I always try to think of new things to say when I feature this game in one of my lists. This is honestly the piece of media that resonated with me above anything else. It's the reason why I'm into speedrunning, the reason why I'm into the romhack scene, the reason why I was drawn into the retro game scene so heavily, and so forth. It's simply a perfectly crafted experience that's accessible for any newcomer thanks to all the crutch mechanics, but also difficult to master thanks to the variety of tricks like iceless jumps. The OST is varied and perfectly reflects the world, the visuals are packed with all sorts of neat details like X breathing frosty breath when injured in Chill Penguin's level, every single weapon is useful in some way with the Shotgun Ice having platforming utility or the Chameleon Sting being a speedrunner's dream, and the characters combine to form possibly the most iconic next generation cast in gaming. Speaking of the characters, for all Zero lovers I hope you enjoyed my work on the Project Zero hack.

What even needs to be said about this game in 2024? Capcom finally realized Zero was the true main character after 4 games and that alone makes this game peak. The HU-HA-HO combo is mad iconic and I always have fun going for slash dash cancels, doing them just a bit more cleanly every replay. X kinda sucks ass in this game but pretty much all of Zero's weapons are fun since they function as additive tools. Ryuenji in particular is just pure bliss to use. I'm really impressed with how melancholic the OST is as well. Something about the fortress music always makes me sad. I actually enjoy the story too, though I wish more of it was explored in-game instead of in supplementary material. After all, it gave us the iconic WHAT AM I FIGHTING FOOOORRRRRRR?!
I slightly prefer the PS1 version for the proper transparency but the Saturn version is cool too.

The perfect mission pack sequel to Mega Man X. Mechanics like the momentum bullets are back, but everything is on steroids. The sheer insanity of speedruns for this game cannot be overstated. I've even seen runners perform crazy tricks with the chain weapon just to save 2 frames. This game isn't as packed with little details as X1, the music and designs aren't quite as good, and it's a bit more gimmicky but it's still a worthy followup for the most part. I can't get over how the game was so expensive just so Capcom could add like 3 wireframe effects either, shit is mad funny. BTW, Green Biker Dude's death is the saddest death in fiction and I will die on that hill, kinda like how GBD died in the intro scene. :(
Be sure to play the retranslated version by my bud Naldrag. In particular it restores important plot points from the Japanese version, like the heavy implications about Serges actually being Wahwee from the future.

Easily my favourite of the MMZ games. Most emotional finale, best elf system by a country mile, best EX + rank system by far to boot, and the Z-Knuckle which, while ultimately being a love it or hate it addition, I actually loved. In addition to being fascinated by the different weapons enemies held, I loved using it for shit like ripping vines or bosses out of the ground. It's easily the most replayable MMZ for me as someone who tends to find Inti games too padded to replay. And I say that having S-ranked every Zero game.

Easily my favourite of the classic series. I have nothing but fond memories of playing this as a kid and experimenting with all sorts of ways to progress through stages. Coming up with ways to fuck with the Big Eyes like making them drop off cliffs or freezing them was so neat. I also appreciate how swift it is to speedrun, always a relaxing 20ish minutes.

Probably the most underrated game in the franchise. Dare I say the Breath of Fire 6 I never got. I love everything about this game, particularly how unique every character feels. For example, Zero's fighting game inputs can break any encounter apart if the player gits gud with them. Not to mention Marino is the rare thief in a JRPG who is actually fun to use since she has a 100% steal skill if the player reacts swiftly enough to her roulette, and her hyper form can move 6 times before bosses can attack once which makes her a great makeshift healer too. The cel-shading is such a nice look and it really compliments X's laser Getter scarf so well. To say nothing of it having one of the best OSTs in the series. Massimo's theme in particular always gets me hyped. The story is nothing deep but it's neat how open to interpretation certain elements are. Be sure to play the PS2 version since it has half the encounter rate of GC and more interesting bonus content.

The gameplay is overwhelmingly improved from Legends 1. The 3D movement and combat is such a step forward it's unreal. Even the non-core gameplay is more memorable, like taking the Pokte Village quiz. I don't think the vibe is as strong as in 1 though but when the game is that much more fun, I think it's still a step up overall.

Hey I really dig how atmospheric this game is! Being able to fail missions and still continue really added to the whole Hakaider-esque feel of being the underdog in some underground rebel organization. I usually strongly dislike how music sounds in GBA games but something about hearing Zero's X1 theme again, or the haunting nature of Dead Zone is just unforgettable to me. After S-ranking the game, I actually found it pretty fair for the overwhelming majority of the game. Every enemy feels very well telegraphed. Copy X was fucking wild to defeat without any Cyber Elves, what a crazy memorable final boss. Also Leviathan is best girl.
Be sure to play via the recent Z/ZX Collection.

