Mega Man X Play-through Guide
Total word count: <9K.
"Mega Man X" (and all related characters etc) are owned by Capcom. This game
guide is not intended to infringe upon that ownership.
This play-through is intended for casual/new players.
Part I:
-game controls
-relevant characters
-passwords
-upgrades
-items
-special weapons
-hazards
-Central Highway stage
Part II:
-stage select screen
-Maverick stage strategy guide (Chill Penguin, Storm Eagle, Flame Mammoth, Spark
Mandrill, Armored Armadillo, Launch Octopus, Boomer Kuwanger, Sting Chameleon)
Part III:
-Fortress stage strategy guide
-ending summary
Part IV:
-hadoken (and other Easter Eggs)
-other ways to play
-Vile and Sigma design influence
----------------------------------
Part I:
Controls: standard configuration
-A: slide. Speed up dialogue text.
-B: jump. Select a Maverick stage (stage select menu). Change number value on
password grid.
-X: ------ (Ironic that the “X” button does nothing in a game where the main
characters’ name is “X”.)
-Y: charge/fire weapons (Press and hold to charge, release to fire.) Use
sub-tank from menu screen. Change number value on password grid.
-control cross: movement. Double tap for slide. Select items from menu (title
screen, settings, password, stage select, pause menu).
-shoulder buttons: cycle through special weapons without viewing the weapon
menu.
Increase speed of dialogue text.
-start: pause game, view pause menu, select items/stages.
-select: --------
*sliding/climbing/jumping on/from walls: X can grab and slide down, climb up
and jump from walls. To grab and slide down a wall, either jump or fall towards
a wall and press towards the wall on the control cross. To climb up a wall,
press "B" while sliding down. To jump from a wall, press "B" and the direction
away from the wall while sliding down. (The leg upgrade greatly increases the
direction of the jump.
Characters:
Mega Man X (X): Playable character. Ancient robot sealed away for long-term
(decades long) diagnostic process. Rediscovered and used as template for new
technology. Successor/replacement of original Mega Man. Chooses to hunt down
Maverick "reploids" (robots built based on his schematics).
Other: background and supporting characters
-Doctor Cain: discovers X buried in remains lf Light's lab. Referenced briefly
in game’s introduction, does not appear on screen.
-Doctor Light: creator of X. Appears when X receives an upgrade.
-Zero: Ally of X. Provides explication and moves the plot of the game
before/after fights with Vile.
Stage Bosses: Detailed descriptions/strategies for fighting the individual
bosses are included with descriptions of the relevant stages.
Central Highway:
-Vile
Mavericks: (fought in order of player decision)
-Armored Armadillo
-Boomer Kuwanger
-Chill Penguin
-Flame Mammoth
-Launch Octopus
-Spark Mandrill
-Sting Chameleon
-Storm Eagle
Fortress bosses:
-Vile (2 forms)
-BoSpider
-RangdaBangda
-D-Rex
-Velguader
-Sigma (2 forms)
Passwords:
The game offers passwords after a player finishes the introduction stage and
the selectable Maverick stages. There are a number of excellent password
generators to be found online, including this one:
http://www.mmhp.net/Passwords/MMX1/
Items: locations and other information listed under specific levels.
Heart-tanks:
increase player's health meter by 2 bars. Each of the Maverick stages has 1
heart-tank, allowing the player to increase their health by 16 bars (for a total
of 32 bars).
Sub-tanks:
allows players to refill their health meter. (Accessed through weapons menu.)
Filled when player finds health refills after their health meter is full. Found
in airport (Storm Eagle), factory (Flame Mammoth), mine (Armored Armadillo) and
power plant (Spark Mandrill) stages.
Upgrades:
-leg upgrade: allows player to slide (increasing their over-all speed),
break certain wall-blocks as well as jump (from a run or from a wall)
more effectively. Located in mountain (Chill Penguin) stage. *This
upgrade is impossible to avoid, and is necessary when acquiring the body armor,
helmet, hadoken and various other items.
-arm upgrade: allows player to charge their standard weapon an additional
level (for a total of 4 levels) as well as charging special weapons by
holding the "Y" button. This is the only upgrade that can be found in
two stages, the factory (Flame Mammoth) and the first level of the
Fortress stages. Acquiring the arm upgrade in the factory stage is
moderately difficult. It is impossible to avoid in the first level of the
Fortress stages. Charging any weapon while going through a boss door and
releasing the fire button allows the player to fire as soon as a boss fight
begins.
-helmet: allows the player to break certain blocks by jumping in to them,
and offers some protection from damage. Found in the airport (Storm Eagle)
stage. Not strictly necessary, but useful.
-body armor: reduces contact damage to the player by 50%. Found in the jungle
(Sting Chameleon) stage. Easy enough to find, and very useful.
-hadoken: extremely powerful, and paradoxically limited, attack. Found in mine
(Armadillo) stage. See Part IV for more information.
*Advanced players avoid getting the leg and arm upgrades by using passwords or
other techniques. However, this guide is intended for casual players, and is
focused on conventional play-through.
other:
-ride armor: suit of armor that can be found/captured on certain levels. While
riding in the armor, X will not take damage from enemies or hazards. The armor
is immune to spikes, but will take damage from enemies. Players will always be
forced to abandon ride armor (jumping up/out) before finishing a level.
-health refill: refills player health meter. Small icons refill 2 bars, large
icons refill 8.
-weapon refill: refills special weapons, in similar proportion to health refill.
Weapon refills will either fill the special weapon that a player is using, or
the first depleted weapon on the weapon menu.
-extra life: self explanatory.
Weapons:
-Standard Buster: the starter weapon for the game. Pressing and holding the "Y"
button (attack) will build a charge. Initially, the buster has 3 levels:
regular, a second level (indicated by a blue halo around X) and a third level
(indicated by a yellow halo). After the player finds the arm-upgrade, the
Buster can be charged to a fourth level (indicated by a red halo.)
