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Mega Man X8: Paradise Lost
FAQ and Walkthrough
Written by Slash Raptor
Version 0.1
-----------------
Table of Contents
-----------------
1.) Version History
2.) FAQ Introduction
3.) Game Information
4.) Story
5.) Characters
6.) Walkthrough
6a.) Noah's Park
6b.) Troia Base (Optic Sunflower)
6c.) Primrose (Gravity Antonion)
6d.) Pitch Black (Dark Mantis)
6e.) Booster Forest (Bamboo Pandamonium)
6f.) Dynasty (Gigavolt Man-O-War)
6g.) Metal Valley (Earthrock Trilobyte)
6h.) Central White (Avalanche Yeti)
6i.) Inferno (Burn Rooster)
6j.) Jakob
6k.) Gateway
6l.) Final Level
7.) Armor Parts (INCOMPLETE)
8.) Rare Metals (INCOMPLETE)
9.) The Unexplained
10.) Thoughts on the Game
11.) Legal
-------------------
1.) Version History
-------------------
Version 0.1 1/2/2005 Initial release
--------------------
2.) FAQ Introduction
--------------------
Welcome to my FAQ for Capcom's Mega Man X8! Here, you'll find detailed
level walkthroughs and boss strategies to help you get through this
challenging adventure.
The latest version of this FAQ can be found at:
GameFAQs
http://www.gamefaqs.com
This FAQ was written by Slash Raptor, formally known as Bolt Kraken and
the former maintainer of Megaman Outpost. My other contributions to GameFAQs
are FAQs for Mega Man Xtreme (GBC) and Mega Man X7 (PS2). It was prepared
mostly in Crimson Editor (
http://www.crimsoneditor.com).
I need help to fill in the gaps in this guide. Strategies are needed for:
- Rare Metal locations
- Details on what each of the X upgrades does and where you get them
- Details on secret aspects of the game
- Alternative strategies for success against bosses or stages
Please send these to kyouryuu at gmail dot com.
This guide does not aim to be an exhaustive treatment of Mega Man X8. It
will not tell you how to get a 100% completion rate in each level. In its
current state, it doesn't even go into where most secret items are. Rather,
the emphasis is on being a level walkthrough / boss guide.
The author wishes to thank the following:
- Planet Mega Man (
http://www.planet-megaman.com)
- The Mega Man Network (
http://megaman.retrofaction.com)
- Heat Man
- Jonathan Mathews (
http://go.to/ascgen)
- GameFAQs (
http://www.gamefaqs.com)
--------------------
3.) Game Information
--------------------
Mega Man X8 is the eighth chapter in Capcom's long-running Mega Man X series,
which started back in 1993 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Since
then, the X series has appeared on the Sony Playstation, Sega Saturn, and
Sony Playstation 2 consoles and spawned two spin-offs in the form of the
Mega Man Zero series (for the Game Boy Advance) and Mega Man X Command
Mission, an RPG for the PS2 and Nintendo GameCube consoles.
Mega Man X8 is the second of the X games to appear on the PS2 and presumably
uses a second-generation gameplay engine based on that of X7. X7 presented
gamers with several critical flaws. Most found the controls clunky, the
camera work awful, and the leap to 3D was slipshod at best.
In response to those criticisms, Capcom made great efforts in X8 to bring
the series back to its roots. The camera is now fixed and with the exception
of the vehicular combat levels, the action takes place on a single plane.
Hence, X8 is truly a 3D side-scroller, or as some might call it, a 2.5-D
game. Along with restoration of the traditional viewpoint, moves such as
wall climbs and wall dashes are again possible and the control has been
significantly retooled to be very precise. Indeed, Capcom's work has paid
off. The game, as a whole, handles much like the SNES titles of yesteryear.
Mega Man X8 is rated "E" for Everyone by the Electronic Software Ratings
Board (
http://esrb.org) with the added information of "Violence." It is
a singleplayer game that features support for Dolby Pro-Logic II surround
sound, controller vibration, and progressive scan displays. It accepts
Playstation 2 memory cards and requires 110 KB of space to save. At the
time of this writing, it retails for MSRP $39.99. It was formally released
in the United States on December 7th, 2004. A Japanese version is still
pending release. The European release is currently slated for February 2nd,
2005. There appear to be no current plans to bring the game to the GameCube
or Microsoft Xbox consoles or the PC.
---------
4.) Story
---------
In the year 21XX...
Reploids, based on a design from the late Dr. Thomas Light, are the first
robots capable of thinking for themselves and making their own decisions.
Mega Man X was the first robot with this ability. After X was found in the
ruins of Dr. Light's lab by Dr. Cain in the 22nd century, Cain started the
mass production of Reploids.
Ever since their inception, Reploids were prone to problems. The foremost
being that they could violate the first rule of robotics - to whit, a robot
may not injure a human being, or, through inaction, allow a human being to
come to harm. With their newfound intelligence and freedom, some Reploids
came to detest their human counterparts. These revolting Reploids were
deemed Mavericks. The Maverick Hunters were formed in order to put down
any resistance. The Hunters were originally led by Sigma, a powerful
humanoid Reploid.
Then, one day, Sigma himself went Maverick, having been infected with the
Maverick Virus via Zero. Though Zero was originally thought of as a Reploid,
he was, in actuality, the last of Dr. Wily's creations. Dr. Wily was the
archnemesis and formal cohort of Dr. Light, and Zero was undoubtedly
intended to be used against X in the future. Zero has since been purged of
this infection, however.
Sigma's repeated attempts to annihilate the human race in an attempt to
build a new world only for Reploids has led to years of war and hatred. With
the Earth in ruins, humanity now looks to the stars for the answers.
Man plans a mass exodus to the moon to escape Earth. In order to accomplish
this, the Jakob Project was commissioned. The Jakob Project is a giant
space elevator constructed by humans and new-generation Reploids, said to be
resistent to viruses and Maverick behavior.
However, much like X's sentient ability, the new-generation Reploids possess
an innovative talent - the ability to copy the DNA of any other Reploid.
And, as fate would have it, a very dangerous Reploid's DNA has been
successfully copied...
--------------
5.) Characters
--------------
- MAVERICK HUNTERS -
The Maverick Hunters lead the battle against the evil, infected Mavericks.
