[RETRO REVIEW] MegaMan X

[metllicamilitia]

Foreword/Story
Nintendo isn't the biggest on putting a lot of story in their games, especially their older games. MegaMan X is no exception to this. While the name MegaMan is pretty well known, MegaMan X is not the same MegaMan most people think of. MegaMan X is the tenth version of MegaMan and takes place in the future where he is simply called X. This series also brings into play another character that some people know, MegaMan Zero, most commonly known as Zero. While the namesake MegaMan fights against robots following Dr. Wiley, MegaMan X fights against a different type of robot known as Maverick's who follow another Maverick known as Sigma. Sigma just wants to rule the world as most bad guys are wont to do, and he is as difficult to deter as Dr. Wiley. Sigma is the boss of every MegaMan X game. The story isn't really any more complicated than that. You start the game chasing after Sigma and have to defeat the Maverick's along the way, with a little help from Zero and Dr. Light. Below is all the story you get in the game.

Gameplay
The gameplay of MegaMan X is the same as almost every MegaMan game. You just run through the various levels of the Maverick's collecting sub tanks, health upgrades, suit upgrades, and weapons after defeating the Mavericks. Each level has it's own nuances and difficulties, but they aren't terribly difficult as long as you fight your Maverick's in a favorable order to get the most upgrades and most useful upgrades in a suitable way. Each Maverick has its own weakness that you are granted by a different Maverick, meaning that one Maverick must be defeated without its weakness. Most people start with Chill Penguin because you get the Dash Boots upgrade right away and he is fairly easy to defeat. There's nothing else to say here, MegaMan X is just a standard platformer.

The Maverick's

• [*]Chill Penguin - Chill Penguin is a Maverick that is a penguin and has control of ice.
  [*]Storm Eagle - Storm Eagle is a man-shaped eagle with power over wind.
  [*]Boomer Kuwanger - Boomer Kuwanger is more of a man-shaped bug who teleports and uses a boomerang weapon. You get the boomerang weapon for defeating him.
  [*]Flame Mammoth - Flame Mammoth is a bipedal mammoth that has control over fire.
  [*]Sting Chameleon - Sting Chameleon is a bipedal chameleon that shoots a multiple burst beam and turns invisible.
  [*]Launch Octopus - Launch Octopus is once again bipedal, but naturally an octopus, who has control over water.
  [*]Armored Armadillo - Armored Armadillo is exactly what he sounds like and has a strong shield.
  [*]Spark Mandrill - Spark Mandrill is more of a normal robot that has control over electricity.

Here is a video of all the bosses in the game. They include all the Sigma stage bosses which aren't named during the game, they include Bosspider, Rangda Bangda, D-REX, Velgauder (Sigma's dog), and two stages of Sigma, as well as refights of all the other Mavericks.

Weapons/Upgrades

• [*]Buster Cannon - The Buster Cannon is X's default weapon and deals the least amount of damage. It can be charged for a stronger hit.
  [*]Buster Upgrade - The Buster Upgrade is an upgrade to X's charge mechanism that allows him to supercharge his Buster Cannon and charge special weapons for additional effects.
  [*]Shotgun Ice - Shotgun Ice is acquired by defeating Chill Penguin and can freeze enemies. Charging Shotgun Ice will give you a momentary sliding platform.
  [*]Electric Spark - Electric Spark is acquired by defeating Spark Mandrill and electrocutes enemies. Charging Electric Spark will send an electric beam across the screen in from the center to left and right.
  [*]Rolling Shield - Rolling Shield is acquired by defeating Armored Armadillo and shoots a wide bubble type beam. Charging Rolling Shield will shroud X in a temporary force field.
  [*]Homing Torpedo - Homing Torpedo is acquired by defeating Launch Octopus and homes in on enemies. Charging Homing Torpedo will fire six fish shapes missiles in a fanned-out release.
  [*]Boomerang Cutter - Boomerang Cutter is acquired by defeating Boomer Kuwanger and shoots a boomerang out, which can also be used to pick up items. Charging Boomerang Cutter will release eight larger boomerangs that circle around X.
  [*]Chameleon Sting - Chameleon Sting is acquired by defeating Sting Chameleon and shoots out a beam that splits into three one going forward, one going diagonally up forward, and one that goes diagonally down forward. Charging Chameleon Sting will temporarily make X invisible and grant him invincibility during that time.
  [*]Storm Tornado - Storm Tornado is acquired by defeating Storm Eagle and shoots a wind tunnel forward. Charging Storm Tornado will increase the strength of the wind and creates a vertical tornado.
  [*]Fire Wave - Fire Wave is acquired by defeating Flame Mammoth and is just a flamethrower. Charging Fire Wave will shoot a single fireball that will create waves of flames upon hitting a solid object and the waves will go until they hit a wall or the end of a platform.
  [*]Dash Boots - Dash Boots are acquired in Chill Penguin's stage and allow X to dash forward at a greater speed which allows him to jump further and move more quickly through the level. There is also a technique that uses dash while firing the Buster Cannon to make the Buster Cannon deal twice as much damage when it hits.
  [*]Headbutt - Headbutt is acquired in Storm Eagle's stage and allows X to smash through certain blocks to reach hidden items.
  [*]Armor - The Armor upgrade is found in Sting Chameleon's stage and halves the damage X takes from enemy attacks.
  [*]Hadouken - Yes, Hadouken from Street Fighter. This is only acquired by having 100% of the items in the game and by reaching the end of Armored Armadillo's stage five times seeing the platform over the boss room. On the fifth time, you must have full health when you reach the platform for the upgrade device to be there. Hadouken is fired just like in Street Fighter and can only be used with full health. Hadouken will one hit KO all bosses except the final stage of Sigma. It is not easy to do this to some of the bosses.

Below is a short clip showing all the weapons and their powered-up counterparts.

And as stated earlier, you have to have 100% items and go through Armored Armadillo's stage five times to unlock Hadouken. Here is a clip showing 100% item collection.

Conclusion
MegaMan X is a solid, and classic, platformer. If you've ever played any MegaMan games before this will be very familiar, and if you haven't, it's not any harder than any of the others to get started with. It's a game that's fun to play over and over again and get better at playing. The easiest way to play MegaMan X legitimately, without already owning it, is to buy a SNES Classic if you can find one in stock somewhere. It's well worth the play for any platformer lover.

P.S.
I apologize for the difference in video quality, I didn't set the videos up the same way. Also, let me know if you're interested in more retro reviews.