*****************************************************
*** ***
*** X-Men ***
*** For Sega Game Gear ***
*** ***
*** Game Guide and Walkthrough - Version 1.00 ***
*** By A.L.T., Copyright March 2004 ***
*** ***
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Table Of Contents
=================
Part 1 - Introduction
Part 2 - Controls And Game Play
Part 3 - Character Analysis
Part 4 - Tips For Success
Part 5 - The Hellfire Club
Part 6 - Morlock Tunnel
Part 7 - Brood Cave
Part 8 - The Savage Land
Part 9 - Madripoor
Part 10 - Avalon
Part 11 - Afterthoughts
Part 1 - Introduction
=====================
I'm not a hard-core X-Men fan, so please forgive me if my information about
the characters and story isn't entirely accurate.
X-Men is the first of three X-Men games that made their way to the Sega
Game Gear during the 1990s. It showcases seven playable characters and six
levels of classic platforming action. The story is about Magneto, who has
set a trap for the X-Men. Cyclops and Wolverine learn that Juggernaut is at
the Hoover Dam, so they go out there to stop him from doing damage.
Meanwhile, Storm, Rogue, Iceman, Nightcrawler, and Psylocke are called away
to help the U.S. army fight some powerful mutants. Cyclops and Wolverine
find no trace of Juggernaut at Hoover Dam, so they return home to find that
the rest of the team has been captured by Magneto.
Cyclops and Wolverine have to set out on a quest to rescue their friends from
captivity, reunite the team, and meet Magneto head-on to put an end to his
reign of terror.
Part 2 - Controls and Game Play
===============================
I suggest playing this game on the "I Don't Think So" difficulty setting. On
the "Piece O' Cake" setting, you only get to play four of the levels and
you're missing two of the best characters in the game. Either way, this game
is much harder than Gamesmaster's Legacy and Mojo World.
You start out at the X-Mens' headquarters. Press the D-Pad left or right to
cycle through your available characters. Press up or down to cycle through
the available levels you can play. Initially, only Cyclops and Wolverine are
playable, and you can select from the first five levels. Each of these levels
houses an imprisoned character and a boss who guards him/her. After all of
these levels are conquered, you'll proceed to the final level.
Press the Start button to enter the selected level with your character of
choice and begin the carnage.
While in the game, you can hold down the Start button to pause the game. Then
press Button 1 to retreat back to headquarters. You don't lose anything for
doing this, so do it if you get in trouble. You'll have to replay the
current level from the beginning, but that's better than suffering defeat.
If your character is defeated in battle, he/she is out of the game and is no
longer selectable.
Use the D-Pad to move your character left and right, and press up to enter a
doorway while standing in front of it. Press Button 1, and your character
will throw a punch. Press Button 2, and your character will jump. Press
Button 2 twice to perform a double jump. You can't hold Button 2 and then
press it again at the height of your jump; you have to press it twice quickly.
This doesn't allow for double jumping as high as you might sometimes want to,
but we gotta deal with it. Naturally, you can jump and then attack while in
midair. Rogue, Storm, and Nightcrawler cannot double jump in this game.
Push down to crouch. Naturally, you can attack while crouched. Some
characters have a longer reach while crouched, while others perform better
while standing. I'll cover these details in the "Character Analysis" section.
Press the Start button to activate your character's mutant power. Each
character has a different special power. Attacking with your mutant power
does more damage than a normal punch, but it also uses up some of your power.
Cyclops, Iceman, and Nightcrawler will not suffer from a power drain while
their mutant power is activated. It'll only drain when you use it. Rogue,
Storm, Psylocke, and Wolverine all suffer from a continuous power drain while
their mutant power is activated. To turn off your mutant power, press Start
again.
Rogue and Storm can fly while their mutant power is activated. Press Button 2
twice to fly, and use the D-Pad to move in any direction. To stop flying,
either land on the ground or turn off your mutant power.
There are two considerations in this game. Health and power. Your health
bar is the red and yellow bar at the upper left corner of the screen. Your
power bar is the blue bar that appears underneath the health bar when your
mutant power is activated. If you use up all of your power, you won't be able
to use your special powers anymore. If your health bar is depleted, your
character is defeated.
Scattered about the levels are red hearts and X-Power-Ups (a red X). Hearts
replenish some of your health. There are two types of X-Power-Ups in this
game. A red X-Power-Up will replenish some of your power. A blue X-Power-Up
will give both health and power.
If you collect all of the blue X-Power-Ups in the game and beat the game on
the "I Don't Think So" difficulty setting, you get a special ending and a
special code. It's a string of letters. I have no idea what this does, as
there is no place to enter such a code. If anyone knows how to use the
special code and what it does, drop me a line and let me know. I'll update
this FAQ, giving you credit for your contribution.
That about covers the basics. Let's meet our cast of characters.
Part 3 - Character Analysis
===========================
There are two archetypes of characters here. The abundant melee combatants,
and three shooters. I hate to say it, but the X-Men are complete wimps in
this game. Even the great clawed one and the Rogue-inator (who both won
"Best Character" awards in Gamesmaster's Legacy and Mojo World) are wimps
here. This is a wimpy game. My advice: get Gamesmaster's Legacy and Mojo
World. Both have better graphics, larger character designs, better music,
and better boss match-ups.
Let's have a look at our melee combatants first.
