Which Megaman X video game would you choose? Capcom knows that the answer is not simple, and that is why it makes the entire saga available to us, with eight video games that show the evolution of a mythical action platform. We tell you about it in our analysis of Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2.
Ihave remembered why Mega Man X is one of the sagas that has given me the best memories. That feeling of overcoming, of losing your life over and over again, of trying different screens until you learn each secret, and tempting the final bosses already knowing their attack patterns. There were eight video games released in just over 10 years: a true phenomenon that managed to sell millions of units, especially with the first installments on SNES.
The Mega Man X saga was a full stop with respect to the Mega Man saga, by proposing a darker and more adult universe , with a more marked anime design and a gradual deepening of the narrative. Playing this collection is an exercise in nostalgia, but it also serves to realize how Capcom evolved the franchise both visually and playably. From sprites to -by then- modern three-dimensional modeling and design techniques.
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 is a tribute aimed at those who grew up alongside the one known in Japan as Rock Man. It does so in the form of a digital package, bringing together the two collections that previously appeared ( Legacy Collection 1 and Legacy Collection 2 ). Those who already had these collections separately, will find exactly the same, but those who arrive new, have here a great opportunity to recall feats – or discover them – in adventures that, together, give more than 30 hours of play .
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 Announcement Trailer
The evolution of a mythical sagaYou can have your favorite in the collection, but it is fair to say that the first Mega Man X was one of the biggest leaps that the “blue bomber” starred in. We mainly say it because of the power that the Super Nintendo gave to production, with better graphics and music that managed to stand out even more than its predecessors. But we also talk about level design, bosses, skills and challenge level. It is one of the most accurate and satisfying platforms ever.
If the difficulty is very difficult for us, the compilation includes a beginner mode for each of the video games.
Mega Man X2 picked up the foundations of its predecessor, and in fact hardly introduced new mechanics. Of course, the level design was once again splendid, and for many users it is one of the best deliveries. Perhaps the biggest addition was the CX4 chip – built into the game cartridge itself – which allowed 3D effects, much like the Super FX chip did at that time. He also highlighted the role of Zero, a character created by Keiji Inafune and that the Japanese wanted to recover, given the love he felt for his design.
It was a real phenomenon that managed to sell millions of unitsThe arrival of Mega Man X3 highlights Inafune’s interest in giving Zero prominence, to the point that he becomes a selectable character. It was obviously continuous, but it must also be seen as a delivery that raised a great design of levels and bosses. In fact, it is considered one of the most difficult titles in the entire series. In addition, it recovered the armor system of the first installments, but giving it a twist. It is a perfect example of what this installment did: walking on the same path, but with some interesting additions.
One of the best aspects is that we can alternate between the European and Japanese versions in each of the 8 titles.
Mega Man X4 meant many things. First, the withdrawal of the SNES to enter other platforms such as PlayStation or Saturn, something that allowed experimenting with the then famous cinematic sequences (anime, in this case). This gave a powerful narrative load to the delivery, something that would be encouraged in later video games. Another novelty was the importance that the character of Zero was gaining, fully controllable from the beginning of the adventure. It was another of the highlights of the saga … before the decline.
With Mega Man X5 it is not that things started to go wrong, but a change of pace was sensed. We could select X or Zero interchangeably, and not just at the beginning of the game. The narrative was still very present, although this time without overusing the video sequences so much, but making use of texts (perhaps too many). Interesting is that it showed a non-linear advance, in the sense that we could see different endings. Inafune raised this chapter as the end of the series. However, Capcom had other plans.
Mega Man X6 showed the typical symptoms of exhaustion of any saga that ends up being exploited. Without Inafune as supervisor, it was to be expected that not everything would turn out as smoothly as before. Still, it cannot be considered a bad video game. It had careful levels, as well as remarkable confrontations. With Mega Man X7 there was an aspect that especially choked Capcom: the definitive jump to 3D, without it being accompanied by a correct translation of the traditional mechanics of the saga. Mega Man X8 tried to learn from mistakes and went for the middle ground (2.5D), but it still didn’t feel like the classics.
They are the whole saga and with the possibility of choosing between three types of filtersIn short, collection 1 is much more worthwhile than collection 2, being fulfilled in the case of the Mega Man X series, that the first installments were the best, something that coincided with the greater involvement of Keiji Inafune . There is a gradual exhaustion, but still all the titles have something special. In this Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 they are all collected, with the interesting possibility of choosing between three types of filters (original, smoothed or scanlines, imitating old televisions).
Then you can choose whether to play the original resolution, enlarged, or stretched full screen . In the first two cases, a beautiful frame is added with illustrations belonging to each of the video games included in the collection. It is a very careful compilation in general, and 100% respects the original titles , although perhaps certain sequences should have been remastered, especially those of Mega Man X4. Then there is a museum with a wide gallery of images, music, merchandising, etc. Also included is the short “The Day of Sigma”, originally included in the video game “Maverick Hunter X”.
Additionally, we have X-Challenge , a modality of these compilations, which consists of two volumes (one for each collection). It basically consists of fighting against the bosses present in the video games of the Megaman X saga, only two by two. We have the opportunity to choose between three weapons per contest, something important not only to win, but also to set the best times, which can be uploaded online.
“Very good”
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2
Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 + 2 is an excellent opportunity to recall (or discover) the history of a series that began explosively, and was diluted with the latest installments. Despite this, it is a living history of the video game, and Capcom has respected and reflected it as it is in this collection, which perfectly emulates what we lived both in its time of SNES and PlayStation.
- Correct emulation of all titles, keeping the original attributes
- Good amount of extras, such as achievements, an art gallery and music
- X-Challenge is an original and very welcome modality
- The first collection is tremendous, especially Megaman X1, X2 and X3
- The music is spectacular in almost every installment
- The collection begins to lose interest from Megaman X5
- There are aspects that needed a reform, such as certain introductory sequences
