Mega Man X

Dr. Cain uncovered a strange capsule during a dig and immediately examined it. The device had been left behind by the late Dr. Light, and inside was the most unusual robot Dr. Cain had ever seen. “Mega Man X” could think and reason and do many other things that no robot could. Using X as a prototype, Dr. Cain built another robot, though he had to change a few things that he either didn’t understand or couldn’t duplicate. Even so, this new robot was far beyond anything the planet had seen, and quickly Dr. Cain put his new design on an assembly line, mass-producing these “Reploids” so that they could benefit humanity.

Dr. Cain, though an intelligent scientist, was nowhere near as brilliant as Dr. Light had been. He didn’t realize that he’d just created exactly what Dr. Light had feared: a race of robots that could think and make decisions, but that possessed no form of a conscience. With dangerous creatures like these, something was bound to go wrong.

And of course something did.

One of the Reploids attacked his fellow human workers, apparently having decided that robots were superior to humans. This Reploid was eliminated, but already others were coming to the same conclusion as the first. Scattered Reploids all over the planet were going “Maverick” and some were stopped only after heavy losses. Finally a Maverick Hunter squad was developed, with Dr. Cain’s best robot, Sigma, as the leader. For a while this squad kept the Mavericks in check.

Then Sigma himself went Maverick, and took the rest of the squad with him.

Mega Man X could not remember his past, and was unsure of his destiny. But he was determined to try to stop this force which he, indirectly, helped create. So he set out alone, one small robot among many, to deal with Sigma.

He didn’t even get past Vile.

Luckily a robot named Zero came to X’s aid. Now, the two stand alone against the hundreds of Maverick robots, with nothing but skill, luck, and Dr. Light’s capsules to aid them...

This game features great graphics and game control, and since it’s on the Super Nintendo, Capcom was able to do more with it. The disappointing part is that it isn’t Mega Man, Dr. Light is dead—and where’s Dr. Wily, and Proto Man, and Rush and Roll and Beat and Eddie and Tango and...

Differences between the SNES and PC versions

As you may or may not know, there exists a CD-ROM remake of the original SNES version of this game. I haven’t had the chance to play it much yet (darn thing bombed on me the first time I tried it and now refuses to play), but I have been told many times that the game is pretty similar to the SNES version. Here is a list of differences I’ve been informed about by various people:

• X cannot ride in mechas; in fact, there are no mechas in the game except for Vile’s. (This is first difference everyone mentions.) Therefore the gameplay has changed slightly.
• Save games replace passwords. They work exactly the same, except that you can apparently save the fireball.
• You can give yourself all the items early using the magic of something called a keyboard. Type xstuf while playing; I hear this does not work while on the subscreen, though it apparently works if the game is otherwise paused.
• There are no continues. Whenever you lose all your lives you get booted back to the stage select screen.
• The game is generally harder due to the fact that some robots seem to take less damage then their SNES counterparts. Also, playing with a keyboard is nightmarish.
• PhaetonX once told me there is a bug where sometimes when you jump underwater you don’t jump super-high like you’re supposed to.
• DocLight says there’s a bug where you can dash off walls without the Boots enhancement.
• Speed is adjustable, via the Options menu, so you can play the game at a slower or faster rate, depending on your computer.
• The game uses MIDI-style music, which attempts to be true to the SNES originals but doesn’t always succeed. Though the sound effects are sampled and sound fine, the music in the PC version is severely lacking.
• The sequence to get the fireball is different in the PC version. Apparently you need full Sub-Tanks when you reach the spot where the capsule is in order for Dr. Light to appear. DocLight told me you can even get the energy capsule and slide down the wall until you scroll it off the screen, and if the capsule brought you to full health, you can climb back up to get the fireball.
• Apparently, in the PC version Zero will never give X the X-Buster upgrade no matter what. For the SNES version, I’ve heard he sometimes does, and sometimes doesn’t. For me, I’ve gotten it every single time (provided I did not already have it).
• Also, there seem to be some enemies missing from the game, here and there, so that an enemy you’d encounter in the SNES version simply doesn’t appear in the PC version. Nothing major, though.

In short, I have to say this: if you have both a PC and a SNES and want to know which version of the game to buy, get the SNES version. Although the PC has some neat features (such as saving the fireball, or typing xstuf and getting everything instantly), the play control is nowhere near as good, and therefore it simply isn’t as much to play.

• How do I get the fireball?
  Details for all versions of the game are in the Secrets section.
• Is it possible to hit Sigma’s final form with the fireball? (SNES version)
  I haven’t personally done it, but from what I’m told: yes. However you have to aim exactly right or the fireball just bounces off like so many ping-pong balls. Also even if you manage to hit him, one fireball will not kill him (it does something like 1/4 damage). Generally speaking it’s not really worth trying to use the fireball on him as it is hard enough to just get into position without being damaged (you have to be at full health to use the fireball, and as you must be standing on something, that means you have to wait for the claw hand platform to bring you into position).
• Is it possible to beat the game without the boots upgrade?
  In the original version of the game, the only way to do this is via a glitch. See the passwords section.

Play Control:

Near-perfect control and nicely-sized sprites makes this a joy to play.

