December 15, 2018
By Ryan Porzl
Mega Man has been one of video game's most treasured franchises upon it's release. Fans and critics couldn't get enough of the blue bomber fighting off the evil Dr. Wily and his creations. However, Mega Man is more than just the original incarnation. Perhaps Capcom saw something there but as the decades gone by, new franchises were added to the Mega Man universe with some being sequels to the original while others being set in a different universe. In 1993, Capcom unleashed the first with the release of Mega Man X. Set 100 years after the original, it tells the story of a new, advanced, and powerful Mega Man named Mega Man X or X for short who fought alongside a group known as Maverick Hunters who sought to protect the world from evil robots or reploids who had gone maverick. Since then, Mega Man X has seen nine releases in it's history and despite the franchise being dormant for nearly half it's history, it's still a classic franchise of it own. Appropriate it's a sequel because like I did last year with Mega Man, I'll take a look at Mega Man X. This article contains spoilers so don't read if you don't want to be spoiled.
Characters
Mega Man X/X (Rockman X in Japan)- The main protagonist. One of the last robots created by Dr. Thomas Light as well as his greatest creation, X resembles the original Mega Man only Mega Man was more a robot boy while X is a robot man. He has the same techniques as the original including an arm cannon called the X buster which he's able to charge, the ability to take the powers of robot masters he's defeated, & can slide. Despite all the similarities to the original, X is a special robot as he's the first to think, feel, and make his own decisions in life like a human being. However, Light knew because of how powerful X was that giving him these abilities could be dangerous and needed at least 30 years to test his reliability but knowing he wouldn't live to see the day nor did he have anyone to carry on his work, he decided to seal X in a capsule until then. Discovered 100 years later by Dr. Cain, X eventually inspires a new generation of robots called "reploids". However, because Cain didn't fully understand X's designs, some reploids would go "maverick". X eventually joins the Maverick Hunters who fought Mavericks especially those led by Sigma and who threatened the human race. Though powerful, X can be a pacifist and is largely against violence and fighting. To enhance his abilities, X is able to receive armor and buster upgrades in each game thanks to capsules Light has scattered around.
Zero- The second hero in the series. Zero's history is extremely ironic as he's a hero and a top Maverick Hunter along with being a friend of X but was actually a successor to Bass and the greatest creation of Dr. Albert W. Wily, the arch nemesis of the previous Mega Man & Dr. Light. A powerful warrior, Zero can usually be cold and doesn't show his emotions while clearly showing signs of having a troubled soul. Zero's opinion of himself contradicts his actions as he never considers himself a hero but not only fights for the Maverick Hunters, he's shown many times that he's not afraid to sacrifice himself. He can come off cold towards others like X & Axl but clearly cares about them and others. Zero was originally created by Wily and considered his "greatest masterpiece". Wily originally created him with the intention of being far more powerful than either the original Mega Man or his previous creation Bass. Wily also created Zero to be the most advanced robot he ever created after having made mistakes with Bass and King from Mega Man & Bass. Zero's design was in reference to Proto Man. Along with the creation of Zero, Wily also created the maverick virus. Despite all this, Zero was sealed away in a capsule due to a flaw in his cognitive program which made him violent and unwilling to follow orders. Zero would eventually be discovered decades later by a group of reploids but upon being awakened, he killed them along with anyone who went into Wily's lair. He eventually was confronted by then maverick hunter commander Sigma with the two fighting. During the fight, Sigma broke Zero's gem on his forehead and the two would then become infected with the maverick virus due to being close to Zero's capsule. After being fixed by Dr. Cain, Zero's behavior changed as the virus seemed to correct his programming. He was recruited by the Maverick Hunters and briefly served under Sigma until the virus took it's effect on Sigma and he went maverick. Originally, Zero's main weapon was an arm cannon like X as seen in the the first three X games before eventually being replaced with the Z Saber, a laser sword. Zero is unplayable in the first two X games, is playable in certain parts in X3, and playable from start to finish beginning in X4.
Axl (Akuseru in Japan)- The third hero in the series. Axl originally debuted in X7 as a member of a vigilante group called Red Alert after being found by leader Red. Like X, Axl is the first reploid of his kind as he was the prototype of reploids that are capable of shape shifting. The shape shifting ability was considered by Red to be his group's secret weapon. Axl leaves Red Alert after he believes the group becomes nothing more than murderers and felt being used though unbeknownst to him, Sigma had taken control of the group behind the scenes. A fan of X & Zero, he wants to be a Maverick Hunter like them and eventually proves himself during the events of X7 leading to him becoming top member in Command Mission and X8. Axl's weapon of choice is the Axl Bullet which are hand guns that he can make appear and disappear.
Sigma (Shiguma in Japan)- The Main Antagonist. An extremely powerful reploid, Sigma was created by Dr. Cain and considered his masterpiece. Originally designed to be a maverick hunter, Sigma was a leader for the hunters and reached the rank of Commander before ultimately becoming maverick. Since then, Sigma has waged war on the human race as he seeks their extinction while becoming X & the rest of the maverick hunters main enemy due to most mavericks pledging allegiance to him & his cause. Sigma is also a unique reploid as he's been destroyed multiple times but his programming has always survived which has allowed him to return with a new body. However, it's thought that for every new body and form that he grows more insidious & vengeful all the while his plans get more aggressive & desperate. Sigma serves as the final boss with the exception of Mega Man Command Mission & Mega Man X8 with each game seeing him fight the player in his regular body followed by one to two forms. Like Dr. Wily in the original series, Sigma has also shown to occasionally orchestrate his attacks behind the scenes and make the maverick hunters (along with the players) believe that a new threat with new reploids are responsible when in actuality, he's the one pulling all the strings from the shadows though ironically, Capcom would turn the tables in X8.
Vile (VAVA in Japan)- Like Sigma, Vile was once a maverick hunter who served in Sigma's 17th Elite Unit while being a S-A Class hunter. He eventually went maverick shortly after Sigma and has been one of Sigma's top henchmen on and off ever since. His weapon of choice is his shoulder cannon. Despite being a major villain, Vile's appearances are few and far only appearing in Mega Man X, Mega Man X3, & Mega Man X8. Even before he went maverick, Vile was always disrespectful, arrogant, and disobedient while possibly being a sociopath who took pride in not only hunting but also destroying mavericks and cause destruction around the area he fought in which put humans and innocent reploid's lives in danger. Even though he was a henchmen, Vile was not always loyal to Sigma and rarely followed orders as he rather cause as much chaos as possible. He has an obsession with X due to X receiving more attention than him despite being a lower class maverick hunter than Vile was.
Lumine (Rumine in Japan)- A new age reploid with the ability to shape shift, Lumine appears during the events of Mega Man X8 as the director of the Jakob Project. At the beginning of the game, he's kidnapped by Vile and the Maverick Hunters must save him which serves as the story. If Mega Man X8 is played on normal or hard mode then it's revealed he'd been using Sigma and is the true antagonist of the game which a reversal of how Mega Man & Mega Man X games normally are (a seemingly new menace shows up only for it to eventually be revealed Dr. Wily or Sigma are really in charge of the whole thing).
The X Hunters (Counter Hunters or Kaunta Hunta in Japan)- A group of three mavericks named Violen (Baioren in Japan), Serges (Sagesse in Japan), & Agile (Ajiru in Japan) that appeared during Mega Man X2. The Hunters' plot is to collect the parts of Zero and revive him as a Maverick. If the player doesn't stop them during the game then they will be forced to fight Zero before the final battle. To stop them, they will challenge X to duels and the player must go to one of the levels where one will be in a hidden room. Should the player beat them then they will retrieve one of Zero's parts. Regardless of the outcome of the game, Zero is revived. Volen serves as the muscle of the three but not very smart supposedly because much focus was on his power and his thinking circuitry was never finished. Serges is the brains of the X-Hunters and may have been the one to come up with the unification project as it's called. Agile is the speed and strategist that formulates the plans and organizes the operations that are carried out. Along with facing them in the hidden rooms, they also appear in the last stages.
Dr. Doppler (Dr. Doppura in Japan)- The secondary antagonist of Mega Man X3. Doppler became known prior to the events of the game for having seemingly created a cure for the maverick virus and established Dopple Town thanks to reformed reploids who congregated around him. However, his "cure" instead creates more mavericks and he establishes an army. Unbeknownst to the Maverick Hunters, Sigma had taken control of Doppler in order to build him a new body, rebuild Vile, & send the Nightmare Police after X & Zero.
Signas (Shigunasu in Japan)- Signas is the leader of the Maverick Hunters beginning in X5 and continued through X8 though he's absent from Command Mission. A strategic genius, Signas commands every mission the Maverick Hunters undertake. Along with his intelligence, Signas also is capable of staying calm in bad situations and doesn't panic under pressure. Signas also cares about both humans and reploids especially his fellow hunters under his command and trusts them.
Alia (Eiria in Japan)- Alia is a reploid who works with the Maverick Hunters as a navigator, an operator, and computer specialist. She debuts in X5 and briefs X, Zero, & later, Axl with the situation at hand and communicates with them during missions by helping them advance through the levels while giving information regarding the level or objectives. Due to her abilities, Alia is also responsible for teleporting hunters to the locations and back to base. Alia appears in every X game since X5 with the exception of Command Mission.
Dynamo (Dainamo in Japan)- A reploid that appears in Mega Man X5 & Mega Man X6. He's a mercenary that was recruited by Sigma in Mega Man X5 to knock the abandoned Eurasia Space Colony. He then appears twice more to get Enigma ready or preparing the shuttle. He returns in Mega Man X6 collecting nightmare souls in an attempt to enhance his own power. He faces X & Zero as a secret boss during the game. Dynamo is arrogant but not cruel like other enemies and acts like his battles with the hunters are like sport. He also can come off cowardly as he's known for cutting and running when he's losing but it could also be a sign that he's just smart and realizes it's better to escape and regroup instead of fighting to the death.
Colonel (Kaneru in Japan)- A main antagonist in X4, Colonel is a reploid that is the main attack leader in the military organization known as Repliforce as well as being the big brother of Iris. His biggest weakness is his obliviousness and pride in Repliforce. Because of this, he sees what he's doing what is best for reploids but is blinded by the fact that Repliforce is being manipulated behind the scenes by Sigma. His main weapon is a laser sword similar to Zero's Z Saber.
General (Jeneraru in Japan)- One of the main antagonist in Mega Man X4, General is the giant sized leader of the military organization Repliforce. Originally a believer in human and reploids living together in peace, he's manipulated by Sigma to wage war on the human race and activates Repliforce's destroyer satellite called Final Weapon. General's actions cause chaos as it allows Sigma's spy Double to infiltrate the Maverick Hunters and cause problems for them while his soldier Colonel is very loyal to him and this results in problems between Colonel and Zero with Iris being stuck in the middle. General's main weapons include shooting beams and his fists.
Double (Daburu in Japan)- Double is a reploid who serves as a double agent for Sigma when he posed as a rookie maverick hunter during the events of Mega Man X4. During his infiltration, he befriends X and earns his trust during the game when he serves as an operator during the game. When X gets closer to the Final Weapon, Double shows his true colors by killing maverick hunters from X's 17th Unit before heading to confront X. Despite being a spy to Sigma, Double is actually in it for himself and claims he used the Maverick Hunters, the Mavericks, and Repliforce. Double has two forms with one being short and fat while the other is a battle mode that makes him taller and slender.
Iris (Airisu in Japan)- A reploid who served as a navigator for the Maverick Hunters in Mega Man X4. She's also the younger twin sister to Colonel and the love interest of Zero. Originally trying to convince Zero & Colonel to stop fighting during the events of X4, she eventually become grief stricken after Zero is forced to kill Colonel and becomes angry at Zero. Taking Colonel's control chip, she confronts Zero on Repliforce's Final Weapon and fuses it with her own to form a combat fighting form. She fights Zero but meets the same fate as her brother and eventually tells Zero she wanted to live in a reploid only world with him before dying.
Gate (Geito in Japan)- The secondary antagonist in Mega Man X6 who is a reploid scientist and former colleague of Alia. He plans to create the ultimate reploid along with a new world order for supreme reploids. He's dedicated to his work and will do whatever it takes to succeed. He creates eight nightmare investigators along with the Nightmare Virus, the Zero Nightmare, & High Max. He's also somewhat responsible for Sigma's resurrection.
Red (Reddo in Japan)- The secondary antagonist in Mega Man X7, Red is the charismatic leader and namesake of Red Alert, a vigilante group designed to hunt mavericks and ultimately fills the void left by the Maverick Hunters after X briefly steps away from the front lines. Red also discovered Axl who became a member until leaving after feeling Red Alert changed and was being used which was the case after Red Alert aligned with Sigma who went by the alias "The Professor". Red then unleashes eight mavericks and challenges the Maverick Hunters to a duel with the winner getting Axl. He does see the error of his ways but it's too late as Sigma takes control of Red Alert and forces Red to fight for him, get Axl, & X's data if he wants his friends back.
Epsilon (Ipushiron in Japan)- One of the main antagonists in Mega Man: Command Mission. Epsilon is the leader of the Rebellion Army and stages a revolt on Gigantis Island. Prior to the events of the game, Epsilon was the only reploid to survive Supra-Force Metal infusion experiments while others either went maverick or perished with the experiments increasing his strength and intelligence. He was able to retain his sanity but thought he could reproduce the same result which resulted in him starting the revolt believing reploids could evolve more than what humans had made them to be.
Colonel Redips (Ridipusu Taisa in Japan)- The other main antagonist in Mega Man: Command Mission. Redips was the commanding officer of the Maverick Hunters during the events of the game and originally sends X, Zero, & another reploid named Shadow to investigate Gigantis Island after Epsilon begins his rebellion.
