Mega Man X series
Encyclopedia
The Mega Man X series is the second Mega Man franchise released by Capcom
. It debuted December 17, 1993 in Japan (January 1994 in North America) on the Super NES/Super Famicom
and spawned sequels on several systems, with the PC
platform notably having the most releases within the series. It is the first continuation in plot of the series, preceded by the classic Mega Man series. The first six games in the series are currently available in the anthology collection Mega Man X Collection
.
, X was a new type of robot with the ability to make his own decisions. After completing X, Light realized that there was a possibility X might choose to turn against humankind. He also feared that even if X chose a beneficent path in life with regard to human welfare, people would inexorably be unable to accept him, and that X would be viewed as a technological anomaly at best and an abomination at worst. Both would result in X's rejection as the cogent thinking machine Light originally intended him to be. Fearing that his life's work and magnum opus
would be destroyed by fearful human beings, Light sealed X away in a diagnostic capsule for over 30 years of testing to make sure he would not choose an evil path in life. It is unknown what had happened to him during these years, but Dr. Light presumably died and left his diagnostic experiments unfinished. X's capsule was eventually uncovered by an archaeologist named Dr. Cain almost 100 years after X's creation. With X's help, Cain created a legion of new robots that replicated X's free will
; these robots were called "Reploids" (Repliroids in Japan). For a time, everything seemed calm and peaceful.
However, a virus began spreading that caused Reploids to turn against humans (later discovered to be originated by Dr. Wily implanted in Zero and transferred to Sigma). This was because X's circuitry was duplicated imperfectly. These Reploids were dubbed "Mavericks" (Irregulars in Japan), and a force called the Maverick Hunters (Irregular Hunters) was formed to combat them. The Maverick Hunters were originally led by Sigma until he, too, became a Maverick. Because of his betrayal and eventual declaration of war against the humans, X took it upon himself to join the Maverick Hunters and current leader Zero
, another powerful robot (created by the evil Dr. Wily), on a mission to save Earth from Sigma.
Throughout the series, X, Zero, and later Axl battle against Sigma and his Maverick followers to stop their many diabolical plots to destroy the human race.
for the Super NES to give a new image to the Mega Man game series. There are a total of 11 games in the Mega Man X series: Mega Man X, X2
, and X3
on the Super NES (with ports of X and X3 to the PC
, and a Japan/Europe only port of X3 to the PlayStation
and Sega Saturn
), Mega Man X4
, X5
, and X6
on the PlayStation (X4 also being on the Sega Saturn, as well as X4 and X5 being ported to the PC), Mega Man X7
and X8
on the PlayStation 2 (X7, X8 also being on the PC in Korea, Japan and Europe), the RPG Mega Man X: Command Mission
on the Nintendo GameCube
and PlayStation 2
, and Mega Man Xtreme
and Xtreme 2
(Rockman X: CyberMission and Rockman X2: Soul Eraser in Japan) on the Game Boy Color
. The original Mega Man X was remade on the PlayStation Portable
as Mega Man Maverick Hunter X.
Mega Man X Collection
on the PlayStation 2
and Nintendo GameCube
comprises the first six Mega Man X games, plus one additional
Classic series game.
, but with various new features: X has the ability to dash along the ground at any time, X can cling to walls and Wall Jump, and he can dash and jump at the same time, increasing his speed in the air. This all gives X more mobility than his Classic counterpart; these modifications make it easier to go through the majority of the game without using any other gun than the default, which is different from previous Mega Man games where players were more inclined to rely on weapons won in previous fights (Like Metal Man's infamous Metal Blades) against boss characters in previously conquered stages.
X is also able to locate upgrade capsules that permanently upgrade a part of his armor, such as his helmet, boots, chestplate, or arm cannon. An upgrade common to each game is the ability for him to charge weapons earned from bosses, which gives them an enhanced secondary fire mode. In later games, there are multiple armor types available that can either be mixed and matched, or completed for additional armor set bonuses.
In X3, Zero (the leader of the Maverick Hunters in the first Mega Man X) is a playable character from the beginning. From the second game onward, Zero is armed with a beam saber, relying on this weapon almost exclusively from X4 and onward instead of the traditional "buster" gun. In X5, both X and Zero gained the ability to duck; an ability previously unavailable in earlier predecessors. In X6, there is a new rescue system where the player must rescue reploids. In X7, a new character known as Axl is introduced, playable alongside X and Zero. Axl utilizes two guns known as Axl Bullets. In X8, a new Double Attack feature is introduced, where two characters can attack at the same time. X8 is the latest entry in the franchise.
Mavericks replace the Robot Masters, and Sigma replaces Dr. Wily. The Mavericks are based on various types of organism
s (usually animal
s) instead of being humanoid in appearance, as were most of the bosses in the classic series, although their attacks and names are usually based on mechanical or chemical phenomena or laws of physics like the original games.
