For a new sub-series from a beloved franchise that has been solid in execution, it's Mega Man X. Launched in 1993 for the Super Nintendo; Mega Man X is like an evolution from the classic Mega Man games, conveying more of a dark tone compared to the original
The gameplay structure is similar to the classic Mega Man games. Eight bosses to defeat; in this case, for this game, are called Mavericks; you can obtain their abilities and use them to find their proper weaknesses, and the powers you've collected can also be used to find secrets and goodies that you couldn't access before like heart tanks and sub tanks. What's new to Mega Man X and my personal favorite to collect are the armor upgrades. There are 5 of them you can obtain throughout your adventure, and a few are well-hidden and are tricky to get to. My favorites include the dash, mainly because I love dashing around carelessly through every stage, and the Hadouken because it's the Hadouken from Street Fighter. There's not much I can say that others have said before about how rewarding it is to obtain it, knocking every enemy and boss down with a single Hadouken feels so fulfilling to pull off.
Every Maverick boss is fun to fight against, figuring out its weakness and using the wall-climbing mechanic and charge shot to your advantage, giving them a proper finishing blow. Speaking of wall climbing, X can climb and jump up walls, which is a lifesaver for saving myself from bottomless pits. Another cool detail I love is that certain stages change depending on which Maverick you take out. Take Launch Octopus for example. I defeated him, then I went to Sting Chameleon's stage and saw a body of water when I came back to collect the Heart Tank, making it easier to obtain. And you can't talk about Mega Man X without mentioning the OST; it's an absolute banger. There's not much I can describe of how awesome the soundtrack is, like the opening stage, that shit pumps you up with the dangers ahead of you
So far, what I told in this review is positive, but there is one thing holding me back from giving it five stars: Sigma's Fortress. Not in my playthrough that I felt a particular section was annoying until I got to Sigma Stage 1. The platforming would've been fine if it wasn't for those flying enemies that knocked me back and fell to my death. The spider boss is my least favorite out of the entire boss catalog in this game, mainly because of a tight window to attack its weak point, and the spider moves particularly fast and sends out mini spiders to annoy the hell out of me. I had to use all of my filled Sub Tanks because of this
Despite my one gripe, Mega Man X is an enjoyable game. Tight and responsive controls, memorable bosses and music, and upgrades make the entire playthrough worth collecting. I wouldn't say it's a Top 10 favorite of all time, but I enjoyed what it brought to the table to make an evolutionary take of run n' shoot game for the 16-bit era. I recommend picking the game up via the X Legacy Collection, available on all modern platforms. This collection is my introduction after liking the classic Mega Man games, and I can't wait to see the highs and lows of the series when I check out the rest of the X games
The gameplay structure is similar to the classic Mega Man games. Eight bosses to defeat; in this case, for this game, are called Mavericks; you can obtain their abilities and use them to find their proper weaknesses, and the powers you've collected can also be used to find secrets and goodies that you couldn't access before like heart tanks and sub tanks. What's new to Mega Man X and my personal favorite to collect are the armor upgrades. There are 5 of them you can obtain throughout your adventure, and a few are well-hidden and are tricky to get to. My favorites include the dash, mainly because I love dashing around carelessly through every stage, and the Hadouken because it's the Hadouken from Street Fighter. There's not much I can say that others have said before about how rewarding it is to obtain it, knocking every enemy and boss down with a single Hadouken feels so fulfilling to pull off.
Every Maverick boss is fun to fight against, figuring out its weakness and using the wall-climbing mechanic and charge shot to your advantage, giving them a proper finishing blow. Speaking of wall climbing, X can climb and jump up walls, which is a lifesaver for saving myself from bottomless pits. Another cool detail I love is that certain stages change depending on which Maverick you take out. Take Launch Octopus for example. I defeated him, then I went to Sting Chameleon's stage and saw a body of water when I came back to collect the Heart Tank, making it easier to obtain. And you can't talk about Mega Man X without mentioning the OST; it's an absolute banger. There's not much I can describe of how awesome the soundtrack is, like the opening stage, that shit pumps you up with the dangers ahead of you
So far, what I told in this review is positive, but there is one thing holding me back from giving it five stars: Sigma's Fortress. Not in my playthrough that I felt a particular section was annoying until I got to Sigma Stage 1. The platforming would've been fine if it wasn't for those flying enemies that knocked me back and fell to my death. The spider boss is my least favorite out of the entire boss catalog in this game, mainly because of a tight window to attack its weak point, and the spider moves particularly fast and sends out mini spiders to annoy the hell out of me. I had to use all of my filled Sub Tanks because of this
Despite my one gripe, Mega Man X is an enjoyable game. Tight and responsive controls, memorable bosses and music, and upgrades make the entire playthrough worth collecting. I wouldn't say it's a Top 10 favorite of all time, but I enjoyed what it brought to the table to make an evolutionary take of run n' shoot game for the 16-bit era. I recommend picking the game up via the X Legacy Collection, available on all modern platforms. This collection is my introduction after liking the classic Mega Man games, and I can't wait to see the highs and lows of the series when I check out the rest of the X games