Support NeoGAF

[RK128]

Past Retrospectives:
Mega Man X
Mega Man X2 & X3
Mega Man X4
Mega Man X5
Mega Man X6

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This game continues the Mega Man Retrospective but to move forward, we must go back to where the X series began. Mega Man Maverick Hunter X is a PSP title that completely remakes MMX for the ground up on the PSP; new visuals, fleshed out story, playable Vile and even an extra animated OVA.

It is a big remake, but how does it fare to the original? Lets find out. This will be one of my shorter Retrospectives, so I hope you all don't mind that.

History:
The game started development in 2004 and Capcom wanted to support Sony’s upcoming handheld. They saw great success with the PS2, so they jumped right on board with a number of titles like Power Stone Collection, Ultimate Ghosts & Goblins, Street Fighter Alpha 3 Max and two Mega Man titles. What where they though? Of course, full out remakes of Mega Man 1 and Mega Man X.

Capcom wanted to do a whole line of remakes of the Classic and X series starting with these games but they didn’t sell enough to push that fact forward. Hence, the updated story of this game kinda got dropped. Anyway, it released in 2005 and got good reviews. Many loved the remixed music and faithfulness to the original 16-Bit classic.

Story:
It is the same plot of the original Mega Man X, but done a bit differently. For starters, one of the main characters that we see in X2, Dr. Cian, is dead after events before this game even starts. So, things are bit different and we have fully voiced cut-scenes. The basic plot is X and Zero have to take out a now evil Sigma but first have to take out 8 loose Mavericks causing havoc in the world. X takes them out, heads to Sigma’s tower and the game ends with X taking him out.

What I love here is that X has a voice this time out and the story completely changes if we play as a new character, Vile. He has a vendetta against X, so he tries to take him out. It has a tragic end for him, but it is great to see how his final set of stages are completely different compared to X and how different he is gameplay wise, but we will get to that soon enough.

Overall, liked the story here and hopeful this reboot-cannon is explored in the future.

Gameplay:
Okay, this is where things stay the same, but completely change at the same time. A lot of what I said about the original Mega Man X applies for X, so will just put a link to that Retrospective here. End point, its fun to play as X and the game still is a pure classic through and through. The only real difference for X is that the Light Armor Capsules have different spots this time out, so it might throw you off if you mastered the original.

But where things change a lot? Vile. You can play as that guy now after you beat the game as X and man, he does things quite differently. He does not collect armor parts but he still collects heart and sub tanks.

The big difference is how his weapons work in the game, as unlike X, you have three different guns; mounted cannon, shot gun-like blaster, and lower angled shot. These can be mixed and matched as you defeat other Mavericks.

What does that mean? You could have Chill Penguins attack on your shoulder cannon, Spark Mandrills attack on your arm shot and Flame Mammoth’s attack for your lower shot. This changes how you fight foes completely, as your shoulder cannon is the strongest attack while your base buster is quite weak unless you use a Maverick power. One thing to note is that weapon energy isn’t used for Vile; he does have that but it recharges over time instead of you collecting items to increase it.

Level design for him is largely the same, but he does have a completely different set of Sigma stages compared to X and you even fight the heroic duo of X & Zero as the final boss for Vile’s run of the game.

One cool thing for Vile though? You can ride in his iconic ride armor whenever you find it in stages and it ROCKS. You have powerful attacks and it is so much fun riding the thing that game X so much trouble in the past.

He was a unexpected addition to this remake, so it was a nice surprise unlocking him after playing it as X.

Presentation:
You know, its impressive how Capcom can capture the look and style of an older game for 3D remakes. We see that with other remakes they did like Bionic Commando Rearmed on PS3/360 and MM: Powered Up (which we will cover later on) for the PSP.

So, they do that again with Maverick Hunter X and the game looks great on PSP.
Character models are detailed and animate well, the voice acting and voice samples are solid and the still images used for events in the story look really nice. Playing this on a Vita 1000 with the OLED screen is a treat, as everything just ‘pops’.

Musically, this is Mega Man X, one of the best soundtracks in gaming. You have to try hard to mess things up but Capcom gives us some great remixes of great tracks. Everything is ‘rock’ focused…I mean, take a hint why that is the case. Anyway, the new remixes are great and the original tracks composed for Vile’s run are okay but repetitive. Overall strong soundtrack and really love some tracks like the Highway Remix.

