Box Art
Game: Megaman ZX
First Released: July 6, 2006, Nintendo DS
Developers: Capcom, Inti Creates
Platforms: Nintendo DS
Rated: E, for Cartoon Violence
First Released: July 6, 2006, Nintendo DS
Developers: Capcom, Inti Creates
Platforms: Nintendo DS
Rated: E, for Cartoon Violence
How I Came To Play This Game
Giga Aspis Boss
I didn't get a Nintendo DS until I was in the seventh grade. The handheld had been out for a few years already. Getting one opened up all kinds of possibilites of titles I could play. I could now continue the Pokemon, Legend of Zelda, Mario, and Megaman series even farther. I knew that Megaman ZX was the next step after the Zero series because I read about it online. I actually first saw an add for it in a magezine depicting of the different megamerge forms. At the time I saw the add I didn't know, but when I got it I knew they were based off the four guardians of Copy X from the Megaman Zero series. I was finally seeing what was going to happen next after so many years.
Story
Mega Man ZX takes place 200 years after the end of the Mega Man Zero series, in the year 25XX. in which 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 mechanical lifeforms becoming Mavericks. The Mavericks made several areas dangerous. Trading between nations became obstructed, which caused the nations to become divided into utopia-like 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 utopia-like 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. The Guardians defend the Outlands and investigate the cause of the Maverick attacks. The original leader of the Guardians disappears during the investigation of an Outlands area. Ten years prior to the beginning of the story, the protagonists, Vent and Aile lose their mother to a Maverick raid in the amusement park and become orphans. They were taken in by Girouette (Giro), the owner of Giro Express, which is a delivery service delivering all kinds of items. Giro is contacted by an unknown person to deliver an important package to a rendezvous point in the Area A forest. 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, and they fall to the forest below. After waking up, Vent/Aile are told to deliver the package while Giro deals with the Mavericks. Here, they meet face-to-face with Prairie, the leader of the Guardians. 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. With the help of Model X, the snake is destroyed. They are then allowed by Prairie to keep Model X and look for Giro. After finding Giro, in the form of Mega Man Model Z, 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, Prometheus and Pandora. Serpent reveals his knowledge of the Biometal and says that he too, is a Mega Man, possessing Model W. 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 four remaining Biometal fragments and stop Serpent. After retrieving all six biometals and the passwords, Vent/Aile are able to enter the ruins and locate model W. Before doing so, they return to the ship and analyze a chip containing data on the biometals from Prairie's sister. After doing so, they enter the ruins. Once finding Model W, Vent/Aile are stalled by Pandora and the biometal is moved to Serpent's company building, Slither Inc. After defeating many enemies in the tower and arriving at the top, Vent/Aile face against Serpent who uses the power of Model W's core, nevertheless getting defeated. The tower then collapses, thus Model W gets destroyed.
Pseudoroids
Hivolt the Raptoroid, Lurerre the Abysroid, Fistleo the Predatoroid, Purprill the Mandroid, Hurricaune the Wolveroid, Leganchor the Gelroid, Flammole the Moleroid, and Protectos the Goreroid.
Review
The gameplay is very similar if not identical to the Megaman Zero series. You run around, jump on platforms, and destroy bad guys. However, there was a more interesting story behind it. I liked how the fate of Ciel and other characters from the Megaman Zero series was left a huge mystery for the player to solve. Prairie, the leader of the Guardians, has to be Allouette from the Resistance Base. In her room are stuffed animals of all the cyber elves from the Zero series, there is Ciel's winter coat, and pictures of Ciel, Zero, and Allouette. You also have to give Prairie a the stuffed animal that Allouette had to gain entry to the Guardian Base. I know it hasn't been oficially confirmed, but it just has to be and makes a lot of sense. Anyway, the only difference between gameplay is that you can now change forms, or in other words, megamerge. The main character is a human, unlike all previous Megaman series where you play as a robot. The main character uses Biometal, which contain the souls of old heroes, and allow them to use the powers of said heroes. Model X corresponds with Megaman X, Model Z corresponds with Zero, Model H corresponds with Sage Harpuia, Model F corresponds to Fighting Fefnir, Model L corresponds to Fairy Leviathan, Model P corresponds to Hidden Phantom, and there's even a secret biometal Model O that corresponds to Omega and allows you to play as Omega Zero. Its funny to see what resembles Zero from the Megaman Zero series going through a Megaman ZX game. Too bad you don't get it until after you beat the game. Each megamerged form has its own element and unique abilities that not only are used to attack enemies, but are also used to solve different puzzles. The music in the game wasn't as good as the Zero series, and I can only think of one track that was good off the top of my head. The graphics are very much the same as the Zero series, but now they were able to use the Nintendo DS's foreground and background layers to make the areas seem more in depth. They also added full motion video anime cutscenes. There was originally Japanese voice acting in the game that read out loud most of the text dialogue, but sadly no English voice acting was recorded. The Japanese voices were simply disabled, and the anime cutscenes were given English subtitles.
Releases
Megaman ZX was first released for the Nintendo DS in 2006. It hasn't been re-released in any way since then.
My Rating
I give this game a 10/10. Though I think it is an amazing game and had potential to launch into a whole series, it doesn't have the same charm as the Megaman Zero series.