They work with the humans to douse the Maverick threat. But their plans have
not been entirely successful, forcing humanity to start a mass exodus to
outer space for survival. The Maverick Hunters are also thought of as
zealous in their cause.
Mega Man X
X is the former leader of the Maverick Hunters' 17th Unit. The creation
of the late Dr. Thomas Light and blueprint for the Reploid race, all X
desires is peace between Reploids and humans. He finds himself
frustrated with the fact that the peace is never won for long and
constantly wonders if lasting peace is truly attainable so long as
Reploids exist.
Zero
Zero was the leader of the Maverick Hunters' Zero Unit. He is a Special
Class A Hunter who specializes in melee combat with his Z-Saber. He
was designed by Dr. Light's archnemesis and former lab partner, Dr. Wily,
to fight Mega Man X. However, he passed his Maverick infection to
Sigma and has since been purged of it. Nonetheless, he fights alongside
X to bring peace to a war he unfortunately helped start.
Axl
A refugee from the Red Alert Syndicate, which was corrupted by Sigma in a
previous adventure, Axl is a young and impressionable new-generation
Reploid. Red, the ex-leader of the Syndicate, took to liking Axl after
Axl demonstrated his ability to shape-shift into other Reploids at will.
In reality, Axl was the first in a line of new-generation Reploids that
are so prevalent now.
Signas
The current leader of the Maverick Hunters is Signas. He has the most
advanced CPU of any existing Reploids and is a tactical genius.
Alia
One of the Navigators supporting the Hunter Team in the battlefield.
Alia has a good general knowledge of the worlds they visit and can
point out many world features or give boss strategies as needed.
Layer
Another Navigator working with the Hunter Team, Layer specializes in
finding the weak points of Mavericks and other Mechaniroid threats. She
seems to have emotions for Zero.
Pallette
The third, and most likely youngest, of the Navigators is Pallette.
Her observant eyes can frequently pinpoint strange formations that might
conceal hidden areas or routes. She can relay this information to the
Hunter Team on the ground.
- JAKOB PROJECT -
The Jakob Project was conceived as a means of supporting a mass exodus from
Earth by the humans. In actuality, it is a giant space elevator.
Lumine
The director and founder of the Jakob Project is Lumine, one of the
new-generation Reploids. He (yes, it's a he), along with his bodyguards,
survive an accident aboard Jakob by using Sigma's DNA to morph into a
sturdy Sigma body. Soon thereafter, he is abducted by Vile.
- MAVERICKS -
The Mavericks, led by Sigma, are a group of rebellious Reploids that want to
destroy the human race for the purpose of creating a world where Reploids
reign. Their existence has given all Reploids a bad reputation and no matter
how many times they are defeated by the Maverick Hunters, they always return
stronger than before.
Sigma
Sigma was the leader of the Mavericks. After he was defeated by X, Zero,
and Axl, Sigma fell from Crimson Palace and was thought to be dead. It
is still unclear what became of him, although X already has his
suspicions when the Mavericks start to attack the Jakob Project. Sigma
wants to lead the Reploid race in a genocide against the humans. He
believes this is the natural course of evolution and that Reploids, being
the superior race, deserve to supplant their human creators. Despite the
fact that his body was destroyed by X long ago, Sigma lives on as a
computer virus that plagues Reploids.
Vile
A former Maverick Hunter turned bad, Vile has a penchant for coming back
from death to advance his vendetta against the Hunters and, in
particular, Mega Man X. After his initial appearance (X1), he was
resurrected by Dr. Doppler (X3) and subsequently destroyed by X. It is
unknown who brought Vile back from the dead this time, or if Vile is
merely a next-generation Reploid with copied data. Regardless, he
frequently uses a Ride Armor in battle and uses his shoulder-mounted
cannon to deliver punishing blows to those who oppose him. He kidnaps
Lumine, director of the Jakob Project, for unknown reasons.
Optic Sunflower
An assassin that travels through outer space, Optic Sunflower is a
Maverick that has taken control of an old Maverick Hunter training base
now used for training new-generation Reploids.
Gravity Antonion
Before he went Maverick, Gravity Antonion was a famous scientist in the
field of anti-gravity technologies. His AI is extremely intelligent and
he has the ability to twist space and time.
Avalanche Yeti
He used to administrate the Environmental Testing Center located at the
South Pole. Now a Maverick, he plans a cold surprise for the Hunter
Team.
Dark Mantis
A military Reploid in charge of an underground logisitics center, Dark
Mantis can see in the dark and stalks his pray in the night. He wields
two terrible scythe claws, to guarantee that his kills will never know
what hit them.
Bamboo Pandamonium
Although he used to be a material handler for the outer space program,
Bamboo Pandamonium now spends inordinate amounts of time musing about
Maverick nature in Booster Forest.
Earthrock Trilobyte
A mining Reploid, Trilobyte was put in charge of excavating important
resources in Metal Valley for the space program. Now, this tough Reploid
has gone Maverick and must be stopped.
Gigavolt Man-O-War
The former administrator of the city power grid, Gigavolt Man-O-War has
gone Maverick and now toys with the energy needs of the entire
cybertropolis.
Burn Rooster
Highly resistant to extreme heat, Burn Rooster works in the depths of a
volcano possessing waste. He turned Maverick and wants to make X pay
for the countless Mavericks he destroyed and had to reduce to smoldering
scrap metal in the waste processing plant.
- Other Characters -
Dr. Thomas Light
Dr. Light was the brilliant scientist who created Mega Man in the year
20XX, and later Mega Man X, his final creation. Dr. Light still
exists in 21XX as a holographic being, although the representation has
a mysterious level of sentience.
---------------
6.) Walkthrough
---------------
This section of the FAQ serves as a walkthrough for the game. Here, we
detail boss strategies and level tactics. For information on things such
as Armor Parts or Rare Metals, refer to sections 7 and 8 respectively.
