MarketMega Man X
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Mega Man X

Mega Man X is a series of action-platform games released by Capcom. It is a sub-series of the Mega Man franchise previously developed by the same group, with Keiji Inafune acting as one of the main staff members. The first game was released on 17 December 1993 in Japan on the Super Famicom and the following month on the Super NES in North America. Most of the sequels were ported to Microsoft Windows. The gameplay introduces new elements to the Mega Man franchise in the form of Mega Man's successor X, including his new skills and power-ups in the form of armors while retaining the ability to decide which boss to fight first. The franchise is also known for its replay value, in which certain choices and optional content can influence both gameplay and storylines, allowing the player to experience alternate scenarios.

Plot
The plot focuses on "X", a mechanical being created by Dr. Thomas Light and the successor to the original Mega Man. He is a new type of robot with the ability to think, feel, and make his own decisions. Recognizing the potential danger of this model, Light sealed X away in a diagnostic capsule for over 30 years of testing. X's capsule is uncovered by an archaeologist named Dr. Cain almost 100 years after X's creation. Excited by the possibilities X presented, Cain disregarded the warnings Light had logged in the capsule and created a legion of robots that replicated X's free will; these robots were called "Reploids" ( in Japan). A number of Reploids turned against humans led by the rebellious Reploid Sigma. These Reploids are dubbed "Mavericks" ( in Japan), and a force called the Maverick Hunters () was formed to combat them. The Maverick Hunters were led by Sigma until he, too, became a Maverick and declared war against the humans, thus starting the Maverick War. X takes it upon himself to join the Maverick Hunters under his superior Zero. Throughout the series, X and Zero battle against the Mavericks to stop their plots to destroy the human race. Sigma continues using his power and a virus to create more conflicts with the Maverick Hunters and attempt to destroy the planet in the process. While X and Zero also gain new allies, in Mega Man X7 they work with the missing Maverick, Axl, who becomes their partner. In the latest game, Mega Man X8, it is revealed New Generation Reploids are doomed to become Sigma copies with the original Sigma dying in the process in his final showdown with the Hunters. After the series reached an unresolved cliffhanger, a game entitled Mega Man X Dive was released by Capcom Taiwan in which a human plays Mega Man X, until due in part to some corrupted data known as Maverick Data, he/she gets transported into the Deep Log, a massive database with data on every Mega Man game. The player must progress through the scrambled code of the Maverick Wars, Elf Wars, and the Game Of Destiny, to destroy the Maverick Data causing the slow corruption of the Deep Log. In contrast to the Mega Man Zero and ZX sequel series, the spin-off Mega Man X: Command Mission instead is set in a future where X is a veteran Maverick Hunter dealing with rebellions. Capcom expressed their desire to portray X and Zero as stronger versions in this spin-off of their previous incarnations even if they come across as out-of-character to the audience. ==Characters==
Characters
Maverick Hunters The Maverick Hunters, known as are a group of Reploids who protect humans and other Reploids from Mavericks and are the heroes of the Mega Man X series, with its protagonists being prominent Maverick Hunters. When they are introduced in Mega Man X, they have existed for some time, having been founded by Dr. Cain, who has since retired. From Mega Man X onward, they battle Sigma and the other Mavericks. X X is the main protagonist of the Mega Man X series. Dr. Light created him, but feared the ramifications of giving robots free will and so chose to seal him inside a capsule for 30 years to test the integrity and reliability of his systems. Light died before X's diagnostics were complete, and 100 years later another scientist, Dr. Cain, discovered his capsule and attempted to emulate his technology. With X's help, Cain developed the first mass-produced Reploids: humanoid androids based upon X's designs. Zero Originally intended to be the protagonist of Mega Man X, he was recast as X's mentor and partner in favor of an X who