Mega Man X2, also called MEGA MAN X², is a 1994 video game made and sold by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). It was first released in Japan on December 16, 1994, and later in North America and PAL regions in 1995. This game is the direct follow-up to Mega Man X, which came out one year earlier. The story takes place in a near-future world where humans and intelligent robots called "Reploids" try to live together peacefully. Some Reploids become dangerous Mavericks and harm people. The game follows X, an android who is a "Maverick Hunter" and saved humans from the villain Sigma six months before. A group of Mavericks named the "X-Hunters" wants to destroy X by using body parts from his friend Zero, who died during a battle with Sigma's robot, Vile.
Mega Man X2 has gameplay similar to the first game in the series, which follows the style of the original Mega Man games. Players complete stages by fighting enemies, collecting power-ups, and earning special weapons from each boss. Like the first Mega Man X, this game allows players to dash, climb walls, and gain special abilities by collecting optional armor pieces. The graphics are similar to the first game, but Capcom used a special chip called the Cx4 to add some 3D effects. The developers were told to use this technology as much as possible during the game's creation.
Mega Man X2 received mostly positive reviews for its presentation and gameplay. However, some reviewers noted that the game did not change much from the first Mega Man X. The game has been released on many other platforms since its original release.
Plot
Mega Man X2 takes place in an uncertain year during the 22nd century, referred to as "21XX." The world is home to both humans and mechanical beings called "Reploids," which are robots designed to look and act like humans. Reploids were created using a complex robot named X, who was discovered by Dr. Cain in the ruins of a laboratory. X was given human-level intelligence and the ability to make choices. However, some Reploids choose to act destructively or illegally, and these are called "Mavericks" by the government. To stop Maverick activity, a military group called the "Maverick Hunters" was formed.
In the first Mega Man X game, the hunter X fought Sigma, a powerful Maverick who aimed to conquer Earth and destroy humanity. X succeeded in stopping Sigma, but he lost his partner, Zero, in the process. Six months later, X became the leader of the Maverick Hunters. He followed a clue to a Reploid factory where a manufactured Maverick with Sigma's symbol was found. Despite Sigma's apparent death and X's efforts, Maverick activity continued. Three strong Mavericks—Serges, Agile, and Violen—formed a group called the "X-Hunters" and took control of the North Pole. During this time, Serges collected parts of the deceased Zero.
After the factory mission, X was sent to find and defeat eight Maverick leaders on a large continent south of the North Pole. The X-Hunters later contacted the Maverick Hunters, taunting them with Zero's body parts. They moved between the eight Maverick locations, trying to lure X into battle by offering him pieces of Zero.
The story changes slightly based on whether the player collects all three of Zero's parts before reaching the X-Hunters' base in the North Pole. If all parts are collected, Dr. Cain says he will try to rebuild and reactivate Zero using his original control chip. If not, X learns that the X-Hunters attacked the Maverick Hunters' headquarters and stole the collected parts and the control chip.
After defeating the X-Hunters, Sigma reveals he was behind the plan. X pursues Sigma to the Central Computer, one of the eight locations he previously visited. If the player did not collect all of Zero's parts, X finds Sigma and the rebuilt Zero waiting for him halfway through the stage. X must fight Zero in combat. If all parts were collected, a gray-armored copy of Zero fights alongside Sigma, while the real Zero joins X and destroys the copy. In both cases, Sigma escapes, and Zero creates a path for X to follow.
After defeating Sigma, he tells X that he is a computer virus and claims he will return. Sigma questions Zero's loyalty to humans, saying Zero is "the last of the Doctor's creations." X leaves the facility to meet Zero outside, and together they watch as the facility destroys itself.
Gameplay
Mega Man X2 is an action-platform game similar to the first Mega Man X and the original Mega Man series. The player controls the main character, X, who must complete eight side-scrolling levels in any order. X can run, jump, climb walls, dash forward for longer jumps, and fire his chargeable "X-Buster" arm cannon. Unlike Mega Man X, the dash ability is available from the start of the game, not as an upgrade from a capsule. Players must avoid robotic enemies and hazards like bottomless pits, spikes, and lava. Extra lives and items that restore health and weapon power can be collected during gameplay. Each level ends with a boss battle; defeating a boss grants a special weapon usable in other levels. Every boss is weak to another boss's weapon, so players can plan the order of levels to gain advantages.
The game includes additional features. At certain points, players can control vehicles, such as an attack mech in Wheel Gator's level and an attack hovercycle in Overdrive Ostrich's level. Some levels have optional entrances for battles with one of three X-Hunters, which appear randomly. Defeating an X-Hunter earns a piece of Zero, which affects the story later. Like Mega Man X, players can find hidden power-ups. "Heart Tanks" increase the maximum number of lives, "Sub-Tanks" store extra life energy for later use, and armor upgrade capsules grant new abilities. For example, a leg upgrade allows mid-air dashes, and an X-Buster upgrade lets players fire two charged blasts in a row. In one of the final stages, a special capsule unlocks an attack similar to the Shoryuken move used by characters in Street Fighter.