Noah's Park is the intro level of the game. Following its completion, the
stage select for all eight Mavericks is unlocked. This guide is written
in the order they appear on the stage select, not in the suggested order
you play in. From the stage select, there are:
Optic Sunflower Gravity Antonion Dark Mantis
Bamboo Pandamonium Gigavolt Man-O-War
Earthrock Trilobyte Avalanche Yeti Burn Rooster
The middle space serves as a shortcut back to Noah's Park after you defeat
one of the bosses. Additional stages appear as appropriate to the left and
right of the grid of nine. Furthermore, at certain points in time, the
Navigators will bring to your attention crises happening in previously
completed levels. These crises, which the game calls Inter Missions,
usually involve tackling small segments of each level in endurance tests.
You have infinite Retry Chips in these missions. Even though a stage may
have an Inter Mission active, you can still choose Mission to proceed with
revisiting the entire level.
TIP:
We suggest the following order for defeating the eight Mavericks: Bamboo
Pandamonium, Optic Sunflower, Dark Mantis, Gravity Antonion, Earthrock
Trilobyte, Gigavolt Man-O-War, Avalanche Yeti, and lastly Burn Rooster.
An alternative order could begin with any of these bosses and wrap back
to Bamboo Pandamonium. Many have suggested that Gravity Antonion is the
easiest boss to start with.
At certain points in the game, certain levels will play host to Vile. It's
not clear yet how exactly this is determined. If you are confronted by
Vile, avoid his diverse waves of plasma shots and attack back with long-range
ordinance. After taking a certain amount of damage, Vile will teleport away
and you can continue the stage.
All eight Mavericks and other important bosses in the game have "Desperation
Attacks." These kick in at some point after the boss' health is halfway
depleted, although they may be postponed if the boss is already engaged in
an attack. During a Desperation Attack, a boss is invulnerable, glows
a nightmarish purple, the music changes, and a particularly awesome and
damaging attack is unfurled. After the attack is executed, the boss resumes
its normal AI and regains vulnerability, although in some cases such as Burn
Rooster, the Desperation Attack may permanently alter the layout of the
battlefield.
A brief mention must also be made to the concept of Retry Chips. In Mega Man
X8, a Retry Chip is essentially a life. What makes Retry Chips different is
subtle. First, you never get them from killed enemies. You have to buy them
from the R&D lab, although they are quite inexpensive, or on easier
difficulties, you resurrect with a certain number and may choose to purchase
extras. Second, when you die, you have the immediate option of using a Retry
Chip to restart from the last continue point -OR- going back to the stage
select. This addresses a problem most prevalent in Mega Man X6 where, if you
have many lives and encounter a very difficult stage, you have to burn
through all those lives just to return to the stage select. The difficulty
setting influences how many Retry Chips you can have. On Easy, you have
limitless Retry Chips. On Normal, you have a normal allotment of two and up
to three more can be bought from R&D. On Hard, you have space for three and
all must be purchased from R&D.
In general, if you come across a stage where you're stuck, you have a few
options. You can go to easier stages and rack up Metals to purchase upgrades
such as Spare Energy, Energy Bottles, or Weapons Bottles. You can buy more
Retry Chips. Even if you fail a stage, you get to keep the Metals you found.
There is always incentive to explore.
----------------
6a.) Noah's Park
----------------
Noah's Park is the intro level for Mega Man X8, designed to introduce the
gameplay mechanics of our three heroes and demonstrate the usefulness of the
tag team assist. It takes place in a cybernetic forest. There is a
recurring boss here in the form of a giant insect-like Mechaniroid with two
massive claws. You will face this threat three times in the level. After
a simple shooting segment, you'll run across this Mechanroid.
MINIBOSS: Insect Mechaniroid
The goal of this battle, as is true of most Mega Man enemies, is to
target the head of this massive beast and fire at it. Avoid its two
levels of projectiles by jumping or standing still. If it grabs you with
its claw, use the tag assist to call your fellow Maverick Hunter. Keep
the pressure on this robot's head even as it backs away. Eventually, it
will give up.
Now, Axl will go it alone. You'll have to use his air dash to get across a
large (though not bottomless) pit. Use Axl's eight-way firing to destroy
the robots that approach from various angles. Eventually, you'll meet up
with Zero and the two of you will take on the Mechniroid again.
MINIBOSS: Insect Mechaniroid
This time, the robot is lurking behind a waterfall. It is only
vulnerable when it pokes its head out through the raging stream. This
battle emphasizes the use of the double attack. When the double attack
gauge is full, wait for the Mechaniroid's head to poke through the
waterfall. Leap up and when you're close to its head, unleash the double
attack. This should knock off a significant chunk of its life, if not
kill it altogether.
Next, you'll control Zero for a while. The upcoming series of enemies is
rather melee-oriented, so have fun slashing them to pieces. Finally, you'll
meet up with X and tackle that Mechaniroid one last time.
MINIBOSS: Insect Mechaniroid
By now, you're probably really sick of this thing, so now is a good time
to end it. This time, the Mechaniroid has a shield that you'll have to
break through with repeated shots. Once the shield is down, shoot its
head some more. The tricky part is when the Mechaniroid lumbers toward
you. Ideally, you want to get behind it so as to not be cornered. Dash
jump over its head and continue your assault once the robot turns around.
He'll go down.
After destroying the machine that just wouldn't die, it's rather ironic who
shows up next. It's Vile, who was last seen way back in Mega Man X3. He
jeers and taunts you with the kidnapped Lumine, then teleports off. It's
back to Maverick Hunter Headquarters and the stage select.
---------------------------------
6b.) Troia Base (Optic Sunflower)
---------------------------------
This level is apparently a new-generation Reploid training facility. It
specializes in creating holographic projections for training purposes. As
such, the level basically involves our heroes going through a diverse
obstacle course of challenges. If you do well in a given challenge, you'll
face a more difficult one next time. Interspersed between challenges are
short "real world" segments that involve some tricky jumps, but are lined
with precious Metals.
Challenge 1 is a simple shooting affair. Stand near the center of the
platform and shoot the waves of Mechaniroids as they approach. Be careful to
not get hit by these guys - they cause considerable knockback and could push
you off the platform. This is true for the entire level.
In Challenge 2, you face these Mechaniroids again, but this time on a giant
turning set of gears. You'll need to jump from one tooth of a gear to
another to avoid either getting crushed on the ceiling or falling to your
doom below. Destroy the two Mechaniroids as fast as possible.
In Challenge 3, you'll tackle a series of moving platforms and a Mechaniroid.