Central Highway Remix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6GU9kuQDa4&list=PL391663356BADADAD&index=5
Boomer Kuwanger: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3W4p-CPf8Y&list=PL391663356BADADAD&index=20
Spark Mandrill: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_Sxn7zIHIo&list=PL391663356BADADAD&index=21
Sting Chameleon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qfB7FN9YkBM&list=PL391663356BADADAD&index=22
Sigma 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZBblNr5Y6A&list=PL391663356BADADAD&index=31

Overall:
I really love Mega Man X and I fell it is one of the strongest games in the Mega Man series as a whole. So this remake had a lot to live up to for me. But, I really enjoyed it and the game being so faithful to the original with its level designs being 1-to-1 like the SNES title was really nice.

The new elements like the expanded story, remixed soundtrack and playable Vile just make this an even greater package. Give this a go on your PSP’s or PS Vita’s if you have the time, as you will be treated to a solid remake of an iconic classic.

 

[Dr. Buni]

I really didn't like this remake. It is not bad, but I think the voice acting and the remixes did it more harm than good. The 3D models are really rough, also. :c

 

[TreIII]

Vile/VAVA mode was what made this thing worth the purchase, for me. I loved this guy's play style, it's just a pity it's attached to a character whose appearances in the series are so sporadic.

Anyway...while it's not quite as good as the original in my eyes? MHX still is a solid title, and it was fun to see exactly what changes they made to keep things interesting. I was so ready for a MHX2, too...

Also, Zero's Buster > Capsule Buster Upgrade. #SorryDrLight

 

[Lumination]

I actually consider this remake to be the definitive version of MMX. It has higher production value in that there are cutscenes and voices. The 3d models do not look bad; I honestly could go either way between sprites vs these. Most importantly, the gameplay is replicated perfectly. On top of that Vile's campaign is actually a lot of fun. I really wish Capcom continued this series of remakes.

 

[DarkChronic]

I loved this so much when it came out. Thought it was great. Really wish they did a remake for X2 and X3.

 

[RowdyReverb]

I really wish they could have done hi-res 2D models instead of these chunky 3D models. The game's visuals would still hold up today if it wasn't for that

 

[RK128]

I actually consider this remake to be the definitive version of MMX. It has higher production value in that there are cutscenes and voices. The 3d models do not look bad; I honestly could go either way between sprites vs these. Most importantly, the gameplay is replicated perfectly. On top of that Vile's campaign is actually a lot of fun. I really wish Capcom continued this series of remakes.

Me too . But what happened happens I suppose.

At least we got this game though .

I really wish they could have done hi-res 2D models instead of these chunky 3D models. The game's visuals would still hold up today if it wasn't for that

I think they hold up well, mainly on Vita. But I can understand the preference to the original due to sprites vs. models. I honestly am torn on the presentation and really love both styles; I can go back to this or the original with little issue honestly.

 

[mrmickfran]

I really didn't like this remake. It is not bad, but I think the voice acting and the remixes did it more harm than good. The 3D models are really rough, also. :c

The issue was X yelling his weapons EVERY SINGLE TIME.

HOMING TORPEDO
HOMING TORPEDO
HOMING TORPEDO

 

[RK128]

The issue was X yelling his weapons EVERY SINGLE TIME.

HOMING TORPEDO
HOMING TORPEDO
HOMING TORPEDO

SHOTGUN ICE
SHOTGUN ICE
SHOTGUN ICE

 

[Zelias]

It was a solid remake and tbe ability to play as Vile was cool. Think I prefer the original's graphics though.

 

[jmdajr]

Probably the only PSP game I finished.

 

[Aru]

Finished this game like 5 times. 4 in the week I bought the game, twice for each character and difficulty setting. Hard mode offers a pretty good challenge when you already know the original by heart.

 

[Joyful]

I wanted to like this but i didnt

i guess im a megaman purist or something

 

[Jobbs]

I thought Vile mode was neat, but on the whole nothing makes me ever want to play this again. The original 16 bit version looks and sounds far better.