looked "more like Mega Man". He is a top-class Maverick Hunter who undergoes inner turmoil over his mysterious past and purpose, which he seems to see glimpses of in nightmares, and the fact that the Virus does not affect him like it does with other reploids, who become Mavericks. Axl :Voiced by (English): Lenne Hardt (X7); Jeffrey Watson (X8)Voiced by (Japanese): Minami Takayama is a black and red-armored reploid with an X-shaped scar above his nose who wields a pair of handheld blaster pistols. He first appears in Mega Man X7, where he displays an ability called A-Trans, which allows him to take on the appearance and abilities of any reploid he defeats which matches his size, allowing him to explore normally inaccessible areas. He also has the ability to hover in midair and roll through enemy shots. While his gameplay style was originally similar to X, Mega Man X8 reworked his gameplay to give him a distinctive fighting style. His shots are now rapid-fire abilities and can fire in any direction, and instead of copying the Maverick weapons like X, he instead gains a new type of gun for each boss he defeats, which have unlimited ammo and can be fired either multi-directional or rapid-fire. While overall the weakest in power, Axl's fighting style relies more on speed compared to X's powerful but slower charge shots and Zero's swordplay. Dr. Cain :Voiced by (English): Michael ShepherdVoiced by (Japanese): Tadashi Miyazawa Dr. Cain is a human archaeologist and robot expert, who serves as a supporting character throughout the Mega Man X games. He discovered the dormant X in the ruins of Dr. Light's lab, and soon after invented Reploids, sapient robots based on X's design, with the most notable being Sigma. Sigma, being the most advanced robot at the time, became the head of the Maverick Hunters, a group of reploids dedicated to destroying reploids that violate the three rules of robotics. Iris :Voiced by (Japanese): Yūko Mizutani (PXZ); Aya Endō (X DiVE–present) Repliforce scientists created Iris alongside her brother Colonel as one half of the "Perfect Soldier program", with Colonel being the other half. She was compassionate and peaceful, while Colonel was a strong-willed Reploid warrior. Repliforce scientists struggled to make these two factors into one Reploid, and because the differences were irreconcilable, they split them into brother and sister Reploids. In Mega Man X4, Iris is one of the two characters alongside Double who can only be fought depending on whether the player chooses Zero or X. Alia :Voiced by (English): Rumiko Varnes (X7); Layer is also a secret unlockable character in the game, and has gameplay similar to Zero's. She wields her own sword weapon, the "Layer Rapier", allowing her to use the same abilities as Zero, but cannot use his "Black Armor". Pallette :Voiced by (English): Chris Simms Many Maverick Hunters chose to follow Sigma out of loyalty, leaving Zero in charge of the organization. X, the last creation of Dr. Light and the base model for the Reploids, decided to volunteer and joined Zero. X and Zero battle through the Maverick regime, and ultimately X destroys Sigma; however, while his physical body is scrapped, his "soul", the Virus, survives. After the end credits, Sigma's face appears on a blue monitor and warns X that he will be back. Sigma returns in each installment of the series in various forms, but X defeats him each time. His final appearance is in Mega Man X8, where he is finally destroyed for good. However, the Sigma Virus remains, prompting the events of the Mega Man Zero series. Vile :Voiced by (English): Roger Rhodes Gate is the main antagonist of Mega Man X6. He is a researcher who formerly worked with Alia and possessed knowledge far ahead of his peers. He was eventually exiled from the research community when his colleagues, including Alia, conspired to destroy his Reploids out of fear for their power and inability to be analyzed. Following the crash of Eurasia, Gate discovered a piece of Zero's DNA and became infected by traces of the Maverick virus within it. Obsessed with building his own utopia for only the most supreme Reploids, Gate created the Nightmare Virus and the Zero Nightmare, a clone of Zero, to instill fear in the population, then revived his Reploids as the "Nightmare Investigators", supposedly to protect them, but in reality to lead them to their deaths. Isoc Isoc is Gate's chief assistant, who appears in Mega Man X6. He is first seen giving