=================================
========Mega Man X7 Guide========
=================================
<< Version 1.5; last updated 11/09/2003 >>
by Tim
:
http://megaman.retrofaction.com/
:
[email protected]
======
Index:
======
1. Introduction
2. Boss Weaknesses / Recommended Order
3. Gameplay Overview
4. Power-Up Uses and Locations
5. Power-up Parts
6. Reploid Locations
7. Ranking
8. Opening stage
9. Tunnel Base (Vanishing Gungaroo)
10. Deep Forest (Soldier Stonekong)
11. Radio Tower (Tornado Tonion)
12. Battleship (Splash Warfly)
13. Lava Factory (Flame Hyenard)
14. Central Circuit (Ride Boarski)
15. Cyber Field (Snipe Anteator)
16. Air Forces (Wind Crowrang)
17. Palace Road
18. Crimson Palace, stage 1
19. Crimson Palace, stage 2 (final level)
20. Weapons & Techniques
21. Minor Enemy Mechaniloids
22. Upgrade Items
23. Secrets and Tips
24. Applicable Credits
25. Legal
================
1. Introduction:
================
Welcome to the official Mega Man Network guide for Mega Man X7, the seventh installment in
the Mega Man X saga. Refer to the index above for an easy reference guide, and go to
http://megaman.retrofaction.com/mmx/guides/ to find guides for all of the other games in
the Mega Man X series. Happy gaming.
=======================================
2. Boss Weaknesses / Recommended Order:
=======================================
Boss With X With Zero With Axl
==== ====== ========= ========
------- Vanishing Gungaroo --- Wind Cutter ----- Souenbu -------- Wind Cutter --------
------- Soldier Stonekong ---- Explosion ------- Hadangeki ------ G-Launcher ---------
------- Tornado Tonion ------- Gaea Shield ----- Gokumonken ----- Gaea Shield --------
------- Splash Warfly -------- Volt Tornado ---- Raijinshou ----- Volt Tornado -------
------- Flame Hyenard -------- Splash Laser ---- Suiretusen ----- Splash Laser -------
------- Ride Boarski --------- Circle Blaze ---- Bakuenjin ------ Circle Blaze -------
------- Snipe Anteator ------- Moving Wheel ---- Zankourin ------ Moving Wheel -------
------- Wind Crowrang -------- Sniper Missile -- Hieijin -------- Sniper Missile -----
=====================
3. Gameplay Overview:
=====================
Mega Man X7 plays far different than any of its predecessors for the single reason that
it is the first true Mega Man game to be rendered in 3D. As a result, many techniques
used in the sidescrolling versions are out the window now. The game does utilize some
aspects of 2D sidescrolling, which you'll get used to early one since the intro stage
contains a bit of it, but the majority of the game is in 3D.
Your three primary characters are Mega Man X, Zero, and Axl. However, in a rather neat
twist of events, you are initially kept from using X as both storyline fodder and a
way of "forcing" the player to get used to Axl. You begin the game using Axl, then you
get to use Zero, and once the duo either (a) rescues 64 Reploid hostages or (b) defeats
all eight Mavericks w/o gaining 64 Reploids, X is then unlocked as a third player choice.
In missions, you can take any of the three characters into battle; you choose one as your
primary and another as your secondary. You'll quickly learn that some stages are made far
easier with certain combinations of the two, or by mixing up the duo formula a bit; for
instance, Axl's hover ability is quite useful in the Air Forces stage. Each character also
has a unique weapon, or can gain a new assortment of weapons (except X; his special
acquisitions are limited to Weapon Copy and the Glide Armor). For example, Axl can utilize
twin pistols, a hefty bazooka, etc; while Zero will actually gain new styles of energy
blade weapons aside from his trusty Z-Saber. Speaking of the Saber, you start off with
a 4-strike slash, which can be leveled up to a devastating 7-slash combo attack.
In terms of special abilities, X has his insanely-powerful X-Buster. Once equipped with
the Arm Upgrade, X once again gains the ability to charge up his special weapons for mega-
devastating attack effects. Meanwhile, Axl possesses his mysterious Copy Shot and Axl
Trance powers, both of which will be discussed more in-depth later. You can also power-up
your characters with the use of Power-Up chips gained from the Reploids you rescue. Unlike
the system used in X6, you can customize your Hunter by distributing various parts that
change based on various categories of enhancement type. Alia will give you a short
tutorial after you rescue the first Reploid that gives you a Power-Up chip, so don't worry
about having difficulty figuring out how to do it.
Once more, as the game is fully rendered in 3D, there may some initial disorientation
if you're the kind of Mega Man fan that's used to the 2D incarnations. Mega Man X7 has a
slightly steep learning curve, but that doesn't take away from the fact that this is still
a Mega Man game. All of the same principles from before apply here, and it won't be long
at all before playing MMX in 3D becomes almost second nature.
===============================
4. Power-Up Uses and Locations:
===============================
Power-Up Use Location
======== === =========
Glide Armor Legs ------ Enables Glide Dash ------------ Soldier Stonekong's stage
Glide Armor Arms ------ Enhances X-Buster ------------- Flame Hyenard's stage
Glide Armor Body ------ Activate Giga Crash ----------- Wind Crowrang's stage
Glide Armor Head ------ Absorb more life energy ------ Snipe Anteator's stage
Heart Tanks ----------- Increases life meter ---------- One per stage
Energy Sub Tanks ------ Refills life energy ----------- Found in stages of:
-- Vanishing Gungaroo
-- Splash Warfly
Weapon Sub Tank ------- Refills weapon meter ---------- Ride Boarski's stage
EX Item --------------- Start with 2 extra lives ------ Soldier Stonekong's stage
==================
5. Power-up Parts:
==================
Each individual Hunter has their own unique power-up parts that can be earned from
rescuing Reploids. Whenever you rescue one that holds such data, Alia gives you the chance
to equip that data to one of your characters after completing the stage. When distributing
power-ups, read the descriptions since they change their effect depending on (a) who
you assign it to, and (b) what attribute you assign it to (Speed, Power, or Special).
Here's a short list of what each character can acquire, as well as descriptions of the
enhancement. Below this section follows an additional section detailing the types of DNA
Data Axl can acquire from defeated enemies, and what each can do for him.
[MEGA MAN X'S UPGRADES]
Name Type Effect
==== ==== ======
Power Plus A ---------- Power 1 --------------- Increase X-Buster damage by 30 %
Power Plus B ---------- Power 2 --------------- Increase X-Buster damage by 50 %
Shock Absorber -------- Power 3 --------------- Reduce damage received by 50 %
Extend ---------------- Power 4 --------------- Increase range of X-Buster
Rapid Shot ------------ Speed 1 --------------- Increase rapid-fire speed
Speed Shot ------------ Speed 2 --------------- Increase speed of X-Buster
Hyper Dash ------------ Speed 3 --------------- Increase dashing speed
Hyper Charge ---------- Speed 4 --------------- Increase X-Buster charging speed
Super Recover --------- Special 1 ------------- Increase effect of life recover items
Double Barrier -------- Special 2 ------------- Extend invincibility after taking damage
Triple Barrier -------- Special 3 ------------- Extend invincibility after taking damage
Item Plus ------------- Special 4 ------------- Increase chance of enemies dropping items
[ZERO'S UPGRADES]
Name Type Effect
==== ==== ======
Power Plus A ---------- Power 1 --------------- Increase Z-Saber damage by 30 %
Power Plus B ---------- Power 2 --------------- Increase Z-Saber damage by 50 %
Shock Absorber -------- Power 3 --------------- Reduce damage received by 50 %
Extend ---------------- Power 4 --------------- Increase range of Z-Saber
Saber Combo + 1 ------ Speed 1 --------------- dd another slash to Saber combos
Saber Combo + 2 ------- Speed 2 --------------- Add another slash to Saber combos
Hyper Dash ------------ Speed 3 --------------- Increase dashing speed
Saber Combo + 3 ------- Speed 4 --------------- End Saber combos with dashing attack
Super Recover --------- Special 1 ------------- Increase effect of life recover items
Double Barrier -------- Special 2 ------------- Extend invincibility after taking damage
Triple Barrier -------- Special 3 ------------- Extend invincibility after taking damage
Master Saber ---------- Special 4 ------------- Increase attack power when low on energy
[AXL'S UPGRADES]
Name Type Effect
==== ==== ======
Power Plus A ---------- Power 1 --------------- Increase Axl Bullet damage by 30 %
Power Plus B ---------- Power 2 --------------- Increase Axl Bullet damage by 50%
Shock Absorber -------- Power 3 --------------- Reduce damage received by 50 %
Extend ---------------- Power 4 --------------- Increase range of Axl Bullet
Rapid Shot ------------ Speed 1 --------------- Increase rapid-fire speed
Speed Shot ------------ Speed 2 --------------- Increase speed of Axl Bullets
Hyper Dash ------------ Speed 3 --------------- Increase dashing speed
Hover Plus ------------ Speed 4 --------------- Increase hover distance and speed
Super Recover --------- Special 1 ------------- Increase effect of life recover items
Double Barrier -------- Special 2 ------------- Extend invincibility after taking damage
Triple Barrier -------- Special 3 ------------- Extend invincibility after taking damage
Rolling Attack -------- Special 4 ------------- Execute a damaging roll attack
By equipping these parts to your characters, you can level them up far beyond their
initial abilities, thus increasing their usefulness a hundred-fold. Choose your methods
of distribution wisely.
DNA Core Data Acquisition
==========================
By defeating certain enemies with the Copy Shot and Axl Trance, Axl can collect DNA Core
Data to either change his form or otherwise enhance his abilities. The effects are only
temporary, and on average, seem to last for 30-45 seconds. Here's the list of which
enemy mechaniloids (see the appropriate enemy listing for more information on each of
the minor enemies) give DNA Core data, and what the data can do.
Enemy DNA Core Effect
===== ======== ======
Radardroid ------ 1-Hit Shield -------- Protects you from 1 enemy attack
Runnerbomb ------ Runnerbomb Form ----- Allows you to mimic a Runnerbomb
Pest Gunner ----- Shot Speed Up ------- Increases speed of your Axl Bullets
Ruinsman -------- Ruinsman Form ------- Allows you to mimic a Ruinsman
Blockape -------- Life Recover -------- Restores small amounts of life energy
Kiyun ----------- Speed Up ------------ Increases running/dashing speed
Bounding -------- Bounding Form ------- Allows you to mimic a Bounding
Metall-S -------- 1-Hit Shield -------- Protects you from 1 enemy attack
Mushaloid ------- Mushaloid Form ------ Allows you to mimic a Mushaloid
Crash Roader ---- Speed Up ------------ Increases running/dashing speed
DNA Data can be quite useful when used properly! Experiment around a bit with the unique
powers granted to Axl with the use of this weapon - you might learn something new.
=====================
6. Reploid Locations:
=====================
There are a total of 128 Reploid hostages in need of rescue in this game, just like in
X6. Some of them yield Power Up Chips that you can use to enhance your character's powers
(see above section), and rescuing 64 Reploids allows you to unlock X as the third playable
character. Here's a list of their locations broken down by stage, as well as brief
descriptions of where they are and what items, if any, they give you.
Vanishing Gungaroo's stage
--------------------------
Al (Weapon Up) - Reploid in area 2; floating in middle of green liquid area.
Carlos - Second Reploid in first section of area 3, down towards bottom of screen.
Dan (Life Up) - Reploid directly in your path after the first Wall Blaster.
Duane (Weapon Up) - After Gordon, climb the next pillar to find him at the top.
Eric - One of the Reploids near a wall in area 4.