On higher difficulties, this Mechaniroid will spew fireballs that stick to
that spot on the screen, creating a hazard for you to avoid. Jump from
platform to platform, trying to kill the Mechaniroid quickly.
In Challenge 4, you'll face a Mechaniroid in a strange claw-like machine.
There is a spiked wall to your left and a conveyor belt beneath you. Destroy
the Mechaniroid, paying attention to not let the conveyor take you where you
don't want to go.
In Challenge 5, you'll take on a very large version of the Mechaniroid. With
each shot, it gets smaller and faster. You know what to do.
In Challenge 6, there's a Mechaniroid with a large mallet. It has
considerable jumping abilities and long range. Again, destroy it quickly.
The last Challenge offers something weird and interesting. Atop a moving
train, you'll fight a Mechaniroid in a flying dragon-like tank. Initially,
you'll want to destroy the tank's turrets. As you destroy each successive
part of the tank, it changes up its attacks. When the head and body remains,
the tank will use the head as a flamethrower. Once the head is killed,
destroy the individual segments of the tank, then the Mechaniroid itself.
Finally, after all that, you get to face Optic Sunflower.
BOSS: Optic Sunflower (Assassin from the Depths of Outer Space)
Unlike most of the "gag" bosses, Optic means business. Optic has the
ability to create platforms in his room and teleport. He may randomly
teleport with dummy clones designed to distract you. He has two main
weapons, a laser and a spherical trap. The laser has two forms. Optic
can either shoot the beam 360º from his position, or he can unleash a
laser that move from left to right, stopping short when it hits a
platform. The key to avoiding all of these attacks is to hide behind
the platforms Optic generates as the lasers swing by. As for the trap
sphere, use the assist to summon your comrade to free you. Optic has a
nasty Desperation Attack where he'll call upon an orbiting satelite to
send massive beams of light. The attack is telegraphed by thin red
beams that try to target you. The satelite beam lingers for a while,
so be careful not to hit it. Keep the pressure on Optic, using Bamboo
Pandamonium's weapon for best results.
--------------------------------
6c.) Primrose (Gravity Antonion)
--------------------------------
This level is a clever variant on other Maverick stages like Cyber Peacock
(X4), Dark Necrobat (X5), and Snipe Anteator (X7). In this stage, gravity
can be flipped. The large red buttons will flip the level a full 180º. The
screw-like green buttons will flip the level in increments of 90º. Based on
these simple rules, the level is a series of puzzles where the goal is to
find the green sphere that will teleport you to the next puzzle. Sometimes,
the gravity can be used to your advantage in destroying enemies. Other
times, it lets you kill yourself. Look before you leap and study the
patterns of the rooms carefully.
BOSS: Gravity Antonion (Twister of Space and Time)
Gravity used to be a famed scientist, but now he's gone Maverick. His
battle room is square. Because he obviously has the ability to control
gravity, you're in for an unusual battle. Gravity can rotate the room,
but only in 90º increments. He has four ways of complicating this.
First, he can materialize large blocks of rock. These blocks, much like
the others in the level, can crush you if they land on you. And,
usually, Gravity will try to rotate the room so that will happen. Next,
he has a black hole attack that he summons in the middle of his room.
The black hole will absorb almost all shots, so you'll need to get in
Gravity's face to hit him. Next, if you get too close, Gravity will
materialize a column of bricks and try to smack you with it. And last,
any large blocks he materializes he may try to throw at you. To dodge
this, stay in the upper-left or upper-right corners as appropriate. Keep
hitting Gravity whenever you can. Gravity's vicious Desperation Attack
involves him generating countless amounts of blocks and trying to crush
you with them as they fall. This is a very chaotic attack. Dash, jump,
and try to avoid these.
------------------------------
6d.) Pitch Black (Dark Mantis)
------------------------------
As the name suggests, light (or lack thereof) plays a big role in this level.
The entire stage is dimly lit and appears to be some kind of derelict
military facility. The security system is still active, so there is an
emphasis on stealth in this stage. Enemies with small floodlights will
activate the alarms if you catch their attention. Catching their attention
includes getting in a small radius around them or shooting them. Strangely,
wayward Buster shots through the trip lasers does nothing.
When you reach the elevator sequences, hide behind the metal boxes and slide
down the walls to avoid the laser beams (like in Burn Rooster's stage). For
the rotating fans, run between them when the fan is horizontal.
There's another room with various floodlights pacing back and forth. Getting
caught in the beam summons an unlimited number of Mechaniroids until you
kill a certain one. Strangely, if you scroll away from the door and try to
fight, the stream will never end. There must be some particular Mechaniroid
by the door you have to kill to end it.
The last big challenge is a pitch black room. The only light here is from
a pacing "Servbot." There are two spike traps here and they are very easy
to fall prey to if you move too quickly. The first is located just beyond
the room's entrance. The second is positioned between a few boxes.
Shortly after this, you'll face the dark one himself.
BOSS: Dark Mantis (Deadly Blade Lurking in Darkness)
Dark Mantis is a fast-moving Maverick that bounds from wall to wall and
attacks with his scythe-like claws and dark energy. He's rather ticked
that you've interrupted his musings. The best weapon to use against
Dark Mantis is Optic Sunflower's weapon (light fights darkness, right?).
Attack him repeatedly with it while dodging his claws. Dark Mantis'
Desperation Attack is a huge sweeping claw that slashes across the
playing surface several times.
----------------------------------------
6e.) Booster Forest (Bamboo Pandamonium)
----------------------------------------
Booster Forest isn't an ordinary forest. No, this one orbits around on a
giant abandoned asteroid. Overall, it's a rather conventional platforming
stage, with an emphasis on using the Ride Armor to access secret places and
smash Mechaniroids.
From the start, you'll pass a lot of large crates. These can be destroyed
with the Ride Armor. After passing by a few conveyor belts, you'll find
said Ride Armor. You can go left from here to destroy those blocks, or push
forward with it. You are impervious to spikes while riding the armor.
Because the armor has limited jumping capabilities, you may need to operate
an elevator to move it. To do so, walk the Ride Armor onto the lift, get
out, and push the button to make the lift rise. Eventually, you'll reach a
point where you have to dismount from the armor. By walking on the higher
path, you can remount it when it emerges at the other end of the conveyor
belt. In general, it's good to keep the Ride Armor available as long as you
can.