Rogue
=====
She has red hair and wears a green and yellow outfit. To play as her, you
have to complete the Madripoor level (it appears as a pagoda on the
level-select screen). (The manual says that Rogue is held captive in the
Hellfire Club. This is incorrect.)
Rogue has two mutant powers. She can fly, and she has super strength. In
this game, she has average health and power (she is much more healthy and
powerful in Gamesmaster's Legacy and Mojo World). Her power drains on a
regular basis while her mutant power is activated. If you only turn it on
when you need to attack someone or fly, you shouldn't have any problems. But
don't leave her mutant power activated throughout the game. If you do so,
you'll find your precious power draining away.
Rogue cannot double jump in this game. I find this infuriating because the
ability to double jump would make life much easier while trying to conserve
power. If you run out of power, you'll find yourself trapped in some areas,
unable to advance (because Rogue cannot double jump).
One or two powerful punches will defeat the various bad guys (or three to
five normal punches). Rogue has a longer reach while crouched or airborne.
Her standing punches have a very short range. For best results, advance to
striking distance, crouch, and attack.
Rogue has an interesting ability in this game. She's the only member of the
team with the smarts to keep her head low while crouching. She can get under
a gunman's line of fire. The rest of this team of dimwits cannot.
For the most part, Rogue has an easy time of it with bosses. There is one
boss who presents her with a challenge, but she is nigh invulnerable against
three others (including the hardest boss in the game).
Rogue's Advantages
+ She can fly
+ Is almost invulnerable against three bosses
Rogue's Disadvantages
- No ranged attack
- Power drains regularly while mutant power is activated
Wolverine
=========
He wears a blue and yellow outfit, and he has adamantium claws that extend
from his hands when his mutant power is activated. He's available at the
beginning of the game.
Wolverine is a wimp in this game, mostly because he takes forever to heal.
He has two mutant powers. He has adamantium claws for shredding of his
adversaries, and he can heal. While his claws are extended, he will slowly
(very slowly) regain health if he's wounded. His power bar will regularly
drain while his mutant power is activated. Only extend the claws when you
need to attack someone or heal for a bit.
One or two swipes from Wolverine's claws will defeat a bad guy (or three to
five normal punches). Wolverine has a longer reach while standing (both with
claws and normal punches). You may want to use normal punches on a few
occasions to conserve power.
Take full advantage of the hearts, grabbing them for healing instead of using
your power. If you see an X-Power-Up nearby and Wolverine is wounded,
extend the claws and heal for a bit, then grab the X-Power-Up to get back
the power you used.
Wolverine takes a ridiculously long time to heal in this game, and he's no
more healthy than anyone else. Most boss match-ups are a challenge for him.
Wolverine's Advantages
+ He can heal
Wolverine's Disadvantages
- He can't fly
- No ranged attack
- Power drains regularly while claws are extended
Psylocke
========
She is scantily clad in a purple leotard. To play as her, you have to complete
the Brood Cave level (it appears as... what else? a cave! on the level-select
screen).
Psylocke is a wimp. I can't think of a reason I'd want to play as her. She
is a fragile character, taking more damage from hits than the rest of the
characters. She has one mutant power, the psionic blade. She attacks with a
red blade of psionic energy (or something) that extends from her hand. Her
power bar will drain regularly while her psionic blade is active. Only use it
when you need to attack someone.
One or two hits from the psionic blade will defeat a bad guy (or three to
five normal punches). Psylocke has a longer reach with the psionic blade
while standing, but she has a longer reach with normal attacks while
crouching. On those occasions when you feel like using normal attacks to
conserve power, crouch and attack for best results.
Psylocke is one of the worst against bosses. It would help if she had the
smarts to keep her head low and get under a guy's line of fire, but such is
not meant to be. Not much else to say. This girl is a wimp-asaurus.
Psylocke's Advantages
+ None that I can think of
Psylocke's Disadvantages
- She can't fly
- No ranged attack
- A fragile character
- Power drains regularly while psionic blade is active
Nightcrawler
============
He's a guy with blue skin in a red outfit. He also has a tail. To play as
him, you have to complete the Hellfire Club level (it appears as a hallway
in a mansion with white pillar and potted plant on the level-select screen).
(The manual says that Nightcrawler is held captive at Madripoor. This is
incorrect.)
If Psylocke is wimpy, Nightcrawler is doomed to face a humiliating defeat at
the hands of his enemies. This poor sap has gotten wimpiness down to an
art form. I feel bad for him. He has one mutant power. He can teleport in
any direction. Now I don't care how cool teleportation is. It doesn't help
one bit in a boss fight.
Nightcrawler cannot double jump. Instead, he does a high jump by default.
He can also grab onto walls and ceilings while his mutant power is activated.
Press Button 2 twice and hold the button to grab onto a surface. While this
is cool, it's about as useful as this dork's teleportation.
If Nightcrawler is very close to an enemy (close enough to take damage from
touching him), you can teleport away, and the pink energy from his
teleportation will damage the guy. But you have to be really, really close
in order for this to work.
The rest of the time, Nightcrawler is reduced to normal attacks. For what
it's worth, he has a longer reach while crouching. That's not saying much
because he'll have to use normal, wimpy, attacks most of the time.
You'll find this dork running through his power very quickly as he teleports
around, putting this completely useless ability on display for his watching
foes. I swear, some of the gunmen were actually laughing at him! (okay, they
weren't, but I was)
Wimp-crawler is the worst against bosses. You'll be lucky to do half of the
needed damage by the time you're almost dead. This guy is a total loser.
