Today marks the tenth anniversary of Mega Man X8, which first released in North America on December 7th, 2004. A decade later, fans are still waiting for a successor.
Much like Mega Man Legends 2, X8 ended on a bit of a cliffhanger. X, Zero and Axl successfully vanquished Sigma (purportedly for good) and defeated the aberrant next generation Reploid Lumine. Lumine's lifeless husk drew the curiosity of Axl -- to the young Reploid's surprise, a tentacle emerged from the corpse. The entity struck Axl's head, shattering his helmet crystal. The three Maverick Hunters descend to earth in the Orbital Elevator, though Axl remains unconscious. While X and Zero ponder their longevity, we're drawn to Axl's wound; the crater in his head shimmering purple. The seed of renewed evil had been sown.
X8 left us with the popular theory that Axl would play host to Lumine's consciousness. The secret "white Axl" armor leaves much to be desired. Whether or not we'll see this concept realized remains to be seen, but it's fun to imagine where the X series could have gone with a new big bad (under the presumption Sigma actually stays dead).
Had Axl been re-purposed into a villain, it was the hopes of many that X9 would return to a simpler form. Whereas X8's gameplay focused on three playable characters, X9 could have brought things back to two. X, the long ranger attacker, and Zero, the close combatant. Though X8 took strides to make Axl's play style unique and useful, he still felt unnecessary. In the grand scheme of things, truth be told, he added little to the combat narrative. For many, the prospect of X9 meant less to no Axl at all. It really was something to be excited about.
For now, though, Mega Man X9 remains a pipe dream. The last we heard from the possibility was back in 2009 following the launch of Mega Man 9:
1UP: Will we ever be lucky enough to get a Mega Man X9 — but with Super NES era graphics and music?Hironobu Takeshita [MM9 producer]: It all depends on fans’ demand! We might see that day, as long as there is passion!
Mega Man X9 could've been on the burner at one point. A year after this comment was made, however, everything went to hell. Inafune left Capcom, Mega Man Universe was cancelled, followed by Legends 3, Rockman Online and, for better or worse, Maverick Hunter. And that's just the games we knew about.
All we can do today, ten years later, is continue to imagine. Wonder and ponder what hypothetical things awaited us in Mega Man X9. What would it have looked like? Crisp HD visuals or a 16-bit nostalgic romp? More Lucas Gilberston? (yes, please) Maybe a lead in to the events of the Elf Wars?
Take some time today to reflect. We'd love to hear what you want(ed) from X9.
A X8 with a faster gameplay, with some 3D part...could be cool...the idea of Rockman online was great too!
ReplyDeleteIndeed, crazy it's been a decade already.
ReplyDeleteWe would beg them to bring it back but it is not going to change anything. They aren't going to listen to us anymore. It is remain dead forever. I am so angry at them. Sighing. Sorry about my English.
ReplyDeleteVery nice post. It's still hard to believe it's been a decade. I'm personally still resolute in hoping that one day, a legit X9 will see the light of day. X8's ending left that light on for it.
ReplyDeleteAlthough it would have been nice to mention a nod to MegaManX9.com in the post. Myself, along with the site founder, Jeff, and co. have been heading up that movement, in the same vein as 100,000 Strong, since the start of 2009. We'd love to have more members, and definitely more likes on our facebook at facebook.com/MegaManX9com (NOT "MegaManX9Official") - X9, and Mega Man X in general is what we're all about! =)
Quite frankly I'd want nothing at this point.
ReplyDeleteI don't want modern Capcom to touch the franchise.
A lot of megaman fans like you doesnt know what they want.
DeleteIt's better if the licence is dead? I dont think so.
Maybe if a serious guy make a new game, i will be totaly for it.
See the negative at 100% is a dumb idea.
But we need a megaman classic or X i think....even if im a big fan of mmEXE, a mm classic could work better actually.
Amen to that.
DeleteThere are a lot of fans out there who really only want more games so they can view the progression of the story, such as it is. So if Capcom did make more games, and they did stink (which they innevitably would), then it probably wouldn't bother them in the least. As long as they can update their wiki and their fanfics, it wouldn't matter if the game was good or not.
