Can Megaman X live up to the original series for the NES?
In 1990, Capcom decided to stop making the almighty Megaman series on the Nintendo Entertainment series and they took a risk to release it on the snes. But knowing them, they didn't want to release the same megaman game that millions have been playing. Instead, a new concept was unveiled and Megaman was dismissed from gaming. Out of nowhere, Capcom decided to add an extra clue to the already confusing plot to the megaman series. They decided to release "Megaman X" which proved to be as good if not better then the original series on the dying nes console. So why did Capcom decide to make a new series when Megaman was doing well on the NES? Will fans be able to cope with X instead of the blue bomber? What about Bass? Treble? Protoman? Dr.Wily? Rush, Tango, Beat? What happend to them? Fans were puzzled but slowly and surely, Megaman X had hints of what happend in the past.
THE STORY: Dr.Cain, a old scientist, discovers a robot during an excavation. After reading information all over the capsule, this Robot was developed by Dr.Light. His name was Megaman X. In the year 21XX, a war between Maverick and Maverick Hunters ensued. Mavericks were robots that once use to be normal robots but changed their ideals to follow Sigma. As the maverick hunters were losing the battle, Dr.Cain allowed Megaman X to join in the battle and kill the mavericks and stop Sigma from taking over the world. With his partner Zero, they set out to vanquish evil. At the time, Zero's past has been shrouded by mystery and questions. He joins the maverick hunters to know why he was built. He knows that Sigma has the answers.
THE GAMEPLAY: Completely different then the original series. A lot of the elements incorporated in the first series were taken out. Megaman X is different then Megaman. The only element that remains the same is that the X series and the original are side scrollers. There is no more sliding in this game, and rush is no where to be found. Instead, Megaman can cling to walls, run, dash, charge his X buster. The biggest improvement to the X series is now Megaman can earn his enemies weapon and charge them for a whole new effect. Wall Climbing is a great addition because it provides atmosphere to game so megaman can explore his surroundings. Dashing replaces sliding and it's better. Megaman can dash and shoot at the same time, but sadly no air dashes are in this game. However, later installments of the X series includes these additions. Instead of using Rush for dealing more damage, Capcom has replaced this with the "Upgrade" section. Megaman X may start out weak at the beginning but he can find heart capsules, energy tanks and armour upgrades to enhance his body and to survive longer during fights. It'll be vital to find these upgrades because boss fights will become near impossible later on.
There are 8 bosses, in no particular order. Defeating one will earn you a new special weapon which can be used for the next boss. It follows the same pattern used in the original series. Each boss is different from the other one, holding a special ability for Megaman to acquire. For example, Chill Penguin has an ice stage where as Armoured Armadillo's stage is a mining shaft.
THE GRAPHICS: Out of the X series for the Super Nintendo, this by far is the most sharpest and cleanest. Everything is well detailed from the Sprites to the colorful background. There are no glitches at all, the game shows no lag. Each stage is different from the others which provides a new atmosphere to the game. Levels change according to the bosses you beat which is a cool new feature that gamers can see. This may not be the best graphics for the Super Nintendo but it's not disappointing and for a early game release, it gets the job done.
THE SOUND: What's best about the Megaman series, is it's wonderful music. Every level has it's own music and it fits perfectly to add to the whole setting of the game. The tracks are consisted of usually rock and roll techno which is great for the series since it's fast paced. The sound is perfect as well. Everything from Shooting a special weapon will have it's own sound input. You can easily tell the difference between anything you shoot. Even when you cling to the wall, there is a sound. The Megaman X series may have the best music of all time for the Super Nintendo. The fast paced music is a good addition to the great series. There are a lot of pretty good remixes from the 1st game, here is one for example!
THE CONTROLS: There is nothing at all wrong with the controls. It's easy to learn during the first level. You won't have any trouble operating this game. Once you know what each button does, the game becomes more enjoyable. All the controls are responsive as well. There is no lag when your switching between guns. The start menu is done in such a way that it's easy to navigate and everything is in it's own section. You'll learn that you don't need to press the Start button to select a type of gun, instead the "L" and "R" buttons toggle through them while your playing. All the buttons are used and dashing and jumping isn't hard at all.
FUN FACTOR & FRUSTRATION: Difficulty is something which all Megaman games have. Megaman X isn't the most challenging game but it's not the easiest. Any one will have some trouble going through some of the levels during their first time, but over practice it gets easier. The game can be challenging if you refuse to get power ups, but even if you do have them, the game can have some challenges up ahead. The most interesting aspect to the Megaman series is that, even if you die, you want to pick up the controller again because you know you can pass the level if you try. Nothing in this game is impossible, it just takes a few tries and a new strategy. All fans will enjoy this game and it's a game for everyone. The replayability - most definetly. Despite megaman X being short and can be passed in less then 2 hours, Gamers will always play it because of it's fast paced gameplay. It never gets boring when you shoot enemies and dash over them. Even till now in 2011, I still play Megaman X without saying it's boring. It's one of those games that has infinite replayability because of it's gameplay. Once you beat Megaman X, you'll be sure to play it again.
OVERALL: Megaman X is one of the many SNES games that provides a challenge to the gamer and is also fun at the same time. The Megaman series has always been good and even after the rehashes of the original series, Capcom served up a fresh new game for everyone including megaman gamers to enjoy. There is so many new elements implemented in the game that it still retains some of the old Megaman series gameplay but it's better to play. Megaman X is one of the best Megaman games that Capcom released during the Snes saga.
NAME: MEGAMAN X SYSTEM: Super Nintendo Entertainment System
In 1990, Capcom decided to stop making the almighty Megaman series on the Nintendo Entertainment series and they took a risk to release it on the snes. But knowing them, they didn't want to release the same megaman game that millions have been playing. Instead, a new concept was unveiled and Megaman was dismissed from gaming. Out of nowhere, Capcom decided to add an extra clue to the already confusing plot to the megaman series. They decided to release "Megaman X" which proved to be as good if not better then the original series on the dying nes console. So why did Capcom decide to make a new series when Megaman was doing well on the NES? Will fans be able to cope with X instead of the blue bomber? What about Bass? Treble? Protoman? Dr.Wily? Rush, Tango, Beat? What happend to them? Fans were puzzled but slowly and surely, Megaman X had hints of what happend in the past. 
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