Mega Man X (video game)
| Mega Man X | |
|---|---|
| File:Mmxbox.jpg | |
| Developer(s) | Capcom |
| Publisher(s) | Capcom |
| Designer(s) | Keiji Inafune |
| Platform(s) | SNES, PC |
| Release | December 17, 1993 (JP) December 29, 1993 (NA) |
| Genre(s) | Platformer |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Mega Man X, released in 1993 by Capcom, is the first game in the Mega Man X series. The first subseries of the popular Mega Man series, it was made primarily as a stepping stone between the NES and SNES incarnations of the original series (Mega Man games were released on the ailing NES as late as 1994). In Japan, it is titled Rockman X. It was released on the SNES first, then ported to the PC in the same year, and will be re-released in 2005 as part of the Mega Man X Collection for GameCube and PlayStation 2.
Story
The instruction manual for Mega Man X contains "The Journal of Dr. Cain", in which the story leading up to the events depicted in the game is narrated through excerpts of Dr. Cain's personal journal. According to the journal, Dr. Cain, an archaeologist searching in the year 21XX for fossil records relating to Mesozoic plant life, accidentally discovered the ruins of a robotics research facility that had once been operated by the legendary robot designer Dr. Thomas Light. Among the ruins, Dr. Cain found a large capsule which contained a highly advanced robot the likes of which the world had never seen before. This robot, X, had human-level intelligence and emotion. Fascinated by the genius of Dr. Light's design, Dr. Cain studied X and Dr. Light's few remaining notes. With X's help, some months later, the first "replicate android" or Reploid (in Japan, Repliroid), a robot who can think, feel, learn, and grow exactly like a human, was made. Within the year the design had been standardised and Reploids were being mass-produced.
However, with the free will given to a Reploid comes the possibility of criminal activity previously unknown to robots; such rogue Reploids were said to have "went maverick" and were later referred to as Mavericks (in Japan, Irregulars). As the public outcry against the few Maverick incidents became too great to deny, the government stepped in, and, under the advice of Dr. Cain, formed an elite military police organisation called the Maverick Hunters. The Hunters would capture or disable any Reploids that posed a danger to humans, provide damage control at Maverick uprisings, help with disaster recovery, and perform other tasks as needed.
For the leader of the Maverick Hunters, Dr. Cain designed a very special Reploid, one with a very advanced thought system. This Reploid, thought to be immune to whatever defect of manufacture, design, or social conditioning caused Mavericks, was named Sigma. Sigma headed the Hunters for about three years before the unthinkable happened - the very head of the Maverick Hunters himself became a Maverick, taking the vast majority of the other Hunters with him. Sigma seized control of a small island and drove all human occupants out. Claiming that the humans were "inferior" and that they were limiting the growth and potential of Reploids, he called for his followers to begin a massive extinction effort. It seemed, with only one remaining Hunter able to fight (the mysterious Zero of Unit 17), that all would be lost and human extinction would become inevitable. But X, guilt-ridden at having helped design such a ruthless and warlike race, decided to join forces with Zero and attempt to stop Sigma at any cost.
Characters
X
Main article: Mega Man X (game character)
X is heralded as being the first robot to think for himself, as well as having his own feelings and emotions. He was discovered by Dr. Cain in a capsule sealed by Dr. Light to be opened thirty years later after he was encapsulated. Using X as inspiration, Dr. Cain created a new race of robots called Reploids. Some of these robots turned "maverick" and began to threaten the existence of the human race. X feels it is his duty to protect humans, which serves as the main conflict between the Reploids and the Mavericks.
Zero
Main article: Zero (video game character)
While his origins are mysterious, Zero allies with X in his fight to defeat the Mavericks, showing up from time to time to help X out of tough situations.
Dr. Light
Main article: Dr. Thomas Light
As the creator of X, Dr. Light felt it necessary to seal him away until his capabilities and reliability could be confirmed so that he would not harm any humans. Dr. Light appears as a holographic image inside capsules that enhance X's abilities.
Vile
Vile is the top commander of Sigma's Maverick army who does everything he can to crush X's and Zero's efforts to topple the Mavericks. This recurring enemy shows up twice in his mobile armor suit in order to get the advantage over X, although he is very maneuverable on foot.
Sigma
Main article: Sigma (character)
This foe of X and Zero plans to start a new civilization of Mavericks without the presence of humans. As such, he is hunted down relentlessly but there always seems to be some of his Mavericks to impede the efforts of X.
Music
Many fans of the Mega Man series belive that Mega Man X had the best musical score of the entire series. The music is hardcore rock and roll for the most part. Storm Eagle's Theme song and Launch Octopus's song are loved by many Mega Man fans.
Gameplay
Stages
Upgrades
Scattered throughout the stages are powerups used by X to enhance his attributes and obtain a wider range of skills:
- Body Upgrades - Usually found in well-hidden areas, a projection of Dr. Light will give X encouragement and allow him to acquire an upgrade through use of a capsule:
- Legs - found in Chill Penguin's stage; allows X to perfom a dash, as well as increases his overall movement speed and jump ability
- Armor - found in Sting Chameleon's stage; damage taken by X reduces by half
- Helmet - found in Storm Eagle's stage; allows X to destroy certains types of blocks above him with a head-butt
- X-Buster - found in Flame Mammoth's stage; allows X to charge up his normal X-Buster to a greater blast and allows weapons obtained from Mavericks to be charged as well
- Hadoken - found in Armored Armadillo's stage only after defeating all of the eight Mavericks and obtaining all of the body upgrades; fires an immensely powerful blast that will destroy almost any enemy, but can only be performed while at full health
- Health Supplements:
- Heart Tanks - increases the maximum amount of X's life energy, allowing him to survive through more damage; one is found in each stage
- Sub Tanks - allows X to store extra energy which can be used to replenish life energy when it is low; four are found in the entire game
Eight bosses
- Armored Armadillo
- Boomer Kuwanger
- Chill Penguin
- Flame Mammoth
- Launch Octopus
- Spark Mandrill
- Sting Chameleon
- Storm Eagle
Fortress bosses
- Vile
- Bospider
- Rangda Bangda
- D-Rex
- Velguader
- Sigma
- Sigma, Final Form