And then some.
Nightcrawler's Advantages
+ He can grab onto ceilings and walls (is that really an advantage?)
Nightcrawler's Disadvantages
- He can't fly
- No ranged attack
- A frail combatant
- Completely useless mutant ability
- Runs through power very quickly
The rest of the characters are all shooters. Let's have a look at them.
Storm
=====
She wears a white outfit and white cape. To play as her, you have to complete
the Morlock Tunnel level (it appears as a platform with sewer pipe on the
level-select screen).
Storm has two mutant powers. She can fly, and she can hurl a lightning bolt
at her enemies. Storm has average health and power. Her power bar will drain
regularly while her mutant power is activated. Only use it when you need to
attack or fly.
Storm runs through ammo at a moderate pace. Because you're using your power
for both attacking and flying, you'll find her low on power more often than
Rogue. All Rogue has to do is get up close and not get hit. Storm has to
worry about running through her ammo.
One or two hits from a lightning bolt will defeat a bad guy (or three to five
normal punches). Storm's melee reach is equally short whether standing or
crouching. Storm cannot double jump in this game. Again, with the
frustration! If you run out of power, you may find yourself trapped and
unable to advance.
Storm is great against bosses, able to put all but one of them down with ease.
She is also nigh invulnerable against the hardest boss.
Storm's Advantages
+ She can fly
+ Ranged attack
+ Is almost invulnerable against the hardest boss
Storm's Disadvantages
- Runs through ammo at a moderate pace
- Power drains regularly while mutant power is activated
Cyclops
=======
He wears a blue outfit. He's available at the beginning of the game.
If you've seen my FAQs for the Gamesmaster's Legacy and Mojo World, you've
already met Wimp-asaurus. Well guess what! Cyclops does very well in this
game! Wimp-O-Matic finally redeems himself! For this FAQ, we'll call him
"Cyclops" and save the wimpy monikers for those who deserve them.
Cyclops is the leader of the X-Men. One would think he'd be ultra-powerful.
In this game, such is not meant to be. He's slightly more healthy here than
he is in Gamesmaster's Legacy and Mojo World, but he still runs through ammo
at light speed. You'll find your power quickly draining as he uses his only
mutant power, the optic blast. He can aim in any direction. Hold down
Button 1 and aim with the D-Pad, then release Button 1 to fire.
One or two optic blasts will defeat a bad guy (or three to five normal
punches). Because he runs through his ammo so quickly, you'll have to use
normal punches half the time to conserve power. Cyclops has a longer reach
while standing, and in this game he can safely fall as far as the rest of our
cast.
Cyclops is nigh invulnerable against three of the bosses, but he's weak
against the hardest boss in the game. You can use his ability to fire in any
direction to your advantage, but miss a shot and you're in trouble. If you
miss, that's some good damage you'll have to make up for with normal, wimpy
punches after you've run out of power. And your power will inevitably run out
as you near victory.
Cyclops' Advantages
+ Ranged attack
+ Can fire in any direction
+ Is nigh invulnerable against three bosses
Cyclops' Disadvantages
- He can't fly
- Runs through ammo very quickly
Iceman
======
He's an ice-man. Literally. To play as him, you have to complete the Savage
Land level (it appears as a rain forest on the level-select screen).
Iceman is the best character in this game. He's much more healthy than
everyone else, able to breeze through the whole game while taking barely a
scratch. He also has much more power than the rest of this wimpy team. I
only had to conserve his power during one level. He runs through his ammo
very slowly as he uses his only mutant power, the ability to hurl ice shards
at his foes.
One or two hits from an ice shard will defeat a bad guy (or three to five
normal punches). This guy has a longer melee reach while standing. He has
a lot of power, but there are a few areas where you'll need to use normal
punches to conserve power.
Iceman easily defeats all but one of the bosses. Not much else to say. He's
a powerhouse. It's almost as if the designers had everyone's health and power
set too high during the development process, then when the time came to
wimpify everyone to make the game hard, someone forgot to adjust Iceman's
stats.
Iceman's Advantages
+ Ranged attack
+ Most healthy
+ Most powerful
+ Boss-beating powerhouse
Iceman's Disadvantages
- He can't fly
Character Ranking
=================
Here's my ranking of the seven characters, from best to worst.
Trust me, I am not biased in favor of Iceman or against Nightcrawler. The
analysis and ranking here are based on how well each character performed for
me in this game.
Iceman consistently out-performed Rogue by a very wide margin. While the
ability to fly makes the game much easier in some areas, and Rogue stands nigh
invulnerable against three of the bosses, Iceman's superior health and power
win the day, making the game a cakewalk for him. Iceman is weak against the
hardest boss in the game, but with some deft maneuvering he can claim a
victory. On the other hand, there is one boss who makes life very difficult
for Rogue. Storm sometimes out-performs Rogue with her ranged attack, but
she runs through ammo much quicker. Cyclops also sometimes out-performs
Rogue with his ranged attack, but he runs through his ammo very quickly and
is reduced to normal punches. Rogue does not suffer from this liability, and
she has perhaps the most valuable talent in the game (she can get under
someone's line of fire). Rogue easily out-performs Wolverine (again, the
smart girl gets under someone's line of fire while Dip-O-Rama gets nailed in
the head). Wolverine's performance here is dreadful compared to his
cakewalks in Gamesmaster's Legacy and Mojo World. There is a big performance
gap between Cyclops and Wolverine, and a huge performance gap between
Wolverine and Psylocke. Nightcrawler's performance is a nightmare.
