Mega Man is right up there with my all-time favorite franchises in games. It always has been this way and it probably always will be. Everything from the Classic style to Zero and ZX and even to the charming but odd Legends sub-series (sorry Battle Network and Star Force fans but that's not even the main timeline and you know it) fills me with a childlike excitement. None of these however inspire as much devotion as the X sub-series. Others have tried to capture my heart, like Azure Striker Gunvolt, but I am still left wanting.
With a new TV show (that I have low hopes for); a new movie (that I have no hopes for); rereleases of the Classic games (other than Mega Man & Bass and the Game Boy ones); and the coming Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite featuring X, Zero, and Sigma putting Mega Man on the cusp of a relaunch I wanted to evangelize for the uneven and wondrous X series. We may never get an X9--and I would argue that it never should have lived past X5--but we will hopefully have access to the X games for decades to come.
I'd like to offer my thoughts on Mega Man X through X8, so apologies to fans of the PSP remake, the GBC demakes, and the bizarre RPG. I'm far from an expert, but I hope that this could generate good discussion and encourage people to check these games out.
Mega Man X
- The bold reinvention that reinvigorated the franchise
The original Mega Man X came at an important time where franchise fatigue was catching hold for our dear Blue Bomber after 6 games in a row on NES of varying quality (all at least very good, IMO) and of course with the advent of the exciting SNES. Mega Man X has rightfully remained a very popular game for speedrunners and the gaming community at large. Later this month (September 2017), dozens of people will have an opportunity to experience to play this game on semi-original hardware with the alleged arrival of the SNES Mini Classic.
What makes MMX my personal favorite game of all time?! It's the impeccable game play. It's the music that gives me a dopamine release like no other. It's the still gorgeous pixel art and the level design and the upgrades to X and his armor and weapons. I play Mega Man X every year. It may only take me an hour or two to run through each time but I never tire of leading X through the intro, meeting Zero for the first time, conquering all 8 mavericks after jumping through their boss doors, collecting all the sub-tanks and armors (and the Hadoken), and finally defeating Sigma. Mega Man's classic running and jumping is supplemented with extra mobility through wall jumping and his iconic dash move.Other games in the series come awfully close, but Mega Man X will always be #1 in my heart.
Mega Man X2 - RIP in peace, Green Biker Dude
While the original Mega Man X knocked me on my ass and totally blew me away, Mega Man X2 was a highly respectable iteration on the lofty bar that was set by its forebear. Personally, I do not see X2 as a step down in any significant way but it's also not the leap in quality that perhaps some were hoping for ala Mega Man 1 -> Mega Man 2. The air dash is a fun maneuver that does not add too much, but still makes for some nice challenges to collect all the hearts, sub-tanks, and armor pieces.
X2 has probably my favorite single piece of music in the franchise (Bubble Crab) and fun mavericks like Flame Stag and Wheel Gator. Furthermore, I really liked the additional pressure of having to reassemble your best friend Zero before the three X-hunters working for Sigma did it first which results in either saving Zero or having to fight him! X2 is sadly an underappreciated game and I wish that it had more of a following.
Mega Man X3 - I can finally play as Zero?!?!
This is the first X game that suffers by the developers subtracting quality through adding too much. While the graphics are as sharp as ever, the level design feels uninspired and the grating soundtrack doesn't add to the atmosphere. Zero, weirdly, only gets one life and it is a chore to play as him because has a strange sluggishness to his movement and he also tags out before boss fights. Several mech suits were added in this game, but you'll hardly ever have a chance to use them and they feel like an afterthought. The X-hunter gimmick that worked really well in the second game is traded out for two robots named Bit and Byte (who are OK) and Vile fights that are kinda random and you have to beat him with the proper weapon to get the best ending. Of the first five games in the series, this is the one that I revisit the least. Still, X3 has the bones of a great game but I consider it a fairly significant downturn in quality.
Mega Man X4 - Wha...what am I fighting for?!?!?!?
