Now with overpriced vector graphics: Let's Play Mega Man X2!

So! This me having a crack at one of those Let’s Play things. I’ve been told they’re all the rage with kids these days. You might be wondering who this Hwan Froo-Gal Jay is, and why does he believe himself qualified to brag about his mastery of X2? After all, this is Talking Time, home to numerous platformer savants. Worry not, friends! (I’m an expert, you see). Now, to battle!

For those not in the know, Mega Man X 2 is (obviously) the second entry in the X series, as it was redesigned for the SNES. As far as gameplay goes, the developers ignored some of MMX best offerings: stages were no longer affected after beating nearby bases, and the fantastic gallery layout for the endgame rematches was once again forgotten, returning to the boring telepods of yore. Still! MMX2 is a fine game worth our time, and it does bring some interesting ideas to the mix. Namely, the air-dash is a cool move, and the new mid/hidden bosses force the player to rethink their boss order, ensuring that no playthrough is ever the same.

I’m certain you’re bored of me now, so Let’s Play Mega Man X2!

This is one of those megaman games that is firmly placed in the second tier behind 2, 3 and X1. It isn't perfect, indeed it suffers from the same problrms many lesser megaman games do: mega buster making many sub-weapons obsolete, cliche/stupid themes for most robot masters, etc.

But it also adds some interesting variations to the formula that should have been expanded upon in later games, but sadly were instead discarded. There are not one, but two ways to dash mid-air, plus the ability to crazy jump in water. The game turns this into some refreshing platforming puzzles, and thanks to the X series' use of heart/energy tanks, there is an actual payoff for solving them. Also, as mentioned in the OP, the zero parts shuffle the order you want to take the levels each time you play, though the ultimate payoff for doing so isn't that great.

Kill wire sponge first, as he is easy to beat in addition to being the stupidest robot master idea ever.

This is a SNES game, so the first thing you see is the Capcom logo present in nearly every one of their games from the era. Sadly, I forgot to take a screenshot and I’m far too lazy to do it now. It was boring anyway! After that, we are presented with a short introduction to the backstory. Not as effective as that of MMX, but competent still:



Yeah! We’re winning! Take that, upitty toasters!



No fair! I thought we were crushing them under our leg parts.

Then again, we wouldn’t have much of a game, would we?



Bit of interesting info: MMX2 became infamous for its C4 tech. It's a chip intended to display complex polygonal graphics, but was only used notably a handful of times and unnecessarily rose the cost of the cartridges. We will label this C4 usage #1



See, that’s likely a typo or Engrish, because X is the hunter. Why would he fight himself?



Now, if we take a moment to remember, X gained some nifty upgrades through his first adventure. Apparently, the developers come from the Metroid school of game design and he’s stripped of every neat ability before each game.



C4 usage #2. This one is interesting because it manages to be more dorky and less exciting than its predecessor’s.

Oh, it’s that scene again! See, X has got a new partner. After being released from 30 years of compiling, he’s finally made a friend that doesn’t spontaneously combust. Hopefully this partnership will be the stuff of legends. Great songs of the tales of Blue & Green will be written!



Oh. Pity.



In what is the game’s sole attempt at cinematics, X, in his unmeasurable rage, crashes his hoverbike into his dear partner’s killer. Whatshisname will be sorely missed and…



now we’re talking. Luckily, X retains his dash ability from the last game, and it’s still damn useful.



Those blue things we’ve just skipped are meant to expand and close the factory entrance. This is what I love about 2D: They just sort of unscrew their way to the floor, forming a single column blocking our way, because X cannot simply walk around them. Anyway, we’re speed devils, and our Maverick Hunter is too much of a badass to care, so we don’t waste time and dash beneath them.

Next, we arrive to the stage’s only evidence of being a factory. This is some sort of futuristic conveyor belt and the yellow constructs progressively build this flying Mechaniloid that’s next to useless in combat. Some Mr. Ford would be proud, I guess. Naturally, we don’t even bother with it.



After ignoring it, we face a mechanical arm. There’s actually two ways to get across it. We could let ourselves be caught by it, and climb the small wall to the right upon release. Of course, this would be the boring, pansy way to go. Hypothetically, it would look like this:



But we (canonically) dash jump through it:



And adding to the overall non-factory theme, this fella tries to crush X between those massive, mobile walls.



But we’re too fast, too strong for that:

X has been so agile… unstoppable; I bet he feels like the meanest, biggest…



Wow. Maybe he was getting ahead of himself.