The hardest boss in the game doesn't change this picture by much. On his
level, covered in Part 5 of this guide, our ranking looks like this.
1. Rogue/Storm
2. Everyone else
Our two fliers are completely in the zone here while everyone else has a
difficult time of it. There's a huge performance gap between them and
the rest of our wimpy team.
In terms of consistent performance, Iceman takes the prize for best character.
I'll take his superior health and power over Rogue's nigh invulnerability
against three bosses.
For an easy game, rescue Iceman and play as him. For a moderately difficult
game, Rogue, Storm, and Cyclops should be your characters of choice. For a
hard game, Wolverine is your guy. For an excruciatingly hard game, give
Psylocke or Nightcrawler a go.
Of course, you could always mix and match, using characters who are best
suited to the current level you're playing.
Part 4 - Tips for Success
=========================
Here are some general tips that work for every character.
Men With Guns
=============
Most of the bad guys wield some sort of gun or ranged attack and will fire
bullets or lasers at you. Here are some ideas on how to deal with these
gun-toting thugs.
If there's adequate clearance overhead, you can jump over the shot and land
close to the gunman. This works wonders if you're playing as Wolverine,
Psylocke, or Nightcrawler. Jump over the bullet or laser, land close to the
guy, and start punching away. As Rogue (the smart one), just duck under his
line of fire as you advance.
Some of the gunmen will be stunned when you score a hit on them. For
example, a gunman fires a shot at you, you advance and hit him, and he
appears to be stunned for a moment, unable to fire his gun again. Don't
hesitate or back off. Keep hitting him.
Others will keep firing regardless of anything. Be aggressive on these guys
and get rid of them as quickly as you can.
Some of these gunmen will crouch and fire if they see you crouching. As
Rogue, don't think you're invulnerable just because you can get under his
line of fire. Let him squeeze off a shot first, then duck under it and
attack.
Some of the gunmen can fire in any direction, and their shots will pass
through walls. They will shoot at you if you're lined up for a diagonal shot.
Do Not Touch
============
Running into a bad guy does a lot of damage to you. Try not to touch anyone.
This goes double for boss battles. I've lost many boss fights because I
accidentally ran into him once or twice (or let him run into me). When
fighting melee, try to stay at the maximum range you can be from him while
still being able to hit him. If he moves away, advance on him. If he moves
toward you, get out of there quickly!
Walkthrough
===========
You can play the first five levels in any order you wish. I've devoted an
entire section to each level and the boss who resides there. Some of the
levels have quick routes that will get you to the boss without dilly
dallying around. Many of these levels are mazes full of extraneous areas.
Explore them at your leisure. For bosses, I provide an in-depth analysis
of each character's performance against him.
Part 5 - The Hellfire Club
==========================
This level appears as a hallway in a mansion with a white pillar and potted
plant on the level-select screen. You'll see a picture of Sebastian Shaw
and some woman dressed in white before the game begins. Completing this
level will rescue Nightcrawler and add him to your team.
The Hellfire Club is split into two parts: a maze of hallways connected by
elevators and an area with myriad platforms above and to the right of the
mansion. Patrolling the hallways are thugs who will try to punch you, and
gunmen who will shoot at you. The first part of this level is easy to
navigate, while the second part presents a challenge. The mansion is full
of extraneous areas. Explore them at your leisure.
Quick Route
===========
Head left and defeat the thug who's advancing on you. Take the elevator
(stand in front of it and press up). You'll be taken to the basement.
There's a thug to your right, and a gunman to the left. Double jump (or fly)
to a platform above the elevator. Above is a platform with a gunman. Get
up there and take him out. Above you is a platform with a Blue X-Power-Up.
Drop down to the elevator and proceed right. You'll drop into a secret
passage. All the way to the left is a stash of several hearts, several
X-Power-Ups, and this level's second Blue X-Power-Up.
Go back up to the elevator and take it back up to where you started this
level. Head left, defeating a thug and two gunmen. You'll pass by an
elevator that leads to an extraneous area. Take the elevator at the far left
to go up two floors. Head right, dusting two thugs. You'll arrive at
another elevator. Take it up. Proceed left. There's a gunman here. Take
the next elevator you see. Head left, beating up another gunman. Take the
elevator on the far left. You'll be taken to a large room above the mansion
with lots of platforms scattered about. There's a gunman on the platform to
your right, and an X-Power-Up on a platform above the elevator.
Head right along the floor of this area, confronting four gunmen along the
way. Jump up a couple platforms for a heart. Jump up to the top, landing
on a platform to your right (Storm and Rogue have to fly here).
To your right is a tall room with many platforms scattered about. There are
a lot of gunmen in this area. The easiest way to get through this area is
to just drop off to your right and fall straight down. It's a long way
down, and you'll take fall damage (c'mon, you can take it!). At the bottom
are two gunmen and a heart. Jump up to the platform above and to your
right, and drop down the shaft (again, taking some fall damage). From here,
just drop down, maneuvering past the gunmen and flame-spouts in the floors
until you drop into the boss chamber.
