The X Is For EXTREME

You must penetrate the core precisely,

Nostalgia surrounds Megaman X for me, so take the following with a grain of salt.

The Blue Bomber has starred in upwards of 60 games, but X is one of the best. A true sequel, it developed and extended the gameplay while staying true to its roots. Players are offered eight stages to be completed in any order, each containing a boss whose power you win upon their defeat. However, the addition of the dash and the wall jump allowed for far greater mobility and fast-paced gameplay that really opened up the levels. Capcom took advantage of this, rewarding exploration with health increases and armor enhancements. The graphics have lots of nice effects and animation which still hold up today. The soundtrack is a classic of the series.

A lot of effort and love is evident in X, which is unfortunately lacking in its sequels as Capcom attempted to cash in. Enemies have multiple damage animations if you use the weapon they are weak against. Boss powers are useful outside of the reploid fights. Stages are varied and unique, even changing depending on the order they are completed. The developer even threw in Ryu's fireball as bonus for fans.

Some people complain about the harder, less Astro-Boy inspired look but I don't really mind it; it leaves room for more Star Wars references. The other chief gripe is that the game is too easy and doesn't require the precision platforming of the older games. While this has some merit, no one says games must be difficult to be good. To me, X is time-honored favorite that I can play anytime and still know every trick and secret. Sure I blow through it in 40 minutes, but it is time well spent, reminding me of how far Capcom's mascot has fallen.

Perhaps only the X-Buster on his arm knows for sure,
Keiji Inafune