Mega Man X4

Mega Man X4

Mega Man X4

English version cover art
Developer(s) Capcom
Publisher(s)
Producer(s) Keiji Inafune
Yoshinori Takenaka
Designer(s) Koji Ohkohara
Mitsuru Endo
Hiroyuki Yamato
Artist(s) Masako Honma
Haruki Suetsugu
Composer(s) Toshihiko Horiyama
Platform(s) Sega Saturn, PlayStation, Windows, PlayStation 2, GameCube, mobile phones, PlayStation Network (PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation Portable)
Release date(s)

Sega Saturn

PlayStation

  • NA: September 25, 1997[2]
  • EU: October 13, 1997

Windows

  • JP: December 03, 1998
  • NA/EU: 1998
    Mobile phone
    • JP: December 25, 2011 (X Version)[3]
    • JP: January 01, 2012 (Zero Version)[3]
    PlayStation Network
    • JP: December 17, 2014
    • NA: September 02, 2014[4]
Genre(s) Action, platform
Mode(s) Single-player

Mega Man X4, originally released in Japan as Rockman X4 (ロックマンX4), is a video game developed by Capcom. It is the fourth game in the Mega Man X series and the second game in the series to be released on the Sega Saturn and PlayStation. The two versions were released simultaneously in Japan in 1997. A North America release followed sometime thereafter, while Europe received only the PlayStation version in 1997.

Taking place in the 22nd century, the Mega Man X series is set in a society populated by humans and intelligent robots called "Reploids". A military taskforce called the "Maverick Hunters" is implemented to suppress the uprising of "Mavericks", Reploids that begin to exhibit dangerous and destructive behavior. Mega Man X4 follows two such hunters, Mega Man X and Zero, as they become involved in a conflict between the Hunters and a Reploid army called the "Repliforce". Mega Man X4 is an action-platform game in the same vein as other installments in the series. The player completes a set of eight stages in any order while fighting enemies, gaining power-ups, and winning the special weapon of each stage's boss. Unlike previous games in the series, Mega Man X4 allows the player to choose between the two protagonists at the beginning of the game: X, who uses traditional, long-range attacks; or Zero, who wields a short-range sword.

Critical reception for Mega Man X4 has been generally positive. Critics praised the ability to play as either X or Zero, a concept many found to expand upon the then perceived exhausted gameplay formula of the Mega Man X sub-franchise during the 1990s. In addition to its console versions, the game was released on Windows worldwide in 1998 and 1999 and on Japanese mobile phones in 2011 and 2012. It was also included on the Mega Man X Collection, a compilation released in North America on the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube in 2006. Mega Man X4 was made available on the PlayStation Network as part of the PSOne Classics line for North America and Japan in 2014.

Plot

The plot for Mega Man X4 is presented by both fully animated full motion video (FMV) cutscenes and in-game text. The storyline differs slightly depending on whether the player chooses Mega Man X or Zero. Mega Man X4 takes place in an ambiguous year in the 22nd century (21XX), in which after Mega Man X3 humans coexist with intelligent androids called "Reploids". Following the third defeat of the powerful, "Maverick" Reploid Sigma, A second Maverick Hunting group has arisen, The army, called the "Repliforce", is a strict military regime led by the giant Reploid named General and his second-in-command, Colonel. Some time later, behind the scenes, General has been meeting with a mysterious figure who plots the Hunters' demise, trying to convince General that the Hunters are dangerous, and would turn on him in an instant, and that his best course of action would be to destroy them. General dismisses the figure, unwilling to betray the Humans.[5] Zero, meanwhile, is plagued by a recurring nightmare: a mysterious figure awakens him, calling him a "masterpiece", then ordering him to destroy an unknown target before fading away. As Zero tries to stop the figure, he is paralyzed by a horrible pain, which is followed by visions of carnage. Mayhem breaks out, however, when the Sky Lagoon, a massive floating city, is sent crashing down onto the city below it, killing millions of civilians, humans and Reploids alike. The game begins here where either X or Zero is dispatched to investigate possible causes of the disaster only to become entangled in a struggle to save the world.[6]

