Mighty No. 9 "Pretty Much Finished"

Mighty No. 9, the side-scrolling platform game produced by Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, has passed a key development milestone and is nearing release.

In a New Year video message, embedded below, Inafune says the project is "pretty much finished, and from now on we'll be heading into the porting and promotional stage".

The video also showcases Inafune fighting through one of Mighty No. 9's levels, appearing to struggle with its difficulty.

Developed by Inafune's independent development studio, Comcept, Mighty No. 9 is funded by an overwhelmingly successful Kickstarter campaign, which rocketed past its $900,000 goal, ending with $3.8 million October 2013.

The game has been given a tentative "Spring 2015" release date target, set to ship on PC, Mac, Linux, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Wii U, PS Vita, Nintendo 3DS, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

In Mighty No. 9, players step in the shoes of Beck, the 9th in a line of "powerful robots." Somehow escaping a computer virus that has made all other mechanized creatures go berserk, Beck must "confront the final evil that threatens the planet."

For more info, check out GameSpot's interview with Inafune about the Kickstarter project and his thoughts on the Japanese gaming industry, among other topics.