Dr. Cain (Dr. Kein in Japan)- The scientist and archaeologist who discovered X on April 14, 21XX, 100 years after he was sealed away by Dr. Light. Cain is accidentally the reason most of the events of the games happen. After discovering X, Cain became fascinated with him and not heeding Light's warning, began creating similar free willed robots based on X's design which eventually became reploids. Unfortunately, Cain didn't understand X's design and wasn't able to give them the same diagnostic X had. As a result, some went maverick and Cain worked on a group of reploids called Maverick Hunters who were lead by his greatest creation Sigma to counter the mavericks but Sigma eventually went maverick. Cain only appears or mentioned in the early games up to X3 before disappearing after that as he's been absent from X4 on so it's assumed he passed away likely of old age.
High Max (Hi-MAX or Hai Makkusu in Japan)- One of the antagonist in Mega Man X6. High Max was originally created by Gate using Zero's DNA. Originally, he serves as a fake leader for the investigation on to the Zero Nightmare. He's very arrogant and considers himself far superior to X and Zero.
Isoc (Aizokku in Japan)- A reploid who appears in Mega Man X6. He's a reploid scientist who originally warns of the Zero Nightmare and calls for everyone to unite to stop when in actuality, he's working for Gate who is behind it all along.
Layer (Reiya in Japan)- One of the navigators in Mega Man X8. She serves as Zero's mostly and is his playable counterpart. She's specializes in finding the strengths and weakness of mavericks on the field.
Pallette (Paretto in Japan)- One of the navigators in Mega Man X8 who serves mostly as Axl's navigator and playable counterpart. She specializes in discovering hidden locations in levels and also runs the Hunters' R&D lab and will process rare metals found into upgrade chips.
Gameplay
With the exception of Command Mission which plays as a turn based RPG, Mega Man X plays like the classic Mega Man. The games are action platformers and run n' gun where you start at the beginning and fight your way through the level until fighting a boss at the end of the level. The games start like later Mega Mans in having an opening stage and then have to face eight robot bosses. Once you defeat a robot boss, you get a special power. After defeating the robot masters, you then go to Sigma's area which usually consists of four stages with the last seeing the player have to run the gauntlet of fighting the previous robot masters and then 2-3 forms of Sigma. If you defeat Sigma, then you win the game. For Mega Man X, there are new features that didn't appear in the original. Unlike the original where Mega Man slides, in X, the characters can dash as well as jump and dash. In the original, the player can find and/or buy E-Tanks which can be used to fill their health while in X, the player can find four sub tanks which do the same. The difference is that the sub tanks have to be filled by the player and the only way to do that is to collect health power ups while already having full health. The robot masters are now based off animals instead of "man" robots. Each game usually sees the player start with a low health bar but can find a certain items called life up or heart tanks that extends their health bar. Perhaps the big thing is X can find armor pieces scattered throughout the levels. In at least four levels, there are hidden capsules which contain a new part with one being boots, one being an armor plate that increases defense, one being a helmet which can be used to headbutt things, and one being an X buster that gives X a third buster charge along with charging special weapons.
Mega Man X (1993)
The story of Mega Man X takes place more than 100 years before it's events. In the 21st Century, Dr. Thomas Light, the creator of Mega Man, had created an advanced form of Mega Man called Mega Man X or X. Along with being a powerful fighting robot, X was the first to have free will like a human being but because of this, Light knew there was a chance that X could be dangerous and needed 30 years to test his reliability. Unfortunately, Light wouldn't live to see the day and had no one to carry out his work so he sealed X away in a capsule until that time. Meanwhile, Light's rival Dr. Albert W. Wily had created his own masterpiece in a robot named Zero as well as what would become known as the maverick virus but he was forced to seal Zero away in a capsule due to a flaw in his cognitive program. Fast forward 100 years later, X is discovered by scientist and archaeologist Dr. Cain. Fascinated with X and not paying attention to Light's fears, Cain began work on robots like X which became known as "reploids" who also had free will but were not giving the same diagnostic X had as Cain didn't fully understand X. However, some eventually turned to criminal behavior with these reploids referred to as "mavericks" (or "irregulars" in Japan). To counter these mavericks, a group of reploids named Maverick Hunters was formed led by a reploid named Sigma who was considered Cain's masterpiece. During this time, Zero was released and killed several reploids before being confronted by Sigma. During the fight, the maverick virus was released which seemed to cure Zero of his defective programming but it resulted in Sigma going maverick and he decided to wage war on mankind.
During a maverick attack, X attempts to fight them off in a city before being confronted by another former maverick hunter Vile who is riding an armored carrier. X stands no chance and Vile quickly subdues him until Zero comes in for the save and scares Vile off. From there, X travels to eight locations fighting off each robot master that's there. During this, X increases his own power by extending his energy and acquiring sub tanks that can store energy but most importantly, he finds and acquires upgrades in four capsules scattered by Light which give X new boots, armor, helmet, & X buster. After succeeding, X and Zero travel to Sigma's headquarters. Early on, they confront Vile again but he's again too much thanks to his armored carrier until Zero sacrifices himself via self-destruction to destroy the armor. X defeats Vile and consoles Zero before he dies. X then fights his way to Sigma before eventually succeeding in stopping him and seemingly destroying him but it would eventually turn out that this was far from over.
As was the case with Mega Man, the X games were nonlinear but here are the robot masters in the recommended order.
Chill Penguin (Icy Penguigo in Japan)- Chill Penguin is the first of eight robot masters. Based off a King Penguin, Penguin was once a Maverick Hunter from the 13th Polar Unit. To no surprise, Penguin has animosity towards Flame Mammoth and if Penguin is defeated first then Mammoth's level was frozen in ice. Because of his thought circuits, he is able to perform missions with his small body but has been considered by some reploids warped. In Maverick Hunters X, it's hinted that his decision to join Sigma's rebellion was somewhat due to his jealousy over X. His main weapon is the Shotgun Ice which is absorbs the moisture in the air and shoots it in crystalized form. The crystalized shot can break into five pieces that scatters across the room upon making contact with an enemy or surface. He can also slide around, freeze X, or create frozen penguins that he can push into X. His main weakness is Fire Mammoth's Fire Wave.
Spark Mandrill (Spark Mandriller or Supaku Mandorira in Japan)- Spark Mandrill is the second of eight robot masters. Based off a Mandrill, Spark Mandrill was a Maverick Hunter that served in the 17th elite, which was under the command of Sigma. Mandrill became a maverick after Sigma because he "logically" decided to follow. His main weapon is the Electric Spark which allows him and X to shoot a spark shock but his is stronger and the spark is larger. His weakness is Chill Penguin's Shotgun Ice.
Armored Armadillo (Armored Armarge in Japan)- Armored Armadillo is the third of eight robot masters. Based off an Armadillo, Armored Armadillo was a Maverick Hunter serving the 8th Armored Division under Sigma. Armadillo is very loyal and because of this, went maverick after Sigma and followed him out of loyalty. His main weapon is the Armored Shield which sees him & X fire blue circular energy balls. He can also curl into a ball and bounce around the room. His weakness is Spark Mandrill's Electric Spark which can knock off his armored plates, making him more vulnerable.
Launch Octopus (Launcher Octopuld in Japan)- Launch Octopus is the fourth of eight robot masters. Based off an Octopus, he was a Maverick Hunter who served in the 6th Marine Unit under Sigma and decided to follow Sigma upon him becoming maverick. It's hinted that he's either a friend or brother to Mega Man X5's Squid Adler. His main weapon is the Homing Torpedo which sees him fire a homing torpedo that seeks out it's target. His main weakness is Armored Armadillo's Armored Shield as it ruptures his pressure system though Boomer Kuwanger's Boomerang Cutter can also be effective as it cuts off his tentacles.
Boomer Kuwanger- Boomer Kuwanger is the fifth of eight robot masters. Based off a Stag Beetle or a Kuragata in Japanese, he was a Maverick Hunter of the 17th Elite Unit under Sigma which also included X & his brother Mega Man X3's Gravity Beetle. Kuwanger has no sense of right or wrong and bases his decisions only on logic. After Sigma went maverick, he used deductive reasoning and decided to join up with him. His main weapon is the Boomerang Cutter which are sharp boomerangs. He can also teleport quickly, grab X, and throw him to the ceiling which along with the Boomerang Cutter make him a combination of Mega Man 1's Cut Man & Mega Man 2's Quick Man. His main weakness is Launch Octopus' Homing Torpedo.
Sting Chameleon (Sting Chameleao in Japan)- Sting Chameleon is the sixth of eight robot masters. Based off a Chameleon, Sting Chameleon was a Maverick Hunter in charge of the 9th Special Forces under Sigma. He's sly and respects the strong which is a possible reason why he joined Sigma. Because he is a Chameleon, he's able to blend in with his surroundings. His main weapon is the Chameleon Sting which is a beam that splits into three that goes in three directions. His weakness is Boomer Kuwanger's Boomerang Cutter.
Storm Eagle (Storm Eagleed in Japan)- Storm Eagle is the seventh of eight robot masters. Based off an Eagle, Storm Eagle was once a popular and noble Maverick Hunter who led their 7th Air Cavalry unit. Unlike most of the masters, Eagle didn't originally join Sigma but quite the contrary as he tried to stop him but when this failed, he was forced to join by submission. It's hinted that X & Zero once held respect for him but Vile hated him as his considered him smug. His main weapon is the Storm Tornado which is a horizontal tornado that approaches enemies and either damages them or pushes them off a ledge. He can also swoop at X and push him off the ship they're fighting on by creating strong winds with his wings. His weakness is Sting Chameleon's Chameleon Sting.
Flame Mammoth (Burnin' Noumander in Japan)- Flame Mammoth is the eighth of eight robot masters. Based off a Mammoth, Mammoth was a Maverick Hunter in 4th Overland Unit under Sigma. He's very arrogant and proud of both his strength and size. He's also had a habit of looking down at smaller reploids which has gotten him in trouble with his subordinates and led to problems between him & Chill Penguin. His main weapon is the Flame Wave which allows him to shoot fire out of his cannon while it serves as a flamethrower for X but is useless in water. His weakness is Storm Eagle's Storm Tornado.
Mega Man X was created by the same team from Capcom that had worked on the original Mega Man. Lead Artist Keiji Inafume said that when it came to developing Mega Man X, there was a lot of brainstorming regarding the storyline and content with the team wanting to branch out from the original but still maintain the fundamentals. Inafune and his protege Hayato Kaji reversed roles as Inafune designed Mega Man while Kaji did the supporting characters but for Mega Man X, Kaji designed X while Inafune did the supporting characters. Kaji had a difficult time especially having more freedom than he used to have thanks to the SNES's (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) palette of colors compared to the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System). The two worked simultaneously on various designs with X with different armor pieces. The idea of armor plates came about because RPG were extremely popular at the time the game was in development. Inafune thought that the concept of Mega Man was a representation of the classic action game formula in which the hero earns the abilities of the enemies he's defeated so the armor parts were added to supplement this concept.
Originally, Zero wasn't to be in the game as his design, which was created by Inafune, was to be used for X as Inafune wanted to completely redesign X and said he wanted something new and not the same old Mega Man. However, Inafune worried that a completely different design would cause a backlash among the fans and decided X would look the same as Mega Man with the only exception being Mega Man resembled a robot boy while X would be robot man or adult version. Not wanting to waste the original design, the character of Zero was created and eventually because a secondary character before evolving into the second hero of the series. The development team also wanted Mega Man X's world to be more sophisticated than the original and plan to achieve this with Zero's "hardcore" personality and with Sigma. Inafune said of Dr. Wily that he had "a side to him you couldn't really hate" while Sigma was written as a once-good character who suffered an "unforeseen error" that led to him becoming evil. The story also changed during development with one notable change being two characters named RX & RY who would be allies to X but were eventually removed. The songs were done by Alph Lyla which was Capcom's house band. The game was produced by Tokuro Fujiwara who served as a director and producer for every previous Mega Man game along with Ghouls n' Ghost, Super Ghouls n' Ghost, & Disney games from Capcom.
Due to the success of Mega Man, Capcom was able to continue releasing NES games well after the Super Nintendo was released. A teaser for Mega Man X made it's way into the preview for Mega Man 6 in the spring of 1993 issue of the Japanese Club Capcom fan magazine. Mega Man X was originally announced in March 1993, eight months before it's released and under the tentative title "Super Mega Man". Originally, it was to have a "fairly large memory configuration and a battery backup". In the fall of 1993, an issue of Club Capcom announced Rockman X would be released that December in Japan while bringing up several plots and gameplay details along with Zero as a silhouetted "Blues (Proto Man)-like character". Prior to the game's release, it was covered by North American press during the summer 1993 and winter 1994 Consumer Electronics Shows.
Mega Man X was released as Rockman X in Japan on December 17, 1993 (the sixth anniversary of Mega Man) on the Super Famicom, in North American in January 1994 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, & in Europe on May 1, 1994 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It received critical acclaim from game journalist and reviewers scoring an 89% from GameRankings, 9 out of 10 from Electronic Gaming Monthly, 4.75 out of 5 from GamePro, 9 out of 10 from IGN, 95 out of 100 by Game Players, and 88% from Super Play. North American & European magazines such as EGM, Game Players, Super Play, GamePro, Nintendo Power, & Total! praised it's graphics, audio, control, and gameplay. Since it's release, websites such as IGN, 1UP.com, GameSpot, and GamesRadar consider it a successful milestone in transitioning Mega Man from it's stale existence on NES to the SNES. The game received criticisms as some thought it wasn't challenging enough or was considered too short while Nintendo Power criticized it for not having many changes compared to the NES & Gameboy games. In retrospect, Mega Man X was ranked #58 in Nintendo Power's "100 Best Nintendo Games of All Time" in it's 100th edition, #103 in it's "Top 200 Games" list for it's 200th issue, & the 11th best SNES game of all time in their August 2008 edition. ScrewAttack and GamesRadar both ranked it the 8th best game of the SNES library. GamePro listed it the 8th greatest 16-bit video game. Game Informer considered it the 120th best game of all time in it's own 200th issue. Mega Man X was a big success as the SNES version sold 1.16 million copies which made it the 41st best-selling Capcom game of all time.