I don't mean to sound arrogant, but some gamers simply play games for the wrong reasons. I believe Lewis Black said it best, "That's a story. I'm not interested in a story. I'm interested in the game... Stories are bull****! If I wanted a story, I'd turn to the Lifetime network."
I'd like some new MegaMan games as much as anybody, but I also acknowledge how potentially bad they COULD be. It's probably best not to hope for something that probably won't happen, and would most likely stink if it did.
Complaining about how evil Capcom is won't make things better and won't get us a new game. Capcom has its reasons for canning Legends 3 and Universe. It's because they had to cut corners according to a friend of mine from the NISA forums.
DeleteI think the whole Crapcom and Capcom doesn't care about MegaMan is getting out of hand. The MegaMan fanbase got mad over trivial things. My friend from the NISA forums said Capcom learns from their mistakes like they weren't unhappy with Ninja Theory remaking the first Devil May Cry game and the DMC fans blamed Ninja Theory, not Capcom. There's still hope for future MegaMan games. All the fanbase has got to do is sign a petetion to Capcom saying they want more MegaMan games and I'm pretty sure if Capcom gets lots of positive feedback, they'll go back to making MegaMan games by listening to ideas the fans gave them.
So there's still hope for future MegaMan X and other MegaMan games yet. We can't continue to blame Capcom forever. They did gave us the remake of Strider 1 and everyone loved it. So despite what the MegaMan fanbase saying bad things about the company, they did remake a classic like Strider 1 and it is well received.
Havin' Mighty No. 9 and Gunvolt around is great, but it is interesting to wonder what an X9 would be like. Call me crazy, but after 2011, I no longer dream.
ReplyDeleteMore Lucas Gilberston? (NOPE and THANK YOU)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, no to 16bit, do something new and fresh. It doesn't much matter though cause X8 shouldn't happen, because if it did it wouldn't get the support it needed for it to be successful, from the dinky little hardcore fans of the series that's left. This will leave Capcom needing to pander the game to casuals (which mind you could be better than pandering to the "fans" which have terrible ideas and tastes regarding the series mostly) thus turning X into something it was never about, or suppose to be about.
This seems pretty presumptuous.
DeleteDid you think the same thing when Capcom announced Mega Man 9 then went on to talk about how happy they were with the sales of that game?
Or do you think there are fewer X fans than Classic fans or something?
I really liked X8, good effort after the X7 disaster.
ReplyDeleteNo SNES graphics, SFX, nothing. I'm tired of the bare minimum for these series, they deserve far better, so start treating Megaman with some respect Capcom.
ReplyDeleteI want AT MINIMUM, X4 standards. I've always thought it looked and sounded good and has decently stood the test of time. Anything less and I'll be very disappointed.
I agree with that, we need a game but a good one, i liked a lot the MMX on psx, X4,x5,x6 were epic :)
DeleteAnd they can do better actually...if they want.
If they did make an X9, I'd hope they kill off Axl and bring the focus back to X and Zero.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Sigma's dead. As long as Zero's alive, so is he.
X hasn't really been the focus since X3 anyway.
Delete"As long as Zero's alive, so is he."
DeleteCan you elaborate on this please. I don't quite understand.
Honestly? Just more of X8! XD
ReplyDeleteWell, okay, more of X8 but minus the vehicle sections, because I think the elements they showed off in that game provided plenty of opportunity for more creative level designs. (And the Gigavolt Manowar Stage was just garbage too boot, a total waste.)
X8 was a HUGE breath of fresh air after the hard as balls re-tread that was X6 and the absolute travesty that was X7. It brought so many new creative elements to the table, all while sticking true to the common formula. The on the fly character swap, the variable effects of the neutral armor, the multitude of unique weapons for Zero, all the secrets and bonuses, and... actually making Axl into a character that's worth playing as? Hells yeah, give me all the more of that you can manage! The story was amazing, we were finally moving away from Sigma, and everything just seemed like it was heading down this beautiful new path.
And then ten years passed......... I just- ....I have no words to express my frustration with Capcom at this point. They handed us a work of modern art, then dropped everything for an 8-bit nostalgia trip that overstayed its welcome and then literally shut everything down. I'm still stunned by how all this mess has gone down. I honestly can't believe it has been ten years.... My god. What happened??