Fay (Power Up) - Reploid locked in second hangar, defeat three Runnerbombs to open.
Gordon - Another Reploid lying around in area 4.
Graham - Reploid just around a corner in plain view.
Jules - Reploid on middle platform in area 2, in front of a Megatortoise.
Keith - Reploid around the next pillar after the Sub-Tank.
Ken - Reploid in area 2; on left side of room near a corner.
Lee (1 Up) - Reploid on raised ledge in room full of Ride Armors.
Michael (Power Up) - Reploid in plain sight before second Wall Blaster.
Oliver - First Reploid near you in area 3, dash quickly to save him from Pest Gunners.
Otis - Reploid locked in hangar; defeat three Runnerbombs to open.
Walter - Second Reploid in green liquid area, near back corner.
Soldier Stonekong's stage
-------------------------
Alex - First Reploid near the beginning guarded by a Ruinsman.
Ben - Second Reploid in path, dash quickly to rescue from the monkey mechaniloids.
Charly - Next Reploid up the incline guarded by Kiyuns.
Dave (Power Up) - Fourth Reploid in stage; located right before first large stone.
Edie - Second Reploid in the spike pit section heading right.
Fred - Reploid to the high left of first Apestone; use Axl to hover over to tree trunk.
Huey (Life Up) - Reploid down one of the spike pits after downhill ramp.
Isaac (1 Up) - Reploid located high above first Ruinsman in spiked area.
Jack - Reploid suspended high in air past rising Apestone; Axl can hover to reach him.
Kevin - Reploid located down pit after two Apestones leading to Light Capsule.
Luise (Weapon Up) - Reploid located high above 2nd Apestone; double jump/hover to him.
Mick - Reploid on top of third group of Apestones; use Zero to double jump up.
Nick - Reploid located by Ruinsman on path leading downhill towards spikes.
Roger (Weapon Up) - Reploid directly beneath Simon.
Simon (Power Up) - Second Reploid to far-left of long spike pit; use Axl to cross.
Tom - Last Reploid in stage right before boss encounter.
Tornado Tonion's stage
----------------------
Alison (Life Up) - Sixth Reploid along main path.
Berinda - Next Reploid after Lucie, stuck in a small pit section.
Betty - Fourth Reploid in path.
Cate - Fifth Reploid along main path.
Cindy (Weapon Up) - One of three Reploids located right in a row after Berinda.
Emi - Next Reploid in the group of three.
Holy - Third Reploid in the group of three.
Janis - Last Reploid right before boss, right after Marian.
Julia (Weapon Up) - Seventh Reploid located just before mini-boss fight.
June - Next Reploid after prior trio, located after Batonton swarm.
Keiko (Power Up) - Next Reploid after June, after more Batontons.
Lily (Power Up) - Third Reploid in path.
Lucie - Reploid located right between two Antenna Shields.
Marian - Second to last Reploid located right before end.
Rita - first Reploid in stage after a set of boxes. Move quickly to grab her.
Tracy (1 Up) - Next Reploid along main path.
Splash Warfly's stage
---------------------
Andy - Reploid suspended in air in final area, guarded by some Kiyuns.
Anthony - Third Reploid in first area a little ways past Ian.
Bill (Life Up) - Next Reploid high in air on main path.
Bob - Next Reploid after Mauro, located close to some fires.
Chris (1 Up) - Reploid located in between crates near fire behind where Robert was.
Frank - Reploid immediately following Bill.
Henly (Weapon Up) - Reploid slightly down a pit occupied by a Metool.
Ian - Second Reploid in stage, located high in air. Use Zero to double jump to him.
Joe - Second Reploid in first section of area 2 behind a set of crates.
Markus (Weapon Up) - First Reploid in stage located right by some Metools. Move quick.
Mauro - Reploid relatively out of harm's way after exploding crates and Metools.
Peter (Power Up) - Reploid located immediately after Wall Blaster.
Phil - Reploid located just near some explosive crates in area 3.
Rick (Power Up) - Reploid located behind crates and Heart Tank in area 3.
Robert - Reploid in plain sight in area 2; clear out Runnerbomb guarding him first.
Todd - Reploid on other side of crates from Chris' location.
Flame Hyenard's stage
---------------------
Alan - At end of area 1, use Axl or X to fly high to reach him above the exit teleport.
B.J. (1 Up) - Reploid located high in air above Tony; use Axl to mimic a Flyer enemy.
Bruce - Second Reploid located under the bombs.
Chuck - First Reploid in area 2; guarded by Guard Sensors.
Gary (Life Up) - Reploid located on far platform after Red Guardian; use X to glide.
Guy - Final Reploid in area 2; located on a short overhang near a Dragon Blaster.
Jim - Reploid located after second Dragon Blaster.
Leon - Third Reploid located under bombs; refer to walkthrough for how to get him.
Matthew (Power Up) - Reploid located on platform after the Heart Tank.
Paul - Next Reploid in area 2; guarded by Metool and Dragon Blasters. Ouch.
Roy - Second Reploid in stage; dash like mad to reach him before Red Guardian kills him.
Rovin - First Reploid in stage located on a ledge with a time bomb.
Steve - Reploid located right after first Dragon Blaster; drop down and hang left.
Tim (Power Up) - First Reploid in bomb section, move very quickly.
Tony (Weapon Up) - Reploid located high above gateway leading out to main lava section.
Trevor (Weapon Up) - Reploid guarded by the quintet of Flyers; shortly after Matthew.
Ride Boarski's stage
--------------------
Black - Right in your path.
Dean - Right in your path.
Dolf (Weapon Up) - Right in your path.
Elton - Right in your path.
Joey - First Reploid in short tunnel segment.
Kato - Another Reploid in electrified section of track.
Luke - Another Reploid in electrified section, just after Heart Tank.
Mario (Life Up) - Reploid just after Rock.
Rob - Right in your path.
Rock (Power Up) - Reploid a little ways past Rudi.
Rudi - Reploid located just before Weapon Sub-Tank.
Sam (Weapon Up) - Right in your path.
Scott (1 Up) - Right in your path.
Sid - Second Reploid in short tunnel segment.
Tanaka (Power Up) - Right in your path.
Vinnie - Second Reploid from the start.
Snipe Anteator's stage
----------------------
Brian - Reploid located on large orange teleport platform by some Balldovers.
Cliff - At second flip teleport, run past Cyberstone to left to find him.
Colin - Reploid on underside shortly after a Musharoid near a teleport.
Daniel (Weapon Up) - Reploid located behind one of the yellow walls; use Axl to get him.
Don (1 Up) - Final Reploid located to the left of Colin.
Doug - Reploid located directly beneath starting point in area 2.
Hide - Reploid located right next to Light Capsule.
Jelly (Weapon Up) - Reploid located directly next to Brian.
Malibe (Power Up) - From landing point after Richie, quickly head up and to the left.
Marc - Reploid located behind yet another yellow wall in area 2.
Marry - Reploid located behind first yellow wall on upper side of area 2.
Richie - Another one located on underside; take teleport above and to left of large one.
Rin (Power Up) - Reploid on left side of first area guarded by Kiyuns.
Rosetta - Reploid near Su behind another yellow wall.
Su - Reploid behind another yellow wall before teleport to area 2.
Ted (Life Up) - <UNKNOWN>
Wind Crowrang's stage (Missing one)
---------------------
Barry (Power Up) - First Reploid in the ship's interior. Dash quickly to get him.
Bert (Weapon Up) - Reploid located in hangar area at back-right; near some Pest Gunners.
Damon (Power Up) - Reploid located next to Light Capsule.
Derek - First Reploid in stage; on right wing of blue and orange ship.
Emitt - Reploid located down an alleyway at the end of hangar section.
Harold - Reploid located on jet behind where Jeff is located.
Herbie (Weapon Up) - Reploid located on mothership wing; move fast before laser kills him.
Jeff - After Ray, dash jump backwards to higher blue and orange jet to get Jeff.
Kelly - Reploid on top of mothership, located next to right-hand cannon.
Kim - Final Reploid in area 2; guarded by Runnerbombs and an Apeloid.
Mo (1 Up) - Reploid in hangar area guarded by Pest Gunner.
Neil - Reploid guarded by giant Apeloid on green jet.
Nigel (Life Up) - Reploid located on green jet far to left; guarded by Apeloids.
Ray - Reploid floating in air above exploding red jet.
Yamaguchi - Next Reploid in area 2, around a corner.
---
===========
7. Ranking:
===========
Your Hunter rank is determined by a number of factors, such as the time you took to
complete a stage, the number of Reploids you rescued on your first try, damage that you
took, and your percentage kill rate for the enemy mechaniloids. Although all of these
factors do weigh in, it's important to stress that it is your damage taken and your kill
percentages that actually determine what your rank is.
Whenever you complete or fail a stage, Alia shows you your level statistics, then gives
you your rank. You start off at Rank D, and can work your way up to C, B, A, S, and the
higher-leveled GA, PA, and UH ranks. When at an S-Rank, the Mavericks do attack a bit more
often and are slightly harder to defeat, but not by much.
Here's a brief rundown of some of the game's ranking criteria. Each rank upgrade has its
own unique requirements, for example, the ranking criterion is different to get from Rank
D to Rank C than it is to get from Rank C to Rank B. Currently, I only have ranking
data listed for each upgrade starting from rank D, and a few others courtesy of the Great
Gohan.
Start Rank End Rank Kill Requirement Damage Requirement
========== ======== ================ ==================
Rank D Rank C 100 enemies 61-80 damage points
Rank D Rank B 100 enemies 41-60 damage points
Rank D Rank A 100 enemies 21-40 damage points
Rank D Rank SA 100/150 enemies 1-20/50-70 damage points
Rank D Rank GA 100/200 enemies 0/1-50 damage points
Rank D Rank PA 250 enemies 1-10 damage points
Rank D Rank UH 250+ enemies 0 damage points
Rank GA Rank PA 100 enemies 1-20 damage points
Rank GA Rank UH 100+ enemies 0 damage points
Rank PA Rank UH 90+ enemies 0 damage points
Now while I've certainly found no distinct benefit other than bragging rights to getting
high ranking (unlike other titles where you unlock items (Mega Man Zero 2) or gain the
ability to equip more powerups (Mega Man X6), it is fun trying to go through the game as
fast as you can while still maintaining your high stats.
=================
8: Opening Stage:
=================
This area is two-part - you'll begin by using Axl to escape the Red Alert facilities. The
first part is a 2D segment. Use Axl to target the laser cannons and fire at them to dis-
able the security beams. Make effective use of your Dash Jump and hover ability while
constantly firing whenever your lock-on engages. After a lot of crate-leaping, you'll move
into the next area where you shift into the 3D perspective. Proceed forward, rapid-firing
all the Runnerbombs in your path, being careful to dodge the bombs they lob at you. When
you clear the seven or so in here, dash around the next bend and into the security hallway.
Dash past the first Guard Sensor, then move counter-clockwise in the circular room just
ahead, slipping in between the sweeping beams. The next room has more Runnerbombs in it,
so blast them and practice your auto-targeting. Move on into the next room, taking out the
Radardroids. They can reflect some attacks, but keep firing and you'll take them out
easily enough. After this, you'll take on the mini-boss of this area.
Security Gate strategy
======================
This one requires timing and a bit of skill. Listen to your hints and you'll learn you
have to blast the "core". Watch each of the four orbs; while dodging the spread of fire
they shoot (jump straight up), one of them will turn purple. Use R2 to quickly switch
lock-ons to the purple orb if not there already, and blast it. Part of the gate will
open. Now carefully watch the other three, and quickly switch to the next one that flashes
purple. Hit it with your Bullets, then repeat a third time to destroy the gate mechanism.