Sebastian Shaw
==============
What kind of stupid battle is this? Not only is Sebastian immune to mutant
powers, he's also completely immune to normal punches. The only way you can
defeat him is to lure him into the traps he's set for you. There are steam
vents to your right, and a flame-spout to your left. Now tell me, what kind
of moron walks into his own traps? This boss annoys me, mostly because he
makes no sense at all. I can understand his immunity to mutant powers because
Sinister has the same ability (Sinister appears in The Gamesmaster's Legacy).
But if Sebastian can be hurt by fire, he should at the very least be
vulnerable to a punch. I don't care if this guy is nigh invulnerable in the
comic books. This is a game, for crying out loud! And this is a very
wimpy boss battle.
Depending on who you're playing, Sebastian is either the hardest boss in the
game or the easiest one. To start out with, ride the elevator platform
down. Head left until you reach another elevator platform. Ride that down,
and head right to a gap where another elevator platform is moving. Wait here
until you see Sebastian riding the elevator up to meet you. There is a maze
of hallways and elevators below, but the best way to defeat Sebastian is at
the top of this area. When Sebastian comes after you, head left and double
jump up to the floor above (you can jump or fly through the elevator
platform). He'll casually ride this elevator up and resume his pursuit.
Lead him back to the first elevator and jump up to the floor above. Then
lead him left to the flame-spout and try to lure him onto it. This is the
one boss that Nightcrawler would easily beat (he can grab onto the ceiling
above a flame-spout).
If you're Rogue or Storm, you can fly up from the flame-spout and through a
very long shaft with a heart and X-Power-Up. At the top, fly left and land
in a crawlspace. At the far left is another heart and X-Power-Up. To get
back down, just drop down the shaft and take some fall damage at the bottom
(don't worry, you won't be taking any damage during this battle).
Versus Rogue Or Storm
=====================
Both of these girls are nigh invulnerable against Sebastian. Go to the
flame-spout, fly, and hover above this dork's head as he stands in the fire.
He has a lot of health, but your power will easily outlast him, provided that
you entered this contest with more than half your power bar full. It's a
wimpy, cowardly way to fight, but there are no other options.
Versus Cyclops, Iceman, Wolverine, Or Psylocke
==============================================
At the flame-spout, try to lure Sebastian into walking into it. Double jump
over him. If he steps back to his right, angle your fall so that you land
to the left of the flame-spout. He'll walk back into it. If he stays
underneath you while you're double jumping over him, head right to the
elevator platform and jump over the gap if the elevator isn't there. When
the elevator comes up, jump over Sebastian as he advances. He'll wait on
the right side of the elevator until it goes down and comes back up. Use
this time to position yourself to the left of the flame-spout and wait for
him to advance again. Keep luring him onto the flame-spout, and he'll
eventually drop. Sebastian moves as fast as you do. If he touches you,
get away from him by double jumping. This is a long, difficult boss battle.
Sebastian Shaw's Lethality Rating - 5 out of 5
Part 6 - Morlock Tunnel
=======================
This level appears as a platform with sewer pipe on the level-select screen.
You'll see a picture of Wolverine before the game begins. Completing this
level will rescue Storm and add her to your team.
This is a small level that's easy to navigate. Funky-looking bad guys in red
outfits will toss some sort of projectile at you, purple monsters will toss
spears at you, and some sort of funky-looking bird attacks melee. The
ever-present sewer water is a hazard to your health. Rogue has an easy time
navigating this level, as she can fly.
Quick Route
===========
Head right until you arrive at a long slope that slants to the right. From
here, head right as far as you can go for a Blue X-Power-Up. You'll have to
ride a moving platform to get across a large gap with damaging sewer water
below.
Back at the long slope, head down. To your right is an extraneous area with
an X-Power-Up if you need it. There's another X-Power-Up directly below you.
Head down and left as far as you can go.
Drop down the slopes in the shaft here. At the bottom is a heart and this
level's second Blue X-Power-Up. To the right are a heart and X-Power-Up
on small platforms. Head right and up the slope, then down a long slope.
A red guy waits for you on a platform here. Ascend the long slope to your
right, dispatching the bird at the top. Above the draining sewer water is
a heart. There's a red guy above. Get rid of him and head right, facing off
with a spear guy. At the top of the next slope is a red guy. Ride the moving
platform across here and jump up to the tunnel that leads to the boss chamber.
You'll face a bird and a spear guy along the way.
Callisto
========
She's a melee combatant who has a long reach with that power staff of hers.
Callisto will aggressively come after you, back off a bit, then attack again.
Storm could easily emerge victorious here with her ranged attack.
Versus Iceman
=============
Keep some distance on Callisto whenever possible. Unload on her, back off,
unload again. When you get pushed into the corner, double jump over her and
put some distance on her again. An easy victory.
Versus Rogue
============
The Rogue-inator is nigh invulnerable here. Fly down to meet Callisto and
hover to her left or right. If you're down too far, you'll take damage from
her attack. Inch up just a bit and try again. If you're up too far, your
attacks won't connect. If you hover in just the right spot, you can attack
with impunity. That'll teach Callisto to pick a fight with someone who can
fly.
Versus Cyclops
==============
At the left or right side of the boss chamber, stand on the platform above
Callisto and aim your optic blast diagonally to hit her. Depending on how
you look at it, this is either a cowardly way to fight or a smart way.
Versus Wolverine
================
When you get up close and start clawing away, you'll discover what a wimp
the great clawed one is in this game. As you near defeat, get away from her.
Stand on one of the platforms above and heal (it takes a long time). Go
back down and finish her off.
