Mega Man ZX

Mega Man ZX, known in Japan as Rockman ZX (ロックマンゼクス), is a video game developed by Inti Creates and published by Capcom for the Nintendo DS handheld game console. It is the first game in the sixth series of the Mega Man video game franchise. For the first time in the Mega Man series, the game features both a male and a female protagonist. A sequel, entitled Mega Man ZX Advent, was released in 2007.

Plot

Two centuries after the events of Mega Man Zero series,^[4] in the year 25XX, humans and Reploids now coexist peacefully. After some time of peace and prosperity; humans, reploids, and the humanoids (cyborgs in the Mega Man ZX universe) of Earth manage to revive some of the former Nations. After which, several incidents of reploids becoming Mavericks. The Mavericks made several areas dangerous. Trading between nations became obstructed, which caused the nations to become divided into utopian cities such as "Innerpeace." These cities became safe havens for peaceful reploids, humans and humanoids. The dangerous Mavericks known as Mechaniloids began to appear in the outlands and threatened the peace. The utopian cities and the outlands were divided into separate Areas and remarkable developments were made due to the efforts of the corporation Slither Inc. Slither Inc. possessed technology unearthed from ruins in the Outlands. Peaceful life in Innerpeace is maintained by using the technology offered by Slither Inc. Still, Maverick attacks occur in the frontier regions, which are more exposed to the enemy. To repel the attacks, the humanoids in these areas developed an organization devoted to the defending their region. This organization is known as the Guardians.^[5] The Guardians defend the Outlands and investigate the cause of the Maverick attacks.^[6] The original leader of the Guardians disappears during the investigation of an Outlands area.

A decade prior to the beginning of the story, the protagonists, Vent (ヴァン, Van) and Aile (エール, Ēru) lose their mother to a Maverick raid in an amusement park and become orphans.^[7][8] They were taken in by Girouette (ジルウェ, Jiruwe) or Giro, the owner of Giro Express,^[7] which is a delivery service delivering all kinds of items.^[9] Giro is contacted by an unknown person to deliver an important package to a rendezvous point in the Area A forest.^[10]

At a cliff overlooking the area and the rendezvous point, Vent/Aile reminisce about the Maverick raid that took the life of their mother. Just as Giro and Vent/Aile are ready to pull out, a group of Mavericks attack them, Vent/Aile fall to the forest below. After waking up, Vent/Aile are told to deliver the package while Giro deals with the Mavericks.^[11] Here, they meet face-to-face with Prairie (プレリー, Purerī), the leader of the Guardians.^[12] This meeting is cut short when a large Mechaniloid snake attacks the group. The package, a piece of floating metal known as Biometal Model X, lends its strength to Vent/Aile, allowing them to "Megamerge" and transform into Mega Man Model X.^[13] With the help of Model X, the snake is destroyed. They are then allowed by Prairie to keep Model X and look for Giro.^[14] After finding Giro, in the form of Mega Man Model Z,^[15][16] they board an airship deemed the Guardian's base. Later, a Maverick attack is spotted at the Slither Inc. main office. The duo meet the president of Slither Inc., Serpent (セルパン, Serupan), and his reploid guardians, Prometheus (プロメテ, Puromete) and Pandora (パンドラ). Serpent reveals his knowledge of the Biometal and says that he's also a Mega Man, possessing Model W.^[17] He expresses his intent to find the Model W Core, and leaves, but not before possessing a weakened Giro with the power of Model W. A fight ensues, resulting in the death of Giro. In his dying breaths, Giro hands Model Z over to Vent/Aile and then transforms into a Cyber Elf. By "Double Megamerging" with both Model X and Model Z, they use the form Model ZX to escape. Now the Guardians, including Vent and Aile must recover eight Biometal fragments and stop Serpent.^[18]

After finding four of eight biometal pieces, the Guardian base are under attack by Mavericks, led by Prometheus. Prairie requested Vent/Aile to return immediately and help defending the base. They later find Promentheus inside the system core room and they fight. Promentheus is eventually defeated, and the attack stopped. Vent/Aile later proceeds to find the remaining four Biometal pieces.

