=================================
========Mega Man X3 Guide========
=================================

by Reeve
: http://www.megaman-x.com/
: [email protected]

======
Index:
======
1. Introduction
2. Boss Weaknesses / Recommended Order
3. Power-Up Uses and Locations
4. Maverick Hunter HQ stage
5. Town of Ice stage (Blizzard Buffalo)
6. Giant Dam stage (Toxic Seahorse)
7. Quarry stage (Tunnel Rhino)
8. Power Control Center stage (Volt Catfish)
9. Shipyard stage (Crush Crawfish)
10. Safari Park stage (Neon Tiger)
11. Aerial Aircraft Carrier stage (Gravity Beetle)
12. Armory stage (Blast Hornet)
13. Vile, Bit, and Byte Strategies
14. Doppler Lab stage 1
15. Doppler Lab stage 2
16. Doppler Lab stage 3
17. Final stage
18. Secrets and Tips
19. Legal

================
1. Introduction:
================
Welcome to the official Mega Man X Online guide for Mega Man X3, the third installment in
the MMX saga. Refer to the index above for an easy reference guide, and go to
http://www.megaman-x.com/guides/ to find HTML versions of this guide, along with guides for
all of the other games in the Mega Man X series. Happy gaming.

=======================================
2. Boss Weaknesses / Recommended Order:
=======================================
-Blizzard Buffalo --------- Parasitic Bomb (Hornet)
-Toxic Seahorse ----------- Frost Shield (Buffalo)
-Tunnel Rhino ------------- Acid Burst (Seahorse)
-Volt Catfish ------------- Tornado Fang (Rhino)
-Crush Crawfish ----------- Triad Thunder (Catfish)
-Neon Tiger --------------- Spinning Blade (Crawfish)
-Gravity Beetle ----------- Ray Splasher (Tiger)
-Blast Hornet ------------- Gravity Well (Beetle)

===============================
3. Power-Up Uses and Locations:
===============================
Power-Up          Use              Location
-------------------------------------------
Leg Upgrade - mid-air dash - Found in Blizzard Buffalo's stage.
Leg Chip - double air-dash - Found in Toxic Seahorse's stage.
Helmet Upgrade - level radar - Found in Tunnel Rhino's stage.
Helmet Chip - health regeneration - Found in Blast Hornet's stage.
Arm Upgrade - more powerful X-Buster - Found in Neon Tiger's stage.
Arm Chip - continuous X-Buster charge - Found in Gravity Beetle's stage.
Body Upgrade - defense field - Found in Volt Catfish's stage.
Body Chip - increased defense - Found in Crush Crawfish's stage.
Chimera Armor - Found in Blast Hornet's stage.
Hawk Armor - Found in Crush Crawfish's stage.
Frog Armor - Found in Gravity Beetle's stage.
Kangaroo Armor - Found in Toxic Seahorse's stage.
Heart Tanks - more life added to meter - One per stage
Sub-Tanks - life energy reserve - Found in the stages of:
                                            Blizzard Buffalo
                                  Tunnel Rhino
                                  Volt Catfish
                                  Neon Tiger

=================
4. Opening Stage:
=================
As with all of the MMX games, the opening stage is to get you used to the controls and advance
the plot. Don't enter the building until you have a firm grasp of the controls. In this game,
you can dash from the beginning, as  in MMX2. Go inside the building, and find the rather large
safe spot that the enemy's shots won't hit you. Hit him with a few shots or a charged blast.
There will be a few more of these kinds of enemies, and then one clinging to the wall. Charge up
your X-Buster and let the wall-clinger have it when he fires off his energy blasts. Go down the
ladder and face off with more of these two kinds of enemies. Get used to defeating them; they're
pretty common. Eventually you'll come to Mac, a fellow Maverick Hunter who will trap you and
carry you off. This is when Zero enters. Zero controls in the same basic way as X, except that
he has much more life, and his blasts are much more powerful. If you charge him all the way
until he starts flashing a green tint, he'll be able to fire off two fully-charged blasts and
use his Sabre. The Sabre is a powerful weapon, and can destroy enemies in one hit. You can use
Zero for these sorts of things after this level, as well, but he only has one life, so make sure
you don't waste it. A new flying enemy will be introduced as you move through the level with
Zero, but they should be no problem to waste with your powerful weapons. When you come to a
straight up incline, climb up the wall, but be careful of the spiked balls that will be
ricocheting from side to side. Even if a few hit you, it won't be enough to kill Zero. It'll
hardly even make a scratch. When you go through the boss door, you'll find Mac. Take him out by
charging your weapon with Zero. If all else fails, get close enough to let him have a slash of
your Sabre, and he'll go down instantly. Afterwards, free X by firing at the cage that he's in.
At this point, you'll regain control of X and move on. There are no more enemies until you reach
the boss.

Maoh The Giant Strategy
=======================
This boss is incredibly easy. Believe it or not, it takes two hits from those enormous spiked
balls on his hands to take off even one small bar of life. Charge your X-Buster, jump up to his
head level, and fire. It takes eight charged X-Buster shots to take him out. Other than that,
try to dodge his spiked ball shots. It won't be hard to do. His aim is horrible, and when it
does hit you, it really doesn't hurt that much. You shouldn't have any problem with this boss.

============================
5. Blizzard Buffalo's stage:
============================
This is probably the easiest stage, overall, of the Maverick Boss stages. The biggest danger in
the beginning of the stage are the few spikes you'll find, as they can kill you one hit, and the
ground is slick. A simple jump over them will do, though. A few hovering missile launchers will
try to hurt you, but you don't have to let them. Just fire off a few shots or one charged shot
to get rid of them. Climb up the right wall, and from there up the ladder, to get past the
spikes just above you.

Heart Tank
==========
If you have one of the riding armors, get in it and go just to the right where the stacks of ice
cubes is. Destroy them with your riding armor, and go down to the area inside. There will be a
Heart Tank inside. Hop out of your riding armor to climb your way back up the walls.