Yup. He certainly did. Must feel pretty dumb, that X guy!



Now we jump into the chasm, and we see…



A Gato impersonator. Nice.



Punk goes in like, four shots. In fact, it was so fast that I couldn’t take a decent screenshot. Go team Maverick Hunter! Next, some misterious Reploids plot against our blue hero. Whatever could they plan?



Beats me. Let’s stick to the plan and fight our mandatory eight bosses. I bet they take a beating like a gang of piáatas.



And this was the first entry in our MMX2. Here’s where the real fun begins: You, fellow tyrants, will decide our course of action. We can do everything: clockwise, counter-clockwise, alphabetical, reverse alphabetical, weakness order and backwards, you name it. Also, upgrades and armor parts are entirely optional, and it’s up to the hivemind!

I never cared for Morph Moth. Go kill him.

I mean, a moth that undergoes metamorphosis isn't even a very unique concept. Regular moths do that! What business has he for being a Maverick?

I love the intro stages in the X games, especially how underwhelmingly easy the huge bosses at the end of them are.

This isn't a bad game, but man even back in 1995 it felt like such a disappointment compared to the original MMX. The music was a huuuuuuge step downward in my opinion.

X3 also used the C4 chip didn't it? If I remember, the special effects in X3 were even more underwhelming.

Anyway, the X games are kinda tough and I'm not one to deviate from the recommended path. Go get Wire Sponge.

I vote for that ostrich, mostly because the faster its dead the better. That fight is annoying because of all the "invincibility" (don't want to spoil it) time.

Oh, right. This is the game where the localization confusingly refers to X as "Mega Man." Whereas everything else, ever, distinguishes him as a separate character by just calling him X.



~=\\Green Biker Dude 4-Eva//=~

Ah, X2. I've been long awaiting the X games coming to VC ever since the first three of the original series made it last year, but I guess Capcom and/or Nintendo hates us. Maybe if they ever actually follow-up on the idea of a 16-bit X9 we'll get em right beforehand.

I'd actually like to say I kind of prefer the teleporters over the sequence of bosses if only because, well, what do you really remember about Sigma Stage 3 from X1 besides a sequence of boss fights? If they added in an extra stage before the final battle that was a telepod room, then they could've put more work into Sigma Stage 3 and made it memorable.

But, different strokes, I guess.

Not adding in cool ways the stages can change by beating other stages was a tremendous missed opportunity though, yeah.

As for stages, I'ma vote for Crystal Snail because I think that's one of the most challenging ones to beat first and I'm feeling cruel and vindictive.

Placing the bosses throughout a stage as part of the stage is just more interesting and organic than being a dropped into a room of identical teleporters and being told "go." That just isn't classy.

Anyway, Wire Sponge first is canon. But I've played the game a million times that way, so anything is fine.

Possibly, if done right. But splice out the boss fights from Sigma Stage 3 and what are you left with?

I think the biggest problem was how the fights were organized. You had one boss re-fight in Stage 1, 2 in stage 2, and 5 in stage 3. Stage 3 really suffered as a result and if they were more balanced the stage itself could've been made more challenging and memorable because the only thing that followed that was a vertical shaft.

Going 2, 3, 3 would have been better, since there was a Vile fight in stage 1, and that would've meant 3 boss fights (4 including the stage boss) in each of the Sigma Stages. It's not like the re-fights themselves were overly difficult, name one X1 boss that doesn't go down like a chump with their special weakness?

But anyway, I'm not doubting that having the boss fights in the middle of stages can't work. It's just that it could've been done a lot better in X1, and I would prefer a telepod room over how X1 handled it specifically.

Reviewing the layouts, Sigma Stage 3 is just as memorable to me as any other. Each boss fight only takes one screen's worth of real estate, after all, the spaces between them add up to enough to account for a full stage—maybe a shorter stage than usual, but not a waste of a stage. (And I love how you go underwater and fight some fish before facing Launch Octopus, which is the kind of thing that just doesn't happen in the teleporter format.)

Eh, my favorite stage music in the X series comes from this installment (and X4, and a couple of ones from 1 and 5, whereas I can't remember a single track from X3.) Specifically, The Mavericks' Last Stand, Dangerous Reef, Red Alert, Sinister Gleam, Absolute Zero, and Zero's Rebirth. Granted, most of the others are either ho-hum or standard MMX music (and the Maverick theme is actually boring, like you're going through the motions instead of fighting a tough foe.)