Boomerang Cutter (Boomer Kuwanger): short range projectile, can be charged as a
multi-direction projectile. Effective against Sting Chameleon, D-Rex, and (to a
lesser extent) Flame Mammoth and Launch Octopus. Standard shot can be used to
retrieve items. If X is standing or jumping, the cutter will arc upwards. If X
is falling/moving down, the cutter will arc downwards. If a cutter returns to X
without damaging an enemy, it will recharge the weapon's power meter.
Chameleon Sting (Sting Chameleon): multi-direction projectile, can be charged as
a "cloaking" effect. Effective against Storm Eagle and second RangdaBangda.
Primarily useful for the charged "cloaking" effect, which makes X temporarily
immune to damage from enemies and hazards.
Electric Spark (Spark Mandrill): projectile weapon, can be charged to have a
wider effect. Devastatingly effective against Armored Armadillo, and effective
against Sigma's first form.
Fire Wave (Flame Mammoth): short-range attack, can be charged as a slow (but
generally effective) attack that tracks along the ground. Despite limited
range, effective (with amusing visuals) against Chill Penguin.
Homing Torpedo (Launch Octopus): homing projectile, can be charged to yield....
larger homing projectiles (that resemble fish...). Effective against Boomer
Kuwanger and when fighting Vile’s second form mid-way through the first
Fortress
stage.
Rolling Shield (Armored Armadillo): ground-based projectile that can be charged
in to a force-bubble. Effective against Launch Octopus. The charged shield does
not offer the functional invincibility of the Chameleon Sting. But, this is
offset by the fact that a charged shield can destroy smaller enemies (making it
useful for collecting health/ammunition recharges from defeated enemies while
avoiding damage).
Shotgun Ice (Chill Penguin): simple projectile weapon that can be charged to
yield a sliding platform. The platform tracks along the ground, and can be
dropped on to enemies. It is also useful for passing spiked areas.
Ridiculously effective against Spark Mandrill.
Storm Tornado (Storm Eagle): powerful horizontal ranged attack that can be
charged in to a comparably powerful vertical ranged attack. Reasonably
effective against Flame Mammoth. Useful expedient against some stage enemies.
Stages:
The play-through order described below is not the only way to play through
the selectable levels.
While it is possible to finish the game without repeating any stages, it is
impossible to find every upgrade and item without repeating any stages. One
upgrade (the hadoken) specifically requires the player to repeat the mine stage
(Armored Armadillo) 4 times after the 8 Mavericks have been defeated. (When
replaying a stage, players can return to the stage-select screen by using the
"EXIT" option on the pause-menu.)
Each stage description will list significant items/upgrades found on that
stage (including what will be needed to reach those items/upgrades), notable
enemies/hazards, as well as a description of the best way(s) to beat the
stage’s
boss (the Maverick). In some cases, the order that a player chooses and plays
through the Maverick stages will change conditions on other stages. These
changes are listed under individual stage descriptions.
Hazards:
Common hazards in “Mega Man X” include pit-falls, spikes (which often
instantly destroy X), fire (which damages X), quick sand (which will slow X)
and water (which changes the height and arc of X’s jump).
Central Highway:
This is the introductory stage. Most of the enemies are relatively simple
to destroy or avoid, though the helicopter and car enemies are moderately
difficult. If the cars are partly damaged, it is possible for X to ride them for
a short distance. (Be wary of pits while doing this.)
The boss of the Central Highway is Vile. Vile will attack while riding in
armor, and is impossible to defeat. When X's health is less than 25%, the game
will take control of the fight, using Zero to drive Vile away. It is nearly
impossible for Vile to destroy X. (See “types of runs” in the end notes.)
-----------------------------------
Part II:
Maverick Stages (Chill Penguin, Storm Eagle, Flame Mammoth, Spark Mandrill,
Armored Armadillo, Launch Octopus, Boomer Kuwanger, Chill Penguin)
Stage Select:
The stage select screen consists of a main square surrounded by 12 smaller
squares. The middle squares to the side of, above and below the main square
are portraits of the Mavericks that the player will defeat as they play through
the game. When a Maverick is defeated, the colors in the portrait fade
slightly.
The corner squares give players the option of viewing a generalized map that
shows the relative location of the stages to each other on a map, stats about
each Maverick or a picture of the Maverick's stage. (The latter is the default
option.) The lower-right corner is a place-holder, and will be replaced a
portrait of Sigma after the 8 Mavericks have been defeated.
Chill Penguin (mountain): leg upgrade, heart-tank, ride armor
The leg upgrade is located relatively close to the beginning of the stage.
(It is impossible to avoid getting the leg upgrade.)
The heart-tank is located about 2/3 of the way through the level, and
requires X use a set of ride armor that is nearby as well as the Fire Wave.
After clearing the first pit after finding the armor, jump straight up using
the armor, then jump straight up towards a ledge out of the armor, climbing the
ledge if needed. The heart-tank is located in the first blue dome, and can
only be reached if the player uses the Fire Wave (Flame Mammoth’s signature
weapon).
The most significant enemy is a ride-armor pilot that is easily avoided if
the player uses the "found" ride armor to take the upper path described above
(even if they cannot get the heart-tank).
Chill Penguin's most dangerous attack is the frost attack, which can
immobilize X. Chill Penguin also jumps up to a ring hanging from the ceiling
before using a blizzard attack that will move X towards one side of the screen.
The best counter to this is to go with the gust and climb the wall. Chill
Penguin also uses a slide attack and ice-projectiles.
The Buster is effective, if not spectacularly so. The Fire Wave is more
effective, with the added value of causing an amusing "burn" effect.