If you get a riding armor, use it to fight your way through the level. Since you can't be hurt
while inside, it should make things much easier for you. You'll have to exit when you see a tiny
area that the riding armor wouldn't fit through. When you climb up the ladder, there will be
some small cannon enemies. Go prepared by charging your Buster. Blast the first, and then charge
your Buster before you move on. Keep up the pattern of charging your Buster before going to the
next enemy, and you'll get through. Drop to the ground and go to your right. When you drop,
there will be two more cannonball enemies. Again, be charged before you get there. Let the one
on the left have it, then dash left to avoid the blasts of the other. Charge and blast the other
one. Once you go down the hill, you'll find a Nightmare Police Entrance. If Bit or Byte are
occupying this area, you might battle one or the other of them by entering through this door.
After exiting through this door, you'll need to jump over some dangerous spiked areas. Also,
keep your X-Buster charged to destroy the ice enemies that will drop from the ceiling. One
well-placed X-Buster shot will destroy them. Keep up this pattern of charging first and
blasting, and you'll get through them easily.

Vile Entrance
=============
Once Vile has made his appearance in the cutscene (after you've beaten two bosses), sliding down
the wall below the ladder will lead to a yellow capsule. Going inside this capsule will lead to
the area where you battle Vile. This, though, is strictly voluntary.

Climbing up the ladders, continue to have your Buster charged in preparation. Next you'll be
outside. It's wise to keep your Buster charged here too, as many of the enemies can be beaten
by one simply charged shot.

Sub-Tank
========
Once you enter the outdoors, right above you, you'll be able to see the Sub-Tank. You can't get
it yet, though. Go get the Leg Upgrade from a later part in this level, and come back for it. Go
to the ledge that's to the right of the platform that the Sub-Tank is on. Jump to your left, and
use your Leg Upgrade to Air Dash straight upwards. Continue to hold left, and the Air Dash will
have given you the extra room needed to reach the ledge. You'll latch onto the edge of the
platform, and jump up to reach the Sub-Tank.

Blast your way through this area. There will be a lot of enemies, so you'll need to keep your
X-Buster charged quite a bit. Drop to the second level, and go to your left to find the blizzard
machine. You'll need to Dash-Jump to the platform, and then blast it until it's destroyed.

Leg Upgrade
===========
If you go back to the upper platforms and go to the very edge, you can place a careful Dash-Jump
to latch onto a platform to the right. Jump up inside the alchove, and find the Light Capsule.
This may take several tries, but the upgrade is helpful. It allows you to Air Dash, from side to
side and upwards.

Once you get through this area, you'll find the doorway to the boss.

Blizzard Buffalo Strategy
=========================
The Leg Upgrade is almost a necessity to make it safely over the Frost Shield and Charge
attacks, but as long as you can dodge his three basic attacks, taking him down is easy, be it
with the Parasite Bomb or the X-Buster.
1. Frost Shield - Three blocks of ice that will stick to the floor and wall making it dangerous
to walk and cling. This will be followed by a Charge or a Blizzard Beam, so take care of
whatever ice is on the walls and cling to it quickly in preparation for his next attack.
2. Charge - Usually directly after firing off the Frost Shield, Blizzard Buffalo will charge
you, which takes off significant damage. The best way to avoid this is to cling to the wall, so
make sure it's clear of Frost Shields.
3. Blizzard Beam - A huge beam of ice that covers a good portion of the lower half of the
screen. The only way to avoid this is to cling to the wall, and he'll do it and the Charge
alternatively. Either way, clear the Frost Shields off the wall to be safe.

==========================
6. Toxic Seahorse's stage:
==========================
The first two enemies of the stage are pretty hard, as level enemies go. Stay on the platform
that's just above them and charge up your X-Buster. Fire it when it's fully charged to hit them,
and jump up to avoid their fire when they do raise their gun. After destroying some cannonball
enemies, you'll be facing a large set of walls to climb up. There will be several cannonball and
hovering enemies. Use charged X-Buster blasts to take these out. There's some energy that will
fall from the ceiling, and if you stay on the right wall you can get it. Eventually, there will
be a path to follow on the right with another cannonball enemy.

Heart Tank
==========
Once you get to the path that you could go right, keep climbing upwards on the left wall. There
will be a cannonball enemy here, with a Heart Tank behind him. Take him out with a charged
X-Buster shot, then Air Dash over to get the Heart Tank.

As you move through the level, destroying the cannonball enemy and dashing through the
platforms, you'll find a Nightmare Police Entrance. If Bit or Byte are occupying this area at
the time, there's a chance you will face one of them by going through this door. They do not
appear, though, until two Maverick Bosses are beaten. Moving on, you'll find a pit in the floor,
and a riding armor supplier to your right.

Leg Chip
========
Use the riding armor supplier to equip the Frog Armor. Jump into the water and jump all the way
over to where the fans are. They won't blow back the riding armor. Take out all the fans using
the torpedos from the armor, and then jump out of it and climb up the right wall. At the top,
you'll find a red capsule, letting you have the Leg Chip. This will allow you to dash twice
consecutively, but once you take one of these chip upgrades, you can't have any others. Decide
carefully.

Go down into the water, and destroy the turtle enemies with your charged X-Buster. Even after
you destroy them, their shells will cause damage as they rise to the ceiling.

Kangaroo
========
If you have the Arm Upgrade and the Frost Shield weapon, go to the very edge after you jump over
the first pit underwater. Charge up your Frost Shield, and ride on top of the ice cube that will
be rising to the top of the water. Jump from it to the platform, and collect your Kangaroo
riding armor.

After you battle through a few more turtles and dodge the spikes (Air Dash or regular jump,
don't Dash-Jump around the spikes), you'll be facing the Hotareeca. This isn't that hard. Charge
your X-Buster and jump to fire whenever you get the chance. His aim isn't all that good, so all
you have to do is dash from one end of the screen to the other to avoid his torpedos, and then
stay put wherever you are when he's dropping bombs. He'll be gone quickly. After you exit the
mini-boss area, the water level will lower. Climb up the ladders and you'll find some
wall-clinger enemies. Stay in their blind spot and fire after they've fired off their energy.
Continue up the ladder, and you'll find an area that goes right. Keep your X-Buster charged. As
soon as you see the missile launcher enemies, let them have it and then fire with single shots
until they're gone. Keep charging before you bring any enemies into the screen, and follow the
same strategy. When you drop down, stay to the right to avoid falling into the spikes. Once
again, though, have your Buster charged to take out the missile launcher. Dash-Jump or Air Dash
over the spikes to climb down the ladder that leads to the boss.