Head on through to toggle the cutscene, after which point you'll take control of Zero on
the 2D battered highway segment. As Zero, practice your useful quadruple slash technique.
Head on to the right across the shattered segments, taking out the many Balldovers in your
path (remember these enemies from X1?). Some of them shoot from far away, so make liberal
use of your dash and jumping prowess to attack from the air. After a while, you'll climb
a large wall, fight a couple more droids, and encounter the Bee Blader mini-boss. This
is extremely easy; move yourself into position underneath the thing, and just slash away
at both the body and Balldovers it drops. From the vantage point, you won't take any
damage from the laser or the missiles, and Zero will remember to dash out of the way
when it collapses anyway. Move on to the Balldover ambush, which isn't as tough as it
initially looks. Just slash like crazy; your Saber can reach above you, behind you, all
over the place, so it shouldn't be hard to destroy these. Immediately afterward, you'll
fight another Bee Blader. Same strategy here, only position yourself directly under the
center; otherwise you may get nailed by the bullet spread this one uses. When it goes
down, it collapses the highway. Leap off the edge, and you'll begin a 3D segment of the
same sort of fighting; only you run into some mini-bee enemies. The Balldovers are the
same, though it may take some getting used to fighting from this angle. As you push
forward, leap over the parts where you can't run due to the cracked pavement. Eventually
you'll hit another Bee Blader. This time, run as far forward as you can and repeatedly
attack - this is essentially the same effect as standing under it. Stay in one spot, as
it's almost easy to move around and fall off the edge of the highway. When the Blader
goes down, move forward, dash jumping from platform to platform. Take out another Eye-
droid, and you'll soon reach another 2D segment.
Dash forward, and use rapid normal jumps to ascend the compactor. Once at the top, proceed
to the right. The game will take over as Zero runs into Axl; after a brief conversation,
Axl will take off running, as the gigantic Mega Scorpio mechaniloid stomps into view. The
important thing to remember here is not to fight. Instead, run away using your dash jump
to move from platform to platform. At the end, Zero will leap down another hole, meet up
with Axl again (who will again take off, but you can call him back into battle with the
L2 button), and then commence your battle against the Mechaniloid.
Mega Scorpio strategy
=====================
You have two options available to you here, depending on your fighting style. If you like
fighting like X, then use Axl to hang out on the walls and blast away at the head. The
Scorpio has three primary attacks you'll want to watch out for:
- Ground Circle: Scorpio creates a massive energy wave on the ground; jump on the walls to
effectively dodge.
- Tail Shot: Scorpio fires a trio of energy blasts from his tail. Zero can deflect them
with his Z-Saber.
- Scissor Snap: This move occurs should you destroy its tail. Scorpio simply rushes melee-
style across the ground, snapping its claws at you.
With Zero, you can try and get underneath Scorpio and whale away at its body - your Z-
Saber combos are excellent for hitting it this way. If Scorpio lifts off and flies away,
get on the walls or else risk being stomped to death by the Scorpion's Jump Press move.
Whatever you do, aim for the head; if you destroy its tail first, the mechaniloid gets
extremely angry and goes melee-style on you, rushing back and forth. It's actually much
simpler to use Axl in this fight.
After the boss is defeated, Zero warps out, and a lengthy cutscene back at Hunter HQ
takes place during which Red, the leader of Red Alert, demands the return of Axl to Red
Alert. The two Hunters (well, Hunter and ex-Hunter) intervene, and Red proposes a "duel"
of sorts to see which group is better at hunting Mavericks. A deal is struck to allow Axl
to attempt to take out the generals that Red has dispatched to cause mayhem around the
globe. X hangs back, still refusing to fight. From here, you'll go to the Stage Select
screen after being given the option to save.
=====================
9. Tunnel Base stage:
=====================
Recommended characters: X and Zero
This weapons factory stage is quite fun, to be honest. From the start, listen to Alia's
messages, then round the corner and take out the Runnerbombs in your path. Stuck in the
corner is some Gouden Ride Armor for you to take advantage of. Jump on in and cruise
around, using your shoulder missiles (Triangle button) to take out the larger enemies.
Still, move with caution and dash in to save any Reploids you come across. The Runnerbombs
in this area can kill them very quickly. Continue on until you reach the Wall Blaster
section. Exit the Ride Armor and use Zero to move in close, using jumping slash attacks
to quickly eliminate it. Once it's gone, hop back in your Armor and move on until you
reach the door leading to the next area.
In this room, you need to make your rounds while dodging the hail of enemy fire around
you. There are also a number of Reploids waiting to be rescued in here, most of which
are in the water. Jules is the only one of dire importance as the Megatortoise can easily
wipe him off the face of the planet. Keep battling until your Gouden Armor breaks, then
continue to circle the room until you are nearly opposite of the door you came in from.
Climb the wall and defeat the Megatortoise up here to claim some of the far-spiffier
Raiden II Ride Armor. This one is more mobile and more versatile, plus it has a mean
spinning attack. Take out the last Megatortoise and head on into the third area.
This section involves all-out melee combat against a number of targets. From the start,
dash forward and towards the screen to get the two Reploids in imminent danger, then
rush up to the next level and vanquish the next Wall Blaster using Zero once again. When
it's downed, make a mad dash for the ledge near the wall to save Lee from being killed
by one of the nearby rampaging Plot Rides, then hop back in yours and lay waste to the
enemies around here. Keep heading on through while destroying the Pest Gunners and the
other Ride Armors. Dismount yours before you leave the area, though. This enables you to
trigger another Raiden II to appear in the next area, and it's far more useful in the
fight against Gungaroo than is the Gouden. Head on through the door to reach the final
area of the stage.
Once in here, quickly dash around the perimeter of the room to rescue the Reploids from
harm's way. From where you run into Gordon, climb up the next pillar to find another
Reploid, Duane.
Sub Tank
========
The Energy Sub Tank is located on the top of another pillar. From where you got Duane,
continue leaping around destroying the Pest Gunners until you reach it.
Heart Tank
==========
Same thing; it's on one of the pillar tops. Keep dash jumping from pillar to pillar to
find it.
Once you've collected these two items, simply destroy the 20 Plot Rides stomping around
the room. When you're down the the last one, find the Raiden II Ride Armor lying in one of
the corners. Use it to eliminate the final one, ensuring that you'll get a fully healthy
Ride Armor to use in the boss battle ahead.
Vanishing Gungaroo strategy
===========================
Gungaroo is an annoying twerp that first starts off in his own Ride Armor. If you have
X handy, simply run around firing charged shots at the Armor to quickly whittle down its
energy. Once the armor is destroyed, little Gungaroo himself leaps around the arena using
all of his nasty melee attacks to try and bring you down. Learn them and how to dodge
accordingly before trying to counterattack.
- 1/2/3: This can be heard before its executed, usually. Gungaroo does a three-count move
where he does a series of jumping punch attacks. Try to stay as far away from him as
you can if you think he'll use this.
- Vanishing Uppercut: A follow-up move to the 1/2/3 attack.
- Back Kick: Gungaroo raises a shield to his rear to deflect attacks when he does one of
his random jumping kicks.
- Triangle Kick: Always announced, this move can deal some major damage. He's invincible
while executing it, and he does an almost-arena wide flying kick on you. Rush out of
the way when you hear "Triangle...".
- Sonic Shield: He gains this at his halfway mark; it's a smaller version of the attack
his Ride Armor used.
If you're using X, simply run around firing charged shots when you have the clear opport-
unity to hit him. Otherwise, use the Raiden Armor's Jump Press (Attack + Special Attack)
to try and stomp on the little rat. If you blow up your Ride Armor and don't have X, use
Axl to pelt him from far away, and if you corner him, have Zero take a few swipes at him
with a Z-Saber combo. He's an annoying boss, but not terribly difficult to defeat.
======================
10. Deep Forest stage:
======================
Recommended Characters: X and Axl
This stage is mostly a straightaway in a 2D environment, though some of it goes into 3D.
Start off heading to the right. Your first enemy will be a Ruinsman, which has two main
attacks. Either dodge the rock it throws, or dash away to avoid the ground break attack
that sends a shockwave to catch you. Defeat it and move on. The next batch is a group
of Kiyun mechaniloids. Use the power of your auto-targeting here to lock on and blast
away with either character's Buster weaponry. You'll also run into batches of Blockapes;
these highly annoying monkey-like mechaniloids will assemble in a line and chunk rocks at
you, and if you're not quick enough, they split up and attack you individually. Stay far
back and use X to wipe them out. As you move on through, defeating more and more Ruinsmen,
you'll run across the Reploids that need rescuing. When you start reaching the giant
Apestones, you'll have to destroy a few (the ones that shoot rocks) to move on. Use Axl to
nab some of the Reploids stuck high up by hovering over to them as well.
Heart Tank
==========
You can get the Heart Tank here after you reach the Apestone that's firing rocks at an
obstruction. Get it to turn around, and shoot a charged X-Buster shot at it until it
blows up. It reveals the Heart Tank upon being destroyed.
Continue on through the stage until you begin going downhill. Defeat the Ruinsman near
the edge with Axl's Copy Shot, then drop down onto the spike pit and rush left as fast
as your stone legs can carry you. Get atop the Apestone and let it float up to the top,
let the DNA Copy wear off, then hover over to the left to locate Simon and his helpful
Power Up chip. Roger waits below as well. Use the Ruinsman you bypassed to get back across
the spike pit, then continue on your way. After the last Ruinsman, drop down and take out
more Blockapes, RUinsmen, then use Zero to just double jump over the Ruinsman II.
Glide Armor Legs
================
Use the two Apestones immediately following the Ruinsman Mega to reach the top, then head
left. Use X to activate the capsule and download the armor part data. With this Leg data
equipped, you can use the Glide Dash by jumping, then pressing Jump again in the middle
of a jump. The Glide will carry you farther than Axl's hover, though X decreases in his
altitude as he glides.
Back on the main path, head up the steep incline continuing your assault on the enemies
of the forest. Remember the location of the second Apestone here; you'll want to come back
with Zero.
EX Item
=======
Use Zero to double jump off the top of the previously mentioned Apestone to claim this
item that increases your number of starting lives, hidden above in the trees.
More thick foliage and Ruinsmen enemies await in this final stretch. Eliminate them as
you please, and get by the last Ruinsman II however you see fit. Keep heading to the
right and you'll warp to the last area.
In here, you have to take out all the moving Apestones as they fly around in a circular
arc. X and Axl can free-target and blast away; if using Zero, however, you must double
jump and slash away. Using Zero takes considerably longer, though. Eliminate all of them
to challenge the boss.
Soldier Stonekong strategy
==========================
This giant ape doesn't give up easily. From the start, dash jump immediately to the left,
or else have Stonekong flatten you with his initial pouncing attack. He has few attacks,
most of which are quite easy to dodge.
- Gaea Shield: He uses this when clinging to the center pillar. You do need Zero to be
able to double jump, so if you don't have him, you had better destroy his shield pretty
quickly.
- Shield Toss: On the ground, Stonekong hurls his shield in a circular arc. Any character
can simply jump it, as well as lay some pain on Stonekong while he just stands there.
- Gaea Sword: This move is nasty, though he uses it only if you get up close. He swings
that gigantic sword and tries to flatten you with it.