After retrieving all eight biometal pieces and it's passwords, Vent/Aile are able to enter the ruins and locate model W.^[19] Before doing so, they return to the ship and analyze a chip containing data on the biometals left by Prairie's sister, who also explains the origin of Model W. ^{[20] [21]} After analysing it, they enter the ruins. Once finding Model W, Vent/Aile are stalled by Pandora^[22] and the biometal is moved to somewhere. They later received information that a huge maverick raid led by Promentheus and Pandora happened on the highway, and they proceed to stop the ongoing chaos there. They confronted by the duo for the last time, and they fight. Promentheus and Pandora declared defeat, and the duo escaped. They received an signal from Model W, located on Slither Inc. Head Office. Vent/Aile received their mission to destroy Model W.^[23] After defeating many enemies in the tower and arriving at the top, Vent/Aile face against Serpent who feeds Model W core with a lot of innocent Cyber Elfs, and fused with it. Vent/Aile suddenly reverts to human due to the realize that the hatred of the mavericks they kept inside their hearts are the last thing to unleash Model W's full power, thus resulting in their temporary defeat. However, after gained courage from the biometals, they Megamerge into Mega Man ZX and challenges Serpent for a final battle. Serpent is eventually defeated. The tower collapses, destroying Model W and killed Serpent. The game ends with Vent/Aile reunited with their Guardian friends.

Gameplay

This game contains elements from the Mega Man X series and the Mega Man Zero series. The players are on a 2-dimensional overlay map with sprites where they engage enemies to finish their mission. When a player receives a Biometal, he is able to change form, gaining various abilities, such as the charge moves, or charging the player's weapon with an element of that Biometal; for example, Biometal H will charge the weapon with electricity. While in a special form, using the form-specific abilities use up weapon energy. When the player receives the other half of the Biometal, he is able to perform a different special ability.

Missions are selected from a list, displayed on a computer. The player can freely explore the game world during and between missions, and they must find the specified area themselves. Computer chips can be found to complete the game database. Also, there are Life Ups which fill the health bar. These can be compared to the Heart Tanks from the Mega Man X series. Bosses all have their own individual weak points: it is where the Biometal they're using is stored. Hitting it deals more damage than the other hits, but it also decreases your ranking level at the end of the battle (ranging from one being the worst to four being the best). This also determines the energy level of the Biometal which is awarded afterwards. But even if the level is low, the Biometals can be upgraded with Energy Crystals later. Bosses are eventually resurrected and can be fought again.

Vent and Aile use the M.E.G.A. System (Meta-Encapsulated Granule Awareness System), also known in the original Japanese version as the R.O.C.K. System (Rebirth Of Crystallised Knowledge System), to activate the Biometals (known as Live Metals in the Japanese version) and to transform into a form similar to that which the Biometal was based on. Anyone who uses the M.E.G.A. (or R.O.C.K.) System is called a Mega Man (or Rockman). It is revealed that only survivors of a Maverick raid can harness the Biometals' power ^[24] and each Biometal has its own type of people it can merge with; compatible people are called biomatches. Mega Men typically hold out a Biometal in front of them and cry out "Megamerge!" to activate the Biometal (In the Japanese version, they shout "R.O.C.K. on!"). This process is called Megamerging^{[note 1]}

The player initially begins with only Model X, but upon obtaining Model Z, Model X is used to fuse with the other Biometals. This is called Double Megamerge (Double R.O.C.K. On in the Japanese version). At this point, Model X can no longer be used alone for the rest of the game, until after it is unlocked by completing the game with both characters in normal or hard mode. Biometals of the Four Guardians from the Mega Man Zero series are found throughout the game, and these are the only Biometals that can be upgraded with Energy Crystals. These four Biometals use the touch screen in various ways. A seventh Biometal, a special one called Model O, or Model Omega, is available after completing the game and fulfilling certain requirements.