The game's X title did provide confusion as some thought this was a Roman numeral for 10 which didn't make sense since Mega Man 6 came out the same year. Mega Man 10 wouldn't happen until 2010.
In 2005, the game was re-released on the PSP (Playstation Portable) under the title "Maverick Hunter X (Irregular Hunter X in Japan)". This version was created according to Inafune due to being uncertain about doing Mega Man X9 and instead deciding to go back to their roots to see what made Mega Man X such a classic. The game is the same in regard to gameplay and storyline while featuring updated graphics, remixed soundtrack, anime cutscenes, & voice acting. Along with that, many of the power ups like X's armor pieces are scattered in different areas and Vile is playable. According to Inafune, this was done since he thought playing as Zero would be boring and it gives the player the chance to play from a different point of view, that of a villain.
Mega Man X has been re-released many times since it's initial release. It was first re-released on the PC on March 10, 1995 in North America & May 25, 1996 in Japan. Then on Mobile Phones on March 1, 2007 exclusively in Japan, Android on November 18, 2011 exclusively in Japan, & iOS on December 21, 2011 worldwide. As part of the Mega Man X Collection on January 10, 2006 in North America for the Nintendo Gamecube & Playstation 2. As Mega Man Maverick Hunters X on December 15, 2005 in Japan, January 31, 2006 in North America, Feburary 23, 2006 in PAL Region, & May 8, 2008 in Hong Kong. On the Wii Virtual Console in 2011 in Japan & North America & Europe in 2012, on the Wii U in 2013, and Nintendo 3DS in 2016. Then it was re-released as part of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection (Rockman X Legacy Collection in Japan) on the PC, Playstation 4, X-Box One, & Nintendo Switch on July 24, 2018 worldwide & July 26, 2018 in Japan. Finally, it was re-released as part of the 30th Anniversary Classic Cartridge in September 2018.
Mega Man X2 (1994)
Set six months after the events of Mega Man X, X is now the leader of the Maverick Hunters and sets out to find a manufactured Maverick that bears Sigma's emblem. After tracing him to a reploid factory, X leads an assault on the area. After the assault, X's actions are being monitored by three reploids named Violen, Serges, and Agile who call themselves "The X Hunters". Between the six month period, the three gained control of the North Pole while Serges collected the parts of Zero. The three then send eight mavericks out for X to face all the while baiting him with the parts in secret rooms in certain stages. X must battle his way through the eight mavericks while The X Hunters drift from stage to stage, challenging X with the promise of one of Zero's parts if he can beat them. From here, the story changes depending on if the player collects the parts. If the player fails to collect all the parts, Dr. Cain will reveal the X Hunters stole what parts X collected and the control chip. X then must fight the Hunters but upon defeating them, Sigma emerges along with the rebuilt Zero revealing himself as being behind everything. X then must battle Zero and then Sigma. If the player collects all the parts then, Sigma will appear with a black armored clone of Zero which the real Zero will defeat and then X fights Sigma. Regardless of what direction the player goes, Sigma will escape and Zero will be revived & help X escape before the facility self-destructs.
Overdrive Ostrich (Sonic Ostreague in Japan)- Overdrive Ostrich is the first of eight Mavericks. Based off an Ostrich, he was once a Maverick Hunter that served in the 7th Airborne Unit until retiring due to an accident that cost him the ability to fly. After going maverick, Sigma sought him out as he saw Ostrich's speed as useful. Due to the appreciation Sigma saw in his abilities, Ostrich pledge allegiance to Sigma. He eventually was stationed at an abandoned missile base where he was charged with launching the remaining missile. His main weapon is The Sonic Slicer which are two blue blades of energy that can reflect off of walls, obstacles, & ceilings. Ostrich can also fire slicers overhead, jump high, and charge. His weakness is Crystal Snail's Crystal Hunter.
Wire Sponge (Wire Hetimarl in Japan)- Wire Sponge is the second of eight Mavericks. Based off a Sponge, Wire Sponge was originally created in one of Sigma's Maverick produced factories. However, an accident resulted in him having a childlike personality and one who was easily amused. Despite this, he still had strong combat abilities so he was stationed at the Weather Control Station. While there, he played around with the weather system as a way to entertain himself. His main weapon is Chain Strike which allows him to grab enemies and climb up the ceiling while he shoots projectiles. His weakness is Overdrive Ostrich's Sonic Slicer.
Wheel Gator (Wheel Alligates or Hoiru Arigeitsu in Japan)- Wheel Gator is the third of eight Mavericks. Based off an Alligator, Wheel Gator was a Maverick Hunter who served in the 6th Naval Unit with Bubble Crab but the two never got along. He attacked another hunter during a mission because of his ferocity which later saw him get hunted as a traitor. He joined Sigma's army to satisfy his destructive nature and was given a dinosaur tank which he planned to use to mow down a city. He's capable of biting X and eating his projectiles from the X Buster. His main weapon is the Spin Wheel which is a saw blade that can travel up ceilings and drop on enemies. His weakness is Wire Sponge's Chain Strike.
Bubble Crab (Bubbly Crablos in Japan)- Bubble Crab is the fourth of eight Mavericks. Based off a Crab, Bubble Crab was a Maverick Hunter who served in the 6th Naval Unit with Wheel Gator but they never got along. Crab is extremely greedy and his only motivation is wealth which is why he joined Sigma as he thought it would be his big break. He was put in charge of transportation and assigned to defend The Maverick's deep sea submarine base. He attacks with his claws whenever he is above X. His main weapon is Bubble Splash which is when Crab and X fire a stream of bubbles. His weakness is Wheel Gator's Spin Wheel.
Flame Stag (Flame Stagger or Fureimu Sutagga in Japan)- Flame Stag is the fifth of eight Mavericks. Based off a deer, Flame Stag was once a Maverick Hunter who served in the 17th Elite Unit. He was friends with Boomer Kuwanger and followed him to Sigma but disappeared afterwards. He eventually resurfaced in an active volcano with the hope of triggering an eruption that would block out the sun, thus starting an ice age. He leaps around his chamber and charges at X. His main weapon is the Speed Burner which fires fireballs downward and upward. His weakness is Bubble Crab's Bubble Splash.
Morph Moth (Metamor Mothmeanos in Japan)- Morph Moth is the sixth of eight Mavericks. Based off Bagworm Moths, Morph Moth is an unusual and unknown reploid who can transform and evolve his body by absorbing scrap from other reploids or machinery. He occupied an old junkyard at the request of Sigma where he used the scraps to resurrect fallen reploids. His attacks include dropping junk on X and shooting pollen. His main weapon is the Silk Shot which shoot hunks of garbage. His weakness is Flame Stag's Speed Burner.
Magna Centipede (Magne Hyakulegger in Japan)- Magna Centipede is the seventh of eight Mavericks. Based off a Centipede, Magna Cenitpede is a ninja-like reploid who was once a Maverick Hunter of the 0th Special Unit that was captured by Sigma's forces and brainwashed. Centipede will do anything to succeed in a mission even destroying his own companions without hesitation. He snuck into a computer center in order to transmit the maverick virus. Centipede can throw shuriken and inject the maverick virus into enemies with his tail thus depriving them of their abilities. His main weapon is the Magnet Mine with his tail splitting into parts and seeks out it's target. His weakness is Morph Moth's Silk Shot.
Crystal Snail (Cristar Mymine in Japan)- Crystal Snail is the eighth of eight Mavericks. Based off a Snail, Crystal Snail's origins and his motives are mysterious though he guards the energen mines under Sigma's orders. He mostly uses his shell as a weapon and defense. His main weapon is the Crystal Hunter which is a blast of crystal that can encase enemies in crystal. His weakness is Megna Centipede's Magnet Mine.
Mega Man X2 was designed by artists & designers such as Inafune, Sho Tsuge, & Yoshihisa Tsuda. The people involved with X2 were either heavily involved with Mega Man X or were completely new and never worked on the franchise before. Inafune took a "hands-off" approach to the art design and instead focused on writing, directing, and producing. Zero returning and being brought back was Inafune's decision as Inafune felt attached to Zero as he designed him and originally intending him to be X's design. Despite being hands-off with the designing, Inafune refused to allow any drastic changes to Zero. The X Hunters originally came from Inafune's sketchbook during work of Mega Man X as their aesthetic features were combined to create Sigma's basis design from Mega Man X. The three were then fleshed out as three characters for this game. Originally, plans were to have a fourth X-Hunter who would be a female along with Violen having a second form and the group would be called the "Four Guardians" but this was dropped due to limited resources. With the Maverick bosses, there were plans to have a contest where fans could submit ideas just like the original series but this was dropped as they wanted to further establish contrast between Mega Man & Mega Man X. Tsuge claimed another reason was with Mega Man, they wanted the players to have a sense of familiarity with the characters while with X, they wanted a more hardcore world and didn't want the bosses to be some cute creation from a child's imagination but solid characters redefined by professionals.
Mega Man X2 was released as Rockman X2 on December 16, 1994 in Japan on the Super Famicom, January 1995 in North America on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, & October 18, 1995 in PAL Regions on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The reviews were mostly positives specifically with the graphics, gameplay, & sound. EGM scored it a 7.6 out of 10, GameFan scored it 86 out of 100, GamePro gave it a perfect 5 out of 5, Nintendo Power scored it a 3.43 out of 5, Game Players scored it 81 out of 100, Super Play scored it 80 out of 100, and VG&CE scored it an 8 out of 10. IGN would later list it as the 31st best game in it's list of the 100 greatest SNES games off all time. GamePro called it an improvement in every way and brought up the graphics, controls, & containing more enemies and hidden locations. GameFan liked the level designs and thought the armor & soundtrack were better than the first. IGN said X2 accomplishes the difficult task of following up Mega Man X. Next Generation would say ithe franchise is in serious need for an overhaul but still said it was fun.
Mega Man X2 has been re-released many times since it's initial release. It was part of the Mega Man X Collection released on January 10, 2006 in North America for the Nintendo Gamecube & Playstation 2. Then on i-mode December 1, 2008 & EZweb on May 13, 2009 both exclusively to Japan. Then released on the Wii Virtual Console December 27, 2011 in Japan, May 31, 2012 in PAL Regions, & June 14, 2012 in North America. Then on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2013/2014. Finally, it was re-released as part of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection (Rockman X Legacy Collection in Japan) on the PC, Playstation 4, X-Box One, & Nintendo Switch on July 24, 2018 worldwide & July 26, 2018 in Japan.
Mega Man X3 (1995)
Set sometime after X2, Mega Man X3 sees the maverick threat seemingly being neutalized thanks to the help of a reploid scientist named Dr. Doppler. Eventually, these mavericks come together with Doppler and form a seemingly utopian city called "Doppler Town". However, reploids again go maverick and even attack the Maverick Hunter's headquarters with Doppler being behind it. X & Zero eventually fight off the threat and face off with eight robot masters. During this time, it's also revealed Doppler had rebuilt Vile who also sets out to stop X & Zero. After fighting the masters, Doppler's henchmen Bit & Byte, and Vile, they eventually confront Doppler and defeat him. It is then revealed that Sigma was behind it all as he took control of Doppler and had Doppler make him a new body. X & Zero would then confront Sigma who is now occupying a new body but the outcome is still the same as Sigma is defeated with either Zero using his Z Saber (if Zero is active) or Doppler (if Zero is undergoing repairs) sacrificing himself to administer the Sigma virus vaccine on Sigma.
Blizzard Buffalo (Frozen Buffalo or Furozun Baffario in Japan)- Blizzard Buffalo is the first of eight robot masters from the Doppler Army. Based off a Buffalo, Blizzard Buffalo was once an ice sculptor at a ski resort and is still peace-loving even after being infected with the maverick virus which makes him one of many victims of the Maverick Wars. His attacks include Freezing Beam and charging. His main weapon is the Frost Shield or Ice Bullet which is an ice spike he shoots. Unlike the usual spikes which kill X instantly, these only hurt. His weakness is Blast Hornet's Parasitic Bomb.
Toxic Seahorse (Acid Seaforce in Japan)- Toxic Seahorse is the second of eight robot masters from the Doppler Army. Based off a Seahorse, Toxic Seahorse is made out of liquid metal which makes him capable of sinking to the ground and change position. He was sent by Dr. Doppler to a large dam to restrict the water supply for humans. His main weapon is the Acid Burst which releases acid. His weakness is Blizzard Buffalo's Frost Shield.
Tunnel Rhino (Screw Masaider in Japan)- Tunnel Rhino is the third of eight robot masters from the Doppler Army. Based off a Rhino, Tunnel Rhino was originally a miner in an Energen Crystal Mine but became a maverick after accepting an invitation to come to Dopple Town. He is sent by Dr. Doppler to a rock quarry. Tunnel Rhino is capable of invincibility for brief periods while flashing. His main weapon is the Tornado Fang which is a delayed drill missile. His weakness is Toxic Seahorse's Acid Burst.