What did X3 use the special chip for? I don't really remember much about the game.

He's not useless! He pulls off flashy wheelies in the middle of combat! He rides his bike in a seiza posture (that will make his legs fall off)! He drew cannon fire away from X in a heroic, selfless sacrifice! X-- no, the entire world owes thanks to Green Biker Dude's pointless wheelie!

Ahem. Yeah, go with Wheel Gator, since going the "canon" route lets you see all the nifty graphic effects when you hit Mavericks with their weaknesses, and Gator is the only one who doesn't have any special effects.

I know that it uses them on *SPOILERS END BOSS* effects and maybe when you're summoning the ride armor, but I can't think of anything else off hand.

X2 was pretty disappointing for me. I flipped for the innovations in the first X game, an expected the trend of re-invention to continue with X2. Alas, not only did innovation stop cold, X2 actually regressed in several ways previously mentioned (lack of terrain shifting). Oh, Capcom.

But there are several things to love about X2. Cheesy C4 chip aside, the sprites and animation are really nice. The music is way over synthed, but I like the composition (favourites: Panzer des Drachens and Absolute Zero. The Maverick choices are rad. Make fun of Wire Sponge all you want (I think he's supposed to be a cucumber), but he's balanced by the presence of Wheel Gator, Overdrive Ostrich, and Flame Stag. Also, Wire Sponge is always, ALWAYS a better Maverick than an onion or (sigh) a dung beetle.

Also, Dr Light makes a reference to Wayne's World and it's so ridiculous you have to love it.

That is all.

His Japanese name is Wire Hetimarl, alluding to the hechima, which is the Japanese term for the luffa. The dried innards of which are used to make sponges.

I guess that's...more creative a choice than an onion, but arguably more pathetic, too. Of course, as Reploids based on sub-animal life forms go, only Split Mushroom is even a little cool.

There are too many bugs in X 2. I think the ideal X game has a nice balance between mammals, birds, bugs, and reptiles.

It's not a typo. The X-Hunters are Serges, Agile, and Violen.

Pretty sure the intro level cinematic uses them; I remember that being buggy as all hell in emulators for quite awhile.

Why I hate X2: Zero. Why couldn't they just leave him dead?

In Japan they were the Counter-Hunters, which is a significantly cooler name.

The fans demand their bishie.

It took me the longest time to figure out that Zero was supposed to be a guy. Not that it matters when they're all asexual reploids anyways (or did they add pointless robot privates when they gave them emotions?).

Read my fanfic to find out!

In addition to what others have said, there was a mini-boss in Blast Hornet's stage that was basically just a polygonal spinning wheel.

I love this game, flaws and all. It definitely feels more like a hastily put together expansion pack on the first game rather than a fully realized and thought out sequel. It's more MM4 than MM2 (even the X2 music reminds me of MM4's music), but I loved MM4 and I love this game too. I'd say go for Wire Sponge or Wheel Gator first. They're the ones I typically start with.

I once posted that I was getting frustrated with this game because I couldn't figure out where all the secrets were and you told me I sucked at videogames.

:'(

I might get my gamer's license revoked for this, but the first Mega Man X is, to date, the only side-scrolling MM game I have played. I will be following this LP with interest (and, apparently, some disappointment?).

And yet nobody learned from it.

I never really got into the X games... and I can't really say why? Maybe because I was never any good at finding all his armor upgrades?

Anyway I'll be following w/ interest! Maybe after this one you could do the first?

I vote for going against the normal order, but informing us what that order is, and getting all the goodies!

I hates 'em >=(

I didn't have a NES until college, and this turned out to be the first Megaman game I ever played! I also had a Super Famicom instead of a SNES, and the Japanese version of the game, and yeah, he was Hetimarl or something odd like that. He was just the plant guy to me.

Anyway, I vote that you do the stages in an order where you don't have to do any backtracking to grab everything. Except for that sub-tank in Bubble Crab's stage, unless there's some secret method that I don't know about that lets you get that without backtracking!

It was my first MM game, so I was probably using them more, and I haven't played it for years to recall correctly, but I got pretty fair usage out of the weapons on this one, so I'm not quite sure how that criticism is warranted. Except for the strike chain or whatever; that thing was always yanking me when I wanted to stand still, and not moving me when I needed to go, just frustrating all around.