Every now and then I remember that Mega Man X is platforming perfection

As I was reorganizing my Mega Man collection after a move — which is a perfectly normal thing for a human being to say — I paused a minute when looking at the Mega Man X series. While the original Blue Bomber made a return to the spotlight in 2018 with Mega Man 11, his edgier successor still hasn’t made a comeback in a mainline game. It’s a shame that Capcom hasn’t figured out how to do that yet, but in the meantime, the 1993 original still holds up.

Mega Man X rules, that is all

It’s incredible how often Mega Man X comes up in regular conversations with my peers (you’re talking about retro platformers all the time too, right?). Recently, I gabbed about how I mistook the Armored Core 6 tutorial boss as a classic From Software “you’re generally supposed to lose” fight — half-asleep — trying to accelerate my run-through of the first level. Whelp, the subsequent game over screen was a wake-up call, to say the least!

I was conditioned to look for these types of battles early on in my gaming career through Mega Man X, where you cannot defeat Vile, the intro-level boss. Like a true anime shonen hero that forced failure gives you something to work toward, and every single weapon you acquire and armor piece you find is an accomplishment. By the end, donned in X’s fully upgraded suit, it can feel like you’re cheating. The power-progression system was unrivaled at the time, and Capcom manged to do it while creating a world filled with vibrant visuals, tight controls, and sprawling (but not overly big) level designs.

Beyond that clean intro, Mega Man X is nearly spotless. It wasn’t just the first time I had seen the phrase “Kuwanger,” I was also blown away by the level-based scavenger hunt system, which tempted players to find all four subtanks and all eight heart containers like a Siren’s song. It wasn’t until I started sharing my exploits around the schoolyard that I even learned there was more to discover.

I still feel that rush when playing Mega Man X for the 100th time.

Mega Man X is super easy to play, even now

If I sold you (or you’re feeling whimsical and want to play it again), the original Mega Man X is very easy to find. It’s not only a part of the Mega Man X Legacy Collection (which is on a ton of platforms), it’s also very cheap on the secondhand market if you’re looking for an SNES copy.

Unlike Mega Man X2 and X3 which can go for $100+ and several hundred dollars respectively, X1 SNES copies are roughly $30 on average. Get on it!