That's the basic gist of the level. There's nothing terribly difficult about
it. And then you reach the resident evil.
BOSS: Bamboo Pandamonium
If you're following my advised order, Bamboo might throw you for a loop.
He's not a particularly easy boss and he will do some damage. But rest
assured, he's probably one of the easier ones to fight without the
special weapon. Bamboo has a menagerie of attacks. Close range, he
can attack you with his fiendishly large claws. A long-range attack is
definitely a better plan here. Bamboo has a couple long-range missile
attacks. In the first, he fires a very large missile across the screen.
Sometimes, this missile will home onto you from above, so be mindful if
it flies off the side of the screen. In the second, Bamboo launches
salvos of bombs. He may also elect to raise shoots of bamboo from the
ground - an attack telegraphed by pockets of dust along the floor
indicating where the bamboo will shoot from. You can climb the bamboo
and you'll probably need to do dodge when the lumbering panda charges
toward you. Bamboo's Desperation Attack involves him firing missiles
like crazy. Be very afraid.
---------------------------------
6f.) Dynasty (Gigavolt Man-O-War)
---------------------------------
This level can be frustrating if you don't understand what you're trying to
accomplish. The object here is to chase and shoot Gigavolt as the two of you
fly around a city that looks remarkably like the one from the Fifth Element
aboard your Sirius compact ride chaser. The entire stage moves on rails,
although you can manuever around. Gigavolt is fast. In order to keep up
with him, you're going to need to repeatedly dash. You can only dash a
finite number of times since it is tied to your Weapons Energy. Pick up the
glowing orbs of Weapons Energy to gain more boosts. Gigavolt has three main
attacks in this chase sequence. First, he can unleash rings of jellyfish
that you can swim between. Second, he can launch bombs with a sizeable
explosion radius. And last, he may sometimes use his tentacles to create
a short-range electric taser.
Ideally, you want to stay as close to Gigavolt as possible and make every
shot count. This stage does have an end that will kill you. Although
there's nothing indicative of how close you are to this point, after two or
three minutes, Gigavolt will instakill you (with his bomb attack, I guess.
All we see is the camera zooming in on Gigavolt as he laughs).
The key to getting through this stage is knowing where the Weapons Energy is
and how to effectively weave around the various obstacles, such as neon
signage. As such, it will probably take several playthroughs to familiarize
yourself with the level.
Eventually, after he's trailing all sorts of fire and smoke behind him, your
Navigator will inform you that it's time to move in and bring Gigavolt down
for good.
BOSS: Gigavolt Man-O-War (High Voltage Drifter)
The most effective way to kill Gigavolt is to use Earthrock Trilobyte's
weapon. If you are playing as X, you need to either form the glass
missile near Gigavolt, or push it into him. Gigavolt will move lazily
around attacking you with electricity. He's not particularly dangerous
so long as you use Earthrock's weapon. However, his Desperation Attack
is very damaging. Gigavolt floats to the top of the screen and unleashes
several tremendous bolts of lightning. Where the lightning will strike
is telegraphed with a sound effect and a few sparks on the ground. Get
in between the sparks and you won't get zapped.
---------------------------------------
6g.) Metal Valley (Earthrock Trilobyte)
---------------------------------------
Throughout this stage, you'll be chased by an ongoing threat - a towering
Mechaniroid. The stage is divided into three main segments - fleeing from
the Mechaniroid, chasing it, then ultimately destroying it.
In the first third, you're running away as fast as you can. At various
points, the Mechaniroid may stop and use its claws or giant head laser.
Beat the Mechaniroid to the other end of the excavation site to confront it
directly.
MINIBOSS: Giant Mechaniroid
What you need to do here is use the crane atop the ledge to slam the hook
into the Mechaniroid's head. To do so, get the Mechaniroid to do a low
attack. Shortly after he does it, or shortly after you see the
telegraph, climb up the wall and shoot the switch beside the crane to
send the hook bashing into the Mechaniroid's head. Repeat until it gives
up. Note that if you run against the hook, there's something of a safe
spot from the Mechaniroid's head laser.
Now, the Mechaniroid is going to walk in the opposite direction, back toward
the starting point of the level. You can chase it and shoot it for Metals,
but don't be too persistent about it or you'll miss a Dr. Light Capsule and
an easy Rare Metal. Note that the Mechaniroid won't walk all the way back
without you. At some point, it will just walk in place until you get near.
Once you get back to the starting point (remember the smashed bulldozer?),
the giant Mechaniroid will leap off. Assuming you're finished with the
outdoor area, head to the left and through the door to the bunker. Patiently
waiting inside is the Mechaniroid.
MINIBOSS: Giant Mechaniroid
The object here is the same as before, except there's a minor
complication. There are two opposing switches for the crane. You'll
fight the Mechaniroid in a narrow L-shaped catwalk segment, so don't
get too disoriented when the plane shifts. Shoot the switches to make
the crane whack the Mechaniroid in the head. Eventually, it will give
up the ghost and die.
What's behind the door? You had to ask.
BOSS: Earthrock Trilobyte (Insect Inhabiting Rich Mineral Deposits)
Much like Armored Armadillo (X1) or Crystal Snail (X2), you can blast
Earthrock's armor off with a weapon such as Gravity Antonion's. Now,
Earthrock will be frequently vulnerable. Earthrock has a peculiar attack
method. He'll form several missile-shaped glass sculptures. When they
tip over, they crush whatever is standing there. On the other hand, they
also protect Earthrock as long as he's standing behind them. You can
make the sculptures fall by getting near them, they darting away. Aside
from this, Earthrock will launch plasma balls that ping-pong around the
room. As you might imagine, the trajectories of these projectiles change
if they hit the sculptures. Use Gravity Antonion's weapon to destroy
Earthrock's armor and continue using it to kill him. Earthrock's
Desperation Attack produces an insane number of the glass missiles and
scrolls them your way. If you get crushed by them, be prepared to take
lots of damage.
