Megaman Maverick Hunter X - review

For PSP
Released January 2006


The PSP is still struggling against the might of the Nintendo DS for it's place in the portable gaming market. Some blame the lack of quality games for this, but the more PSP games I play, the more I think this excuse just doesn't hold up. Maverick Hunter X is a perfect example of a great PSP game that has been brushed aside as everyone clamors for the newest touch-screen gimmick game. I, for one, am still a big fan of traditional gaming (I like pushing buttons, what can I say?), and Maverick Hunter X is as traditional as it gets.


Maverick Hunter X is a remake of the classic MegaMan X for the SNES. It's been completely remade with 3D graphics, but retains the level design, power-ups, and game-play of the original side-scrolling masterpiece. However, if that were all there was to it, I'd call it a rental and be done with it. After all, I played through the original dozens of times as a kid. Thankfully, Capcom jammed the disc full of extras that will please fans of the original, and entertain first-time players as well. These extras include a 30 minute prequel movie detailing the events leading up to the destruction of the city and Sigma's rise to power.

Many of the attempts in the past to animate Megaman and give him a voice have been cringe-worthy. This time, I was pleasantly surprised. It's still got a few groan moments, but overall, the voice-acting and animation are top-notch. The game script itself has also been reworked and includes the same voice-actors from the movie. A few minor changes to the script ended up creating a very interesting relationship between our hero, X, and the first boss in the game, a Boba-Fett inspired maverick named Vile. This rivalry is fleshed out in the movie sequences, and upon completion of the game, we are treated to the most satisfying extra in the package: Vile becomes a playable character.

I will keep the review of the first play-through rather brief. You play as Megaman X. You run through levels with your trusty mega-buster. You get power-ups that increase your abilities, and upgrades to your health. You fight a robot boss at the end of each level, and upon vanquishing them, you take their weapon. Rinse, repeat. In my opinion, it was the pinnacle example of Megaman game-play, and nothing has been changed about it. The real treat, however, comes from Vile's play-through.

Vile plays very differently than previous Megaman games. The closest thing I can compare it to is the Megaman Zero series, in which you play as Megaman's former partner, Zero. In Maverick Hunter X, Vile starts each level with 3 main weapons, each assigned to a different face button. Square is your typical straight ranged shot, triangle fires a mortar style cannon at a 45 degree upward angle, and circle fires a napalm device that bounces along the ground and then explodes. Vile has no dash ability, and gets no suit upgrades like X does throughout the game. This is not just some extra mode tacked on at the last minute. Vile's game has a fully animated opening and ending sequence (and I must say I was very impressed by how grim the ending was), completely new script for each boss encounter, and dozens of new weapons unlocked after each stage. Vile's play-through felt like it should have been the main game.

The main difference in the game-play between X and Vile is the weapons, obviously. X can change to use the ability of any boss he has previously defeated simply by switching to it in the pause menu. Vile, however, must chose 3 weapons at the beginning of each stage, and is restricted by a power gauge that prevents you from simply equipping the 3 most powerful ones. You've got your ranged weapons that vary from the slow, armor piercing Distance Needler, to the enemy-seeking Infinity Gig rocket punch. You've got your shoulder cannon equipped with weapons such as the boomerang-like Homesick Crescent, to the high powered Necro Burst laser cannon. The ground attacks can range from the napalm style grenades such as the Bang-Away Bomb, to underwater flamethrowers like Sea-Dragon's Rage. You decide which 3 weapons suit your playing style and the environment before you begin the stage, and then set out. You must play through the entire stage with that selection. This adds a nice twist to the classic levels (some of which are altered to compensate for Vile's abilities) and forces players to adopt new strategies during boss fights.

This is, hands down, the most entertaining Megaman game I've played in over 10 years. Classic gamers should come for the remake of X, but stay for Vile. It's worth seeing through all the way to the end. Is this game worth the cost of the PSP? By itself? I'd say no. But with the upcoming remake of Castlevania Rondo of Blood (which includes the remastered Symphony of the Night), and the remake of Final Fantasy Tactics on the way this year, the PSP is shaping up to be a great investment for 90s era gamers. Maverick Hunter X is a fantastic start to a trend I hope continues.



---edit----ouch, just checked Wikipedia and apparently sales weren't very good, and the director has no interest in making further remakes of the X series. it's things like this that make me want to rush out and buy new games the day they come out, instead of waiting so long.