Defeating the Penguin significantly changes the conditions in the factory
stage (Flame Mammoth). This guide assumes that the player will defeat Chill
Penguin before attacking Flame Mammoth, requiring the player to replay this
stage in order to find the heart-tank.
Storm Eagle (airport): helmet upgrade, heart-tank, sub-tank
Acquiring the helmet requires the player to use the slide (leg upgrade).
Roughly 2/3 of the way through the stage (after a sequence involving floating
platforms), the player will find what looks like a transmission tower. After
wall-jumping to the top of the tower (from the left), the player should drop
down (to the right). After climbing about 1/2 way back up the tower, slide-jump
to the right from the tower.
If this is done correctly, X will land on a platform near a wall made of
flammable tanks. After X destroys the tanks, a path will open. The helmet is
at the end of that path.
The heart-tank is located near the beginning of the stage, and requires the
leg upgrade. Ride the elevator platforms to the top of their loop, then slide
jump to the left. This should carry X to the top of a building, where the
heart-tank will be obvious.
The sub-tank is located inside of a tower that is similar to the one that the
heart is found on top of. 1/3 of the way through the level, there is a gun
turret on an "elevator" column. After destroying the gun, ride the column up to
the tower, shoot the window and enter the tower.
The airport stage consists mostly of running, jumping and climbing between
moving platforms while avoiding enemies. There are pit-fall hazards throughout
the level.
The leg upgrade makes the fight against Storm Eagle significantly easier.
Storm Eagle's signature moves are a wing-gust and the Storm Tornado, both of
which can force the X back, and eventually off screen. Sliding towards Storm
Eagle reduces both attacks to the level of mere annoyance. Storm Eagle's
dive-bomb attack is easy enough to avoid. Either the Buster weapon, or the
Chameleon Sting are effective.
Fighting Storm Eagle without the leg upgrade is more difficult, making the
wing-gust and Storm Tornado more dangerous. In this scenario, the player should
keep X as close to the middle of the fight area as possible. While there is no
way to wholly avoid being pushed towards the edge of the screen, walking against
the wing-gust is semi-effective. The best way to deal with the tornado attack
is to jump in to/over the attack. As with the gust attack, the player will
still be pushed back.
Defeating Storm Eagle makes the Power Plant stage (Spark Mandrill's domain)
significantly easier.
Flame Mammoth (factory): arm upgrade, heart-tank, sub-tank
All of the items in the factory stage are located in a room dominated by
platforms where X will be attacked by pick-throwing robots.
The arm upgrade is located near the lower left of the platform room, and
requires both the leg and helmet upgrades. Slide-jump off the lower-left most
platform, towards a low section of ceiling made of blocks similar to those near
the sub-tank (described below). The player will need to reach and
(simultaneously) climb and break through the blocks in order to reach the
arm-upgrade. A partially successful attempt (breaking some of the lower blocks)
will make a second attempt impossible without leaving and returning to the
stage.
(It is also possible to get the arm upgrade later in the game, when playing
through the first level of the Fortress stages.)
The heart-tank is located in the lower right hand corner of the room, under
one of the platforms. If Chill Penguin has already been defeated, this is the
easiest of the three items to find and acquire in the factory stage. However,
if Chill Penguin has not been defeated, there will be fire along the bottom of
the screen for most of the factory stage, including the platform room, making
the heart-tank nearly impossible to get.
The sub-tank is located in the upper left of the platform room, and requires
at least the leg upgrade (from the Penguin stage). While the helmet is not
necessary, it will make the sub-tank easier to get. Slide-jump from the highest
leftward platform. Using the leg upgrade and helmet, break through blocks to
reach the sub-tank.
Much of the factory stage consists of conveyor belts. If the player
attempts this stage before defeating Chill Penguin, the floors under the
conveyor belts will consist of flame hazards. The flames will significantly
damage X.
Flame Mammoth's weakness is the Storm Tornado (acquired by defeating Storm
Eagle). However, it is more important that the player be comfortable sliding
and wall-jumping (using the leg upgrade) than having the right weapon. All of
the Mammoth's attacks inflict significant damage, making it equally important to
evade as it is to inflict damage. Flame Mammoth attacks by jumping at/on X, or
by using a combination of fire and (combustible) oil projectiles. Un-ignited
oil will bind X to the floor. The Boomerang Cutter can be used to cut off the
Mammoth's trunk, disabling the oil attack.
Spark Mandrill (power plant): heart-tank, sub-tank
The heart-tank is located about 2/3 of the way through the stage, on a
platform in the upper-right hand corner of the screen. (The best landmark is
the mechanical turtle located immediately before the platform.) Reaching the
platform requires the leg upgrade to wall-jump off and back to the wall at the
correct angle to catch the platform. Alternatively, the player could use
precisely angled Boomerang Cutters (Boomer Kuwanger’s weapon) to retrieve the
heart-tank.
Reaching the sub-tank requires the Boomerang Cutter. Near the beginning of
the level. the player should take a ladder down and move right along a dead-end
path. The tank is on the other side of a wall.
At several points in the stage, the background lighting will dim (at regular
intervals) to the point of near darkness. Enemies will remain visible, though
pits and walls will become nearly impossible to see.
Midway through the power plant stage, X will be attacked by a mechanical
blob. One of the blob's more dangerous moves is to throw gel, causing X to be
stuck to the floor. The best weapons are the Fire Wave (Flame Mammoth's weapon)
or the Storm Tornado (Storm Eagle's weapon). The latter is slightly more
effective, as it can unstick X from the floor.
If the player attempts the power plant stage before completing the airport
stage (Storm Eagle), the first area of the stage will have additional hazards
(electric pulses moving along the floor) and the mechanical blob will have a
lightning based attack (which makes being stuck to the floor more dangerous).
The Shotgun Ice (gained from Chill Penguin) reduces Spark Mandrill to being
the easiest boss in the game, and one of the easiest bosses in all of gaming.