Stonekong isn't hard. Simply let loose with attacks when you get in range (with X, you
may want to simply stick with Buster shots since the Explosion travels too slowly). Axl
should use his G Launcher bazooka to blast away at Stonekong when he has the chance, and
Zero, if you wish to fight with him, should try to attack during the times when Stonekong
is busy standing around. Continue dashing around the circular area to avoid Stonekong
himself while laying on the attacks. He'll go down eventually.
======================
11. Radio Tower stage:
======================
Recommended characters: X and Zero
Read: Annoying stage. Face it, there is no sure fire way to save all the Reploids in this
stage, so if you're going for all 128 rescues, don't be afraid to restart the game and
this level if one should inexplicably die due to the carnage around this stage. The stage
itself progresses similar to Split Mushroom's from Mega Man X4 (and Shining Hotarunix's
from Mega Man X5) as you wind your way up a spiraling level. All of the Reploids are
directly in your path, but the fact that the Yakodori drops parts of itself all over the
place can easily claim a Reploid without you even knowing. Thus, move very, very slowly
(taking baby steps is the best way to go here), and use X to take out the long-range
attacks (arm parts and spike wheels), and Zero to take out the missiles. Other attacks
include the Fireburst, where it shoots balls of fire that ignite the path in front of you
temporarily. Continue to avoid its attacks while rescuing the Reploid hostages you come
across until you reach a wall. Your character will automatically leap up; now it's time to
bring this annoying boss down.
Yakodori strategy
=================
If you have Axl, use the G Launcher; otherwise stick with charged shots using X. Zero
can't hit anything here, so he's more than worthless. Continue to avoid all the old
attacks while pelting its eye, and use Zero to double jump the new whirling blade attack
this thing uses to try and cut you apart with. Eventually, this pain will fall, and you'll
move on to the next area.
In the second part of the stage, there's more ascending the spiral area, but with far
more hazards. The pits here are harmless as you only drop one level below, but the bent-
out-of-shape girders and other bits of twisted metal make for some precarious navigation.
The Antenna Shield mechaniloids can block your shots, and mostly, it's safer to just
dash on by them. The Boundings you run into next are annoying little mechaniloids, but
if you have Axl, you can use them and their DNA Core to fly around a bit. Continue heading
up the path to locate another stranded Reploid in dire straits; move very quickly to save
this one. The next bit has a couple of highly irritating Batontons (those old bat robots)
that fly in from various angles. Zero is the best bet for wiping them out. As you run
across more pits, spinning satellite mechaniloids can block your path. X is a good choice
to try gliding with, or use Zero to double jump them. Your choice. Just ahead are some
vanishing blocks - quite an interesting idea in a 3D environment.
Heart Tank
==========
The Heart Tank here is actually contained inside one of the blocks (the second one). Use
whatever character you're giving it to to stand in the center of the second block, then
drop down a level when it disappears to claim it on the way down. Then just retrace your
steps back.
The blocks aren't hard at all here; no complicated patterns to deal with. Just ahead are
more vanishing blocks, this time coupled with the spinning satellites. A nice dash jump
gets you through relatively unharmed. The final three Reploids are all stacked right in
a row (how nice), so collect them and their life replenishments, then continue heading
on the path to run into the boss.
Tornado Tonion strategy
=======================
This is one irritating boss. Not so much due to the fight (which is pretty cheap), but
his God-awful voice ("I whip your butt" and "Yah?" comments in particular) are highly
annoying during the battle. Here's a brief list of his attacks he uses.
- Tornado Dance: Tonion dances ballerina-like in a tornado that can carry your character
up, then slam them down into the ground.
- Circle: This move is similar to the Dance, but this time he sheds his onion peels and
sends them in a circular wave attack.
- Tornado Wall: This one is quite easy to dodge. All of his petals form a straight wall
that you can jump over.
- Wiper: This one uses the petals to form a straight line that "wipes" from side to side,
just like a windshield wiper. Jump to dodge.
I suggest using Zero for this fight; this way when Tonion goes into the Tornado Dance,
you can try to get up close and let loose with a Gokumonken attack. If you connect, you
will knock him out of the move as well as do far more damage than X and Axl's pitiful
Gaea Shield would. If using X, simply dash around keeping Tonion in your sights while
blasting his exposed core with charged X-Buster shots. The fight is more annoying due to
the timing than anything else.
=====================
12. Battleship stage:
=====================
Recommended characters: Zero and Axl
This stage is fast-paced, and if you want to rescue all the Reploids, you'll need to be
quick on your toes. Start off racing to the right, avoiding all the Megatortoise and
assorted Metools. There are two Reploids ahead, one of which is in fairly imminent danger
of being killed, so rescue him (Markus) first, then continue dashing until the tower
collapses. The first mini-boss will follow immediately afterward.
Gunbird strategy
================
Use Axl to take this thing out; it's quite easy to have him just rapid-fire the thing to
death. It has three parts you need to destroy: the wings (2) and the head. Just listen
for the auto-target sound and blast away; it should fall without much trouble.
With the Gunbird defeated, you move onto the second area, which is in pretty bad shape.
There are lots of flames around here, and you start off facing a group of Metools and
a Runnerbomb. Dispose of them to grab Joe nearby, then use Zero to take out the Wall
Cannon that's just ahead. There are quite a few more Reploids just ahead; grab Peter
before the Mets can destroy him, and find Chris and Todd behind the crates.
Sub Tank
========
The second Life energy Sub Tank is hidden behind the last stack of crates. Simply move
close to the crate to make the camera look through it. If you really need a reference,
the Tank is right next to where Todd is crying for help.
Moving along, head to the end of this ship and you'll run into a trio of Dragon Blaster
enemies. Zero is the best choice here since he can reflect their shots back at them. Once
they're defeated, you'll move onto the final section of the battleship convoy. This one
is in quite a state of disarray. Move forward, taking out the Metools atop the crates,
and run in quick to grab the Reploids in this area before the exploding crates get them
first. Rick, Phil, and Mauro are the three to get here.
Heart Tank
==========
This handy item is hidden behind the set of crates, almost in the same exact position the
Sub Tank was on the last section of the convoy.
Dash past all the crates, using Zero to take out the shielded Gunbolts. Slash when the
shields drop, and continue dashing past the next couple enemies to reach the open area.
Just ahead, the second mini-boss awaits.
Vulcan strategy
===============
This massive cannon is easily dealt with using X or Axl, depending on who you brought
into the stage. The Vulcan has multiple turrets that fire bursts of shots at you; simply
rapid fire them to destroy them. Whenever you destroy a turret, the Vulcan itself launches
a volley of three immense fireballs at you. Use the lay of the land to dash jump in a
circular formation to dodge all three, then resume your assault on the cannons, making
sure to continue dodging the hail of blue energy bullets. Once you destroy all the turrets.
the Vulcan blows up, along with the ship you're on.
This final area switches to 2D as you navigate the wreckage of the ship. Move across,
taking small steps to ensure you don't lose any Reploids. Andy is of particular concern
since the Kiyun mechaniloids can get him if the shield robot knocks you out. Destroy the
mechaniloid from a distance before rushing in to grab this guy. The others are pretty
simple to get; just keep making your way across the ledges and you'll eventually reach the
platform where the boss will confront you.
Splash Warfly strategy
======================
Now this...is one...annoying as heck fight. Warfly spends most of his time diving around
in the water. You have three areas with which to fight, and to be honest, I recommend
the large orange platform as it gives you the most room to move around on. During the
fight, you'll mostly want to use Axl and his Volt Tornado, though if you brought X, his
charged shots always help. Zero can get in close with the Raijinshou, but it's tough to
aim. Some of Warfly's attacks include:
- Naginata Slash: The lance that Warfly wields can be used for a variety of assault
moves, including forward thrusts, stabbing maneuvers, and twirling baton-style attacks.
Watch out for these, and dash to dodge.
- Splash Laser: This short range burst of water can easily be jumped.
- Tobiwao Missile: This annoying missile he shoots follows you around unless you destroy
it or lure it into the ground.
- Geyser: Jump if you see Warfly stab the ground; his resulting Geyser pops up out of
the water and can cause hefty damage if the attack manages to hit you.
Of the recommended pair for this stage, Zero is your optimum character. The easiest way
to take him out involves getting Warfly to dive underwater, then to resurface. Quickly
dash his way and unleash your Raijishou attack, and repeat every time he resurfaces from
his diving maneuevers. Hopefully you have both Sub Tanks with you in case Warfly gets some
lucky hits in. Keep electrocuting him and you'll take him down eventually.
=======================
13. Lava Factory stage:
=======================
Recommended characters: X and Axl
This stage is long and tough. You need to definitely bring Axl here if you want to make
it out with all of your Reploids intact. His hover and copy ability is completely vital
to this level. Start off heading to the right across the bomb ledges while avoiding the
Metools. Grab the Reploids directly in your path and use X to blow away the Flyers that
pester you for the first part of the level. Eventually you'll reach a Yellow Guardian;
stay back while it sprays its poison, and lay vicious X-Buster attacks on it to clear the
path. After the fourth high platform, dash like mad to save Roy on the other side; move
too slow and the next Red Guardian will trample him. Destroy the Red and Yellow Guardians
in this area, then head on out to the lava area. Avoid the Flyers here as well unless
you want to use Axl to reach B.J. at the top (defeat a Flyer on the first high ledge to
get sufficient height). Make your way across the ledges, defeating the Yellow Guardian
at the end. The next section is quite tough if you wish to save all the Reploids. Switch
out to Axl here and use Copy Shot to mimic Flyers so you can fly above the bomb triggers
to rescue the three Reploids (Tim, Bruce, and Leon) trapped under the bomb segments. The
best way to reach them is to copy a Flyer from far away, fly up and drop down to where
the Reploids are, then simply dodge the Guard Sensors. Keep heading to the right to take
on a few Dragon Blasters, as well as find a helpful 1 Up item beneath you.
Glide Armor Arms
================
This Capsule is located in a small underhang area opposite the 1 Up. Defeat the next
Dragon Blaster and drop down and hang left to reach the upgrade capsule. With the Arm
part equipped, your X-Buster shot does more damage (16 points versus 4 points before),
it makes your shot slightly bigger, and you can charge up your special weapons.
Jump back up to the main path and head to the right a bit more, climbing over one final
ledge to reach the teleport to area 2.
The environment switches to 3D in here as you make your way across a series of ledges in
the lava. In all truth, unless you want the Reploids, you can glide with X or mimic a
Flyer with Axl and fly to the left of the starting point to reach the section leading to
the boss teleport. The rest of the way is rather convoluted, and simply winds you around</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
dealing with multiple threats while rescuing the Reploids.
Heart Tank
==========
The Heart Tank in this level is actually located in a rather unconvential area. After
taking out the Red Guardian, move to the edge of the narrow walkway, and drop off the
edge to land on the pipe below that connects the two ledges. The Heart Tank is sitting
atop this pipe. Grab it without falling into the lava.
From the Heart Tank, it's a simple move to reach the boss teleport. Glide to the ledge
where you pick up Gary, then glide again to the far ledge where the teleport it. This
way you can avoid the massive Yellow Guardian II, but if you do run into it, simply attack
it like normal; it has the same amount of life as the smaller versions. Enter the boss
teleport when you're finished.
Flame Hyenard strategy
======================
OK, scratch the last fight being annoying. This one positively takes the cake. First off,
you start in a large arena, with two Hyenards leaping at you screaming "Burn, burn!!" as
well as firing large fire blasts at you. Shoot a couple and you find that you don't harm
them a bit. Listen to Alia and she tells you to target the horse in the background. Run
around dodging the Hyenards and fire shots with X at the legs to get it to stop. Climb
up the lefthand front leg of the giant horse, and be very careful to position yourself
on the brown area, close to the real Hyenard's location. Doing this ensures that half of
his counterattacks won't be used. Here's the attack breakdown:
- Fireball: The Hyenard doubles hurl fireballs at you.
