i've written a review of this game already and it was silly and hyperbolic but nonetheless, how i felt. i will delete that first one as i will go more in depth here in this second review.
This really is the perfect video game.
It’s astonishing how intense of an evolutionary step 1993’s Mega Man X is in the Mega Man series timeline. Just the ability to cycle through your special weapons with the shoulder buttons would have been enough to be a game changer, but then Mega Man X adds the ability to climb walls, to charge up those special weapons for a unique super attack, and above all else, to perform a momentum-carrying dash.
And that’s not even counting the brilliant level design, and how some of the stages are intertwined. The effects of this is limited to three stages, but beating one stage can alter another, allowing you to explore further and find more goodies. Aside from the immediate upgrade you might find, this connectivity between a fraction of the stages really adds to the sense of Place the game has. Throw in a world map on the stage select screen and you really are saving a capital W World.
In this world, every character design and silhouette is stellar and iconic. Zero and Vile and Storm Eagle and of course, X himself, are some of the coolest designs around. It is Classic Mega Man, but more "hard core", with just the right amount of excess. If anything, it separates the Mega Man style from Astro Boy just enough to have more of its own identity, and I'm thankful for that.
Beyond the visuals, every sound, every song, is a serenade for the ears. Once again, Storm Eagle takes a W for having such a good theme, but Boomer Kuwanger and Sigma 2 and the Cast Roll themes are all certified bangers. The sound of X charging his buster is one of my favorite sounds of all time. That violent harmonizing that hums before crescendo of a blast of energy has to sound pleasant if you’re going to be holding down the shoot button the whole time you’re going through a level.
They COOKED.
I have lost count of the number of times I've played and beaten Mega Man X. I've 100%ed it multiple times. I've done a humble speed run of it. I've done a Buster Only run. I've done a no-dash run. I've wrung every drop of novelty i could out of this game and yet it is still a fantastic time, every time. It feels good in the hands, it sounds good in the ears and it looks great in the eyes. Play this game. That's not a recommendation lmao it's a demand.
This really is the perfect video game.
It’s astonishing how intense of an evolutionary step 1993’s Mega Man X is in the Mega Man series timeline. Just the ability to cycle through your special weapons with the shoulder buttons would have been enough to be a game changer, but then Mega Man X adds the ability to climb walls, to charge up those special weapons for a unique super attack, and above all else, to perform a momentum-carrying dash.
And that’s not even counting the brilliant level design, and how some of the stages are intertwined. The effects of this is limited to three stages, but beating one stage can alter another, allowing you to explore further and find more goodies. Aside from the immediate upgrade you might find, this connectivity between a fraction of the stages really adds to the sense of Place the game has. Throw in a world map on the stage select screen and you really are saving a capital W World.
In this world, every character design and silhouette is stellar and iconic. Zero and Vile and Storm Eagle and of course, X himself, are some of the coolest designs around. It is Classic Mega Man, but more "hard core", with just the right amount of excess. If anything, it separates the Mega Man style from Astro Boy just enough to have more of its own identity, and I'm thankful for that.
Beyond the visuals, every sound, every song, is a serenade for the ears. Once again, Storm Eagle takes a W for having such a good theme, but Boomer Kuwanger and Sigma 2 and the Cast Roll themes are all certified bangers. The sound of X charging his buster is one of my favorite sounds of all time. That violent harmonizing that hums before crescendo of a blast of energy has to sound pleasant if you’re going to be holding down the shoot button the whole time you’re going through a level.
They COOKED.
I have lost count of the number of times I've played and beaten Mega Man X. I've 100%ed it multiple times. I've done a humble speed run of it. I've done a Buster Only run. I've done a no-dash run. I've wrung every drop of novelty i could out of this game and yet it is still a fantastic time, every time. It feels good in the hands, it sounds good in the ears and it looks great in the eyes. Play this game. That's not a recommendation lmao it's a demand.