Was Mega Man X8 Actually Good? (It's Complicated)
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- čas přidán 19. 06. 2024
- Quite a lot has changed since I first reviewed Mega Man X8 back in 2017. Once upon a time, this was kind of an obscure Mega Man game, giving it a massive niche appeal, especially after the infamous Mega Man X6 and X7. Today, X8 is widely available on modern consoles and yet...the shine hasn't worn off in terms of X8's reputation. I gave it a rather negative look five years ago, but as the X game I'd say I play the absolute least...I was very curious to see if another go with it would change things, and...the results...are complicated. Be sure to watch and find out why!
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Chapters:
00:00 Mega Man X8...Has Changed
02:36 The Sequel to X7
05:05 The Playable Hunters
10:50 The Obtuse X8 Item Game
16:00 The Level Design
19:54 The Presentation
24:34 The Finale
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#MegaMan #MegaManX #MegaManX8 - Hry
I personally really like this game. The backtracking is way too much, yes, and the levels are not all equal in terms of quality, but... Especially when you're in new game plus, it's really fun. The moves are satisfying, the style is appealing, the controls are buttery smooth, the shop is a really nice addition and the story is nice imo. Definetly the highlight of the legacy collection 2, it's always a pleasure to revisit
X8 is fantastic mechanically, just dragged down by the lackluster level design in parts. So fun to play, just doesn't have the best levels to play in.
It's a shame too because X9 has a whole lot going for it if they just polish everything they did here.
@@ZeroX7649 yeah, when you consider this was the last X game and not another blunder like a few of the games that come before it, it's really sad. They had something great on their hands
Ohh yesss the new game plus is pure joy I love it
@@playbossthebest936 I don't know, while the game is less flawed on the surface, I think my overall experience replaying X6 is better. The levels really drag down the whole experience, and you can"t exactly skip or cheese any to speed things up
"No footage available, because of skilled gameplayage" might be the best thing you've ever written on a purely humorous level. Excellent video, lmao. Glad you revisited this series.
Hey J. Just wanted to let you know that the rare metal in Bamboo Pandamonium's stage, the one at 13:41, can be reached in an easier way. Before the conveyor belt, you can ditch the ride armor on a solid platform, run ahead to lower the platform after the belt, then go back for the armor. The ride armor stays where you left it if you offscreen it. Hope that helps!
Bumping this up
bump
I think this may have been one of the more complex ways he mentioned. But honestly, I think having a one-use item on you to damage boost is more convoluted
One more way easier, u can break these hard container not only by the Ride armor but also by Zero's gloves (if u already unlock it) with Man-o-war's ability. Just use Zero, jump on that position, put ur gloves on and perform Electric's ability.
I just found it few days ago on MMX legacy collection, it's might be a new feature or just somethings i didn't know before, i have no idea, they've changed some things in the game (Zero's fly glitch is an example, they've patched it :'(((( ) so im not sure about that. I first time played X8 since 2014 and i've replayed it so many time...but still haven't discovered all the things in this game yet lmao xD
@@btoann That's not the one we're talking about. It's the one you need to hit an elevator switch to lower it and then to raise it with the Ride Armor on
Zeros line in the ending of X8 always gives me chills considering what happens to him in Megaman Zero. I love X8 and i really hope we get X9 someday and that it continues from where X8 left off.
oh its meant to go into MMZ1 with it. It shows with also a part of the music in Zero 1 appearing in X8 in one of the final cutscenes with Lumine.
I know people are gonna disagree with me but I honestly hate the zero storyline. the characters themselves are fine but I always hated the premise that X just ups and dies and its just zero with no memories for dramatic effect. And then at the end zero dies anyways. The entire series felt like a completely unsatisfying ending for X and Zero.
Part of me hopes they'll non canon the zero series and just continue the X series because of how badly they fucked up the story after megaman X5 but at this point even finishing the X series is a pipe dream.
@@nickp8041Yeah... I don't think so
@@sonicfan2403 True I'll probably be dead before x9 ever releases. And it'll probably suck anyways.
@@nickp8041Why would it suck? Mega Man 11 showed Capcom can still create good Mega Man games.
Heck they could even outsource it to Inti Creates. I think they would jump at the chance to work on an X game.
I often find that X8 flies under the radar for a lot of people. The main reason being that X7 changed the formula so much that anyone who played that game probably didn't even bother with X8 at the time. Looking back on it, X8 definitely has a bunch of interesting qualities about it, from the return to classic gameplay but with the character system from X7, to the, (most sensible in the series) item shop. A part of me wonders that if we ever get X9, will the gameplay build on it's predecessor?
Who knows honestly if a sequel will ever come out? With Inafune no longer with them, Capcom may honestly think of Megaman in general as a dead franchise unless they actually make something new to prove my thoughts wrong.
@@BlueEyes274 with the success of the recent collections and MM11 I doubt Capcom sees the Mega Man franchise as a "dead franchise". They're just milking the X series for gacha rn.
I hope but it's seems unlikely for an X9 aside from making it a fan game
Mega Man 11 shows they have some good 2D level designers still working for them, so maybe an X9 could have potential if they kept it 2.5D like X8. One thing to consider is that like MM11 an X9 would have to go to extra lengths story-wise to catch people up who haven't played the previous games since it's been so long since the last one came out. In fact you could work that into the story, saying there's been several years of Maverick activity being at an all-time low luring the Hunters into lowering their guard.