- Fire Break: The real Hyenard uses this move, and throws more powerful fireball attacks.
- Super Missile: Missiles fire up from the back of the horse and rain down on your
location. Quite difficult to dodge, but they deal little damage.
- Tri Strike: If you follow this strategy, you'll never see this move, but Hyenard calls
his two doubles up from the stage below and the trio will occasionally bum-rush you;
while it doesn't do damage, it leaves you open to the Super Missile attack as well as
other harmful stuff.
From the point where you stop in the center, have X or Axl deplete their stocks of the
Splash Laser on Hyenard, then switch back to X and fire charged X-Buster shots at him.
You'll get hit by the missiles and his Fire Break a lot, but it beats the alternative of
messing with his clones and the Tri Strike move. Though if you really wish to, you can
destroy the ears of the horse mechaniloid - doing so actually stops the missile launcher
from operating, so you'd only have to concern yourself with dodging his Fire Break attack.
Use a Sub Tank if you need to, and Hyenard should go down quickly.
==========================
14. Central Circuit stage:
==========================
Recommended Characters: Zero (and X for the boss fight)
This stage is very straightforward and only slightly difficult. It's simply a race around
a circuit course while collecting 20 time bombs that Boarski has scattered about the
course, though it doesn't feel like a race since getting most of the bombs requires more
precision movement than speeding around the track will provide. This area is full of
Runnerbombs as well as hostage Reploids in need of rescue, and while this stage is quite
possibly the easiest in which to get all of the available Reploids, make it quick because
you only have three minutes for the stage. Use the directional buttons to steer (far
easier than the analog sticks), the X Button to accelerate, and the Square button to fire
your Buster. If you're good enough, you can dodge most everything in your path, though.
When racing around, you might try moving slower to get more precision control for the
trickier bombs, and when you make the giant leap over the ramp, hit the far left side to
pick up the two tricky bombs on the other side. Precision movement is also necessary to
avoid taking insane damage from exploding crates, the myriad of Runnerbombs, and the other
assorted hazards on this race track.
Weapon Sub Tank
===============
This tank is in the first bomb and crate filled stretch, on the left-hand side of the wall
by a large stack of explosive crates.
Heart Tank
==========
This one is in the second long bomb-filled stretch (the one with the electric walls). It's
in the middle of the area, on the right hand side.
Collect all 20 bombs within the three minutes and you'll go on to face the boss.
Ride Boarski strategy
=====================
The only reasons Zero is the only recommended character here are due to his double jump,
his massive attack power with his Saber, and the fact that you can lay some major pain in
on Boarski when he just stands there and takes it. X is good as a sub-character only for
the boss fight (because you can't switch out when on Ride Chasers). If Zero starts getting
whipped, switch to X to use long-range heavy hitting Buster attacks. Here's the list of
attacks Boarski uses in the battle.
- Search Wheel: This moving wheel can come in multiples of three, and semi-seek you out.
- Runnerbombs: There are Runnerbomb enemies at the corners that'll throw grenades at you.
- Laser Rope: This attack starts in the center and sends laser fire spreading in a circle
around the room.
- Lightning Fang: This powerful dash of his doesn't inflict damage, but the intent is to
grab you and shove you into the electrified walls. Some dashing can get you out of it.
Boarski is only made difficult due to his speed and the way the camera can move. Have
Zero with the Bakuenjin ready for this, and lay the assault on when you get close. The
rest of the time, slash away or fire charged Buster shots with X from far away, and this
hot hog should go down quickly.
======================
15. Cyber Field stage:
======================
Recommended characters: X and Axl
Note: Because of how tricky this stage can be, I'll be listing how to get each of the
Reploids in the walkthrough itself.
This stage is full of twists and turns in it and the second area can be quite a bit
disorienting with all the flipping back and forth. From the start of the level, proceed
along the blue paths until you reach the side path leading off to where Rin is located.
Rush in to save him before the Kiyuns take him out, then switch out to Axl and defeat
one of the samurai-like Mushaloids with the Axl Trance to mimic one of them. Move through
the nearby yellow wall to save Daniel. Now proceed through the rest of the first area,
copying another Mushaloid before the teleport and run through the yellow wall to rescue
both Su as well as Rosetta a bit further down the path. Now return and take the teleport
to area 2.
This section is full of flipping sections where you need to jump in teleports, which then
reverse the direction of the screen (and no, flipping yourself upside down and playing
that way doesn't help since the controls are not reversed), essentially making it so
you're now walking on the ceiling. (For some reason, I now think Gravity Man's level in 3D
would not be so cool). From the start, move to the first orange platform and flip, then
run back to the underside of your start area to rescue Doug. Return to the upper side, and
head right. Defeat a Mushaloid with Axl Trance to move through the yellow wall and grab
Marry, then return and head left to reach another teleport to the under side. Head left
past the new Cyberstone enemy to find Cliff hanging out, then head up-screen to the next
teleport.
Heart Tank
==========
Nothing to this one at all. The teleport from above drops you right in front of it. Whee.
Take the same teleport you just took (the other one leads to a dead end, and on occasion,
has dropped me into a pit...so don't take it) and run back to the right past the Cyber-
stone, taking the teleport back to the upper side of the area. Run past the next Mushaloid
and skip the next teleport as well. Continue heading up and to the right to reach a large
orange teleport platform. Take it and dash quickly to save both Brian and Jelly (what
kind of name is that?) from the offending nearby Balldovers, then head up and left to the
next small one. Richie awaits you here, slightly to the left. Return via the teleport
back to the right, and dash up and left from your landing point to get to the Reploid
Malibe before the Mushaloid does. Defeat said Mushaloid with Axl Trance to gain passage
through the next yellow wall, in order to faciliate in rescuing Marc. (Just how are these
Reploids getting trapped back here, anyway?). Return and head back left, taking the tele-
port you skipped earlier. Now you can send Colin safely home; when you finish with him,
head right and away from the Cyberstone. Don is located in here, but you want to take a
roundabout route to ensure one of the rocks the Cyberstone shoots doesn't intercept him
first. Head right and seek out the large teleport platform to locate Hide, as well as
a nice treasure.
Glide Armor Head
================
The Capsule for this new upgrade is located here, and in my opinion, looks cooler in
3D than in 2D. Anyway, Light is quite... off topic about certain things. Equipping the
Helmet Part gives X the ability to absorb energy from farther away... can we tell Capcom
is straining for ideas here?
From here, take the teleport back, and wind your way forward a bit more, and you'll soon
get dropped right in front of the warp to the boss.
Snipe Anteator strategy
=======================
I don't know what else to say, really. Use X for this fight, since his Buster shots can
actually travel through the circular column. The Moving Wheel barely affects Anteator
anyway, so don't bother with it. Learn to avoid Anteator's array of attacks, and you
should be fine.
- Spiral Claw: This is usually his opening attack. Large spirals cover most of the column
here, but sticking to the far sides allows you to avoid them. They just tend to come
in copious amounts.
- Soldier Ant: A laughable attack, but one that can still do decent damage. Anteator
positions his ants all over the column, and if you move too close, they go boom. And
my, they have a large blast radius.
- Laser Pod: These appear at his halfway mark. Laser pods encircle Anteator, and fire
off laser bolts at you. As you continue to beat him down, they act independently,
firing at you from random angles. Very, very annoying.
- Homing Missile: These are downright annoying. As you whittle his life down, he sends
more and more of these out, turning the battle into an all-out slugfest to see who
can inflict damage faster.
Anteator presents a problem only in that his attacks fill the screen and can be quite
lethal if not dodged in time. That coupled with the fact that some of them will damage
you no matter what adds to the fun and games. All I can say is have X ready to unleash
an unceasing barrage of charged Buster fire upon this one.
=====================
16. Air Forces stage:
=====================
Recommended characters: X and Axl
The first part of this stage is tough, and at times, I think, rather unfair. You are set
down atop a convoy of Red Alert jets (I think they're Red Alert jets...), and you must
cross along the tops of them to reach the Mothership. This level would probably be easier
in 2D, but oh well - this *is* a 3D game. Leap from ship to ship; some of them require
climbing/flying/gliding/dash jumping to reach, so use whatever combo works for you. Once
you reach the red jet to the right, make note of its location.
Heart Tank
==========
This one is tricky. So tricky, in fact, that it's best for you to not get it your first
run through. Since the jet you're on blows up rather quickly, simply grab the Reploid
and move on. Revisit the stage, and use Axl to mimic a Flyer enemy so you can then fly
to the Heart Tank (or X to glide...or Zero to double jump...).
Moving along, leap from the exploding red jet to the other one. There are Reploids to
be rescued above you, as are some back off to the side, but you can try for them later.
Keep dash jumping from ship to ship until you reach the final red one. It takes you to
the wing of the Mothership. Dash quickly to grab Herbie before the laser gets him, then
stand on the center structure and use X to hammer away at the two laser cannons. Once you
blow them up, the odd Birdie will challenge you. Not even warranting a strategy, simply
hammer three or four charged shots at this worthless guardian, and you'll move inside.
The interior of the ship is filled with Runnerbombs. Navigate the hallways until you
reach the staircase. Take out the Pest Gunner on the wall, then continue down. Avoid the
large Apeloid down here, and dash into the hangar area. Make your way around the area,
using X to glide if you so need it. Once you make your rounds of the hangar, run down
the short alley to rescue Emitt from the RUnnerbomb down there, then head into the
final hallway area.
Glide Armor Body
================
Head left at the fork, and wind past the Pest Gunners. The Reploid Damon awaits back here,
as does a full life energy, and of course, the Light Capsule. Light makes more cryptic
statements here as well. This part reduces recoil and damage intake, as well as enables
the powerful Giga Crash (similar to his X2 move courtesy of the Giga Armor).
With the Glide Armor complete, head back out and resume your assault on the remaining
Pest Gunners. Down the stairs, more Runnerbombs await. Take them out, and go down the
next small set of stairs. Circle the room to nab Kim before the Apeloid kills her, and
take out the enemies if you wish, or simply rush to the gate at the end to reach the
boss.
Wind Crowrang strategy
======================
Crowrang is a punk, what can I say? Thankfully, he's a rather wimpy punk, one of those
Mavericks who's all talk with little to back it up. (I actually had a joke theory about
the Sigma Virus giving false senses of strength to those infected; it seems to be the
only rational explanation for why at this stage in the series, there are Mavericks who
can honestly think that the appearance of X and Zero isn't the sound of death knocking.)
Anyway, Wind Crowrang has an annoying habit of retreating to the background to launch his
attacks, and the speed at which he can move somewhat hinders X or Axl's ability to lock
on, so you'll find yourself dodging the majority of his attacks until he decides to land.
Watch out for his assorted attacks, learn to dodge them, and you should do fine.
- Tanken Boomerang: This boomerang attack come from the background, pause near the ground,
then angle up to try and strike you. Try dashing away from them.
- Taitari Kougeki: This is his divebomb move. When he disappears, get out from where you
previously were because he's coming down right in that spot.
- Tanken: When Crowrang dashes at you, he has his Tanken blade extended to attempt a
slashing attack. Dash jump or double jump over this.
- Feather Missile: These too come out of the background. Zero can knock them back at
Crowrang, if you happen to have Zero in reserve.
- Cyclone: This attack comes seemingly randomly; Zero can double-jump over it, however, if
you hit Crowrang with an attack as he's about to fire it, you can usually cancel it.
