Mega Man X is an action-platform video game developed and
published by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was the
first Mega Man game for the 16-bit console and the first game in the Mega Man X
series, a spin-off of the original Mega Man series that began on the SNES's
predecessor, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). Mega Man X was released
in Japan on December 17, 1993 and was released in both North America and Europe
the following year. Taking place, a century after the original Mega Man series,
Mega Man X is set in a futuristic world populated by both humans and
"Reploids", robots capable of thinking, feeling, and growing like
their human creators. Because of these complex attributes, many Reploids are
prone to destructive, renegade activity and are thereafter referred to as
"Mavericks". The plot of the game follows the protagonist Mega Man X,
an android member of a military task force called the "Maverick
Hunters". With the help of his partner Zero, X must thwart the plans of
Sigma, a powerful Maverick leader wishing to bring about human extinction.
With the transition to more advanced gaming hardware, series
artist Keiji Inafune explained that the development of Mega Man X involved
reinventing Mega Man through gameplay expansion and a more mature storyline
while still maintaining the basic concepts on which the franchise was built.
Much like the NES Mega Man games that came before it, Mega Man X is a standard
action-platform game where the player takes control of the eponymous character
and must complete a set of eight, initial stages in any order desired.
Defeating the boss character at the end of each stage grants the player one new
weapon that can then be toggled and used at will for the remainder of the game.
However, Mega Man X adds a number of new features and makes radical changes to
the original gameplay mechanics of previous releases in the series. These
include allowing the player to dash along the ground, scale walls, and obtain armour
attachments which grant special abilities.
Mega Man X has met with positive reviews for its gameplay,
sound, and graphics, as well as its attempt to augment the aging Mega Man
franchise. A long-term commercial success on the SNES, Mega Man X has since
been ported to personal computers (PCs) and mobile devices, included in the
North American Mega Man X Collection for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation
2 (PS2), and released on the Virtual Console download service for the Wii, the
Wii U, and the New Nintendo 3DS. The game also received a remake on the
PlayStation Portable (PSP) titled Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X. Nintendo
re-released Mega Man X in September 2017 as part of the company's Super NES
Classic Edition, and a limited physical re-release for the SNES in celebration
of Mega Man's 30th Anniversary due for release in September 2018 and published
by iam8bit.
The series is set in the 22nd century, almost one hundred
years after the events of the first Mega Man series. The story revolves around
Mega Man X, the final and ultimate creation of Dr. Thomas Light, who is
discovered by world-renowned archaeologist Dr. Cain and used to create an
advanced race of robots known as "Reploids" (called so because they
are literally replicas based on the design of X). However, not long after their
creation, some of the Reploids begin to go "Maverick" and attack
humans. Dr. Cain is asked by the council to put a stop to this, and, as such,
forms a special unit to stop these "Mavericks" known as the
"Maverick Hunters". However, the leader of the Hunters and Dr. Cain's
creation, Sigma, goes Maverick himself, taking many of the Hunters with him.
Thus, the "Maverick Wars" begin to take shape...
My favourite out of all the series definitely be Mega Man X4.
Some video games the masses can enjoy, and some video games cater to the
hard-core fanatic of a specific genre. Flight sims are a good example, as are
most golf games. What many don't realize, though, is that even a genre as
innocuous as the simple platform shooter has a hard-core fan base - a league of
players that can run faster, shoot longer, and generally destroy any side
scroller in one sitting. These blister-thumbed few need something better,
faster, harder. Mega Man X4 was created for them.
First, you must be a fan of the motif to even understand
this game. By motif, I'm talking about anime and all the Speed Racer-esque
backgrounds, bizarre character names, and recycled sound effects that go along
with it. In addition to the game's general aesthetics, all the cinematic scenes
are 100 percent anime, right down to the shamefully bad voice acting. The first
scene introduces you, by means of a frantic music video, to all the games major
characters. From there, you are thrust into the action of the game's first
two-stage level that serves as a teaser to the rest of the story.
Through much in-game exposition, we learn that General and
Colonel (great names!), under instruction from the evil Sigma, have incited
Repliforce, an army of reploids formerly allied with our heroes, the Maverick
Hunters, to riot. Following Sigma's plans to destroy the human race that
created them, they have demolished a Maverick Hunter base and promise to
continue the destruction until their final weapon is complete, and the earth is
vaporized, or something like that. It is, of course, up to Mega Man X and his
faithful partner, Zero, to foil their plans and save the earth from
destruction.
Inventive it is not, but this latest installment in the
extensive Mega Man series does sport enhanced graphics, a new soundtrack,
gigantic bosses, and one other notable enhancement - this is the first of the
series that lets you play as X or Zero. Capcom is hyping this feature as
providing "two separate adventures." While it does increase the
game's replay value, it's decidedly not two separate adventures. The game
follows one scenario with a few differences, such as sidekick and dialogue,
depending on the character you choose - much like Sonic and Knuckles or
Resident Evil.
The real difference between characters lies in how the game
plays. Play as X, and the gameplay is very similar to the other Mega Man X
games. You run around and shoot things, collecting armour from Dr. Light and
new weapons from your fallen adversaries. If you choose Zero, the story doesn't
change much, but you must alter the tactics used to fight attackers and
overcome obstacles. Zero is armed with a Z-Saber instead of X's Arm Cannon
making it necessary to fight up close. No armour is provided for Zero, and
instead of looting his enemies for new weapons, Zero learns a new fighting
tactic when he slays an opponent. This introduces an element of
head-to-head-fighter gameplay into the mix and makes it necessary for you to
learn button combos to pull off each move. Needless to say, playing as Zero
increases the difficulty level a bit.
No matter which character is used, though, this is one tough
game to beat. Challenging gameplay, as in all previous Mega Man titles, is the
key here. Each level, with few exceptions, is designed to include little
secrets and interesting terrain. Each new weapon or fighting move learned
requires practice to master. The various baddies are quite illusive and hard to
eliminate. The real challenge waits at the end of the level - another Mega Man trademark.
Providing formidable bosses has always been Capcom's strong suit. The true
side-scroller fan is separated from the rest. It is a real test of will to sit
in front of a TV and blast away at the same massive robotic bad guy for hours
straight. Some find it tedious to the point of delirium; others love the
challenge. I found it tedious. I tend to enjoy a few more puzzles in the levels
themselves and a tad less adversity at the end of them. Fortunately, MM X4 is
executed just well enough to make the monotony bearable.
The control layout is intuitive, and the reaction time is
unsurpassed. The soundtrack, while incredibly typical, is filled with the
Japanese video-game synth-pop hooks we all hate to love, and the cutscene
dialogue, though pitiful, is a definite improvement over Mega Man 8. The
graphics, unlike previous Mega Man titles, take full advantage of the
PlayStation's 16-bit colour palette and alpha-channel transparency, lending the
game a decidedly 32-bit look. The multiple-parallax backgrounds are flawlessly
rendered and cause no discernible slowdown in the frame rate. A few more 3D
effects would have been nice, but the decision to stick with a true 2D
environment is bold, if somewhat outmoded. Aesthetically, Mega Man X4 is a
sizeable improvement over its predecessors, but you must remember that it's
only a side scroller. Seventy or 80 similar games are out there that are just
as good. If you're looking for something new, look elsewhere. If you're one of
those weirdo platformers fans, though, Mega Man X4 is what you crave.
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