Box Art
Game: Megaman X5
First Released: November 30, 2000, Playstation
Developers: Capcom, Value Wave
Platforms: Playstation, PC, Gamecube, Playstation 2,
Rated: E, for Cartoon Violence
First Released: November 30, 2000, Playstation
Developers: Capcom, Value Wave
Platforms: Playstation, PC, Gamecube, Playstation 2,
Rated: E, for Cartoon Violence
How I Came To Play This Game
Yes, Sigma is the first Boss
My experience with the Megaman X series is similar to my experience with the xlassic series, being that I'm playing them on a collection disk. The Megaman X Collection is no doubt a must have for the Gamecube or Playstation 2. Who wouldn't want to have the first six Megaman X series games on one disk to play whenever they feel like it? Well, it turns out this game is very rare to find in stores used. This was way back before I used the internet to buy things, so the best I could do is wait for one to pop up at a store. I later found out that the Gamestop store in Taylorville, Illinois which was 86 miles away. Luckily for me, we were going on a trip soon to visit my Grandma who lives in Chicago, so I was able to convince my Mom to stop at Taylorville to get it. It was well worth the trip too!
Story
Several months after the Repliforce war, Earth is at a peaceful time. The repair of the space colonies damaged during the war was almost complete, the only space colony remaining being the giant colony Eurasia located in a Lagrangian point. As it was quite old, it was planned to receive extensive renovation. However, one day someone had occupied Eurasia and took control of it, scattering a virus in the colony and using its artificial gravity systems to set it on a collision course towards Earth. Within 16 hours, Eurasia will crash and cause great destruction, in the worst case extinguishing all life from the planet. The Maverick Hunters plan on using the large particle cannon Enigma to destroy Eurasia before it happens. The Enigma cannon is somewhat old and needs to be upgraded. Signas, the Hunters' new commander, orders Mega Man X and his comrade Zero, as they race against time to collect the four parts necessary to upgrade the Enigma and stop Eurasia before it's too late. To make things worse, Sigma scattered the Sigma Virus all over the world and the parts needed are being protected by Mavericks. Only part of Eurasia is destroyed, slightly changing its orbit and delaying the crash. Signas begins his next plan: launching a space shuttle (which is infected by the virus and the auto-pilot doesn't work) directly at the colony to destroy it. Again, four pieces must be collected to enhance it from the last four Mavericks, and after doing so the shuttle will launch with Zero as its pilot (as Zero mentions, he is the only competent pilot left). The shuttle succeeds, 86% of Eurasia is destroyed and Earth is no longer in danger. Zero contacts the Hunters from his escape pod to tell them he's okay and that he'll land soon. After Zero lands, the Hunters come to pick him up. However, the remains of Eurasia still caused large damage to Earth's surface, devastating its ecosystems and spreading pollution around the planet, and the colony virus merges with the Sigma Virus, creating a new virus in the location of the collision in the point 11F5646. Alia detected the strange energy of the virus and dubbed it the Zero Virus due to its similarities with Zero. The Hunters go into Eurasia's remains to verify the virus. Upon entering the third Zero Space stage, X and Zero confront each other, fight in a room where Dr. Wily's mark is displayed prominently in the background, and just as the fight is ending, the opponent uses Soul Body on the player to weaken him. They lie exhausted on the ground. Sigma appears out of nowhere intending to finish X off. Zero jumps in front of X's prone body and protects him from Sigma, claiming to know everything Sigma is trying to do. The Hunters then prepare for the final battle against Sigma. Once in the final chamber, Sigma reveals that his entire plan hinged on awakening Zero from his "false self" and giving him his true power by infecting him with a massive amount of the Sigma Virus, scattering it around the Earth. But, as the amount was not enough to awaken him, he used the colony as a virus and let it land on the Earth. The Hunters fight Sigma, who loses and reveals his final body; a huge, unfinished battle body. Sigma tells X of an old man he met, with a seemingly undying hatred for X. If the player is Zero, Sigma tells him of the same man, who supposedly knows enough about Zero to be his own father (at this point, it is obvious that Sigma is referencing Dr. Wily). X and Zero fight Sigma's last body and defeat him, but Sigma has one last trick up his sleeve; he self-destructs, attempting to take both of them with him. After