Line #26 YMMV/MegaManX8


1	!This page contains unmarked spoilers regarding the TrueFinalBoss. Administrivia/YouHaveBeenWarned.
2
3	* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation:
4	** Is Zero ObliviousToLove in regards to Layer's blatant crush on him, or is he aware, but [[CelibateHero doesn't want to pursue a romantic relationship again]] considering [[VideoGame/MegaManX4 how his last one went]]?
5	** Regarding Sigma and his relationship to the New Generation Reploids: Were Lumine and the New Gen Reploids ultimately using him and intended to dispose of him, seeing as Sigma was an "inferior" old-gen Reploid? Or was Sigma in charge of them all along, due to his DNA inside of them exerting a controlling HiveMind effect in them? (As a result, this ''heavily'' calls into question Lumine's claim that he and the New Generation Reploids can go Maverick "at will.") Alternatively, did Sigma ''intend'' for the New Gen Reploids to succeed [[PredecessorVillain him]] to further his stated goal of Reploid evolution?
6	* AngstWhatAngst:
7	** It's revealed that the New Gen Reploids (and by extension, Axl himself) were built via the plans of [[BigBad Sigma]], [[RoboFamily who considers them his children]]. This bothers Axl roughly a thousand times less than Zero's similar origin eats at him; in fact, he's the only one of the three heroes not driven into a HeroicBSOD by Lumine's attempt to BreakThemByTalking done soon after. It helps that:
8	*** Sigma and Lumine don't press the point (when Axl outright asks Lumine whether Sigma's influence will affect his sanity, Lumine dismisses him), unlike what Sigma does with Zero.
9	*** Zero was having nightmare visions of a certain crazy, eyebrow-waggling old scientist even before Sigma started playing with his head.
10	*** Zero's history comes with a SuperpoweredEvilSide. Axl has no such problems.
11	* AssPull: Some may feel that the twist of Lumine being EvilAllAlong is boring and contrived, having little to no {{Foreshadowing}} besides the ham-fisted opening cutscene, and that it came out of nowhere for no reason other than to have a final boss that wasn't Sigma. It doesn't help that it creates a very confusing AmbiguousSituation where it's unclear whether Lumine was manipulating Sigma or Sigma was in charge all along because of "creating" Lumine (through his DNA embedded in the New Generation Reploids' Copy Chips).
12	* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic:
13	** In the Japanese Platform/PlayStation2 version and some releases of the 2004 PC version, the game's AnimeThemeSong "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykhPSqnJfqs WILD FANG]]" by Janne Da Arc undeniably puts the "rock" into "Rockman". [[https://www.animelyrics.com/game/rockmanx8/wildfang.htm The song's lyrics]] are just as badass as its name implies.
14	** "[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJPUqbEZrew Jakob]]", the stage music for the Jakob Orbital Elevator will have you rocking out while you turn Mavericks into scrap metal.
15	** Booster Forest has [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2T1DKnWOYQ8 two]] [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6n4K3EYS07Q themes]], including a particularly awesome one specifically for piloting a Ride Armor.
16	** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzm1hbN9iWM The default mid-boss theme]] is also pretty great.
17	* BrokenBase: The game's [[ArtShiftedSequel new art style and character redesigns]]. In general, are the slimmer designs better, being more realistic and humanoid? Or are they too different from the older styles in the series? Notably, the very next game in the series, ''VideoGame/MegaManMaverickHunterX'', went back to the designs first implemented in the [[Platform/PlayStation PS1]] era. (And while that could be excused by ''MHX'' being a ContinuityReboot, all future ''X'' series works, like ''VideoGame/MegaManXDive'', also returned to the pre-''X8'' style for everyone except the Navigators.)
18	* CatharsisFactor: Vile is infamous due the fact that in [[VideoGame/MegaManX1 previous]] [[VideoGame/MegaManX3 games]], he uses a Ride Armor during his battles, giving him an unfair advantage against you. In Bamboo Pandamonium's level, you can carry a Ride Armor throughout the entire stage. If you have the Ride Armor inside the second mini-boss room and Vile appears, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdoyQQinsY#t=5m55s you can finally turn the tables against the bastard and make him pay for all the previous pain]].