Sure, it's probably the most uneven and least binge-worthy X game, but it always gives me chills and the good parts of this game are REALLY good. The sheer destruction the player witnesses in the world, the consequences of the player's actions in previous games, the ultimate confrontation of X and Zero as the best vidya game music ever plays, and... yeah good god the music is just incredible, possibly the best in the franchise. It even ties back to previous games, like DUFF MCWHALEN's theme being a remix of Bubble Crab's. X5 fucked up a lot, but it ultimately feels like an overly ambitious passion project, a love letter not just to X but the classic series (hi Black Devil and disappearing blocks) as well. made X feel more relevant than X4 and gave him much better weapons to boot. It really could have been a grand finale to the X series in my eyes, and hey the X5 Improvement hack really helps! Give it a shot some time. No more RNG cannons!

Chad game. I remember at launch, MM9 was a big trendsetter in the indie scene. This really felt like a passion project by people who loved MM, being the first game to properly feature Proto Man as a playable character. Not to mention it even added a memorable robot master who was a woman. The tributes to MM2 are a bit heavy but it honestly has cool callbacks to other entries like MMZ (mainly in some of the robot masters designs) and MM3-4 (Proto Man's gameplay being the key one) as well. This was a hardcore game made for people who grew up playing the first 6 games endlessly, so I can understand newcomers binging the series and finding it too hard or not getting the appeal, but it was a big deal for a reason and ultimately had the best weapons in the series until MM11 dropped. Black Hole Bomb my beloved.

Chad Mega Man 3 introducing the slide, the Rush tools, and motherfucking Proto Man with his badass whistle. I don't get how every conversation around this game just turns into a handwave about it being some objective disaster when the Doc Robots are only 20% of the game, and frankly I wish there were more Doc Robot stages with the MM1 robots. My mind was blown seeing the game's length was expanded from the first 2 as a kid. I even love the weapons in this game; they're unintuitive in a first playthrough but I always have fun experimenting with them on replays. Top Spin one-shots so many enemies and even bosses it's insane. Also, it's one of the only 3 MM games where the Rush Jet is fun so that has to count for something.

Bass is just so fucking fun in this game. Nothing beats dashing into a double jump or flying without any restriction via his Trebel combination. It's definitely a tough game due to the lack of crutch mechanics like E-tanks, but this just means more experimentation with shop parts and weapons (ie abusing the lightning for i-frames) becomes necessary, like a gigantic puzzle to solve. I even appreciate the trollish nature of the game with portions like the first fortress boss. I also don't think the game outright falls apart as MM, apart from the 2nd fortress level somewhat. Be sure to play the SFC version.

I don't see this game as a replacement for MM1 by any stretch (even the classic mode has too many subtle differences that add up) but it's one of the very very few remakes I actually enjoyed and the more relaxed difficulty coupled with the expanded content even makes it a great starting point for the series. Seriously, this is probably the most content packed entry in the series with a dozen playable characters, 2 gameplay modes, a customizable Mega Man, extra costumes for Roll, the challenge mode, etc. It even had a shit ton of free DLC including Proto Man. I had great times with the level builder.

Omega has got to be one of the most memorable villains ever, what a wild reveal that was as a kid. I love this game's OST and its highs are very high. I'm not in love with Z3 since I find locking the EX moves behind ranks kinda sucks and while the Cyberworld allowing elves to be used endlessly (which is pretty fun for stage revisits even in S-rank runs) is a big step up from elves in Z1-2, it's still not perfect. This is one of the best first playthroughs of a game for me for sure, and it was nice catching all the foreshadowing for the ending on replay. I can't see myself ever replaying the Zero games but I'm happy to have finally 100%'d them and got to fuck around with the EX attacks last playthrough. Ryuenji is always a treat.

One of the best to ever do it. A good mix of a powerful buster, powerful Rush adapter, and powerful weapons always makes me smile. Big fan of the OST as well, mostly Arnold Schwarzenegger's theme. Not to mention the ending really had my jaw dropping, even if it was an inaccurate translation. The janky ass 2 player mode is also something I still play on occasion, it's just too funny. Bass is S-tier and you can't change my mind. Be sure to play with the retranslation.

Inti really could have just made Vent and Aile silent protagonists who were the same in all but gender, but they instead made them totally unique characters. I really love the way Aile's story unfolds and how her bond with Giro is explored. His boss fight is easy not due to him being weak, but due to him being strong and showing restraint. ZX is held back by a really annoying map, but the bonus boss fights, new characters, pixel art, and vibe make up for it imo. Quite possibly the best Kamen Rider game ever.