a rousing speech to the Reploids and recruiting them as Nightmare Investigators. His true goal is to observe the effects of the Nightmare Virus and report them to Gate for further refinements. Isoc also shows an obsession with Zero, claiming that he knows everything about him. High Max High Max, known as in Japan, is an antagonist in Mega Man X6. He was created by Gate as the ultimate Reploid, using DNA taken from Zero to make him powerful and resistant to damage. As the leader of the Nightmare Investigators, High Max is assigned with seeking out and destroying the Zero Nightmare as part of Gate's farce to lead the "low-grade" Reploids to their deaths. Red :Voiced by (English): Barry GjerdeVoiced by (Japanese): Akio Ōtsuka Red appears in Mega Man X7 as the main antagonist and the leader of Red Alert, an anti-Maverick mercenary group that rose to prominence in place of the Maverick Hunters. He adopted and trained Axl, who looked up to him as a father figure. After Red met with Sigma. who claimed that he could increase his power, he began acting unusual. Soon after, Axl fled for his life, ultimately seeking asylum with the Maverick Hunters. Lumine :Voiced by (English): Elinor HoltVoiced by (Japanese): Junko Noda Lumine is the main antagonist of Mega Man X8. He is a new generation Reploid that can transform into other Reploids. At the beginning of X8, Lumine is introduced as the director of the Jakob project. He is soon kidnapped by Vile due to his knowledge of the elevator. After defeating Sigma on normal or hard mode, Lumine is revealed to have been manipulating a weakened Sigma and is carrying out his plans. He goes on to claim that this was Sigma's final death and that he would be unable to return. Maverick Bosses These Maverick Bosses appear in the Mega Man X games and used to be members of the Maverick Hunters. Mega Man X / Mega Man Maverick Hunter X • is a king penguin-themed Reploid who worked in the 13th Polar Unit at the South Pole. He is voiced by Ryuzou Ishino in Japanese and Dean Galloway in English. • is a mandrill-themed Reploid who worked in the 17th Elite Unit. He is voiced by Takashi Nagasako in Japanese and Randy Brososky in English. • is an armadillo-themed Reploid and the former leader of the 8th Armored Unit. He is voiced by Kenta Miyake in Japanese and Noah Umholtz in English. • is an octopus-themed Reploid who worked in the 6th Naval Unit. He is voiced by Tetsuharu Ota in Japanese and Jonathan Love in English. • is a stag beetle-themed Reploid who worked in the 17th Elite Unit. He is voiced by Hisashi Izumi in Japanese and Ethan Cole in English. • is a chameleon-themed Reploid who worked in the 9th Special Unit. He is voiced by Hiroshi Shimozaki in Japanese and Roger Rhodes in English. • is an eagle-themed Reploid and the former leader of the 7th Airborne Unit. He is voiced by Daisuke Kageura in Japanese and Tommy James in English. • is a Naumann's elephant-themed Maverick who worked in the 4th Land Unit. He is voiced by Kenta Miyake in Japanese and Gerald Matthews in English. Mega Man X2 • is an alligator-themed Reploid who worked in the 6th Naval Unit. • is a crab-themed Reploid who worked in the 6th Naval Unit. • is a deer-themed Reploid who worked in the 17th Elite Unit. • is a bagworm moth-themed Reploid with the ability to absorb scrap metal and use it to empower himself. • is a centipede-themed Reploid who worked in the Special 0 Unit and was brainwashed into serving Sigma. • is a snail-themed Reploid who is rumored to have been a criminal before joining the X-Hunters. • is an ostrich-themed Reploid who worked in the 7th Airborne Unit until he was involved in an accident that cost him the ability to fly, causing him to retire. • is a sponge gourd-themed Reploid who was created in one of Sigma's factories. An error during his creation left Wire Sponge with a childish personality. Mega Man X3 Most of the Maverick Hunters were corrupted by Dr. Doppler's Sigma Virus: • is a hornet-themed Reploid known for his calm composure and cool judgment. • is a bison-themed Reploid who worked as a ski slope security guard. • is a seahorse-themed Reploid with a liquid metal body. • is a rhinoceros-themed Reploid who worked as a miner in the Energem Crystal Mine. • is an electric catfish-themed Reploid who was designed to provide power in the event of blackouts or other emergencies. • is a crayfish-themed Reploid who was originally designed for military use until a flaw in his A.I. was found. • is