An uncharged shot will damage, and temporarily immobilize, the Maverick. A
moderately skilled player may be able to defeat Spark Mandrill without taking
any damage.
Attacking Spark Mandrill without the Shotgun Ice is far more difficult,
primarily because Spark Mandrill's attacks are nearly impossible to avoid
(particularly if the player does not have the slide attack).
-----
Item Checklist: Shotgun Ice, Storm Tornado, Fire Wave, Electric Spark. 4
heart-tanks, 2 sub-tanks, leg upgrade, arm upgrade, helmet.
-----
Armored Armadillo (mine): hadoken, heart-tank, sub-tank
For information about the hadoken, see Part IV.
The heart-tank is near the second mole-machine. The easiest option is to
use the Fire Wave to destroy the mole machine before it destroys the walls
and ceilings that X needs to climb to reach the heart-tank.
There are two methods to reach the sub-tank behind the first mole-machine.
The first is to land in front of the mole machine and then (rapidly) climb
back up the wall that the mole machine will break through. The second is to
begin running/sliding to the left, eventually jumping over a bed of spikes.
The mole-machine will be destroyed by the spikes, allowing the player to go
back and retrieve the sub-tank. (The first method is faster, while the
second may be easier for some players.)
The above-mentioned mole-machines are the most significant enemies in the
mine stage. Their arms cause enough damage to destroy X in one hit (similar
to spikes).
The defining feature of the mine stage is that X can ride flat-bed carts
through much of the stage. The carts make it faster to pass through the
stage, at cost in control over movement. (The carts have spikes on both
ends, which can destroy X in one hit. It is possible to avoid using the
first two mine cars. However, it is necessary to ride the third mine cart
when clearing the large pit at the end of the mine. When the cart leaves
the mine, the background will change to mountains and a blue sky. Shoot the
bird robots in order to clear a path. When the mine cart clears the arc of
its jump, slide-jump to the right. Assuming that there are no birds in the
way, the player will either land near the door or catch on the cliff-side
above the boss door. There is a health refill at the top of the cliff.
This is also the eventual location of the hadoken upgrade (see "Easter Eggs"
section).
It is possible, though more difficult, to jump from the mine cart to
the cliff without the slide attack.
The best weapon against Armored Armadillo is the Electric Spark
(acquired from Spark Mandrill). Armored Armadillo can roll up in to a ball,
and bounce around the chamber. The pattern for the bounce-attack is
generally easy to predict, with the bounces alternating between high and low
impacts against either side of the chamber. The best way to deal with this
is to stay against the wall, climbing and falling as needed to avoid the
impacts. The Electric Spark can destroy the Maverick's armor (removing the
invulnerability but not the bounce attack) if used when Armored Armadillo is
uncurled.
It is also possible to attack and defeat Armored Armadillo using the
standard Buster weapon. In addition to being protected while
rolling/bouncing, Armored Armadillo can also deflect ~2/3 of standard shots
while standing as well as absorb/redirect charged shots in a sunburst pattern.
Returning a charged shot exposes the Maverick's chest to standard shots. (This
pattern is easy to predict, but requires careful timing.)
Launch Octopus (reef): heart-tank
This heart-tank is one of the more deviously hidden items in the game.
About 2/3 of the way through the stage, X will pass a ship resembling a
whale idling above a bed of spikes. Sink the whale-ship (using the Fire
Wave or Buster) will destroy the bed of spikes. Ride the whale-ship to the
bottom of the pit. Walk to the right, along the top of the ship, and off
the "tail". (The spike on the tail is harmless, which is counter to nearly
every other spike in the franchise.) Continue through a corridor that
consists of small platforms and spikes. Destroy the robotic eel, and keep
moving right until reaching the heart-tank.
This stage is the near-obligatory "water stage" found in 8 and 16-bit
games, with the standard "physics" (high jumps and slower falls).
There are two mini-subs in the stage. Both attack using a combination of
projectiles and a turbine to draw/repel X.
The best way to attack the first sub is to shoot it with the Buster or the
Electric Spark.
The second hunter-sub is fought near spikes (making turbine attacks more
dangerous). The best strategy is to slide-jump directly over the second sub
and land on/next to it, then use either the Rolling Shield or the Electric
Spark to destroy it. This guarantees that X will take some damage (through
contact with the sub). However, it is safer than the combination of the
turbine attack and spikes that a more traditional fight would obligate.
Rapidly firing the Rolling Shield (acquired by defeating Armored Armadillo)
should be enough to destroy the sub. (Take care to refill this weapon as
it is needed to defeat Launch Octopus.)
There are two mechanical eels (sea snakes?) in the reef stage.
The first eel is located before the heart-tank (as described above). It is
possible to avoid this fight, if the player is willing to skip the heart-tank.
The second eel is not far past the whale-ship, shortly before the boss door.
This fight cannot be avoided. In both cases, the head and the end of the
tail are the weak spots. It is possible to stand/ride on the other body
segments. The best weapon is the Storm Tornado. When the eels are destroyed,
any reward (usually health and ammunition refills) will appear where the head is
when the eel is destroyed, regardless of if the damage is done to the head or
tail.
There are turbine elevators throughout this stage that can be used to reach
the surface of the water, making it easier to reach items and the whale-ship
(mentioned above).
Completing Launch Octopus' level before the jungle level (Sting Chameleon)
makes it possible to reach the (otherwise inaccessible) heart-tank in the lower
cavern.
The best weapon against Launch Octopus is the Rolling Shield. X will need
to be level with or above the Maverick (due to the Rolling Shield being
floor-bound). This weapon will partly disrupt Launch Octopus's fire pattern. If
Launch Octopus manages to jump above X, it is usually a precursor to the
whirlpool attack. If X is caught in the whirl-pool, Launch Octopus can drain
X's health. The severity of this attack increases if Launch Octopus’ health
is lower. Using the leg upgrade is the best way to avoid this attack.