Though some Mavericks have new, never-before-seen powers (e.g., Toxic Seahorse from X3), most have the traditional element
-based weapons of the past games, such as fire, water, ice, lightning, wind, and earth.
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
. It debuted December 17, 1993 in Japan (January 1994 in North America) on the Super NES/Super Famicom
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and spawned sequels on several systems, with the PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
platform notably having the most releases within the series. It is the first continuation in plot of the series, preceded by the classic Mega Man series. The first six games in the series are currently available in the anthology collection Mega Man X Collection
Mega Man X Collection
Mega Man X Collection is a compilation of video games developed by Capcom. It was released on January 10, 2006 exclusively in North America for the Nintendo GameCube and Sony PlayStation 2 platforms...
.
Plot
Mega Man X, commonly known as "X", was created by Dr. Thomas Light an unknown number of years after the Mega Man series. Unlike the original Mega ManMega Man (character)
Mega Man, known as in Japan, is a cybernetic video game character, and the main protagonist of what has been referred to as the original Mega Man series developed by Capcom since 1987. The pixel art for the character was created by the designer of the original game in the series, credited under...
, X was a new type of robot with the ability to make his own decisions. After completing X, Light realized that there was a possibility X might choose to turn against humankind. He also feared that even if X chose a beneficent path in life with regard to human welfare, people would inexorably be unable to accept him, and that X would be viewed as a technological anomaly at best and an abomination at worst. Both would result in X's rejection as the cogent thinking machine Light originally intended him to be. Fearing that his life's work and magnum opus
Masterpiece
Masterpiece in modern usage refers to a creation that has been given much critical praise, especially one that is considered the greatest work of a person's career or to a work of outstanding creativity, skill or workmanship....
would be destroyed by fearful human beings, Light sealed X away in a diagnostic capsule for over 30 years of testing to make sure he would not choose an evil path in life. It is unknown what had happened to him during these years, but Dr. Light presumably died and left his diagnostic experiments unfinished. X's capsule was eventually uncovered by an archaeologist named Dr. Cain almost 100 years after X's creation. With X's help, Cain created a legion of new robots that replicated X's free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
; these robots were called "Reploids" (Repliroids in Japan). For a time, everything seemed calm and peaceful.
However, a virus began spreading that caused Reploids to turn against humans (later discovered to be originated by Dr. Wily implanted in Zero and transferred to Sigma). This was because X's circuitry was duplicated imperfectly. These Reploids were dubbed "Mavericks" (Irregulars in Japan), and a force called the Maverick Hunters (Irregular Hunters) was formed to combat them. The Maverick Hunters were originally led by Sigma until he, too, became a Maverick. Because of his betrayal and eventual declaration of war against the humans, X took it upon himself to join the Maverick Hunters and current leader Zero
Zero (Mega Man)
is a video game character present throughout the Mega Man franchise. First appearing in the 1993 game Mega Man X for the Super Nintendo, Zero has since been the star of the Mega Man Zero series and has played a supporting role in other game series such as the Mega Man ZX series.First developed by...
, another powerful robot (created by the evil Dr. Wily), on a mission to save Earth from Sigma.
Throughout the series, X, Zero, and later Axl battle against Sigma and his Maverick followers to stop their many diabolical plots to destroy the human race.
Series history
Capcom released Mega Man XMega Man X (video game)
Mega Man X, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first Mega Man game for the 16-bit console and the first game in the Mega Man X series, a spin-off of the original Mega Man series that began on the SNES's predecessor, the...
for the Super NES to give a new image to the Mega Man game series. There are a total of 11 games in the Mega Man X series: Mega Man X, X2
Mega Man X2
Mega Man X2, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was released in Japan on December 16, 1994 and in North America and PAL regions in 1995. It is the second game in the Mega Man X sub-franchise after the first installment,...
, and X3
Mega Man X3
Mega Man X3, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was originally released in Japan on December 1, 1995 and later in North American and PAL regions in 1996. It is the third game in the Mega Man X series and the last to appear...
on the Super NES (with ports of X and X3 to the PC
IBM PC compatible
IBM PC compatible computers are those generally similar to the original IBM PC, XT, and AT. Such computers used to be referred to as PC clones, or IBM clones since they almost exactly duplicated all the significant features of the PC architecture, facilitated by various manufacturers' ability to...
, and a Japan/Europe only port of X3 to the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
and Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
), Mega Man X4
Mega Man X4
Mega Man X4, known as , is a video game developed by Capcom. It is the fourth game in the Mega Man X series and the second game in the series to be released on the Sega Saturn and PlayStation. The two versions were released simultaneously in Japan on August 1, 1997...
, X5
Mega Man X5
Mega Man X5, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom. It is the fifth main installment in the Mega Man X series. It was first released for the PlayStation in Japan on November 30, 2000 and in North America and PAL territories the following year.Mega Man X5 is set in the 22nd century...