@@BlueEyes274 Are we seriously back in the "Mega Man is dead without Keiji Inafune at Capcom" mindset?
Since you did multiple runs for this video I'm surprised you never mentioned the unlockables that require you to beat the game, or how the logo, title screen and even ending cutscene change depending on who you beat the game with. That's an interesting amount of care put into a game that largely gets the fundamentals right but is very hit and miss on the more specific details.
Well to me it sounds like he did one run on each system so he wouldn’t notice those kind of changes
or how the ending cutscene after beating lumine on the elevator is different.
J didn't mention a lot of things really.
Yeah you need to finish the game at least 3 times to get everything from it I love this type of details
I’ll be honest, X8 is my absolute favorite of the series. With three characters that each play uniquely, I did not mind backtracking at all. And yes, I loved that each of the characters had their own love interest too. Also (SPOILER ), I like how it ended with the main bad guy not being Sigma. He was a good villain, but just like Wiley, he was done to death. The series looked like it was going to be headed in amazing new directions. Then it ended. Well, at least it ended on a high note. Now I play Mega Man X Dive to fill the void. It’s just not the same, though.
Dude. Get on the Zero series. It's the best in the entire franchise
This. Echoing me perfectly. It's not perfect but it's GREAT for this series.
@@JobyPlays yeah, X8 isnt a bad game of the series, i felt its been underrated. Maybe its just boring at some case, but its really enjoyable for me, i like how hard to cross the stage and collect things on the game same at X6 (i know that MMX isnt an item collection game, and that shouldnt be what it should be)
God I wish I could bring myself to like x dive but man that game just sucks
I also like how they added two more navigators and you can play as them!
My favorite X game. The music is GOD tier. Vile's theme is just pure adrenalin rush. My only complaint is the spikes. Then again, it isn't THAT much obsessed with spikes like X6.
I think X8's music suffers from X3 (or MM11's) problem where the instrumentation kind of blends together, and the music ends up sounding forgettable. Which is a shame, because it has some awesome tracks. I'm personally sad there aren't more covers of True Sigma's music.
@@Juuhazan_ I think the instrumentation in X3 is fine (in the Snes version), it's just that the music in the stages are too short and repetitive imo
@@Juuhazan_ it makes the tracks that don't use the same style, like Primrose and Sigma's Palace, stand out even more (in a good way).
Funnily enough, Primrose used to be played with guitars, but they decided to change the instruments since it didn't sound as good, and the rest is history.
Somehow X8 music are forgettable except for the orbital elevator level. X6 music is the best but not as emotional and memorable as x4 & original X
@@awang_ir I can play back X6 tracks near perfectly using nothing but my tounge and memory, can't really say the same for X1
I never had a problem with X8's backtracking. My kid self back in 2011 thought something like ''If this is the last Megaman X game, it's better if it feels longer'', and I still think that way.
same here...had the guide and everything
Longer usually never equals better and it shows here
Even as a kid I got bored of gravity antonion and burn rooster stages.
I recently saw a negative review of gungrave 2.
One of the criticisms was that the first game was short and that was a positive. Because the stuff in 2 seems like padding, and annoying.
Recently this past year I started replaying some games on the collection.
I couldn't help myself and beat 4. Like 2-3 times.
Backtracking wouldnt be a problem if the stages werent god damn awful to play on.
Crazy how much better X8 looks than X7, especially on the animation department. Yeah, it isn't that great but signicatly better than X7's
honestly i think x9 could totally build upon x8s foundation, just make the level designs universally good and make the sub weapons useful.
also nix the rare metal system, or design it in a way to minimize backtracking.
X9 already exists, btw. X10 is the dream that may never happen
@@junibuffooni You mean command mission?
command mission isn’t canon
@@junibuffooni Command Mission is an RPG set in an alternate universe. It isn’t what people want from X9
@@harshal1153 it also came out before X8, you can actually trigger cutman to always spawn in optic sunflower's stage if you have a command mission save file.
X8 gave us the best Voice cast for the characters X and Zero especially. Axl is really good too, but we only got to hear Axl again in Command Mission, X and Zero came back to dub the OVA's in Maverick Hunter X so I have more fondness for the X and Zero Voices. I keep hoping that this is the year we hear about a MMX9 and get to hear Lucas Gilbertson as Zero again. MegaMan 11 was amazing and if an X9 came out with that much love put into it that would be amazing. X does have an anniversary coming up next year so I'm always hopeful
Too bad Mark Gatha as X (who also voiced Domon Kasshu in G Gundam) won't return as he became a dentist in the mid 2000s. It's a bit saddening as his rival from G GUndam, Master Asia, also voices a character in MMX8... Sigma out of all characters so its extra funny to see them reappear! What makes it double funny is that in X8 Palette is voiced by someone who also happens to have voiced a character in G Gundam called "Marie Louise".
I still like X8. Definitely a fun time, with a relatively good story (for Mega Man X standards, at least), good music, really addictive gameplay (even more so than other enteries in the series) and stupid meme maverick names.
I think one of X8's underappreciated subtleties is that the lock on from X7 still exists in X8, but it's been made almost totally invisible and in some cases new features were added to it. In certain scenarios, such as the combat room with respawning enemies, if you stand and rapid fire with Axl you'll notice that sometimes Axl's shots don't all fire in a straight line, one might angle up or down slightly to meet a target. The combat room in Noah's Park, when you use Zero, will sometimes have Zero turn slightly to face the incoming enemies directly while slashing, if your positioning is right.