-----------------------------------
6h.) Central White (Avalanche Yeti)
-----------------------------------
This is a really long driving stage on the Barius ride chaser. As you speed
along on the snow, be aware of the many hazards. The most dangerous hazard
is the chasm. You'll find these large holes in many places and often you'll
need to use the dash plates right before them to cross. In one particularly
evil case, you'll need to use the dash plate, and then move to the right to
land on solid ground! The other natural hazard is the wall that divides the
track about midway through the stage.
That said, there are various mechanical hazards too. Mechaniroid bikers
will frequently charge at you in groups. On occasion, they may also speed
up behind you, forcing you to move in order to shake them off. There are
also two kinds of "Servbot" enemies. The first rides on a giant bomb that
explodes when you shoot it or get close. These are quite damaging, so avoid
the blast. And second are pairs of blue "Servbots" that create electrical
forcefields on the ground. Destroy either one of them to disable the
forcefield.
As if that weren't enough, twice in this stage you'll have to deal with a
flying manta ray Mechaniroid.
MINIBOSS: Manta Airship, Part I
The first time you encounter the Airship, it will have just a few
attacks. It will launch bikers toward you. It will also skid along
the ground and launch balls of energy to harm you. It's in this last
stage when the Airship is the most vulnerable. A fully-charged X-Buster
will do a lot of damage. The Airship will show signs of destruction as
it gets closer to dying, but it will eventually fly off.
MINIBOSS: Manta Airship, Part II
This battle procedes like the previous one, with a deadly new twist.
Initially, the Airship will fly around to face you. It will launch
bombs. After unleashing a handful of these, it will skid on the ground
and veer left or right, then charge directly at you. This is a very
harmful attack, so make sure that if it goes left, you veer right, and
vice versa. It also drops the bomb "Servbots," so watch out! Other than
that, use the same strategy as last time.
After destroying the Airship for the second time, your bike will crash (in
cutscene) into a protective door and you'll make your way into a traditional
side-scrolling segment. If you brought Zero and have Burn Rooster's weapon,
don't miss the armor part on the long ledge above Avalanche Yeti's door.
Now, it's time to face the abominable one himself.
BOSS: Avalanche Yeti (Guardian of the Eternally Frozen Fields)
Avalanche has supreme mobility in the snow-covered room he inhabits.
Not only can he dash around in it, but he can bury himself and dig to
other parts of the room Bugs Bunny-style to attack you. Much like how
Ice Man was vulnerable to Elec Man's Thunder Beam (and ironically not
Fire Man's flame), use Gigavolt Man-O-War's weapon here.
---------------------------
6i.) Inferno (Burn Rooster)
---------------------------
Burn Rooster's stage is tricky because it is loaded with all sorts of
instakills, like lava, spikes, and the dreaded scroll. It is advisable that
you bring lots of Retry Chips to the table here.
The majority of this stage involves descending into an active volcano via
floating platforms. This is a fixed scrolling stage that moves vertically.
If you move beyond the top of the screen, you die. If you fall below the
bottom of the screen, you also die (despite the fact that it's also where
you're going). During this descent, you'll face a few complications. At
certain points, laser beams will run across the length of the screen. These
are blocked, however, if metal blocks on the platforms rise up past them
(as in Dark Mantis' stage). Lesser Mechaniroids will also shoot at you
from time to time. And lastly, the explosive crates also seen in Bamboo
Pandamonium's stage will try to surprise you. Tread lightly and use dash
a lot.
Once you get past the first round of this (yes, sadly, you'll do it again
shortly), you'll enter a more traditional area. You'll be attacked by a
Mechaniroid with a shield. You may choose to just run past him and through
the door behind him.
You'll then find yourself in a battle with flaming "Servbot" Mechaniroids.
They all originate from the same point in the room, so cover it with what
weapons you have. Axl is great in this battle because of his multi-direction
firing.
Next up is an irritating segment of spikes. You'll need to slide down the
walls and dash across where appropriate to get past the spikes. The
difficulty of this particular segment is surprising - you'd normally find
this trickyness in the final stages, not in a "normal" stage. Regardless,
use X's side dash or Axl's hover to get through. Don't forget that when
Axl fires, he stops sliding - use that to your advantage.
After another encounter with the flaming "Servbots," it's back to another
insanely long bout with the floating platforms. It's everything you saw
the first time, only more of it. More lasers, more platforms, and more
scrolling tedium. Eventually, you'll reach the bottom and encounter
Burn Rooster doing a little kung fu on the volcano core.
BOSS: Burn Rooster (White-Hot Fowl)
Burn Rooster is what you'd get if you gave Flame Stag (X2) the ability
to change the layout of the room. Burn Rooster has three primary
attacks. First, he'll send fire along the ground. This is telegraphed
by him kicking the air several times. The fire will roll around the
ground and downhill, but not uphill. Usually, you'll want to cling to
the walls to dodge this. Second, Burn may turn into a Reploid fireball
and zip around the room, bouncing wildly off the walls. And third,
Burn can arbitrarily move the several pistons that make up the floor of
his chamber (the layout of which affects his two other attacks). Use
Avalanche Yeti's weapon for best results (ice douses fire, right?).
Burn Rooster's Desperation Attack involves him creating giant plumes of
fire, essentially narrowing the battle field to the middle pistons and
setting up deadly barriers on the periphery. This gets brutal, so try
to kill him as fast as possible once he has effected this attack.
----------
6j.) Jakob
----------
The Jakob elevator mission is unlocked after you defeat the first eight
Mavericks. Sigma has launched his plan to conquer space and, with it, the
last bastion of hope for humanity. You must use the space elevator to stop
him.
This is a rather fun level. Having boarded the rapidly ascending Jakob space
elevator, you have to fight multiple waves of enemies. This plays out like
a who's who of enemies you've fought before. Everyone from the forcefield
"Servbots" to the flamethrower Mechaniroids will be here. The only guys
here who pose an annoyance are the shield Mechaniroids. Make sure you kill
them quickly so you have the entire surface of the elevator to play with.
At the top of the elevator, an old friend waits.
