City

The City (市街地 Shigaichi) is the introductory stage of Mighty No. 9. It takes place on a freeway and in a part of SANDA Technologies in an unnamed city as berserk robots rampage and cause destruction. The Round Digger is the boss of this stage. Just like the Prison, the Robot Factory and the Battle Colosseum, this stage is located in California.

Story

Beck's Campaign

After robots suddenly start going berserk, Beck heads toward a freeway in the city, where he encounters Dr. White. Dr. White tasks Beck with forging a secure path to the SANDA Technologies laboratory while he monitors his progress. Beck makes his way through the crumbling roads of the city and catches a news broadcast of Gregory Graham of Cherry Dynamics denying responsibility for the disaster, but the broadcast is suddenly interrupted by an out of control Aviator. Beck engages several hostile robots and learns how to use his ability to absorb and assimilate Xels. Meanwhile, Dr. Sanda contacts Dr. White from the SANDA Technologies laboratory and urges them to get there quickly. Beck eventually reaches an underground bunker in SANDA Technologies and finds that a rampaging Round Digger has tunneled its way in. Fearing that it may destroy the entire laboratory if left unchecked, Beck battles and defeats the Round Digger and restores it to normal.

Ray's Campaign

Ray heads out in search of answers about her past. Recognizing the name "Sanda" from a SANDA Technologies logo, she goes to the city to find the SANDA Technologies Headquarters. Ray makes her way through the destroyed streets and hordes of berserk robots, including the Round Digger. She soon notices that there is something familiar about the taste of the Xels of the SANDA Technologies robots. She theorizes that she may be able to learn more by consuming more SANDA robot Xels and heads onward in search of them.

Enemies

• Blockade
• Combroid-Riot
• Dust Boxer
• Every Polisher
• Patla
• Propellifter
• Robosec
• Round Digger (Boss)

Boss Battle

As the first boss of the game, the Round Digger has a straightforward attack pattern and large periods of vulnerability between attacks. However, only its head is vulnerable to damage.

For its first attack, Round Digger will retract its legs and rotate its body to roll forward. It will continue forward until it collides with a wall, then turn around and replant its legs. This attack can be avoided by jumping and dashing over the Round Digger as it approaches. At the beginning of the fight, the Round Digger will be in the middle of the room in front of the player and will start with this attack to position itself near the left wall. Destabilizing and absorbing the Round Digger before it completes this initial charge will award the player a "Fine Play" bonus.

For its second attack, the Round Digger will launch two dynamite sticks with propellers into the air in an arc in front of itself. The dynamite sticks will gradually rise higher into the air before homing in on the player at once. They can be easily destroyed with any attack, and successfully destroying them all before they begin to home in will award the player with a "Fine Play" bonus the first time it is done.

For its third attack, the Round Digger will launch a powerful stream of water at the ceiling. It will go over the ceiling twice, once forward and once backward. Four damaging blocks of rubble will fall in a trail behind the backward stream. There is a gap between the first and second two falling blocks, making the center of the room a safe spot.

Fine Play bonus

• Destroy the three sticks of dynamite before they to move towards the player
• AcXelerate into it during its charge attack

In-Stage Bonuses and Map

• Sprinter - Starts just after the first Dust Boxer, past the small Recovery Xel and the broken archway in the background. Ends just past the second Dust Boxer.
• Sprinter - Starts after stepping off the second chunk of freeway that the Round Digger causes to fall with dynamite. Ends near the top of the ladder that leads back up to the freeway.

• Quick Clear - Quickly defeat the waves of enemies that spawn just after the ladder back up to the freeway.

• Sprinter - Starts after crouch dashing into the corridor full of Blockade. Ends after the last Blockade at the end of the corridor.

Ranking

Grading targets

• Clear Time: 4:00
• Kills: 42
• Combo: 15

Rank Requirements

• S Rank: 64,500 points
• A Rank: 35,250 points
• B Rank: 24,250 points
• C Rank: 10,500 points

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Music

Stage Theme (Beck Campaign)

It All Begins Now

Stage Theme (Beck Campaign) (Retro Version)

It All Begins Now (Retro Version)

Stage Theme (Ray Campaign)

Feeling Alive

Stage Theme (Ray Campaign) (Retro Version)

Feeling Alive (Retro Version)

Gallery

Beck runs past a billboard for the Battle Colosseum. Several backer design inspired robots are featured on it.

Picture from TV monitor.

Picture from Aviator's stage blimp.

Concept Art

Concept art for the freeway section of the stage.

Concept art for the SANDA Technologies section of the stage.

Ditto. (Higher resolution, cropped)

Concept art for the room in which the player fights the Round Digger.

Concept art for the balcony of the SANDA Technologies building.

Trivia

• Alongside Pyrogen, the robots featured on the Battle Colosseum billboard in the intro cutscene are derived from designs submitted by backers who participated in one of the KIMOKIMO Cup contests held on the official forums.