a tiger-themed Reploid who previously worked in a nature reserve in Dopple Town, where he opposed poachers. • is a Japanese rhinoceros beetle-themed Reploid who worked in the 17th Elite Unit. He is the brother of Boomer Kuwanger. Mega Man X4 • is a spider-themed Reploid who is a member of the Repliforce's Reploid Special Force and a former member of the Special 0 Unit. • is a mushroom-themed Reploid and the former administrator of a Bio Laboratory. • is a peafowl-themed Reploid who was created as the A.I. of a protection program. • is an owl-themed Reploid and old friend of Storm Eagle. • is a dragon-themed Reploid and the former leader of the 14th Special Unit. • is a walrus-themed Reploid and member of Repliforce. • is a stingray-themed Reploid and member of Repliforce. • is a lion-themed Reploid and member of Repliforce. Mega Man X5 In the English releases of the PS1 and Mega Man X Collection versions, the Maverick Bosses' names were based off the music group Guns N' Roses. This was later changed in Mega Man X Legacy Collection with a closer adaption of their original Japanese names. • is a grizzly bear-themed Reploid who worked as an arms dealer in Siberia before being infected with the Sigma Virus. He has a grudge against Zero. • is a sperm whale-themed Reploid who worked as an oceanography museum curator and was the captain of a maritime security force before being infected with the Sigma Virus. • is a kraken-themed Reploid who worked in the 6th Naval Unit and later became infected with the Sigma Virus. He is an old friend of Launch Octopus. • is a firefly-themed Reploid who was a researcher in laser technology before being infected with the Sigma Virus. The Maverick Hunters kill Shining Firefly before he can become a full Maverick. • is a vampire bat-themed Reploid created by Sigma. • is a Pegasus-themed Reploid who used to work for Repliforce and began overseeing an air force base staffed with remnants of Repliforce's air wing before being infected with the Sigma Virus. • is a Tyrannosaurus-themed Reploid and member of Repliforce's disaster prevention team. • is a rose-themed Reploid who was the result of a rare mutation between a Reploid, a jungle control unit, and the Sigma Virus. Mega Man X6 • is a dragonfly-themed Reploid and one of the Nightmare Investigators. • is a dung beetle-themed Reploid and one of the Nightmare Investigators. • is a phoenix-themed Reploid and one of the Nightmare Investigators. He previously explored subterranean hot spots. • is an arctic wolf-themed Reploid created by Gate and one of the Nightmare Investigators. He previously worked for a sub-zero environment land development team. • is a turtle-themed Reploid created by Gate who used to work for a water purification team. • Metal Shark Player is a hammerhead shark-themed Reploid who was created by Gate and is one of the Nightmare Investigators. He used to work for a recycling research team. • Shield Sheldon is a giant clam-themed Reploid who was created by Gate and is one of the Nightmare Investigators. He previously worked as a bodyguard. • is a water flea-themed Reploid created by Gate and one of the Nightmare Investigators. He was formerly a test pilot for large manned weapons. Mega Man X7 • is a gorilla-themed Reploid and bounty hunter. • is an onion-themed Reploid who enjoyed entertaining others. He is one of a few Mavericks who are not based on an animal. • is a flying fish-themed Reploid and bounty hunter. He is voiced by Kenta Miyake in Japanese and Noah Umholtz in English. • is a hyena-themed Reploid and bounty hunter. • is a wild boar-themed Reploid and bounty hunter who can transform into a motorcycle. • is an anteater-themed Reploid and bounty hunter. • is a crow-themed Reploid and bounty hunter. • is a kangaroo-themed Reploid and bounty hunter. Mega Man X8 • is a giant panda-themed Reploid who operated at Booster Forest until it was abandoned and he sided with the Mavericks. He is voiced by Sazame Manda in Japanese and Jonathan Love in English. • is a sunflower-themed Reploid who originally ran Troia Base, a Hunter training facility, before becoming a Maverick. He is voiced by Turkey in Japanese and Elinor Holt in English. • is a mantis-themed Reploid who was in charge of security for an underground facility until he became a Maverick and sided with Sigma. He is voiced by Tsuneyoshi Iwatsuru in Japanese and Tommy James in English. • is an ant-themed Reploid who was the lead researcher of an