I did not get around to the post-SNES games in the series until a few years ago, but I have made up for lost time! If somebody argues that X4 is the finest game in the series there's not a lot can be said to counter that. X4 is fantastic. Zero comes back after the disappointing playable debut in X3 as a fully realized and extremely fun to control character with awesome special moves that he gets after each maverick just like X does except they tend to be fully integrated into his moveset so no switching is required. You can choose from either X or Zero and I have played through each campaign several times just having a blast. The music is back on track after X3 and the game is both very challenging and very rewarding. The levels themselves are varied and interesting and utilize gimmicks that don't detract from the experience. The voice acting is hilariously bad, but almost lovably so. Also, who could forget legendary maverick battles like the one against Magma Dragoon?!
Mega Man X5 - The dignified true ending of the saga
X5 is such a strange beast! I think, much like X2, that it has been forgotten or discarded in the shadow of a game that is by all accounts better but not to the extent that it should have a poor reputation. In fact, X5 is a game that I adore revisiting because there are so many ways to approach it. X has multiple different armors available that change the way you play and how you decide to collect upgrades but also the bosses are not static and have different levels of power that indicate when you want to go to their stage. The whole thing is yes a bit convoluted but I think it adds to the replayability. The other strange thing is the countdown timer system as part of the story, which can seem a bit random, but once you understand how it works you can more or less game it to get the kind of outcome you want. Almost all of the bosses are references to Guns N' Roses, which is funny to me and appreciated as a GNR fan, and they are super cool! Also, Duff McWhalen's stage has a remix of the aforementioned Bubble Crab theme which I am a huge fan of. X5 has a great story (for the series) and was intended to be the end. I wish it were...
Mega Man X6 - I hid myself while I tried to repair myself
X6 should not exist. It was clearly rushed and is poorly designed and uninspired. Some of the levels are absolute bastards that are totally unforgiving and ruthless. The game received no English voice acting translation and the subtitles are full of poor grammar and typos. The soundtrack is actually phenomenal and has a lot of great guitar parts, but that's I would say its sole saving grace. The graphics are somehow a step down as they appear grainier and the color pallete is garish at times and downright ugly at others. If you want to watch a video on just how horrid the level design I suggest anything that covers the Blaze Heatnix stage. It's a total disaster. One of the worst aspects of X6 is that there are these gross robot things flying around called "nightmares" that will ruin your day as they kill the reploids that you are tasked with saving throughout each stage and if the reploid dies they never come back. Ever. That's it! I can't imagine trying to 100% this game and yet...people do it. X6 is a miserable mean-spirited and totally unnecessary game that torpedoed the sub-series. But I mean I only played through it once so if somebody in the comments suggests giving it another shot I'm not so petty as to disregard it.
Mega Man X7 - Oh no baby what! is you doing???
Thought things couldn't get any worse after X6? Yeah, me too. X7 is another very, very low point. While X6 at least used familiar assets, had great tunes, and has some defenders I don't see anybody who will vouch for X7. I give the game credit for trying something different by integrating 3D in the X sub-series for the first time ever but it just feels terrible and entirely foreign. The 2D action portions are not fun and snappy like the previous SNES and PS1 games and the camera positioning, bad controls, and dreadful systems like leveling up characters is not all good. The voice acting is generally heinous and newcomer Axl has no point. You also have to unlock X. Despite the litany of problems (and my God if you haven't heard what the boss Flame Hyenard sounds like then please save your ears), I think Mega Man X7 is a bad game that's hard to hate.
Mega Man X8 - Corrupt a wish foundation
I was told that X8 was one of the best games in the series and totally redeemed the franchise by returning to its roots. I was misinformed. While X7 is a bad game that's hard to really hate, X8 is a good game that's easy to hate. Perhaps that sounds strange, but it is the ultimate missed opportunity. The game is back to almost exclusively 2D action that is fast, responsive, and fun. The intro level shows show much promise and X, Zero, and even Axl are a blast to control. It makes an excellent first impression with attractive graphics (if overly lanky and angular character models), actively good voice acting, and an action packed opening stage. Sadly, things fall apart shortly thereafter. The majority of levels are not at all what most people are looking for from a Mega Man game. In fact, at least half are poorly executed gimmick levels including two out of the eight being vehicle stages and another two being frustrating auto-scrollers. I expected to love X8 and walked away a bitter and defeated man. My greatest hope is that we will one day get a (new) conclusion to the saga in the form of an X9 that goes back to the traditional aesthetic of the SNES or PSX games.
