Volume One of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection is an amazing compilation of some of the best platformers in gaming history. In addition to splendidly porting the first four Mega Man X titles, Volume One of the Collection packs in plenty of bonus content to make this a package worth grabbing.
Mega Man X Legacy Collection: Volume One
Developer: Capcom
Price: $24.99 individually, $39.99 for Volumes One and Two
Platforms: PS4 (reviewed), Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC
MonsterVine was provided with a PS4 code for review.
The Mega Man X franchise is rightfully considered to be one of the best platforming series around. While it has a couple blunders, the majority of the series managed to improve upon, and borderline perfect, the already stellar mechanics that the classic Mega Man series established. It seemed inevitable that Mega Man X and its seven sequels would end up on current gen consoles. Volume One collects Mega Max X, X2, X3, and X4, alongside a new X Challenge mode and a great deal of extras that will make any Mega Man fan’s day.
While everyone has their own preferences on which entries are the best, the common consensus is that the first four Mega Man X titles are of the highest overall quality. All four titles are present and accounted for in Volume One, and they look better than ever. This increase in quality doesn’t take away from the games’ original styles though, from the increasingly high-quality sprite art of X1-3 to the charming and stylistic visuals of X4. The controls are as good as ever, though the PS4’s sunken D-Pad isn’t the most desirable.
As for the quality of the individual titles, I’m of the opinion that the original Mega Man X is the best. While X2-4 are all fantastic in their own rights (disregarding the still awful voice-acting in X4), the first game is still a near-perfect game that serves as an example of brilliant game design. The less linear X2 is a strong example of a well-designed sequel that provides more of the same while changing things up (though I still think the “X Hunters” are a pain to deal with in the proper order), while X3’s sprite art and character designs are some of the best in the series. X4 lets you finally play as both X and Zero, and has some of the best bosses and some of the most visually appealing stages. There are no game-breaking flaws to be had in these four titles, making them all worth playing, whether it’s for the first or fifteenth time.
The new X Challenge Mode, which I talked about in my E3 preview, is a highlight of the collection. Using three special weapons of your choice and X’s Ultimate Armor, you battle themed pairs of bosses from all across the series. From the icy Chill Penguin and Frost Walrus duo to the jungle-based team of Web Spider and Wire Sponge, each round provides its own challenges. I especially like that you can choose to do an X-Buster only route, as the additional challenge makes you feel like a true pro.
The amount of optional customizability is quite nice, as you can fill the black bars on the screen with a variety of wallpapers, each based on one of the games in the collection. There are multiple visual filters as well, with my personal favorite being the one that emulates the look of a CRT TV screen, if only for nostalgia alone. You can even play each title in Japanese, which is an especially nice touch for purists and speedrunners.
The included extras go above and beyond what’s expected of most collections, setting a new bar for other companies to follow. From concept art and entire soundtracks to a twenty-five minute anime prequel, there’s no shortage of side-content to take in.
The Final Word
Whether you’re a series veteran or a complete newbie, you won’t regret picking up Volume One of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection. Some of the best platformers of all time are collected and presented in their best form, and they’re complimented nicely by a hefty amount of bonus content. While I’ll be covering Volume Two next week, you definitely shouldn’t hesitate to at least grab Volume One.
-MonsterVine Review Score: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