The Boomerang Cutter (Boomer Kuwanger's weapon) can be used to disarm the
whirlpool attack and some of Launch Octopus' projectile attacks.
-Boomer Kuwanger (tower): heart-tank
There are two ways to reach the heart-tank, located towards the end of the
stage, near the top of the tower.
The first method is to use the Boomerang Cutter to retrieve the tank from a
difficult to reach platform. (Obviously, this involves finishing, and replaying
most of, the stage.)
The second method requires the arm-upgrade and Shotgun Ice, along with the
ability to use a well-timed slide-jump. When standing below and to the left of
the heart-tank, charge the Shotgun Ice (creating an ice-sled). Ride the sled to
the right, until it is directly under the heart-tank, then slide jump off (to
the right) before immediately angling back (to the left), up to the platform.
(This method is faster, but is likely to require multiple attempts.)
Despite the emphasis on climbing (walls and ladders) or jumping from
platforms, there are only two (easily avoided) pit-falls (the elevator shaft and
the right side of the screen while climbing the outer tower) on this stage. One
of the few horizontal sections requires the player to avoid sensor beams that
will trigger a (near impossible to dodge) laser trap. The best option is to use
the Rolling Shield to deflect the beams. However, touching the laser emitters
(not the beams) will collapse the shield bubble. The elevator shaft requires
the player to dodge a combination of enemies and over-head spikes as the
elevator rises through the shaft. (Charging the Rolling Shield makes this area
slightly easier.) The spikes will damage, but not instantly destroy, X. The
same charged shield bubble used on the elevator section should be enough to let
X evade attacks while climbing the ladders and moving platforms on the outer
tower.
One of the chief advantages of using the Homing Torpedo against Boomer
Kuwanger is that it frees the player from aiming at an exceptionally fast
adversary. Generally, the best strategy is to fire missiles while dodging
Kuwanger's attacks using a combination of sliding and jumping until the Maverick
is destroyed.
Sting Chameleon (jungle): heart-tank, body armor, ride armor
Acquiring the heart-tank and body armor in the jungle stage requires the leg
upgrade. The helmet upgrade is useful, but not required, when acquiring the
heart-tank. The reef stage (Launch Octopus) must be completed before acquiring
the Heart-Tank.
The heart-tank in the jungle stage is hidden (some may say dishonestly) in a
pit-fall near the beginning of the stage. Slide down the wall, wait for the
screen to move down. At this point (assuming that Launch Octopus has been
destroyed) X should be in/under water. The right side of the pit consists of
blocks that can be broken by wall-jumping with the leg-upgrade or by using the
upgraded helmet. Destroy the blocks at the bottom of the wall, near the solid
platform. Slide-jump to the right of the platform, then catch/climb the ledge
where the heart-tank is. (This jump is only possible in water, due to the
"physics" of water in most old video games. The pits on either side of the
platform are standard pit-falls.)
The body armor is located above the heart-tank. Slide-jump to, and climb,
the wall above the pit. After moving slightly to the right, X will be
confronted by a large green robot. The robot will attempt to grab and throw X.
If X stays out of the robot's reach, it will jump from one side of the screen to
the other. The robot's "official" weakness is the Boomerang Cutter (Boomer
Kuwanger's weapon). However, using the cutter requires X to be within range of
the robot's arms. It is easier to stay out of the robot’s reach while using
the Buster weapon.
After the robot is defeated, move to the right side of the screen. If the
upgrade capsule does not appear, move/jump back and forth. After taking the
upgrade, wait for the screen to shift down slightly, and go back to the main
path. If the green robot has not been destroyed, blocks will drop from the
ceiling along the main path.
The final third of the jungle stage resembles a swamp. The player can
commandeer a ride armor suit, making the swamp easier to pass through, while
protecting X from damage.
The best way to defeat Sting Chameleon is to use the Boomerang Cutter
(Boomer Kuwanger's weapon). The boomerangs disrupt this Maverick’s attack
pattern, making the fight significantly easier. The Maverick's regular attack
pattern involves projectile attacks, a fast skirmish attack (using a flicking
tongue) and turning invisible. The top of the room is lined with spikes that
will damage (but not instantly destroy) X.
---------------------------
After Sting Chameleon has been defeated, there is a short story scene, where
Zero tells X that Sigma's secret based has been located. Following that scene,
the player will be returned to the stage select menu. The player can either
select Sigma (lower right hand square) or replay any of the Maverick stages.
In addition to going back for any items they may have missed or re-filling
sub-tanks, this is also the best time to get the hadoken (see "easter eggs" in
part 5).
----------------------------
Checklist:
_4 sub-tanks.
_8 heart-tanks
_arm upgrade
_body armor
_helmet
_leg upgrade
_hadoken
---------------------------------------
Part III: Fortress Stages
After the 8 Mavericks have been defeated, the place holder-square (lower
right) of the stage-select menu will be replaced with a portrait of Sigma.
Select Sigma to play the Fortress stages of the game. All of the Fortress
stages involve at least 3 boss-fights, including rematches with one or more
of the 8 Mavericks. The fourth and final stage lacks a Maverick rematch, and
ends with boss-rush. The Maverick rematches are no different from the previous
fights.
After completing a Fortress stage, the player will be returned to the stage
select menu. While X's health/ammunition will be refilled, sub-tanks will not
be refilled. It is possible (and generally a good idea) to replay the Maverick
stages to refill sub-tanks. (The Armored Armadillo and Launch Octopus stages
are the best option for this.)
There is no way to return to previously completed Fortress stages, nor any
unique passwords that will allow players to save progress after starting the
Fortress stages. The only upgrade item in the Fortress stages is the arm
upgrade (if the player has not already acquired it in the factory.)