Development
Mega Man X2 was created by a team at Capcom, which included artists Hayato Kaji and Keiji Inafune, as well as designers Sho Tsuge and Yoshihisa Tsuda. Most of the people who worked on Mega Man X2 had either been involved in making the first Mega Man X or were new to the franchise. Inafune was not directly involved in the art design for Mega Man X2. Instead, he focused on planning, producing, and writing the story for the series starting with this game. According to Tsuda, Inafune decided to bring the character Zero back to life in Mega Man X2 because he believed it would be "a shame" to leave him dead. Inafune felt strongly connected to Zero, a character he designed and originally planned to be the main hero of the X series. Even though Inafune no longer handled character design for Mega Man X2, he refused to allow major changes to the way Zero was illustrated.
The game's villains, the X-Hunters, were already drawn in Inafune's sketchbook before the first Mega Man X was completed. Their designs were combined to create the basis for Sigma's appearance in Mega Man X. These three designs were later developed into three separate characters for the sequel. The team originally planned to include a fourth X-Hunter, a female character, and called them the "Four Guardians." However, this character and Violen's second form were removed from the final game due to limited resources. When designing the eight supporting Maverick bosses, the team considered letting fans submit ideas, as they had done in earlier Mega Man games. They ultimately chose not to do this, wanting to make the X series feel more serious and different from the original Mega Man series. Tsuge explained, "In Mega Man, we wanted players to feel familiar with the characters, but we intended the X series to have a more intense and mature world. We wanted the bosses here to be strong, professional characters, not just cute designs from children's imaginations."
Mega Man X2 includes a built-in enhancement called the Cx4 chip, a digital signal processor that allows for limited 3D effects, such as rotating, enlarging, and shrinking wireframe objects. Capcom held weekly meetings to ensure the Cx4 chip was used as effectively as possible in the game. Tsuge said the Cx4 was their "biggest challenge" because they were required to use it in as many ways as possible. The game's music was mainly composed by Yuki Iwai, with others like Ippo Yamada contributing to some sound elements. Tsuge wanted to remove the Flame Stag stage theme from the game, but it stayed because the development team liked it. The game's ending theme was originally the music for the final boss. The team changed it slightly to make it more suitable for the ending. The Mega Man X2 soundtrack, featuring original SNES instrumentals, was included in the Capcom Music Generation: Rockman X1 ~ X6 compilation released by Suleputer in 2003.
Release
The game was released in Japan on December 16, 1994, and in North America and PAL regions in 1995. It was included in the Mega Man X Collection for the GameCube and PlayStation 2 in North America in 2006. The game was also released on Japanese mobile phones in 2008 and 2009 and on the Virtual Console worldwide in 2011 and 2012 for the Wii, and in 2013–2014 for the Wii U.
In 2006, Mega Man X2 was part of the North American Mega Man X Collection for GameCube and PlayStation 2. A version for i-mode and EZweb-compatible mobile phones was available in Japan between 2008 and 2009. The game was released on the Wii Virtual Console in Japan on December 27, 2011, in PAL regions on May 31, 2012, and in North America on June 14, 2012. It was released on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch as part of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection (Rockman X Anniversary Collection in Japan), which came out worldwide on July 24, 2018, and in Japan on July 26, 2018.
Reception
Reception for Mega Man X2 has been mainly positive because of its graphics, sound, and consistent and enjoyable gameplay, which fans and critics of the Mega Man series had come to expect. Comparing the game to the first Mega Man X, GamePro's Chris Nicolella said Mega Man X2 was "improved in almost every way." Nicolella noted, "The new C4 chip improves the already good graphics, the controls are very responsive, and the levels have more enemies and hidden places than any previous Mega Man game." Dave Halverson of GameFan also liked the level designs and said the new armor abilities and music were better than the original Mega Man X. GameSpot editors Christian Nutt and Justin Speer praised Capcom for expanding Mega Man X2 in all areas compared to its predecessor, especially the story, which they described as "involving with engaging characters." Game Informer and Next Generation staff gave the game positive reviews but felt major changes were needed to keep the series interesting. Rick from Game Informer said the game was "good enough" to play a third game in the Mega Man X series.
The game has been included in several lists of the best games for the Super NES. IGN ranked Mega Man X2 as the 31st-best game in its list of the top 100 SNES games of all time. The website wrote, "Following up the exciting debut of the Mega Man X series was no small task, but Mega Man X2 did the job well." In 2018, Complex listed the game as 57th on their "The Best Super Nintendo Games of All Time." They said Mega Man X2 is a good follow-up to the original, though there are not many changes compared to its predecessor, and the gameplay is still strong.