History VideoGame / MegaManX8

** One of the rooms in Bamboo Pandamonium's level features an endless assault of Ride Armor enemies. It's suggested that you demolish them with the Cyclops Armor, but a better alternative is to switch to Axl, stick to the uppermost part of the entrance and wail on all the enemies with the Axl Bullets. As long as Axl keeps firing, he will not slide down, and the enemies won't bother to jump up to hit him. Time-consuming, but it would rack up your hit counter to 200+.

** Finding the Rare Metals that need to be unearthed by a fully-charged Crystal Wall. The other secrets such as the Light Capsules and the floating Rare Metals can be this, too, but at least Palette will help you giving some hints if there's any nearby, if you choose her as the navigator. The floor also tends to have a special mark on them that signifies that you need to use charged Crystal Wall on it.

* ShoutOut: One enemy has the [[VideoGame/{{Metroid}} Morph Ball]], blatantly lampshading the game's {{Metroidvania}} elements.

* FalseFriend: Turns out, Lumine was the real bad guy!

* PandaingToTheAudience: Bamboo Pandamonium. [[BearsAreBadNews He's far from cute and cuddly though]], being able to do heavy damage with his attacks.

* EyesOutOfSight: Layer, who has her eyes hidden behind her bangs most of the time.

* EyesOutOfSight: Layer.

* BladeOnAStick: The D Glaive, purchasable as a weapon for Zero once its Rare Metal has been found. It has a longer reach than most of Zero's other alternate weapons, and the weapon will also modify Youdantotsu into Renyoudan, [[BladeSpam a quick 6-hitting thrust attack]].

** Gigabolt Man-o-War: "Oh yeaaah!"

The Mavericks of ''Mega Man X8'' are:
* Optic Sunflower, gives [[LightEmUp Shining Ray]] (X), [[PillarOfLight Tenshouha]] (Zero), and {{Ray Gun}} (Axl); is weak to Bamboo Pandamonium's weapons
* Gravity Antonion, gives [[GravityMaster Squeeze Bomb]] (X), [[ArmorPiercingAttack Juuhazan]] (Zero), and [[RevolversAreJustBetter Spiral Magnum]] (Axl); is weak to Dark Mantis' weapons
* Dark Mantis, gives [[CastingAShadow Shadow Runner]] (X), [[SpinAttack Rasetsusen]] (Zero), and [[HomingProjectile Black Arrow]] (Axl); is weak to Optic Sunflower's weapons
* Bamboo Pandamonium, gives [[GreenThumb Green Spinner]] (X), [[ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice Youdantotsu]] (Zero), and [[GrenadeLauncher Blast Launcher]] (Axl); is weak to Burn Rooster's weapons
* Gigabolt Man-O-War, gives [[ShockAndAwe Thunder]] [[ChainLightning Dancer]] (X), [[FlashStep Raikousen]] (Zero), and [[LightningGun Plasma Gun]] (Axl); is weak to Earthrock Trilobyte's weapons
* Earthrock Trilobyte, gives [[DishingOutDirt Crystal]] [[GemstoneAssault Wall]] (X), [[AttackReflector Rekkyoudan]] (Zero), and [[PinballProjectile Bound Blaster]] (Axl); is weak to Gravity Antonion's weapons
* Burn Rooster, gives [[PlayingWithFire Melt Creeper]] (X), [[SwordPlant Enkoujin]] (Zero), and [[FireBreathingWeapon Flame Burner]] (Axl); is weak to Avalanche Yeti's weapons
* Avalanche Yeti, gives [[AnIcePerson Drift Diamond]] (X), [[{{Shoryuken}} Hyouryuushou]] (Zero), and [[AnIceGun Ice]] [[GatlingGood Gatling]] (Axl); is weak to Gigabolt Man-O-War's weapons

** If you fall into a BottomlessPit while in a Ride Armor, your character will automatically eject to give you one last chance to save yourself.

* BigNo: X lets one out upon dying via falling into a BottomlessPit, losing all of his HP, touching spikes, etc.

[[YearX It is the year 21XX]], long after the [[VideoGame/MegaManX7 Red Alert incident]]. The humans seek asylum from the Maverick Wars by colonizing the Moon in the "Jakob Project".

As part of the Jakob Project, a new generation of Reploids are put into production. Each contains a DNA Copy Chip that lets them freely change their bodies and nullify viral infections (Axl is revealed to be a prototype of these Reploids), making them immune to the Sigma Virus. These new generation Reploids help construct an [[SpaceElevator orbital elevator]] to transport workers and materials into space. The director of the project is a Reploid named Lumine.

