With the release of the digital download only Mega Man 9, there’s another great feature awaiting players: customized upgrades via microtransactions.

Released late last week, Capcom’s Mega Man 9 will offer players the ability to update the game via puchaseable features.  While the content is not yet available for download, the online manual lists a number of optional features and the pricelist for each.

Here’s what Mega Man 9’s got on tap thus far:

• Endless Attack: (300 Wii Points) Test your skills on a stage without end. Try to break the record for getting the farthest. Releases October 6.
• Hero Mode: (100 Wii Points) Play the game with a more difficult level of enemy distribution. Releases October 20.
• Superhero Mode: (100 Wii Points) Play the game with a super difficult level of enemy distribution. Releases October 20.
• Proto Man Mode: (200 Wii Points) Play the game as Proto Man. You can use the shield while jumping. There is no story for Proto Man. Releases October 6.
• Special Stage: (100 Wii Points) Gives you another Time Attack stage to try, including a new Boss at the end. Results will be displayed in the rankings. Releases October 20.

After giving Mega Man 9 a go, let’s hope that there will be additional items for sale in the game, as this is proving to be the most challenging Mega Man to date.  Not quite enough to make me want to bag it quite yet, but getting very close.  There’s a fine line between challenging and downright impossible.  As with any new game, there’s always a lot of trial and error involved in boss fights (and some NPC’s as well), but Mega Man 9 presents players with a seemingly impossible trio of robot elephants that lob multicolored balls at you.  After doing a bit of digging around, it seems that I’m not the only one with elephant troubles: Patrick Kiepek over at MTV is having the same difficulty.

From what I’ve played thus far, it’s been quite a challenge, and I’m not quite ready to shelve Mega Man 9 quite yet, but as previously mentioned, hopefully Capcom/Wii intend on either a content upgrade (I’m not asking for a cakewalk…just a tab bit easier guys) or some juicy (temporary) microtransaciton goodness that’s going to help me blast said elephants (and hopefully Concrete Man as well) into next week.

“Mega Man 9” arrived on WiiWare and PSN last week and goes live on Xbox Live Arcade this coming Wednesday.  Who knows…maybe Microsoft users will have an easier time with it?