Volt Catfish (Electro Namazuros in Japan)- Volt Catfish is the fourth of eight robot masters from the Doppler Army. Based off a Catfish, Volt Catfish has an amazing power generator that had been designed on his back which he was able to use to power cities during periods of crisis. Originally, he was a playful reploid before being infected. Volt Catfish now siphons power off the Power Control Center to Doppler's Research Center. His main weapon is the Triad Thunder which creates three orbs that surrounds him in a triangular form then shoot electric blasts. His weakness is Tunnel Rhino's Tornado Fang.
Crush Crawfish (Scissor Shrimper in Japan)- Crush Crawfish is the fifth of eight robot masters from the Doppler Army. Based off a Crawfish, Crush Crawfish was flawed from the beginning as his AI made him unable to tell the difference from an ally or enemy. Due to this, he's extremely violent and the possibility of him going maverick was there long before he joined Dr. Doppler. He's able to grab X and crush him to cause significant damage. His main weapon is the Spinning Blade which shoots claw blades. His weakness is Volt Catfish's Triad Thunder.
Neon Tiger (Shining Tigerd in Japan)- Neon Tiger is the sixth of eight robot masters from the Doppler Army. Based off a Tiger, he was a poacher hunter that hunted poachers who could steal or kill the remaining wildlife before getting infected by the maverick virus. Neon Tiger is solar powered and had unlimited power so long as there's sunlight. He's equipped with highly advanced visual sensors and quick reflexes. He uses claws on his hand that he can use to slash enemies with and block attacks. His main weapon is the Ray Splasher which he shoots from his tail. His weakness is Crush Crawfish's Spinning Blade.
Gravity Beetle (Gravity Beetbood in Japan)- Gravity Beetle is the seventh of eight robot masters from the Doppler Army. Based off a Japanese Rhinoceros Beetle, Gravity Beetle was once a Maverick Hunter of the 17th Unit and the brother of Boomer Kuwanger but defected to the Doppler Army following the death of Kuwanger hoping to get revenge against X. He jumps around and fires at X or charges at him during battle. His main weapon is the Gravity Well which shoots a ball that creates a high gravity zone that uses gravitational force to crush enemies. His weakness is Neon Tiger's Ray Splasher.
Blast Hornet (Explose Horneck in Japan)- Blast Hornet is the eighth of eight robot masters from the Doppler Army. Based off a Hornet, Blast Hornet was also a former Maverick Hunter of the 0 Unit. Originally, Zero was invited to Dopple Town but was too busy so Hornet took his place and became infected with the maverick virus as a result. His main weapon is the Parasitic Bomb which is when Hornet shoots a spiked bomb that latches onto enemies and explodes while also being able to crash two enemies into each other. His weakness is Gravity Beetle's Gravity Wall.
By the time work began on Mega Man X3, Inafune had transitioned to writer, producer, and director while also working on merchandising such as trading card and toys. Since X2, Inafune wanted to use a computer virus as a plot device since he thought it was more interested then a tangible villain. For X3, Capcom only did the character designs, artwork, and game scenario while the actual game design was done by Minakuchi Engineering who previously did the Mega Man Game Boy games and Mega Man: The Wily Wars for the Sega Mega Drive (Sega Genesis). Inafume considered this "psychological turmoil" due to bringing in "outsiders" to work on X3's development. Inafume did design X, Zero, & Vile while admitting he was "possessive" of Zero which he has since the first game while other characters, enemies, bosses were designed by Hayato Kaji, Tatsuya Yoshikawa, Shinsuke Komaki, and Kazushi Itou. Like X2, Mega Man X3 uses the SNES Cx4 which was a digital signal processor cartridge chip that allows for basic 3D graphical effects including enlarging, rotation, and shrinking of wireframe objects. The game was composed by freelancer Kinuyo Yamashita who previously composed new songs for Mega Man: The Wily Wars and previously worked with Konami on the first Castlevania and Snatcher. Tokuro Fujiwara served as producer for the final time before departing Capcom in 1996.
Mega Man X3 makes history as it marks the first game Zero is a playable character though in a limited capacity as he's not able to fight the robot bosses and is no longer playable if he dies once. The player can switch between X and Zero in the pause screen. X3 marks the last time Zero uses his arm cannon as it was retired beginning in Mega Man X4 with only his Z Saber being his weapon. Mega Man X3 is the last Mega Man X game released exclusively on a Nintendo system as Capcom moved the franchise to Playstation beginning with Mega Man X4 though X3 was ported to Playstation. With the exception of re-releases and best ofs, Nintendo wouldn't get another Mega Man X game until Command Mission was released on both Playstation 2 and Nintendo Gamecube not counting the Mega Man Xtreme games on Game Boy Colof. The game also features Vile's final appearance until Mega Man X8 and the last to feature Dr. Cain who was dropped from the series afterwards. Due to the Super Nintendo being on it's way out in late 1995 and with Nintendo planning to release the Nintendo 64 in 1996, Super Nintendo cartridges of Mega Man X3 are very rare along with Capcom deciding to lower shipping of 16-bit titles in late 1995 due to supply and demand.
Mega Man X3 was released as Rockman X3 on December 1, 1995 in Japan on the Super Famicom, January 1996 in North America on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and May 15, 1996 in Europe on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The game received mostly positive reviews with critics and journalist praising the usual stuff such as gameplay, controls, and graphics as well as the option to play as Zero but some criticized it for being too similar to previous Mega Man games. AllGame scored it 4 out of 5 stars, EGM scored it 7.375 out of 10, GameFan scored it 87 out of 100, GamePro scored it 4 out of 5 stars, Nintendo Power scored it 3.43 out of 5, Game Players scored it 81 out of 100, and Super Play scored it 70%. In 2011, IGN named it 67th out of the 100 best SNES games of all time. GamePro enjoyed it for it's difficulty, special effects, and controls. GameFan also liked it especially for it's "speed, diversity, special FX, and power up's" while they along with IGN thought it was a good send off of for the 16-Bit era. Two reviewers of EGM thought it was an improvement of Mega Man X2 with larger levels and huge number of secrets. Super Play thought it was too similar to X2 and wondered if Capcom was cashing in on their loyal fanbase. 1UP.com thought it added little from past releases but said it had a kitchen sink design philosophy which resulted in levels that came off "sluggish" and "ill-designed messes". GameSpot editors thought the number of power ups and bonuses overshadowed the gameplay while barely benefitted from the addition of Zero as a limited playable character. The Playstation, Sega Saturn, and Windows versions mostly got negative reviews with Saturn Power scoring the Sega Saturn version 23%, Sega Saturn Magazine scored the Sega Saturn version 66%, and Computer Games Magazine scored the Windows version 1 out of 5 stars.
Mega Man X3 has been re-released many times since it's initial release. It was released on the Playstation and Sega Saturn on April 26, 1996 in Japan and March 12, 1997 in Europe. It was released on Windows on March 28, 1997 in Japan; October 5, 1998 in North America; and 1998 in Europe. It was part of the Mega Man X Collection released on January 10, 2006 in North America for the Nintendo Gamecube & Playstation 2. Then released on the Wii U Virtual Console on August 28, 2014 in North America; October 8, 2014 in Japan; and November 6, 2014 in Europe. Then on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console on November 10, 2016 in North America. Finally, it was re-released as part of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection (Rockman X Legacy Collection in Japan) on the PC, Playstation 4, X-Box One, & Nintendo Switch on July 24, 2018 worldwide & July 26, 2018 in Japan.
Mega Man X4 (1997)
Mega Man X4 takes place in the year 21XX and by the time of the events, two groups have been formed to combat the threat of mavericks. One was the Maverick Hunters while the other was a military organization called Repliforce which was also created by Dr. Cain following the events of Mega Man X3. The two groups were able to get along and work together with Zero befriending top Repliforce officer Colonel while his sister Iris becomes his love interest and a navigator for the Maverick Hunters. One day, mavericks attacked an aerial city called Sky Lagoon and sabotaged it's power generator which causes it to fall to the ground and kill thousands. Due to Repliforce being near the area, they're accused of being behind it and asked to surrender for questioning but Colonel refuses due to being too prideful and General decides to start a coup to build a Reploid only nation. Despite General claiming they only want to live in peace, they are accused of going maverick and this launches the Great Repliforce War. Unbeknownst to everyone, a mysterious reploid is orchestrating everything in the shadows hoping to wipe out both groups. X & Zero head out to fight with X being assisted by a rookie hunter named Double while Zero is assisted by Iris as Repliforce set out eight robot masters. After defeating the masters, they confront Colonel and destroy him. Following this, Repliforce head to space with their space station called Final Weapon. After heading there, Zero is confronted by a grief stricken Iris who uses Colonel's core to create a purple ride armor before attacking him. Zero reluctantly defeats her but mortally wounds her and she dies in Zero's arms. X is confronted by Double who is revealed to be a spy for the mysterious reploid and fights X. Double eventually is destroyed but not before criticizing X's nativity. They then confront General and defeat him but the Weapon then is positioned to destroy Earth. X & Zero then find out the mysterious reploid is none other than Sigma who they battle and once again defeat but the Final Weapon can't be turned off so General sacrifices himself to stop it as X & Zero escape back to Earth.
Web Spider (Web Spidus in Japan)- Web Spider is the first of eight Maverick robot masters. Based off a spider, Web Spider was a member of Repliforce and a commander of their guerrilla unit but was a maverick hunter prior to that. When Repliforce began their war, he remained with them out of loyalty. Web Spider was stationed in the jungle and assigned to protect a beam cannon that was hidden there. Among his attacks is the ability to shoot smaller spiders. His main weapon is Lightning Web which allows him to charge electricity to create a network of webs of varying sizes or strings that help him climb or descend on the tree. His weakness is Slash Beast's Twin Slasher (X)/Shippuuga (Hurricane Fang) (Zero).
Split Mushroom- Split Mushroom is the second of eight Maverick robot masters. Based off a mushroom, Split Mushroom previously was head of operations at a bio laboratory but was eventually retired and disposed after the laboratory was decommissioned as it appeared there was no further use of him. He was eventually resurrected by someone who is likely to be Sigma and went maverick. He reactivates the bio laboratory and attacks anyone who approaches it out of fun and as a distraction for the Maverick Hunters. Split Mushroom is also tasked with testing X & Zero's capabilities. His main weapons include Soul Body, Kuuenzan (Air Circling Slash), & Kuuenbu (Air Waltz). Soul Body allows him to create energy silhouettes that hurl themselves at a target while Kuuenzan allows him to do a somersault attack, and Kuuenbu allows him to jump high. His weakness is Web Spider's Lightning Web (X)/Raijingeki (Raijin Attack or Thunder God Attack) (Zero).
Cyber Peacock (Cyber Kujacker in Japan)- Cyber Peacock is the third of eight Maverick robot masters. Based off a Peacock, Cyber Peacock was a digitized reploid who's AI was to protect the network from hackers. After being corrupted, he then hacks and corrupts the network himself in an attempt to get the attention of the Maverick Hunters. Cyber Peacock is capable of teleporting during battle and his main weapons are the Aiming Laser & Rakuhouha (Falling Feng Crush) which allow him to shoot feather like projectiles and shoot multiple laser beams from his tails simultaneously, respectively. His weakness is Split Mushroom's Soul Body (X) or Magma Dragoon's Ryuenjin (Dragon Flame Blade) (Zero).
Storm Owl (Storm Fukuroul in Japan)- Storm Owl is the fourth of eight Maverick robot masters. Based off a horned owl, Storm Owl is a general in Repliforce and a well-respected member. Due to him being a proud soldier, he became angry when Repliforce were labeled mavericks. He eventually takes over the air force and uses it to deploy a distraction to the Maverick Hunters. He was once a good friend of Storm Eagle and has held a grudge against X for destroying him. He also didn't last Chill Penguin since he would occasionally be mistaken for him. His main weapons are the Double Cyclone and Tenkuuha (Aether Rule) which allow him to create and shoot cyclones and absorb damage by creating small energy currents, respectively. His weakness is Cyber Peacock's Aiming Laser (X)/Rakuhouha (Falling Feng Crush) (Zero).
Magma Dragoon (Magmard Dragoon in Japan)- Magma Dragoon is the fifth of eight Maverick robot masters. Based off a Dragon, Magma Dragoon was once the leader of the Maverick Hunters' 17th Unit before betraying them with the hopes of eventually facing X and Zero. Dragoon plays a huge part of the story as he was recruited by Sigma to sabotage the power generator of Sky Lagoon resulting in it plummeting to a city below it which killed thousands. All this eventually led to Repliforce being wrongly accused and the Repliforce War beginning. Upon his defeat, he does seem to realize the error of his ways by apologizing and saying he always wanted to face X and Zero and was given an offer he felt he couldn't refuse. His attacks are similar to Ryu and Ken of Street Fighter including the hadoken fireball. His main weapons are the Rising Fire and Ryuenjin (Dragon Flame Blade) which shoots fire upward and does a shoryuken, respectively. His weaknesses are Storm Owl's Double Cyclone (X) and Web Spider's Raijingeki (Thunder God Attack) (Zero).
Frost Walrus (Frost Kibatodos or Furosuto Kibatodosu in Japan)- Frost Walrus is the sixth of eight Maverick robot masters. Based off a Walrus, Frost Walrus was always out of control and had a short fused to the point where he was once considered for disposal but was given a second chance when General intervened and offered membership in Repliforce. When Repliforce began their coup, Frost Walrus became excited as it allowed him the opportunity to cause as much destruction as he wanted. He was stationed at Repliforce's new secret snow base with the task of guarding a new weapon that was under construction. Along with body blows and ice blade which he shoots ice blades from his shoulders, his main weapon is the Frost Tower which allows him to create a block that he can shatter and cause spiked ice pieces to scatter across the room and the ice can remain on the ground. Another is the Hyouretsuzan (Ice Fury Slash) which allows him to drop icicles from the ceiling. His weaknesses are Magma Dragoon's Rising Fire (X)/Ryuenjin (Dragon Flame Blade) (Zero).