The vibes are immaculate. It's like playing a Saturday morning cartoon, and the English dub is shockingly competent in capturing that feel as well. Legends' z-targetting is so neat to see in such an early 3D game, and while it's not exactly the most fun game ever it's definitely an unforgettable one in terms of characters and worldbuilding. I'm also blown away by the developer tricks, like giving Teisel unique mouth texture depending on the cutscene to create an illusion of transparency. Speaking of the antagonists, it's funny how the one ship boss theme is now considered the series' anthem. Just play the PS1 version and don't bother with the rest.

Definitely the most consistently good of the NES series. It never really felt like an uneven experience and it was cool how it brought back the hidden items from MM1, only as optional tools this time. My favourite robot master in the series actually debuted in this game; Pharaoh Man is simply a badass, especially in the Ruby Spears cartoon. I like trying to fight him legitimately, as using his weakness feels like a litmus test determining whether the player has any honour in their bones. I also highly rec the Genesis fan port since it has a playable Roll with Zero's triple slash. It's peak!

A shockingly great GB spin-off. The robot masters being replaced with stardroids, all dwelling on different planets, was such a great way to help this game stand apart. To say nothing of the Mazinger fist. Sunstar is such a memorable villain and he only appears for like 2 minutes lmao. I would rec the colourized hack for sure, but only on replays. The increased FPS makes the game way harder, which notably fucks with the kino shmup level.

Swapping between X and Zero here was pretty cool, I feel like it was handled better than in the PS2 games since some parts feel tailor made for X while others feel tailor made for Zero. Getting to see more of Iris was neat, mostly in the Japanese version where more of her characterization shined through. It's a surprisingly pretty hard game but I don't mind that one bit. There are instakills sure, but shockingly few outright leaps of faith given the GBC's screen size. Berkana is a really cool boss and I wish she was the main villain instead of Sigma. Dash button hack is a must BTW.

Now that the recency bias has worn off I can see MM11 has a lot of really glaring flaws like a poor OST and extremely underwhelming fortress. But at the end of the day it's still a nice return to form and has even better weapons than MM9. Finally adding MMX style charged weapon results in some really abusable tools like a full screen tornado that's just endlessly fun to cause mayhem with. I appreciate all the little details like Acid Man being in the background of his own stage at the beginning. The double gear system makes the game a bit too easy for me but it was a neat idea. Legends 3 when?

The gameplay is a huge step up from 2 and it has the coolest forms in the series. Imagine not going for Black Ace! Also love its battle theme and Sirius is a neat obscure villain. Of all the BN/SF games this is the closest I've come to loving.

"Unlike other MM fans, I hate MM2!"
Buzz Lightyear boxes.gif
Memes aside, MM2 is def a game that's overrated by critics but overhated by hardcores imo. I won't defend everything since portions like the beam boss are indeed BS and the weapons suck on the whole, but without MM2's influence a lot of games just straightup wouldn't exist and the extreme course correction shitting on it like it's the worst game ever is just baffling to me. It's ultimately a game with a great OST and lineup of robot masters, and some really experimental and memorable moments especially given its time period. The ending credits always move me a bit.

Probably the only Battle Network game where I didn't mind the pacing, so it gets my vote as the best for that alone. Cool forms too.

This one is pretty alright. It's nice being able to play as Proto Man and Bass again. The game is kinda just above average on the whole to me, but it's nice hearing MM3's composer return. Solar Man's theme has to be one of the best in the series.

ZX Advent improves the map and exploration from the first ZX, but feels like a step down otherwise. The anime cutscenes are pretty neat and I do love seeing Aile again in Grey's route. I found the transformations and boss fights less interesting overall, but it's still decent. Anyway I can't wait for the cliffhanger to be continued....

I loved Zero 2 as a kid, but during my S-rank revisits I found Z2 the most cumbersome to 100%. In Z1, the player can only get hit once or twice per stage before they lose their S-rank but every enemy felt really well telegraphed. In Z2, I could get hit a dozen times and keep my S-rank. It felt like they overcompensated for the new approach to game design. Z2 feels like a step down from Z1 to me now, mostly for the atmosphere and how the EX system was reworked. However, I appreciate stuff like elfless sub-tanks and some of the bosses are pretty neat like the polar bear! The pixel art and music are stunning as always too. My favourite detail is the pause screen in level 1 being a dusty version of Z1's pause screen.