The Overdrive Invoke System (or O.I.S.) can be activated using the Biometals of the Four Guardians, giving special abilities to the player. Model HX, FX, and LX will give the player elemental attributes to some of their attacks (similar to the elemental chips from the Mega Man Zero series), while Model PX gives the player the ability to dash through enemies. By charging a player's weapon, the four Biometals are also able to perform attacks similar to the Four Guardians. For example, Model HX can summon a hurricane and Model PX can throw a large shuriken. However, O.I.S. consumes Weapon Energy or Biometal Energy and is irreplenishable. Model O cannot lose any Weapon Energy because it shouldn't even exist, so it doesn't have a Gauge, because it isn't a Biometal and doesn't make use of the M.E.G.A. System. It does make use of the Bio Energy Sync Mergers System, or B.E.S.M. System to merge with Biometals before the Megamerge, though.

Players can also revert to Humanoid form at any time. Although Vent/Aile cannot attack, dash, or wall-climb without a Biometal, they are able to swim and crawl. They will float on the surface of water instead of sinking. Some N.P.C.-s are too afraid to speak to Vent/Aile when they are using a Biometal, and security bots of the city will not attack unless megamerged with a Biometal or outside Innerpeace.

Biometals

• 'Model X is the first Biometal obtained, giving Vent/Aile the X-Buster. When Megamerged, it grants the player the X-Buster which can charge up and store two shots, similar to the Buster upgrade from Mega Man X2. This biometal is based on the legendary Mega Man X from both the X and Zero series. The player gets this at the start of the game.
• Model Z is not used by Vent/Aile, but only by Giro early in the game. When Megamerged, Model Z looks very similar to Zero from the Mega Man Zero series, but has a visor instead of a helmet. Model Z grants the Z-Saber, a weapon which has a similar shape as a katana. This model is based on the legendary Zero from both the X and Zero series. When Megamerged with Biometal X, Vent/Aile can use both biometals at once to use the form ZX (thus, Model ZX). This new form looks similar to Zero from the Mega Man Zero games and grants a gameplay experience similar to that series, with both the ZX-Buster and the ZX-Saber available to the player. The boss to fight to earn this is Giro when he is being controlled by Serpent.
• Model H is the Biometal of the Wind,^[25] based on Harpuia from the Mega Man Zero series. When Megamerged, Model H grants the ability to air dash both vertically and horizontally, hover, and to use Harpuia's double sabers, Nitouryuu. The touch screen displays the weak spot within the Pseudoroids, the location of the Biometal, as well as the health or hit points of enemies. Model H has the Thunder element. The bosses you have to fight to earn both data pieces of Model H are Hivolt the Raptoroid^[26] and Hurricaune the Wolferoid.^[27]
• Model F is the Biometal of the Flame,^[28] based on Fefnir from the Megaman Zero series. When Megamerged, Model F grants use of two "Knuckle Busters", busters that resemble Fefnir's buster cannons, Sodom and Gomorrah. They also have the ability to create shockwaves on the ground, similar to Fefnir's Earthquake attack. The touch screen displays FX's special ability, "Buster Edit.", in which the player can draw a path on the touch screen which the buster shots from either buster will follow. Model FX has the Fire element. The bosses you have to fight to earn both data pieces of Model F are Fistleo the Predatoroid^[29] and Flammole the Moleroid.^[30]
• Model L is the Biometal of the Ice,^[31] based on Leviathan from the Megaman Zero series. When Megamerged, it grants a halberd. Model L lets its user to swim and to dash in water. The touch-screen displays a map of the surrounding area, as well as a Cyber-Elf icon that will position any nearby items on the map. Model LX has the Ice element. The bosses you have to fight to earn both data pieces of Model L are Lurerre the Abysroid^[32] and Leganchor the Gelroid.^[33]
• Model P is the Biometal of the Shadows,^[34] based on Phantom from the Mega Man Zero series. When Megamerged, Model P grants the use of kunais and shurikens. Model P can also latch onto ceilings and other objects such as poles and platforms. A radar is displayed on the touch screen, highlighting enemies and showing passageways that would otherwise be hidden. Also, while in Overdrive Mode, dashing will make you momentarily invulnerable to enemy attacks. Model PX is also able to see farther in the dark. This model has no elemental attributes. The bosses you have to fight to earn both data pieces of Model P are Purprill the Mandroid^[35] and Protectos the Falseroid.^[36]
• Model O is a special Biometal, based on Omega Zero from the Megaman Zero series. When Synchro-Megamerged, Model O has many abilities similar to Omega Zero, which can be executed with certain button commands while in Overdrive and has a non-draining Weapon Energy meter. Many of Model O's special attacks are based on the various attacks Zero used in the Mega Man X series, including the Rakuhouha, as well as in Megaman Zero 3. Model O is only unlockable in Normal or Hard mode. It can be unlocked in Area N after beating Omega on Normal or Hard mode.
• Model W ('Model V' in the original Japanese version) is the original Biometal, formed from the pieces of the core of the Ragnarok Space Station that 'Dr. Weil' ('Dr. Vile' in Japan) fused with. Ragnarok was destroyed at the end of Mega Man Zero 4; the Biometal is supposedly a piece of Ragnarok that contains Weil's soul. The original Guardian commander, Ciel found Model W. While studying it, the other Guardians suffered from inexplicable headaches.^[37] Upon hearing this, the commander removed the others from the site and continued her work. Serpent, who was also a Maverick raid survivor, went mad and used the fragment to destroy the recon unit.^[38] This Biometal is not available for use in the game.

