Mega Man X4

In front of you is an arc of units, like a speedometer. Press up or down to move the target cursor up or down. Press the fire button to fire the laser at whatever the pink cursors are aiming on. The laser is continuous for a set period of time; you don’t need to hold down the button. You can fire multiple beams at a time in any direction supported by the weapon—simply sweep the targeting cursor over the enemies. When charged, it fires a large, continuous, V-shaped beam straight forward (similar to the Electric Shock). Not much range, but it lasts for a short bit, and you can move around while firing it.

Fires a green sphere left and right which arc upward, and dissipate quickly. When charged it fires two green wind whirls horizontally, one right and one left, similar to the Storm Tornado.

The user surrounds himself with a chunk of ice that falls heavily to the ground. Although the user can move through the ice block easily, anything else that strikes it will be damaged. Charging up will create a brief rain of giant icicles.

This is similar to the Search Snake except that the shots climb down walls, not up, and do not drop to the floor immediately. You can make them drop early by pressing down when firing. Charging up fires a pointed energy shot straight forward horizontally. Press up or down to make the shot fire little bullets up and down simultaneously.

Fires an electrical web forward, which will stop after a preset distance and hang in the air. You can actually leap into the web and climb it just like a wall. When charged, this creates a large network of webs that, although not climbable, span almost the size of a screen.

Shoots a fireball straight up. Can also be used to perform Flaming Dragon Punch style maneuvers.

This creates holograms of the user. At its lowest levels, it outputs a holographic image that does nothing more than mimic the actions of the user a few steps ahead of him. Fully charged, however, and the Soul Body creates a solid hologram which the user can control. Both the user and his hologram are immune during the duration. The clone can fire, but cannot charge up. Holograms created by the Soul Body remain for a preset period of time, then disintegrate.

Fires two slashes, one diagonally up, one diagonally downward. Although this does not reach directly in front of the user, it is nevertheless very useful especially with the helmet part. When charged, about six slashes, nearly connected, fly off both diagonally up and down. This covers almost all the area in front of the user except for horizontally straight in front of him if the target is far away.

This is the air dash, plain and simple. Zero can only air-dash horizontally, and only once per jump. Note that a dash-jump counts, meaning you cannot dash-jump and air-dash in the same leap.

This is an ice spear. It must be performed while Zero is in the air, since he down-trusts with it. Can inflict ice damage on a target, and can freeze some things. The spear hits a little in front of Zero as well as below him, so you can avoid landing on things as you spear them if you hit them with the front edge of the spear.

This is an ordinary double-jump (though I’ve never seen such an effortless one). Getting this technique also alters how Zero slashes while in midair, regardless of whether you’ve used the double-jump. Press the attack button while in the air and Zero will now fall to the ground somersaulting in a circle with his saber. Note that you cannot air-dash if you have double-jumped, and vice-versa.

Zero cocks back his arm, then pokes forward with a straight, spike-shaped lightning saber. Due to the delay before he stabs, this move is not useful against moving enemies except when chained with another motion (try using the Raijingeki as the final slash of a triple-slash).

This is always selected, and its energy bar always showing, once you get this move. You get four shots of it and cannot charge it up, of course. Other than this, the weapon acts as one of X’s, except that it can be refilled with both weapon and life energy. Zero says “Get ready!” and throws an energy sphere to the ground, which splits in the shape of Peacock’s feathers and flies off in those directions.

Zero slashes diagonally upward like a Dragon Punch, except he is using a flaming saber instead of a punch. Quite useful as it burns a good number of things, and its lift can be used to get to out-of-the-way places.

Zero slashes with a fuchsia blade. This works the same as doing a normal slash during a dash, except you are using the S.M. button instead of the attack button. Press the attack button right after the pink slash, and Zero will spin around and slash again.

Zero’s beam saber becomes a lilac purple and can destroy certain enemy shots (such as Storm Owl’s lasers) that were untouchable with his green saber. Note, however, that he cannot destroy all enemy shots, just certain ones. You’re still better off dodging.

