The shift from 8- to 16-bit was an important one for the video game medium, one that saw many franchises fundamentally change & reshape their identities. The Legend of Zelda refined itself into A Link to the Past, Super Metroid ironed out all of its series’ imperfections, and Super Mario World set a new standard for both Nintendo & game design as a whole. The Blue Bomber naturally followed suit, the classic Rockman becoming the bombastic Mega Man X.
Capcom’s intention with Mega Man X was to offer a darker, narrative driven alternative to classic Mega Man that still catered to hardcore gamers. While the original X is easier than the games that came before it, it’s a remarkably well designed action-platformer with an excellent progression system. X isn’t limited to his starting equipment like his predecessor Mega Man is. By finding the four Light Capsules, X can even upgrade his armor.
While it’s certainly possible to get through Mega Man X without upgrading any of X’s armor pieces, the game itself is designed around the player eventually finding all four before endgame. More importantly, Z’s assorted semi upgrades simply bolster the gameplay– bringing out a level of mechanical depth simply unfound in classic Mega Man.
4 Foot Parts (Chill Penguin)
The Foot Parts are the biggest contribution Mega Man X makes to the core gameplay loop, but the fact it’s locked to an upgrade capsule does the game no favors. Dashing fundamentally changes for platforming works and Mega Man X’s fast paced gameplay is seemingly designed around the Foot Parts.
Finding the Foot Parts is as simple as going to Chill Penguin’s stage. No matter what players do, they’ll eventually run into the Upgrade Capsule and be forced into it. X will not be able to dash, dash jump, and dash off of walls– skills that are very much necessary for getting through the game in one piece.
Future X games would intelligently make X’s dash a part of his natural skill set. In what is otherwise a flawlessly designed game, the fact one of X’s core mechanics is hidden away is a massive oversight. If nothing else, getting the Foot Parts really is as easy as remembering to kill Chill Penguin first.
3 Body Parts (Sting Chameleon)
To put into perspective just how key the Foot Parts are to Mega Man X’s game design, it’s impossible to actually get any of the other armor parts without access to the dash. To get the Body Parts in Sting Chameleon’s stage, players must dash & wall jump above a cave early in the stage.
Curiously, finding the Body Part Capsule is only half the battle. Instead of being given access to the Body Part upgrade, players must instead fight a mini-boss. Only upon killing the mini-boss will X be able to enter the Body Part Capsule and obtain his next upgrade. The Body Part Capsule is arguably X’s most useful, cutting the damage he takes in half. For anyone ready to tackle the Sigma stages, the Body Parts are a must-have.
2 Head Parts (Storm Eagle)
The Head Parts aren’t actually that useful in the grand scheme of things, mainly just completing X’s upgraded design. That said, the Head Parts are necessary in getting the Arm Parts so they can’t be skipped either. The Head Parts are found roughly midway through Storm Eagle’s stage, tucked away behind gas canisters.
While the flames on the canisters might suggest X needs Flame Mammoth’s weapon, simply charge shooting should be enough to blow them up. The Head Parts are specifically found after rotating set of platforms at the start of the stage. So long as players stop to explore each alcove, they’ll eventually run into the canisters.
1 Arm Parts (Flame Mammoth)
The Arm Parts are extremely useful, doubling X’s charge shot damage and allowing him to charge his Special Weapons. Heading into the endgame, the Arm Parts are absolutely essential– so essential that the game actually forces them onto X if the players misses them during their main playthrough.
To find the Arm Parts the traditional way, X needs to head to Flame Mammoth’s stage after defeating Chill Penguin. Very early on in the stage, players will notice a series of blocks filling a room in the stage’s ceiling. It’ll be difficult, but X needs to dash jump onto the edge of the lowest block and then dash kick his way up the blocks, breaking them with his legs & upgraded Head Parts.
Should players make their way up, X will be greeted with the final Light Capsule and the Arm Parts. If players fail to find the Arm Parts before the Sigma stages, Zero will give X his Buster after the fight with Vile. There are no major differences between X’s upgraded Buster and Zero’s, but it’s a nice concession for anyone who can’t make the frustrating jump in Flame Mammoth’s stage.
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