For a description of what these stats mean, see the
Stat Explanation page.
- Open Menu: No
- Charge Up: No
- Lose Charge: No
- Horizontal Recoil: Reverse *
- Vertical Recoil: None
- Shots On Screen: Yes
- Fall Off Ladder: No
- Paused Refills: Yes
- * Characters usually turn around when they get hit; consequently often the recoil is opposite what one would expect.
X’s Weapons
Most of the weapons are renamed or utterly changed here from the games in which they originally appeared.
Characteristics: Homing
Color Scheme: Brown and white
Bomb Bee
Probably the most useful weapon in the game (mostly thanks to poor level design). This is a homing missile essentially. The bee will fly to any enemy currently on the screen and impact with it, doing damage. When charged, forms a shield of bees around you which damage things that you hit. They disappear after a short time.
Color Scheme: Red and white
Fire Wave
This version of the weapon shoots a fireball. If the fire hits the ground it will produce a wave of fire. When charged, it causes fiery meteors to fall from the sky.
Color Scheme: Dusky blue and white
Marine Tornado
Shoots a vertical water whirl (similar to the
Storm Tornado only rotated 90 degrees). When charged, it fires a spread shot in four directions.
Color Scheme: Yellow and white
Ray Claw
Pressing the fire button forms a continuous slash from X’s cannon. Charging up produces the regular
Ray Splasher.
Characteristics: Multidirectional
Color Scheme: Fuchsia and white
Sonic Slicer
Fires half-moon shaped bits of energy. When charged, causes sonic slices to be rained down from above.
Color Scheme: Green and white
Strike Chain
A short orange chain extends from X’s cannon. When charged the effect is the same; the chain is just bigger.
Color Scheme: Red-orange and white
Tornado Fang
Produces a three-drill spread. When charged, a large drill is attached to X’s cannon similar to the
Frost Shield.
Characteristics: Multidirectional
Color Scheme: Cyan and white
Tri-Thunder
Fires three spheres which travel outward in a spread formation. When charged, X flashes and multiple spheres shoot in random directions from his body (similar to Zero’s version of the weapon).
Zero’s Weapons
You have to select some of Zero’s weapons off the subscreen to use them (the effects happen instantly similar to the Zero Scramble Programs in Xtreme). Also all of Zero’s weapons share a single energy meter (the one that is always showing, even if you don’t have a weapon equipped).
Motion: Select from subscreen
Dash
Zero dashes forward and damages what he hits, then teleports back to where he started. Zero cannot be damaged or killed while executing this Dash technique so you don’t have to worry about, for example, flinging him into spikes.
Motion: Down+Slash while in air
Drill Crush
Zero jabs downward with a drill-shaped spear. This move requires no energy.
Motion: Select from subscreen
Earth G.
Zero makes a teleport animation, then slams his fist into the ground and produces a wave of rocks that covers the screen. Oddly enough, this move can be done in the air, which doesn’t make sense because Zero slams his fist into nothing and still produces the correct result.
Motion: Down+Slash while on ground
Fire Wave
Zero slashes a fire sabre, which creates a wave of fireballs similar to X’s use of the weapon.
Motion: Up+Slash while in air
Fish Fang
Zero slashes several fish-shaped shots downward in a fan shape. Yes, pressing Up produces a shot that fires down. Ah well, Down was already taken after all...
Motion: Select from subscreen
Lightning
Fires lightning bolts down the screen in random places. Extremely hard to aim; however the first bolt is almost guaranteed to appear right where Zero is standing.
Motion: Up+Slash while on ground
Rising
Zero slashes upward with his blade. This uses no energy.
Motion: Select from subscreen
Tri-Thunder
When you select this one, Zero crouches and sends Tri-Thunder balls in all directions. Handy, but a tad hard to aim.
This game is full of them. There are a whopping 16 Mavericks in this title, although admittedly only eight have stages and corresponding weapons.
Also Known As: Armor Armarge
Armored Armadillo
This guy rolls himself into a ball and ricochets around the room. His energy shots are far less dangerous. If you can manage to hit him with a Tri-Thunder, you’ll knock off his armor and this makes him more vulnerable.
