Mega Man X series post MMX3- Are they worth playing?

[MrPopo]

Finally digging into Megaman Zero myself. The vibe is so weird, almost feels a bit more like Metroid, haha. Definitely digging it though.

As it turns out the whole area is one interconnected region with a central hub. You're just not free to explore the whole thing at once. Once you get to the ZX series, though, it gets even more Metroid like, as there's a huge world map with everything connected, and for a new mission you have to find the location of the new area.

[Hitokage]

What has kept me coming back to the Megaman X series for years and years was the gradual discovery of how strong its core gameplay is. Starting out you can progress by finding all sorts of weapons, items, and upgrades, but while that's a lot of fun, once you've discovered where everything is, the fun of exploration goes away. Fortunately, all of that is actually entirely unnecessary as the standard X-Buster, dash, and wall jump are literally the only tools you truly need. Furthermore, working with this severely limited toolset changes the game and introduces a new learning curve to a game you may have thought you already mastered.

Megaman X4 and X5 are no exception to this. In fact, X5 provides the starkest contrast between going with and going without yet still remains beatable using any configuration. It's ironic how a game with infinite lives can be so damn hard. Megaman X6, though, isn't balanced like the first five games were although it is kinda fun to poke around. I never bothered with X7 and I was fairly disappointed with X8 both for being so ugly and for not being very compelling to play.

[Gamerforlife]

What has kept me coming back to the Megaman X series for years and years was the gradual discovery of how strong its core gameplay is. Starting out you can progress by finding all sorts of weapons, items, and upgrades, but while that's a lot of fun, once you've discovered where everything is, the fun of exploration goes away. Fortunately, all of that is actually entirely unnecessary as the standard X-Buster, dash, and wall jump are literally the only tools you truly need. Furthermore, working with this severely limited toolset changes the game and introduces a new learning curve to a game you may have thought you already mastered.

Megaman X4 and X5 are no exception to this. In fact, X5 provides the starkest contrast between going with and going without yet still remains beatable using any configuration. It's ironic how a game with infinite lives can be so damn hard. Megaman X6, though, isn't balanced like the first five games were although it is kinda fun to poke around. I never bothered with X7 and I was fairly disappointed with X8 both for being so ugly and for not being very compelling to play.

Those are good points about the gameplay. I always enjoyed trying to play through MM X games without upgrades and beating the bosses with whatever weapon or attacks you start the game with. I was able to go through MM X 4 with both X and Zero never using a boss's weakness against him and never grabbing any heart tank or E tanks. Eventually, I was good enough to run through Zero's story mode without ever taking a hit. Took a hell of a lot practice before I was able to do that in the Sigma fights

I always look for that extra challenge when I play something. I love to play games without using items or trying to never take a hit(which is why I loved the ranking system in The Red Star that is built around damage sustained). You just can't have that level of finesse in first person/third person shooters, which I think is a big reason I'm not more into that genre. MM X 6's sloppy design doesn't cater to that kind of skillful playing. However, I did see someone on youtube doing no damage runs with Zero on that game. So I guess it's not entirely impossible to finesse MM X 6, at least if you're using Zero.

It's funny that Zero was supposed to be the "hard mode" character in MM X 4. Yet throughout the later MM X games a lot of people seem to play better with him

[Hitokage]

Took a hell of a lot practice before I was able to do that in the Sigma fights

X4 Sigma isn't bad outside not messing up with the yellow heads and dealing with that stupid old man in the corner.

[Xeogred]

Finally digging into Megaman Zero myself. The vibe is so weird, almost feels a bit more like Metroid, haha. Definitely digging it though.

As it turns out the whole area is one interconnected region with a central hub. You're just not free to explore the whole thing at once. Once you get to the ZX series, though, it gets even more Metroid like, as there's a huge world map with everything connected, and for a new mission you have to find the location of the new area.

I've actually beaten ZX, though I think I've generally heard better things about the Zero series. I played ZX when it was brand new and I just seriously can't remember anything about it anymore, other than some boss fights being kind of tough.

That said I definitely do remember the Metroid influence.

It's funny that Zero was supposed to be the "hard mode" character in MM X 4. Yet throughout the later MM X games a lot of people seem to play better with him

Yeah, haha. More like Very Easy Novice mode for me.

[CFFJR]

So, what do you guys think is the future of the series as a whole?

I'm a bit concerned, since Inafune left, Universe and Legends 3 were shitcanned, and as far as I know there's nothing else in the pipeline.

Obviously Capcom would never abandon the character entirely, but I'm curious what's in the cards.

[Gamerforlife]

Honestly, I've never cared that much about anything else but the MM X series. With that series practically dead and buried with Maverick Hunter X on the PSP flopping in sales, Mega Man's been kind of dead to me for quite some time

I honestly didn't care at all about Mega Man 9 and 10 as I just see them as steps backwards rather than forward

[Xeogred]

How dare you Gamerforlife! I love the original series, probably even more than MMX. Just omega nostalgia there though... I've replayed the first six games probably as much as I've replayed the old Sonic's, since you can just sit down and beat them in one sitting so quickly. I loved MM9 and MM10, got all the achievements, I'd play them to 100 if Capcom did that.

But yeah, so far the Zero series and ZX just seem okay. Don't think they'll measure up to the original and X games. But still I think I'll have some fun with the Zero series.

@CFFJR: Well I get pretty grumpy even thinking about Capcom thesedays, I hate to say it but as much as I'll always be a diehard Megaman fan I'd almost want to see it completely die out now. Let it retain some of its glory before it's completely sapped away. I hate what Resident Evil has become without Mikami, I hate what the new DmC is looking like without Kamiya, and I don't even want to imagine what they'll do with the IP's Inafune created from here on. Capcom is pretty much dead to me so they're just burying stuff here in my eyes. It was a good run and we'll never have clear answers on the X series, but oh well. As said above if anything, I think Inti Creates could continue to bust out classic styled Megaman games for XBL/PSN or something and just follow the simple formula to make some good games, but yeah. Other than that I almost cringe at the thought of Capcom handling Megaman thesedays, even if Legends 3 and Online looked pretty promising to me, but Inafune obviously had his hand in those before jumping ship.

[MrPopo]

ZX Advent had a pretty major plot twist at the end. I'd love to see a third ZX game to resolve that plot thread.

[Gamerforlife]

How dare you Gamerforlife! I love the original series, probably even more than MMX. Just omega nostalgia there though... I've replayed the first six games probably as much as I've replayed the old Sonic's, since you can just sit down and beat them in one sitting so quickly. I loved MM9 and MM10, got all the achievements, I'd play them to 100 if Capcom did that.

Well, for the record, I don't think MM 9 and MM 10 are bad games. It's just it seemed like nothing we hadn't seen before. At the very least, I would have liked 16-bit or 32-bit graphics. 8-bit Mega Man is great, don't get me wrong, but we've been down that road six times. Plus, it's not like MM 9 and 10 really added anything to the gameplay either

To be fair though, if Capcom put out two new MM X games with no new added gameplay and went back to 16-bit graphics instead of 32- bit ones, I'd probably buy them and play the hell out of them

You and me just have different biases