BOSS: Vile
By now, you've probably fought Vile a couple times. Now it's another
battle with everyone's favorite Boba Fett knockoff. Vile starts off
shooting sparks in varying formations from his shoulder cannon. As you
damage him, the formations will get increasingly complex. He can also
use his patented flame tower attack. X is the best one to deal with this
threat. Keep the pressure on him using the X-Buster. Vile now has an
electrifying Desperation Attack. He'll move to the center of the room
and unleash a series of thunder bolts that spin alternately clockwise
and counterclockwise. Periodically, these bolts fade out. That's your
cue to run between them and avoid getting zapped by this otherwise
unavoidable attack. Vile is invulnerable this whole time, so once he
stops the Desperation Attack, nail him with everything you've got.
------------
6k.) Gateway
------------
The Gateway is the boss repeat level. Here, you'll fight clones of the eight
Mavericks once more. There is a stage beyond this one, so you'll have a
chance to refuel and recharge before getting to the final level.
You enter the Gateway through a window to space. From here, it's a short
jaunt through a door, around a turn, and through another door to the "tree
of Mavericks." The capsules for each boss reside on the branches of the
tree.
What capsule leads to what boss follows:
That said, remember the boss vulnerabilities: Bamboo Pandamonium, Optic
Sunflower, Dark Mantis, Gravity Antonion, Earthrock Trilobyte, Gigavolt
Man-O-War, Avalanche Yeti, and lastly Burn Rooster.
Don't forget that in between each of the boss battles, you can score energy
boosts in the upper-middle of the room.
Once the eight Maverick clones have been defeated, the place starts to
crumble and explode. You have to escape the level. Quickly dash to the
right all the way back to the starting point to escape... or not.
BOSS: Sigma
Siggy's back in town. The master of the Mavericks wants to fight, and
you're in for a punishing. Actually, this battle isn't too difficult.
Sigma's initial attack pattern is rather erratic. Keep the pressure
on him using charged shots at every opportunity. Sigma's Desperation
Attack involves him setting the whole floor ablaze, forcing you to
retreat to the walls for safety. If you have X's triple shot or
Axl, you can hit Sigma by climbing to the very top corner.
-------------------
6l.) Sigma's Palace
-------------------
This is the final stage of the game. You'll face many bosses here and you
won't get another chance to save or buy items from R&D once you arrive.
Stock up on spare energy and energy tanks now!
Sigma's Palace starts off on the moon's surface. Here, you'll face variants
on the green Reploids you've been fighting the whole time. There are also
some very wide chasms to traverse. Nothing too terrible, though. After
scrolling a considerable distance to the right, you'll reach a door. Go
through it and... not again...
BOSS: Vile
Vile is really calling the kettle black when he complains about X's
refusal to give up. This time, though, Vile has a nasty surprise. He
has his Ride Armor. This battle proceeds more like the times you fought
Vile as a miniboss more than when you fought him on top of the Jakob
elevator. For all intents and purposes, Vile's Ride Armor is like a
shield with weapons. For example, with a shield breaker shot,
you can seperate the two of them and attack Vile directly. A good
strategy is to do just that, and then use the double attack on Vile.
Vile has no health meter in this battle, but he's roughly as strong
as any other boss.
After getting past Vile for the last time, you'll run deep into Sigma's
Palace. The main thing to remember here is to take it slowly, especially
when you see a passage that will scroll the screen. The designers loved to
put spikes just beyond the entrances to the rooms, so tread lightly.
You'll face many clones of Sigma on the way to the next boss. The green
Reploids morph into Sigma as you get near them. There are three basic
variants on Sigma. The first one you'll encounter is the sword variant.
It has a powerful short-range slash attack. The second is the gun variant.
It will unleash a volley of three projectiles that pause shortly before
homing in on you. This is the most dangerous variant - use the walls and
cover to your advantage. Last is the shield variant, usually seen defending
the gun variant. Like normal enemy shields, you can blast it off. The
shield variant will then turn into a gun type.
The more spikes you see, the closer you are to the next boss. Don't be
surprised if you gawk at how many there are. Fortunately, the collision is
somewhat forgiving. Sideways dashing and Axl's hovering will be the easiest
way out.
Axl also has a weapon that can penetrate walls. Use this to your advantage
to get the jump on enemies above you.
At the end of that spiky madness, and after an obscene number of towering
columns, you'll reach the throne room. This is where it all ends.
BOSS: Devil Sigma
Sigma looks positively demonic in this battle. He's not that much more
difficult than he was in the Gateway, though. Devil Sigma's main attack
consists of sending ring-shaped projectiles at you. You can dash through
these. At certain times, Devil Sigma will leap upward and slam down
with his sword. Dash to get out of his way. Devil Sigma's desperation
attack is to ignite a wall ablaze so you can't climb on it. Dash jump
on the wall behind Sigma once he starts firing his rings. If you do this
before he fires the rings, he'll actually strike you with an uppercut
move, so watch out. If you have Axl, use this opportunity to rain fire
down on Sigma's noggin.
Alright. We beat Sigma twice and he screamed as he exploded. That's the
end of it, right? Well, maybe if you're playing on Easy Mode. Anything
beyond that, and the party is just getting started.
Note that if you choose to use a Retry Chip in the following battles, you'll
restart at this point. You won't have to fight Devil Sigma again unless you
exhaust your Retry Chips.
Lumine walks over and steps on Sigma's smoldering body. X, Zero, and Axl
are pleased to see that he is unharmed. Maybe a little too unharmed.
Lumine is just fine, and why shouldn't he be? Was Lumine a tool in Sigma's
mad plan to eliminate the humans? Lumine scoffs at the Hunter Team. He was
hardly Sigma's tool - rather, Sigma was integral to his plan. The new
generation Reploids have the ability to go Maverick at will and, not
surprisingly, Lumine reveals that she is a Maverick. The evolution of the
Reploid race must begin, and there is no place for ancient and obsolete
Reploids like the Maverick Hunters!
</pre><pre id="faqspan-2">
BOSS: Lumine
I think we all knew from his sinister voice and menacing stare that
Lumine wasn't a typical damsel in distress (and likely before we figured
out Lumine wasn't a damsel). But how many actually thought he would be
the final boss? That's two surprises from Capcom - a great X game, and
not having Sigma as the final boss. Will wonders never cease?
Lumine basically has the Desperation Attacks of the eight Mavericks at
her disposal. Although she can sometimes use them in a mutally exclusive
manner, Lumine can and will execute multiple Desperation Attacks at the
same time. When she does, just like the Mavericks, she is invulnerable.