Toxic Seahorse Strategy
=======================
Toxic Seahorse is pretty simple, especially if you have the Frost Shield from Blizzard Buffalo.
If you do have the Frost Shield, all he'll really do is jump, and you can hit him with it again
on his way down. Otherwise, you simply need to avoid his two basic attacks.
1. Acid Burst - The Acid Burst is easy to avoid. Just cling to the walls when you're not hitting
him with your Buster. He has a second form of the Acid Burst that isn't much different from the
first, but involves him spinning his head a bit and then using a more powerful form of the Acid
Burst. Still, clinging to the wall will avoid this.
2. Jumping - When he jumps, be prepared to Dash-Jump off the wall at the low part of the jump,
or to dash under him at the high point of his jump. Both will work; it just depends on your
positioning at the time.

========================
7. Tunnel Rhino's stage:
========================
At the opening of the stage, there will be robots trying to drop rocks on you. Dash under them
to avoid the rocks. You can either blast them when they drop to your level, or just skip them.
It doesn't really matter. After you climb down the ladder, you'll find a blockade robot. Blast
its head without actually touching it. Keep your Buster charged to take out the rock robot that
will drop from the ceiling. After you climb up the wall, there will be another, so it's wise to
keep your Buster charged as much as possible. To move on, go left and climb up the wall.

Heart Tank
==========
If you go right instead of left, you'll find a room with a Heart Tank and a huge boulder
blocking it. You need the Arm Upgrade and the Triad Thunder weapon from Volt Catfish to get
this. Charge up your Triad Thunder and use it. You'll do a strong strike against the ground that
will knock the boulder out, allowing you to climb on top of it and get the Heart Tank.

In this next area, the sand streams falling from the ceiling can't hurt you by itself. It will
try to push you into the spikes, though, so don't jump past the spikes until after the stream
has gone by. Also, keep your Buster charged to take out the rock enemies. After you're through
this area, there will be a pit that drops down.

Sub-Tank
========
At the pit that drops down, jump over to the right wall and climb up it to get the Sub-Tank.

Jump between the two enemies, since it's a lot easier to do than actually blasting the enemies.
Drop down to find a Nightmare Police Entrance. If Bit or Byte is occupying this level at the
time, going through this door might take you into a battle with one of them. This can only
happen, though, after two Maverick Bosses have been beaten. In the next area, there will be a
drill enemy. Fire off two charged X-Buster shots while jumping over the drills it fires at you.
Keep taking out these kinds of enemies, and the blockade enemies. You'll next have to climb up
a wall. Dash-Jump from the right wall to the left wall as soon as you can to avoid the rock that
will fall, and then dash to the next wall to avoid the next rock.

Helmet Upgrade
==============
Like the Heart Tank, you need the Arm Upgrade and the Triad Thunder here. Right after you climb
the wall, you'll see a boulder blocking your path to the left. Charge up the Triad Thunder and
fire it to knock down the boulder. Climb on top of it to find your path to the capsule. The
Helmet Upgrade gives you a radar that allows you to see what power-ups are in the different
stages of the game.

After dropping down the pit to the right, stay to the right wall to avoid dropping down the pit,
and to avoid the boulder hot on your trail. After this, you'll find the entrance to the
mini-boss, Hell Crusher. Charge your X-Buster and fire at the head. Cling to the wall and jump
off of it when the bottom part rams against the wall. Do the same when the claws cling to the
ceiling. Keep firing at the head and it'll be destroyed rather quickly. Moving on, destroy the
drill and rock robots. After fighting your way through enough of them, you'll find the doorway
to the boss.

Tunnel Rhino Strategy
=====================
Tunnel Rhino is pretty easy as long as you have the Leg Upgrade. The Acid Burst works best, of
course, but the strategy for the X-Buster remains the same. Just hit him while avoiding his
three basic attacks.
1. Tornado Fang - This is his most frequently used attack, and involves three drills coming
toward the wall at the same time. He always uses it just before the Charge or the Hyper Charge,
so you have to be ready to Dash-Jump off the wall immediately after he does this. As long as
you're clinging to the wall, though, it shouldn't be a problem.
2. Charge - Immediately following the Tornado Fang, he'll dash toward the wall and knock you
off of it, into him. Just Dash-Jump or Air Dash away when you see him coming and you'll be fine.
3. Hyper Charge - A moderation of the Charge, this involves him turning colors just before he
does so and charging more, also being invulnerable to attacks for a short time. The timing for
the jump off the wall is a bit different from the Charge attack, so just be prepared. He won't
use it often enough to be a huge threat.

========================
8. Volt Catfish's stage:
========================
You'll be greeted in this level by sensitive lasers that will fire on you if they detect you.
It's best to dash through them. You'll also be facing a two-pronged wall clinger robot that's
latched to the ceiling. Blast it with one charged shot to get rid of its ability to shoot. After
that, you can destroy it the rest of the way or just let it be. It doesn't pose a threat
anymore.

Vile Entrance
=============
After you've beaten two Maverick Bosses, you'll be able to enter to battle Vile. There will be a
platform that will sink downwards. If you stay on it, it will lead to a yellow capsule. If you
go inside, you'll battle Vile.

Keep battling your way through the wall-clinger robots. Most will be on the ceiling, but one
will be on the ground. Either completely destroy it or just jump over it. A platform will lead
upwards. There will be some missile launchers as you go up, but you can destroy them with your
charged X-Buster plus a few single shots. There will be several more missile launchers,
wall-clingers, and a few lasers as you move on in the level. Follow the same strategies for
getting through all of these. Before long there will be another platform. This one will be
surrounded on both sides by spikes.

Heart Tank
==========
If you ride this platform to the top and exit to the right, you'll see a Heart Tank in a very
dangerous spiked area. Dash-Jump or Air Dash to the right wall, and slide down to where the
Heart Tank is. Instantly after getting it, jump back up higher on the wall. From here, Dash-Jump
or Air Dash back to the left wall, and climb up to safety.

Exit the floating platform to the left. There will be more missile launchers for you to destroy,
and there will be some robots on the ceiling. These are too high for you to worry about, so just
dodge their shots. Also, destroy the next wall-clinger with a charged shot. Climb up the wall,
and destroy the next clinger. There will be yet another floating platform here, this time not
surrounded by spikes.

Body Upgrade
============
Ride the platform all the way to the top, and exit to the left. You need your Arm Upgrade and
the Gravity Well weapon from Gravity Beetle. Charge it up, and stay on the platform as it rises
to the capsule. This upgrade will reduce damage done to you by creating a shield around you when
damage is done.

