According to producer Keiji Inafune, it’s better to get an imperfect Mighty No. 9 at launch than nothing at all.

Keiji Inafune says Mighty No. 9’s launch version is “better than nothing”

Update: It seems Inafune’s comments actually do reflect a less-than-ideal translation.

Original Story: Mighty No. 9 finally launched today after a lengthy series of unexpected delays. That’s the good news – the bad news is the actual game isn’t what everyone hoped for, with early reviews painting it as a fairly mediocre experience. According to producer Keiji Inafune however, after everything that’s happened, it’s still better than not having the game at all.

“The reality is they put everything into making this game,” Inafune explained on a livestream. “They didn’t try to microtransaction it out, they didn’t try to DLC it out for extra money. They put it all in. So, for now, this is what you see and what you get, for the Mighty No. 9 world. But, again, we can hope that if things go well, there’ll be sequels. Because I’ll tell you what, I’m not getting my 2D side-scrolling fill. And at the end of the day, even if it’s not perfect, it’s better than nothing. At least, that’s my opinion.”

While Inafune’s comments are being translated, and therefore might not carry their full context, it can feel a little insensitive given Mighty No. 9’s convoluted history. This game raised almost $4 million through crowdfunding efforts, before facing a long string of delays that left some wondering if the game would ever be finished. Now Inafune’s statement suggests fans should be grateful for getting a 2D sidescroller at all, which isn’t what frustrated backers wanted to hear.

Mighty No. 9 is available now for PC, PS3, PS4, Vita, and Xbox One platforms. The Mac, Linux, and Xbox 360 builds have been delayed, although 360 backers have been offered Steam codes for the time being.