anti-gravity research institute until he became a Maverick and sided with Sigma. He is voiced by Hayata Ishida in Japanese and Roger Rhodes in English. • is a trilobite-themed Reploid who was in charge of a Rare Metal mine until he became a Maverick and sided with Sigma. He is voiced by Kyozo Kudo in Japanese and Randall Wiebe in English. • is a Portuguese man o' war-themed Reploid who originally supplied energy to Megalopolis until he became a Maverick and sided with Sigma. He is voiced by Haruna Mima in Japanese and Mariette Sluyter in English. • is a Yeti-themed Reploid who worked at an environment research facility in Antarctica until he became a Maverick and sided with Sigma. He is voiced by Yoichi Sasayama in Japanese and Dave Pettitt in English. • is a rooster-themed Reploid who worked at a waste management disposal center until he became a Maverick and sided with Sigma. He is voiced by Kyozo Kudo in Japanese and Jonathan Love in English. ==Games==
Games
Main games {{Timeline of release years • Mega Man X was released for the Super Nintendo in Japan on 17 December 1993, and on 1 May 1994. • Mega Man X2 was released for the Super Nintendo on 16 December 1994 in Japan, January 1995 in North America, and 18 October 1995 in PAL regions. • Mega Man X3 was released for the Super Nintendo on 1 December 1995. In Europe it was released on 15 May 1996. It was released on 4 January 1996 in North America. A port of Mega Man X3 was released on the Sega Saturn and PlayStation in Japan on 26 April 1996 and in Europe in March 1997. Capcom stated that it was licensing these versions to a USA company for release in North America, but ultimately they were never released in the region. • Mega Man X4 was initially developed as a Sega Saturn exclusive and slated for a June 1997 release, but it was delayed and made multi-platform. Both console versions of Mega Man X4 were released in Japan on 1 August 1997. • Mega Man X5 game was first released in Japan for the PlayStation on 30 November 2000. The North American release followed the next month on 31 January 2001. It was later released in Europe on 3 August 2001. A Microsoft Windows port was first released to retail in Asia on 30 July 2001, in Japan on 24 May 2002, • Mega Man X6 released on the PlayStation on 29 November 2001 in Japan, 11 December 2001 in North America, and 8 February 2002 in Europe. • Mega Man X7 was first released in Japan for the PlayStation 2 on 17 July 2003 in North America on 14 October 2003 and Europe on 5 March 2004. • Mega Man X8 was first released for the PlayStation 2 on 7 December 2004 in Japan, in Europe on 11 February 2005 • Mega Man Maverick Hunter X was released in North America for the PlayStation Portable on 31 January 2006, while a European release followed it on 3 March 2006. Spin-offsMega Man Xtreme was released in Japan for the Game Boy Color on 20 October 2000, and in North America on 10 January 2001. • Mega Man Xtreme 2 was released in Japan for the Game Boy Color on 19 July 2001, and in North America in November the same year. On 18 July 2013, it was confirmed Mega Man Xtreme 2 would be released on the 3DS Virtual Console in Japan on 25 December 2013, and in North America on 29 May 2014. • Mega Man X: Command Mission was released in Japan for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube on 29 July 2004; in North America on 21 September 2004; and in Europe on 19 November 2004. The North American PS2 version includes an unlockable demo version of Mega Man X8. To coincide with the release the launch of the game in North America, NubyTech announced Mega Man-themed game controllers for both console versions. However, only the GameCube version of the controller arrived with the release of Mega Man X Collection in early 2006. • The Mega Man X Collection was released on 10 January 2006 for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube. • The Mega Man X Legacy Collection became available for Windows via Steam, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch on 24 July 2018, worldwide and 26 July 2018, in Japan. The names of the Maverick bosses were changed to translations of their original Japanese names. • Mega Man X DiVE is a mobile game created by Capcom Taiwan developers. Released in parts of East and Southeast Asia on 24 March 2020. Released in Australia and India on 26 March 2020. • Mega Man X DiVE Offline is a port of the original DiVE but without any online system in September 2023. • Mega Man X on mobile was