It's no doubt that Mega Man X is one of the best video games on the SNES, and possibly one of the best action games of all time. It took what foundations made the original Mega Man Classic games great and put them into overdrive.
The extra mobility afforded to X by his Dash and Wall Kick turn the game into a completely new beast; these mechanics are only enhanced by the lack of sliding screen transitions, making for one gigantic, uninterrupted level to romp around in. The enemies are meaner than ever (a lot of them even laugh when they hit the player), but X's Charge Shot and Special Weapons make it a fair fight.
Finding secrets is a blast, and the progression system is gold. The core motivation for the player to play the game is progression: every Light Capsule, every Maverick boss, make X more and more powerful. Not only that, but you get to choose which ones you want to get first, which bosses to challenge. When I play the game, I'm playing it for the feeling of growth - almost like Metroid or Zelda, in a way, but faster-paced.
The story, albeit simple, is also very solid. It works perfectly with the narrative of progression afforded by the gameplay: X is a new addition to the battlefield, fighting for peace and justice despite his inexperience. He eagerly jumps into battle in the Highway stage, fighting his way through countless enemies and even the giant Bee Bladers. He's doing it! He's a hero! Until he meets Vile, who absolutely destroys him and reminds him just how little he really knows. Fortunately, Zero shows up and caps Vile, showing that there is hope for X and that he can become a great hero like Zero someday.
After fighting through the eight Mavericks and becoming stronger than ever, X finally accompanies Zero to storm the Sigma Palace. However, Vile is back stronger too, and this time it's up to X to save Zero! But it's still not enough - X just can't compete with Vile's arsenal. When all hope seems lost, Zero jumps back into action one last time, sacrificing himself to give X a chance at beating Vile. X then overcomes Vile, but at what cost? He was unable to save his friend after all - his mentor, his largest source of hope. He failed.
X uses this motivation to storm the rest of Sigma's fortress in a rampage. I will admit that the final encounter with Sigma is a bit shallow, since we've never seen the guy before (as a kid I thought that Vile WAS Sigma, since the text boxes don't have names in them and I didn't have the manual). But it's still cool to fight Sigma's guard dog Velguarder, earn this tyrant's admiration, and finally put an end to the destructive conflict. While Sigma cries out to X, asking why he chose to side with the humans, its clear that it affected him: X stands atop a cliff while staring at the destruction he has caused in the Sigma Palace. He has grown so strong, he has ended the conflict, but at what cost? He couldn't save Zero, and he was forced to kill the once-honorable hero Sigma. Is fighting really the only way to achieve peace?
It's really a simple yet effective game. It may be quite difficult at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes a wonderful experience. I've come back to play Mega Man X for years and years, ever since I was four years old. While the following games may have never lived up to the potential laid down by the series' first title, it's truly an amazing franchise that I hope Capcom will one day revive again.
VideoGame What a Fantastic Game
It's no doubt that Mega Man X is one of the best video games on the SNES, and possibly one of the best action games of all time. It took what foundations made the original Mega Man Classic games great and put them into overdrive.
The extra mobility afforded to X by his Dash and Wall Kick turn the game into a completely new beast; these mechanics are only enhanced by the lack of sliding screen transitions, making for one gigantic, uninterrupted level to romp around in. The enemies are meaner than ever (a lot of them even laugh when they hit the player), but X's Charge Shot and Special Weapons make it a fair fight.
Finding secrets is a blast, and the progression system is gold. The core motivation for the player to play the game is progression: every Light Capsule, every Maverick boss, make X more and more powerful. Not only that, but you get to choose which ones you want to get first, which bosses to challenge. When I play the game, I'm playing it for the feeling of growth - almost like Metroid or Zelda, in a way, but faster-paced.
The story, albeit simple, is also very solid. It works perfectly with the narrative of progression afforded by the gameplay: X is a new addition to the battlefield, fighting for peace and justice despite his inexperience. He eagerly jumps into battle in the Highway stage, fighting his way through countless enemies and even the giant Bee Bladers. He's doing it! He's a hero! Until he meets Vile, who absolutely destroys him and reminds him just how little he really knows. Fortunately, Zero shows up and caps Vile, showing that there is hope for X and that he can become a great hero like Zero someday.
After fighting through the eight Mavericks and becoming stronger than ever, X finally accompanies Zero to storm the Sigma Palace. However, Vile is back stronger too, and this time it's up to X to save Zero! But it's still not enough - X just can't compete with Vile's arsenal. When all hope seems lost, Zero jumps back into action one last time, sacrificing himself to give X a chance at beating Vile. X then overcomes Vile, but at what cost? He was unable to save his friend after all - his mentor, his largest source of hope. He failed.
X uses this motivation to storm the rest of Sigma's fortress in a rampage. I will admit that the final encounter with Sigma is a bit shallow, since we've never seen the guy before (as a kid I thought that Vile WAS Sigma, since the text boxes don't have names in them and I didn't have the manual). But it's still cool to fight Sigma's guard dog Velguarder, earn this tyrant's admiration, and finally put an end to the destructive conflict. While Sigma cries out to X, asking why he chose to side with the humans, its clear that it affected him: X stands atop a cliff while staring at the destruction he has caused in the Sigma Palace. He has grown so strong, he has ended the conflict, but at what cost? He couldn't save Zero, and he was forced to kill the once-honorable hero Sigma. Is fighting really the only way to achieve peace?
It's really a simple yet effective game. It may be quite difficult at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes a wonderful experience. I've come back to play Mega Man X for years and years, ever since I was four years old. While the following games may have never lived up to the potential laid down by the series' first title, it's truly an amazing franchise that I hope Capcom will one day revive again.