The yellow spheres refill your life meter. The small ones only recover a small amount of health, but this can begin to add up. They will also fill your Sub-Tanks if your life meter is full.

These globes are the same as energy pellets except that more energy is refilled.

The colored pellets are weapon energy. They refill your current weapon when picked up. If you aren’t equipped with a weapon or your weapon is full, the energy goes to another weapon that needs it.

These are the same as weapon energy pellets except that more energy is refilled.

Extra lives. If you have one of these when you bite the dust, you’ll be given another chance at the stage.

This increases the maximum health of the character who picks it up. Effectively these make your energy meter longer.

These are permanent containers that can be used to store spare energy and carry it around until it is needed. They are reusable and can be refilled as often as necessary. To fill a Sub-Tank, acquire energy when your energy meter is full, and the energy will go to your tank instead. Tanks which are not completely full may still be used, but they won’t restore much of your energy. A full tank, on the other hand, will always completely refill your health no matter how large your energy meter is.

This tank operates exactly like a Sub-Tank except it stores weapon energy and refills weapons instead of your life energy. Quite useful particularly when you’re in fortresses or fighting boss battles.

Although it has the appearance of one, this isn’t really a tank at all; it’s an item that gives you 4 extra lives instead of 2 whenever you start or continue. You don’t have to fill it or use it; just possessing it is enough for its effects to take place.

The boots allow X to air-dash as normal, or he can hover for a short time by doing a double jump (press jump while in the air). The hover is useful (try using it to dodge) though annoying when you are trying to climb walls. X can move from side to side while hovering, but this shortens the time he can hover. To stay in the air for the maximum period of time, stay still.

When you have the helmet, special weapons no longer consume energy unless you charge up—then they require the same amount as their super shots used to without the helmet. Note that if a weapon has no energy, you won’t be able to fire it, period.

The armor gives X the Nova Strike, which appears on the menu screen but cannot be selected; it is always selected. Use the “Giga Attack” button to execute it. The Nova Strike is basically a really big (and mostly invincible) air-dash that damages the things that X passes through.

This lets X store super-shots. As you charge up you get little super-shot icons under your power meter; once you have these icons, whenever you press the fire button, you will fire a super-shot and an icon will disappear. There is no way to save these super-shots for later; if you want to fire your buster you have to use them up when you have them.

This gives X really weird-looking black and red arms. Basically, this is a larger shot that, when it hits most enemies, creates a ball of plasma that will damage anything that hits it. The ball lasts for a few seconds then disappears on its own. Note that you cannot fire normal arm cannon shots if there are plasma balls on the screen, but you can fire super-shots. This is a great weapon for enemies that do not move.

Commonly called simply “X,” this robot was built by Dr. Light for reasons unknown. He fights Mavericks to aid both humans and Reploids, but an inner hatred for violence prevents him from being as good of a Hunter as he could be.

A skilled Maverick Hunter who lets nothing hold him back. After being destroyed and rebuilt, Zero fights with X and the other Hunters full time.

Sigma is one of the Reploids Dr. Cain built from information gleamed from X himself. After going Maverick, Sigma has apparently determined that the human race is inferior to Reploids and must either be enslaved or killed. Like a persistent bug, he always returns even after he is defeated, usually in a new form, since though his bodies are defeated, apparently his programming continues to live on to cause more damage.

When X returns to the Maverick Hunter Headquarters at one point, he finds a small, round, school bus yellow robot waiting for him. This robot, Double, claims to be a new rookie Maverick Hunter, but he does more watching and commentary than fighting...at least at first.

The sister of Colonel who tries everything she can to stop the war between the Repliforce and the Maverick Hunters. She takes a certain liking to Zero, and therefore doesn’t wish to see him fighting her brother, but if push comes to shove, it is proven that she will stand by her brother first.

One of the top leaders of the Repliforce, Colonel has a high sense of honor and makes a fine soldier. Although he has respect for his little sister, he still refuses to listen to her pleas, which leads to his downfall.