Versus Psylocke
===============
Just like the rest of the Wimp Crew, Psylocke cannot stand toe to toe with
Callisto, and she can't get under Callisto's attack. Leave some hearts behind
on your way here. When you're near defeat, go back and get the hearts to
replenish your much-needed health, then come back and try to finish it off.
A close match for Wimp-asaurus.
Versus Nightcrawler
===================
By the time you're close enough to damage her with your teleportation, you've
already taken a hit or two. After he quickly runs through his power trying
in vain to damage Callisto, Uber-Wimp is almost dead and reduced to normal
attacks. A Wimp-Fest if I've ever seen one.
Callisto's Lethality Rating - 4 out of 5
(Psylocke and Nightcrawler brought this rating up by two points.)
Part 7 - Brood Cave
===================
This level appears as a cave on the level-select screen. You'll see a picture
of Psylocke before the game begins. Completing this level will rescue
Psylocke and add her to your team.
The Brood Cave is a fairly large maze full of extraneous areas. It's infested
with large, winged scorpions. In some places, the water will damage you. If
you see a gap between platforms with water underneath, the water below will
usually damage you. The scorpions are complete cowards. They will not come
after you. Rather, they guard passageways and entrances to new areas, waiting
for you to come after them.
Quick Route
===========
Head right until you see an X-Power-Up below. If you're Nightcrawler, drop
down here and head left into a room. The boss chamber is directly below.
Teleport in. Otherwise, head right until you arrive at a gap with no water.
To your right are two scorpions guarding a heart and an X-Power-Up. Go back
left and drop down the shaft. To the right are three scorpions guarding a
heart. Enter a secret tunnel behind the waterfall for a Blue X-Power-Up.
Jump on the yellow platform until it drops. Drop down the long shaft and
head left at the bottom until you reach another shaft. Through a tunnel to
the left and under a waterfall is a long shaft with two hearts, an X-Power-Up,
and a Blue X-Power-Up. Back at the other shaft, proceed up and left. Go
up through another shaft and head right, jumping over the gap. Head up and
left to find the boss.
Scorpion Queen
==============
This creature looks like an Alien (like, from the movie "Aliens"). She's
another aggressive melee combatant who will make life difficult for the X-Men
team. Psylocke would easily find herself out-matched here.
Versus Cyclops
==============
Don't even enter the boss chamber. Stand on the ledge to the right of the
Queen and aim your optic blast diagonally to hit her. Another coward's
victory. I said that Cyclops performs very well in this game; not that he
does well in a fair fight. As you near victory, Cyclops will run out of
ammo. Finish it with normal punches.
Versus Iceman or Storm
======================
Unload on the creature and jump or fly over her when she gets close. Land
on the other side and let her have it. It's difficult to keep distance here,
but using a ranged attack is much, much easier than going melee.
Versus Rogue
============
This is the one boss who gives Rogue a hard time. Be aggressive here. When
your health gets low, retreat and collect some hearts and X-Power-Ups you left
behind on your way here (that long shaft on the far left with two hearts,
an X-Power-Up, and the Blue X-Power-Up should provide enough health to barely
outlast the Queen). A close match for Rogue, and one of the few occasions on
which she finds herself out-matched.
Versus Wolverine
================
The great clawed one meets his match again. None of our heroes in this game
(besides Iceman) can stand toe to toe with a boss without using some sort of
gimmick to stay alive. When Wolverine's health gets low, jump onto a platform
at the left side of the boss chamber and heal, just like you did with
Callisto. Dip-O-Rama.
Versus Nightcrawler
===================
What is Uber-Wimp doing here? This poor sap doesn't stand a chance! If you
must, you'll need to do a lot of heart-hunting because this guy is so wimpy.
Scorpion Queen's Lethality Rating - 4 out of 5
(Rogue, Wolverine, and Uber-Wimp brought this rating up by two points.)
Part 8 - The Savage Land
========================
This level appears as a rain forest on the level-select screen. You'll see a
picture of a T-Rex before the game begins. Completing this level will rescue
Iceman and add him to your team.
The Savage Land is a long, linear, left-to-right level with no quick route.
Leopard-men jump around, tossing some sort of projectile at you. Pterodactyls
prowl the skies, flying down to attack. Pits of lava present a constant
threat to your health. There are some hearts and X-Power-Ups on high tree
branches, and others concealed in small caves at ground level. Rogue and
Storm can navigate this level much easier than everyone else. Nightcrawler
can teleport across wide lava pits that the rest of our cast has to double
jump over.
Both of this level's Blue X-Power-Ups are easy to come by if you look around
at ground level. At one point, you'll be on a high plateau. When you drop
down to ground level, double back to the left to enter a small cave with the
first Blue X-Power-Up. The second is near the end, across a wide lava pit
in a tunnel.
Sauron
======
This winged lizard man would be tough if not for an idiotic weakness. If you
stand on the ledge just above ground level at the right side of the arena,
Sauron can't get you. Why? Because this guy is a total dork who doesn't know
how to fight! My advice: just take advantage of this moron's inability to
hit you while you're on that one ledge. If he's stupid enough not to fly
up a bit and come after you, he deserves a mercy killing. The rest of this
section assumes you're not taking advantage of the "ledge of invulnerability".
Sauron could probably put up a decent fight against Iceman.
