Initiate activation sequence. All systems online. Grab your Mega Buster and chrome-plated underwear, cause’ the Mavericks you once vanquished are back in town! Sorta. They now exist in digital form, corrupting your HQ’s core computer system. To retake control, Mega Man Xtreme sees the titular hero Matrix-ing his way into the system for a rematch with old foes.
Perhaps a foreshadowing of the Mega Man Battle Network series that’d come later?
Your cyber journey is no simple task since the game is split into two halves. You’ll start by facing four Mavericks from Mega Man X, then confront a gauntlet of final bosses, only to have the game start over in Hard Mode. Here, you’ll battle villains from Mega Man X2. Beat the game on Hard, and you unlock Xtreme mode, where all bosses are included. Having to restart twice does give the game some extra staying power, though when you look at the whole picture, you still end up with the standard MM pattern: 8 stage bosses plus a villain castle. It’s all just broken up into different playthroughs.
Surviving each requires equal parts skill and upgrades. Lack of screen real estate is your biggest hurdle, especially when it comes to dodging larger bosses. Cramped quarters require absolute mastery of the wall-jump technique, as you’ll have to land in the pixel-perfect spot to avoid collision with a Maverick, which does a ton of damage. When it comes to gear, all are helpful, but the Armor upgrade makes the biggest impact on difficulty. Without it, enemies deal far more damage, devastating your energy bar quickly. Fractured playthroughs also mean you’ll face certain bosses without wielding the weapon they’re weak to. It’s just you and your arm cannon against these bullet-sponges. A boss from the first playthrough might only be vulnerable to a boss-weapon from the second playthrough, meaning it won’t be until Xtreme Mode that you’ll be able to equip the appropriate piece of tech. But even with the correct weapon, bosses still slash into your health bar with surprising impact. Keeping one’s distance is pivotal. Collectively, these hurdles can add up to a biting level of difficulty.
Graphically, character sprites are all faithfully recreated in 8-bits. Given the tech and limited color palette (each character sprite only has three colors), the designers did a great job translating the SNES counterparts to the smaller screen. It makes you realize that Mega Man X could’ve been released for the NES alongside its SNES originator. A different timeline, I suppose. Animations are more limited but smooth. Which is vital, considering the amount of platforming precision the game requires. A pumping soundtrack, appropriately futuristic, amps up each level, but none permanently lodge themselves into your brain like the original series.
Altogether, Mega Mega Xtreme is an excellent adapation of a game from superior hardware and the developers did a fantastic job scaling everything down to fit the GBC while adding enough unique twists to make the game stand on its own. The storyline is all is own, resurrecting old bosses as nefarious blocks of memory. Their physical selves may have been defeated by X, but their digital code is still dangerous. A simple port would’ve sufficed, but its nice that the developers went the extra mile to craft a standalone story, even if the enemies are pulled from previous games. Couple that with quality controls and gameplay, and you’ve got yourself a winner.
Even if you’re not a fan of the series, you’re bound to have a blast.
Matt Lotti has explored the realms of paper and pixel in equal measure. An avid collector of both Magic the Gathering and classic NES & Gameboy, he feels imagination is the kindling that keeps the fires of gaming alive. This holds true to both classic titles and new adventures. What matters most is the creative energy involved. Each experience is a new story, and all stories deserve their time around the campfire. So grab an ale and settle in. After all, it’s dangerous to go alone. Matt Lotti can be found on Twitter @Intrepid_tautog.