Fortress 1: arm upgrade
The beginning of the first stage is defined by moving X between floating
platforms over a large pit-fall. A charged Rolling Shield will be enough to
destroy flying enemies. But, there is no avoiding the need for precise jumping
between platforms.
The first boss in the Fortress is a rematch with Vile (last seen on the
Central Highway at the beginning of the game), and is similarly resolved. When
X's health meter is low, Zero will destroy Vile's armor, leaving the player to
fight an armor-less Vile. After the armor is destroyed, the battle against Vile
is like any other boss battle. The best weapons to use are either the Homing
Torpedo or the standard Buster weapon.
If the player has not retrieved the arm upgrade, X will automatically
receive the arm upgrade from Zero after defeating Vile.
Immediately after defeating Vile , use the arm upgrade to charge the
Chameleon Sting’s cloak effect, making it easier to pass through a
hazard/enemy filled corridor to the next boss room (Boomer Kuwanger). After
re-defeating Boomer Kuwanger, there is a short corridor that includes mostly
weak enemies. This is an opportunity to refill health, weapons and sub-tanks
before fighting the boss.
The BoSpider is probably the most difficult of the Fortress bosses, and will
probably require the player to use 2 sub-tanks. The spider climbs down from the
top of the screen using a "web" that forms in random patterns at the start of
each attack run. The spider will only move down or to the left/right when
attacking. It is difficult, but not impossible, to anticipate and avoid the
spider's attack path as it moves down the web.
While the spider climbs down the web, it will often throw smaller spiders at
X. When the spider reaches the floor, a red circle appears on its back. The
circle is the weak spot. As the fight progresses, the spider will move more
quickly, becoming more difficult to avoid and attack. It is possible to slow the
spider's climb downward by climbing the walls. (The spider will not climb below
X.)
The best weapon against the spider is the Shotgun Ice. The only alternative
is a charged Buster shot. The eye is only visible briefly, making timing
particularly important during this fight.
Fortress 2:
Any player that can reach the second Fortress Stage can probably get through
it. There are a few pitfalls that require careful jumping. But, none of it is
particularly challenging.
The first Maverick rematch on this level is Chill Penguin. This will be a
chance to use the Fire Wave, rather than the standard Buster weapon, to amusing
effect.
After the rematch with Chill Penguin, there is a short corridor with
(mostly) weak enemies and several ride armor pilots. If the player can kill the
first ride armor pilot quickly enough, they can use the armor to kill the
enemies (and refill their health) before fighting Storm Eagle.
Storm Eagle's official weakness is the Chameleon Sting. However, the
Chameleon Sting is also the effective weapon against the (more challenging)
RangdaBangda boss at the end of the level.
It is worth using a charged Chameleon Sting while climbing the path after
defeating Storm Eagle.
The RangdaBangda is built in to the wall, and resembles the face of an
orangutan. The "teeth" are a spiked pit in the lower middle of the screen. The
face-ridges are walls that slide inward, pushing X towards the spiked pit. The
only way to avoid this is to climb the walls. Its attack pattern is more
predictable, making it slightly less challenging, than the BoSpider.
The Chameleon Sting is the best weapon against the 3 weak spots, all of
which must be destroyed. While the walls are open, the weak spots are the eyes,
which will float out of and back to their sockets. When the walls are closed,
the nose will detach from the wall and attack X. Be careful not to
attack/destroy the nose before destroying the eyes. (The walls only open if the
nose is attached to the wall. Destroying it means that the walls stay closed,
making the eyes more difficult to attack.)
Plan to use 2 sub-tanks during this fight.
Fortress 3:
The third Fortress stage is essentially a boss-rush, punctuated by short
paths between the boss fights. The remaining 5 Mavericks are unlikely to
present any unique difficulty. However, fighting them in succession (before the
stage's unique boss) will leave few chances to refill sub-tanks or weapons. The
best places to refill sub-tanks are between fighting Armored Armadillo and Sting
Chameleon, and after fighting Sting Chameleon.
The health and weapon refills between Sting Chameleon and Spark Mandrill can
only be reached using the Boomerang Cutter. This is meant to encourage the
player to use and refill the cutter, which is the effective weapon against the
D-Rex at the end of the stage. There is another health and weapon refill
between the Spark Mandrill and Launch Octopus. It is possible to use the
(charged) Chameleon Sting to safely pass over the spikes in the corridor between
Launch Octopus and Flame Mammoth. But, the only weapons that can be refilled on
the spiked path is (by necessity) the stinger.
The Mavericks appear in this order: Armored Armadillo, Sting Chameleon ,
Spark Mandrill, Launch Octopus, Flame Mammoth. If the player plans to use the
Boomerang Cutter against Flame Mammoth or Launch Octopus, the priority should be
to save at least 2/3 of the cutter to destroy the D-Rex.
The D-Rex, located immediately after the rematch with Flame Mammoth, is a
tank that resembles a dinosaur's head. The effective weapon against the D-Rex
is the Boomerang Cutter. The weak spot of the D-Rex is the upper half of the
tank. The lower half is invulnerable.
During the fight, the upper and lower halves will separate while attacking
X, occasionally generating an energy-based attack. (These attacks are nearly
impossible to avoid.) When the halves are separated, X can safely run/slide
over the lower half and attack the upper half.
Fortress 4:
The fourth and final stage of the Fortress consists of a short climb and a
boss-rush.
There are two opportunities to fight recurring weak enemies, and refill
sub-tanks. However, it is easier (and worth the effort) to refill all 4
sub-tanks on either the mine or reef stages.
The first boss on the final stage is Velguader, a mechanical dog.