I believe that's a feature of Axl's default weapon, Axl Bullets. The shot that locks onto an enemy is colored blue.
@@anasazmi8554 Not entirely, I've seen the orange shots do it, too. Coincidentally, though, the blue shots are the ones that trigger guard breaks on certain enemies.
It's an assistance in aiming, not a replacement.
That's more of a soft aim assistance than a lock on
I thought people don't like aim assist in games where it's the point to aim well.
When mentioning how haphazardly the copyshot is implemented, I can't help thinking the franchise was finally overstaying it's welcome. I feel like the whole X, Zero, and Sigma dynamic wasn't just getting stale, it was outright stagnant.
This is clearly why Axl was added to the roster, but it's hard for him to shine with two established characters overshadowing him. Instead of an X7 and X8, things might have been better with an entirely fresh sub-franchise, _Megaman Axl._
Not only would this avoid the continuity snarls of continuing to use Zero across two separate spin-offs, but the Copyshot could have been a much more interesting twist on the classic boss weapon upgrades, if instead of a gimmick on an optional character, it had been a central mechanic the entire game was built around.
Actually, that really should become a thing. The Zero-series began before Axl was thought of, so we have that weird off-screen timeframe where he just suddenly drops off the map because he's not present in the backstory. To have a subseries to elaborate on his fate could be really interessting.
Pretty sure we can see some semblance of it in Command Mission, since Axl can change into most of the bosses in that game (though only to use their respective ultimate attacks), and, in its story, he's actually forced to change into one of them to trigger a voice command.
As for A Trans being a gimmick, they're gonna have to find a balance, since taking it too far would result in ZX Advent, where you can change into bosses, but they're not as flexible and feels clunky compared to, say, Megamerging in ZX.
@@anasazmi8554: I mean, sure enough there might be overlap issues if they tried making an entirely Axl focused game now. I more so meant to say that it's what they should have done in the first place, before ZX ever existed.
I don't even think they could make a game entirely about Axl now. He's got too much reputation as an unwanted scrappy third wheel. If they tried to make a game about him, too many people would get upset if X and Zero weren't also still in the game, and that just puts us back at the start of this mess.
I prefer Axel over X and Zero. I prefer Zero in his own series.
maybe
1:02 one example of that I can think it was Earthbound. The game had a reputation as a flawless masterpiece but when it finally got re-release on virtual console in 2013 it’s flaws became more noted. With a common complaint that it’s desire to be different from RPGs at the time we’re kinda cumbersome (limited resources and needing a wide field to fast travel come to mind). While the game is still well liked, it doenst have the golden goose reputation it once had
Huh, interesting. I have yet to hear anyone say they dislike earthbound ngl
Those flaws existed since the games came out... There's a reason the series is divisive... There's also a fuck ton of people who don't understand the deliberate choices made with the game that seem like flaws
@@neonthunder3261 King K, SomcallmeJohnny, and AVGN all gave crtisism of Earthbound (though KingK indicated on Twitter he’s not proud of the video)
@@fillerbunnyninjashark271 Same. I LOVE Earthbound and it's "flaws" make it one of the most unique RPG's I've ever played.
@@thatitalianlameguy2235 not gonna argue the hospital because it is annoying but those choices are what make earthbound unique
This is something I've been wanting to ask why do you go for 100% is it always required like getting Zero's body parts for the true ending or is it for the sake of completion
The true ending is only unlocked by finishing the game on normal or hard. The 100% completion isn't required. But it adds a nice touch of upgrades or new moves for zero.
yeah my comment was about a similar thing. x1-4 are designed around you 100%ing them, x8 is clearly not. it's designed to give you as many options as possible for beating the game.
Otherwise you can't get the Hadouken- oh wait.
Wish there would be some kind of reward though, like a Tatsumaki-Senpu-Kyaku for X.
@@WhiteFangofWar there is. getting each hunter to 100% unlocks their 'Ultimate Armor'. X's is especially good since (besides the buster* gives benfits from both armors at once and the Nova Strike, which puts all bosses to 1 HP if it hits. and i do mean *ALL* bosses.
@@KaijinZero also it has unlimited energy for the special weapons. i know. i'm way to much informed with x8.
This is my personal favorite Megaman game, I don't think it's the best one by far but it's definitely my favorite. Probably partially because X7 and X8 were some of my first ps2 games and even as a MM obsessed kid X7 just made me sad 😔 X8 was a good return to formula and I'm still waiting on X9... Capcom please 😫
Right there with ya, man!
I know it's off topic, but looking at people saying they played X7 as a kid makes me realize how lucky I was, I had the Collection released in the PS2 (X1-X6) and also X8, but I didn't had X7
What are the odds? lol
X8 is the only MegaMan with X & Zero kill sigma together! And yes, the wait for X9 has been almost 18 years since X8, much longer than MM8 to 9 and MM10 to 11
there no plans for x9 at the moment
X8 was the best in terms of platforming system; and the combat was fantastic, it just didn't have the best designed stages. But New Game+ thankfully gets rid of problems and makes replay value really high. Black Armor Zero with the Sigma Blade is probably the most fun for platforming and taking out swarms of enemies with his flipping technique. Ultimate Armor Zero being a real boss killer is also fun; all those memories of dropping the final boss down to 1 HP and finishing them with Axl's rapid fire bullets to unlock the White Armor is also fun.