Development

News of a Mega Man game for the Nintendo DS first appeared on GameSpot, January 2006^[39] on the same day that Capcom created an official teaser site. Capcom promised that this game would be a 2D side-scrolling action game with the ability to choose between a male character, Vent, or a female character, Aile.

A demo first appeared in Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2006 at an unlabelled kiosk at the Capcom booth.^[40] Much of the main introductory plot was revealed and two in-game levels, Area H and Area E were playable.^[41] The controls were said to be "simple enough… yet challenging", but reviewers did see some slowdown.^[41]

Audio

Rockman ZX Soundtrack -ZX Tunes- is the first remastered soundtrack album to be released for the Mega Man ZX series on October 27, 2006 by Inti Creates. The album consists of 2 Discs called Aile and Vent, named after the hero and the heroine of the game, and it is 131:37 minutes long. It also features one vocal track, Innocence, and five remix tracks.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate score Aggregator Score Metacritic 76 out of 100[42] Review scores Publication Score Famitsu 31 out of 40[43] GameSpot 7.7 out of 10[44] GameSpy 7.3 out of 10[45] IGN 8.2 out of 10[46] Nintendo Power 8.5 out of 10[47] Play 9 out of 10[48] X-Play [49]

Mega Man ZX garnered positive reviews from most sources, garnering a Metacritic score of 76 out of 100.^[42] Similar to Mega Man Zero, Mega Man ZX was compared to the original Mega Man series. Its high level of difficulty was enjoyed by some, but criticized by others. Its presentation and level designs were praised. Low points in reviews were the confusing world map, unoriginal gameplay, and frustrating difficulty level.^[50]

Mega Man ZX was the sixth-best-selling game in Japan during its release week at 33,652 units sold.^[51] 94,341 units of the game were sold in the region by the end of 2006.^[52] A direct sequel, Mega Man ZX Advent, was announced for release the following year.^[53]

Notes

1. ↑ referred to in the English version, although the characters still say "Rock On" in Japanese because the game did not get an English vocal dub.

References

External links

• Official website
• Official website (Japanese)
• Mega Man ZX at MobyGames