Velguader will attack by running, jumping and firing various projectiles. While
Shotgun Ice is the most effective weapon against Velguader, the Chameleon Sting
can give X the chance to start the fight with temporary invulnerability. Charge
the Buster weapon before climbing up through the door. While holding "Y"
(charge/fire), switch to the Chameleon Sting and climb through the door. The
game will hold the weapon charge during the boss introduction. When the fight
begins, release the "Y" button. (There is some backstory to Velguader's design.
See "Easter Eggs" section for more information.)
Sigma's first form attacks using an easy to predict and avoid pattern,
bouncing between walls at consistent angles. While easy to avoid, contact
damage is significant, meaning that it is better to avoid damage even at cost in
missing a chance to attack. Electric Spark is the effective weapon against
Sigma.
Sigma's second form is a large wolf-like robot. Most of this enemy is
actually part of the background, with the exception being the head (the weak
spot) and hands.
The only two weapons that work are the Rolling Shield and a fully-charged
Buster shot. The shield does twice the damage as the charged Buster shot, but
will fall and roll after being fired. Regardless of which weapon the player
opts for, X will need to ride/stand on Sigma's hands in order to attack Sigma's
head.
During the fight, Sigma's hands will either fire electricity (vertically)
or swipe at X. If either hand seems to be strangely "idle", it is likely going
to swipe downwards. When this happens, the player should move X on to the hand
and be ready to attack Sigma's head. (If the player waits too long, X will be
damaged by the electricity fired from the hands.)
In addition to the swiping hands and electricity, Sigma's second form has
two projectile attacks. The first is a series of energy bolts that will track
either to the right or left. Dodging these is a question of judging where X is
relative to the arc of attack, and either running or sliding between the shots.
The second projectile attack is a stream of fire that tracks from either the
right or left. This attack is slower and easier to dodge, but inflicts more
damage. In both cases, the eyes will flash before the attack, with the rate of
the flashing telegraphing the type of attack.
Defeating Velguader and both forms of Sigma may require 4 sub-tanks.
------------
Brief summary of the ending:
Sigma complains about being defeated in a generic bad-guy monologue. X teleports
out of the room.
On the next screen, X is shown standing on a cliff while Sigma's fortress burns
and falls in to the ocean. (It appears that Sigma's fortress had been floating
before this. But, there is no previous indication that Sigma's fortress was
flying before this point.) After the fortress sinks/explodes, there is an
extremely heavy/inflected text crawl that was probably inspired by bronze age
comics.
(Amusingly, the crawl specifies that the dead characters will "never return".
Zero and Sigma appear in the second game, and fairly consistently in later
games. Vile returns in several games, as do a few other bosses.)
The next scene is X running (right to left) along the Central Highway (the
backdrop of the first stage), as the sun rises. Half-strength images of the
Mavericks, Vile, Sigma and Zero are shown above X.
The credits role against a background that looks like a monitor. After the
credits, Sigma's face appears on the monitor, making standard promises/threats
to return.
-----------------------------
Part IV
---------
Hadoken:
It is probably safe to assume that most readers are interested in this
section because it includes a description of how to acquire the hadoken (a
reference to the iconic "Street Fighter II" franchise). Fair warning, the
hadoken is unlikely to live up to hype and expectations. (In other words, I got
the damned thing so that you do not have to.)
Acquiring the hadoken is simple, but time-consuming. Despite the
theoretical power of the attack, it is a relatively low value move due to
restrictions on how and when it can be used.
Before attempting to acquire the hadoken, the player should meet the
following conditions:
-acquire all upgrades (leg, arm, helmet, body armor).
-acquire (and fill) all sub-tanks.
-acquire all heart-tanks.
To my knowledge, there is no password for finding/keeping the hadoken.
After meeting the above requirements, the next step is to play through the
Armored Armadillo stage (mine shaft) 4 times, retrieving the health-refill on
the cliff above the boss-door at the end of the stage each time. Some guides
incorrectly state that all 4 runs must be "no-damage" runs.
Player's are allowed to take damage during each of the 4 runs. However,
X’s health meter must be full at the end of the 4th run. (I was only at full
health for 2 of the runs, including the 4th/final.)
At the end of the 4th run, an upgrade capsule (similar to the capsules that
held the armor upgrades) will be visible on the cliff. Doctor Light will
appear, dressed in a gi (similar to Ryu's in "Street Fighter II"), and instruct
X to enter the capsule.
The hadoken can destroy most enemies in one hit. However, while using the
hadoken is fairly simple, there are enough restrictions to make it less useful
than some might reasonably expect.
-press "down", "left" or "right" and attack ("Y" using standard controls). (This
is the traditional button sequence from "Street Fighter 2". The trick is to
roll your thumb from down to left/right, and press "Y" while releasing
left/right.)
-X must have full health and full sub-tanks.
-X must be standing.
At first glance, the "full health and sub-tanks" requirement might seem to
be the main complication. However, any player who bothers/manages to get the
hadoken can probably meet that requirement.
The real limitation is the requirement that X be standing, which limits the
hadoken to ground-based (and less mobile) enemies, making it functionally
impossible to use the hadoken on most of the Fortress bosses.
The hadoken’s value is further limited by the fact that players cannot
even attempt to find it until defeating the 8 Mavericks, meaning there are fewer
chances to use it against bosses.
An extremely fast/lucky player may be able to use the hadoken against the
BoSpider on the first level of the fortress. It cannot be used on the
RangdaBangda or D-Rex, due to the requirement that X be standing, not jumping.
The hadoken can be used on Vile after his armor is destroyed (which happens
as part of the game's story). The hadoken is ineffective against Vile before
his armor is destroyed.
The hadoken can be used on Velguader and both of Sigma's forms, However, much
like fighting the spider, this requires a combination of speed and luck.
Another reference to “Street Fighter II” is the effect of using Fire Wave
against Chill Penguin, which is similar to the effect of Dhalsim’s fire
attacks (engulfing an adversary in flames).