X3 is a very uneven game. The beginning can be pretty bullshit since the enemy damage tables are balanced around the player having 2 layers of defense, but exploiting Zero and going for powerups early can help the game snowball into something that becomes pretty fun after a rough start. There's some unique utility to the weapons like having the acid and ice shots guarantee health/energy pickups which is always welcomed. The FMVs go really hard in the PS1 port, and like with X2 I really love the wireframes. Totally worth the crazy expensive cartridges. Zero Project 3 is a hack that really helps alleviate the rough beginning and I might actually rec it over the vanilla game.

Hey this one is actually pretty good for a GB entry! It's funny how Mega Man's power stealing from the Ruby Spears cartoon is kinda canonized here. I'm not sure about calling it a must play but the fortress is just the kind of challenge I wanted, would actually rec starting the GB entries with this.

The Power games have my favourite music in the classic series hands down and they make for great quick romps with frens. Very accessible 1ccs or even co-op 2ccs for people just dipping their toes into the hobby. I wish the PS2 versions could be emulated properly since the VS mode seems fun. Also playable Proto Man and Bass is sicc.

What I said for Power Battle applies here, but I think I SLIGHTLY prefer Power Battle since both players are allowed to grab the same weapon.

A game that was translated by yours truly, actually. It's a slight downgrade from the arcade games but the museum somewhat makes up for it. Love that Neo Geo Pocket Colour aesthetic.

Probably the most unnecessary remake I ever played. At its core, it's more MMX so it's fun for a playthrough or 2 and I do appreciate the Vile mode. However, I think almost every single change is for the worse. The zoomed in camera, the less smooth dash, the missing physics quirks like momentum bullets, etc are notable right away. The zero budget 3D models are far less charming than the timeless 2D pixel art, and so many visual details like the streetlights or X's frosty breath were removed. To boot, MHX is actually easier overall (even on hard mode) due to the weapons being incredibly buffed. X1 already had X's strongest weapons, so new shit like Chameleon Sting stacking with other weapons or Electric Spark covering the entire screen just results in a rather busted experience. I love the G Gundam cast's voice acting here though! Just wish the same handful of voice clips weren't repeated 24/7.

Sadomasochism the game. Those who know me know I simply love to play the same handful of arcadey games endlessly. As a result, I'm always drawn to shit like Castlevania Vampire's Kiss or Chronicles which feel like trollish romhacks. X6 is no exception. This is one of the most broken games ever. For instance, Wolfgang's iceblocks instakill the player if they land next to them, but don't instakill if they fall right on the player's head. Also the same donut mini-boss being reused 5 times in 1 stage? X6 isn't well made, but I became obsessed with staring at this trainwreck and I even 100%'d it on xtreme mode. And hell, here's a few legit good qualities too; the intro stage is unforgettable, the OST is amazing, Shadow X is a fresh as hell armour, and the pixel art and portraits are stunning. Also the translation is funny as fuck. He hid himself while he repaired himself?!

For the most part a game that's too easy and it repeats MM5's mistake of making the buster too powerful while the weapons are too uninteresting. Just feels like an overly safe way to cap off the first 6 games, it's not a bad time but I never find myself returning to it.

It's a fine game but I think I played it at a time where it just didn't resonate with me at all and I don't have a desire to revisit it

I don't have much to say about this one. I love the GBC colours. It's a cozy little pseudo-compilation of the early X games.

Not much to say about this game except I wish BN6 had a DS port too.

Crazy how this is like a hard mode hack of MM1-3 with weird physics. I do like some of the changes in MM1 like the newly added water physics, but the remakes kinda feel like wearing fake Jordans. It's interesting for a play or 2 from hardcore fans but by no means definitive. There are hacks to begin with the Wily Tower unlocked tho which is cool. It's nice being able to mix and match every weapon and item from the first 3 games for a quick Journey To The West inspired adventure. I wish MMX1-3 had an equivalent.

This port adds some cool MMSF crossover content and even fixes a few puzzles to be easier. Given the fan translation, there's no reason not to play this one. I'm not in love with the game overall since I think the dungeon crawling is rather repetitive, but I do find fights like Number Man.exe really fun. It's also interesting how this started life as a horror game. I always thought exploring empty portions of the digital world was really haunting, to say nothing of how spooky it'd be running into Bass.exe. Imagine your oven being hacked and just combusting into flames too lmao.

I haven't played this since I was like 10 but I remember it being ok.

Ranked here for X Challenge. I feel like people really forget how fucking hard X Challenge is. That shit honestly makes Xtreme mode X6 look easy. But still, it reminds me of those old ass Mega Man Newgrounds flashes where the gimmick was the player could fight multiple bosses at once. The coked up energy of X Challenge is simply too funny for me not to look back fondly on. The new music, armour, and wallpapers are nice too.