Versus Rogue
============
Do not under any circumstances let this guy run into you. He can make quick
work of any character just by repeated ramming. The best way to deal with
this guy is to lure him to the lava pit, hover above the lava pit, and duke
it out with him. There are two hearts in the arena that will give you an
edge. One is on the ledge nearby the lava pit, the other is on the right
side of the arena at the highest ledge.
Versus Storm
============
Storm cannot fire lightning bolts while in the air. Get on the ground floor
and unload on Sauron when he lands. Same rules as Rogue. Don't let him run
into you. If you get cornered next to the lava pit, fly away to your left.
Lure him to the right side of the arena, then put some distance on him, land
to his left, and unload on him again.
Versus Cyclops
==============
Same strategy as Storm, except you have to double jump over him if he corners
you at the lava pit. Try not to waste any of your precious ammo by missing
a shot. As you near victory, Cyclops will inevitably run out of power and be
reduced to normal punches.
Versus Wolverine
================
Again, the great clawed one meets his match. You'll have to stand toe to toe
with Sauron and take the damage he metes out. When you're near defeat, back
off to a ledge at the left side of the arena to heal. Sauron won't come after
you there.
Versus Psylocke Or Nightcrawler
===============================
The Wimp-Fest continues. If the rest of our team is having a rough time of
it here, you can bet that this duo of losers is in way over their heads. Come
to think of it, why are these two morons even here? They have nothing useful
to contribute to this game.
Sauron's Lethality Rating - 1 out of 5
(The "ledge of invulnerability" brought this rating down by three points.)
Part 9 - Madripoor
==================
This level appears as a pagoda on the level-select screen. You'll see a
picture of Omega Red before the game begins. Completing this level will
rescue Rogue and add her to your team.
Another long, linear, left-to-right level with no quick route. Three types
of ninjas dwell here. Melee fighters, nunchuck wielders who have a good
range with their nunchucks, and ninjas who toss shurikens. The water
underneath the docks is hazardous to your health. Check the roofs of the
buildings. Some of them have hearts or X-Power-Ups. Just before you reach
the boss, there's a wide gap that you can't quite make it across with a
double jump (very cheap!).
This level's two Blue X-Power-Ups are easy to come by. You can't miss 'em.
Omega Red
=========
This guy is tough against our melee combatants but completely out of his
element against the three shooters. He'll attack with a tendril that extends
from his hand. His reach with the tendril easily out-matches anyone else's
melee reach. Because his tendril is up so high, I'll bet Rogue could easily
get under it.
Versus Cyclops
==============
Enter this battle with full power (and I mean, FULL power). As Omega Red
advances, double jump over him and unload on him. Keep backing off to the
right every time he comes after you, and keep unloading on him. Just as you
run out of power, your last shot will score the winning hit. This is
probably Cyclops' most decent performance in a fair fight with a boss. It's
not a cowardly victory because Omega Red can hurt Cyclops if he gets in
range.
Versus Storm Or Iceman
======================
Same deal as Cyclops, except you won't run out of ammo.
Versus Wolverine
================
Why is Dip-O-Rama here? If you've been keeping track of his progress, he
hasn't done very well in this game. Same strategy as always. Stand toe to
toe with Omega Red, clawing away at him. When you near defeat, jump onto a
platform above and heal. A heart on the right-most platform will help
conserve a bit of power.
Versus Psylocke
===============
Get in close with your blade. His reach easily out-matches yours. You'll
have to stand toe to toe with him. Pound him with hits. When you're near
defeat, that heart on the right-most ledge above will give you just enough
health to outlast him, provided that you didn't let him run into you too
many times. Wimp-asaurus barely wins this bout.
Versus Nightcrawler
===================
Why is this loser even here? All he can do is teleport around for Omega Red's
amusement.
Omega Red's Lethality Rating - 4 out of 5
(The great clawed one and the Wimp Squad brought this rating up by two points
by sheer force of their overpowering wimpiness.)
Part 10 - Avalon
================
The X-Mens' quest ends here as they confront Magneto and put an end to his
evil schemes.
Magneto's stronghold is a large maze. Killer robots fire quad-shots,
gunmen stalk the hallways, and some areas have wall-mounted guns that will
fire lasers through gaps you need drop through in order to proceed. Standing
between you and Magneto's chamber is a large labyrinth full of dead ends and
extraneous areas. Nightcrawler can easily navigate this level, teleporting
past entire sections of the labyrinth.
Quick Route
===========
Jump or fly up to the platform above. There's an X-Power-Up on a ledge here.
Proceed up as far as you can go, and head left. The first gap leads to a
dead end with a heart and a robot. The second gap leads to a dead end. Drop
down the third gap to face a robot. Head left, up, and left, dropping down
the next gap. There's an X-Power-Up to the left. Proceed right and drop
down two floors, then drop down another floor. To your left is a gap that
leads to two robots and a heart. All the way to the left is an X-Power-Up.
Proceed right, dropping down two more floors to exit this labyrinth section.
Head left, staying on the upper plaforms. At the left wall of this area,
drop down the long shaft. Jump up the platform-filled shaft. Jump across
the next gap (it's a long shaft that is a dead end). Drop down the next gap
and through a wide platform-filled shaft here. Ride an elevator platform up
through another shaft. At the top, Rogue or Storm can fly up and to the right
for an X-Power-Up. Proceed left. When you reach a gap, jump up to the
platform above and to your right (the gap leads to an extraneous area with
conveyor belts). Go up as far as you can go. At the upper right corner of
this area is a tunnel with this level's first Blue X-Power-Up.