At the crash site, X and Zero encounter Colonel, and attempt to bring him back to base unarmed for investigation. Colonel denies Repliforce's involvement in the Sky Lagoon destruction, and refuses to disarm out of pride, retreating.[7] Zero also encounters Iris, Colonel's kind-hearted sister, who was caught in the mayhem but is otherwised unharmed, and sends her to Maverick Hunter HQ. The Repliforce thus begins a movement to claim independence from the Human government and create a nation for Reploids only. Back at Maverick Hunter headquarters, X is greeted by a rookie Hunter named Double, while Zero rendezvous with Iris. Double and Iris outline the locations of eight Reploid leaders who have sworn their loyalty to Repliforce's coup. The two characters act as X and Zero's mission operators respectively. Once four of the eight Mavericks are defeated, Colonel issues a challenge to X and Zero, confronting them in a duel, which he either escapes from after defeat (X) or is interrupted by the intervention of Iris (Zero). Once the eight Mavericks are beaten, X and Zero are sent to a space port where Colonel guards Repliforce's launch into outer space. Colonel dies after the battle, and the two protagonists infiltrate the Repliforce's space station, a weapon capable of destroying all human life on Earth. X must fight Double, who was acting as a double agent to gain information from the Hunters.[8] Zero is forced to battle Iris, who is torn between the ideals of her brother and justice Zero attempts to uphold.[9] Once Double, Iris, and General are defeated, Sigma reveals himself as the mastermind of creating the conflict between the Maverick Hunters and Repliforce and announces his intention to once again wipe out humanity.[10] Additionally, in Zero's scenario, Sigma reminds Zero of the time that Sigma led the Maverick Hunters, and of a vicious battle between the two that ended with Sigma becoming the Maverick that he is today. In the end, Sigma is destroyed after a vicious battle, General sacrifices his body to destroy the space station, and X and Zero escape safely from the station and head off to Earth.[11]

The final scene depends on who was used to complete the game. As X speeds away from the Final Weapon in a shuttle craft, he thinks back to the battles he had endured: a misunderstanding Colonel, Double's betrayal, and Sigma himself. Zero contacts X and tells him to come back to Earth to rest. X, with his thoughts weighing heavily on him, begs Zero to promise to take care of him, should he himself go Maverick. Zero hesitates, then tells him not to be ridiculous. In Zero's final scene, he is wrought with pain and guilt for being unable to save any of the Repliforce members, and laments the death of Iris. He then wonders to himself if all Reploid-kind is fated to become Mavericks in the end.

Gameplay

The player character Mega Man X moves through the military train that makes up Slash Beast's level. The player's energy and remaining lives are displayed at the top left.

The gameplay in Mega Man X4 is similar to the previous installments of the Mega Man X series. The player is presented with a series of action-platforming stages that can be cleared in any order desired.[12] In these stages, the player must avoid obstacles like falling debris and spikes, and destroy enemy robots to reach the end of the stages. The player character retains the capabilities from previous entries in the Mega Man X series like dashing and scaling walls. Some levels contain ridable vehicles such as hover bikes and armored-mecha.[13] Each of the eight initial stages contains one Maverick boss, and defeating this boss gives the player a new ability. Every boss is weak to a particular ability, adding an element of strategy to the order in which the player completes the stages.

New to Mega Man X4 is the ability to play through the game either as X or Zero proper (while Zero was available for play in Mega Man X3, he was limited to being essentially a spare life for the player). The two characters cannot be switched during a playthrough. Though both of them go through the same stages, they operate differently and are challenged differently from the terrain.[14] X wields the "X-Buster", a plasma cannon on his arm that he uses to attack foes from a distance. It can be charged to fire stronger shots.[12] A new weapon is given to the player with each boss defeated while playing as X. These weapons have limited ammunition, displayed by a meter next to one's health, both of which can be refilled by picking up power-ups dropped by destroyed enemies. In some stages, the player can find hidden capsules that contain armor upgrades that greatly enhance X's capabilities.[12] Zero is more melee-oriented than X by using a "Z-Saber" sword. The Z-Saber's power and accuracy compensate for its lack of range; this offers the player a different form of challenge against bosses. Rather than acquiring weapons from the bosses (with the exception of his Giga Attack), Zero learns special techniques such as the "Hienkyaku" air-dash and "Kuuenbu" double-jump.[12] However, Zero cannot upgrade any of his body parts in this game.[14]

The player character's maximum health can be extended by obtaining a "Heart Tank" in each of the eight stages. Two "Sub Tanks" can also be found, which can be filled with life energy and then be used to replenish the player's health at any time.[12] Two new Tanks have been added: a "Weapon Tank (W-Tank)", which fills up special weapons; and an "EX Tank", which increases the character's default lives from two to four whenever the player continues from a save point.