-----------------
Types of Run:
“Mega Man” games have higher than average replay value because players
can decide what order to play through the first half of the game’s stages.
Below is a list of suggested run-throughs. This is not a comprehensive list of
runs. And, certain types of run (such as “speed” and “minimalist”) may
be complimentary.
-perfect runs: taking minimal damage or finishing the game in 1 life.
-speed runs: finishing the game as fast as possible.
-minimalist: skip various items (1 or more pieces of armor, heart-tanks or
sub-tanks). A common variant of this idea is defeating the Mavericks (and other
bosses) using only the Buster weapon.
-killed by Vile: Being killed by the first boss of a game is an unusual goal.
But, when the fight is resolved by the game's plot, dying (and breaking the
plot) takes some skill. Some players, through a ridiculous amount of trial and
error, have managed to actually be hit by attacks that are meant to *miss*, and
lose a fight that should be impossible to lose.
-chain reaction: destroy 1 Maverick with the Buster, and all others using the
weapon gained from the previous opponent. For example, the player would attack
Spark Mandrill immediately after defeating Chill Penguin.
-power run: collect all of the armor as soon as possible. This is not a speed
run (as it will require more doubling back through levels than the run described
in this guide). But, X will get more powerful faster. (In real terms, this
only requires the player to defeat Chill Penguin, Storm Eagle, Flame Mammoth and
Sting Chameleon.)
-procrastination: avoid getting armor for as long as possible. The key element
of this run is to avoid Chill Penguin's stage (where the player is forced to get
the leg upgrade) for as long as possible.
-no turning back: play through and defeat the 8 Mavericks without returning to
any stage.
---------------
Level conditions:
In several cases, the conditions of one stage will change if a player has
played through another stage.
The most commonly cited example of this is the conditions of the factory
stage (Flame Mammoth) being contingent on the player defeating Chill Penguin.
If the player attempts the factory stage after defeating Chill Penguin, the
level is much easier. The most pronounced difference is that the molten metal
and fire hazards that define the level are removed. (I suspect that the stage
is meant to represent a recycling or waste disposal plant. But, it is commonly
described as a "factory", hence my use of the term here.) The wreckage that
appears on the conveyor belts includes heads from the eels seen in the Launch
Octopus stage.
Similarly, attempting the power station (Spark Mandrill) before or after
defeating Storm Eagle changes the stage's level of difficulty. If the player
attempts the power station without clearing the airport, there will be
additional hazards (electric current running through the floors) at the
beginning of the stage and the mini-boss (the mechanical blob) incorporates an
electricity based attack. If the player has defeated Storm Eagle beforehand,
the beginning of the power station stage includes wreckage from the air-ship.
(Similarly, the air-ship is visible in the default image of the airport stage on</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
the stage select menu before, but not after, the player defeats Storm Eagle.)
The last (to my understanding) stage to change is the jungle (Sting
Chameleon), which partly floods after the player defeats Launch Octopus. It is
only possible to reach the heart-tank in the underground cave after defeating
Launch Octopus, because the necessary jump is only possible if the cave is
flooded.
--------------
Miscellaneous:
The first "Mega Man X" had several nods to earlier "Mega Man" (released for
the original Nintendo).
While most of the "Mega Man" and “Mega Man X” games organized the Robot
Master or Maverick rematches as a boss-rush towards the end, the Robot Master
rematches in the original "Mega Man" were spaced throughout the Wily stages (the
original games' equivalent of the Fortress stages in "Mega Man X"). The first
"Mega Man X" is similarly arranged, with the Maverick rematches being spaced
throughout several Fortress stages, rather than being part of a single
boss-rush.
Boomer Kuwanger (the first Maverick rematch in "Mega Man X") resembles a
combination of Cut Man and Elec Man (the first two Robot Master rematches in the
original "Mega Man").
The end sequence of "Mega Man X" further mirrors the ending of the original
"Mega Man", with the main character running from the right to left, into a
sunrise.
Vile's design has been the subject of significant discussion among fans over
the years.
The visual signature of the character (across multiple games on multiple
systems) strongly resembles Boba Fett (arguably the most famous minor character
from "Star Wars" or most anything else). Over the years, Capcom's design team
has said that Vile was based on Buba Zanetti (a much less known character from
"Mad Max").
There is some basis to assume that Vile is based on Zanetti. Vile
consistently being paired with some kind of armored vehicle reflects the
automotive-themed roots of "Mad Max".
But, the resemblance between Vile and Boba Fett is undeniable. In addition
to the iconic helmet design, Vile’s purple/black color scheme was replaced
with a green/yellow scheme (that closely resembles Fett's design) in “Mega Man
X8”.
Vile's Japanese name, "Vava", does little to clarify this situation. The
letters "b" and "v" translate as the same letter between English and Japanese,
similar to the more well known “l”:”r” pairing. (In that case, "role"
and "lore" would be interchangeably pronounced.) Using this logic, "Vava" could
easily be (and sometimes is) pronounced as "Baba". "Baba" is no closer to
"Bubba" than it is to "Boba". The reader is left to draw their own conclusions
about the genesis of Vile's design.
The less ambiguous, if more obscure, inspiration for Sigma is “Casshern:
Robot Hunter”.
While have been several iterations of "Casshern: Robot Hunter" over the
decades, the basic premise is that Casshern is a robot that hunts down and
destroys other robots that have gone rogue. According to the game's lore, Sigma
started off as a hero that....hunted maverick (rogue) reploids (robots). In the
original anime (from the 70s), Casshern had a dog that the Capcom designers have
described (in various places) as the inspiration for Velguader (Sigma's dog).
There are early designs for both X and Sigma (published in "Mega Man X: the
Official Complete Works”) that closely resemble character designs from the
Casshern series. And, the idea of a robot hunting down rogue 'bots is a
constant in the Mega Man franchise.