I also actually really liked x8, it made me want to play the Zero series. I'm surprised how much I played it as a kid, not a ton, but I actually beat it almost 100%
I really like Megaman X8. I love the visual style since I’m nostalgic for that early PS2 art,
The new designs are all great, the character’s VAs are actually really well done for the first time EVER, and I just really like the feel and look of most levels.
I never mind backtracking in Megaman games, so I honestly don’t even consider that a factor.
X8 (and Command Mission to a lesser extent) deserve credit just for salvaging Axl. And the VAs for X8 will always be the iconic voices for the main three as far as I'm concerned (RIP Mark Gatha's voice acting career, I hope he's enjoying himself as a orthopedic surgeon.)
The modeling or art or whatever you would call it looks gorgeous in this game. Other than some of X's designs the game looks to me almost like playing with action figures. And it's does that without sacrificing fluidity in movement which some 2.5 Platformers have been guilty of.
@@SuperLlama42 It's a good thing he choose to be an anonymous orthopedic surgeon and I wish him nothing short of the greatest luck and most successes in that career, but his career as a voice actor was lack luster to say the least.
@@-PV- Lack luster? I dunno. For his time, I believe he did an excellent job especially as Domon Kasshu & X in this game. He captured the hot blooded essence of one character, and the sympathetic yet determined vibe of another very well.
I thought Zero, Axl, and Sigma had pretty decent voices in English X7, and Red was spot-on. X and Alia, though... oof
I know it may not be a popular opinion but I actually enjoyed Megaman X8.
They unironically used “Paradise Lost” as a subtitle for a Mega Man X game.
Peak MegaMan X
X8 is what truly brought the X series back to proper form. All the characters feel exactly how they were presented in past games, the bosses are great, the music is beast, the weapons are fun, the story’s engaging, the voice acting is much better than X7 and X4
It didn't bring the series back to form, it massacred it.
@@-PV- I disagree with your reply about X8 to an extent. Zero to me was really weird to play as because I'm used to any other iteration of Zero (screw X7 though...)
On the other hand, X played PERFECTLY. Holy crap, I never thought X ever would be better than X4 Zero, but here I am, saying X is better than Zero. Yeah... I'll admit I'm your default-weapon bum. Oh well.
Tell me how X weapons are fun? I rather like Axl and Zero ones.
So for a theoretical tweaks mod we’d need:
Less I-Frames on Bosses
Ability to get X capsule as anybody
…umm not sure how to help with level design
Fix the life system as well if that's mentioned in this review
Simply get rid of certain Rare Metals and bundle the upgrades so there's less backtracking. Half the level design aggravation is the back tracking. Kind of like how the Souls games/Elden Ring do their shops.
@@ZeroX7649 I’m not sure how bundles could be done with modding
iirc the bosses only have excessive i frames when you use their weakness on them. using non-weakness results in much less i frames at exchange for less damage.
Cut down the metal costs for upgrades.
So I never watch any of your "original" reviews, but these "new" ones seem to be pretty high quality. I enjoyed hearing you talk about all 8 X games. Great job 👍
You and Trav Guy inspired me to suffer through X7 again, then I decided to wash the taste out with X8, which while a massive improvement only reinforced my long held thoughts on the game. Thoughts that are perfectly expressed by the title of this video. This should be a fun watch.
Burn to the ground
I grew up playing X8 with my brother and It has a place in my heart even with all of the problems 😅 This is where I got my love for Zero! (Also, I find it interesting that on the credits it's called "MegaMan X8: Paradise Lost")
Your marathon got me to buy the X Legacy Collection on Switch. I MIGHTVE already bought it on PS4 (I can’t remember) but the collection is 50% off on the eshop this week and it would give me the games on the go
Nice buy.
How do they run on Switch? I want to get the first X collection on Switch but the system can be oddly hit and miss with performance for things it should be able to run no problem, Bloodstained for example. While somehow being able to handle Doom Eternal.
Same here (kinda) I bought the collection for ps4 second hand thanks to J's original reviews on MMX
@@zeroattentiongaming820 well they’re all emulations so they should run the same on all platforms
@@zeroattentiongaming820 it runs just fine on switch. Idk if the over versions run better, but I own the switch version, so I can testify that it is a great way to play these games
13:48
You know you can just leave the ride armor on the platform before the conveyor belt, go hit the button and then go get your ride armor and come back? lmao
You made it x100000 more complicated than it needed to be to get that medal and hence why you struggled so much
I love how in x8 depending on your navigatior you’ve selected you can play as them in new game plus also the ultimate armors are easier and much fun to get it depends on who ultimate attacks lumine in the party so x gets ultimate armor zero gets his black armor and axel gets the lumine virus
or you input a cheatcode before starting the savefile up for the "CM" bossfight, the ultimate armors etc.
The whole "going Maverick at will" line was confusing as hell. I just see it as every new-gen Reploid with Sigma's DNA coming with his manifesto equipped and unlike Mavericks they can choose whether or not to follow it.
I seriously hope that Lumine is the new main villain of X9 when that eventually happens, but if it's been this long I get the feeling Capcom higher-ups are gonna try and push for Sigma to be safe.
The whole "going maverick at will" line (especially when it comes to Sigma himself) is something the franchise has flipflopped on a few times over it's duration if you know where to look and read between the lines. You're not wrong, and the fact that the various games can seem to decide on an answer IS confusing as hell. That said, I think Maverick Hunter X on the PSP threw freaking gasoline on this fire with the Day of Sigma video. The more you think about it, that game HAS to be a separate continuity or retelling.