Jet Stingray (Jet Stingren in Japan)- Jet Stingray is the seventh of eight Maverick robot masters. Based off a Stingray, Jet Stingray was a member of Repliforce and a dedicated member to the point where he worked his way up their navy. He held tremendous respect for General and Colonel so he had no problem following them when they began their coup. He attacked a city's underground power station to cause distraction and lure in the Maverick Hunters. He's capable of dashing in both water and air (Zero learns this with it called Hienkyaku or Flying Jump) while his main weapon is the Ground Hunter which allows him to summon robotic stingrays. His weakness is Frost Walrus' Frost Tower (X)/Hyouretsuzan (Ice Fury Slash) (Zero).
Slash Beast (Slash Beastieo in Japan)- Slash Beast is the eighth of eight Maverick robot masters. Based off a Lion, Slash Beast was a member of Repliforce after joining them due to wanting to freely exercise his combat abilities. He displayed great courage during battles and feared no enemy. Slash Beast was put in charge of Repliforce's Military Supply Train. His main weapons are the Twin Slasher and the Shippuuga (Hurricane Fang) which allow him to create a crescent moon like projectile with his somersault and front flip kick moves and perform charge attacks with his claws, respectively. His weaknesses are Jet Stringray's Ground Hunter (X) and Web Spider's Raijingeki (Thunder God Attack) (Zero).
By the time Mega Man X4 went into production, Inafume was mostly focused on producing and helping to come up with the story of the game which he described as "only slightly less than it was for X1". When it came to Repliforce, the writers decided to give them some "moral leeway" instead of just making them plain evil like Sigma and didn't want them and the Maverick Hunters to be black and white with their ideals. Artist Haruki Suetsugu designed X's secret Ultimate Armor and spent four days on it before being told to try again at which point, he tinkered with the X3 and noticed that attaching them in a way made it look like a plane. He considered it difficult but fun and claimed plans were in place for Zero to have Ultimate Armor but this was dropped. The Full Motion Videos were done by IG Port's subsidiary XEBEC. Mega Man X composer Toshihiko Horiyama returned to compose the score.
Mega Man X4 featured new things. The most notable is this is the first game where Zero is playable from beginning to end. Where X has his X Buster, Zero uses a laser sword called the Z Saber and as a result, Zero fights in a melee style. Zero can't charge his saber but to make up for this and lack of range, the Z Saber's power and accuracy make up for it while offering a different challenge. Zero doesn't always get new weapons from robot bosses and can't get body upgrades but this is made up for learning new techniques such as air dash and double jump. Unlike future games, the player can't switch between X and Zero but instead have to choose one and play as them through out the game. X4 features the debut of Ultimate Armor which is another armor upgrade X can collect after using a code. Zero can get a black look through a code but it's cosmetic. Unlike previous X games where the player gets four sub tanks, X4 features two sub tanks along with a W tank to increase weapon energy and an EX Tank which increases the amount of lives. Due to this being on the Playstation and Sega Saturn, X4 is the first game to feature FMV videos to advance the story and voice acting and while X3 has these, they appear in a few ports not in the original Super Nintendo. Speaking of Nintendo, Mega Man X4 is the first Mega Man X game that wasn't released on a Nintendo console but rather on the Playstation and Sega Saturn. Mega Man X4 was the first to have a warning message before boss battles which has been something that's been common not in the X games but other Mega Man series' like the Mega Man Zero games.
Mega Man X4 was released on August 1, 1997 in Japan on the Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn; September 25, 1997 and September 1997 in North America on the Sony Playstation and Sega Saturn, respectively; and October 13, 1997 in Europe on the Sony Playstation. The game received positive reviews as EGM scored the Saturn version an 8.25 out of 10, Famitsu scored it 25 out of 40, GameFan scored the Saturn version an 88 out of 100, GamePro scored it a 4.75 out of 5, Gamespot scored the PS version 7 out of 10 and the Saturn version 6.8 out of 10, IGN scored the PS version a 7 out of 10, PSM scored the PS version a 4 out of 5 stars, Next Generation scored it a 3 out of 5 stars, Saturn Power scored the Saturn version 80%, and Sega Saturn magainze scored the Saturn version 91%. EGM would list it at #78 on it's 100 Best Games of All Time list that appeared in their 100th issue in 1997. The game sold well selling 197,385 copies in Japan during the 1997 year which made it the 61st best selling game in Japan for '97 and later sold 350,000 units when Capcom re-released it in 2002 as part of Playstation's "Greatest Hits". Most critics praised the ability to play as either X or Zero as the difference in the way their played in the same levels did add replay value. GameSpot would've wanted some more 3D effects but said the decision to stay 2D was bold though outmoded. The biggest complaint was the 2D side-scrolling which critics by this point felt was tired and overdone. The Windows version featured negative reviews with CGW scoring it a 2 out of 5 stars while Computer Games Magazine scored it 1/2 out of 5 stars with critics saying it doesn't add anything that the consoles don't have and that you'll only love it if you're a hardcore Mega Man fan otherwise don't bother.
Mega Man X4 has been re-released many times since it's initial release. It was released on Windows in December 3, 1998 in Japan and 1999 in North America and Europe. It was part of the Mega Man X Collection released on January 10, 2006 in North America for the Nintendo Gamecube & Playstation 2. Then released on Mobile phones exclusively in Japan on December 1, 2011 (X version) and January 5, 2012 (Zero version). It was then released on the Playstation Network on the Playstation 3, Playstation Vita, and Playstation Portable as part of the PSOne Classics line in 2014. Finally, it was re-released as part of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection (Rockman X Legacy Collection in Japan) on the PC, Playstation 4, X-Box One, & Nintendo Switch on July 24, 2018 worldwide & July 26, 2018 in Japan.
Mega Man X5 (2000)
Set several months after the events of X4, Mega Man X5 sees peace reign again as Earth again rebuilds following the Repliforce War. Among the things rebuild include space colonies with nearly all renovated except for one called Eurasia though plans were in place to restore the old colony. As this is unfolding, Sigma once again is back and he begins to research and hopes to discover a way to unlock Zero's true power so he can destroy X. He then plans to attack the Maverick Hunters but intends to lose and then spread the maverick virus around the world and cause disarray. At the same time, Sigma then recruits a mercenary reploid named Dynamo to cause Eurasia to crash into the Earth. The Maverick Hunters only have 16 hours to stop the collusion and only have two options which is either destroy the colony with a cannon named Enigma or fly to the colony and destroy it from within. To accomplish this, X and Zero must race against the clock and face 8 new robot masters, each containing a piece needed for the cannon or shuttle. From here, the story varies as the player can do both before time runs out though the shuttle has a better success rate. Regardless of whether Enigma works or not, a new virus named the Sigma Virus appears having combined with the scraps of the space colony. If either scenario is successful, X and Zero investigate the cause of the virus. If the shuttle fails or Eurasia collides with Earth, the planet is nearly wiped out and Zero becomes infected with the virus. However, it does lead to an opening where the virus came from which is an underground fortress. While investigating, dissension brews and causes mistrust between them leading to a duel. The story varies again with two options which are if Zero was infected, he then sacrifices himself to save X from Sigma and X must face Sigma alone but if Zero isn't infected then he'll save X without sacrificing himself and both confront Sigma. The game has three endings. The first is if Zero does not go maverick, Sigma with attempt to take both down with him upon defeat and both are critically injured after X attempts to rescue Zero before being ambushed by Sigma. Zero will then finish Sigma off but the endings again are different with one ending being if Zero beats Sigma, he reflects on life and origins before dying but if X defeats Sigma, he'll take up Zero's Z Saber and continue to fight on with the rest of the Maverick Hunters. X's ending is the official ending as seen in Mega Man X6.
Grizzly Slash (Crescent Grizzly in Japan and Mega Man Legacy Collection)- Grizzly Slash is the first of eight mavericks. Based off a Grizzly Bear, Grizzly Slash is a weapons dealer and sells illegal weapons from Russia and holds a crystal ball that's needed for the enigma cannon. Despite this, he doesn't appear to like violence and considers both Maverick and Maverick Hunters in that they're too overconfident and too arrogant. By the time he's confronted, he's infected with the Sigma virus and wants to die in battle before becoming fully infected. His main weapon is the Crescent Shot which fires crescents from his hand. His weakness is Axel the Red's Spike Ball (X)/Twin Dream (Zero)
Duff McWhalen (Tidal Whale in Japan and Mega Man Legacy Collection)- Duff McWhalen is the second of eight mavericks. Based off a Whale, Duff McWhalen was the chief of an oceanographic museum and was the captain of a maritime security force. McWhalen can be reckless which lead to problems with Repliforce's Navy. He guards the North Atlantic which is needed to produce hydrogen for the enigma cannon. He's already infected with the Sigma virus and wants a fight to the death. His main weapon is shooting ice cubes while X acquires Goo Shaver and Zero acquires F-Splasher. His weakness is Grizzly Slash's C-Shot (X)/C-Sword (Zero).
Squid Adler (Volt Kraken in Japan and Mega Man Legacy Collection)- Squid Adler is the third of eight mavericks. Based off a Squid, Squid Adler is a retired Maverick Hunter before becoming infected with the Sigma Virus. He previously resigned from the Maverick Hunters due to growing doubt about his job and was once acquainted with Launch Octopus. He has the energy cart needed for the enigma. His main weapon is the Tri-Thunder which shoots three slow electric arcs up, down, and forward. His weakness is Duff McWhalen's Goo Shaver (X)/F-Splasher (Zero).
Izzy Glow (Shining Firefly in Japan and Mega Man Legacy Collection)- Izzy Glow is the fourth of eight mavericks. Based off a Firefly is a reclusive researcher who specialized in laser technology. He rarely allowed any of his work to see the light of day in fear they would be used as weapons. One such item was a laser device needed for the enigma cannon. He was already infected with the Sigma virus and asked to be taken out before it took over. His attacks include teleporting, prism laser, and prism shots. His main weapon is the Will Laser which X acquires under the name F-Laser which allows him to shoot a firefly robot that targets enemies while leaving a trail of light. His weakness is Squid Adler's Tri-Thunder (X)/E-Blade (Zero).
Dark Dizzy (Dark Necrobat in Japan and Mega Man Legacy Collection)- Dark Dizzy is the fifth of eight mavericks. Based off a Vampire Bat, Dark Dizzy was a rarity as he was actually created by Sigma three years before only to escape and go into hiding. Sigma was actually forget about him not viewing as having a lot of power. The Maverick Hunters stumble on to him when looking for a fuel pack for the shuttle. Dark Dizzy can teleport and summon batton bats while both X and Zero acquire Dark Hold should they emerge victorious. His weakness is Izzy Glow's F-Laser (X)/C-Flasher (Zero).
The Skiver (Spiral Pegasus in Japan and Mega Man Legacy Collection)- The Skiver is the sixth of eight mavericks. Based off a Pegasus, The Skiver was once a member of Repliforce as he was a director of their air brigade and survived the Great Repliforce War. He held Colonel and General with respect while knowing Iris. He then went to oversee a reploid air force. Skiver had in his possession an orbiter wing but ultimately decides to fight the Maverick Hunters due to a combination of being in the early stages of the virus as well as X and Zero's history with Repliforce though if fully infected then he'll want revenge. His main weapons are Wing Spiral and Hurricane which creates tornadoes and create an after image, respectively. His weakness is Dark Dizzy's Dark Hold.
Mattrex (Burn Dinorex in Japan and Mega Man Legacy Collection)- Mattrex is the first of seventh mavericks. Based off a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Mattrex was a former Repliforce member having been part of their disaster prevention team. Behind Repliforce, he began stocking weapons in an illegal warehouse that's in a volcano which also contains a rocket Booster Engine that is needed for the shuttle. When the Maverick Hunters confronted him, he thought they were here to retire him so it's unknown if he was infected. Along with doing burn tackle and shooting fireballs, his main weapon is the Ground Fire which shoots two fireballs in a downward arc. His weakness is The Skiver's Wing Spiral (X)/W-Shredder (Zero).
Axel the Red (Spike Rosered and Mega Man Legacy Collection)- Axel the Red is the eighth of eight mavericks. A rose based reploid, Axel the Red is a rare reploid who was created with the combination of a very rare mutation, the nature unit of a Ukranian jungle, and the Sigma virus. Due to the mutation not being able to be determined though it was believed this mutation could be worse than the virus. As a result, he hid out in an abandoned military base during which time he acquired an Orbitor Engine needed for the shuttle. When the Maverick Hunters run up into him, they request The Orbitor Engine and tell him they don't need to fight but Axel the Red doesn't care as he feels he can steal anything he wants during the chaos. His main weapons are the spike ball and spiked whip from his hand cannons. His weakness is Mattrex's Ground Fire (X)/Quake Blazer (Zero).
Mega Man X5 has an interesting history as it was originally intended to be the final edition to the series. Inafune confirmed this and said he had little to do with the game as he just told everyone to finish up with this title. Inafune planned to create a new spin off called Mega Man Zero starring Zero with X5 leading into it. Haruki Suetsugu, who previously worked on X4, did most of the designs for the characters and promotional work. He added little details to make the characters stand out more. X's Falcon armor was created by Ryuji Higurashi who intended to have it look like a bird with a beak shaped chest plate, wings on the back, a talon-like arm cannon. Suetsugu designed the Gaea armor which was inspired by Sanagiman from the Inazuman magna series. The music was done by Naoto Tanaka, Naoya Kamisaka, and Takuya Miyawaki.