Development and release

Mega Man X4 was developed by Capcom. Instead of designing the game's various pieces of artwork as he had done in the past, Keiji Inafune focused his attention on being a producer. He was also involved in creating the game's storyline, a role he described as "only slightly less than it was for X1".[1] Instead of presenting Repliforce as blatantly evil villains like Sigma, the writing staff decided to leave them some "moral leeway". They did not want the ideals of Repliforce and the Maverick Hunters to be so black-and-white.[1] Inafune left his former design responsibilities up to other artists that had previously worked on the Mega Man X series.[1] Artist Haruki Suetsugu did not design its characters as he would do for later games in the series, but was given drafts in order to draw illustrations for promotional purposes.[1] Hitoshi Ariga was responsible for designing X's secret "Ultimate Armor" featured in both the game and as a Japanese Bandai action figure.[15] He spent four days coming up with the initial blueprint, but was told by his supervisor to go back and try again. After tinkering with the Mega Man X3 armor parts, he noticed that attaching them in specific ways made it look like an airplane. Ariga recounted creating the armor as an extremely difficult yet fun task. He also revealed that Zero was intended to have his own Ultimate Armor, but the development team chose to not finalize it.[15]

The FMV cutscenes in Mega Man X4 were produced by IG Port's subsidiary XEBEC. The game's musical score was composed by Toshihiko Horiyama. The score also features the opening theme Makenai Ai ga Kitto aru (負けない愛がきっとある, lit. "Unbeatable Love I Surely Have") and the closing theme One More Chance, both sung by Yukie Nakama.[16] All of the game's instrumental and vocal music was compiled on the Capcom Music Generation: Rockman X1 ~ X6 soundtrack released by Suleputer in 2003.[17] The theme songs were also included on the Rockman Theme Song Collection, published by Suleputer in 2002.[16]

Both console versions of Mega Man X4 were released in Japan on August 1, 1997.[18] The cover art for the Japanese Saturn version depicts Zero standing alone in a dark setting.[19] "Usually, not having the main character on the package would be unheard of," Inafune stated. "But we had a lot of hardcore fans on the Saturn, so I figured it would be all right."[1] A "Special Limited Pack" edition of the game included the Ultimate Armor X action figure.[20] The American localization of the Mega Man X4 PlayStation version was originally put on hold after Sony Computer Entertainment America denied Capcom permission to release it in the United States.[21] However, after persistent talks with the company, Capcom finally convinced Sony to allow the game a release.[22] According to a Capcom spokesperson, the reasoning behind the delay was that Mega Man X4 "had just gotten lost in Sony's back log of games waiting for approval".[23] The PlayStation version was released in 1997, while the Saturn version came out in the early part of the following week.[2] Customers who preordered either version of the game through Capcom's online store were given a Mega Man X4-themed T-shirt.[24]

Reception and legacy

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CGWPC: [25]
EGMSAT: 8.25/10[26]
Famitsu25/40[27]
GameFanSAT: 88/100[28]
GamePro(4.75/5)[29]
GameSpotPS: 7.0/10[14]
SAT: 6.8/10[30]
IGNPS: 7/10[31]
PSMPS: [32]
Next Generation[33]
Saturn PowerSAT: 80%[34]
Sega Saturn MagazineSAT: 91%[35]
Computer Games MagazinePC: [36]

Reviews for the PlayStation and Saturn console versions of Mega Man X4 have been generally positive. Critics praised the added option to play through the game as either X or Zero, noting that the drastic differences in the way the characters played the same levels added to the game's replay value.[30][31] However, the same critics concurred that Mega Man X4's 2D side-scrolling gameplay was tired and overdone well before the game was released.[30][31] GameSpot concluded that "All in all, a few more 3D effects would have been nice, but the decision to stick with a true 2D environment is bold, if somewhat outmoded. Aesthetically, Mega Man X4 is a sizeable improvement over its predecessors, but you must remember that it's only a side scroller."[30] Electronic Gaming Monthly listed the game at number 78 on its "100 Best Games of All Time" in the 100th issue of the magazine in 1997.[26]

The Windows version of the game was met with much lower review scores.[25][36] Tom Price of Computer Gaming World felt appeal of the game itself is limited to Mega Man and platformer fans, who likely already own the console version of Mega Man X4.[25] Computer Games Magazine summarized, "It's simple. If you're a Mega Man fanatic you'll love this game. If you're not, you won't. Yes, Mega Man X4 is better than Mega Man X3, but that's like saying Beach Babes from Beyond is a better movie than Redneck Zombies: it's all drek anyway, so why bother?"[36]

Capcom expressed satisfaction with the commercial performance of Mega Man X4, which it attributed to the company's marketing campaign for the franchise's 10th anniversary.[37] According to Famitsu sales information, the PlayStation version of the game sold 197,385 copies in Japan alone in 1997, making it the 61st best-selling game in the region for that year.[38] In 2002, Capcom re-released the PlayStation version of the game as part of the North American Greatest Hits range, confirming that it had sold at least 350,000 units.[39] Mega Man X4 has also been re-released in multiple budget versions in Japan including PlayStation the Best, PSone Books, and Sega Saturn Collection.[40][41][42]