@@utopua4all It's not. MHX has been repeatedly treated as in the same universe as other X games. And there's nothing in it that contradicts the other games ignoring the obvs not canon Vile Mode.
@@galten7361 Bullshit. No, there are plenty of things that are contradictions in that video. For one, Sigma stabs Mega Man X with his sword. Well, fuck, let's forget that whole "the bodies of X and Zero are hard to repair" thing from X5. There ARE contradictions in that video, you're not going to tell me otherwise.
@@utopua4all You didn't name any. And X with Zero could always be repaired provided the damage to them wasn't beyond repair. What was different in X2 for example was that Zero was dead and only with the control chip could he live again.
@@galten7361 Chill Penguin's height and Dr. Cain's health/fate do not jive with the continuity of SNES games and Xtreme1. Presumably the intention was that later games would get the "MHX" treatment as well to line up a bit better, but that never happened. I certainly do think MHX was meant to thematically tie into X8, with Vile's "going Maverick at will" schtick explaining his relevance to X8's plot.
Had MMX8 been made during the 16 bit era it would've been thought of as a pretty lame sequel but the fact that it came after X6 and X7 it automatically looked muuuch better by comparisson, I think it is on if the OKAYEST games ever, some pretty bad parts like "to get some powerups just use the charged crystal thing at this random location with no info, or use Axl's copy shot which is never useful otherwise" but some cool elements like the music and finally being able to mix armors, I think they were on their way back to the top with this game so X9 could've been preeeetty good had it been able to exist
I liked X8 and I played it before I even knew about how bad X7 was, so in my case my like for X8 had nothing to do with X7.
Oh okay, use a head part all the time find something in the x2 was amazing right? A lot of games of megaman you need armors and backtracking and boss armors to get some upgrades. In the x2 you need to use a helmet to locate some part after you need to use a boss armor in the ground outta nowhere to find a part of the second armor. X8 is better than x5 and even than x3. You can bring all your itens to new game plus and the game is simply AMAZING after that. The problem is that review was that he only clear the game once and dont even brought all the additions of the new game plus.
And about the stages. The design of x3 was really annoying, repetitive with the same enemies all the time. Really long stages, the armor of the x is really bad, only the golden armor is great. X8 is the fourth best game of the series. 1 - x 2- x4 3- x2 4- x8
@@vitorpcv2 compared to charging the crystal thing and using it at a random location with no indicator? Or copying a random enemy just to use a salute and open a door just to remind us that Axl's copy shot still exists? Yeah, MMX2 is much better than that, the only collectible that actually needs it is the heart tank in wire sponge's stage, the rest of the time it is just used because the game shows you a healing item surrounded by walls and you just need to use the heat part to find the fake one, there is absolutely no need to just keep spamming it all over the stage, sorry you wasted your times, and funny you mention specifically X2 since that is probably the one with the most diverse waya to get stuff, you can get the same thing by either, air dash, strike chain, charged speed burner or crystal hunter lol
@@VGInterviews yes we can compare. You can use a navigator to help you to find. It is the same thing that you press a buttom that find you a location of the item. Actually it if you have the navigator she will say at the moment that you are at the location that are something there. Use the head part is random. And no. To get the chest of the armor you need to use that thing to find a random spot to use a random boss armor. Thats NOT better.
X8 ALWAYS has me conflicted, on one hand while i like that they were trying to shake things up with the gimmicks they were just too much, the game doesn't look that good and the collecting aspect could be better. But on the other hand the art direction for X8 is BEAUTIFUL!! i love the story and voice acting, just the overall tone of the game i love.
but with such conflicting view points i just don't know how to feel about it.
What do you mean you won’t be reviewing x3 every year??? Disappointment
X8 is honestly is my favorite MegaManX game.
It was my first introduction to the Mega Man series, and still is to this day. Despite its flaws, I still play, and replay it the most to this day, because of how good, and fun I find the gameplay. The soundtrack is also my favorite out of the whole series, and helped shape my music taste to this day.
I've loved these Megaman X reviews! I appreciate how short your ad near the beginning was too
I like X8 but a part of me really wishes we could've gotten another game that basically had X8's gameplay mechanics but with less gimmick-y stages and a more tightened up boss and weapon selection. It's a shame this series died when it did because I think X8 was around the time where the team started really improving in the areas where the series needed to and if the prior two games hadn't botched so much goodwill and consumer faith we might've even gotten something out of it.
I'll always defend Central White as the best vehicle stage in the X series. Plays like a proper shmup stage where precision matters and you can't just tank through stuff, and you can blast through the mid bosses fairly quickly if you're good enough.
Dynasty, however, is pretty fucking bad. Would've been cool to get a whole traditional stage with a city setting like that in X8 but instead we get flying billboard smashing taxi speedrun.
There's very few things I recall from x8, but having the most enjoyable vehicle stage is one of them.
Central White may be janky, but at least it's a proper vehicle stage and you don't have to fight with your camera too much. Not to mention it gives each character its own abilities so playing through the long stage doesn't feel as boring.
The difficulty in Dynasty, on the other hand, seems to come more from the camera (and perception of depth) than the actual boss.
@@anasazmi8554 It's the poor contrast and blind turns that make it difficult to even SEE shit in time to do the right thing with it. Sonic 2's Special Stages are Heaven by comparison.
It's the best of a very poor lot; I personally find X4's much more tolerable only due to how much shorter it is. Most likely having to do it several times to get everything also doesn't help.