19	* CharacterRerailment: X was criticized in ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX7 X7]]'' for being DemotedToExtra and for his constant complaining about violence. Here, not only is he playable from the start, but in the one scene [[MartialPacifist he laments fighting]], he agrees with Axl that in some situations, [[ViolenceReallyIsTheAnswer fighting is the only solution]].
20	-->'''X:''' "Axl's right. There's no time to be wishy-washy. Even as we speak, Mavericks are causing havoc."
21	* CommonKnowledge: Lumine is commonly misinterpreted as TheManBehindTheMan to Sigma, his master from the very start. It'd be more accurate to say Lumine's plan was HijackingCthulhu, taking advantage of Sigma's leadership and ambition to hasten the supremacy of the New Generation Reploids. Who better to lead a rebellion than him, right? Of course, then there's the fact that Lumine is technically one of Sigma's children, so he's basically just OverlordJr taking over for daddy.
22	* ContestedSequel: Is ''X8'' a good game in its own right? Or does it only look good after coming off the AudienceAlienatingEra that was ''VideoGame/MegaManX7''[[labelnote:]]and arguably ''VideoGame/MegaManX6''[[/labelnote]]? Pros include more solid level design, the return to 2D gameplay, ''vastly'' improved voice acting, having a FinalBoss[=/=]BigBad that ''isn't'' Sigma, and giving all the characters [[DivergentCharacterEvolution distinct playstyles]] without any of them feeling redundant. Cons include overuse of gimmick levels[[labelnote:]]Which, depending on what you count as a gimmick, could mean there's only ''two'' levels that play like actual ''Mega Man X'' levels[[/labelnote]], an extremely [[GuideDangit frustrating 100% completion]], [[MoneyGrinding Metal Grinding]] that drags the game to a crawl even with the [[DiscountCard Metal Discount]] chip[[labelnote:]](unless you're either content with the upgrades on-hand or use a glitch found only in the North American [=PlayStation=] 2 release to take grinding out the equation)[[/labelnote]], a rather [[ExcusePlot aimless]] and [[AmbiguousSituation confusing]] plot, and the [[ScrappyMechanic retry chip system]][[labelnote:]](unlike in the previous installments where players are given VideoGameLives, the Retry Chips function similarly to lives in ''VideoGame/MegaManZero1'' where they act more like mid-mission continues, and not having any Retry Chips at all means you'll be forced to start over a stage every time you lose)[[/labelnote]].
23	* EnsembleDarkhorse: The Navigators. [[SecretCharacter Making them all]] {{Action Girl}}s helped a little, but there are other things as well, such as Alia's [[FanservicePack redesign]], [[MsFanservice Layer's]] secret crush on Zero, and Pallette being a TokenMiniMoe to the cast. Capcom seems to have anticipated this, as [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7cEOsLmzKoU there were figures of the girls made alongside the guys]], as well as an alternate title sequence when you unlock the Navigators for play. They were even prepared to bring all three back (along with a fourth) for ''Mega Man Online'', and even offer a poster of the three in swimsuits as a reward for beating ''[[CompilationRerelease X Legacy Collection]]'''s X Challenge Mode on Normal difficulty.
24	* EpilepticTrees: After Lumine's defeat, Axl gets knocked out by a creepy tentacle that comes out of Lumine's chest. In the final shot of the game, it shows that a little fragment of it is still left in Axl's forehead gem. What exactly this means is [[LeftHanging still a mystery]], but [[SequelNonEntity his absence]] from the ''[[VideoGame/MegaManZero Zero]]'' series has led to many fan theories about what happened to him. Did he simply die off-screen from the injury? Did he get better after a good night's sleep? [[{{Fanon}} An especially popular theory]] is that Lumine [[GrandTheftMe took over his body]] and turned him evil, necessitating his destruction; this theory is supported by the "White Axl" armor which mysteriously shares its color scheme with Lumine. Only a ''Mega Man X9'' will give us the true answers.
25	* FanNickname:
26	** Sigma's broken-down devil form has been christened "Belial Sigma"... despite it never once being referred to as such in official material. This is likely because someone put the name on the Sigma page on the Mega Man Knowledge Base wiki, and it stayed up there for years before anyone fact-checked it.
27	** A similar situation occurred with Lumine's final form, who held the unofficial name "Seraph Lumine" for a while.
