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Capcom Retro Idol #1 – Mega Man X

May 13, 2010 // jgonzo

For today’s FINAL Capcom Retro Idol selection , we have your most demanded game from all of our nominees, Mega Man X! Capcom Unity member and mod Zonic is here to defend the title!

Tune in next week, when the polls will open for you to vote for THE Capcom Retro Idol! Until then, please feel free to talk about which game from our top 17 deserves to win the entire competition over in the official forum thread ! If you need a reminder as to what the whole Capcom Retro Idol is about, please read this !

Hit the jump to read Zonic’s defense of this truly epic game!

The year was 19XX. Capcom had made 6 Mega Man games for the NES. They knew people thought Mega Man was getting stale. They knew if they were to gain fans back, they’d have to move to the Super Nintendo & recreate his image. Capcom had to rebuild Mega Man for the SNES. They had to make him faster, stronger, & most importantly, better than ever. Then, in 1994, they released what would become another hit series that would bring Capcom both old fans back & make new fans…..MEGA MAN X.

When Capcom gave Mega Man a new image for the SNES, they gave EVERYTHING an upgrade. The story was darker & mature. The characters were plentiful & fleshed out. The stages were bigger, longer, & held more secrets. The graphics were more detailed & colorful thanks to the power of the SNES’ 16-bits. The music sounded better & is still remembered to this day. The bosses were no longer robot men, but menacing robot animals that’d give the classic Mega Man bosses a scare & make them tremble in fear. The main villain, Sigma, is taken seriously & is a larger threat to the world. The secrets were better & more hidden (you know you tried to get the Hadoken). But most importantly, the gameplay was improved. X was given more moves, obtainable upgrades to access areas, gain more maximum health, & make navigating stages easier. It kept the classic Mega Man style that made people fans of the NES games, but improved it in every single way possible.

 

One of the most memorable stage s  & songs   in Mega Man history

From the moment you turn on the game, you can see all the changes & the effort Capcom made into the game. As soon as you start playing, you’re not introduced to the 8 robot masters like in past Mega Man games. This was the 1 st Mega Man game to have an introduction stage, but it wasn’t just an introduction to the game. It was an intro of what Capcom did to make Mega Man better. You can see all new colors & details never made possible in the old Mega Man games. The music playing in the background, in all its 16-bit guitar glory, is one of the most famous Mega Man soundtracks Capcom has ever made. The world & the enemies around X was grimmer & much more serious. Then, at the end of the stage, you’re introduced to one of the villains of the series, Vile. Another 1 st in the series, you can’t win the fight. As you’re in the villain’s grip, thinking you won’t survive, you’re saved by one of the most popular characters in the series, Zero. The level is finished, & you then see the 8 robot masters you must fight.

Even today, Mega Man X has stood the test of time after all these years & is still considered a fan-favorite of both Mega Man & Capcom fans. The series has gained a great fanbase & has spawned many sequels, spin-offs, re-releases, a remake, & even has had crossovers, such as the popular Zero appearing in Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, & people are hoping for X to appear in Marvel Vs. Capcom 3 as the Mega Man representative. We, the fans, have been wanting X9 for years, showing Capcom just how dedicated we are to the X series. & by winning Capcom Retro Idol, we can continue to show Capcom our support & desire for a sequel.