Rating

B

Specific Ratings

GameplayA
GraphicsA
Learning CurveB
Replay ValueC
SoundB

Pros and Cons

Pros
  • Great, crisp graphics for its time
  • Superb 2D gameplay
  • Diverse levels and bosses
  • Decent sound effects
Cons
  • Storyline sucks
  • Most bosses are too easy
  • Music is annoying

Mega Man X (Super Nintendo)

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Summary

A decent 2D action game worth a playthrough.

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Description

Mega Man X was released in 1993 for the US SNES console and released in 1995 for the PC. I am reviewing the SNES version. I've owned this game for around10 years, if I recall.

Story -- Basically non-existent. The game tells you pretty much nothing, only that a war is going on between humans and robots. According to Mega Man's creator, Dr. Light, Mega Man must choose to partake in this war to fight for peace. The main villain is Sigma, a robot, which I believe he's referred to as a Maverick robot. He tries to usher in a new era for himself and other Mavericks while trying to obtain power over humans. Little is known until the final battle, and even then it still sucks. I've heard that there's some background information of the story in the manual, but even then, it doesn't seem important enough to include in the game. Honestly, the story is hard to follow, considering only four characters talk throughout the game. 3/10

Graphics -- Great for the time. The levels are very diverse and detailed. The combat motions are great and this game still looks great, even today, by 2D gaming standards. It can't compare to Odin Sphere, obviously, but the graphics are good enough for me to enjoy the game now, and as I did many years ago. I believe this game utilized the Super FX chip, which gave the game an extra graphical push. It's one of the best looking games on the SNES that still looks decent today. 10/10

Sound -- The sound effects, such as X's Mega Buster and other various weaponry sound nice and fit well to each weapon. Motions such as slide dashing sound great as well. However, the music, while tolerable, gets annoying and is repetitive. 7/10

Gameplay -- Still one of the best today, I think. The classic Mega Man formula was used for several games before Capcom changed it, and it was a mistake; newer Mega Man games are now in 3D. There are tons of upgrades you get from hidden capsules, such as the ability to break blocks with your head or slide dash to leap greater distances or cover more ground quicker. There are eight different types of upgrades for the standard Mega Buster you get, one for defeating each of the eight main bosses.

Some weapons include a flame thrower, a rolling shield and electrical sparks from your Mega Buster. I've found a use for each and every upgrade. Hearts are hidden in each of the eight main stages that increase your life capacity when you obtain them. There are eight hearts in total. There are also a total of four energy tanks, that when you have full health and pick up health items enemies dropped, store this health to use at any given moment. The bosses, are all very different looking, and are unique in their fighting methods. You can also get I love the gameplay a lot, it's a shame newer Mega Man installments just flat out suck. 10/10

Difficulty -- Most of the bosses are very easy, especially if you use the weapon that they are weak against. The actual levels aren't that hard, but if you're not careful you might miss an upgrade or energy tank, or even fall right into a floor of spikes. However, the last boss is extremely difficult. 6/10

Learning Curve -- The first level is an introduction that lets you fight enemies to get a general feel of the game. However, there are no tips as to what buttons do what, so you are on your own for learning the controls. As a result, the learning curve is fairly steep. A newcomer to the series will probably have a hard time. It's not unbearable though. 7/10

Length -- A short game, I beat it in 3-4 hours or less, and I obtained every heart, energy tank, hidden capsule upgrade, etc. I took my time through the game mostly. I did, however, know where a lot of things were, since I've played this game a while ago and still remember most of it. The record time for this game is around 34 minutes I believe. It's a decent length if you just want to beat a game in a day or two. It was fun while it lasted. 7/10

Overall -- I know it seems like I'm bashing this game, but the gameplay is absolutely superb, and makes this one of the most enjoyable games I've played. It's kept me entertained for around 10 years, and it was only until the past 4 hours or so of writing this review that I actually beat the game. Sure, the storyline sucks, the music's pretty weak, but this is a great game that shouldn't be skipped over and the little things shouldn't make this game not enjoyable.

8.5/10

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