released to iOS and Android in 2011. Cancelled games Rockman X Interactive (1995–1996) An interactive movie game known as Rockman X Interactive was in development between December 1995 and 1996; it would have featured several new characters and reportedly greatly influenced the direction of Super Adventure Rockman, A copy of the design documents were once being sold on Yahoo! Auctions Japan, but were later taken down due to concerns about how the seller obtained them. The game was one of the several cancelled Mega Man games of the 2010s, which also included Legends 3, Online, Universe and Star Force 4.'''' Rockman XZ: Time Rift (2020–2021) Rockman XZ: Time Rift was first revealed in September 2020 on NebulaJoy's official website, which included the game's logo. It was a crossover game between the X and Zero series for mobile phones, in a similar vein to X DiVE. Shortly after footage of the game leaked online, it was announced that the title was cancelled in August due to the underperformance of Devil May Cry: Pillar of Combat. ==Gameplay==
Gameplay
The original Mega Man series on the NES consisted of 2D platform games that focus on run-and-gun gameplay. Mega Man X uses the same basic principles as its precursors but with many added options. X has, by default beginning with X2, the ability to dash along the ground, cling to walls, jump off walls, and dash jump to cover greater distance than a normal jump. This all gives X more mobility than his original series counterpart. At certain times, the player can pilot vehicles including in an attack mech and an attack hovercycle. Upgrades common to each game are increased maximum hit points, "sub-tanks" which can be filled with surplus health pick-ups and then used at any time to refill the character's hit points, and the ability to charge weapons earned from bosses, which gives them an enhanced secondary fire mode. In later games, there are multiple armor types available that can either be mixed and matched, or completed for additional armor set bonuses. Mega Man X3 is the first game in the series which allows the player to play as X's ally Zero, although his playability is more limited compared to later games in the series. He relies on his saber almost exclusively starting in X4. Zero is more melee-oriented than X by using a "Z-Saber" sword. Rather than acquiring weapons from the bosses (with the exception of his Giga Attack), Zero learns special techniques that do not require ammo such as the "Hienkyaku" air-dash and "Kuuenbu" double-jump. In X7, the playable character Axl is introduced. Axl utilizes two guns known as Axl Bullets. In X8, a tag system is introduced, along with a new Double Attack feature, where the two selected characters can attack at the same time. Mavericks serve like a boss. The stage boss Mavericks are based on various types of organisms (usually animals, but plants and fungi are also represented) instead of being humanoid, as were most of the bosses in the classic series, although their attacks and names are usually based on mechanical or chemical phenomena or laws of physics like in the original games. Defeating a Maverick allows X to use that Maverick's signature weapon. Each boss is particularly weak to one special weapon, so the player may complete the stages in an order that best exploits these weaknesses. ==Production==
Production
Mega Man X was developed by a team at Capcom which had worked on the long-running Mega Man series for the NES. Lead artist Keiji Inafune (credited as a planner as Inemuryar) recounted that the development of Mega Man X required a lot of brainstorming for its storyline and content where the team's goal was to branch out from original Mega Man games while still maintaining their fundamentals. The development team additionally wanted the world of Mega Man X to be much more sophisticated than in the first Mega Man series. They wanted to accomplish this with Zero's "hardcore" personality and the game's antagonist Sigma. As stated by Inafune, the original series' villain Dr. Wily had "a side to him you couldn't really hate". Sigma, however, was written as a once-good character suffering an "unforeseen error" that leads him to be completely evil. Starting with Mega Man X2, Inafune wanted to use a computer virus as a plot device, something he considered a more interesting idea than a tangible villain. This led to the creation of the Sigma Virus seen in Mega Man X3 onwards. Originally, the Mega Man X3 team had