This is a two-story tall Reploid who is basically humanoid, but huge. He is the leader of the Repliforce, and stresses that Reploids should not harm humans. Although for a while he opposes the Maverick Hunters, in the end he comes to their aid.

The creator of X who manifests only as holograms in capsules. His capsules give X upgrades for his struggles ahead.

The Soul Body (or fire for Zero) is the way to go here. Either will dissipate Peacock quickly. You don’t want to wait around; once he targets you with his aiming arrows, there’s no dodging them! If you keep interrupting Peacock, you should have little troubles with this battle.

Yes, another big, hulking robot in an oversized room with a Frost weapon. Get used to it. The sequencing of this guy pounding his fists together was done quite well. Generally, as with the other robots of his type, you want to fire at him until he belly-slides toward you, then climb the wall and leap off over him. Air-dash if you can; you can still clear him without an air-dash but only barely. Make sure you leap off the wall before he strikes it, or he will shake you off. If you want, hit him with fire to melt him more quickly.

This guy is a pushover! Stand underneath him, against the wall, leap up (use a double-jump or climb the wall if you need more height), and hit him with ice. (Zero should just execute his ice spear attack at the top of his second double-jump leap while facing Stingray; you’ll be behind Stingray, but the ice spear will still hit him because it hits a little in front of Zero as well as below him. You can also spear him by climbing the wall first if you’re careful, or wait until he lowers into the water or dives. If you don’t have the Hyouretsuzan, you can stand under him and jump and slash him, though the battle will be more difficult then.) If you hit him with ice, Jet Stingray will shout, hurl himself off the top of the screen, then come back down on that same side of the screen. Repeat. If you’re quick, he won’t have time to do anything at all against you. Note that if you are standing against the wall underneath him, he cannot hit you bodily except with his vertical dives (he only uses these when he gets low on energy).

Apparently a Maverick Hunter turned Maverick (although why are all the Maverick Hunters humanoid and the Mavericks animaloid?), this guy was conned into changing sides by Sigma, who appealed to Dragoon’s desire to fight X. Dragoon will hit you with a fast and furious attack (including fireballs since he’s apparently a joke off Akuma). However, the Double Cyclone (as well as Zero’s lightning saber) can make him much more manageable. Also remember that you can often stand behind him and avoid many of his attacks that way.

There isn’t much repetition to the Beast, so you’ll have an interesting time no matter what you do. However, nail him with the Ground Hunter to take off the spikes on his toes and to knock him off his feet.

It’s Gemini Man! Well, sort of. This guy is a blast. His sound effects rock. Ironically, although there is a Search Snake-type of weapon in this game, it’s not the one that works. Fry him with an electrical weapon for some real kicks. To dodge his holograms, merely leap over the first one, stand under the second, leap the third, and so on. When he divides himself into two, you can only harm the real one. Don’t bother guessing; just fire at both of them until you hit the right one. As Zero, stand in the center of the room; when you hit him with the lightning attack, Split Mushroom will leap to the opposite side of the room, so merely turn around and nail him again. Also, remember you can use the double-jump to slash him when he’s high in the air. This battle is usually over too quickly...

Although similar in name and form to Storm Eagle, this guy does not fight much like Eagle. Owl spends a lot of time off the screen, either to the left or the right. He will appear on the screen, fly across sometimes, or sometimes hang out on the edge and fire lasers at you. Try nailing him with Cyber Peacock’s weapon to chase him away. If you run out of weapon energy as Zero, supplement your attack with the Saber. Use the midair platform to your advantage.

Web Spider dangles from the ceiling for the first half of his battle and tosses webs at you. Dodge by climbing a wall and jumping off. When you cut his energy meter down by half, he forms a huge network of webbing across the screen. Don’t worry, these webs won’t hurt you, but the ones he fires will! Jump his projectiles and blast him with the Twin Slasher. Note that, during the first half of the battle, if you hit his line just right with a Slasher, you can cut it and knock him to the ground. He will immediately make another one, but it’s humorous to watch and you do damage him by doing this.