It is late 21XX. A new generation of Reploids, set apart by their DNA Copy Chips that allow them to freely change their forms and nullify any viral infections, has entered production (Axl is revealed to be a prototype of these Reploids). Meanwhile, the humans have decided to colonize the Moon in order to escape the never-ending chaos of the Maverick Wars. This operation, dubbed the "Jakob Project," has resulted in the construction of an orbital elevator to help transport workers and materials into space. Many new generation Reploids, such as the project's director Lumine, have been created to aid.

However, Lumine is suddenly kidnapped by the Maverick Hunters' old enemy Vile, and a worldwide Maverick riot breaks out among the new generation Reploids. The Jakob Project has been hijacked for reasons unknown. Now it's up to X, Zero, and Axl to stop the Mavericks once again and rescue Lumine.

->''"That's right. The Orbital Elevator is under our control now...It begins now, X. A new world will be born!"''

* AmbiguousSituation: Due to confusing writing, the answer to "who's behind who?" in the story is very unclear. [[spoiler:Lumine says that Sigma helped his plan all along, and that the entire rebellion was his and the other New-Gen Reploids' doing, which is clearly what TheReveal seems to go for. However, Sigma says that the New-Gen Reploids were his "children", and that Sigma oversaw the Jakob Project which in turn created the New-Gen Reploids including Lumine. That statement, combined with Sigma's DNA inside the New-Gen Reploids copy chips effectively turning them into Reploid sociopaths, seems to imply that they were intentionally designed by Sigma to carry on his rebellion, even if they may "use" Sigma.]]

* BigCreepyCrawlies: [[StrongAnts Gravity Antonion]], [[SeldomSeenSpecies Earthrock Trilobyte]] and [[SlayingMantis Dark Mantis]].

* CentralTheme: Progress. A lot of the plot concerns new Gen-Reploids and a recently constructed Orbital Elevator, with a big deal being made over their immunity to the Sigma Virus. The Mavericks often mock X and Zero for being outdated and Axl for being a prototype. [[spoiler: To cap it off, ''Sigma'', the series BigBad, ends up being HijackedByGanon via a new villain who claims they were using him, and during said villains battle, his attacks and abilities largely mirror X's taken UpToEleven.]]

As you may have guessed by now, the gameplay of ''X8'' is very much like its predecessors as players complete a series of stages and defeat the bosses to earn their special weapon. In addition to gaining special weapons from bosses, players can develop upgrades for the heroes with Metals scattered through the stages and dropped by slain enemies. Just like ''Mega Man X7'', players bring a duo of Maverick Hunters into each stage; however, this time, all three playable characters are available from the get-go, each with their own distinct gameplay style. Despite this game's use of 3D visuals, the developers ditched the 3D free-roaming gameplay of ''X7'' after being [[PolygonCeiling harshly criticized]] by critics and fans alike and went with a [[TwoAndAHalfD 2.5D]] approach akin to the previous games in the series.

* InfiniteLives: Only on Easy and during Intermission stages.

*** First [[ActuallyADoombot (?)]] fight: [[BigNo "Noooo!!!"

* RiseToTheChallenge: After Burn Rooster meets his defeat, the magma in the volcano that you climbed down to access Burn's lair will begin to rise. You have to climb up to reach the goal, which appears hundreds of metres above the battlefield. Fortunately, there are platforms that you can use to escape the scalding-hot liquid rock.

* AngelsPose: RareMaleExample with the Weapon Get screen, which shows X, Zero and Axl posing this way after demonstrating their new weapons. Their positions vary depending on who you're playing as.

* CrucifiedHeroShot: The game's Japanese cover art as pictured above features a silhouette of Lumine posing with his arms outstretched to his sides. [[spoiler:Doubles as SpoilerCover as Lumine turns out to be the real antagonist of the game and his [[OneWingedAngel second form]] has him turn into a seraph-like angel.]]

* CrucifiedHeroShot: The game's Japanese cover art as pictured above features a silhouette of Lumine posing with his arms outstretched to his sides. [[spoiler:Doubles as SpoilerCover as Lumine turns out to be the real antagonist of the game and his second form has him turn into a seraph-like angel.]]

* FalseFriend: Turns out, Lumine was the real bad guy! His

* BackFromTheDead: Vile for the third time. And Sigma, of course.