Dodging the boomerangs are about the easiest thing, since they pause before striking,
giving you the chance to dash away from them. With X, try to launch charged shots at
him whenever possible, and when he lands atop the ship, try switching to Zero to lay some
smack-down on him with his Heijin attack. X really shouldn't even bother with the Sniper
Missile since the weapon tends to chase his projectiles, and even when they do connect,
they barely do any damage. Use Zero to double jump over his cyclone attack, and keep
blasting him to take him down.
======================
17. Palace Road stage:
======================
Recommended characters: X and Zero
This entire level is an autoscrolling stage while you flee from the gigantic Molebore. All
you can do is run and dash to try to stay ahead of it. Use X for this part so you can
charge up and blast the enemies in your path as well as glide over the gaps. The majority
of the enemies in this level consist of the barrel variety, Balldovers, and Crash Roaders.
They are relatively simple to dodge, plus with X's recovery helmet, you can absorb energy
they drop from farther away. The second area of the stage is a bit tougher as you're
running forward for the whole time, so you don't get a lot of warning about a lot of
stuff ahead of you. Still, try to stay ahead and use X to glide over the majority of the
obstacles and/or clear a section of broken road. When the perspective switches, quickly
get to the upper corner to grab the 1-Up and the full life energy; you'll probably need it
for the fight ahead.
Molebore strategy
=================
The Molebore has been pestering you the entire time during this level, now's the time to
put an end to its mad reign of terror. Here's the attacks to watch for:
- Roller Cutter: These cutter blades can home in on you, and X's Buster can take out a
cluster of them quite nicely.
- Spread Laser: This one is rather nasty, as it's tough to avoid. The Molebore opens up
and utilizes a laser blast that follows you around.
- Rushing: This is a simple dashing attack where the Molebore tries to rush you three
times.
Defeating the Molebore isn't hard at all. Simply blast it until you break away the front
portion of it, then wait for opportunities to strike when the Molebore opens up for the
laser blast. X is the optimum person to use, but Zero can get in and get a few nice
slashes in there. Destroy it and move on to the Palace.
============================
18. Crimson Palace, stage 1:
============================
Recommended characters: X and Zero
Ah, a nice 2D level. Start off heading to the right up the incline. Use Zero to take out
the multiple Batontons that follow you, then climb the wall at the end and air-dash to
the left to reach the next ledge. Defeat the Metools in here with X's Buster, then move
forward to trigger the giant metal stone. Duck into the pit to avoid taking damage, then
switch to Zero when it's over and climb the next wall, air-dashing to the right. Take
down more Batontons and Metools, switch to X and duck into the pit. Repeat until you
reach the top of this area and take the teleport. Be mindful, though, one of the metal
stone segments has no pit to duck into; you'll have to cling high to the wall to avoid
damage. The teleport at the top leads to Red (my, what a short stage...).
Red strategy
============
Fighting Red isn't so much difficult, but avoiding his Bunshin attack where he summons
phantom doubles as well as leaping from platform to platform is what ups the difficulty
here. Practice and get good; this fight is prime fodder for training on the final Sigma
battle ahead. Red has several attacks you will definitely need to watch out for.
- Scythe Blade: Red uses this if you get too close to him; he swings his scyte in a wide
arc and repeatedly attacks you until you either move away or he teleports. Be smart
and don't get close.
- Bunshin: His semi-transparent phantom doubles do most of the attacking for him. Watch
for them to appear, then dash-jump out of the way to another platform.
- Tornado: This is rather tough to predict, though if it occurs you do have a bit of safe
time with which to leap to another platform. Basically Red appears and summons tornadoes
to hit the four adjacent platforms to him. He's invulnerable during this attack.
- Wide Shot: Red counters with this should you attempt a long-range attack on him. Use X
to fire a Buster shot, then dash jump out of the way as soon as you see your shot
connect to dodge the counter.
Battling Red is pretty straightforward, actually. You get two free shots at the beginning
before he starts teleporting, so use them to blast him from his center column while
dodging his retaliatory Wide Shots. Keep leaping around until you see him materalize
again, and make sure you're not seeing one of his doubles (look for who you lock-on to),
and let loose another shot. While the camera can sometimes be a bit difficult as it won't
always keep behind you, you can rotate it around (which helps immensely) to search for
Red. As long as you're faster than his Bunshin doubles, this fight should be a piece of
cake.
Red bids farewell to Axl now that he's defeated, and it takes Zero dragging him out to
get Axl to abandon his mentor. Such a touching scene. No, really. Anyway, onto the next
and final level.
===========================
19. Crimson Palace stage 2:
===========================
Recommended characters: X and Zero (Axl if you wish to get his ending)
You immediately begin following Red's lair, with no chance to save. Start off by grabbing
the full life energy to restore any damage as well as put some hefty energy into any
Sub Tank you might have used, then survey the room. You have two path choices to go either
left or right. The right-hand path is a shortcut of sorts, while the left-hand path takes
you through a treacherous area chock full of lasers, pits, Runnerbombs and Red Hellguarter
mechaniloids (fire-breathing wolf-like robots that look quite similar to Sigma's old pet,
Velguader (back in X1). For sake of completeness, I'll go over the left-hand path.
Left-hand path
==============
Ooh, this one is for the ones that like it tough. This section has a lot of platform
jumping and pit avoiding, and cannot be navigated unless you use X or Axl. So you need
to switch to whichever of the two you have as primary/secondary to navigate the wide
pits. Start off heading to the right, leaping across the ledges and take out the Runner-
bombs below you. As you progress, you'll run into more of those security lasers from
back in the intro stage. Here's where it gets slightly tricky. From here, you'll have to
alternate between firing shots at the Red Hellguarters in your path while keeping the
beams deactivated (keep shooting them as well). Keep pressing on until you reach a large
gap - glide or hover across to reach a suspended ledge, then preferably use X to leap
into the pit, but glide just as you get below where you were standing so you can still
reach the wall. This allows you to safely cling to the wall and get a lock-on to fire
shots at the Hellguarter that would have otherwise toasted you. Keep going and glide
across another pit to eventually reach the teleport to the next section.
Oh, joy. Guard Sensors. Move forward and dash jump to the left to avoid the first one,
then move forward a bit and take aim at the Megatortoise II from across the pit. Once it's
been eliminated, carefully dash jump across the pit. If you miss and hit the Guard Sensor,
you'll likely get knocked right into the pits. As you advance, the platforms are totally
awash in more Guard Sensors and Megatortoise II's. When possible, leap close to the
Guard Sensor bases and target the Megatortoise IIs around you as the sensor beams can't
hit you from this vantage point. When the area is clear of the three tortoises, wait for
the break in the beams and leap forward to the safe ledge. Eliminate one more Megatortoise
II, and leap to the platform in front of you. Be careful; it's higher than it looks, and
X will have to climb up part of it to reach the top. Once you do, simply head along the
remainder of the path to reach the teleport to area 3.
Right-hand path
===============
This path is quite easy. At the start, move forward and you'll locate a Gouden Ride Armor.
Don't hop in it just yet; it most likely won't last long against the onslaught of Plot
Rides that's headed your way. As X, stick yourself in the foyer of the area and fire off
charged blasts at the Plot Rides. Switch to Zero as needed to destroy incoming missile
attacks. When you've taken down a few of them (around 10), hop in your armor and run
forward a little ways to fire off your shoulder rockets at the Yellow Guardian II that
stands in the center of the area. Once the mega-sized Guardian is down, use your remaining
power to waste the other Plot Rides in the room. When all twenty have been destroyed, run
to the back of the room and climb up the wall to reach the teleport to area 3.
Depending on which path you took, you'll start off at one of two corners. The left hand
one sets you down farther up, so you'll have to actually drop down in order to target the
two Blue Hellguarters (more difficult ones than the red ones); if you come from the right
side, simply walk forward a bit until you target one. Attack them from a distance as they
have very mean melee style attacks if you provoke them. Take out the pair that occupies
this section, then turn to face another red one guarding the bridge. Eliminate it and head
through the gate to the final section of this level.
Walk forward a bit until you hear your auto-lock activate (if using X, of course), then
stand there and pelt away at the Red Hellguarter. Switch to Zero and have him take out the
Batontons that follow you next, then back to X as you run into the next Red Hellguarter
(you'll be facing a lot of them in this stage; any time you hear yourself lock-on to
something that you can't see, chances are it's a Red Hellguarter, so advance slowly at
that point). Take it out as you progress up the incline, as well as all others in your
path. Eventually, you reach a giant Apesting, a spiked version of the Apestone from
Stonekong's jungle level. These hurt you on contact, so you need to find a way around
them. The best method is well-timed dashes underneath them; started at the right point,
you can clear the offending stone creatures without a scratch. Continue assaulting the
Batontons and Red Hellguarters until you run into some spike pits. Normally this would
call for some different measures, but looks are deceiving. Either X/Zero/Axl have enough
forward momentum, or there is some surface over the spikes. Whatever the case, more well-
placed dashes will carry you over. Eliminate the Hellguarter on the other side, and head
to the next spike pit. Here, the same principle applies; this time wait at the right-most
edge of the spike pit until the Apesting moves to its farthest point left, then dash to
safely make it across. After you cross, you'll have to get across a pit section. Simple
enough in of itself, but there's a nice Red Hellguarter on the other side. If you've got
the energy to spare, just rush it to the Apestones across the way, or if you like to
conserve energy, use X to leap slightly off the edge and glide to the other side where
you're still below the range of the Hellguarter's fire attack. From here, stick to the
wall and fire charged shots at it until it blows apart. After that, cross the two normal
Apestones hovering over the chasm to reach the next teleport, which transports you to
the boss rematch teleport room.
The teleport room (FYI, it's actually given a name this time around - the "Reploid Grave-
yard". Oooh, creepy.) is a a bit hard to write up a layout for since it appears in 3D
this time around, but try your best to follow along. This is looking at the room for a
top-down perspective, as if you were hovering above the room.
Vanishing Gungaroo
--- Tornado Tonion
Snipe Anteator Flame Hyenard ---
--- --- Ride Boarski Splash Warfly
--- ---
Wind Crowrang Soldier Stonekong
--- ---
{W} {E}
The {W} and {E} indicate the energy refills. Of course, collect them even if you don't
really need them, as they refill your Sub Tanks. For an additonal reference guide, check
this image:
<<
http://megaman.retrofaction.com/mmx/guides/x7teleports.jpe >>
This is a hand-drawn image of the teleport room setup as it would normally appear on the
screen. While I obviously cannot emulate every detail, you should be able to more than
understand the layout using this. Anyway, re-defeat all eight of the Red Alert Generals,
and the portal to you-know-who opens up. And because we as the players weren't supposed to
know it already, Sigma is alive and well, fully recovered from the psychosis that plagued
him in X6. His dialogue is quite witty, too; I have to give him points in that category.
Sigma strategy, phase 1
=======================
This battle takes place in 2D, and Sigma comes in packing some heavy ordnance there. My
only question is why the heck he stocks up on those insane cannons if he never uses them?
Perhaps they're simply for show. Anyway, Sigma has one heck of a nifty rifle gun that he
uses to either fire armor-piercing (hehe) energy bullets at you, or in the event that you
dare to counterattack, blocks your attacks. As you can probably guess, he can't use the
gun to block you if he's busy firing at you or otherwise using it. Thus, your attacks
should only come when he's in his occasionally vulnerable phases. Watch out for his
attacks, learn to dodge accordingly, and you'll have an edge.
- Bound Shot: This is his three-burst rifle shot that richochets off the walls.
- Double Shot: When he attacks from the background, Sigma peppers the room with his
twin pistol attacks. If you're high, go low; and if you're low, go high to dodge.