Since these types of threads sometimes devolve into ranking I'll just throw my ranking here at the bottom
X1 > X4 > X2 > X5 > X3 > X8 > X7 > X6
With a new TV show (that I have low hopes for); a new movie (that I have no hopes for); rereleases of the Classic games (other than Mega Man & Bass and the Game Boy ones); and the coming Marvel Vs. Capcom: Infinite featuring X, Zero, and Sigma putting Mega Man on the cusp of a relaunch I wanted to evangelize for the uneven and wondrous X series. We may never get an X9--and I would argue that it never should have lived past X5--but we will hopefully have access to the X games for decades to come.
I'd like to offer my thoughts on Mega Man X through X8, so apologies to fans of the PSP remake, the GBC demakes, and the bizarre RPG. I'm far from an expert, but I hope that this could generate good discussion and encourage people to check these games out.
Mega Man X
- The bold reinvention that reinvigorated the franchise
The original Mega Man X came at an important time where franchise fatigue was catching hold for our dear Blue Bomber after 6 games in a row on NES of varying quality (all at least very good, IMO) and of course with the advent of the exciting SNES. Mega Man X has rightfully remained a very popular game for speedrunners and the gaming community at large. Later this month (September 2017), dozens of people will have an opportunity to experience to play this game on semi-original hardware with the alleged arrival of the SNES Mini Classic.
What makes MMX my personal favorite game of all time?! It's the impeccable game play. It's the music that gives me a dopamine release like no other. It's the still gorgeous pixel art and the level design and the upgrades to X and his armor and weapons. I play Mega Man X every year. It may only take me an hour or two to run through each time but I never tire of leading X through the intro, meeting Zero for the first time, conquering all 8 mavericks after jumping through their boss doors, collecting all the sub-tanks and armors (and the Hadoken), and finally defeating Sigma. Mega Man's classic running and jumping is supplemented with extra mobility through wall jumping and his iconic dash move.Other games in the series come awfully close, but Mega Man X will always be #1 in my heart.
Mega Man X2 - RIP in peace, Green Biker Dude
While the original Mega Man X knocked me on my ass and totally blew me away, Mega Man X2 was a highly respectable iteration on the lofty bar that was set by its forebear. Personally, I do not see X2 as a step down in any significant way but it's also not the leap in quality that perhaps some were hoping for ala Mega Man 1 -> Mega Man 2. The air dash is a fun maneuver that does not add too much, but still makes for some nice challenges to collect all the hearts, sub-tanks, and armor pieces.
X2 has probably my favorite single piece of music in the franchise (Bubble Crab) and fun mavericks like Flame Stag and Wheel Gator. Furthermore, I really liked the additional pressure of having to reassemble your best friend Zero before the three X-hunters working for Sigma did it first which results in either saving Zero or having to fight him! X2 is sadly an underappreciated game and I wish that it had more of a following.
Mega Man X3 - I can finally play as Zero?!?!
This is the first X game that suffers by the developers subtracting quality through adding too much. While the graphics are as sharp as ever, the level design feels uninspired and the grating soundtrack doesn't add to the atmosphere. Zero, weirdly, only gets one life and it is a chore to play as him because has a strange sluggishness to his movement and he also tags out before boss fights. Several mech suits were added in this game, but you'll hardly ever have a chance to use them and they feel like an afterthought. The X-hunter gimmick that worked really well in the second game is traded out for two robots named Bit and Byte (who are OK) and Vile fights that are kinda random and you have to beat him with the proper weapon to get the best ending. Of the first five games in the series, this is the one that I revisit the least. Still, X3 has the bones of a great game but I consider it a fairly significant downturn in quality.
Mega Man X4 - Wha...what am I fighting for?!?!?!?
I did not get around to the post-SNES games in the series until a few years ago, but I have made up for lost time! If somebody argues that X4 is the finest game in the series there's not a lot can be said to counter that. X4 is fantastic. Zero comes back after the disappointing playable debut in X3 as a fully realized and extremely fun to control character with awesome special moves that he gets after each maverick just like X does except they tend to be fully integrated into his moveset so no switching is required. You can choose from either X or Zero and I have played through each campaign several times just having a blast. The music is back on track after X3 and the game is both very challenging and very rewarding. The levels themselves are varied and interesting and utilize gimmicks that don't detract from the experience. The voice acting is hilariously bad, but almost lovably so. Also, who could forget legendary maverick battles like the one against Magma Dragoon?!