Also Known As: Explose Horneck
Blast Hornet
He’s tall and can fly, but he’s not as fast here, which makes him a bit more manageable. He can still be a pain if you don’t hit him strong and hard with Zero’s Dash or the S.Slicer—you might find his little hornet robots swarming you otherwise.
Also Known As: Icy Penguigo
Chill Penguin
This is one of the smaller Mavericks. As his name suggests, he is another of the ice robots, who can turn you into a popcicle if you give him the chance. Stay on the walls to avoid most of his attacks.
Also Known As: Burnin' Noumander
Flame Mammoth
Both tall and wide, this was one of the first bosses to have a room that is bigger than the width of the screen. This is also one of the more irritating “features” added to the series, since half the time Flame Mammoth is scrolled off the screen where you cannot hit him—but he can hit you! I really recommend taking the M.Tornado to this guy; try hanging out on the wall above him and shooting it from there.
Also Known As: Fraim Stugger
Flame Stag
Residing in a volcano, this guy’s room has more height than width. He can be a flurry of activity, but if you hit him with the M.Tornado, you can occupy him so much that he won’t get around to most of his attacks.
Also Known As: Launcher Octopuldo
Launch Octopus
This is one of the more busy battles; you can’t stay in one place for long, and fish and homing torpedoes get sprayed everywhere. Whatever you do, don’t let this guy get his arms on you! He’s capable of siphoning off energy for his own use, and often he takes more than he needs. If you get into his clutches, you’ll have a hard time getting out. So either dash away when he spins, or chop off his arms with the Ray Claw. The Tri-Thunder is good for damage.
Also Known As: Magne Hyakulegger
Magna Centipede
This guy has a magnetic personality, but you can gunk that up by blasting him with the Bomb Bee. Otherwise, you’ll not only have to worry about being attracted to him (groan) but you’ll also have to dodge his Magnet Mines...
Also Known As: Metamor Mothmeanos
Morph Moth
Now this is one of the more original—and adorable—of the Mavericks. He begins the battle as a teeny little moth robot that is capable of drawing debris to himself in a spiral (to avoid this, try circling the room by running along the floor, climbing a wall, air-dashing over him, and repeating). Only after you damage him significantly does he show his true form.
Also Known As: Shining Tigerd
Neon Tiger
For some reason this guy lost a lot of speed. Hang out on the walls and fire from there; if you jump up to the top of the wall and slide down over and over, his shots should miss you. Cross the room when he switches sides (depending on his angle, sometimes you have to go over him, and sometimes under) and repeat. When he starts trying to uppercut you, you’ll have to be more careful, but he’s almost dead by this point.
Also Known As: Sonic Ostreague
Overdrive Ostrich
When Ostrich goes into the background, wait until just before he leaps, then move out of the way before he lands on you. Use the S.Chain on him. You can try Lightning as well, but better stand under or over him when you fire it to make sure you hit him at least once.
Also Known As: Spark Mandriller
Spark Mandrill
This hulking robot would love to pound you, and very little will slow him down. You’ll have to rely on fancy footwork to get around him.
Also Known As: Storm Eagleed
Storm Eagle
A birdman with impressive wing strength, Storm Eagle can blow you for a loop. He likes to dive on his opponents, but if you are fast enough, you can leap him and get a shot in at the same time. Generally if you keep your head, Storm Eagle isn’t very threatening, but make sure he doesn’t knock you off the ledge.
Also Known As: Screw Masaider
Tunnel Rhino
He’s big, ugly, and charges a lot. His drill-like Tornado Fangs delay before they begin moving, which can throw you off guard. You can hang out on the walls to avoid him, but jump off over him when he charges.
Also Known As: Electro Namazuros
Volt Catfish
This guy has a lot of shocks and likes to use them. He also likes jumping and landing on your head. You can forestall most of his moves with the Ray Claw, but be aware that he is invulnerable at times.
Also Known As: Wire Hetimarl
Wire Sponge
You’ll have to be careful dodging this guy; sometimes you can jump over his grappling hook and attack him, and sometimes his chain hurts you too. So climb the wall instead—if his grapple hits the wall, jump off because he’ll pull himself toward it; otherwise drop down as soon as the chain is out of the way and fire at him. When he’s almost dead he’ll turn red and begin using his lightning attack. This is nasty so kill him quickly. You can’t hit him during the lightning attack itself; you have to wait until he moves.