As you move outside temporarily, destroy the enemies on the ground quickly with a few single
shots and dash past the ones hovering in the air. Here, you'll find a Nightmare Police Entrace.
If you've beaten two Maverick Bosses, Bit or Byte might be waiting in here to battle you. Moving
on in the level, you'll find two paths you can take. One upwards takes you to a riding armor
supplier. The one below moves you forward in the level.

Sub-Tank
========
Get in any riding armor using the supplier, and drop down the lower path. The weight of the
dropping riding armor will break a hole in the floor and you'll drop through. Here you'll find
the Sub-Tank, and you'll need to get out of your riding armor to climb back up the pit and move
on in the stage.

Moving on in the level, there will be a lot of wall-clinger robots of both kinds. Destroy them
in the same way that you always have, and proceed with caution. There will be some electricity
bolts moving up and down chain-like areas, but as long as you don't touch the chain, you won't
touch the electricity. One more missile launcher enemy, and you'll find yourself at the boss
door.

Volt Catfish Strategy
=====================
Volt Catfish is an incredibly easy boss if you use the Tornado Fang, as he'll never even get a
chance to use his attacks. Simply let him leap up, and have the Tornado Fang waiting for him
when he gets down. For a little extra damage on each hit, you can charge the Tornado Fang, but
it's not necessary. If you're using the X-Buster, just learn to avoid his three basic attacks.
1. Triad Thunder - This is probably his hardest attack to dodge; three small conductors drawing
you toward them. Get on one wall and Air Dash or Dash Jump to the other wall when he tries to do
this attack. Don't try to attack him while doing it.
2. Electricity - Electricity will sometimes trace the grounds and walls. Jumping over it or Air
Dashing is an easy way to avoid this.
3. Electric Charge - When he gets to about half life, Volt Catfish will go to the middle of the
screen and charge himself. Stay to the side and don't try to attack while he does this; he's
invulnerable to your X-Buster. The Tornado Fang, however, can stop this dead in its tracks.

==========================
9. Crush Crawfish's stage:
==========================
There are a few hovering missile launcher robots at the beginning of the stage. There's also a
riding armor supplier.

Hawk
====
At the opening of the stage on the ground floor, there will be a small block that doesn't have
anything under it. Use your Arm Upgrade to charge the Triad Thunder and fall through the floor
to collect the Hawk Armor.

Go right to where a robot will fall through the floor, breaking it and allowing you to fall
inside.

Heart Tank
==========
Get the newly-found Hawk Armor at the riding armor supplier. Once the robot drops through the
floor, go down in the Hawk Armor and stay on the right ledge. Shoot the small crack in the wall
to open up a path to the Heart Tank.

Stay to the right to avoid having to destroy the robot that dropped down, and just ignore it. If
you have a riding armor equipped, you can use it to destroy the robot quickly and move on.

Body Chip
=========
Get riding armor from the supplier and drop down to the area with the robot. Traveling right,
drop down the first pit and destroy the wall on the left with a punch. Through this, you'll find
the red capsule that will give you a chip to upgrade your body armor. This will increase the
power of your shield and make you recieve even less damage than with the normal body armor.
Remember, you can only have one of these red capsule upgrades, so be sure you know what you're
doing before you enter.

Moving right, you'll find a Nightmare Police Entrance. If you've beaten two Maverick Bosses,
there is a chance that entering this door will face you off with one of them. In this next area,
there will be a walking gun. Since you're on a platform lower than the gun, just charge your
X-Buster and jump up to hurt it when its not firing. Another walking gun and a wall-clinger, and
you'll go down a ladder.

Vile Entrance
=============
After you've beaten two Maverick Bosses, you'll be able to enter to battle Vile. right under the
walking gun robot there is a hidden pit that looks like a floor. If you drop through it, you'll
see a yellow capsule. If you go inside, you'll battle Vile.

There will be some more walking guns and wall-clingers, but you can skip past them. If you want
the energy that they're protecting, destroy them quickly and move on. Dash-Jump onto the ship,
and destroy the large ball-and-chain robots by shooting at them when they're not firing. One of
them will open a path to fall through. Keep right in this area, and go left if you want to
collect some extra energy. You'll find a door to a mini-boss, but this mini-boss doesn't really
exist. Shoot the button that is sticking out of the machine. There's no attack that it can hurt
you with. Just attack it and it will create a path to climb upwards. Skip past the first
wall-clinger, and be charged to take out the second quickly. Keep climbing up the wall, and skip
past the walking gun. After this, you'll find the door to the boss.

Crush Crawfish Strategy
=======================
Don't be afraid to use a Sub-Tank during this battle. Crush Crawfish is dangerous even if you do
have the Triad Thunder. If using the X-Buster, you need to learn his two basic attacks well, but
they still pose quite a danger if you're using the Triad Thunder. Despite his attacks being few
in number, they're very powerful and hard to avoid. The Slice is especially tricky, as it is a
close-range attack, and the Triad Thunder unfortunately requires you to get close. Exercise
caution.
1. Spinning Blade - Clinging to the wall is the only way to avoid the Slice, but the Spinning
Blade makes even that unsafe. His claw can disconnect and head straight for you, so be prepared
to drop from the wall and Air Dash or Dash Jump over him directly after, or he'll charge towards
you to use the Slice.
2. Slice - The only advice available for this is to keep your distance unless absolutely
necessary to use the Triad Thunder. Clinging to the wall works well, as long as you're prepared
to drop instantly to avoid the Spinning Blade.

=======================
10. Neon Tiger's stage:
=======================
The bug robots at the beginning of the level are docile creatures. If you fire, even if it isn't
at them, they'll fire downwards, so it's best to just not fire. When you run into some
spear-throwing robots, you'll have to destroy them, but stay out of the path of the bug robots
that will be firing because of this. Go all the way to the right and climb up the wall. Stay on
the right to destroy the robot. He can't reach you there.

Sub-Tank
========
While on the platform farthest to the right, use the bug to get up to the higher platform. Here,
you'll find your Sub-Tank.

Use the bug bots to skip over the large ball-and-chain robots. Ignore the wall-clinger in the
next area, and destroy the blockade robots by hitting them in the head, followed by the
cannonball enemy. One charged shot will take it out.