Mega Man X5 has several interesting features or notes about the game. Unlike every other Mega Man, X5 lets the player use the armor from the previous game though it is limited so as not to make the game easy but this can only be accomplished if the player starts as X. Like X4, codes can be used enhance X and Zero. Mega Man X5 marks the first game in the series where the player can switch between X and Zero but only before selecting a level to play. X can also collect new armors but has to collect all the pieces before being able to use it as opposed to previous games where the player can use any piece they collect. X can also switch between armors the player collects as well as his normal look. X5 also features a time limit of sorts with the player having 16 hours to stop Eurasia with an hour passing after playing a stage. Mega Man X5 also sees the debut of Alia, Douglas, Signas, and Dynamo with the former three being Maverick Hunters who assist X and Zero in the story while Dynamo is a secondary antagonist. Alia and Signas would appear in every game following with the exception of Command Mission while Douglas and Dynamo returned for Mega Man X6. Perhaps the most famous or infamous thing about Mega Man X5 is the names of the robot masters for the North American release. Capcom voice actress Alyson Court, best known as the long time voice of Claire Redfield in the Resident Evil series as well as for 80s/90s cartoons Beetlejuice (as Lydia) and X-Men (as Jubliee), helped with the localization and decided to name them after members of the band Guns N' Roses as it was he then-husband's favorite band. However, the names were reverted back to their Japanese ones with the Mega Man X/Rockman X Legacy Collection.
Mega Man X5 was eventually released as Rockman X5 on November 30, 2001 in Japan on the Sony Playstation, February 1, 2001 in North America on the Sony Playstation, and August 3, 2001 in Europe on the Sony Playstation. The game was well-received for the most part as Metacritic scored it a 76/100, EGM scored it 6.83/10, Eurogamer scored it 5/10, GamePro scored it a perfect 5/5, Game Revolution scored it a B, GameSpot scored it 7.1/10, IGN scored it a 8.5/10, OPM (US) scored it 3.5/5, and PSM scored it 2/10. The general consensius was the game was still fun to play but more of the same to the point where Capcom was accused of milking their fans. GameSpot said fans of classic 2D will enjoy it but those who can't get over the aging conventions and mechanics probably won't like it. The Official UK Playstation Magazine was the harshest critic calliing it "unforgivably primitive". The game sold well as it was the third best selling game the week of it's release having sold 46,033 copies then in the second week placed eighth while having sold 22,963 more copies while becoming the 96th best selling in Japan in 2000. By the end of 2001, it sold 215, 687 copies and was the 132nd best selling game in the region.
Mega Man X5 has been re-released a few times since. It was release on Windows on July 31, 2001 in Asia, August 15, 2001 in South Korea, May 24, 2002 in Japan, and August 20, 2002 in North America. It was then released on the Playstation Network on the Playstation 3, Playstation Vita, and Playstation Portable as part of the PSOne Classics line in 2014. Finally, it was re-released as part of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 (Rockman X Legacy Collection 2 in Japan) on the PC, Playstation 4, X-Box One, & Nintendo Switch on July 24, 2018 worldwide & July 26, 2018 in Japan.
Mega Man X6 (2001)
Set three weeks after the events of X5, Mega Man X6 sees Zero missing and assumed to be dead while the Earth's surface is uninhabitable due to the fall of Eurasia. Reploids are sent to the surface to rebuild along with the Maverick Hunters. A reploid named Gate who was a former colleague of Alia, visits the crash site and becomes maverick. Not long after maverick attacks X is sent to a zone in order to destroy a mechaniloid, he also confronts a maverick but much to his surprise, it appears to be Zero only in purple. He also confronts another reploid by the name of High Max shows up and claims to be investigating what he calls "The Zero Nightmare". X fights him but proves no match. A scientist named Isoc claims the ghost of Zero is responsible for the Zero Nightmare and sends eight robots to investigate areas with high jamming to be infected by the nightmare to discover the mystery and delete the Zero ghost. After Isoc requests volunteers, the Maverick Hunters help with X journeying to these locations, rescuing reploids, and defeating the eight mavericks. In the middle of this, X confronts the Zero Nightmare before finding the real Zero. Due to Zero having just returned, Signas isn't high on using him but Zero volunteers anyway. After defeating the Mavericks, Gate is revealed behind the nightmare virus while High Max and Isoc are also working for him. They enter his laboratory where Gate reveals he created both the virus and High Max by analyzing Zero's DNA which was found in the Eurasia ruins. X and Zero defeat High Max and Gate while Isoc was found unconscious. Gate reveals he reconstructed Sigma but he's not complete. Sigma then emerges to attack Gate, claim he didn't need him, and escape with X and Zero giving chase. X and Zero again face their arch nemesis once again and retrieve Gate's body hoping to eventually have him reconstructed.
Commander Yammark (Komanda Yanmaku in Japan)- Commander Yammark is the first of eight of Gate's mavericks. Based off a Dragonfly, he led an observation team for a nature preservation project. He was paranoid when it came to both Reploid Researchers as well as Maverick Hunters. He was originally killed after his flight system was sabotaged during maintenance but was resurrected by Gate thanks to his investigation into the nightmare. His main weapon is the Yammark Option which allows him to create three to six dragonflies to surround him. His weakness is Infinity Mijinion's Ray Arrow (X)/Rekkoha (Rending Light Rule) (Zero).
Ground Scaravich (Gurando Sukarabicchi in Japan)- Ground Scaravich is the second of eight of Gate's mavericks. Based off a Dung Beetle, Ground Scaravich was already a maverick well before the events of the game as he was wanted by the Maverick Hunters for damaging historic ruins. He eventually found a lot of data on ancient robots which led to him meeting Gate who offered to help him in exchange for this information. Alia was eventually forced to dispose of him after Gate sent him to a forbidden area where X and Zero were discovered. She felt bad doing so but Gate gave the impression that he couldn't have cared less. Gate eventually resurrected him with the nightmare and sent him to the Central Museum to examine the nightmare. His main weapon allows him to push rocks of different sizes. His weakness is Commander Yammark's The Yammark Option.
Blaze Heatnix (Bureizu Hitonikkusu in Japan)- Blaze Heatnix is the third of eight of Gate's mavericks. Based off a Phoenix, Blaze Heatnix was created by Gate to be able to tolerate extreme heat. This allows him to explore deep beneath the Earth's crust and resulted in him becoming a member of the Disaster Prevention team which was formed to explore active volcanoes. Unfortunately, because of his strength, Heatnix was arrogant and didn't care about his co-workers being in danger since he viewed them as weaker and of no use). This along with his overall behavior eventually saw Heatnix disposed but he was resurrected during the nightmare research. His main weapons are firing chunks of magma that can break into smaller pieces along with filling his battle room with magma. His weaknesses are Ground Scaravich's Ground Dash (X)/Sentsuizan (Whirling Crash Slash) (Zero), Hyourouga (Ice Wolf Fang) (Zero), Z-Buster (Zero), and Rainy Turtloid's Ensuizen (Circling Water Slash) (Zero).
Blizzard Wolfang (Burizado Vorufangu in Japan)- Blizzard Wolfang is the fourth of eight of Gate's mavericks. Based off a Wolf, Blizzard Wolfang was once the leader of an investigation team stationed around the North Pole. One day, his team was killed at the hands of mavericks but Wolfang was able to dispose of them by himself. Researchers against Gate used this to dispose of Wolfang by deceiving Alia into throwing into the Cold Sea while making it come off like an accident. He was eventually revived by Gate during the nightmare investigation. Wolfang implies that he went along with Gate because he felt he was indebted to him. His main weapons are ice bursts, ice fragments, and dash attack. His weaknesses are Blaze Heatnix's Magma Blade (X)/Shoenzen (Soaring Flame Mountain) (Zero).
Rainy Turtloid (Reini Tatoroido in Japan)- Rainy Turtloid is the fifth of eight of Gate's mavericks. Based off a Turtle, Rainy Turtloid was created to be a member of the Water Quality Research Team and was able to explore areas with too much pollution. Because of this, he was programmed with incredible defense systems but this created concerns and researchers demanded he be weakened. When Gate refused, Turtloid committed suicide so as not to be a burden but was later revived by Gate to investigate the nightmare. His main weapon is going into his shell and attack in the direction of his target. He's also able to shoot meteor shower. His weakness is Blizzard Wolfang's Ice Burst.
Metal Shark Player (Metalshark Prayer or Metarushaku Pureiya in Japan)- Metal Shark Player is the sixth of eight of Gate's mavericks. Based off a Hammerhead Shark, Metal Shark Player was originally created by Gate to work as a member of a recycling research team. He used to control and oversee DNA at the facility and he eventually experimented with resurrecting reploids. He continued to do this even after this experiment was considered illegal thanks to encouraged by Gate but was eventually caught and disposed of as punishment. He would be resurrected as a nightmare investigator where he has again been put in charge of the recycling plant. His main weapon is attacking with his anchors and parts of robots and creating old mavericks like Sting Chameleon, Magma Centipede, and Blast Hornet. His weakness is Rainy Turtloid's Meteor Shower (X)/Ensuizan (Circling Water Slash) (Zero).
Shield Sheldon (Shieldner Sheldon or Shirudona Sherudan in Japan)- Shield Sheldon is the seventh of of eight of Gate's mavericks. Based off a Giant Clam, Shield Sheldon was created by Gate to serve as a bodyguard for important people like chiefs of other research facilities. When one of his clients went maverick, he felt he failed and disposed of him but this led to a misunderstanding as he was accused of having gone maverick and he decided to dispose of himself feeling useless. He was resurrected by Gate and feeling this is a second chance, he'll do what he can to protect Gate even at the cost of his life. His main weapons include throwing his two shells or going into them and shooting into a figure eight pattern. His weakness is Metal Shark Player's Metal Anchor (X)/Rakukojin (Zero).
Infinity Mijinion (Infiiti Mijinion in Japan)- Inifinity Mijinion is the eighth of eight of Gate's mavericks. Based off a Water Flea, Infinity Mijinion was created by Gate to pilot large weaponary like giant robots. Unfortunately, Mijinion was hasty and arrogant which resulted in him putting reploids in danger by not following protocol. He was eventually destroyed when someone sabotaged a test but made it look like an accident. He was revived by Gate and sent to a weapons manufacturing plant where he constructs a robot named Illumina. His main weapon is flying around and shooting ray arrows which allow him to shoot purple arrows. His weakness is Shield Sheldon's Guard Shell.
Mega Man X6 was a first as it was the first Mega Man not to feature Inafune. Originally, X5 was to be the last with Inafune planning the Mega Man Zero series to take place after that with Zero being resurrected there. Inafune wasn't happy when Capcom went ahead with Mega Man X6 and Zero's revival since his Zero story didn't make any sense in the new series. He even thought he owed the fans an apology. Artist Haruki Suetsugu was used as the game's main designer having previously worked on the last two X games as well as Xtreme 2 and Mega Man Legends along with Street Fighter II. Suetsugu said the schedule was tight. Naoto Tanaka returned to compose having composed for X5. Tanaka decided to make the designs of the Maverick Bosses "relatively simple". He decided to use similar designs such as head fins or jewels on their foreheads like Gate. Some designs for others were unique with Gate as "a merging of scientists and combatants", High Max as "Big and Strong", and the DNA-like Nightmare. Unlike other Mega Man games with talking, X6 was never translated and every version of the game has it in Japanese except the Mega Man X Collection as the dialogue was removed except for in-game.
Mega Man X6 is the only game with X being able to use the Z Saber which the player can switch between along with the X Buster. For the second straight game, X6 allows players to save reploid scattered throughout each level. However, the player must touch the reploids to save them before they get him or they will be destroyed and unlike X5, won't return. Also unlike X5, X6's reploids contain items that can help you out as opposed to extra lives. Mega Man X6 is also the final Mega Man X game released on the Sony Playstation as the Sony Playstation 2 was already out. Capcom reportedly decided to put it on the original to get more gamers to buy it.
Mega Man X6 was released as Rockman X6 on November 29, 2001 in Japan for the Sony Playstation, December 4, 2001 in North America on the Sony Playstation, February 8, 2002 in Europe, and December 11, 2002 in South Korea. The game saw mixed to positive reviews with Gamerankings scored it 69%, Metacritic scored it 65/100, EGM scored it 3.5/10, Game Informer scored it 6.5/10, Game Revolution scored it a C-, GameSpot scored it a 7/10, GameZone scored it a 8.5/10, IGN scored it a 8/10, and OPM (US) scored it a 6/10. The game was the seventh best selling game and sold 39,318 units in it's first week and 106,980 units by the end of the year. GameSpot considered it disappointing as they weren't high on the graphics, they liked the music but nothing stands out, but considered the gameplay was still entertaining. IGN said it's the same but it wasn't a bad thing. 1UP.com later considered it "sloppy" due to the high difficulty, unpolished and had cheap gameplay.
Mega Man X6 has been re-released a few times since. It was release on Windows on December 12, 2002 in South Korea and Asia on June 13, 2003. It was then released on the Playstation Network on the Playstation 3, Playstation Vita, and Playstation Portable as part of the PSOne Classics line on July 8, 2015. Finally, it was re-released as part of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 (Rockman X Legacy Collection 2 in Japan) on the PC, Playstation 4, X-Box One, & Nintendo Switch on July 24, 2018 worldwide & July 26, 2018 in Japan.