Your review was awesome as always! However, I'm amazed that you didn't mention the fact that you're able to play with the navigators. I know it ain't something particularly awesome, but hey, at least is kind of interesting (that adds a little "something" to them)
Great video! I always liked that you could unlock the Navigators as playable characters. It's not much mechanically but it's a welcome addition that they should put into the future games I think.
I played the PC version back in 2010 and loved it. It became my favorite Mega Man game... mostly because I got farther in it than I did in any previous game in the series.
I've always thought that if THIS was the first PS2 game (as in, Being X7) the series would have carried on just fine. It's a flawed experience that did so many things right, it's sad it didn't get to be refined any further.
I’ve got to say, I thoroughly enjoyed these fresh takes on your previous videos. These are quite fair assessments. I look forward to seeing more of your MegaMan videos. Thanks.
U always entertain me with these videos and I never get bored watching them repeatedly,thanks for the content! Awesome to have someone else who has my views and interests
I’m excited for your take on X Dive. The game is pretty much one of the few options to show Capcom our support for more Mega Man games
It's one of the songs of X8, that is Wild Fang by Janne da arc that got me into Japanese rock and Japanese music as a whole. Also its my favorite game of the series. Loved the graphics.
Looking forward to what you have next as well as your video(s) on the X spin-offs.
J that beanie looks cool. Gonna try and get one. But man, I like how you included Copy X and labeled it.
I didn't like X8 that much. I beat it in the mid 2010's but i never felt like i wanted to back to it. I didn't like how the game kinda forces you to change characters, i didn't like the new art style cause it was too drastic,and i think i didn't like the ride chaser levels that much. And it doesn't help that i had a miserable time with the final levels on hard. That being said,i wouldn't call X8 a bad game,it's just not a game i would want go back to.
Thank you for giving me even MORE reasons to love my favorite Mega Man game :)
I don't know if this has been pointed out already, but one tip for the mini boss in Optic Sunflower's stage (18:51):
If you position yourself between the two blocks in the middle, basically all you have to do is going back and forth. You do that by always pushing against the one block that's on the ground at the time until it goes up while the other one comes down, and they won't damage you. (I'm not a native speaker so I hope that wasn't too confusing.) It looks like you will get crushed, but believe me, it works. I stumbled upon that by chance and it makes that mini boss ridiculously easy but also makes it much less frustrating.
Great Analysis of all the X games! I love the whole X series in spite of its flaws, so thank you for giving them an intensive examination.
This was a very fun series! It's cool to see how your opinion and ways to express it changed over the years. I'm looking forward to the X spin-offs, but I hope you get around to Legends someday!
Most of my enjoyment of this game honestly comes from getting through the entirety of it without upgrades, like with every single X game (minus X7 which just isn't fun at all) so that's why I always felt most of the stages were fine (besides Avalanche Yeti, which drags on for too long) because the item game being convoluted kinda makes some of these stages feel repetitive as you have to replay them many times in order to get the items, which really makes them seem gimmicky, and you end up despising some of these levels because of just how many times you have to sit through the autoscrollers, or being chased by the giant robot and whatnot, but as a game that I replay every few months while always ignoring all of the upgrades, it's always way more fun to come back to it and play it that way, basically not having to deal with the upgrades makes it so much more fun to replay.
I enjoyed it so much that I 100% it in the legacy collection 2, the backtracking can be tedious at times but i like the new game+
X8 was what I would consider the first PC video game I properly experienced and where I first learned of double jump as a mechanic (as I've only had Mario on console as my 2D platforming experience). It was the perfect game to kick start my gaming journey till today.
Finally! Been waiting for this video since your re-review of X7. Thank you
I liked x8 i thought it was way better than most of the x games. After x3 they started getting insane just to beat. Levels needing you to do weapon swapping mid jump/fall multiple times just to progress required insane skills
You don't need to do any of that in X4... The fuck you talking about
@@fillerbunnyninjashark271 i forget which one but there was a spider web ability that you had use and switch to other moves all while avoidin spikes
What are you talking about? X3 is way harder than X4 ever was, and I'd even say X5; X5 and X6 did have really hard (and sometime just plain bullshit) parts but they also had infinite lives and very frequent checkpoints.
@@mikeg5039 The only time you ever have to use the spider web to get something around spikes is the arm parts, which has no enemies and requires no weapon switching; the only other thing requiring the web is the EX tank.
X8 instantly became one of my most favorite Mega Man games ever in 2004. It improved in every possible way from X7. X8 is basically what X7 should have been. It wasn't perfect but overall just felt, looked and sounded awesome. It's a shame it's so underrated and underplayed. Still waiting for X9.
I recently stumble upon your megaman x series! great content!! Would you be making videos about the "demake" versions of x7 and 8?
Mega man x8 is my favorite game of all time. It's the game i've played ever since i got my first video game (ps2) as a 6 years old.
I loved it so much i never stoped playing, literally, i always made sure to buy a new copy everytime the disc was scratched or something. And even to this day, with a Ps4, i STILL play it (in megaman x legaccy colection 2). I have such a strong bond with this game that i can't describe.
The music, the characters, the gameplay, the nostalgia i feel playing this.... It's astonishing, simply the best game ever made to me.
Thank you for existing Megaman X8, you made me love the mega man x franchise.
fuck yeah, the moment this series started I knew this video would come someday, it's my favorite x game from my childhood; voice acting, music, difficulty, secrets, all that shit I loved. Even the extended parts of the game the harder the difficulty became was just amazing but I know a lot of people felt weird about this one.