28	* GameBreaker: See [[GameBreaker/MegaManX here]].
29	* GoddamnedBoss: The second fight against the MiniBoss in Avalanche Yeti's level, which will take far longer than the first phase and it spends most of its time [[GetBackHereBoss way out of range for most of your attacks]].
30	* GoodBadBugs:
31	** In the North American [=PS2=] version, it is possible to buy a Life Bottle for your Sub Tank while having less than 50 Metals, causing your Metal count to dip into negative values. Picking any Metal while in the negative will skyrocket your Metals to its maximum of '''9,999,999''', effectively axing [[MoneyGrinding Metal Grinding]] out of the game. This was fixed in the Japanese [=PS2=] release, the original PC version, and in the ''X Legacy Collection 2'' version.
32	** Zero (and Layer) can use Rasetsusen to ''fly!'' Just use the attack, then hold Up and then Down simultaneously.[[labelnote:*]]Contrary to popular belief, this isn't limited to the PC version of the game, as the [=PS2=] version uses both the D-Pad and the left stick for movement. The ''X Legacy Collection 2'' version of ''X8'' fixed this bug, however.[[/labelnote]]
33	* HilariousInHindsight: Dark Mantis is fought at the end of a stealth-based level, just like [[VideoGame/MetalGearSolid Psycho Mantis]].
34	* ItWasHisSled: Lumine is the FinalBoss. [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic His second form's battle theme]] tends to be the first thing new players think of nowadays when they think of ''X8''.
35	* LGBTFanbase: Lumine has a pretty sizable following among gay men, due to his androgynous, youthful appearance being rather evocative of [[TheTwink twinks]]. Fan art often gives him a [[SelfFanservice more slender appearance]] to match.
36	* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: The little "ding" that plays whenever you finish a MultiMookMelee room. Even more satisfying if you had to fight Vile instead, and ''especially'' if it's for the final time.
37	* {{Narm}}:
38	** The religious symbolism in this game is often regarded as being more hilarious for how [[FauxSymbolism heavy-handed it is]] than any serious attempt at being deep.
39	** Lumine's infamous "We can go Maverick at will" line settled into this for a lot of fans. Mostly because, after the series spent multiple games jumping between [[AIIsACrapshoot Reploids willingly choosing to rebel]] and [[BrainwashedAndCrazy the various viruses driving them insane]], Lumine makes this statement as a big part of TheReveal in the same breath as revealing this is possible because [[HijackedByGanon the New Generation Reploids have Sigma's DNA in them]], turning what's supposed to be a surprising lategame twist into hilariously cheesy nonsense that poorly explains [[TheSociopath what it actually does]].
40	* PolishedPort:
41	** Unlike ''X7'''s [[PortingDisaster disastrous]] Korean-only PC port, the 2004 ''X8'' PC port was developed in-house and programmed far better. On top of being playable on modern operating systems, it supports higher resolutions than the [=PlayStation=] 2 version (up to 1600×1200, although [=DirectX=] wrappers can make it render in higher resolutions) with most of the visuals intact, has support for 3D positional audio, mouse support for the menus, gamepad support, and rebindable keys. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking It also changes the mouse cursor to look like X from the SNES games.]]
42	** The version of the game included in ''X Legacy Collection 2'' cleans the game's visuals up to HD standards, giving the game much crisper and sharper look than ever before (although the 2D assets haven't been updated but they are scaled properly unlike the original [=PlayStation=] 2 version), and drastically cuts down on the loading times as well.
43	* RescuedFromTheScrappyHeap:
44	** Axl was the ReplacementScrappy for X in ''X7'', with a whiny voice and [[SpotlightStealingSquad his story consuming the entire plot]]. In ''X8'', his role is still important -- what with his status as the prototype to the rogue New Generation Reploids -- but not all-encompassing. He also manages to [[ShutUpHannibal interrupt]] the BigBad's [[BreakThemByTalking Breaking Speech]] with [[TalkToTheFist a well-placed bullet to the chest]]. He plays similarly to Bass from ''VideoGame/MegaManAndBass'' instead of a literal PoorMansSubstitute for X, letting him [[DivergentCharacterEvolution have his own playstyle]]. Finally, he matured a bit in-between games, resulting in Axl being given a youthful but more mature voice in the dub, having his TriggerHappy tendencies toned down to something more reasonable, and serving as the Hunter PowerTrio's emotional core (leading to the aforementioned ShutUpHannibal moment).