no plans to provide a sequel until their superiors from Capcom aimed to try the X series on new hardware. The team aimed to make Zero different from X, he was remade as a proper samurai-like warrior who wields a Z-Saber instead of shooting like X. In order to get the approval to make Zero playable, the developers gave him special moves based on the Street Fighter fighting game series to compensate for lacking X's powers. In particular, Capcom struggled in the beginning with the number of backgrounds they had to draw, but were pleased with results. There were twice as many sprite animation patterns to create. Instead of presenting Repliforce as blatantly evil villains like Sigma, the writing staff decided to leave them some "moral leeway". They did not want the ideals of Repliforce and the Maverick Hunters to be so black-and-white. Mega Man X5 was originally intended to be the final game in the Mega Man X series. According to Keiji Inafune, he had little to do with the title and told the staff his idea. Suetsugu believed that the navigator Alia might be the most fitting heroine in the series in contrast to the tragic Iris from Mega Man X4. Alia stood out as the only female character, which Suetsugu did not mind since the game is aimed towards a young demographic. As the idea of having a calm woman as navigator proved difficult to execute, the other navigator Roll Caskett from Mega Man Legends was used as a reference. Kitabayashi explained that transitioning the character models of Mega Man X from 2D to 3D graphics was a challenge, but that including both 2D and 3D gameplay was not, as they had planned to have them in equal amounts for the game. The development team took into account the less-than-favorable reception for Mega Man X6, but instead of simply trying to make the next game new and fresh with 3D graphics, they decided to focus on "getting 3D right". The three main characters were revised for Mega Man X8 as Yoshikawa planned to give them more unique features to contrast their personalities. ==Other media==
Other media
Animation In Maverick Hunter X, the player can unlock an OVA called The Day of Sigma that details the events leading up to the first level, including Sigma turning Maverick; it was produced by Xebec (who also produced MegaMan NT Warrior and Mega Man Star Force) and later included in the Legacy Collection. Characters from the X series also appeared in the Mega Man animated series in the episode "Mega X", which was a pitch at an X series that never got off the ground. Print media Several tie-in manga adaptations have been released, mainly serialized in Kodansha's children's magazine Comic BomBom, its quarterly special issues and its sister magazine Deluxe BomBom. An adaptation of the first four games in the series by Yoshihiro Iwamoto ran from 1994 to 1998 and was collected into 12 volumes. An original story featuring elements from the first Mega Man X game called Irregular Hunter Rockman X by Shigeto Ikehara ran from 1994 to 1995 and was collected into two volumes. The magazine also published several one-shots, including one based on the Mega Mission carddass series by Hitoshi Ariga and an original self-contained story called Team X Shutsujin seyo!! by Daisuke Inoue. Yoshihiro wrote an alternative ending to Mega Man X5 in 2018. The character of X appeared in the obscure Brazilian comic Novas Aventuras de Mega Man (translated as The New Adventures of Mega Man), where he is Classic Mega Man and Roll's younger brother; the comic rather notoriously implies that all three characters are attracted to each other in a sexual manner. Similarly, the fourth and final issue of the Dreamwave Productions comic series included a short story with Mega Man X at the end of the issue, where X travels back in time to get help from Classic Mega Man and Dr. Light; the intention was to publish a comic based on Mega Man X, however Dreamwave shut down before any issues were released. Characters from Mega Man X appeared twice in the Archie Comics series; the first time was during the Dawn of X arc, and the second time was during the Sonic the Hedgehog crossover Sonic and Mega Man 2: Worlds Unite. In 2025, Cardsmiths, a cryptocurrency and trading card company, created an officially licensed Mega Man X themed trading card set featuring characters from the games. One ''Collector's Pack'' contains two packs with five cards in each pack. The set was going to feature rare "Cryptocurrency Redemption Cards" but due to negative backlash they were removed before the set released. Crossovers X and Zero have appeared in other video games. In Dead Rising, the protagonist, a photographer named Frank West can unlock and wear an X outfit. Zero also appears as a hidden character in Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars and as a playable character in Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, and Teppen. For Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, X was included due to his significant popularity with Western audiences alongside Zero. They also appeared in the two role-playing games Project X Zone and Project X Zone 2. ==Reception==
