The Mighty No. 9 meme primarily stems from the massive gap between the game's record-breaking Kickstarter hype and its lackluster final release in 2016. Conceived by Mega Man creator Keiji Inafune, the project became a symbol of crowdfunding disappointment after numerous delays and a widely mocked 'Masterclass' trailer that famously insulted anime fans. The most enduring part of the meme is the phrase 'better than nothing,' which was attributed to Inafune during a launch stream. Today, the meme is used to describe underwhelming sequels, overhyped products, or any situation where the final result fails to live up to the initial promise.