45	** [[MissionControl Alia]] also got better in ''X8''. She went from being an [[ExpositionFairy interrupting]] [[AnnoyingVideoGameHelper nuisance]] in ''X5'' to a playable [[SecretCharacter bonus character]] (as [[DistaffCounterpart a female counterpart]] of X) who's capable of taking on Sigma and Lumine.
46	** X in this game doesn't complain about violence anywhere near as often as he did in ''X7'', having a brief moment of frustration at the beginning before quickly accepting the new war and his part in it, much to the delight of players. It helps that X's main focus is still saving innocent lives and bringing the latest conflict to as swift a conclusion as possible, preserving his core characterization as a MartialPacifist but making him not come across as UnintentionallyUnsympathetic like he was in ''X7''.
47	* StrawmanHasAPoint: Burn Rooster's RageAgainstTheLegalSystem is actually well-founded, as he has watched hundreds of his Reploid brethren be incinerated at the Inferno plant. The casual disregard for the life of Mavericks really is a bit disturbing -- no attempts to rehabilitate or reprogram them, just throw them in the junk heap to be immolated with the rest.
48	* SugarWiki/SuperlativeDubbing: After [[VideoGame/MegaMan8 three]] [[VideoGame/MegaManX4 disastrous]] [[VideoGame/MegaManX7 attempts]], this game, along with ''VideoGame/MegaManMaverickHunterX'' and ''VideoGame/MegaManPoweredUp'' (and ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'' to a lesser extent), is often held up as having some of the best voice acting in the series. Lucas Gilbertson in particular has been considered [[CantUnhearIt the definitive Zero voice]].
49	* SurprisinglyImprovedSequel: The poor aftertaste of ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX7 X7]]'' meant fans weren't expecting much of ''X8''. The game was praised for bringing ''VideoGame/MegaManX'' to 3D well, and having tight gameplay on its own.
50	* ThatOneAttack:
51	** Bamboo Pandemonium's DesperationAttack, Youdantotsu, is a long-reaching lunge that deals massive damage and destroys any Ride Armor. Also, he'll keep the lunge in place until you move out of the way, so it may deal additional damage if you don't escape with the MercyInvincibility.
52	** Earthrock Trilobyte's Desperation Attack, Wave Wall, erects crystal walls and turns the arena into a DeathCourse[=/=]AdvancingWallOfDoom. Unfortunately, it is easily navigated, killing the tension and wasting a lot of time, making it the bane of speedrunners. And worse, the FinalExamBoss has this as a ''regular'' attack, i.e. one he uses very frequently.
53	** Optic Sunflower's Desperation Attack, Earth Crush, involves DeathFromAbove via KillSat requiring ''extremely'' precise timing to avoid, especially for Zero due to his short dash distance. It's even worse if Optic Sunflower initiates the attack when he gives you little room to move around in without dashing into him.
54	** Lumine's first form uses the Desperation Attacks of the eight Mavericks, including the ones mentioned above. However, there are two attacks he's modified. The first is Avalanche Yeti's, which causes gigantic snowflakes that freeze you on contact to rain down and lasts a lot longer than the original version, and Lumine still uses other Desperation Attacks while it's in effect. The second is Burn Rooster's, which covers the walls in flames and never wears off; once it hits the field, you can no longer wall-jump.
55	** Lumine's second form has his infamous Paradise Lost, which opens up a rift in space. If you don't kill him within 30 seconds, you die and it's an ''immediate'' game over, no matter how many continues you have.
56	* ThatOneLevel:
57	** Burn Rooster's stage begins with a slow descent down tricky platforms (where if you fall too quickly it's instant death), then a descent down a shaft of SpikesOfDoom, then ''another'' slow descent down tricky platforms, then the boss, and then ''the level keeps going'' as you need to flee back up the platforms while being chased by rising lava. Thankfully, the last part isn't repeated on subsequent visits if Burn Rooster has been defeated.
