Mega Man X Collection

"Plays it safe, but offers nothing new"

The Mega Man X Collection follows a similar mode of thought to the Mega Man Anniversary Collection. It contains Mega Man X1-6 (7 and 8 were excluded) as well as some minor extras and a bonus game called Rockman Battle and Chase, previously unreleased in the US.

The emulation in the Gamecube version is quite good. Load times are minimal (and in the case of X4-6, load times are actually better than the original). There are some minor glitches but most elements have transitioned well, including most of the C4 chip effects from the SNES titles. The version of Mega Man X3 in this collection is actually the PSX remake, which was also not released in North America. The differences between Mega Man X3 on PSX and SNES is the remixed music, different sound effects, and slightly sharper graphics.

In this sense, this game is a chance for new gamers to play an old (about 13 years old, in fact) series in its entirety, with the exception of X7 and X8. They are good games for the most part, so that in itself is a good reason to buy this game. However, that is where the positives end.

Capcom had a chance to give us something fresh here and they didn't. There are unlockable images and remixes and such, but they seem thrown together and pointless. The remixed music, for example, is mostly tracks from the PSX version of Mega Man X3 and thus remixes made 10 years ago. There are some minor glitches but nothing that will drastically alter your experience. What is troubling is the lack of new content and corrections. If you played the original version of X5 and X6, you know that the boss names are poorly translated (Metal Shark Player? Duff McWhalen?). You would also know that X6 had Japanese voice overs and X5 had no voice overs at all. These things have not been corrected, and in regards to X6, the Japanese voices have been removed and replaced with dead silence!

The unlockable game, Rockman Battle and Chase isn't that good either. It is a very outdated Mario Kart-like game with a choppy framerate. By winning races, you can get new parts for your car and thus customize it. But the courses are so bland that its nothing something you'd want to play much. If I was reviewing this bonus game separately, it would receive a 3, at the most.

But I'm not reviewing Battle and Chase (lucky me!). The Mega Man X collection really just packages 6 great games into one package. Here is a brief opinion of each game:

Mega Man X1 10/10: A brilliant game that takes tradition Mega Man and adds a twist – the ability to climb walls and dash. This change, in addition to power upgrades, adds a new level of maturity to the series. Levels are well designed, music is catchy, and the game is fun.

Mega Man X2 7/10: It is basically X1 with new levels. Gameplay hasn't changed much, but music has noticeably dropped in quality.

Mega Man X3 10/10: My favorite in the series. There are many upgrades to find, a secret boss, a secret weapon, and a few other surprises. The PSX version (this version) has remixed music, slightly better graphics, and anime intros for each boss.

Mega Man X4 8/10: The series takes on a more anime feel, with animated cinematic and Engrish (sic) voice overs. However, the game is extremely short and pretty easy. It is, however, fun. Gameplay is noticeably slower than the SNES titles, but it is perhaps the most polished of the US PSX releases.

Mega Man X5 6/10: They decided to add a new character named Ali to the game. Navi is to Link as Ali is to X. She talks constantly and her dialog is poorly written and obvious (a pit? How should I get across it? By... jumping perhaps!?). The game also has a take factor that changes the ending of the game.

Mega Man X6 7/10: Levels can be annoying with random enemies cheaply hitting you and such. However, bosses are so pathetically easy you'd wonder if they belong in the same game. Gone is Ali's annoying commentary and the time factor. Levels now change, depending on the order you play them in. The Japanese voice overs in the original release have been removed in exchange for absolutely nothing.

Overall 8/10: There are some good games here, notably Mega Man X1, X3, and X4. There are also some not as good games. Such is the case with any collection. If you've never played a Mega Man X game, this is a good introduction to the series. If you're a longtime fan, this collection may be worth the purchase simply to play the PSX version of Mega Man X3.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/16/06