Capcom has really been on the ball with the Wii U Virtual Console — in just about one year, it has managed to release every single Mega Man game that saw the light of day on the Wii Virtual Console — and more — with Mega Man X2 being the latest release.
Much like the original Mega Man series before it, the X series doesn't seem to really change all that much between outings, so if you've played the first Mega Man X, don't expect a lot of surprises here.
Taking place just a few months after the last game, X2 sees a new team of eight Maverick Hunters appearing to wreak havoc, and it's once again up to you to run, jump and shoot your way to their lairs and stop them. As per tradition, these eight bosses and their stages can be tackled in any order you want, with each one you defeat allowing you the use of their weapon, which is the weakness of another — making most boss fights trivial if you know the correct weakness chain. After conquering these stages, you move on to a fortress with another couple of stages.
One of the things that set the first Mega Man X apart was the amount of stuff you could do compared to the original series. Mega Man — err, sorry, X — himself is a lot more flexible in terms of movement, being able to wall-jump and dash, in addition to retaining the charge shots introduced in the later "classic" entries on 8-bit. On top of this, there are plenty of hidden upgrades to find which grant you even more skills, such as mid-air dashes and an item radar, which allows you to more easily find the returning heart and sub tanks.
As stated, there aren't really any huge changes to the formula this time, though there are a couple of small additions to keep things feeling fresh. Perhaps the "biggest" is that a few of the levels now contain secret rooms with optional bosses to fight. They can be quite challenging, but completionists will definitely want to search them out, as defeating them alters the ending. There's also the introduction of another vehicle in the form of a hoverbike — which spices things up a little — and another secret power-up, which is the perfect counterpart to the last game's Hadouken.
One interesting thing about X2 is that the game seems to have a bit more of a focus on platforming elements. There are a lot less enemies compared to the first game, but a lot more spikes and pits — expect to fall into them a couple of times. Needless to say, you'll have to make good use of your wall jumps and dashes to get by unscathed.
As you might expect, there's not much of a change in the graphics department — X2 came out only a year after the original, lest we forget — but some might argue that the soundtrack is a bit weaker this time around.
Conclusion
Just like the games before it, Mega Man X2 doesn't really do much in the way of innovation, but there's not really any need to. Mega Man X was a great game, and while it's obviously a bit less original, X2 is also a very solid experience and comes highly recommended to anybody that enjoyed the previous title.
Comments 27
when did this get released on the Wii U?
@ikki5
Top right corner
Wii U eShop Release Date:
9th Oct 2013, ¥800 (JPN)
14th Nov 2013, £5.49 (UK/EU)
Fantastic game!!
it will be nice to have the whole trilogy... but I do hope they put "Megaman 7" on VC someday too!
Oh, and speaking of Megaman: http://youtu.be/4EE_vu5sUro
@Achoo Thanks. You will have quite a lot to enjoy in there.
@Vriess thanks I'm not able to view those details on my smartphone on this website.
The real effort would be using the ported versions of such as X4 fixing for widescreen and maybe HD. (Maybe not Windwaker type effort more like the Sega heritage games (Nights into Dreams / Jet Set Radio). Or the arcade versions of Street Fighter / CPS1 / CPS2). Failing that X68000 versions would be OK.
Almost. They actually still have MM5 to rerelease on the Wii U VC.
It's okay, imo, but nowhere near as great as the first Mega Man X
I hope we get this on the Wii U shop next week.
So confused, this is the first I'm hearing of this game on the WiiU VC, it isn't listed on Nintendo's website either. I don't remember seeing this on the Eshop either.
Which plays best the Wii U version on an LCD or the US Wii VC version on a crt. (Has it got one of those cheap filters on it).
(My plasma is not good for playing quite a few original wii games over component. Like e.g Megaman 9)
@WanderFan91 I would say X is second, as X4 was the highlight of the X series for me. Sadly we wont see X4 on a Nintendo console perhaps ever.
@Warruz "Well...if you count the Mega Man X Anniversary Collection on Game Cube, then Mega Man X 4 was on a Nintendo console."
I LOVE MEGA MAN X2!!! It's my favorite of the 3 for the SNES series!!!! If I didn't already own the original SNES cartridge and have the MMX Anniversary Collection, I'd TOTALLY get this on the Wii U!
SN:"I hope the Wii U get Mega Man X3 the SNES version and not that PS1 version... 'yuck...' I mean the PS1 version was cool in that they added the animation scenes, but the soundtrack doesn't sound as good as the SNES soundtrack. Plus they changed the intro stage in the PS1 version, which I really hated. If you played MMX 3 intro stage on the SNES, then I think you'll know what I mean. It was SO COOL, INTENSE and dramatic in the first 10-15 seconds."
@Warruz Its already on the Gamecube X collection (And it is ported not emulated and from what I have played which is not that much it seems to run much better than the Playstation version (With the Saturn version being the best)).
The only problem is the Gamecube controller which I still haven't found a solution to. (Not sure whether to get a gamecube to ps1 convertor or try a gamecube to classic controller pro convertor). The Hori Digital Pad is too expensive.
I actually prefer this game (at least in some ways) to MMX. I feel like MMX, although very good, was more of a Mega Man Classic game with extra elements layered on, while MMX2 is the game where the series started to come into its own.
Both X and X2 are great games, I think X2 is a better game but X has better music and overall I enjoyed it more.
Marcel wrote the Wii VC review too. Dang, I wish this and X3 would make it over here to NA for Wii U!
WHY ISNT THIS IN AMERICA YET!? Damn it Nintendo!
@soma I like X best more run n gun type parts.
@unrandomsam
I also liked X more, is my favorite Mega Man game, but I feel X2 was more polished (for obvious reasons). Someone playing them for the first time may enjoy more X2.... but who knows =p
This is the SECOND game that I owned, for SNES. That was in about '98. I think the the third was a rare game called Metal Warriors.
Hopefully this means that X3 will be coming sooner than later.
@WindWakerLink Don't worry. If we get X3 as a VC game then I'm pretty sure it'd be of the SNES version. Highly doubtful that we'd end up with the remixed version.
@Giygas_95 "Yea!!!"
I just realize I can post this on the Mega Man X Mii verse community. Maybe they will see it and know that people want X3. I'll do that later."
@WindWakerLink I've done that before too! Ugh...I NEED X3. After watching the opening stage, I'm hooked.
@Giygas_95 "Hee hee hee" Right? It's AMAZING!!!
@WindWakerLink My brother downloaded me a copy of it to play on his computer, but I just wanted to try it out. I'll give it a dedicated playthrough when it gets officially released.
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