Reception
Several websites retrospectively held Mega Man X as a successful milestone in transitioning the Mega Man series from its increasingly stale existence on the NES to the SNES. IGN named it the twelfth-best on its own top 100 SNES games list in 2011. The sequel Mega Man X2 was often praised for providing the player with new content GameSpot editors Christian Nutt and Justin Speer were appreciative of Capcom's attempt at expanding Mega Man X2 over its predecessor in all aspects. By the release of Mega Man X4, critics praised the added option to play through the game as either X or Zero, noting that the drastic differences in the way the characters played the same levels added to the game's replay value. The English voice acting was still criticized for poor performances. Mega Man X5 was generally well-received as an appealing sidescroller, although several sites commented that it did not contribute new major ideas to the franchise. The next two games have been criticized for a harsh difficulty caused by poor design, as well as a recycled narrative. With the transition to 3D graphics, the general consensus was that the game's mixture of 2D and 3D gameplay was well-intentioned but poorly executed. The latest game, Mega Man X8, was generally praised for returning to a more classic style of Mega Man gameplay and removing the criticized gameplay elements of Mega Man X7, making it a much more appealing game than its previous two predecessors. Mega Man X was a commercial success. The SNES version sold 1.165 million copies worldwide , IGNs Jeremy Dunham speculated that the game's more mature storyline and its inclusion of numerous gameplay extensions over the original Mega Man series helped create a "unique cadre of fans". The story is notable for being more violent than the predecessors with stages and bosses also looking scarier Capcom producer Kazuhiro Tsuchiya played the first Mega Man X in his youth, enjoying the successor to the first Mega Man character, X, due to he having new unique skills, helping to popularize the "golden age of action games". X's characterization was often praised for coming across as a unique tragic hero similar to Hayao Miyazaki's works as well as dystopian works in general, compared to Ghost in the Shell, Casshan, as well as other famous gaming icons like 2B from Nier Automata, and Raiden from Metal Gear, who question the nature of his missions. Alexander expressed feeling guilty upon completing the game as the final narration highlighted X's depression over the chaos of war. His popularity led to criticism in Mega Man X7 for being the first and only time to have him unlockable and the player having to use his replacement Axl instead. Meanwhile, Zero stood out mainly in his debut as playable character due to having own iconic techniques. Additionally, Brett Elston from GamesRadar credited Zero as one of the reasons the X series became so popular and that his own popularity within gamers earned him his own video game series. When compared with Zero, X was often seen as the less compelling character, with Zero being the more memorable of the two. The villain Sigma Sigma was praised for his backstory, resulting in the story of Mega Man X having unclear morality. Patrick Lee of The A.V. Club, however, stated that Sigma is "exactly the sort of boogeyman anti-progress allegories are built around". Saying that he is the "first piece of technology the Mega Man series suggests was a mistake to create", he says that Sigma runs contrary to the previous, optimistic themes of the series, which suggest that technology is ultimately beneficial to mankind, and that robots are "morally neutral tools". He described this "more cynical worldview" as "anti-technology scaremongering." ==Notes==
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