Mega Man X2

Quick note about the title. Though stylized as "Mega Man X squared," and though it would make more sense as "Mega Man X 2," the title is in fact Mega Man X2, with no space between the franchise name and the serial ordering number. I just felt the need to point that out. Anyway, for a while now, I've been talking up the Mega Man X series while bemoaning the short comings of the classic Mega Man series. Since I've got four more Mega Man X games to get through, I'll use this post simply to contrast the series. Naive gamers would call the X series nothing more than an offshoot and spin-off of the classic one, and purists would have you believe that the classic series is a better one, but I am firmly against both of these schools of Mega Man thought; I recognize the X series for what it is: a vast improvement over its ballyhooed predecessor. Proof of its difference can wait for another post; here, I'll simply discuss why it's better. First and foremost, while Mega Man fell into pitfalls like a sack of bricks, Mega Man X can cling to walls. This ability, available from the beginning of the very first game, makes terrain much easier to navigate and allows both the developer and the gamer to focus on the enemies rather than the environment. Also, hidden throughout the eight levels, X can find enhancements to his armor, blaster, and boots. Crush walls with your newly reinforced head. Do a horizontal dash in midair. Best of all, charge up every single weapon in your arsenal - not just the Mega Buster - for unique new attacks that are useful for navigation, defensive in nature, or extremely powerful. Impressed? I am. It's like that song - anything Mega Man can do, Mega Man X can do better. But there's even more. In the classic series, your life gauge was your life gauge, and you could do nothing to increase it (in Zelda terms, think about "pieces of heart") or replenish it fully in a hurry (think red potions or fairies). Well, guess what Mega Man X introduces? Yeah, both of those thinks. By collecting all eight hearts scattered throughout the game, X can double the size of his original health bar. And by collecting all four "sub tanks," X has four chances to refill his health gauge at moments when he's on the verge of knocking at death's door. And unless you're a hardcore veteran at a specific game in the series, you're going to need all the power-ups and enhancements you can get. Rush (Mega Man's dog) is gone, but so be it. Who needs a dog when you've got Street Fighter moves to unlock? Oh, did I not mention that? Yeah, Mega Man X can fucking dragon punch in this game (if you can find that holy grail of upgrade stations). Yep, no matter how I slice it, I can't see any reason to play the classic Mega Man series instead of the Mega Man X one. Unless you really like plummeting into those floor gaps without any chance of climbing back out.