Arm Upgrade
===========
Use the Tornado Fang on the cracked and discolored wall to the right to open up a path. Air Dash
over the spikes, and then use another Air Dash to get up to the platform with the capsule. This
upgrade gives you a more powerful X-Buster, and allows you to charge your special weapons.

Rather than climbing down the ladder, fall down it. This will let you avoid all the enemies.
Here, you'll find the entrance to the mini-boss. Worm Seeker-R, a burrower will come at
you, dropping small bouncing seeds. Get on the wall and Dash-Jump or Air Dash to get over the
small seeds, and fire at its head with charged shots when it shows itself. This mini-boss isn't
hard, but it takes a while since it's not always vulnerable. Just keep at it. In this next area,
it helps to get the riding armor from the riding armor supplier to the left. There are a lot of
ball-and-chain and wall-clinger robots in this area, and the riding armor helps. If you can't
get it, though, do your best to destroy or Air Dash past the ball-and-chain enemies while
dodging the shots of the wall-clingers. Before long, you'll find a Nightmare Police Entrance. If
you've defeated two Maverick Bosses, Bit or Byte might be waiting to battle you in here. Drop
down the ladder and then down the pit. Stay to the right to avoid falling into some spikes at
the bottom of the pit. Air Dash or Dash-Jump over the burrowing robots. They're not worth the
time, and can easily be skipped over. At the end of this area, you'll find the entrance to the
boss.

Heart Tank
==========
If you jump on the back of the bug near the boss door, you can Dash-Jump or Air Dash to cling to
the wall. Climb up it to find your Heart Tank.

Neon Tiger Strategy
===================
Using the Spinning Blade weapon, you can easily trap Neon Tiger into a pattern that will bring
him down easily. Fire it while standing in the direction he's facing while he clings to the
wall, and then wait for him to jump to the other side and do it again. You can do this the
entire time and he'll fall easily. Still, and especially if you're using your X-Buster, it's
helpful to know his three basic attacks.
1. Ray Splasher - This attack can be done while clinging to the wall and while on the ground,
but is basically the same for each method. While it is his main attack, it's also his weakness.
The only time he is vulnerable to an X-Buster attack is while he is firing his Ray Splasher and
jumping from wall to wall. Using the Spinning Blade will stop this dead.
2. Jump - This isn't really an attack, but given the sporadic nature of his jumps, it is one of
the bigger threats to your safety. He'll basically jump diagonally all the time, either from the
wall or to it. Either way, check if you're standing in the path of a diagonal line between him
and the wall (the certain spot on it he occupies). If you're there, dash out of the way as soon
as you can.
3. Block - If you fire your X-Buster while he isn't using his Ray Splasher, he can simply block
it. Just fire when he's using his Ray Splasher.

===========================
11. Gravity Beetle's stage:
===========================
The stage opens with some missile launcher robots, and later some cannonball robots. Make sure
you charge your X-Buster before you scroll in any more enemies. This will make it a lot easier
to destroy them before they can get a shot off. You'll need to climb up a few walls to move on
in the stage, and there are cannonball and missile launcher robots guarding the way. Continue to
keep your X-Buster charged to take these out.

Heart Tank
==========
If you've beaten Blast Hornet, there will be a Heart Tank to the left when you climb up the
walls. If you haven't beaten Blast Hornet, though, there will be blocks obstructing your path.

In this next area there will be some more cannonball enemies. Take them out with one charged
shot, and charge it as you're waiting on the ladder. That way you'll be prepared. Next, you'll
find a Nightmare Police Entrance. If you've beaten two of the Maverick Bosses, Bit or Byte might
be waiting here to battle you. After you get up the ladder, you'll enter an area with a lot of
hovering enemies and some cannonball robots. Keep the strategy of charging before you get to
enemies in order to take them out efficiently.

Frog
====
Right after you come up from the ladder, climb up the left wall. Jump off the wall, and then do
an Air Dash straight up. You'll latch onto the wall of the platform that holds the Frog riding
armor. This may take a few tries, but you'll get it.

When riding the elevator up, charge your X-Buster. It's a slow moving elevator, so it will give
you plenty of time to charge before you get to the missile launcher robots. Destroy it, and dash
to the other side to pick up the energy and other assorted items. There will be a door that
looks like a mini-boss door, but it will just have more of the level after it. If you climb up
the left wall, you'll find a riding armor supplier. Use it if you want. It makes the level that
much easier. Dash past the falling floor and destroy the cannonball robots (charge in advance if
you're using the X-Buster). Make it past the missile launcher robots, just as you have all the
others. Next will come an area that leads straight up.

Arm Chip
========
If you equipped a riding armor back at the supplier (the normal armor is best), destroy the wall
of blocks at the area where you have to go straight up. Destroying these blocks will open up a
path to the red capsule. This Chip will give you a weapon that will keep your X-Buster
continuously charged. It does run out, though. It's probably the most helpful for the final
boss, so if you're going to get one of the Chips, I recommend this one.

After battling your way through a few cannonball enemies and a wall-clinger, you'll find
yourself at the doorway to the boss.

Gravity Beetle Strategy
=======================
Gravity Beetle is slow moving and pretty easy, especially if you're using the Ray Splasher.
Either way, remember his three basic attacks.
1. Gravity Well - Even if using the Ray Splasher, he'll probably get this attack off at some
point in time. This is a large ball of gravity power that floats near the ceiling and makes it
much harder to jump over. Try to use your Ray Splasher to avoid his using this, but otherwise
stay high on the wall so you can make the difficult jump over his Charge attack while the
Gravity Well is in effect.
2. Charge - When he changes colors, he's about to charge. This is the only time that he travels
quickly at all, and doesn't happen very often. A Ray Splasher attack can stop this before it
starts, but otherwise simply jump over it. Use the strategy outlined for the Gravity Well also,
if it is in effect.
3. Gravity Ball - A small ball of gravity that bounces around the room. Cling to the walls to
avoid this and come down when you feel it's safe to get an attack off.

=========================
12. Blast Hornet's stage:
=========================
At the opening of the stage and on the elevator, you'll have to deal with a cannonball robot and
a few missile launchers. Charge your X-Buster before you get to any of these, and when you use a
shot, charge again. After you get off the elevator, you can do a Dash-Jump or an Air Dash to
reach a wall that's sticking out from the ceiling. Climbing up this will lead you to a riding
armor supplier.