Graphics:

I found the graphics to be very clean and detailed.

Animation:

X’s sprites look nice and move well. Enemies likewise.

Music:

The music is moving and touching, and Storm Eagle’s is a big favorite.

Sound Effects:

Very appropriate.

Plot:

Like a lot of the games, you have to read the manual to get a significant portion of the plot, but some of it is told during the game.

Difficulty: (normal)

The game isn’t terribly difficult, although like nearly any Mega Man game, the final boss might throw you a bit of trouble.

Replay Value:

In terms of sheer game play, this game is really near-perfect and a lot of fun to play.

Polish:

There’s a lot of attention to detail everywhere, even the password screens.

Overall: 90%

A truly great game. One of the best games of this game play style around. It’s a darn shame Capcom didn’t do this good of a job with the original series.

+ Plus:

The Mets on the password screen are a nice touch.

- Minus:

It should have been either a Mega Man game or its own separate series, not something somewhere in between.

• Chill Penguin (Use the X-Buster or, later, Fire Wave)
• Storm Eagle (Use X-Buster or Chameleon Sting)
• Spark Mandrill (Use Shotgun Ice)
• Flame Mammoth (Use Storm Tornado; the Boomerang Cutter will chop off his nose)
• Armored Armadillo (Use Electric Spark)
• Launch Octopus (Use X-Buster or Rolling Shield. If you are playing the SNES version and have the Boomerang Cutter, you can use it to chop off his arms which prevents him from spinning and/or sucking you dry. (Thanks to Dave for telling me about this.))
• Boomer Kuwanger (Use Homing Torpedo)
• Sting Chameleon (Use Boomerang Cutter or Homing Torpedo)

What teleporting hatches? Sorry, this game was done like Mega Man 1 for the 8-bit Nintendo. You fight the bosses in the following preset order: Boomer Kuwanger, Chill Penguin, Storm Eagle, Armored Armadillo, Sting Chameleon, Spark Mandrill, Launch Octopus, Flame Mammoth.

Vile:

Use Rolling Shield or Homing Torpedo.

Spider:

Use X-Buster, Shotgun Ice, or, better yet, the fireball. You need to hit the gem on the spider’s back when it is vulnerable (which is when the spider is on the ground).

Face:

Stay on the walls and use Chameleon Sting or Homing Torpedo. Try to take out the eyes first.

Tank:

Take it out with the Boomerang Cutter or X-Buster and good use of your boots!

Sigma’s Dog:

Use Shotgun Ice, the X-Buster, or a fireball. Stay on the walls.

Sigma 1st time:

Chuck a fireball at him for a quick finish. If you don’t have it, use the following technique and he won’t touch you: climb up the left wall and hang out in the upper corner while Sigma follows you. After he hits the left wall twice and starts for the right wall, drop down, firing a normal arm cannon shot (don’t bother charging up because you’ll still only take one unit of damage) or the Electric Spark (which does two units of damage). Right as Sigma lands, before he can block, fire again then start climbing the wall again. Repeat.

Sigma 2nd time:

The pressing question is: how many fireballs would it take to defeat this guy? (The world may never know...) At any rate, using fireballs is difficult because the only time you can hit him with one is when the claw platforms shoot up toward Sigma’s head to bring you two face-to-face. Staying on the platform and at full power to pull off just one fireball is difficult. It’s easier to use powered-up X-Buster shots, or the Rolling Shield, if you can hit with it. Stand on one of the robot’s hands so that only one of X’s feet is actually on the platform (the other will be hanging in space), and the lightning won’t hit you.

Note: if you die to any of these three last bosses, you have to start over with his dog again (and with the same storyline, too!). Don’t fear using up your Sub-Tanks, though, because you can refill them between battles. Fully charge up the Rolling Shield to create a barrier around you. Use it to defeat the green caterpillars emerging from the walls. Stay there until you have full tanks, full weapons, and nine lives. It doesn’t take long at all.

Create your own passwords with the Password Crack or Generator!

X starts out with a pitifully-sized energy meter, but you can add more units by finding Heart Tanks. Here’s the rundown on all items you can find:

Heart Tanks

• Chill Penguin’s stage: Use the Fire Wave to blow open the small buildings. One of them hides the tank. (It’s on a platform above your head. You can use the robot walker to help you jump up to it, or dash-jump if you have the boots.)
• Flame Mammoth’s stage: Defeat Chill Penguin. The Heart Tank is under a ledge in the cooled lava.
• Storm Eagle’s stage: Ride up the conveyer platforms found in the beginning of the stage, but when you reach the top take a huge leap to the left. The tank’s on top of the building over there.
• Spark Mandrill’s stage: Use the Boomerang Cutter to grab it from its high ledge. (Or you can dash-jump off the wall and get up there, if you’re good!) Either of these methods may take several tries.
• Launch Octopus’s stage: Destroy the ship above you that is showering you with missiles. Ride it down through the spikes. Go right and defeat the sea snake. Head right for your prize.
• Armored Armadillo’s stage: Drop down behind the second tank and destroy it with the Fire Wave. (If you don’t have this weapon, you can take the tank out with your arm cannon, but you practically need a turbo controller to manage it.) After the tank is destroyed, the Heart Tank is easy pickings. (If you have the helmet you can also just race the tank there, but that’s so much more difficult.)
• Boomer Kuwanger stage: Use the Boomerang Cutter to snatch it from its resting place. You can also try using a platform made with the Shotgun Ice, if you have the X-Buster enhancement.
• Sting Chameleon’s stage: Defeat Launch Octopus. Slide down walls of the pit right before the cave and the screen will scroll. Use your boots to break through the walls. Use the water’s buoyancy to leap over to the right, where the tank is.