Slightly worse X Challenge 1 ig.

Not exactly a great game but I'm a sucker for games like Ninja Gaiden where the hard mode actually feels well thought out instead of just adjusting the damage tables a bit to make the game more of a slog. Game Gear Mega Man has a surprisingly good hard mode with new mobs, different item placements, adjusted tables, etc so I have a real soft spot for this weird janky game.

It exists.

Worst weapons in the franchise bar none. I had an alright time with it during my buster only marathon through the series I suppose, but other than the robot master designs (one even being made by Murata in his youth!) nothing about this game really strikes me as memorable.

I remember this being an alright and charming mini-game compilation, but I don't really have any desire to revisit it in the near future tbh.

Trollish as fuck game but it's like an hour long. I think I had fun experiencing the devilish nature of the game with frens. Amazing how they made an anime based on Battle Network and then a game based on that anime.

This game is really poorly designed to the point it's impossible to beat several bosses damageless without certain chips like barriers. But OTOH, it has amazing music and Zero.exe is pretty sicc. I didn't hate it but I wouldn't rec it either.

This game kinda sucks but the Rush Jet behaves like the one in 3 instead of the Rush Jet from 4 onwards so I give it a free pass for a lot of shit. Be sure to play with the improved music romhack.

I liked this game when I had infinite free time as a kid and I like Duo.exe a lot so this game gets a pass. I'm sure I wouldn't like it very much if I revisited it though lol.

My favourite levels in the Mega Man games tend to be the water levels. So here we have a game where the cool additive element of the levels is replaced with gimmicky swimming. Then gimmicky shmup levels and JUMP JUMP SLIDE SLIDE portions. This game just feels way too gimmicky and the pacing does nothing for me. It's not an incompetently made game but it's really the only classic series MM game I don't particularly enjoy playing at all. The Saturn version does elevate it a little bit tho.

Not a very fun game but an interesting curiosity if nothing else. Naruto ripped off Quick Man's death scene.

I tried replaying this in the new Legacy Collection and while I do like the Zoo dungeon a lot, I reached about halfway through the game and I simply found myself frustrated at how I was forcing myself to continue playing. The dungeon that relies on the plot point of Mega Man.exe being too much of a weak shitter to pop a bubble so the player must retread their steps so many times is the single worst dungeon I have experienced in any JRPG. I simply was not having any fun with 80% of the game I'm afraid.

Look, it's not a poorly made game, but it's not what I look for in a Mega Man game at all. The physics feel a lot looser than previous games due to the use of 3D models, there are far too many gimmicks like chaser/rail shooter/stealth levels with fuckall straightforward action-platforming stages, the collectables being moved to a shop made the game feel too unnecessarily padded, etc. Also I enjoy playing all these games on hard mode when I can, and I'm afraid this is one of the worst hard modes I've ever played. The first couple levels are nightmarish, but after maybe 20 minutes of collecting items the entire game became a cakewalk except for the occasional instakill trap that took a weird amount of precision to avoid. I can't say I enjoy this game at all, but it's worth trying for any X gamer ig.

I'm actually not going to shit on this game too hard. It was the first MM game with an intro level predating even X1, and it even had swimming before MM8. For a fan-project on those old ass DOS PCs from a time before one could simply google all sorts of coding tricks, it's kinda remarkable? The programmer who made this game was very talented and it's a shame it released in the state it did; a victim of circumstance with Capcom wanting an MM game rushed out on PC.

Trying not to fall asleep. The DX hack is kinda cool from a technical standpoint if nothing else.

Boring as fuck

Drugs

Imagine being excited as hell to unlock a previously unreleased game in the MMX Collection and it turns out to be some shitty cart racer. Couldn't be me. Love that Roll theme tho

Shitting on X7 is not worth my time.

The only game I have ever beaten with save state abuse and not regretted it. I tried playing multiplayer with my girlfriend but even in multiplayer we were still miserable.

I know this game sucks, you know this game sucks, but what you probably don't know is like 5 of the robot masters from this game became canonized later lmao.

RockBored

Rock Man Shadow is a cool idea wasted on this trainwreck

Never finished lmao

Dogshit gambling software disguised as video games. I saw Mega Man X and I clapped!!!!!

Somehow they made X Dive even worse since it's actually missing content and it's still way too grindy and it feels lifeless to play through. At least it's not as reprehensible in terms of its business module ig?

Not ranked but I wish I could emulate this. Shocking how this was the first RPG in the entire franchise.