
	Platform SNES Genre Action Developer / Publisher Capcom Released 1993
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Megaman X

Of all the different game franchises out there, it is hard to find one that has been milked more than Capcom’s Megaman series. The strange thing, though, is that these games have consistently been good, with the odd dud here and there, as opposed to many other series on the market that got progressively worse over the years after being exploited to death by their publishers. When I first started to see screenshots of Megaman X in magazines leading up to the release of the game, I was quite smitten with the sheer quality of the graphics the game had, especially being on the SNES. On top of that, it looked like there would be quite a few interesting weapons to use. With that I was hooked, and made good and sure that I would be able to get a copy of the game the day it came out.

When I took the game home, I popped it in right away and spent hours on the thing. While the basic play mechanics were the same, so much had been improved about the Megaman series that I couldn’t help but be thoroughly impressed. The animation, graphics, and character design was better, the progression of the series’ mythology was very interesting, the weapons were damn cool, and it was all held together with the familiar, peppy music synonymous with the Megaman series.

Up until Megaman X, most people’s perception of the Blue Bomber was of a short, bulbous robotic boy that, while cute, wasn’t exactly the most dashing of lads. When the X series started, this all changed, giving Megaman a far more anime-oriented

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look. He was tall, and lean, and looked far more the hero than ever before. Also, the enemies in the games, especially the bosses, started to look a little more intimidating, not so much in a dark, and brooding sort of way, but in that they could dish out a lot more damage than bosses of previous Megaman games. As it stood, Megaman X brought a very refreshing change to the presentation of the Megaman franchise, and many fans ate it up, myself included.

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What was particularly surprising, and brought up some mixed feelings in me, was that Megaman X took place long, long after the events of the original Megaman series. On the one hand, it was interesting because these events of the past by now had taken on an almost mythic sensibility in the story for Megaman X. However, it was also quite sad, as it meant that Dr. Light and all of the other characters that Megaman fans had grown up with were long since dead, so there was a bit of a sense of loss there, especially when receiving messages left in the form of holographs by Dr. Light for those who discovered his inventions.

Despite this touch of bittersweet memories, the game was very fun for its time, and is still a blast to play today. Megaman X saw a very good balance between platforming, and action sequences, as players navigated the levels. About the only complaint many could level against the game in terms of how it played out is that it was a tad on the easy side, and players could get through it all quite quickly. About the only parts of the game that proved to be a challenge were trying to unlock Ryu’s fireball from Street Fighter II, and getting through the final couple of levels of the game.

Nonetheless, Megaman X will always be a favorite for me. The game may have came out over a decade ago, but what it did to give the Megaman franchise a facelift was great, and experiencing it for the first time was a pleasure.

Mr. Nash

(April 3, 2005)