Mega Man X

Developer: Capcom    Publisher: Capcom    Release: 10/93   Genre: Action

1992 will forever remain one of my favorite years in gaming. As the first full year of the SNES in the US and the start of the Genesis rise it was magical to see all of my favorite series receiving a next generation makeover. From Contra to Castlevania and even licensed titles, we were showered in excellence. One 8-bit icon was conspicuous in his absence that year however. Considering how badly Capcom milked Mega Man on the NES I can see why they were apprehensive. Or maybe not. It turns out the years of waiting paid off. Mega Man X is a true evolution for the series and one of the greatest games of all time.

Forget everything you know about Mega Man’s plot. Mega Man X takes place 100 years in the future, eschewing the long standing cast for a fresh start. It was a bold move but one that allows the game to stand on its own. At some point in time Dr. Light creates Mega Man X, the first robot built with free will and able to think for himself. Because humanity was not ready for such an advanced robot X is sealed away until a time when mankind would accept him. After his awakening Mega Man X becomes the blueprint for a new species of robots called reploids. Peace reigns but an unknown virus begins causing reploids to go maverick and attack humanity. The Repliforce and X must now handle this crisis.

At its core Mega Man X is an evolution of the classic series rather than a total reinvention. After five straight sequels on the NES the series’ mechanics had become stale. Instead of tossing everything out Capcom have added thoughtful new ideas while keeping everything that makes Mega Man, Mega Man. Sadly some of its ideas would not return in subsequent sequels but that makes this first installment more special.

The collection of bosses is different this time around. Rather than generic adjective man all are based on animals. With millions of different animals and insects the variety is endless. The X series is more mature then the cartoon styling of the original series. This is present in the more advanced designs of its mavericks. The boss weapons nearly all have secondary functions such as the boomerang cutter’s ability to grab items. This goes a step further when combined with the arm buster upgrade which radically enhances most weapons. The Ice shot creates mobile platforms you can ride to find secrets for instance.

Choosing the correct boss order returns but has an extremely cool new wrinkle. Clearing certain levels will have profound changes in later stages. If you defeat Storm Eagle first his ship crashes into Spark Mandrill’s electric plant, knocking out the power. Defeating Chill Penguin will freeze the lava in Flame Mammoth’s factory. This allows you to grab previously unreachable items.  Not every level is subject to these changes but this still remains possibly the best addition to the game.

Each level is larger owing to X’s increased dexterity but mostly to better hide all of its secrets and items. For the X series gaining new boss weapons is only half the fun. Finding the hidden capsules to upgrade X’s armor and life bar is what makes the game so great. They hide these items well and they often require the use of other upgrades to find. It might seem unfair that you have to manually increase your life bar but the game balances around it. The new armor parts would become a staple of the series and a nice addition. It is a bit absurd that Dr. Light hid well over a hundred of these things before his death but, hey, that’s’ video games.

Certain titles in the classic series were made easier by overpowered weapons. Mega Man X is one of the easiest of Mega Man’s adventures. Once at full power it is very hard to die. The chest armor in particular reduces damage by 50% which is insane. Using a maverick’s weakness makes the boss battles so easy you will not get hit once. It is still a challenge to fight them on their own without the right weapon but who the hell does that? Energy tanks have existed since Mega Man 2 but here you manually fill them up and can use them over and over. The lacking challenge also highlights that this is shorter than the later NES games, not that it has any bearing on its quality.

Capcom went all out with Mega Man X’s production values. If Mega Man is the boyish, cartoon series X is its angsty teenage years. The tone is a little darker but not grim and gritty. Each individual world is bright and colorful in a way the NES could never express and looks fantastic. What I appreciate the most are the little details such as the special animations when a boss is hit with their weakness. The game also has an awesome rock soundtrack that is edgier than past games and fits the tone well.

In Closing

It took its time but was worth the wait. Everything you love about the original games is given a 16-bit makeover, leaving Mega Man X as one of the best games from that era. I cannot recommend this one enough. Even decades later it is still just as good as the day it released.