Mega Man X7 (2003)
Sometime after the events of X6, Mega Man X7 sees the reploids continue to rebuild the Earth and make it livable again. During this time, Maverick violence is on the rise. As this happens, X grows disgruntled from all the violence and having had enough, he retires from the front lines. Due to this, The Maverick Hunters suffer a massive blow losing one of their more powerful members. Not long after, a new vigilante group that hunted mavericks named Red Alert emerged headed by a reploid named Red and quickly filled the void of The Maverick Hunters. After a while, the group no longer just goes after mavericks and come off more like murderers. Disillusioned by this as well as feeling used, a reploid named Axl decides to quit and go out on his own. However, Axl is one of the best members thanks to his skills and his unique ability to change identities. Red refuses to let him go and sics a giant mechaniloid after him but Axl runs into Zero and the two team up to destroy it. Zero takes Axl in to the Maverick Hunters to which Red contacts them and challenges them to a duel where they would unleash eight mavericks scattered around the world and whoever wins gets Axl. The Maverick Hunters don't want to fight for Axl but realize they have to stop them and give Axl a chance to redeem himself. Originally, Axl and Zero fight the mavericks but eventually X realizes he can't stay behind and decides to join them on the battle lines. As this is going on, it turns out that Red Alert's antics have been under the guidance of "The Professor" who want Axl back. Like X, Axl is also the first of his kind as he's capable of changing forms and turning to reploids of similar size which Red said was their secret weapon. Eventually, Red realizes The Professor is bad but by this point, The Professor had taken control of Red Alert and force Red to pursue Axl as The Professor needed Axl's ability to get X and Zero's DNA. The three eventually make their way to Red Alert headquarters and eventually take out Red before confront The Professor who, of course, turns out to be Sigma. Eventually, they defeat Sigma but Sigma briefly punches Axl out of the building before confronting X and Zero claiming he would come back with a new body. After this, Red shows up and takes out X and Zero. As Sigma tries to take control of him, Red brandishes an Axl Bullet and blast Sigma out of the building with Axl revealing he took Red's look. Axl eventually joins the Maverick Hunters though X isn't high on it.
Tornado Tonion (Tornado Debonion or Torunedo Debonion in Japan)- Tornado Tonion is the first of eight Mavericks unleashed by Red Alert. Based off an Onion, Tornado Tonion took control of a city's radio tower and proceeded to broadcast silly and annoying messages. He's also one of the few Mavericks who knows Red Alert is being used by The Professor. His main weapon is the Tornado Dance where he blooms and comes after the player with a spiral of electricity. His weakness is Soldier Stonekong's Gaea Shield (X and Axl)/Gokumonken (Prison Gate Sword) (Zero).
Splash Warfly (Supurasshu Uofurai in Japan)- Splash Warfly is the second of eight Mavericks unleashed by Red Alert. Based off a Flying Fish, Splash Warfly apparently had an issue with Axl at some point based off the dialogue. His moves are usually hit-and-run including the Naginata Swipe where he uses a polearm for lightning fast attacks. His weakness is the Volt Tornado (X and Axl)/Raijinshou (Raijin Rise or Thunder God Rise) (Zero).
Flame Hyenard (Fureimu Haienado in Japan)- Flame Hyenard is the third of eight Mavericks unleashed by Red Alert. Based off a Hyena, Flame Hyenard appears to be suffering from pain and the dialogue suggests that he attacks X, Zero, and Axl because he feels they're responsible when in actuality, it's likely to do with the Sigma virus. His main weapon is creating clones and stands on heads of mechaniloid's while they launch missiles that pursue the player. His weakness is Splash Warfly's Splash Laser (X and Axl)/Suiretsusen (Water Fury Flash) (Zero).
Ride Boarski (Hellride Inobusky in Japan)- Ride Boarski is the fourth of eight Mavericks unleashed by Red Alert. Based off a Wild Boar, Ride Boarski is short fused and has a touchy personality that makes him offended easily likely due to him being like a wild boar. He's so out of control that he'll go berserk at the drop of a hat. The slightiest insult will result in him trying to run down his target. His main weapon is the Lightning Fang and Search Wheel where he'll charge at X, Zero, or Axl, grab them, and run them into the electrified fence and shooting wheels at the players, respectively. His weakness is Flame Hyenard's Circle Blaze (X and Axl)/Bakuenjin (Bursting Flame Array) (Zero).
Snipe Anteater (Snipe Ariquick or Sunaipu Arikuikku in Japan)- Snipe Anteater is the fifth of eight Mavericks unleashed by Red Alert. Based off an Anteater, Snipe Anteater appears to be the wisest of Red Alert as he knows the Maverick Hunters and Axl very well. His main weapons include Spiral Claw and Soldier Ant which allows him to clap his hands together which allows a pair of spiraling energy through the column and spreads ant like mines around, respectively. His weakness is Ride Boarski's Moving Wheel (X and Axl)/Zankourin (Slashing Light Ring) (Zero).
Wing Crowrang (Wind Kararang in Japan)- Wing Crowrang is the sixth of eight Mavericks unleashed by Red Alert. Based off a Crow, Wing Crowrang is a member of Red Alert but not much else is known. His main weapons are Tanken and Tanken Boomerang where he slashes the player with energy blades and throws his blades at them, respectively. He can also use feather missiles which allow him to fire homing missiles. His weakness Snipe Anteater's Sniper Missile (X and Axl)/Hieijin (Flying Shadow Blade) (Zero).
Vanishing Gungaroo (Vanishing Gungaroon in Japan)- Vnishing Gungaroo is the seventh of eight Mavericks unleashed by Red Alert. Based off a Kangaroo, Vanishing Gungaroo is a member of Red Alert and has a child like mentality though he takes offense to being called a child. During battle, he fights in a ride armor. His main weapons include kicks and combinations. His weakness is Wing Crowrang's Wind Cutter (X and Axl)/Souenbu (Twin Swallow Dance) (Zero).
Soldier Stonekong (Soruja Sutonkongu in Japan)- Soldier Stonekong is the eight of eight Mavericks unleashed by Red Alert. Based off a Gorilla, he's a member of Red Alert and comes off like a medieval knight. He's another who knows The Professor is running things behind the scenes but doesn't care as he fights for loyalty instead of justice. His main weapons include his sword and Gaea Shield along with grabbing rocks, break them in half, and throw them in opposite directions. His weakness is Vanishing Gungaroo's Explosion (X and Axl)/Hadangeki (Wave Severing Attack) (Zero).
Mega Man X7 sees both firsts and going back. For one, it's the first Mega Man X game released by the Playstation 2. It also attempts to transition Mega Man to 3D with the game having 2.5 to 3D graphics and going back and forth. The game also features the debut of third hero Axl, a young reploid who defects from Red Alert to The Maverick Hunters. Axl's main weapon is the Axl Bullet which is a hand gun that he can shoot. Most of the weapons he gets from Maverick bosses are usually the same as X. Axl also can shape shift by using what is called the copy shot but he can't mimic any bosses. In a twist, X is originally unplayable and only becomes playable after the player either saves 60 Reploids or defeats the Maverick bosses, which ever comes first. For the first time, the player can pick at least two of the characters for each level (X, Zero, Axl, and X with new armor) and can switch between the two characters at anytime. For the first time since X4, the player doesn't have to acquire all of X's new armor pieces in order to use the armor. The game also has a New Game+ mode which means the player can restart the game with the same data used to win the game which means X will be playable after the opening stages and all the chips they got. Like X6, Mega Man X7 again sees the player having to save reploids with some giving the players chips to enhance their abilities while 60 make X playable.
Mega Man X7 was developed by a team of 30 people led by producers Tatsuya Minami and Tatsuya Kitabayashi. Minami previous had been a producer for X5 and X6 along with the two Xtreme games while having been an advisor for Mega Man 6 and a producer for the Game Boy Advance version of Mega Man & Bass. This was Kitabayashi's first Mega Man game and explained that transitioned character models from 2D to 3D was challenging but having both types of gameplay was not as they wanted equal amounts. The development team took the criticism of Mega Man X6 to account when working on X7 but they weren't trying to make a fresh game but rather get the 3D right. The team wanted to have the ability to build on the action style gameplay of the Mega Man franchise but have a more adult-themed storyline. This was a reason why Axl was added to deepen and better the narrative. Inafune sort of returned here offering advice on Axl's design since he was careful to make X and Zero unique and wanted Axl to also be unique.
Mega Man X7 was released as Rockman X7 on July 17, 2003 in 2003, October 14, 2003 in North America, December 3, 2003 in South Korea, and March 5, 2004 in Europe. It received mixed reviews with GameRankings scoring it 59.43%, Metacritic scored it 58/100, AllGame scored it 2 out of 5 stars, EGM scored it 5.33/10, Famitsu scored it 28/40, Game Informer scored it a 7.5/10, GamePro scored it 3 out of 5 stars, Game Revolution scored it D+, GameSpot scored it a 6.5/10, GameSpy scored it 2 out of 5 stars, IGN scored it a 6.7/10, OPM (US) 6/10. Upon release, it was the third best selling game in terms of copies. By the second week, it sold 71,739 copies in Japan and 89,775 copies by the third. By the end of 2003, it sold 111,778 copies. The critics agreed that being able to switch characters and rescuing reploids but thought that the attempts at 3D was well intended but poorly done. Critics also didn't think the controls and camera angles were done well while they criticized the English voice acting. IGN found the characters unbalanced with X and Axl being more useful than Zero. Gamespy said they couldn't fault Capcom for trying 3D but they lost their way and the 2D parts weren't as fun as the first game. 1UP.com would look back in retrospect and not only criticize the 3D portions but also having to unlock X despite being the main character. GameRadar compared it to Castlevania (Castlevania 64) for Nintendo 64 as it was a case of tried something new with 3D gameplay but it didn't work for gamers.
Mega Man X7 has only been re-released on Microsoft Windows in South Korea on April 29, 2004 and it was re-released as part of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 (Rockman X Legacy Collection 2 in Japan) on the PC, Playstation 4, X-Box One, & Nintendo Switch on July 24, 2018 worldwide & July 26, 2018 in Japan.
Mega Man Command Mission (2004)
Unlike other X games, Mega Man Command Mission takes place in 22XX making it take place 100 years after the rest of the X series. A new type of metal call "Force Metal" is discovered and extracted from a meteorite which revolutionizes the field of reploid engineering. A artificial island in the middle of the ocean named Giga City was built near the meteorite which allow the government to mine for the metal and smeltered it. At first, things seem to go fine but one day until an army of reploids led by a powerful one named Epsilon created a rebellion that forced the humans off the island and insisted Giga City be recognized as an independent reploid state. The Maverick Hunters are called in after the government declares Epsilon and his people mavericks with the leader of them Colonel Redips sending X, Zero, and another reploid named Shadow to Giga City and check it out. Very quickly things go south as they confront Epsilon and his officers all the while Shadow betrays them and joins Epsilon. Zero goes MIA during the conflict while X must escape. X eventually joins a resistance team headed by a reploid named Chief R with the two putting together a group of reploids to fight off Epsilon and his rebellion. The reploids include a bounty hunter originally hired to kill X named Spider, a navigator once captured by Epsilon named Nana, the successor to reploid Massimo who was destroyed by Epsilon and his forces named Steel Massimo, and a reploid who could create force metal named Cinnamon. Along the way, X reunites with Axl who was on the island hoping to find other shape shifting reploids like him with Axl joining while Zero is revealed to be alive and rejoins X. During their journey, they defeat the treacherous Shadow and the rest of Epsilon's army while finding out about a new material called "Supra Force Metal" but Spider is killed along the way. Eventually, they defeat Epsilon and appears all is well. However, when Redips flies in to seemingly retrieve X, Zero, and Axl while acquiring the Supra Force Metal, he and his forces instead attack the Resistance Base and destroy R in the process while declaring X and the rest of the Resistance criminals. Redips is revealed to be maverick and is seeking the Supra Force Metal for his own. He sent the Maverick Hunters in to take out Epsilon and acquire his Supra Force Metal which Redips would then take and enhance his own abilities in the hopes of ruling all reploids. Eventually, X and his crew confront Redips but before they fight, Redips reveals he too has a copy chip and shockingly uses it to reveal he had been Spider all along. X and the Resistance prove successful and destroy Redips who is then crushed under debris. In the end, Epsilon and his army are cleared of the Maverick Charges brought against them possibly due to a combination of him not hurting innocent people and the fact Redips had been manipulating most of the events.
Unlike the other Mega Man X games, Command Mission is a turn based RPG (Role Playing Game) and is linear. Like other turn based RPGs, the game sees the player advance only to be randomly attacked by enemies. From there, the players and enemies are in a battle screen as they take turns attacking each other or have the option to heal allies. The player has to defeat the enemies to win and continue. Depending on the part of the game, the player can have one to three party members at a time and can later switch characters. Each character can not only attack and use items but each have special techniques. The central tower is the center of the game while the player gets transported to different adventure stages that they have to win in order to advance the game. Throughout the game, the player can find robots that they can send to areas in order to find money, information, and data on stages. Like traditional RPGs, players can money and purchase weapons and other things like chips as well as acquiring experience points every time they win fights. Once the player gets enough then the party members gain levels which improve strength, defense, and gain more energy or hit points. Party members can also equip force metal to get special abilities but some can lead to side effects. If the player equips too much metal then the character can go maverick and can't be controlled when a battle starts. Despite GCN and PS2 versions largely being the same except that Gamecube could use a connection wire to connect with the Game Boy Advance which gives the player a special radar to find secret items while the PS2 version came with a demo of Mega Man X8. One of the interesting things about Command Mission is the absence of many long time characters with X, Zero, and Axl being the only ones to appear while others such as Alia, Signas, Vile, and even Sigma, himself being absent.