Despite derision for retaining the same gameplay formula that the Mega Man franchise had been using for a full decade, Capcom continued to use 2D side-scrolling for another two installments of the series, Mega Man X5 and Mega Man X6. These three games, as well as the three installments that precede them, were included on the North American Mega Man X Collection for the Nintendo GameCube and PlayStation 2 in 2006.[43] A mobile edition of Mega Man X4 for au and DoCoMo customers was made available for purchase in Japan. A version featuring X as a playable character was released in 2011; a version with Zero in 2012.[3] Finally, Mega Man X4 was released on the PlayStation Network for PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation Portable as part of the PSOne Classics line in 2014.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Mega Man X: Official Complete Works. Udon Entertainment. January 6, 2010. pp. 40–7. ISBN 978-1-897376-80-5.
  2. 1 2 3 GameSpot Staff (September 24, 1997). "Mega Man X4 Hits Stores". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Capcom staff (November 24, 2011). "携帯アプリ「ロックマンX4 エックスVer.」配信！" [Mobile phone application "Rockman X4 X Ver." release!]. Rockman Unity (in Japanese). Capcom. Retrieved December 14, 2011.
  4. 1 2 Hilliard, Kyle (August 26, 2014). "Mega Man X4 And X5 Heading To PlayStation 3 And Vita". Game Informer. GameStop. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  5. ↑ Capcom (September 1997). Mega Man X4. Sony PlayStation. Capcom. Sigma: It's about the Maverick Hunters, General. They are far too eager to please the humans, and continue to hunt down the Reploids. Do you believe they pose a significant threat? General: Perhaps. Sigma:You already know the truth, General. Their sole mission has been to destroy any Reploids who fail to do as the humans order! General: Hmm... Sigma: It's in your best interest to stop them now, before they turn on you! You possess enough power to destroy them!
  6. ↑ Capcom (September 1997). Mega Man X4. Sony PlayStation. Capcom. X: ... Wha-?! The city has been completely destroyed! They were innocent people... I won't forget this!
  7. ↑ Capcom (September 1997). Mega Man X4. Sony PlayStation. Capcom. X: Nevertheless, I want you to disarm and follow me back to the H.Q. Colonel: Never! You're asking my soldiers to drop their weapons? The only time we drop our weapons is when we aren't able to fight any longer! X: You will be regarded a Maverick and treated as such! Colonel: Do as you will! The Repliforce would sooner fight and die than discard our pride. Consider us Mavericks if this is what you wish!
  8. ↑ Capcom (September 1997). Mega Man X4. Sony PlayStation. Capcom. Double: ... Hee hee hee. Ha ha ha! You're so naive, X! I was sent as a spy from the very beginning to keep an eye on you!
  9. ↑ Capcom (September 1997). Mega Man X4. Sony PlayStation. Capcom. Zero: Iris, there's no world just for Reploids. It's only a fantasy. Iris: Yes... I know... But I wanted to believe it! ... I wanted to live in a world where only Reploids exist...... with you.
  10. ↑ Capcom (September 1997). Mega Man X4. Sony PlayStation. Capcom. Sigma: Hee hee hee. My plan to keep Repliforce and the Maverick Hunters at each other's throats worked perfectly! ... Double did a good job as a spy! / X: Why you...! / Sigma: Hee hee hee. Repliforce are the fools this time! Now all that's left is to destroy Earth with the very weapon they made!
  11. ↑ Capcom (September 1997). Mega Man X4. Sony PlayStation. Capcom. General: ... With my body I can stop the weapon. / Zero: But then you'll... / General: It's over for this soldier. Farewell...
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Capcom, ed. (September 1997). Mega Man X4 Instruction Booklet. Sunnyvale, CA: Capcom Entertainment, Inc. pp. 4–11. SLUS-00561.
  13. ↑ PSM staff (October 1997). "Previews: Mega Man X4". PSM. No. 2. Imagine Publishing. pp. 58–9. ISSN 1940-0721.
  14. 1 2 3 East, Mark (November 12, 1997). "Mega Man X4 Review for PlayStation". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2010-06-24.
  15. 1 2 Ariga, Hitoshi (Summer 1997). "X4 Original Mega Armor: The Untold Story". CFC Style Fan-Book CAP! (in Japanese). Capcom. 4: 8.