I love it!!! It was the best Megaman for me. The villain, the music, the gameplay, all so good!
After seeing these re-reviews on the X series, I'm a little interested if you'll have something new to say about the Zero series. (you've got a bit of clarity to sort out regarding Zero 3 with Zero and Omega)
X8, along with Sonic 1, is probably one of my most replayed games, thanks to the addition of New Game Plus, which I wish you gave a mention to in this video, but I can understand that one or, maybe two playthroughs of X8 is enough for you, like Exo with Spyro 2. Otherwise, it was worth seeing you give new takes on these games, especially with "Learning to Love Mega Man X6," something none of us would have ever thought you'd make the title of an X6 video. It was worth watching your new X videos and I hope to see more when you're ready.
I have always loved this game and it has been one of my favorite X games to play.
X8 is probably my second least favorite main X game to revisit next to X7, and that's a real shame. It definitely has the chops to be one of the greats since the systems work surprisingly well, but most of the stages are just not fun to play (I'd genuinely take Duff McWhalen's stage over Burn Rooster's), which subsequently makes other issues like the bloated item game and retry chips worse. I don't even mind gimmicky stages on their own since I enjoyed classic Mega Man 8, but I thought the gimmicks in that game were pretty fun on their own. X8 just isn't fun for me.
Probably my favourite of the mmx series, even though it really doesn't shine anywhere particularly expressly, it's base level is really high.
If there were to be an X9, the Neutral Armour system would have to come back, it was one of the best ways to do X upgrades.
Axl's copy chip being corrupted in the ending is an interesting angle to go with for the future - it could easily be leveraged into him turning out to be Copy X in an interesting twist of events.
Also, the sheer number of times you kill Sigma in this game is ludicrous, since all the basic enemies in the final spike palace are all sigma forms. Which is a perfect companion to sigma's treatment as the sub final boss: he's come back so much that he's being used as pure fodder.
I always got the feeling that he didn't even want to come back this time, he's just sitting in the chair and saying the words because he doesn't know how to do anything other than be a dick to x and zero anymore, but is just tired of it now.
Im enjoying the rereviews, excited to hear you talk about the gameboy ones. Theyre impressive little 8 bit games
The biggest crime of X8 is how they removed the opening song in the English version.
THEY DID???????
Ah yes.... "wild fang"
The only time they didn't remove the licenced opening was X6
They did that for every game since 4
Edit: forget about 6 they kept it there
There's something so "PS2" about this game. Don't even know if that makes sense but thanks for covering it!
btw -- congrats on the merch launch! Looks awesome 🔥
💯
I’m enjoying these re reviews, I enjoy seeing your now matured perspective, will you be doing mmz and zx as well?
Damn brother, you have grown and still have amazing charm. Congrats. I have a suggestion, you should tackle the other dc animated films. Death of superman and the follow up. Flashpoint. Love your takes.
The best part of this game is the waifu navigators, change my mind.
I really like X8 (I take it over X3, X5 and X6 any day), but it's just because of how the characters' controls, how they are balanced and the solid bosses
The rest is very meh imo, like the story is ok, soundtrack is kinda weak, the level design is too gimmicky, and the 100% completion has too much backtracking which makes it boring at best, and atrocious at worst
I still enjoyed it but it has it's own problems
Pretty much the ONE game in the second X collection I go back to.
I'd take anything over X5
I remember when I was like 12 or 13 and got the legacy collection I spent a fuck ton of time in X6 because I loved the exploration feel (ZX was my first MegaMan game, thanks ClementJ). I remember never finding X8 that fun, hell I appreciated X7 more for the art style lol
I've recently gotten into your videos they have been great! Really been a good watch/listen. Keep up the good work! I'd like to suggest you do Mega man X: Command Mission. I'd love to see/hear your thoughts on it. It was a childhood fav of mine. Plez & thx
28:32 but didn’t you say in this very video that doing too many Mega Man games at once lead to burnout and unfair reviews?
He doesn't sound burnt out yet. He already finished. He has two GB games and XDive which he's never covered.
@@ZeroX7649 and command mission. Also I checked on the discord server. Looks like there will be a break in Mega Man videos before doing the spin offs
I'd love to see a retrospective of the classic series, 12 whole games of varying quality and similar gameplay, it'd totally turn into a mess of reviews around 7 or 8
@@fredmeyer1044 he’s made it clear in the past the Classic and Legends series is a matter of “when” not “if”
(He’s also made it clear he has no interst in the Battle Network continuity)
Oh man, thank you so much for giving me a reason to revisit this and doubly so for this project of revisiting your old reviews with wiser eyes.
Zeros ponytail tho. Big deal breaker XD
My kingdom for a fan mod turn Axl into into Bass
I still think this game has the best soundtrack, or at least second-best if X4 has anything to say about it.
So many of the tracks in X8 are just so memorable to me! My favorites being the Jakob stage, the Ride Armor theme, and the initial Maverick theme.
I like challenging myself and beating bosses with Axl-trans (using white Axl because transforming into enemies with him is infinite and never ends unless i want to stop).
Ngl it's very complicated, specially in hard mode but it's super fun!