Head Chip
=========
Use the riding armor supplier to equip the Hawk riding armor. You'll need to return for this,
since you can't use any riding armors until you collect one that is hidden later in this stage.
Do a Dash-Jump over the edge and then hold down the jump button to hover for a short time. This
will take you to the other side, and to the red capsule. This Chip gives you the ability to
recharge life merely by standing still. Remember, you can only have one of these enhancement
chips, so be certain you want this one before you climb into the capsule.

Going down the conveyor belts, there will be some cannonball enemies here and there. You can
take them out with a charged shot, but it's a lot easier to just dash and Dash-Jump past them
until you get to the mini-boss door. Genjibo & Shurikein are simple. Charge your shot until it's
slightly charged. This will be about the point that the rolling star will be coming straight
towards you. Shooting it makes it jump, and shooting it at the right time makes it miss you
through its jump. Sometimes it will trace the walls. To avoid this, simply climb on the wall and
Dash-Jump or Air Dash over it when it comes towards you. Then continue the process from before.
It will go down in no time, and you probably won't lose any energy. When you go outside, there
will be some cannonball and hovering missile launcher robots. Charge your X-Buster to take them
out, and move on.

Chimera
=======
Destroy the boxes that are on top of the buildings. One of them will open up a pit in the floor.
Fall down it and destroy the cracked wall on the left with the Tornado Fang. Inside, there will
be more boxes to destroy with your X-Buster, which will open up another pit. Inside, you'll find
the Normal riding armor hanging. Destroy the thing it's hanging from and get in. From this point
on, you'll be able to use riding armor at riding armor suppliers. Go left to go up an elevator.
You can use the riding armor for a while in this level, and destroy the walls blocking you with
one strong punch.

Heart Tank
==========
At the end of the outdoors area, there will be a wall to cling on to. You can either jump up
with your riding armor and jump out of it to get on the wall, or do a vertical Air Dash. Either
way, climb up the wall the rest of the way, and find your Heart Tank at the top.

At this point, you'll find a Nightmare Police Entrance. If you've beaten two Mavericks , Bit or
Byte might be waiting here to battle you. In another conveyor belt area, you'll find more
cannonball enemies. Once again, it's easier to dash or Dash-Jump past them, but there will be a
few you should destroy. At the bottom of the conveyor belt, don't stay to the left, or you'll
fall down a pit. Destroy the missile launcher robot with a charged shot or two, and move on. In
this next area, you'll find a lot of missile launcher robots. Destroy or Air Dash past them.
You'll also find huge blockades of blocks. Destroy them, and dash through before more blocks
start falling, because they could hurt you. Once you're through this area, you'll find the door
to the boss.

Blast Hornet Strategy
=====================
Do yourself a favor and approach Blast Hornet with the Gravity Well. He's incredibly easy with
this weapon, and easily the hardest boss in the game otherwise. If using the Gravity Well, just
fire it off over and over again and he'll fall. You don't even have to fire it towards him. If
you feel up to a challenge and approach him with the X-Buster, his swiftness must be met with
equal swiftness, which isn't an easy attack. And of course, you have to know about his two basic
attacks.
1. Parasite Bomb - Small bees will approach, usually clinging to you and exploding. Dash from
side to side when he hovers over you, and be prepared to Dash Jump onto the wall where you'll be
safer than you would be on the floor.
2. Sting - It's hard to tell when he's about to do this, and therefore hard to avoid. It happens
pretty suddenly, but a stinger will appear from inside his bomb thorax, and that's your cue to
dash away from wherever you are.

===================================
13. Vile, Bit, and Byte Strategies:
===================================
Bit and Byte are unavoidable, but Vile must be found. Below are strategies for each.

Vile Strategy
=============
Before you get to Vile, you'll need to go through a sort of mini-stage to get to him. There will
be a few small enemies and some debris falling from the ceiling, but none of this should be a
problem. Once you get to him, he'll be in a huge riding armor that looks sort of like the
Kangaroo armor. This is simple to defeat, and you should use your X-Buster. Charge it up while
clinging to the wall. He'll charge at it. Air Dash off the wall and go to the next one just as
he is about to hit the wall with his clawed fist. Fire, and get back onto the wall. Keep this
process up, and the armor will be gone. With his riding armor destroyed, he'll face you by
himself. To defeat him, use your X-Buster. To destroy him, use the Spinning Blade. His pattern
is, once again, simple. He'll fire off a fire attack that will roll towards you. Air Dash over
it, or Dash-Jump if you have to. Then, stay in one location until he starts to fire his rapid
shots, and then move. This will make them all miss you. Fire at him after he's done with his
rapid shots and fire shot, and he'll eventually go down. After this, though, you have to get out
of the place as soon as possible. You'll have 50 seconds to get out before the entire place
explodes. Remember to dash as much as you can, and don't worry about being hurt by the enemies.
Don't concentrate on hurting them. That will just waste time. Dash through them. Don't try to
get the energy or life, since that will waste time too. Keep your Buster charged to take out the
blockade enemies that will block your path. Don't wait for the elevator; just climb up the wall.
The elevator takes too long. After this, some of the floors will fall. Dash past them, and
Dash-Jump past the large pit at the end of one of them. Take the yellow capsule at the end to
escape, and you'll enter back into whatever level you came from.

Bit Strategy
============
Bit can be pretty tough, but he's not that hard once you learn his patterns. He'll fire off a
ring that will trace along the walls of the room. If it hits you, it will trap you so he can hit
you with his weapon. He'll dash from one side to the other with his sword drawn. This isn't that
hard to dodge, since he doesn't do it that fast. Just get high enough that he'll attack you
there, then drop down and dash under him, or dash over him if necessary. He'll also fire off an
energy ball. The movement of this is erratic, so it's hard to dodge, but you can still do it by
drawing it near you and then dashing or Air Dashing away from it. To defeat him, use your
X-Buster. To destroy him, use your Ice Shield weapon from Blizzard Buffalo. Just fire when you
get the chance, and dodge his attacks.

Byte Strategy
=============
Byte is surprisingly polite for someone who wants to kill you. Despite his eloquent and kind
greeting, he's not a pushover. He can be defeated, though, once you get used to his patterns.
He'll throw a magnetic mine against the wall that will hurt your ability to jump. With that in
place, he'll charge you. Use a Dash-Jump when he starts to charge to get on the wall, and from
there use another Dash-Jump to jump over him. Fire at him at this oppurtunity, and then repeat
the process. His pattern isn't that hard. Use the X-Buster to defeat him, and the Tornado Fang
to destroy him.