If you were good about the Desperation Attacks, you shouldn't find this
too challenging. However, it's key to escape with as much energy as
possible. Conserve your tanks and try your best to take minimal damage.
BOSS: Seraph Lumine
Lumine isn't done yet! The maniacal Reploid transforms into a giant
angel-like form for the final confrontation. It goes without saying that
Lumine has a broad range of attacks. He can fire a spread laser shot
from his wings, telegraphed with small flashes of light on the ground.
He can also swoop toward you and you can air dash over him. Early on,
he is prone to use those two attacks. Eventually, he mixes things up
by launching orange projectiles. In one variation, these projectiles
radiate outward in a circle from Lumine's body. You have to jump or
dash between the gaps to avoid them. In the second variation, Lumine
showers the ground with the burying projectiles. Remember the order in
which they hit the ground, because he'll summon them upward in the same
order. Lumine's Desperation Attack is called Paradise Lost. If you
recall battling Dr. Wily in the Power Fighters games, this proceeds
along similar lines. Lumine will teleport in and out and the goal is to
kill him in 30 seconds. Otherwise, it's all over. Lumine has a shield
during this time, so use appropriate breakers to destroy it (charged
shot for X, rapid fire for Axl, etc). He will regenerate this shield
after some predetermined time, so make every shot count!
Now, sit back and watch the awesome ending, which varies depending on what
character delivered the final blow to Lumine.
---------------
7.) Armor Parts
---------------
As in every other X game, the renowned Dr. Thomas Light has left various
capsules scattered about for X to find. Bringing X to any of the capsules
will allow him to upgrade his abilities. The obvious implication is that
X has to be one of the two members in your party when you get to a capsule.
There is a capsule in every level except Gigavolt Man-O-War's and the
two final levels. Interestingly, there is a capsule in Noah's Park, the
intro level of all places.
This guide has yet to incorporate this information. Until it does, please
refer to DarkMonty's "Dr. Light Capsule FAQ" at GameFAQs:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/game/920754.html
---------------
8.) Rare Metals
---------------
This guide has yet to incorporate this information. Until it does, please
refer to general FAQs at GameFAQs:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/game/920754.html
---------
9.) Items
---------
This section is designed to detail the various items, such as Sub-Tanks,
Weapon Tanks, and their locations. It also seeks to provide a breakdown
of what the various R&D items do.
This guide has yet to incorporate this information. Until it does, please
refer to Action's "Items FAQ" at GameFAQs:
http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/ps2/game/920754.html
-------------------
10.) The Unexplained
-------------------
Like many games, Mega Man X8 is certainly not short on weird quirks or
strange happenings. Here's a list of some of the more peculiar ones.
- When the Manta Airship is destroyed in Avalanche Yeti's stage, it dies with
little fanfare and, suddenly, the chosen Maverick Hunter just runs the ride
chaser into the door and it explodes off. What happened to the Airship?
- How does Gigavolt Man-O-War manage to instakill you if you are too slow to
defeat him in saucer form?
- What the heck is Gigavolt saying to taunt you?
- Why does the entire city start flashing red after you and Gigavolt complete
one "lap" around the city?
- When you revisit a stage you've already completed, in lieu of the normal
boss introduction, you'll see a screen flickering in and out. Sometimes,
it will show concept artwork for the game. What dictates this?
- Many users have reported that when restoring a saved game, they suddenly
found they had the limit of Metals (~99,999,999). A glitch, perhaps?
What causes it?
- Most of the character artwork in the manual is from the waist up. Capcom
never released any complete artwork of the Mavericks. This is an
improvement from the X7 manual though, which has no boss artwork
whatsoever.
- The manual for Mega Man Zero 3 is in full color, whereas the X8 manual is
in monochrome for some reason.
- Why does the back of X8's box make it sound like X is an all-new series
with the all-new ability to copy boss weapons and use them against other
bosses?
- When X gets the high jump ability, sometimes the shadow beneath him
flickers in and out of existence.
- Shadows, in general, are very polygonal.
- How did Vile return? Was he actually Vile, or a new-generation Reploid
made to look like Vile?
- If humans are building a space elevator to escape the Earth due to the
Reploid Wars, what would possess them to use Reploids to build the Jakob
elevator?
- Many of the helper Mechaniroids look like prototypical Servbots from the
Legends series. An intentional link?
-------------------------
11.) Thoughts on the Game
-------------------------
Hold the presses. Capcom did an X game right. What has this world come to?
Will wonders never cease?
Sarcasm aside, after the mediocre X5, the atrocious X6, and the irritating
X7, Capcom has finally delivered a really awesome chapter in the Mega Man X
series. Not only is it everything X7 should have been, but it's everything I
would have expected from a 3D X game. The control is generally tight and
responsive, the gameplay hearkens strongly back to the original games, the
boss battles are exciting and fun, and the entire game just exudes enjoyment
for fans of X.
Too bad they soiled half the series getting here.
Though newcomers may find it difficult, veterans will greatly enjoy this one.
Many have compared it to Mega Man X4, which several consider to be the last
great X game. After playing this one, the comparison comes as no surprise.
Even though X8 was panned by game reviewers at large (as Mega Man games
generally are), I found this one to be a tremendous improvement and a real
blast to play. Even the voice acting is vastly improved.
Nevertheless, there are a few areas were Capcom could have improved. While
the graphics are generally good, one cannot help but notice how spartan some
areas can be - especially in the later levels. Although some tracks stand
out, the music on the whole is somewhat repetitive due to recycling the same
instrument sets between tracks.
But X8 works where it counts - gameplay. And while, yes, some stages have
an obsession with instakill traps, the game is still fun to play. Moreover,
deaths feel fair. You saw what killed you and you know how to avoid it next
time. It's not like the "I never saw that one coming!" frustrating challenge
of X6.
For fans of the X series, X8 is a must have that restores the series back to
where it belonged. It's easily the best X game since X4. Screw what the
professional game reviewers thought. If you like old-school side-scrolling
action, look no further than Mega Man X8.
----------
12.) Legal
----------
Mega Man X, Zero, Axl, and all other related indica are copyright Capcom.
This guide is a fan creation and is not officially endorsed by Capcom.
Copyright (c) 2004, 2005 Slash Raptor