Mega Man: Command Mission was developed by Capcom Production Studio 3 with many of the team having previously worked Mega Man X7 and Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter. Though not involved, Inafune was not for this concept as he always viewed Mega Man as an action game but refused to ever make the franchise into an RPG. Kitabayashi claimed the reason for a RPG game because it was a respected action game but also had a good story and this allowed them to focus on the story. He considered Mega Man: Command Mission a sequel sort of side-story or the beginning of a new series because the plot was completed by the end. Due to their previous experience in the Breath of Fire series, the team decided to create a new battle system but it turned out to be difficult. Originally, the hyper mode in the game was only intended for X and Zero but because it would give them too much of an advantage, they were given two while the others got one. Instead of New Game +, the developers decided instead to include harder secret bosses. Ryuji Higurashi, who previously worked on X5 and X6 along with Mega Mans 6 and 9 as well as the PSP versions of the Mega Man Legend games served as the chief character designer. When he found out that the game would take place during the same time period as the Mega Man Zero games, he added several features to his designs in order to reflect the relation.
Mega Man: Command Mission was released as Rockman X: Command Mission on July 29, 2004 in Japan, September 21, 2004 in North America, and November 19, 2004 in Europe on the Sony Playstation 2 and Nintendo Gamecube. According to Famitsu, the Playstation 2 version sold 36,635 units which made it the 312th highest selling game in Japan in 2004. The Gamecube version only sold 18,599 units sold making it the 460th best selling game in Japan in 2004. The game received mixed reviews from critics as GameRankings scored the GCN version at 68% and PS2 version a 69%, Metacritic scored the GCN version 67/100 and the PS2 version 69/100, 1UP.com scored it a C+, EGM scored it a 6.3/10, Famitsu scored it 32/40, GamePro scored it 3.5 out of 5 stars, GameSpot scored it a 7.2/10, GameSpy scored it 3 out of 5 stars, and IGN scored the GCN version a 8.4/10 and PS2 version a 8.3/10. Critics praised the battle system and having to push certain buttons to pull off certain moves or improve their power. The biggest complaints was the length of the game and the game being linear. GameSpy thought the levels came off bland and looking a lot alike. Most critics preferred the Playstation 2 version very slightly although IGN was one of the few to prefer the Gamecube version due to frame rate, marginal improvements in the graphics, and faster loading times.
As of 2018, Mega Man: Command Mission has not been re-released.
Mega Man X8 (2004)
By the time the events of Mega Man X8 begin, humans have grown disillusioned about reploids going maverick and seemingly endless war. As such, a concept was created called "The Jakob Project" which was an orbital elevator created on the Galapagos Island that would send human to colonize the Moon. One day, an accident occurs with a transports getting flung off the elevator to the ground. X was on patrol and requests for help but as he does this, he's shocked and horrified to see a half dozen Sigmas emerge but they move out of the way to reveal a reploid who explains they're new generation reploids who can shape shift and to protect themselves from the accident, they needed to copy something sturdy while saying they are protected from viruses so they can replicate something as dangerous as Sigma. From there, the Sigmas switch back to reveal themselves as reploids and X asks who the middle reploid was with him introducing himself as Lumine who is the director of The Jakob Project. X is eventually joined by Zero and Axl who fight off mavericks who attack the area only to be shockingly confronted by Vile who is back and who had kidnapped Lumine. The three then journey on to face eight Maverick robots and find out Sigma is at it again as he hopes to destroy the world and create a new one with his children such as the new generation reploids. They eventually make it to the moon and defeat Vile and Sigma who now seems gone for good. However, when they find Lumine, he reveals his true side by attacking them and claim Sigma will live on from them. Despite this, the Maverick Hunters stop him but not before he strike's Axl's jewel forehead. It appears over but it's revealed Axl's jewel has an ominous faint glow. In the aftermath, it was decided to abandon using copy chips due to Lumine going maverick but they would be resume production years later due to the need for increased need for advanced reploids in a quest for space exploration despite the risk.
Bamboo Pandamonium (Bamboo Pandemonium or Banbu Pandemoniumu in Japan)- Bamboo Pandamonium is the first of eight new generation mavericks. Based off a Panda, Bamboo Pandamonium was in charge of the rocket center in Booster Forest which was a space center once used in China before the Jakob Project. After going maverick, Pandamonium began collecting data on rockets for Sigma. He believes the world wants to be destroyed given all the time spent on making reploids and destructive weapons such as missiles. His main weapon are green spinner shaped and bamboo shaped missiles he fires at the player. His weakness is Burn Rooster's Melt Creeper (X)/Enkoujin (Blaze Fall Blade) (Zero)/Flame Burner (Axl).
Optic Sunflower (Optic Sunfloward in Japan)- Optic Sunflower is the second of eight new generation mavericks. Based off a Sunflower, Optic Sunflower was once in charge of a European virtual hunter training facility called Troia Base. Sunflower went maverick and made the training area go haywire as a result. When the Maverick Hunters show up, they have to go through the training sessions to get to him. His main weapon is the Shining Ray which allows him to shoot a beam that resembles fireworks. His weakness is Bamboo Pandamonium's Green Spinner (X)/Youdantotsu (Leaf Severing Thrust) (Zero)/Blast Launcher (Axl).
Dark Mantis (Darkneid Kamakil in Japan)- Dark Mantis is the third of eight new generation mavericks. Based off a Mantis, Dark Mantis' biggest strength is, obviously, darkness as he can move easily in the dark and is more dangerous to deal with the darker the area. At one point, he was in charge of the security of an underground military facility. Upon going maverick, he used the facility to manufacture weapons for Sigma and his mavericks. Mantis is capable of draining energy of opponents. His main weapons are Shadow Runner and Black Arrow which are homing boomerangs and dark arrows, respectively. His weakness is Optic Sunflower's Shining Ray (X)/Tenshouha (Amaterasu/Heaven Shining Rule) (Zero)/Ray Gun (Axl).
Gravity Antonion (Gravitate Ant-Onion or Gurabiteito Antonion in Japan)- Gravity Antonion is the fourth of eight new generation mavericks. Based off an Ant, Gravity Antonion was once a brilliant scientist with a calm demeanor, After going maverick, Antonion created a tower above his lab with switches that alter gravity. He fell to insanity believing the Maverick Hunters to be evil and questioning the world. His main weapon is creating giant cubes to smash the players but if they fall on him, then he'll be able to lift and throw it. His weakness is Dark Mantis' Shadow Runner (X)/Rasetsusen (Swirling Temple Whirl) (Zero)/Black Arrow (Axl).
Earthrock Trilobyte (Earthrock Torirovich or Asurokku Torirobicchi in Japan)- Earthrock Trilobyte is the fifth of eight new generation mavericks. Based off a Trilobite, Earthrock Trilobyte was once in charge of a rare metal mine in Metal Valley which had minerals that were important for the space development of the Jakob Project. Once he went maverick, he instigated a rebellion which allowed him to give the metal to Sigma. His main weapon is the Crystal Wall which can be used to crush enemies. His weakness is Gravity Antonion's Squeeze Bomb (X)/Juuhazan (Heavy Wave Slash) (Zero)/Spiral Magnum (Axl).
Gigabolt Man-O-War (Gigavolt Man-O-War or Gigabolt Dokragen or Gigaboruto Dokuragen in Japan)- Gigabolt Man-O-War is the sixth of eight new generation mavericks. Based off a Portuguese Man-O-War, Gigabolt Man-O-War use to supply energy to Megalopolis. After going maverick, he began to siphon off energy to Megalopolis and transfer it to Sigma. He denies having gone maverick or possibly doesn't realize that his behavior was that of a maverick. His main weapon is the Thunder Dancer which allows him to shoot bolts of electricity. His weakness is Earthrock Trilobyte's Crystal Wall (X)/Rekkyoudan (Violent Mirror Severing) (Zero)/Bound Blaster (Axl).
Avalanche Yeti (Ice-Snow Yetinger or Aisuno letinga in Japan)- Avalanche Yeti is the seventh of eight new generation mavericks. Based off a Yeti, Avalanche Yeti worked at an environmental research center in Antarctica. After originally showing concerns about the environment, he began tampering with the control system after going maverick which puts the environment at risk. His main weapon is the Drift Diamond which allows him to fire snowflakes. His weakness is Gigabolt Man-O-War's Thunder Dancer (X)/Raikousen (Lightning Flash) (Zero)/Plasma Gun (Axl).
Burn Rooster (Burn Kokekokker or Ban Kokekokka in Japan)- Burn Rooster is the eighth of eight new generation mavericks. Based off a Rooster, Burn Rooster has the ability to withstand tremendous heat which resulted in him working at a borderland waste disposal that was used to incinerate garbage and retired mavericks by harnassing the heat of the volcano. He became a maverick due to his belief that the volcano was a reploid graveyard and he was unhappy with his job. He swore revenge on the reploids who were disposed of because they were labeled mavericks and doesn't care if he was used by Sigma. His main weapons are the Melt Burner which allows him to shoot waves of fire, Enkoujin which allows him to stab downwards, and Flame Burner which shoots like a blowtorch. His weakness is Avalanche Yeti's Drift Diamond (X)/Hyouryuushou (Ice Dragon Rise) (Zero)/Ice Gattling (Axl).
Mega Man X8 plays like the past games except, the 3D aspects from X7 were removed and the game mostly uses 2.5D graphics with the exception of the Central White and Dynasty levels which are 3D. The game allows players to play X, Zero, and Axl with each having their own strengths. X can wear multiple armors that are scattered in hidden areas of stages. Axl can transform into various enemies and shoot in multiple directions. Zero uses the Z Saber but can equip chips that allow him to use different weapons such as hammers. Debuting in Mega Man X8 are several new features with one being guard attack which allows the player to break an enemies guard with certain weapons. Another is called the Double Attack where the two characters the player chosen for the level can double team to cause heavy damage to a target. X's new armor called Neutral armor also can be customized which can create two new armors called Icarus and Hermes. The player can use different combination of pieces but they're not as powerful as complete armors. For the first time, the player not only picks two playable characters per stage but also can pick a navigator be it Alia, Layer, and Palette who each have a strength as they can help the player either find weaknesses to robot masters or discover hidden places. Speaking of the navigators, they can eventually be playable after buying chips following beating the game on normal or hard mode. The player can also acquire items that can be used in the shop to buy upgrades. Like old Super Nintendo/Super Famicom and Sega Genesis/Sega Mega Drive games, the player can't face Lumine and beat the game on Easy mode but must play the game on normal or hard. Players can again start a new game with a data they used to win and keep all the chips and upgrades they got in the last game.
Mega Man X8 marks the last Mega Man X game released on the Playstation 2 as well as the last one as of 2018. The game saw the debut of new navigators Layer and Palette as well as Lumine who serves as a major antagonist and the return of Vile since X3. Not counting Command Mission, X8 is the only X game where Sigma is not the final boss. X8 also uses Full Motion Video much more to advance the story after it wasn't used much in recent X games.
X8 was developed by Capcom Production Studio 1. Despite using 3D graphics in Mega Man X7, it was decided not to do it here. According to Inafune who wasn't part of the production said it wasn't done due to the graphical style. Though he didn't work on it, the designers did consult Inafune before changing the overall styles of the characters. Tatsuya Yoshikawa, who was the main artist, designed all the main characters, Maverick bosses, and the newer cast. His inspiration was designing the characters as if they were toys and imitated the joints of Revoltech figures. The score was co-composed by Yuko Komiyama, Naoto Tanaka, and Shinya Okada with a 51 song soundtrack being released in Japan as Rockman X8 Original Soundtrack on April 13, 2005.
Mega Man X8 was released on December 7, 2004 in North America, on the February 11, 2005 in Europe, and March 10, 2005 in Japan as Rockman X8 all on the Playstation 2. It was the tenth best selling game in Japan during it's first week with 14,927 units sold while 35,546 were sold by the end of 2005. The game received mixed to average reviews with GameRankings scoring it a 69%, Metacritic scoring it 68/100, EGM scored it 6.7/10, Famitsu scored it 30/40, G4 scored it a 3 out of 5 stars, Game Informer scored it a 8.3/10, GameSpot scored it a 6.3/10, GameSpy scored it a 3 1/2 out of 5 stars, and IGN scored it 7.3/10. IGN praised the improved camera system and use of 2D and 3D being much improved from X7 while saying this should've been used before. GameSpot, on the other hand, criticized the level designs which made the game frustrating to play and didn't care for the story as they found it nonsensical anime-style rambling about things that are of little importance to the actual game, itself.
Mega Man X8 has been re-released a few times since. It was first re-released on Microsoft Windows on March 10, 2005 in Japan, April 14, 2005 in South Korea, and September 21, 2005 in Europe while being a download from GameStop in North America. It was then released on the Playstation Network on December 16, 2015 in Japan. It was re-released as part of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection 2 (Rockman X Legacy Collection 2 in Japan) on the PC, Playstation 4, X-Box One, & Nintendo Switch on July 24, 2018 worldwide & July 26, 2018 in Japan.
Though Mega Man X has been on ice for 14 years, it's still a franchise worth celebrating especially after 25 years and with the return of the Mega Man franchise in 2018, maybe X and crew won't be far off.
It's been more than thirty years since Top Gun was released and still, a bunch of ill-minded fashionistas believes Cruise will be given the Tom Cruise Top Gun Flight Jacket in the upcoming Maverick. I mean c'mon.
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