Mega Man X

"Capcom makes the transition from the Old Series to a new Mega Man Series perfectly!"

Having played all the Mega Man games on the Nintendo Entertainment System, I was quite concerned about how I would react to a new series of Mega Man games before I began.

Boy, how I was wrong to even worry. These games have done nothing but compliment the greatness that is the original series (Mega Man 1-6). What Capcom has done with this game is taking the fantastic gameplay of the originals, upped the graphics and control, and added a whole new storyline and a brand new series with great characters.

What I like most about this game is that they've taken every tiny, slight flaw that the old series had, and fixed it in this game.

The concept of the game is quite simple, yet Capcom has decided to give us an intricate web (or at least, one that will lead into the rest of the series) of storyline to keep us coming back not knowing what to expect. Whereas, in the NES games, it was the simple "Dr. Wily created 8 Robots with the last name Man and he wants to use them to destroy the world" formula, Mega Man X gives us some semblance of a plot.

Mega Man X, the last creation of Dr. Light, has awakened in a world threatened by the presence of Mavericks (when a robot harms a human, it becomes a Maverick. Basically, a Maverick is a rebellious robot) lead by Sigma, a Maverick himself, with the desire of ruling the world himself. With the assistance of his 8 Mavericks, Sigma plans to destroy humankind, and without X and new character Zero, there is no hope for peace in the world.

While Mega Man X knows that he should fight for the good of peace between robots, he has to ponder about the consequences that his actions may lead to. It is this human-like thinking and personality that makes X so easy to relate to.

The graphics in Mega Man X are nothing short of stunning. Even with today's graphics, I can play Mega Man X and honestly be impressed with how that must have amazed people at the time of release. Level designs are creative, intricate, and often have many different paths you can follow to reach the final destination. Enemies are colorful, detailed, and just well designed in general. The lighting effects from explosions and Arm-Cannon blasts are colorful and quite pleasing to the eye. Instead of, when exploding, monsters blast to several little blue balls that fly in a circular motion across the screen, their bodies actually degrade and fall apart. Again, a testament to the amount of detail Capcom did in upgrading the small things.

The gameplay is where Mega Man X truly shines. Everything from the old Mega Man games is back and better than ever. Capcom even decided to add in new features and upgrades to X's suit (in this game, by the way, he's called X) that you can find hidden (actually, VERY well hidden) in certain stages. It is these new abilities that really set the game apart from the original series. Certain abilities allow access to new areas you'd never dream of reaching in any other Mega Man game.

As always, you can take the abilities of your enemies and use them to your advantage. This is great because it provides nearly limitless possibilities to how you can defeat certain enemies, as some enemies are susceptible to certain attacks. Even the control of the games, the speed at which you do things, feels very smooth, and easy to pick up on.

While the sound in the game isn't earth shattering, its very good. The music is catchy and entertaining, and they all seem to fit in with each level. You'd be surprised at the effect that a song can have on a level. Capcom has done a fantastic job of blending dark sounds with darker levels, lighter, smoother tracks with lighter and brighter stages.

The sound effects in the game are amazing. They truly do tie the music and graphics together. Sounds like Arm-Cannon Shots, Mega Buster Charge ups are all very cool to listen to, and never get irritating or old. Hearing an enemy get pelted with several Arm Shots or a special weapon you just received makes the whole gaming experience that much greater. I tip my hat to Capcom, what a wondeful job of sound.

The replayability is decent...there are tons of extra things to look for in Mega Man X. Secret upgrades to X's suit that allow access to new areas and enemies, the ability to retrace your steps and play through levels after already beating them. All of these will keep you coming back to the game several times. I had only just recently played through this game, and already I have played through it many times in many different ways.

Hands down, Mega Man X is a fantastic piece of work and a great beginning to what has become one of the most epic action game series' to this date.

If you see this game, you should definitely buy it without hesitation.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 07/11/04