If you are doing a megaman x dive review :
-make sure to collab with shadowrockzx because he can give you all the information you need
- get opinions and gameplay experiences on players like me and other people who has played rockman x dive For a while and already unlocked most of the content in terms of the latest story chapter so far and other possible details to say
As for the title :
a overview of rockman x dive (feat. Shadowrockzx)
the details in X8 were fairly fun, like cutman, or what felt like X4 callbacks in Sunflower's minigames, or the returning ultimate armor giving X the shoryuken. And Axl getting a lumine pallete swap
I really love this game and planing to get the PS2 version soon and I have the Legacy Collection version for the Xbox one.
In my opinion X8 is a massive improvement over X6 & X7
Desde que era niño he esperado Megaman X9, mi saga favorita de juegos, y lo seguiré haciendo, excelente reseña amigo ❤
I hope they finally make X9 to resolve the damn cliffhanger from X8. It’s one of those endless infamous cliffhangers like what Samurai Jack used to be before they finally made season 5.
I replayed this one recently and tried my best to make a least backtracking route on my own, which includes the X Armor pieces, Zero weapons and every Item Chip. After several hours of planning and thinking I finally figured it out… I realized after several stages that I missed one thing and the whole run was completely dead.
Might try it again without the Chips, but yeah. If they make an X9 and bring back having so many small collectables, I hope they make it so the Chips don’t count towards completion.
Was actually waiting for you to say that the navigators become playable characters on this vid (X = Alia, Axl = Pallette, and Zero = Layer) xD Either way, liked and subed!
I'm actually not sure how I feel about X8. I knew it was better than X7 for sure, but since my first full playthrough of it back in 2018 (via X Legacy Collection 2), I haven't had a desire to go back to it. I remember the game being OK, but one I think I was feeling at that point was burnout from the X games, as I did play X 1-7 at that point. I need to replay it at a completely different time to see how I feel about it for sure.
Side note: I did rent the PS2 version back in the day, but only played like one or two levels, so I didn't really have much experience with the original versions of the game.
These have been pretty good videos, J.
from what I've played of DIVE I'm kinda suprised that they gave a lot of love to Command Mission, which is nice cause I actually enjoy that game
Every year I try and rewatch your megaman x reviews. It’s just a fun time
I really enjoy the item hunts in the game. It was like one giant puzzle trying to figure it out. Felt very rewarding getting a 100% Also I felt the music was great in the game. Thanks for the video.
No mention of the post-credits tease with Axl's glowing, broken head crystal or the plethora of unlockables, which include new forms for Zero and Axl, as well as being able to play as the three operators?
Zero in X7: I got a beat stick as a saber..... huh
Zero in X8: I GOT A FRIGGIN BEAM SABER!!!
Megaman X's voice actor is the guy who played Domon Kashuu from G Gundam btw. He also played X in the Maverick Hunter X
Missed the final armors for all the characters and the unlockable playable navigators - which is the main reason as of why you can't get everything in these stages in a single run. You're not supposed to replay these stages before beating the final boss, but in a NG+ with both options for an easier run with the secret armor or a tougher one using the navigators. Also, there are the difficult options, and setting aside the BS of "easy" locking you out of the final boss and NG+, the way "normal" and "hard" work are really interesting, making boss go berserk early or giving extra cutscenes in the final stage.
That aside, good job. Valid opinions overall, tho kinda irks me calling out Gravity Antonion stage like that when it's one of my favorite levels in the series besides Toxic Seahorse XP. BTW, I highly recommend you giving Axl weapons more of a chance in the future, specially since they have infinite ammo. The laser gun is amazing against shieldless enemies, the dark crossbow homing attacks and the bouncing cristal shots works wonders for enemies behind walls and the ice gatling gun and flame thrower are just way too cool to not set them as default.
Hello J, great video for sure, fan of the X series and JLAU videos..... I have a question for since Ur a huge Megaman fan ....
Would you be interested on seeing an Interquel for the Megaman Universe??? ... It would be more of an speculation video, but.... everyone always wonders WHAT HAPPENED in between MegaMan and MegamanX series??? .... why Abel found everything in ruins?, were there no past records of the Megaman era and Dr Light??? things of that sort.... I only suggesting a video on the topic....
Thanks for the great content and take care
I actually got to finish this game twice, unlocking everything, and overall, really enjoying myself. And the ending also got me interested to where they could have taken the story moving forward. But so far we didn’t get X9 yet unfortunately
I adore x8
It’s my second favourite after Maverick Hunter X
The gameplay is actually really fun, I wish they’d kept with it );
The levels are for the most part REALLY fun
Music was real great
Models were clean for PS2
Reminds me of Persona
Designs GORGEOUS
love the new art style
Especially on X and Alia
Like GODDAM!!!
Especially compared to x7…
And the voice acting is very solid, they also did Maverick Hunter X but they truly fit!!
Axl is a MASSIVE IMPROVEMENT
Alia wasn’t boring
Game goood
I feel
19:02 actually... Vile appears up to 3 times, technically 4 times, before you beat him at Jakob Elevator. He first appears in the 3rd stage you try to beat but only once aka if you switch the stage amidst beating Vile the spike room will reappear again, and I try to avoid it! Afaik the 3rd, 5th and 7th stage he does appear so in the worst case you can skip his fights when you do the autoscroller Ride Chaser segments in 2 of the 3 fights there. Also I mentioned a 4th encounter, which only appears after the jakob elevator is shown off but before doing that you can go back to Noah's Park (like getting the rest of the collectables there) and you will encounter him one final time before the last two story fights against him.
One thing that's very hands down for me is about hunter's model. I like that they reduce the legs size about half that looks more agile for them.