 

[Blues1990]

While I had a decent time with it, I feel the SNES version remains the better game by a large margin. The 2.5D perspective and arranged soundtrack didn't really make the game look or sound all that much better, & the controls didn't feel as tight. Vile Mode was an incredibly awesome addition, as he plays pretty differently from X, so it's like a new game in the vein of playing as Zero in the later PS1 MMX games.

I did like how the PSP game wasn't just a 1-to-1 remake of the SNES original, and Zero's Z-Buster upgrade is completely different from the one for the X-Buster. However, I did wish MHX had an "Old Style" mode (similar to the one in Mega Man: Powered-Up!), along with switching between the SNES soundtrack on the fly as an additional unlockable.

I much preferred their approach with the PSP remake of Mega Man 1, but Maverick Hunter X isn't a bad remake. It's just an ungraceful one.

 

[Lumination]

Looking back on the music, I really really enjoyed the remixed Boss Battle track (especially the chorus!) and Dr. Light's theme.

 

[Dr. Buni]

The issue was X yelling his weapons EVERY SINGLE TIME.

HOMING TORPEDO
HOMING TORPEDO
HOMING TORPEDO

That was so bad lol

I really wish they could have done hi-res 2D models instead of these chunky 3D models. The game's visuals would still hold up today if it wasn't for that

I agree with you there.

 

[jett]

I thought this game controlled like ass and looked even worse. SNES4LIFE.

 

[ShadowgeistX]

I really didn't like this remake. It is not bad, but I think the voice acting and the remixes did it more harm than good. The 3D models are really rough, also. :c

Fully agree. They also injected more story into a game that didn't need it, turning Vile's story into something like a comedy. It probably would've been better if they cut it out and just let Vile kill stuff for no reason.

 

[Mr. Smiley]

For anyone interested, try the game out on Vita (or PSTV I imagine). The slowdown was completely gone when I replayed it there, much more enjoyably.

 

[To Far Away Times]

I think it was a regression in most ways. Controls, visuals, and music all took a step back but I still had fun with it due to it having some new capsule placements and some extra boss attacks and what not.

But if I'm in the mood for Megaman X, I'd play the original over this.

It didn't really make me want a X2 remake or anything.

Megaman Powered Up was pretty cool though.

 

[alf717]

I had my fun with the game but it just isn't the best remake out there. The anime stuff was nice the screeching guitar songs not so much. It gets a thumbs up for effort but hi-res 2D sprites would of been better.

Slow down can be remedied with a hacked PSP just up the CPU speed to what the PSP was capable of doing anyway.

 

[bloodyroarxx]

Makes me sad knowing we didn't get the supposedly finished remixes of the later X OST's cause they were held off the Anniversary Collection for the planed PSP versions

 

[Rlan]

Still looks pretty good in HD via emulators:

 

[Retromelon]

One of my favorite psp games. Pls port to next nintendo handheld!!

 

[Rapscallion]

The remix tracks are killer.

It was a fun remake for sure. It's a shame Capcom didn't continue with a X2 remake and a Powered Up 2.

 

[Jobbs]

Still looks pretty good in HD via emulators:

I'm not sure if I'm having a "kids these days" moment or not, but to me this just looks so fucking bland and ugly... The original game with its 2d spritework looked way cooler.

 

[SolVanderlyn]

I loved everything about this remake except the 3D models. Looked fine for an early PSP game, but... the sprites of the original were hard to top to begin with, and the early handheld 3D did them no favors.

The updated story was my favorite part. The game came with a 30 minute OVA!

 

[clarkision]

God I wish this had been more successful... I would pay a LOT of money for remakes of 2 and 3...

Which was reportedly the plan until they bombed.

 

[balladofwindfishes]

I'm not sure if I'm having a "kids these days" moment or not, but to me this just looks so fucking bland and ugly... The original game with its 2d spritework looked way cooler.

X's helmet looks weirdly out of proportion.

MMX also had pretty good sprite work for its age

And I can come from this objectively because I literally just bought Mega Man X for the first time three days ago. Other than playing it every so often in various formats (like an old DOS demo I had, and my brother's X collection on the GCN). Which is probably the only song from the entire series I know is from the first level lol, although I guess it's a little ironic that old X DOS demo was my first Mega Man game ever. Actually, I don't even know if it was a demo, it could have been the entire game for all I know, the disc it was on was of dubious quality. As a kid (by kid I mean 4 or 5) I could never pass the first stage... And then three days ago I get two game overs fighting Chill Penguin. Yep...