- Cannon Laser: Sigma puts away the rifle gun and brings out a massive cannon. If you're
on the ground, duck to avoid the blast.
This fight is really a lot simpler than it looks. For one, use X; his charged shots are
your best best. Start off by leaping up on the wall and air-dashing to the platform in
the center. The fight may get quite tedious doing this, but almost all of Sigma's attacks
bounce off or don't reach up here. Simply hang out waiting for Sigma to move to where your
lock-on activates, then blast away. Continue to do so even during the laser attack. When
he moves to the background, fire some more if you acquire a lock; otherwise drop down and
try to avoid the bullet spread. When he's done with this, return to the platform and
resume firing. If you find yourself on the ground, or find Sigma repeatedly using a
pattern where you can't get at him, don't be afraid to drop down and fire off a Wind
Cutter or two; these stun him as well as interrupt his attacks. Repeat the process until
you inflict the last blow and Sigma explodes...
Sigma strategy, phase 2
=======================
"Are you ready for the real thing?"
..and becomes about 100 times bigger. Far surpassing his old Kaiser or Gamma battle body
forms, Sigma becomes so massive that the battle no longer takes place in the Crimson
Palace; he takes to the skies with this form, and yes, that little ant in the center of
the screen is you. Interestingly your primary concern shouldn't be his attacks, but rather
with making sure you don't plummet to your untimely demise. Here's a short list of the
moves Sigma brings to this round.
- Laser Bolt: Sigma executes a horizontal laser that sweeps trying to hit you. Jump over
it (don't double jump) to dodge.
- Spark Seek: The green sparks that Sigma launches are semi-seeking in that they come
down on your location. Activate the Gaea Shield to knock them back at Sigma.
- Giga Fist: This one is mean. If Sigma remains stationary in the background for more than
three seconds, chances are he's going to lunge at you with a massive punching attack.
However, using the neat little trick detailed below, this attack will never have any
effect on you. Hehe.
- Flame Blast: This is when Sigma appears far off and spins, hurling fireballs. Stick it
out in the small corner ledge detailed in the strategy below, or if you like moving
around, hang out in the left-most upper ledge to dodge.
- Tornado Fire: Sigma appears up close and personal, trying to blast you with fire. Either
use X to rapid fire to cause damage, or use Zero to knock the fireballs back at him.
Fighting Sigma is rather straightforward, actually. For one, you have plenty of chances to
actually hit him, and for two, with the right amount of dodging, his attacks are quite
easy to dodge. However, there's a method for beating this form that is so ingenious in its
execution that you can actually beat Sigma without taking so much as a hit, but get this:
You don't ever have to move! First off, refer to this handy image of the battlefield:
<<
http://megaman.retrofaction.com/mmx/guides/sigma.gif >>
Now, move yourself to that little square sticking out of the platform indicated, and move
as far back on it as you can without falling off, and keep your finger near the L2 Button
if you have Zero as your backup character. It's actually easier to stick with X for this
fight if you use this method, switching out to Zero only to attack Sigma when he punches.
Now, all you need to do is stick it out in your little corner of the sky and use the Gaea
Shield as appropriate to deflect most incoming attacks. The Shield will block the Spark
Seek orbs, but you'll need to use X to rapid-fire or use the Z-Saber to deflect the blasts
from the Tornado Fire. Flame Blast will completely miss you standing here as well; and
when he uses the Laser Bolt, simply do a single jump as it comes once, then jump again as
it comes back, using Sigma's close proximity to knock off about three to four charged X-
Buster shots. Now here's where the beauty of this strategy really comes into play.
Normally your gut instinct is to run screaming when you see the Giga Fist coming, but lo!
Standing in this little enclave causes Sigma to hit the front of the rock chunk in front
of you, while setting up a perfect opportunity to slash away at his arm. And should you
wish to get another character's ending, simply switch out right before you set off your
final attack, and you'll have no worries. Just remember not to move at all from your
position except to jump straight up to dodge the Laser Blast or moving slightly right to
dodge the 4th Spark Seek (if your shield dissapates before it hits). Other than this, this
is a nearly flawless method to taking Sigma down.
Sigma's beaten once again, he promises to return in a new body, yadda yadda yadda. Mega
Man X8? Only time will tell.
=========================
20. Weapons & Techniques:
=========================
As in previous titles, X gets new weapons (so does Axl, for the most part), and Zero
either learns new Saber techniques, or he physically earns a new melee weapon. Unlike
previous titles, however, all three characters (well, the two that you take into battle)
will siphon off of the same weapon energy meter, so don't expect going into a fight that
you'll have double of what you normally get <- that's what your Weapon Sub-Tank is for.
As stated above, Axl acquires weapon data the same as X does, though just like Zero, he
can earn new guns which he can use, such as a dual pistol set, a bazooka, or a laser
pistol.
What follows is a list of each attack or technique you earn, what (if any) alternate
weapon is activated, and descriptions on how they work.
Mega Man X's Weapons
--------------------
- Explosion: (NORMAL) X fires a slow moving, short-range explosive burst that travels
forward. | (CHARGED) X creates a powerful blast that fires in all four cardinal
directions as well as straight forward.
- Gaea Shield: (NORMAL) X creates a rock shield that blocks attacks for a set time. |
(CHARGED) X creates a larger shield that fires massive rock chunks in front and to the
rear.
- Volt Tornado: (NORMAL) X creates a spinning cyclone that slowly moves forward in the
direction you were facing. | (CHARGED) X becomes charged with electricity, and can
inflict damage simply by touching an enemy.
- Splash Laser: (NORMAL) X fires a short-range burst of water that travels in a downward
arc. | (CHARGED) X unleashes a massive volley of bubbles that travel forward.
- Circle Blaze: (NORMAL) X fires a short-range fireball that creates a wide sphere of
flame upon contact with an enemy. | (CHARGED) A larger version than Normal, except the
blasts explode in a massive display that lasts for a longer time span.
- Moving Wheel: (NORMAL) X fires off a simple wheel that travels along the ground. Similar
in execution and style to Mega Man X2's Spin Wheel weapon. | (CHARGED) X fires off a
set of three Moving Wheels, two of which fly in an arc.
- Sniper Missile: (NORMAL) X fires off a simple missile that sometimes homes in on the
closest targets. | (CHARGED) X fires three larger missiles which explode into large
fireballs upon impacting the unfortunate enemy.
- Wind Cutter: (NORMAL) X fires a screen-length boomerang that cuts through just about
anything in its path. | (CHARGED) X creates a spread attack that fires wind shots in
eight directions.
Zero's Techniques
-----------------
- Hadangeki: Press Special Attack while standing still. Zero uses his Saber to fire a
wide blast of energy forward.
- Gokumonken: Hold down Attack to enter a fighting stance; enemy shots that hit Zero
during this phase bounce off his Saber, and if any small mechaniloids venture near, he
counters with an aggressive rising slash.
- Raijinshou: Press Special Attack while dashing. Zero leaps with an upward thrust, at the
same time creating a massive cyclone of electric energy.
- Suiretusen / D-Glaive: The D-Glaive itself is a new melee style weapon that replaces the
Z-Saber. It's handy, but you don't have the versatility with it you do with your Saber.
The actual technique you learn is activated by pressing Special Attack when this weapon
is selected; it results in a powerful forward thrust that sends an energy burst forward.
- Bakuenjin: Zero gains his Giga Attack move from previous games, though it's spiced up
a bit here. It is still activated using R2, and still uses weapon energy.
- Zankourin: Press Special Attack while running. Zero uses his Saber to fire off a moving
energy wheel that slices through anything it hits.
- Hieijin: Press Special Attack while jumping. Zero hurls a small missile that can home
in on enemies.
- Souenbu / V-Hanger: Zero gains a pair of twin daggers with the V-Hanger. With them, he
can create a powerful 5-strike combo attack. To use Souenbu, press Special Attack while
using the V-Hanger daggers to create a powerful boomerang that seeks the closest target.
Axl's Weapons
-------------
- Explosion / G-Launcher: The G-Launcher is a bazooka style weapon for Axl to use. With
it, he fires faster versions of X's Explosion move, and they do slightly more damage.
- Gaea Shield: See X's Normal version.
- Volt Tornado / Ray Gun: With the Ray Gun, Axl can fire laser bolts that can travel
through almost any obstacle. Using the actual weapon behaves exactly like X's normal
version.
- Splash Laser: See X's Normal version.
- Circle Blaze / Double Bullet: Using this weapon, Axl gains a set of twin pistols to
use as the means of attack. Axl can use his normal Axl Bullet when equipped with it,
but can still fire with his twin guns. Using the Circle Blaze results in the same basic
attack as it does using X.
- Moving Wheel: See X's Normal version.
- Sniper Missile: See X's Normal version.
- Wind Cutter: See X's Normal version.
=============================
21. Minor Enemy Mechaniloids:
=============================
This is a listing of all the minor enemy mechaniloids you'll run into during the course of
battling through Mega Man X7. They're broken down by their description, where you'll find
them, what DNA data they can leave behind for Axl to pick up, as well as their HP count.