Sub-Tanks

• Flame Mammoth’s stage: Near the beginning, climb up the ledges and work your way up and to the left. There’s a 1-Up there and a Sub-Tank in the wall. You need the boots.
• Storm Eagle’s stage: Shoot the glass to open a path into a building high up partway through the stage. If you do this from the right side of the building, you won’t have to fight the robot in there.
• Spark Mandrill’s stage: Near the beginning of the stage, climb right and then down. Use the Boomerang Cutter to pull the Sub-Tank right through the wall you find down there. (Jump and fire to get the downward arc of the cutter.)
• Armored Armadillo’s stage: It’s behind the first spike tank that cuts through the passage. Stay on a wall and let the tank pass under you.

Enhancements

• Boots: They’re in Chill Penguin’s stage. You can’t miss them. (I mean that quite literally.)
• Helmet: In Storm Eagle’s stage, look for a tall tower with horizontal ledges leading on to the rest of the stage. There will be a gap next to the tower that leads downward, and you’ll find a small area down there leading to the helmet. You need the boots.
• Armor: Sting Chameleon’s stage. You’ll find it in a rocky room high up in the air, above where the Heart Tank is. You need the boots and you’ll have to defeat a mini-boss first.
• X-Buster: You can actually wreck the storyline and get the arm cannon early, though it’s hard to do. Near the beginning of Flame Mammoth’s stage, look for breakable blocks above you. You must do a running dash from the ledge to the right, break through the blocks with your helmet, and grab the wall. Once up there, don’t fall! Keep working your way up and eventually you’ll reach a room where you can get the arm cannon.

First of all, the Bubble Bat that debuted in Mega Man 2 makes a cameo appearance near the beginning of Armored Armadillo’s stage. To find him, don’t ride the spiked rail car that’s in the opening of the stage. Walk to the right and he’ll be hanging on the ceiling. About 8 times out of 10 this lone Bubble Bat will give you a 1-Up when you defeat it, and you can scroll him back onto the screen as often as you like. This is a great place to get lots of lives. You can also use the bats in the beginning of the stage to fill your Sub-Tanks. Charge up the Rolling Shield to make it go quicker.

The Fireball Capsule:

Capcom threw this in to be funny, and the best part, I think, is the sound effect X makes when he fires it. To get this elusive item you need to possess all the weapons, Heart Tanks, and Sub-Tanks, as well as all four enhancements (Helmet, Boots, Armor, and X-Buster). Basically this means you need to gather all the items in the game but the fireball itself.

Once you meet these requirements, head off the Armored Armadillo’s stage. The fireball is obtained from a capsule like the armor enhancements. This capsule appears just above the first gate that leads to the room where you fight the Maverick. To reach it, leap off the last rail car as it’s in midair soaring over the wide pit, and you should be able to grab the wall and climb up if not land right where the capsule is. You’ll know you’re in the right spot because you’ll find an energy capsule up there.

There is a catch of course, and each version of the game seems to have different requirements. For the SNES and X Collection versions, you must actually visit the capsule’s location five times (easiest way is to commit suicide by jumping into the pit to the left, and coming back). In the PC version I’m told you must have a full energy meter and perhaps full Sub-Tanks as well, but only one trip is required. Either way, the same guideline applies: if you get to the location of the capsule and it’s not there, pick up the energy capsule, jump into the pit, and try again.

Once you get it, throw the fireball with a quarter-circle forward motion (just like Street Fighter). That is: down, down-forward, forward, then the fire button. You must be on the ground and have full energy to fire it. On the other hand, you can use the fireball to destroy almost any robot in the game with one hit—including Sigma’s dog and Sigma’s first form!

Stage Changes

• Defeat Chill Penguin and Flame Mammoth’s stage will freeze over.
• Storm Eagle’s demise wreaks Spark Mandrill’s home.
• Destroy Launch Octopus and you will flood Sting Chameleon’s forest.
• CarbonK reports more birds at the end of Armored Armadillo’s stage after defeating Boomer Kuwanger, but I haven’t tested this for myself yet.

Basically, X is standing on a cliff, wondering things like what’s his destiny, and what Dr. Light expects of him, and why he has to fight. (He does this in every ending...) Then, when the story is over, the scene changes and X is running along the highway, and names of robot friends and enemies are displayed. Capcom always ends this with “And You...as Mega Man X”...Does anyone else besides me find this to be extremely corny? Oh well... Interesting note: if you wait around at the ending screen long enough, Sigma eventually appears and threatens that he’s not through yet. A definite plug for Mega Man X2 if you ask me!