Mega Man X2

"Best in the Series"

Mega Man X2, like Mega Man 2 before it and Mega Man Zero 2 after it, is the best in its series. None of the other X games came close to the perfection of X2. The gameplay, the graphics, the music(drools over music), everything about it came together to create the perfect Mega Man X game.

Gameplay - The gameplay in Mega Man X2 is perfect. The level design was top notch and each level is amazingly fun to play through. The new enhancements that X gets in this game are some of the best in the entire series. The dual shot buster is my favorite out of all the X games and the G-Crush technique from the armor looked great and was extremely useful for annihilating a lot of small enemies. The controls are tight and are easy to use. The bosses are very fun to fight and a couple are a real challenge if you only use the X-Buster. The X-Hunters were an awesome addition and are really fun to fight. None of the bosses are clone of bosses from any previous Mega Man game and all are a true challenge that have patterns that you will love to memorize and are fun to fight at any time. The upgrades, heart tanks and sub tanks take true skill to find and some can be gotten through multiple methods. The only slight problem is the occasional slowdown, but most SNES games contain that and it's mainly the fault of the hardware, not the game. This game introduced many new features that were seen in later installments: a special mega attack used with the armor, optional bosses, the air dash and more. Overall, the gameplay in Mega Man X2 is perfect and is unequaled by any other X game.

Story - The Mega Man games have never been known for great stories. However, I did enjoy the plot twists in the game and it is easy to follow. The plot is simple: Sigma was defeated and the Maverick Hunters are taking out the remaining Mavericks. However, three unknown villains, The X-Hunters, have surfaced and want to take revenge on Mega Man X for destroying Sigma.

Graphics - For the SNES, the graphics are amazing. The backgrounds are stunning and though X's initial sprite remains the same, after he gets his upgrades he looks awesome. The wire-frame mini bosses and boss look great and the other bosses look terrific as well. Everything is clean, crisp and well detailed.

Sound - Out of all the X games, X2 has the best tunes. The first X-Hunter level song is amazing and is one of the best Mega Man songs to date. The intro songs, the stage songs and the ending songs are perfect. You'll love every song you'll hear in X2. The sound effects aren't amazing, but they work and great.

Replay - Practically infinite, there are many combinations of enhancements you can use to beat the game with, plus this is the first X game to have optional boss fights. Depending on what you do, you may face a very tough but fun battle before the final battles. There are so many ways to go through X2 that you can't count them all. You'll be playing this game till the end of time and never get bored of it.

Rent or Buy - Unfortunately this game is for the SNES, so you can't rent it. It is also quite rare, but if you see it at any store, buy it right away, you will not be disappointed.

In conclusion, Mega Man X2 has perfect gameplay, amazing music, great graphics and infinite replay. If you don't have it, get it now.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 10/28/03