1) Antenna Shield
Description: rotating shield enemies found over some pits
Location: Tornado Tonion's stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 4
2) Apeloid
Description: giant ape-like mechaniloid; wields a heavy broadsword
Location: Wind Crowrang's stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 48
3) Apestone
Description: large stone heads; gray colored; they move up and down or spit rocks
Location: Soldier Stonekong's stage, Crimson Palace stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 16
4) Apesting
Description: large stone heads; brownish colored, they have spiked backs and hurt you
Location: Crimson Palace stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: [Cannot be destroyed]
5) Balldover
Description: large walking mechaniloids; last seen in X1
Location: Intro stage 2, Snipe Anteator's stage, Palace Road stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 9
6) Balldover Shot
Description: normal Balldover model, only these are completely stationary
Location: Intro stage 2, Crimson Palace stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 9
7) Batonton
Description: flying bat mechaniloids; previously from MM Classic and earlier MMX titles
Location: Tornado Tonion's stage, Crimson Palace stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 8
8) Beeblader
Description: giant bee-like mechaniloid, produces Balldover mechaniloids
Location: Intro stage 2 (x3)
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 58
9) Blockape
Description: monkey-like enemies that line up to shoot rocks at you
Location: Soldier Stonekong's stage
DNA Core: Life Recover
HP: 8
10) Blue Hellguarter
Description: blue wolf mechaniloids; they excel at melee combat
Location: Crimson Palace stage (x2)
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 96
11) Bounding
Description: mechaniloids that can leap up to attack
Location: Tornado Tonion's stage
DNA Core: Bounding Form
HP: 16
12) Cone Mettool
Description: common Mettool with a cone atop its head like a roadblock
Location: Ride Boarski's stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 2
13) Crash Roader
Description: single-wheeled mechaniloids that accelerate to try and run you over
Location: Palace Road stage
DNA Core: Speed Up
HP: 8
14) Dragon Blaster
Description: giant dragon head mechaniloids
Location: Splash Warfly's stage, Flame Hyenard's stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 40
15) Flyer
Description: enemy mechaniloid that can fly around peppering you with shots
Location: Flame Hyenard's stage, Wind Crowrang's stage
DNA Core: Flyer Form
HP: 8
16) Gunbolt
Description: large cannons sometimes protected by rotating energy shields
Location: Splash Warfly's stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 48
17) Kiyun
Description: flying bee mechaniloids that dive-bomb to attack
Location: Intro stage 2, Soldier Stonekong's stage, Splash Warfly's stage, Snipe
Anteator's stage, Wind Crowrang's stage
DNA Core: Speed Up
HP: 4
18) Megatortoise
Description: giant tortoise-like mechaniloids
Location: Vanishing Gungaroo's stage, Splash Warfly's stage, Crimson Palace stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 32
19) Megatortoise II
Description: even larget version of the Megatortoise
Location: Crimson Palace stage 2; left-hand path
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 48
20) Metal Stone
Description: metallic stone boulder that can roll down inclines
Location: Crimson Palace stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: [Cannot be destroyed]
21) Mettool-S
Description: standard Mettool enemy from MM Classic and MMX games
Location: Splash Warfly's stage, Flame Hyenard's stage, Wind Crowrang's stage, Crimson
Palace stage
DNA Core: 1-Shot Shield
HP: 2
22) Mushaloid
Description: giant samurai-like mechaniloids
Location: Snipe Anteator's stage
DNA Core: Mushaloid Form
HP: 12
23) Pest Gunner
Description: wall-mounted cannons whose shots home in on you
Location: Vanishing Gungaroo's stage, Wind Crowrang's stage
DNA Core: Shot Speed Up
HP: 4
24) Plot Ride
Description: remotely-piloted Ride Armor enemies found in the game
Location: Vanishing Gungaroo's stage, Crimson Palace stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 32-48; as you defeat more and more in a swarm, they get tougher
25) Radardroid
Description: small mechaniloid that can track you and throw up a small shield
Location: Intro stage 1
DNA Core: 1-Shot Shield
HP: 9
26) Red Guardian
Description: red version of Guardian mechaniloid; built for close-range combat/speed
Location: Flame Hyenard's stage, Crimson Palace stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 64
27) Red Hellguarter
Description: red wolf mechaniloids; they are built for distance attacking
Location: Crimson Palace stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 48
28) Rolling Boulder
Description: giant stone boulder that can roll down inclines
Location: Soldier Stonekong's stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 96
29) Ruinsman
Description: statue that retaliates if provoked
Location: Soldier Stonekong's stage
DNA Core: Ruinsman Form
HP: 64
30) Ruinsman II
Description: larger version of Ruinsman
Location: Soldier Stonekong's stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 64
31) Runnerbomb
Description: mechaniloid with wheeled feet that can throw incendiary bombs
Location: Intro stage 1, Vanishing Gungaroo's stage, Splash Warfly's stage, Ride
Boarski's stage, Wind Crowrang's stage, Crimson Palace stage
DNA Core: Runnerbomb Form
HP: 8-12; those during the fight with Boarski have higher HP
32) Scrap Mettool
Description: common Mettool enemy that can toss scrap junk
Location: Splash Warfly's stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 4
33) Yellow Guardian
Description: yellow version of Guardian mechaniloid, built for distance attacking
Location: Flame Hyenard's stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 32
34) Yellow Guardian II
Description: larger version of Yellow Guardian
Location: Flame Hyenard's stage, Crimson Palace stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 32
35) Wall Blaster
Description: wall mounted sets of laser cannons
Location: Vanishing Gungaroo's stage, Splash Warfly's stage
DNA Core: N/A
HP: 8 per laser eye
==================
22. Upgrade Items:
==================
This section tabulates the items that you will find in the game to boost your Hunters'
various abilities and stamina, broken down by the levels they can be found in. Here are
the types of items you'll come across:
- Life Ups: There are 24 total, so ideally each character receives 8. These increase the
size of your life meter each time by 4 points.
- Weapon Ups: There are 24 total. These increase the size of the weapon energy meter each
time by 4 points. Remember that all three characters siphon off the same weapon meter,
so it doesn't matter at all who gets the Weapon Ups.
- Power Up Chips: These are earned from Reploids as well; there are two per stage, and
these are what you use to level up your characters to enhance their abilities. What part
you can get is wholly determined on who you give it to and what attribute; there is no
real set order for which Reploid gives which part, unlike Mega Man X6's Reploid System.
- 1 Ups: In previous games, all Reploids gave you 1-Ups upon being rescued. Thankfully
that's gone from this title, but one Reploid in each stage will still give you an extra
life, and there are some other ones scattered about other stages. Here are the locations
and which Reploids will give them to you.
- Sub Tanks: There are four of these; two Energy, one Weapon, and one EX. The Energy ones
restore your life meter, the Weapon one refills your complement of one weapon, and the
EX item gives you two extra lives to start each level with (5 instead of 3).
- Light Capsules: These four capsules are the key to equipping X's Glide Armor. Only X
can access the data contained within them.
Vanishing Gungaroo's stage
--------------------------
- Heart Tank: atop a pillar in final area.
- Life Up: rescue Dan.
- Life Up: defeat Vanishing Gungaroo.
- Weapon Up: rescue Al.
- Weapon Up: rescue Duane.
- Weapon Up: defeat Vanishing Gungaroo.
- Power Up: rescue Fay.
- Power Up: rescue Michael.
- 1 Up: rescue Lee.
- Energy Sub Tank: atop another pillar in final area.
Soldier Stonekong's stage
-------------------------
- Heart Tank: destroy one of the Apestones on the ground.
- Life Up: rescue Huey.
- Life Up: defeat Soldier Stonekong.
- Weapon Up: rescue Luise.
- Weapon Up: rescue Roger.
- Weapon Up: defeat Soldier Stonekong.
- Power Up: rescue Dave.
- Power Up: rescue Simon.
- 1 Up: directly to left of starting point.
- 1 Up: rescue Isaac.
- EX Item: ride last Apestone moving vertically and double jump to left.
- Leg Upgrade (X): after two Apestones stacked atop each other, head left to find it.
Tornado Tonion's stage
----------------------
- Heart Tank: hidden in second vanishing block.
- Life Up: rescue Alison
- Life Up: defeat Tornado Tonion.
- Weapon Up: rescue Julia.
- Weapon Up: rescue Cindy.
- Weapon Up: defeat Tornado Tonion.
- Power Up: rescue Keiko.
- Power Up: rescue Lily.
- 1 Up: rescue Tracy.
Splash Warfly's stage
---------------------
- Heart Tank: behind crate on left side in second area.
- Life Up: rescue Bill
- Life Up: defeat Splash Warfly.
- Weapon Up: rescue Markus.
- Weapon Up: rescue Henly.
- Weapon Up: defeat Splash Warfly.
- Power Up: rescue Peter.
- Power Up: rescue Rick.
- 1 Up: rescue Chris.
- Energy Sub Tank: behind crate on left side in third area.
Flame Hyenard's stage
---------------------
- Heart Tank: on narrow bridge by lava in final area.
- Life Up: rescue Gary
- Life Up: defeat Flame Hyenard.
- Weapon Up: rescue Tony.
- Weapon Up: rescue Trevor.
- Weapon Up: defeat Flame Hyenard.
- Power Up: rescue Tim.
- Power Up: rescue Matthew.
- 1 Up: rescue B.J.
- 1 Up: in small pit section to left of Light capsule.
- Arm Upgrade (X): after first Dragon Blaster, down in an alcove.
Ride Boarski's stage
--------------------
- Heart Tank: on right side of course in electric section.
- Life Up: rescue Mario
- Life Up: defeat Ride Boarski.
- Weapon Up: rescue Dolf.
- Weapon Up: rescue Sam.
- Weapon Up: defeat Ride Boarski.
- Power Up: rescue Rock.
- Power Up: rescue Tanaka.
- 1 Up: rescue Scott.
- Weapon Sub Tank: in first explosive-filled area on left side near some crates.
Snipe Anteator's stage
----------------------
- Heart Tank: found by taking one of the flip teleports.
- Life Up: rescue Ted
- Life Up: defeat Snipe Anteator.
- Weapon Up: rescue Daniel.
- Weapon Up: rescue Jelly.</pre><pre id="faqspan-3">
- Weapon Up: defeat Snipe Anteator.
- Power Up: rescue Rin.
- Power Up: Rescue Malibe.
- 1 Up: rescue Don.
- Head Upgrade (X): on large orange platform near back of area 2; use flip teleport.
Wind Crowrang's stage
---------------------
- Heart Tank: suspended in air above exploding red ship.
- Life Up: rescue Nigel
- Life Up: defeat Wind Crowrang
- Weapon Up: rescue Herbie.
- Weapon Up: rescue Bert.
- Weapon Up: defeat Wind Crowrang.
- Power Up: rescue Barry.
- Power Up: rescue Damon.
- 1 Up: in large hangar area on far left guarded by Runnerbombs.
- 1 Up: rescue Mo.
- Armor Upgrade: After hangar area, take the left path fork and wind around corner.
Crimson Palace
--------------
1 Up: in stage 2, located in pit on the left path fork following the battle with Red.
Reorganizing the items and breaking them down by stage, I've found, looks far neater and
is overall more organized than the previous method of breaking them down according to
item category. This way, you can more accurately keep tabs on what you've gotten and
what you have left to find.
=====================
23. Secrets and Tips:
=====================
1. New Game Plus - Similar to the option found in the Zero series games, once you defeat
Sigma, Alia will give you the option to save your game. Do so, and the next time
you continue, you'll start from the beginning, but retain all your power-ups you
assigned to your characters. Even better, once you reach the Maverick stages, you'll
be able to use X and the Glide Armor from the start.
2. Getting X at Start: This isn't exactly hard or anything, since all you need do is
rescue 64 Reploids. That said, I recommend hitting a few stages and making some rounds
before you even defeat any of the Mavericks, since you can also take this time to level
up your other two characters. I recommend going to Soldier Stonekong, Splash Warfly,
Vanishing Gungaroo, and Ride Boarski's stages. These are the four that right off the
bat are the easiest to acquire all the Reploids in. Hit these four, get your limit,
then you can use X in the first level and start acquiring the Glide Armor early. And if
you so choose, you can hit the four stages that the armor is located in, since none of
the capsules require any special equipment to get to.
3. Power-Up Distribution: There's a right way and a wrong way to distribute your power-
up items. Simply stocking your character full of the chips is obviously the wrong
way. Analyze your playing style, and upgrade your character so that his new abilities
help him. For example, if you're the go in with guns blazing (or sword swinging), you
may want to upgrade Zero with Saber combo chips. Also, think about Heart Tanks and Life
Ups: one Reploid in each stage has a Life-Up, there is one Heart Tank per stage, and
the character that beats the stage boss receives another Life Up. Try to distribute
this so that each character gets an even amount of 8 life meter enhancements.
4. Easy Sub-Tank Fill: Find any area where you can get enemies to respawn, and repeatedly
destroy them to gain energy; or simply find a large energy capsule. One of these will
completely fill a Sub Tank up.
=======================
24. Applicable Credits:
=======================
Though I authored the initial release as well as the first revision of this Mega Man X7
guide by myself, I have since received a couple tips here and there regarding new
strategies or other such helpful info. Naturally, it would be unfair to take such advice
without giving due credit, so this is where those who have assisted with updates will get
their dues.
- Burning Typhoon, Magnet_Man: supplemental information on the Flame Hyenard fight.
- Richard Stumpf: giving me the info about the Gaea Shield reflecting Sigma's attacks.
- Ageman20XX: For the devilishly sweet new strategy for Sigma's second form. Wow.
- The Great Gohan: Assisting with the ranking criterion.
Have something gameplay related that isn't in here, or a novel new way of beating a
Maverick and/or new game secret? E-mail me at
[email protected] with the details.
==========
25. Legal:
==========
This guide must always be shown in full form with credit given to the author, and a link
and credit must be given to Mega Man Network (
http://megaman.retrofaction.com/). All
associated characters and games are copyright to Capcom.