========================
14. Doppler Lab stage 1:
========================
The beginning of this stage is filled with wall-clingers and missile launchers. By now, you
should have your strategy for beating these down pat. Remember to keep your Buster charged. The
first real challenge comes in getting past the spikes that stay low to the ground. Stay low on
the left walls, and use a Dash-Jump or Air Dash to get to the right walls. From there, climb the
wall very carefully, take out the missile launcher, and get on solid ground. Next, the walls
will be closing in on you. Do a Dash-Jump from wall to wall to avoid being crushed, and climb
quickly. After battling your way through a ball-and-chain robot and a wall-clinger, you'll come
to the mini-boss, REX-2000. Hit him with charged shots and dodge his missiles by jumping. When
he backs up, cling to the wall. Make sure you don't jump too high, or you'll get killed by the
spikes, but staying too low will get you shot. Stay on a nice mid-ground, as high as you can
without dying. There will be another ball-and-chain robot, and a few more wall-clingers. These
shouldn't be a problem. If you do a well-placed Dash-Jump from the edge of the next platform,
you'll find a riding armor supplier. This can help you get through the stage a lot easier.
Either way, there will be more wall-clingers, and a couple of walking guns. I recommend simply
skipping them by Dash-Jumping over them. Soon, you'll get to an area where huge spikes will fall
from the ceiling. Stay behind the tube that drops the spikes until your X-Buster is charged.
Then, jump over a spike and instantly go over to destroy a barrier robot. Keep this up until
you're at the end of the area. After destroying one more ball-and-chain bot, you'll find the
doorway to the boss. If you destroyed both Bit and Byte, you'll have to climb up the wall to
face a boss. If you didn't destroy either or only destroyed one, you need to go in the door at
ground level to face a boss made from one or both of them.

Godkarmachine O Inary Strategy
==============================
Since you must have the Parasitic Bomb by now, use that. It's the best weapon to use against
this giant creature. If you have the Arm Upgrade, just keep the fire button held down and it
will hit him automatically. Spend your concentration on dodging attacks. When an arm comes
towards you, Dash-Jump or Air Dash off the wall to avoid being grabbed. If you let it nab you,
it does quite a bit of damage. He'll also slash his sword which will create an attack directly
forward, and on the walls up and down that it hits. Get on the wall and climb up to avoid the
straight-forward attack, and then jump off the wall to avoid the attack that will come from it.

Press Disposer Strategy
=======================
This boss isn't all that hard. Use the Tornado Fang, and fire towards the trunk while clinging
to the wall. Once the trunk is gone, it will pour acid on the floor. Try to avoid falling to the
floor, but sometimes it might happen. Keep firing at the eye/nose area with the Tornado Fang,
and keep on the wall. If you fall onto the acid, jump out as quickly as you can. Just keep
firing, and he'll go down.

========================
15. Doppler Lab stage 2:
========================
If you've destroyed Vile, the stage opens with a lot of heavily armored, and heavily armed
robots who make their first appearance. It's easiest to do an Air Dash over them and skip over
all of them. Before long, you'll find a riding armor supplier. You can get one if you want, but
the Frog is the only one that won't malfunction because of the water below, and it won't make it
past the long jumps. It's best just to not use any riding armor. After battling your way through
some turtle enemies underwater, you'll find a steep incline. Climb up the wall, using a
Dash-Jump or vertical Air Dash to get up all the way. You'll find what looks like a boss door,
but it just leads to the mini-boss, Mosquitus. This is where you'd switch to Zero if you want to
get Zero's Sabre trick (see the Secrets and Tips section). Dash to avoid the bug coming on top
of you, and fire at him when you get a chance. It's not that hard, but it takes off a lot of
life if it latches onto you. This does, though, give you an opportunity to fire at him. Hit him
while he's latched onto you if you have to. There will be more enemies in this next area. Skip
over the harder ones, and destroy the easier ones quickly. You should be used to this by now.
Next, there will be a large area with spikes on both sides. Shoot at the snail-like robot to
reveal a bar you can stand on. Stand on the bar and charge up your weapon. Make your way up the
walls by destroying the enemies that come out at you and shooting the snails. Once their bar is
revealed, jump over to it. Then wait for the next one. Make sure you don't get too close to the
spikes. This can be tricky, but you should be able to do it. After you're through with this
area, you'll be facing a watery boss.

If you haven't destroyed Vile, the level will be much easier. Battle your way through
ball-and-chain robots, wall-clingers, and cannonball robots. These shouldn't be a problem for
you. When you reach the riding armor supplier, you can suit up with something, since water won't
be there in this scenario. Jump from platform to platform with or without your riding armor, and
then up the walls. There will be a boss door, but nothing behind it. There will be more enemies
in this next area. Skip over the harder ones, and destroy the easier ones quickly. You should be
used to this by now. Next, there will be a large area with spikes on both sides. Shoot at the
snail-like robot to reveal a bar you can stand on. Stand on the bar and charge up your weapon.
Make your way up the walls by destroying the enemies that come out at you and shooting the
snails. Once their bar is revealed, jump over to it. Then wait for the next one. Make sure you
don't get too close to the spikes. This can be tricky, but you should be able to do it. After
you're through with this area, you'll be facing Vile.

Vile Strategy
=============
Vile follows the same basic strategy he did when you first battled him. Don't let the Goliath
intimidate you. Just climb on the wall. When he charges at you, Dash-Jump or Air Dash off the
wall. Hit him and dash to the other wall. Then repeat the process. The Parasitic Bomb and
Tornado Fang do the most damage against the Goliath. Once you destroy the Goliath, Vile will
challenge you himself. Use the Spinning Blade against this incarnation. As with the Goliath,
this is exactly like the first time you battled him, if you did. Air Dash over his fire waves,
and then stay still until he starts firing. From there, dash onto the wall to dodge. This will
asure you're not hit at all. Fire at him with your Spinning Blades every time he gets done
firing, and he'll fall quickly.