Mega Man X5 - The dignified true ending of the saga
X5 is such a strange beast! I think, much like X2, that it has been forgotten or discarded in the shadow of a game that is by all accounts better but not to the extent that it should have a poor reputation. In fact, X5 is a game that I adore revisiting because there are so many ways to approach it. X has multiple different armors available that change the way you play and how you decide to collect upgrades but also the bosses are not static and have different levels of power that indicate when you want to go to their stage. The whole thing is yes a bit convoluted but I think it adds to the replayability. The other strange thing is the countdown timer system as part of the story, which can seem a bit random, but once you understand how it works you can more or less game it to get the kind of outcome you want. Almost all of the bosses are references to Guns N' Roses, which is funny to me and appreciated as a GNR fan, and they are super cool! Also, Duff McWhalen's stage has a remix of the aforementioned Bubble Crab theme which I am a huge fan of. X5 has a great story (for the series) and was intended to be the end. I wish it were...
Mega Man X6 - I hid myself while I tried to repair myself
X6 should not exist. It was clearly rushed and is poorly designed and uninspired. Some of the levels are absolute bastards that are totally unforgiving and ruthless. The game received no English voice acting translation and the subtitles are full of poor grammar and typos. The soundtrack is actually phenomenal and has a lot of great guitar parts, but that's I would say its sole saving grace. The graphics are somehow a step down as they appear grainier and the color pallete is garish at times and downright ugly at others. If you want to watch a video on just how horrid the level design I suggest anything that covers the Blaze Heatnix stage. It's a total disaster. One of the worst aspects of X6 is that there are these gross robot things flying around called "nightmares" that will ruin your day as they kill the reploids that you are tasked with saving throughout each stage and if the reploid dies they never come back. Ever. That's it! I can't imagine trying to 100% this game and yet...people do it. X6 is a miserable mean-spirited and totally unnecessary game that torpedoed the sub-series. But I mean I only played through it once so if somebody in the comments suggests giving it another shot I'm not so petty as to disregard it.
Mega Man X7 - Oh no baby what! is you doing???
Thought things couldn't get any worse after X6? Yeah, me too. X7 is another very, very low point. While X6 at least used familiar assets, had great tunes, and has some defenders I don't see anybody who will vouch for X7. I give the game credit for trying something different by integrating 3D in the X sub-series for the first time ever but it just feels terrible and entirely foreign. The 2D action portions are not fun and snappy like the previous SNES and PS1 games and the camera positioning, bad controls, and dreadful systems like leveling up characters is not all good. The voice acting is generally heinous and newcomer Axl has no point. You also have to unlock X. Despite the litany of problems (and my God if you haven't heard what the boss Flame Hyenard sounds like then please save your ears), I think Mega Man X7 is a bad game that's hard to hate.
Mega Man X8 - Corrupt a wish foundation
I was told that X8 was one of the best games in the series and totally redeemed the franchise by returning to its roots. I was misinformed. While X7 is a bad game that's hard to really hate, X8 is a good game that's easy to hate. Perhaps that sounds strange, but it is the ultimate missed opportunity. The game is back to almost exclusively 2D action that is fast, responsive, and fun. The intro level shows show much promise and X, Zero, and even Axl are a blast to control. It makes an excellent first impression with attractive graphics (if overly lanky and angular character models), actively good voice acting, and an action packed opening stage. Sadly, things fall apart shortly thereafter. The majority of levels are not at all what most people are looking for from a Mega Man game. In fact, at least half are poorly executed gimmick levels including two out of the eight being vehicle stages and another two being frustrating auto-scrollers. I expected to love X8 and walked away a bitter and defeated man. My greatest hope is that we will one day get a (new) conclusion to the saga in the form of an X9 that goes back to the traditional aesthetic of the SNES or PSX games.
Since these types of threads sometimes devolve into ranking I'll just throw my ranking here at the bottom
X1 > X4 > X2 > X5 > X3 > X8 > X7 > X6
