After making 20 anime reviews in my blog, I thought it was time to give games the spotlight, and to do so, my first ever game review is about a favorite series of mine. Capcom released the first game of this name in the 90's, so it's somewhat old, but still a treasure to me. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my review of the series Mega Man X. It will be kinda long, so bear with me.
At first glance, those that have played the original Mega Man games in the past may notice some differences, but still have a familiar setting with MMX, the sequel to the original. For the most part, it plays the same, albeit a few changes in mechanics. MMX introduced the function of dashing and wall-kicking, which became more or less a staple in nearly all titles in this series. While we do see transmissions of Dr. Light, and silhouettes of Wily throughout the series, the game deals with a generally new cast: new heroes, new adversaries, new breed, new world. In the year 21XX, a century after the events of the original Mega Man, Light's unique creation, called Mega Man "X", wakes up after being found by Dr. Cain. Using his design, Cain gave rise to a special kind of machine, called Reploids. Much like how X was, these Reploids had the ability to feel, think, act, and move like that of humans. Based on X, Reploids had been given a will of their own, capable of independent thought.
It's with this that it takes a drastic turn, and these mass-produced Reploids soon committed crimes, bringing harm to other Reploids, and even humans. Such actions gave rise to the term "Maverick" and it's from this uprising that the Maverick Hunters were made. The Hunters had a simple objective: to quell any and all Maverick breakouts, and keep damages to a minimum. Cain's signature Reploid, Sigma (Σ), was to be the most advance Reploid, incapable of becoming Maverick. For some time, he was the spearhead of the Maverick Hunters, up until his first run-in with Zero. After battling him, he has somehow become Maverick himself, and as the first sign of his reign on terror, he drove out all human occupants of a small island and seized control of it.
By this time, a newly revised Zero is ready to stand on the front lines. He is given the leader position of Unit #17, the unit X is ultimately joined to after deciding that he would fight.The bond between the two grow, but the troubles they deal with grow even faster. Throughout their battles, X, Zero, and fellow Hunter Axl, make a name for themselves as feared and respected Maverick Hunters. Sigma is a staple villain in the series, though there are others that are over him sometimes. Throughout the course of it, how he managed to become Maverick is more elaborated, and elements regarding the birth of X and Zero, the possible future of the hunters, and the mystery behind Zero, are also explained, albeit not thoroughly.
Mega Man X would be the first game of the series, taking off right after the aforementioned plot.This game introduces the gimmicks not seen in the original MM games, as well as machines new to the universe, such as Ride Armors: mechs that have destructive power, but breaks once it takes too much damage. The Armor System is also introduced, as a way to enhance X's abilities. He starts with basically weak strength in this title, so his is incapable of Charge shots from his X-Buster, any damage done is considerably strong, and he lacks the dashing function. Fear not though, the armor is a right away equip item, so as soon as you have it, the tide is in your favor.
E-Tanks from the MM series are remade into what they call Sub-Tanks: items that remain with you upon pickup. Much like the E-Tanks before it, you can use these to replenish lost energy, but it isn't disposable like the other. In fact they're quite rechargeable, so should you pick up a health item and your health meter's full, it'll be sent to the Sub-Tank for later use. the Weapon Tank works the same way. The gameplay provided is a step above the original's. So games in the MMX series are significantly harder, or so I'm told.
Alright, on to the games themselves. We have 8 main games in the series, with the addition of 2 Game Boy exclusive ones, a remake, and a RPG which is perhaps not canon, but that's still unverified. The first one would be Mega Man X, which kicked off in 1994 as the first MM game in general on the Super Nintendo. Through gameplay, one was capable of using the well known Street Fighter ability, Hadouken, under certain conditions. This coexisted alongside the classic series, as the classic series Mega Man 6 was still vaguely selling on the original Nintendo. The sequel to this was Mega Man X2, released on the same time period as Mega Man 7. Like the game before it, it introduced the other ability, Shoryuken, as an ability for X, but conditions had to be met, and it's a tad difficult to obtain. At this time, Game Boy was also gave some attention with the game Rockman X: Cyber Mission, known in America as Mega Man Xtreme. Nothing new came to this game, as it was just a Game Boy title with bosses from the first two MMX games.The last Super Nintendo title was Mega Man X3, released roughly less than a year later, and Mega Man Xtreme 2, known as Rockman X2: Soul Eraser, following it.
With X3 and Xtreme 2, it gave the second protagonist, Zero, some attention, as before these two games, the people couldn't control him. Having Zero playable opened possibilities, and soon, he was selectable for every following release. Another character, Iris, was introduced, and the game was set to be in a time period before the release of X4. Another noteworthy point is that for the first time, they had an intro animation in Japan pairing with JPop songs. X3 was the first to do this with the use of Kotono Shibuya's "One More Time" and "I'm Believer" as the games respective intro and ending themes. As it was the last of the SNES, this game saw attention of the 32-bit consoles as well: Sega Saturn, and Sony Playstation.
