Megaman X6

[Just Crouton]

I posted this previously on Pete's Game Room Forum as DelinquentGirlNiAtSoFi (My usual forum name.) I added a rating scale for this forum due to the rules here (personally, I think ratings are pointless.)

It seems a lot of people hate Megaman X6. Sure it's difficult, and the storyline sucks (since when has Megaman ever had a good story?), and the controversy that a different team made it behind the series creator's back while he worked on Megaman Zero. But it is as bad as people think?

2-3 weeks after X5, the world is having a crisis after the colony drop last game. A scientist named Gate searches through the wreckage, and finds a computer chip from Zero that turns him into a mad scientist. Later, X investigates the crash site having received a call about a mechaniloid attack, and encounters a mysterious figure resembling Zero, followed by the Big-O looking High Max. We then learn from a reploid named Isaac about the Zero Nightmare phenomenon that is screwing up robots or something. So, X has to clear Zero's name, now tarnished by Isaac.

I remember buying X6 in 8th grade, a month or so after it's US release. I had also just got X5 on Christmas, so I was playing that already. But when I got X6, X5 meant little to me. The music was the best I've heard since X3 on the SNES. It had such a dark and moody feel however subtle. The sound effects were so much better. Voice-acting which sounded pretty good. X has the Z-Saber now. Then, the difficulty. Back then, it was a nightmare. I only won with cheat codes and the Ultimate Armor then. But, when I picked up the game 2 years ago, I blazed through it without cheat codes or the Ultimate Armor.

The level design was bizarre, but artistic and unique. It was insane too. In the fire level, it's nothing but a gauntlet of mini-boss battles. Another level revolves around a single mini-boss battle. The item placement is also bizarre. In one of the secret levels, you'll find a heart tank right next to an armor capsule. Even more insane, is that the Nightmare phenomenon adds new, somewhat surreal elements to the level, making it more annoying. I like the strange, unbalanced style of level design. It really makes the levels more distinguishable from others. The downside is that you need at least the Blade Armor to get through parts of the fortress level.

I really like the armors in this game. You start the game with a weaker version of the Falcon Armor from X5. This time, it can't fly, and the charge shot no longer pierces walls, but now, you can charge up weapons. The Blade Armor has a special air dash called the Mach Dash that air dashes in 4 directions. The Shadow Armor is my favorite armor. With it, you can touch spikes without taking damage at the cost of being unable to use special weapons or air dashing. The X-buster also shoots shurikens instead of bullets, and the charge-shot is a powered-up Z-Saber with a giant crescent blade. The Shadow Armor is great for bosses, especially the final boss. The Ultimate Armor is back, but not as useful because of the level design, and should only be used as a boss killer. Zero's black armor from X5 is also back, but I've never used it.

This game has the best customization system in the X series. You get special parts from reploids you rescue. Examples are the Ultimate Buster which fires charge shots without charging, Jumper which allows you to jump higher, Speedster which allows you to run faster, and Hyper Dash which allows you to dash faster. I like to customize the Shadow Armor with Speedster, Hyper Dash, and Jumper to get around it's lack of an air dash.

The bosses are fairly easy compared to the levels. The hardest boss in the game is the first fortress level boss. Sigma is a joke. In his second form, you can rapid-fire him. I depleted his screen-long health bar with the Shadow Armor's Giga Attack. Gate was pretty fun with the Shadow Armor. He's invincible to your weapons, so you have to destroy the energy balls he throws, so they'll explode into smaller balls and hit him to inflict damage. The challenge is that the room in a giant pit with platforms.

This game is a great challenge. Is it insane? Yes. But, like with any Megaman game, once you know what you're doing, it becomes a lot easier. It is bad? No. If you want bad, go play Megaman X7 on PS2. Now THAT was bad.

9/10

[Astro Dude]

In my opinion this story should've began three years after the Eurasia incident like it said in Megaman X5.

[Toffee.]

Megaman 6, IMO, is actually pretty good O,o

[Astro Dude]

The Mavericks are cool though. You have a Phoenix maverick.

[TAG]

Have this game on my X Collection. Fun game, fun game.

That, and Infinity Mijinion's theme was epic as all hell.

[Astro Dude]

X6 also had tributes brought back from the dead: Sting Chameleon, Magna Centipede, Blast Hornet. And Rainy Tyrtloid was one BIG maverick. not as big as Gilded Sigma.

[TAG]

[quote name='Astro Dude' timestamp='1290276787' post='4798004']
X6 also had tributes brought back from the dead: Sting Chameleon, Magna Centipede, Blast Hornet. And Rainy Tyrtloid was one BIG maverick. not as big as Gilded Sigma.
[/quote]

You forgot Storm Eagle. He makes an appearance as well.

[Astro Dude]

Oh yeah. There was a rain of them. Well at least Zero came back.