Stage 2 and Galaxy Man.

39. Blue Bomber

Description: Defeat a boss without getting damaged.

The easiest bosses to fight for completing this challenge are Galaxy Man and Jewel Man. Remember that you can actually disable his Black Hole Bomb by using Concrete Shot.

40. Eco Fighter

Description: Defeat a boss with only the Mega Buster.

You'll automatically complete this challenge the first time you play through the game. The easiest bosses to defeat buster only are Galaxy Man and Splash Woman. Concrete Man is another choice, but he can be a little tough for new players.

41. Marathon Fight

Description: Fight a boss for 10 minutes.

Here's a strategy on how to complete this. (And no, just sitting in the weapon menu or pause menu for 10 minutes will not count.) When you're fighting Wily Stage 2's shark boss' first form, equip Jewel Satellite and stand in the right corner for 10 minutes....................

42. Quick Draw G

Description: Defeat Galaxy Man in 10 seconds or less.

In my opinion, this is the hardest Quick Draw challenge of the set. Galaxy Man really likes to fly around the room. His weakness is Concrete Shot. Remember that you can freeze Black Hole Bombs with it. Try to shoot him with Concrete Shot in the face after you freeze his artificial singularity, and watch out for his i-frames, as Concrete Shot drains VERY quickly.

43. Quick Draw C

Description: Defeat Concrete Man in 10 seconds or less.

One of the easiest. He's weak to Laser Trident, and you can destroy his Concrete Shot by shooting Laser Tridents at them. Just spam tridents at him, and you shouldn't really have to worry about i-frames too much.

44. Quick Draw S

Description: Defeat Splash Woman in 10 seconds or less.

Good thing that Hornet Chaser is her weakness, and it can kill the fish, and you don't have to worry very much about i-frames in this fight either, so feel free to spam!

45. Quick Draw H

Description: Defeat Hornet Man in 10 seconds or less.

Try shooting him in the face. If you shoot him with all three Magma Bazooka projectiles, it will deal more damage than if you shot him with only one. Should I also mention that damaging him with more than one Magma Bazooka projectiles at once will surpass i-frames? Try to only shoot him with fully charged Magma Bazookas, and save the uncharged Magma Bazookas for the bees.

46. Quick Draw J

Description: Defeat Jewel Man in 10 seconds or less.

Black Hole Bomb is his weakness. If you jump, he'll jump. Try to do a short hop, so that he will jump right over you! Also, you can manually decide when (and where, the up and down buttons) you want to make the Black Hole Bomb start to swallow things, so try not to use autofire here.

47. Quick Draw P

Description: Defeat Plug Man in 10 seconds or less.

Just play super aggressive with the Jewel Satellite, as that is his weakness. Try to damage him when the Jewel Satellite is around you, so try to get close to him. (AND DON'T EVER USE AUTOFIRE!)

48. Quick Draw T

Description: Defeat Tornado Man in 10 seconds or less.

Tornado Man is weak to the Plug Ball. Try to shoot him in the face with it as much as possible. He does like to fly in the air, though...

49. Quick Draw M

Description: Defeat Magma Man in 10 seconds or less.

Step 1: Equip Tornado Blow.
Step 2: Use all of your Tornado Blow. Don't worry about i-frames.
Step 3: Try to get four quick buster shots.

50. Quick Draw X

Description: Defeat the final boss in 180 seconds or less.

I find Laser Trident to be very effective on the first form. And try to hit the eggs three times. You shouldn't have to hit the egg more than three times, even without Laser Trident. The second form is weak to Concrete Shot. The third form is weak to Plug Ball, but you probably won't have a lot of opportunities to use it, as the place in the room that he appears is dependent on RNG. So Hornet Chaser and Magma Bazooka are some great alternatives.

Final Thoughts

And with that, the Mega Man 9 Challenge List guide is now complete!

This guide took two full weeks to concoct. So I really, really hope that this will be helpful for folks that want to pursue these challenges. Thank you for reading. And until next time, peace!

<3