the explosion, the extent of the damage is shown; Zero's body lies shattered on the ground, his lower torso and left arm apparently destroyed in the blast. X kneels down to pick up Zero's broken body and pleads with him not to die, not noticing Sigma's severed head charging a blast behind him. Sigma fires an energy blast at X, catching both him and Zero in the chest and creating a hole there. This blast seemingly jars Zero from death, as he smiles and blasts Sigma's head with his Z-Buster, finishing him for good. He lies on the ground and calls for X, noting that his friend's optimism at the thought of Zero living is what lead to his death. X is missing his lower torso and both arms after Sigma's explosion. A mysterious glowing figure (obviously being Dr. Light) appears and tells X to rest and relax. X is then repaired and returns to the Maverick Hunters. Three weeks after the final battle with Sigma is shown. Alia alerts the Maverick Hunters of a large Maverick rampaging in HORIE 2146 block, and X tells the three new Hunters nearby to move out. The final scene shows X holding Zero's Z-Saber, while one of the other Hunters remarks that X's eyes have changed and sharpened, more and more reflecting his former partner and friend, Zero. X then says that as long as he has Zero's saber, he can fight any enemy.
Mavericks
Grizzly Slash, Duff McWhalen, Squid Adler, Izzy Glow, The Skiver, Axle the Red, Mattrex, and Dark Dizzy, and Dynamo.
Review
This game was the first of the Playstation Megaman games I ever played, so this game has a lot of nostalgic value for me. I thought it was funny that I still remembered where all of the upgrades were in this game. I even remembered the secret code for getting the Ultimate Armor at the begginning of the game. Being experienced with this game, I would like to explain some of the weird things I always thought was funny. For instance, there are technically nine Mavericks in this one. This is because the maverick Dynamo is also given the boss intro. Dynamo happens to be very annoying in this game because he is only there to waste your time. You only have a certain number of hours to collect parts before the colony crashes into the Earth, but he just has to step in and waste an hour by fighting you. Another weird thing about Dynamo is that when you beat him, he explodes, but then is shown still alive as if he never exploded. At the begginning of squid Adler's stage I can't help but dying because you would think you couldn't control the game until the word "Ready" came off the screen, but no, you have to be ready to press the jump button or you will fall into the first pit and die. Speaking of Squid Adler, he just has to attack you by contact, he never leaves you alone. I also think it's funny how it shows the Enigma firing several times. Signas also says "Blastoff!" like five times when the thing goes off. There are lots of different armors in this game. Besides the Ultimate Armor, the Force Armor from Megaman X4 returns and is available from the start of the game. There are also two armors that can be obtained with capsules, the Falcon Armor and the Gaea Armor. The Falcon Armor is about flying and speed while the Gaea Armor is slow but very powerful and can push blocks. Zero even has a new armor that turns his armor black like the fake Zero from Megaman X2. Zero is still a full fledged playable character. The cutscenes in this game are no longer FMV cutscenes but are now still shots with text to read. I like that better than the FMV cutscenes, it just works better in a Megaman game. The Mavericks in this game have odd names by Megaman standards. Usually a boss name has two words in it, one being an animal and the other being related to his profession or attacks. Here there are odd names like Mattrex, The Skiver, and Axle the Red. One cool thing is that old music is brought back from the older games in the series. The music from the first game where X and Zero are talking in the begginning plays in the intro, The capsule music from the first game is used for capsules in this game, and Bubbke Crab's stage music from Megaman X2 is used for Duff McWhalen's stage in this game. This game also introduces multiple endings. The game just randomly chooses whether or not the Enigma or Shuttle works in destroying the colony. This adds replay value to the game where you'll have to play it more than once to see all of the endings.
Releases
Megaman X5 was first released for the Playstation in 2001. Then in 2002 it was ported to the PC. It was bundled with the five other games in the series as part of the Megaman X Collection which was released for both Gamecube and Playstation 2 in 2006.
My Rating
I give this game a 10/10. Though this game is very similar to it's predecessor, the return of classic music made this game better.