, and X6
Mega Man X6
Mega Man X6, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom. It is the sixth main entry in the Mega Man X series. The game was first released on the PlayStation in Japan on November 29, 2001 and was later made available in both North America and Europe.The plot of Mega Man X6 takes place...
on the PlayStation (X4 also being on the Sega Saturn, as well as X4 and X5 being ported to the PC), Mega Man X7
Mega Man X7
Mega Man X7, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 console. It is the seventh main game in the Mega Man X series and the first in the series to appear on the sixth generation of gaming consoles...
and X8
Mega Man X8
Mega Man X8, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 console. It is the eighth game in the Mega Man X series and the most recently released game in that series. It was first released in North America on December 7, 2004...
on the PlayStation 2 (X7, X8 also being on the PC in Korea, Japan and Europe), the RPG Mega Man X: Command Mission
Mega Man X: Command Mission
Mega Man X: Command Mission, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube. The game is a spin-off of the Mega Man X series of titles...
on the Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
, and Mega Man Xtreme
Mega Man Xtreme
Mega Man Xtreme, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Game Boy Color handheld console. It is a spin-off title in the Mega Man X series of video games that originated on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System...
and Xtreme 2
Mega Man Xtreme 2
Mega Man Xtreme 2, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Game Boy Color handheld game console. It is a spin-off title in the Mega Man X series and is a follow-up to Mega Man Xtreme, released the previous year. Mega Man Xtreme 2 takes place during the 22nd century, between...
(Rockman X: CyberMission and Rockman X2: Soul Eraser in Japan) on the Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
. The original Mega Man X was remade on the PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
as Mega Man Maverick Hunter X.
Mega Man X Collection
Mega Man X Collection
Mega Man X Collection is a compilation of video games developed by Capcom. It was released on January 10, 2006 exclusively in North America for the Nintendo GameCube and Sony PlayStation 2 platforms...
on the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
comprises the first six Mega Man X games, plus one additional
Mega Man Battle & Chase
Mega Man Battle & Chase, known in Japan as , is a PlayStation racing video game based on the original Mega Man series from Capcom. The game was released in Japan on March 20, 1997 and in PAL territories in April 1998. Although it was not released individually in North America, Mega Man Battle &...
Classic series game.
Gameplay
Mega Man X plays similarly to its predecessor series Mega ManMega Man (series)
Mega Man is a video game franchise from Capcom, starring the eponymous character Mega Man, or one of his many counterparts. The series is well-known and comprises well over fifty releases, easily making it Capcom's most prolific franchise. As of December 31, 2010, the series has sold approximately...
, but with various new features: X has the ability to dash along the ground at any time, X can cling to walls and Wall Jump, and he can dash and jump at the same time, increasing his speed in the air. This all gives X more mobility than his Classic counterpart; these modifications make it easier to go through the majority of the game without using any other gun than the default, which is different from previous Mega Man games where players were more inclined to rely on weapons won in previous fights (Like Metal Man's infamous Metal Blades) against boss characters in previously conquered stages.
X is also able to locate upgrade capsules that permanently upgrade a part of his armor, such as his helmet, boots, chestplate, or arm cannon. An upgrade common to each game is the ability for him to charge weapons earned from bosses, which gives them an enhanced secondary fire mode. In later games, there are multiple armor types available that can either be mixed and matched, or completed for additional armor set bonuses.
In X3, Zero (the leader of the Maverick Hunters in the first Mega Man X) is a playable character from the beginning. From the second game onward, Zero is armed with a beam saber, relying on this weapon almost exclusively from X4 and onward instead of the traditional "buster" gun. In X5, both X and Zero gained the ability to duck; an ability previously unavailable in earlier predecessors. In X6, there is a new rescue system where the player must rescue reploids. In X7, a new character known as Axl is introduced, playable alongside X and Zero. Axl utilizes two guns known as Axl Bullets. In X8, a new Double Attack feature is introduced, where two characters can attack at the same time. X8 is the latest entry in the franchise.
Mavericks replace the Robot Masters, and Sigma replaces Dr. Wily. The Mavericks are based on various types of organism
Organism
In biology, an organism is any contiguous living system . In at least some form, all organisms are capable of response to stimuli, reproduction, growth and development, and maintenance of homoeostasis as a stable whole.An organism may either be unicellular or, as in the case of humans, comprise...
s (usually animal
Animal
Animals are a major group of multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and...
s) instead of being humanoid in appearance, as were most of the bosses in the classic series, although their attacks and names are usually based on mechanical or chemical phenomena or laws of physics like the original games.
Though some Mavericks have new, never-before-seen powers (e.g., Toxic Seahorse from X3), most have the traditional element
Classical element
Many philosophies and worldviews have a set of classical elements believed to reflect the simplest essential parts and principles of which anything consists or upon which the constitution and fundamental powers of anything are based. Most frequently, classical elements refer to ancient beliefs...
-based weapons of the past games, such as fire, water, ice, lightning, wind, and earth.
See also
- Global Imagination