The succeeding title, Mega Man X4, was released in 1997 for both the Saturn and Playstation, with the Japanese versions of this having themes to the game. It was at this time that people can select either X or Zero, but they were to stick with that selected character throughout the whole game. More animation scenes were included in this title, and was the first MMX game to contain voice acting. However, that was perhaps the cause of criticism by many fans. The voice acting was hard to bear, more so on Zero's part in the English release. The line "What am I fighting for?" was said in the scene where the character Iris dies in Zero's arms. While a touching scene by itself, the line in particular was the opening to a lot of ridicule.
Gameplay wise, the graphics were touched up greatly. It also had its share of difficulty. With the inclusion of that, the Armor System was revised again, this time with the buster parts being adjustable. Like some of the others, X4 had specified animations for attacks that were highly effective against bosses. Zero had his share of abilities, but were used differently because he couldn't use his buster, in favor of the now standard Z-saber. Also, by certain cheats, the Black Zero power up, and the Ultimate Armor for X would be obtain, boasting in power. While Black Zero plays the same way, Ultimate Armor had the abilities of X's Fourth Armor, including the unlimited use of Nova Strike: an invincible dash that destroys easily any opponent with the exception of bosses. Also, this is where it shows the unseen battle of Sigma and Zero's first encounter.
The title following this was Mega Man X5, which was perhaps the most memorable out of the MMX series in general. Gameplay was kept similar from X4, but with a number of changes. For the fist time, you can choose how difficult the game is, with a training mode added as well. Accompanying these was the inclusion of items to be equipped on X or Zero, obtained when you beat a foe on a higher level. When creating the item, you can also expand your weapon or life energy. Zero's Buster became usable again, but unlike X's, it couldn't be charged, and he has to be on the ground to use it. Like X4, it also had it's mid-boss, this case being the mercenary Dynamo. There was also a prominent threat interfering with the two hunters: the Sigma Virus. From the first stage, it scattered across the planet, affecting Reploids that come in contact with it. The hunters can also come in contact with this virus. Once enough of it fills them, it either harms or helps them, depending on the player. Lastly, who you choose, and how you play the game will affect what ending you head towards, but you can still choose what character you wish to use for each mission.
The armor system chaged once again, as it is no longer equipped right away. The armor parts are made into programs that become available upon clearing (or failing) a mission. Next to this, all 4 parts have to be obtained for the armor to be used. In this instance a total of 4 armors are possible for X to have: The Fourth Armor from X4, the Gaea Armor: a slow, but powerful armor capable of destroying certain bricks and invulnerable to spikes, the Falcon Armor: capable of flight for a limited time, and the Ultimate Armor, now integrated into the game with a possible way of getting it, though still accessible by cheat, should the user wish to have it right away. Zero's Black Body can also be accessible.
Mega Man X6 is the last title seen on the PSX line as an MMX game. The events, gameplay, and graphics, take right after X5's with the inclusion of Japanese voice acting in the initial PSX release. Following X5, Zero is nowhere to be found, thought of as dead after the battle with Sigma. Perhaps this was the only time X could use Zero's Z-Saber on the field, despite it being a single slash. The armor system was kept the same as from X5, this time being the Blade and Shadow armor, with the Falcon Armor having weaker abilities. Like the 2 games before it, it was possible to get Ultimate Armor and Black Zero through cheats, while not necessarily part of the game, body and headshot sprites were made for them. The stage interfering elements came back, though because of the threat being the Nightmare Virus, it varied what effect would appear, yet it can be marked which area has changed. Should you select the one in red, the stage becomes significantly harder, despite still having the difficulty option. Next to this is the inclusion of a second area, which you face either Nightmare Zero: A phantom of sorts with the abilities of Zero from X5, though enhanced, High Max: a Reploid investigation leader you encounter on the first stage, and Dynamo, returning from X5 with the goal of obtaining Nightmare Souls. As well, you can rescue Reploids, something I didn't mention was possible in X5. In X6, however, you must find them before the Nightmare does. Failure to do so will turn them against you, with the possibility of you killing the Reploid once affected. There's also the matter of finding out the whereabouts of Zero. Should you find him after Nightmare Zero's defeat, he becomes playable with a few changes in his play style.
We jump to the Playstation 2 with the release of Mega Man X7. This time around, a new Reploid enters the scene: the DNA-changing Axl, who deserts the vigilante organization Red Alert after questioning the meothods used to retire Mavericks. At good timing as well, because X retires himself from the frontlines, questioning the actions of not only the Maverick Hunters, but more so his own. Zero is still initially playable, but the interface this time changed a great deal. As they render the series into 3D, the game had the unique feature of shifting from 2D to 3D controls, with added elements to it. Such elements includes a lock on feature for Axl and X (who is later playable), and the extending of Zero's hit abilities, capable to reaching a 7-hit combo with his saber. Another nice addition was Zero's weapons. Going beyong just a Z-saber, with new boss alilities, he gains new weapons that work well with them. In addition, a tag system was established, allowing you to alternate between the two hunters you select. Armors became a right away equip item once again, the only armor available being Glide Armor. While not being significantly great, it gave X the ability to glide in the air after a jump. In addition Axl could hover, as well as copy Reploid data, transforming into the Reploid to get past enemies. Zero, with the addition of added weaponry, can use double jump and an initial ability. While Sigma remains an initial enemy, Red Alert's leader, Red, provides the 8 enemies to face this time. Voice acting returns as well, with this game having the option of using English or Japanese, though default voice in game play is English for the US release. Despite intention, players found the third dimensional aspect poor in execution.