Also, some of the remixes don't sound great. Storm Eagle has that classic Capcom SNES rock to it, but in Maverick Hunter it kind of sounds generic. It's got a lot more power in the original SNES song.

 

[Berordn]

God I wish this had been more successful... I would pay a LOT of money for remakes of 2 and 3...

Which was reportedly the plan until they bombed.

The best part is that the MMX collection was reportedly planned to get similar enhancements, but they scrapped that for the PSP games.

I can't find a source for that anymore, but it's a nice little nightmare scenario.

 

[MaverickHunterX]

Yay! My namesake!

Excellent job on the retrospective, OP!

 

[SolVanderlyn]

The best part is that the MMX collection was reportedly planned to get similar enhancements, but they scrapped that for the PSP games.

I can't find a source for that anymore, but it's a nice little nightmare scenario.

 

[LiveFromKyoto]

Maverick Hunter X is absolutely perfect. It's as enjoyably playable an action game as I've ever encountered.

 

[Mozendo]

I'm not sure if I'm having a "kids these days" moment or not, but to me this just looks so fucking bland and ugly... The original game with its 2d spritework looked way cooler.

Yeah, X looks really cheap in that pic IMO

 

[RK128]

Yay! My namesake!

Excellent job on the retrospective, OP!

Glad you enjoyed the Retrospective .

I saw some comments about the music and visuals.....and in some cases, I agree. But it really is a 50/50 split for me regarding this game.

I love both versions of Mega Man X and have no real preference, as both are strong titles. But I'm glad its making an interesting discussion with you all .

 

[Reset]

Maverick Hunter X is worth a purchase even if you played the original. Vile's story mode is worth it, and he doesn't play like any other MegaMan character.

 

[cordy]

It wasn't bad, it was a good game. MMX however is one of the greatest games on the SNES, it's a classic. It was hard to live up to.

It's like Snoop trying to surpass Doggystyle. Even if he had Dre again that ain't happening.

 

[Lumination]

Glad you enjoyed the Retrospective .

I saw some comments about the music and visuals.....and in some cases, I agree. But it really is a 50/50 split for me regarding this game.

I love both versions of Mega Man X and have no real preference, as both are strong titles. But I'm glad its making an interesting discussion with you all .

Agreed. I could pick up either game and enjoy it more than most modern games. That said, every MMX fan should play Vile's campaign. I really liked the ideas they had there.

 

[leroidys]

I enjoyed this game for what it was. It mostly left the original intact, and added a couple neat things for variety. I played it on Vita and found the controls snappy FWIW. I'm usually pretty sensitive to such things.

 

[MooMilk2929]

I kinda liked X1, I played it through a few times anyway. I didn't care for this remake tho. The non-cartoony graphics are a real turn off. I didn't even know you could unlock a new character. I woulda downloaded a save file if I knew that.

 

[ZiggyPalffyLA]

Count me among the few that preferred the remake. I grew up with the MMX franchise, but something about this game really made me love it. The charming, pseudo-3D visuals, the streamlined presentation, the Vile campaign, hell I even loved X yelling out his attacks lol.

I WISH we had gotten remakes of X2 & X3, at the very least.

 

[KojiKnight]

I prefer the original, but there was nothing mechanically wrong with MHX. The 3D wasn't the best, but it's one of the few full 3D PSP games that runs at 60fps, so the game plays mechnically as good as the SNES one.

Just some other design/level decisions I didn't quite get.

 

[Voost Kain]

The remade plot was stupid and made little sense, the game still suffered from SNES slowdown with a couple enemies on the screen with more pwoerful hardware, Vile mode is broken with its hitboxes, they relocated armor parts for no reason, the rest was basically the same game with less movement flexibility causing issues for dodging, and graphics that look Network Transmission look HD.

 

[RK128]

The remade plot was stupid and made little sense, the game still suffered from SNES slowdown with a couple enemies on the screen with more pwoerful hardware, Vile mode is broken with its hitboxes, they relocated armor parts for no reason, the rest was basically the same game with less movement flexibility causing issues for dodging, and graphics that look Network Transmission look HD.

Wow....um, guess I'm just easy to please I suppose :l. Sorry if you didn't enjoy this one man .