  16. 1 2 Suleputer staff. ロックマンテーマソング集<ロックマン15周年記念> [Rockman Theme Song Collection <Rockman 15th Anniversary>] (in Japanese). Suleputer. Archived from the original on August 10, 2003. Retrieved December 18, 2011.
  17. ↑ Suleputer staff. "カプコン ミュージック ジェネレーション ロックマンX1～6　オリジナル・サウンドトラック" [Capcom Music Generation: Rockman X1 ~ X6] (in Japanese). Suleputer. Archived from the original on December 14, 2003. Retrieved February 27, 2011.
  18. ↑ Fielder, Joe (August 1, 1997). "Mega Man X4 Released in Japan". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  19. ↑ Oxford, Nadia (May 31, 2007). "Mega Manniversary: Slaves to the Machine". 1UP.com. Ziff Davis. Retrieved February 6, 2011.
  20. ↑ Johnson, Chris (August 4, 1997). "X4 Shows Off its Figure". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  21. ↑ IGN Staff (May 13, 1997). "MegaMan Killed?". IGN. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  22. ↑ Johnston, Chris (June 25, 1997). "Mega Man, Breath of Fire III Aimed for PlayStation". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved December 27, 2010.
  23. ↑ IGN Staff (July 22, 1997). "Oh Mega Man!". IGN. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
  24. ↑ Johnson, Chris (September 10, 1997). "Capcom Offers Extras". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved July 17, 2010.
  25. 1 2 3 Price, Tom (April 1999). "Reviews: Mega Man X4". Computer Gaming World. No. 177. Ziff Davis. ISSN 0744-6667.
  26. 1 2 Electronic Gaming Monthly staff (November 1997). "Review Crew: Mega Man X4". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 100. Ziff Davis. ISSN 1058-918X. Archived from the original on January 21, 1998.
  27. ↑ Famitsu staff (August 8, 1997). "Cross Review". Weekly Famitsu (in Japanese). No. 451. Enterbrain, Tokuma Shoten. pp. 31–6.
  28. ↑ Hobbs, Michael (October 1997). "Reviews: Megaman X4". GameFan. Metropolis Media. 5 (10): 24, 106–7. ISSN 1092-7212.
  29. ↑ Major Mike (November 1997). "ProReview: Mega Man X4". GamePro. No. 100. Infotainment World, Inc. p. 142. ISSN 1042-8658.
  30. 1 2 3 4 East, Mark (November 11, 1997). "Mega Man X4 Review for Saturn". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  31. 1 2 3 IGN Staff (September 30, 1997). "Mega Man X4 - PlayStation Review". IGN. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  32. ↑ PSM staff (November 1997). "Reviews: Mega Man X4". PSM. No. 3. Imagine Publishing. p. 25. ISSN 1940-0721.
  33. ↑ Next Generation Magazine staff (December 1997). "NG Reviews: Mega Man X4". Next Generation Magazine. Vol. 3 no. 36. Imagine Publishing.
  34. ↑ Saturn Power staff (November 1997). "Saturn Power Import: Rockman X4". Saturn Power. Future plc (6): 81. ISSN 0961-2718.
  35. ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine (April 1998). "Import Review: Mega Man X4". Sega Saturn Magazine. No. 30. EMAP. p. 71. ISSN 1078-9693.
  36. 1 2 3 Computer Games Magazine staff (January 21, 1999). "Reviews: Mega Man X4". Computer Games Magazine. theGlobe.com. ISSN 1095-1385.
  37. ↑ Capcom staff (1998). "Annual Report 1997" (PDF). Capcom. Retrieved April 10, 2010.
  38. ↑ "1997年テレビゲームソフト売り上げTOP100" [1997 Video Game Software Sales Top 100] (in Japanese). Geimin.net. Retrieved June 22, 2010.
  39. ↑ Capcom staff (May 22, 2001). "Capcom® Releases Blockbuster Franchise Titles as Greatest Hits". Capcom. Archived from the original on August 9, 2002. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  40. ↑ Sony staff. "ロックマンX4 PlayStation® the Best for Family" [Rockman X4 PlayStation® the Best for Family] (in Japanese). Sony Computer Entertainment. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  41. ↑ Sony staff. "ロックマンX4 PS one Books" [Rockman X4 PS one Books] (in Japanese). Sony Computer Entertainment. Retrieved March 6, 2012.
  42. ↑ Sega staff. "名作たちの逆襲 サタコレ（SEGASATURN COLLECTION）" (in Japanese). Sega. Archived from the original on August 15, 2001. Retrieved April 11, 2010.
  43. ↑ Dunham, Jeremy (January 10, 2006). "Mega Man X Ships to Stores". IGN. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
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