58	** Avalanche Yeti's Ride Chaser level has multitudes of enemies and traditional AutoScrollingLevel obstacles (walls and BottomlessPits), culminating with a MiniBoss fight in two parts, the second of which can easily become a GoddamnedBoss due to [[MarathonBoss how long it takes to destroy it]], especially if you didn't bring X for his Charge Shots.
59	** Gigavolt Man-o-War's stage is easily the most reviled in the game, due to the UnexpectedGameplayChange to a 3D RailShooter where you need to give chase after the boss in a Ride Chaser and shoot them down before you get killed by some arbitrary timer. It doesn't help that it's deceptively hard to actually hit the boss on any difficulty level above Easy unless you've managed to NitroBoost until you're five feet away from them, forcing you to collect Weapon Energy pick-ups strewn throughout the stage along the way just to keep up (as opposed to Avalanche Yeti's Ride Chaser level where you can use a NitroBoost as many times as you want), especially if you haven't been upgrading your characters' maximum Weapon Energy and developed the Super Recover Chip. And throughout all this frustration, the boss is yammering non-stop in an annoying voice. With ''X8'' being a return to form and even Avalance Yeti's Ride Chaser level being divisive at worst, Gigavolt Man-o-War's stage feels like a backslide into everything fans hated about ''X7''. [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking And icing the cake is that, despite a far better-received dub track this time around, Gigavolt Man-o-War's voice is considered REALLY grating and he'll keep yapping throughout the whole stage, which may tempt players to scramble for the Mute button on their monitor.]]
60	* ThatOnePuzzle: In an otherwise easy level, Gravity Antonion's stage has one room that involves avoiding being crushed to death by spiked cubes that keep going up and down several times, and there's no indication when it will even ''stop''. Many players would actually prefer a Vile encounter in the same room than go through this obstacle.
61	* ThatOneSidequest: Getting a particular Rare Metal in Bamboo Pandamonium's level. It requires you to keep your Ride Armor intact for the entire level, something that is way easier said than done and will result in a lot of trial-and-error on your part, assuming that you [[GuideDangIt know what to do in the first place]].
62	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: While Lumine is appreciated for at least [[BreakingOldTrends breaking the trend]] of having Sigma constantly [[HijackedByGanon behind the plot]], many would also agree that he ended up being a rather undercooked villain. This is because his role as the "true" villain is poorly foreshadowed, he ends up having very little screentime throughout the game, and TheReveal of him being behind everything happens at the very end of the game. His relationship with Sigma, who states that the Jakob Project was "[his] doing", is also poorly explained, resulting in it being [[AmbiguousSituation unclear]] whether [[TheManBehindTheMan Sigma was in control of Lumine and the New Gen Reploids all along]], [[HijackingCthulhu Lumine somehow forced Sigma to bend to his will]], or [[BigBadDuumvirate the two were working initially as equals]] with Lumine intending to dispose of Sigma later on.
63	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: The New Generation Reploids are allegedly unique because of their Copy Chips. However, none of the eight Maverick bosses actually seem to use their Copy Chips to control their DNA in battle, and thus they fight like regular old Mavericks. It would've been impressive to see bosses morph their bodies to attack or copy moves from previous enemies, but this is completely squandered.
64	* UnnecessaryMakeover: [[BrokenBase Though it's not an unanimous opinion]], many fans weren't fond of the redesigns most of the cast received in ''X8''. Alia's redesign has been criticized specifically, seen as an unnecessary attempt to make her a MsFanservice despite already being attractive. Ironically, hers is the only ''X8'' redesign that stuck for future material such as ''X [=DiVE=]''.
65	* ViewerGenderConfusion: Many a fan has mistaken Lumine for female upon first inspection due to his feminine appearance and voice.
66	* WinBackTheCrowd: This game was a welcome return to form after the incredibly divisive ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX6 X6]]'' and near-universally despised ''[[VideoGame/MegaManX7 X7]]''. Unfortunately, low sales rendered it the final ''X'' game as of this writing.[[labelnote:*]]Not counting ''VideoGame/MegaManXCommandMission'' (which released prior to ''X8''), [[VideoGame/MegaManMaverickHunterX remakes]], {{compilation\|Rerelease}}s, and ''VideoGame/MegaManXDive''.[[/labelnote]]

Context YMMV / MegaManX8