Megaman X, SNES Installments
A Retro Quick Bite
So why was Megaman X such a memorable character in gaming history? Well the thing is, he is not. Most people know his prototype, Megaman, and his Mentor, Zero. Capcom has been pretty cruel to this Character. A quick history lesson is needed here. Capcom created Zero to be the eventual replacement for Megaman. The X series was meant to be the series that would bring the death of Megaman and would branch off with a Zero series. In a sense, Capcom accomplished this by ending the X franchise and creating Megaman Zero. But the fans miss the true blue bomber and want to see him featured once again. Capcom recently scrapped a Megaman X FPS (first person shooter) titled: Maverick Hunter, developed by the creators of the Metroid Prime Franchise. The game actually looked quite good and the news of its cancellation is kind of upsetting.
We are going to take a bite into the Retro SNES titles, Megaman X 1-3. Developers chose to take a more theatrical role in the creation of these games and the story is pretty intense. Did you ever see Will Smith in I Robot? Well that was essentially the Megaman X story. Robots serve humans with a law to never hurt a human. However this law became obsolete when a Dr. Wiley created a virus that turned robots to take over the world. Megaman was created specifically to take out these mavericks. The war between Mavericks and maverick hunters would go on for many years past the deaths of Doctor's Light and Wiley.
But with the creation of Reploids, robots like Megaman that could make their own choices more and more reploids would turn Maverick of their own accord. One of these Reploids was the Sigma, an incredibly efficient warrior that decided that humans were obsolete. He would gather an army of powerful mavericks and wage war against humanity.
One of Sigma's strongest allies was Dr. Wiley's last creation, Zero. It would be speculated that Zero is a highly upgraded, and unmasked version of Protoman (Megaman's official Prototype that was stolen). During the time that Zero turned Maverick Hunter, and ancient and powerful Reploid was discovered that closely resembled Megaman. This Reploid would come to be called Megaman X. He was no where near as strong as Zero, but he would be a highly effective Maverick Hunter.
Megaman X
Megaman X starts off shortly after the discovery of X and throws you in the middle of the Maverick Hunter War. In the early 90s, cinematic games were a rare feat but this game executed it so well. When you start the game, you see the analysis of a recently discovered X. Whoever is analyzing his body is noting how potentially powerful he can be. This is one of the core aspects of this game, growing stronger RPG style within a shooter. The game doesn't start off like a typical Megaman game. Instead of the Level Select screen, you are thrown right into a level. You witness a city under attack and you control X, fighting through the throngs of attackers. The game introduces new mechanics that will be essential to game play, the charge shot, and the wall jump. The first level serves as a way to teach you how to play the game and you are forced to naturally learn the wall jump and other moves you will need. The best way to explain how great this game was put together is to share a video...
This game is simply a masterpiece. Capcom outdid themselves with Megaman X and it stands out as one of the greatest games of all time. The story, the buildup , the execution, and the challenge all blend together to make an awesome game. As you play on, you don't only discover new enemy abilities, you are introduced to Zero , an awesome supporting character. He only has two lines of dialogue with X and his presence in the game is still dynamic and engrossing. You also get to find the X Armor.
You also can build your lifebar higher than a Robot Master's, and leard Ryu's Haduken from Street Fighter! The Haduken is so powerful, it can take any boss out with one blow, including Sigma ! When you played Megaman, you were an underdog, but X is meant to make you feel stronger as you progress while maintaining a good challenge as well. That balance itself makes this game a piece of art and sooooooo
Delicious
Be ready for the Quickbite of Megaman X 2... Later today.
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