There are a lot of hearts and X-Power-Ups in this area. You should be able
to fully recharge if you're low on health or power. Proceed left, staying
high wherever possible. You'll eventually arrive at an area with two hearts.
Head right and drop down a small shaft. To the right is an X-Power-Up. Go
down as far as you can and head left to enter a tall room with small platforms
and some robots. Rogue and Storm will have to fly here. At the upper left
corner of the room is the exit. The final area has a couple gunmen, some
robots, and the last Blue X-Power-Up. At the bottom of this area are two
hearts and two X-Power-Ups. Proceed left and up as far as you can go. You'll
ride two elevator platforms to get to Magneto's lair.
Magneto
=======
Whenever he is surrounded by glowing energy, Magneto is invulnerable. He'll
float in the air above you for a while, then he'll float diagonally to land.
When he lands, he's vulnerable for a moment while he fires an energy bolt at
you. Then he takes to the air again. He will often try to fake you out,
floating up just a bit and coming back down to attack again. His movements
are difficult to predict, but if you spend some time watching him and practice
this battle, you'll get the hang of it and be able to defeat him like a true
hero.
During this battle, Rogue and Storm can both fly down through the first
elevator platform to collect hearts and/or X-Power-Ups you left behind.
Nightcrawler can teleport through a wall to leave the battle. There are two
areas with hearts and X-Power-Ups that only Nightcrawler can reach. One is to
the right of the boss chamber. The other is to the left. The rest of our
team are all trapped in Magneto's lair once they enter.
Versus Iceman
=============
Just duke it out with Magneto whenever he descends to attack. Iceman has so
much health and power, he can easily outlast his adversary. Easiest victory.
Versus Rogue
============
The Rogue-inator is nigh invulnerable here. This is where her unique talent
separates her from the rest of this team of dimwits. Rogue can get under
Magneto's line of fire. As long as you don't let him ram into you or get hit
by his glowing energy when he's invulnerable, Rogue is completely safe.
When he lands, be nearby and hit him a couple times while crouching. If he
floats away from you and you can't get to him the next time he lands, just
duck under his line of fire. Be patient. The only way Magneto can hurt you
is if you let him run into you. With a bit of practice, you can defeat him
before your draining power runs out. If your power does run out, use the
X-Power-Up at the left side of the chamber. Even if your power completely
runs out, just be patient and finish it with normal attacks.
Versus Storm
============
Don't bother to crouch when Magneto fires his energy blast at you. It'll do
no good. Just unload on him whenever he's vulnerable and try not to waste
ammo (it takes some practice to time your shots; I find it easier to get up
close with Rogue). Storm runs through her ammo rather quickly, making this a
challenging encounter.
Versus Cyclops
==============
Even if you manage to not waste any ammo, Cyclops will still run out of power
as you near victory. You'll have to finish it with normal punches.
Versus Wolverine
================
You'll need the X-Power-Up next to the elevator as you run low on power, so
save it for this eventuality. Might also be a good idea to spend some time
healing at the left side of the chamber, where Magneto will not come after
you. An embarrassing performance on the part of the great clawed one arrives
at a wimpy conclusion.
Versus Psylocke Or Nightcrawler
===============================
Why is the Wimp Squad here? I told you, they have nothing decent to
contribute to this game. A close match for Wimp-asaurus, while Uber-Wimp has
to spend a lot of time heart-hunting to stay alive (he can teleport through
walls to leave the battle).
Magneto's Lethality Rating - 3 out of 5
Congratulations! The X-Men have vanquished Magneto and put an end to his
evil schemes.
Part 11 - Afterthoughts
=======================
All said and done, this is a pretty good game. My least favorite of the X-Men
games for Sega Game Gear; still, it's above average as far as Game Gear titles
go. This was the first of the X-Men "Game Gear Trilogy". It looks like the
designers had to work through some game-play issues and work on larger
character designs before arriving at the awesome Gamesmaster's Legacy, my
favorite of the three. Still, X-Men is a charming game in its own right.
Here's a thought. If you used Sauron's "ledge of invulnerability", Rogue is
nigh invulnerable against a grand total of four bosses in this game. She
doesn't get to fight Omega Red, so out of the five bosses that she can fight,
she beats four of them while barely taking a scratch (Shinobi Shaw, Callisto,
Magneto, and "ledge of invulnerability"). Cyclops also stands nigh
invulnerable against four of the bosses (Omega Red, Scorpion Queen, Callisto,
and the "ledge of invulnerability"). If Cyclops and Rogue team up, your game
could go something like this: Cyclops enters Madripoor and defeats Omega Red;
Cyclops enters the Brood Cave and easily defeats the Scorpion Queen; Cyclops
or Rogue enters the Morlock Tunnel and easily beats Callisto; Cyclops or
Rogue enters the Savage Land and uses the "ledge of invulnerability"; Rogue
finishes up the rest of the game (Hellfire Club and Magneto). You just played
a game where your characters were nigh invulnerable against all of the bosses.
Okay, so we did have a bit of fun at Psylocke's and Nightcrawler's expense
here, but they're both very kind for putting up with me. I give them credit
for that (if nothing else). ;)
Long live the Game Gear! A great portable gaming system.
This guide is copyrighted material and cannot be reproduced in part or in
full without permission from the author.