Mega Man X: Command Mission hit as the spinoff of the series for the PS2, and for the first time since Mega Man X, on a Nintendo platform, the Gamecube. Command Mission, or CM was a game composed with elements of an RPG, really changing the playing field in the world of MMX. That said, Sigma, for the first time, was not the villain of this game, having not appeared once in CM, as the game takes off a century later, within the year 22XX. Armors were accessible as the game's Hyper Mode, and the weaknesses were done by elements Fire, Water, and Electric., done in a certain matter, while still following the signature Rock-Scissors-Paper format of the regular games. New voice acting was done for all 3 hunters, with the inclusion of entirely new faces. The system was standard for RPGs: there was an EXP system where as a character gains strength upon leveling up, an equip system that enhanced abilities pending on what Force Metal and weapon was used, and items that could be used in and outside of battle. Accompanying these is the FME generator, available on both games as a means of refining different Force Metal. The games has some exclusives as well: the PS2 version featuring the trial for Mega Man X8, and the GC version having a Treasure Radar to unlock exclusive figurines. Other features like the Sky Room, Deployment Center, and a cutscene viewer is available to try. The battle system follows a standard turn-based format, each character having unique ways of attacking and signature "Action Triggers" for heavier damage. Out of battle, one can interact with civilian Reploids, and allies for hints, items, etc. This game was given average reviews, but I still feel it's slightly above it.
Mega Man X8 is the final MMX entry thus far, and as of right now the concluding title in the MMX timeline officially. X8 returns to the infamous 2D format with the visuals of 3D elements, though the 3D gameplay of X7 was not included. Vile, prominent midboss of the first 3 X games returns with an new look, still serving mainstay adversary, Sigma (who is voice by Dave Pettitt, who did Epsilon in CM.) As well, two navigators are introduced as well: Layer, a specialist in analyzing Boss abilities, and Palette, who is nifty for finding hidden items. These two can be selected as navigators alongside the returning Alia. The armor system changed once more, in perhaps its most unique form. Physically, it's only one armor, called the Neutral Armor, but it can be equipped with Parts of the Icarus and Hermes Armors, each varying in abilities. As a bonus, Black Zero returns as well as the inclusion of a different palette of Axl with enhanced abilities. As to add further changes, the Ultimate Armor is reintroduced in a style similar to Neutral. The characters has not drastic, but significant, changes in design. Alia, Layer, and Palette, once purchased from the Dev. Lab, can be used as playable characters, though this removes the navigation feature once any one of them are selected. As such, the three navigators can't do certain abilities their respective counterparts (X, Zero, Axl) are capable of. They also can't interact with bosses. As different voice actors fill the roles of the other characters, the three what voiced the Hunters in CM reprise their roles in X8. IT gained mixed reviews, but were fairly positive.
Despite X8 being the last chronologically in the MMX series, the final game was a remake of the original MMX, called Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X. Those familiar with the Super Nintendo game may notice a few differences, yet it was easily adaptable as the only official MMX game released as a PSP UMD. The boss lineup was the same as the first, with a slight difference in weakness order. The stages were remade in a fashion that resembled the normal, but with the elements seen in X8. As well, there was voice acting in this as well, with X, Zero, and Vile having their roles reprised from X8. Certain story elements made minor changes from the first game, such as added dialogue, and changes
to others. The music score was heavily remixed, though kept the same air of the original score, albeit the beat for some being a bit heavier than before. The abilities of X, such as the armors, and the hidden Hadouken power up, remained as is with little tampering.
I know it was too long a review but here's the breakdown of the line up over all from me:
Mega Man X (SNES): 8.25
Mega Man X2 (SNES): 8
Mega Man Xtreme (Game Boy Color): 6.5
Mega Man X3 (SNES, Saturn, Playstation): 8.25
Mega Man Xtreme 2 (Game Boy Color): 7.75
Mega Man X4 (Saturn, Playstation): 7
Mega Man X5 (Playstation): 8.5
Mega Man X6 (Playstation): 7.75
Mega Man X7 (Playstation 2, PC [Asia Only]): 6
Mega Man X: Command Mission (Playstation 2, Gamecube): 8
Mega Man X8 (Playatation 2, Windows) 8
Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X (Playstation Protable): 8.5
Frankly, that's my take on them. All fairly good, minus some flops from some. I forgot to mention this, but much like how all the classic games were, the first 6 MMX games are available as part of the game Mega Man X Collection. While it lacks in collection features, it does have content from the six games as it was, even though you can use the save feature for the first 3 games. Anyway, hopefully, the next reviews won't be as long, as I'll most likely condense future reviews like this. Anyway, until next time.