Volt Kurageil Strategy
======================
This boss really isn't hard at all. Use your Triad Thunder weapon and stay below him. Just
continously use it and jump up slightly to hit him. The Triad Thunder will not only damage him,
but make his missiles useless. If you got Zero's Sabre in this level, you can use that to
destroy him in only two hits.

========================
16. Doppler Lab stage 3:
========================
This stage is mostly just taking on the bosses one by one, all over again. They're all exactly
the same, and should be faced in the same ways, except that this time you have the weakness of
all of them. There is an energy storage for you to take between boss fights. It regenerates each
time, so don't be afraid to use it. Below is a map of where all the bosses are:

   -Blizzard Buffalo-                   -Toxic Seahorse-
                       -Energy Refill-
-Blast Hornet-                                    -Neon Tiger-

       -Volt Catfish-                  -Crush Crawfish-

          -Gravity Beetle-            -Tunnel Rhino-

After taking care of the bosses, there will be several lasers. These shouldn't pose a threat,
seeing as you probably won't lose enough life that the energy capsule afterwards makes up for
it. Dash-Jump or Air Dash over the walking gun to confront the boss.

Dr. Doppler Strategy
====================
Dr. Doppler is more of an annoyance than a challenge. An annoyance because one of his techniques
actually heals himself when you hit him, and it's sometimes hard to determine when he's using
this. Sometimes a hit of yours will still be effecting him, even if you used it early, and he'll
turn on the regeneration technique to heal himself. This can be very frustrating. The Acid Burst
works well, and so does your X-Buster. If you got the Zero Sabre in the second Doppler Lab
stage, he can go down in two hits, provided you don't hit him when he turns on his regeneration.
This will refill half of his life or more. Fire at him only when he starts firing off his yellow
beams of energy, or when he charges across the screen. Do this early, since it insures that you
won't be recharging his energy for him. If you do recharge him, it's not a big deal. He can be
brought down anyway. And his attacks are incredibly easy to dodge. Just concentrate on hitting
him when it won't help him, and he'll go down.

================
17. Final stage:
================
Here it is: The final level. Make sure you have all your Sub-Tanks full, and that you gathered
your Heart Tanks and capsule upgrades. The stage itself isn't that hard. Keep your X-Buster
charged to take out the enemies that will attack you. Sometimes there will be enemies shooting
at you without much room to jump. Do your best to wipe them out quickly, and use the small space
provided for you to jump. Before long, you'll be climbing up the wall that leads to the bosses.

Sigma Strategy
==============
Sigma's first form is tough, but nothing compared to his second form. His main attack is to fire
fireballs that will travel unpredictably around the room. Clinging to the wall and Dash-Jumping
is all you can do to avoid this threat. He also sometimes throws his shield around, but this is
no real problem. Just jump over it. Use the Spinning Blade. Jump up and fire to have the weapon
circle around to hit him. He'll also jump into the air and fire off the deadly fireballs. Stay
clung high to one wall and Dash-Jump off when you need to. This, also, is a great oppurtunity to
use your weapon. You may need to use a Sub-Tank here, but its better if you don't.

Kaiser Sigma Strategy
=====================
Sigma next appears in a huge and fearsome battle body. If you collected the Arm Chip or the
Golden Armor, the Hyper Charge weapon helps a lot here. It also helps if you collected Zero's
Sabre in the second stage of the Maverick Base. He's a lot bigger than the first form, and a lot
less vulnerable. Fortunately, he's also a lot more predictable. The only vulnerable part of his
body his his tiny little head, which is surrounded by his huge battle body. Try to fire slightly
above where your Buster would line up with his head to hit him. It takes careful aim, patience,
and practice to hit him in the noggin, but after a little while you should be able to get used
to it. He'll hover from one side to the other. Dash under him to get to whatever side he's not
on. If he's on the left side, cling to the wall and climb up quickly when he starts firing. From
there, Dash-Jump off the wall to avoid the rest of his shots. When he's on the right side, stay
near the top. If he fires his huge laser at the top, stay near the bottom. He does it more often
at the bottom, though. This is also your opportunity to try to hit his head. Keep firing, and
don't be afraid to use your Sub-Tanks, and he'll eventually go down.

Sigma Virus Strategy
====================
The escape isn't really a boss, persay, but you still have to stay on your toes. Fire will rise
from the floor, and you have to get out before it catches up to you. Stay to the left and cling
to the wall. Climb up as fast as you can. After the wall to the right goes through 4 uneven
parts, Dash-Jump or Air Dash to it. You might get hit by the Sigma Virus doing this. You might
even fall into the fire. But just falling into the fire doesn't kill you. If this happens, jump
furiously to get out. Use a Sub-Tank if you need to. Just make sure you don't get trapped under
anything. Once you get done with the hefty climb, the rest will happen automatically, and you'll
have beaten the game.

=====================
18. Secrets and Tips:
=====================
1. Easy Sub-Tank Fill - The easiest way to get your Sub-Tanks filled is to get either the Head
  Chip or the Golden Chip (see below) and simply find a safe spot and stand still. After a few
  minutes, your Sub-Tanks will be full.
2. The Ninth Light Capsule - To do this, you have to have collected all the Upgrade capsules,
  all of the riding armor, all of the Heart Tanks, all of the Sub-Tanks, and none of the Chip
  capsules. In the first stage of Doppler's fortress, you'll find an area that spiked balls
  are falling from the ceiling. Make sure you have all your energy, and slide down the left
  wall of the pit right before the spiked ball area. You'll find a hidden alchove here where
  Light has hidden a ninth capsule that includes all 4 of the Chip upgrades, and makes your
  armor a golden color.
3. The Z-Sabre - To get this, you must have destroyed Vile during the Maverick Bosses stages.
  To do this, use the Spinning Blade, and see the section, "Bit, Byte, and Vile strategies."
  In the second area of Doppler's fortress, you'll come to an area with a mini-boss. Before
  you enter the mini-boss door, switch to Zero. Enter the mini-boss area with Zero. Destroy
  the bug mini-boss with Zero. Charging up his weapon to full and using the Sabre weapon works
  best. Afterwards, the bug will latch onto Zero, and he will be damaged. X will come in, and
  Zero will give him his Sabre. From this point on, you will be able to charge to a point
  where you will have a green tint, and you will fire off Zero's Sabre. This can destroy most
  enemies, including bosses, within only one or two hits.

==========
19. 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 X Online (http://www.megaman-x.com/). All associated
characters and games are copyright to Capcom.

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