How about Better and Fairer Level Design. A story that isn't garbage,memorable and likable new characters,and Way more focus on X (the poor guy was been practically kicked out of his own series by Zero and Axl). Sigma needs to return and reclaim his position as Maverick God.
ReplyDeleteX9 may become a reality as Capcom is creating.a secret PS4 project that they will be revealing in the coming months. Capcom Claims that it will be something "Unexpected". So I figure it's X9
Ever since X6,the entire X series has been going to Hell. And I fear an X9 because of it. Let's face it The Mega Man franchise isn't made from the heart and soul anymore,Capcom only sees it as a way to make a quick buck.
Well, Command Mission technically takes place after X8, right? So we know Axl continued to function after X8 like normal for a bit. Still, at any point he could've gone psycho.
ReplyDeletePersonally, 10 years-younger me wouldn't have wanted that. For better or worse, Axl became a primary member of the Hunters in my mind. If they'd tweaked his gameplay into something more fun, like Model A in ZX Advent, I think fans would've enjoyed him more. Speaking of ZX Advent, if Model A's abilities are truly based on Axl (and not Master Albert--worst plot twist ever), then Axl couldn't have completely gone off the deep end. I like to think he died in the Elf Wars, myself.
If they ever do get around to making X9, I know I'd want it actually rendered in 3D, not sprite-based. I even feel a bit bad about classic Mega Man being relegated to a sprite-based nostalgia machine. Capcom should take a page from Nintendo and go the New Super Mario Bros. route. Familiar formula with new tweaks and beautiful graphics. That's what Mega Man deserves.
I prefer the theory that says X7, X8, and Command Mission are part of an alternate timeline, and are not part of the main canon.
DeleteI prefer a universe in which Axl never existed. What a crappy character all around.
While I agree with you that Axl is a crappy character, only CM was a separate timeline not canon to the main continuity. That's not even theory, I do believe it's a fact.
DeleteI'm pretty sure it's been said that everything past X5 is a separate timeline, though I don't think that's official. But I do believe Command Mission has indeed been officially deemed out of the continuity.
DeleteAt the end of the day, though, I really don't see the point in them being spinoffs. Sure, Axl's pretty dumb, and Command Mission is weird, but it's not like the other games weren't dumb or weird (remember that time we fought a Maverick sponge?). These games have never had the greatest stories in the world, so I accept 'em all as canon.
No. Everything past X5 is officially canon and not some alternate timeline. Only the narrow-minded of the fanbase try to so hard argue against it.
DeleteCommand Mission is not canon and does take place in an alternate future. I have to dig up the quote, but the game's produce said it in an interview long ago.
DeleteThis comes from my personal collection of translated source book data. From "Compendium of Rockman X":
Delete“X, Zero, Axl, the three protagonists of the Rockman X series appear in the series first RPG, this is Rockman X Command Mission. The Rockman X series origins and exists as an action game series, as an RPG a good fight tempo is considerably characteristic. Besides, the story isn't related with the series even though it is exciting in many demo scenes. It also contains elements and complete sub-events, precisely for those that wish to play a long time.”
That quote was mentioned that XCM is a just a side-story that happens near the tail end of the series, and doesn't discredit it from the canon.
DeleteX8's epilogue quotes says that "after the news that Lumine went Maverick, the production of NG Reploids stop. But due to the growing demand, the production of NG Reploids started up and years later." One of XCM major plot points was Axl searching for others with his shape-changing powers and that Redips was a NG Reploid.
If XCM wasn't canon, why would X8 have a quote that tries to connect to it?
No, all the quote states is that "the story isn't related with the series", it doesn't mention at all in which point in time those events take place in relation to the main continuity, let alone the end of the series. There's nothing really trying to connect to anything else, based on the examples you've given. There are mavericks and a hunter association and such in XCM, that doesn't mean it's directly connected to the original timeline.
DeleteIt is a side story that is a given, either way it doesn't prove its canonicity. Yes of course the game and Axl will have stories and elements drawing from what has been established. it's not like you were gonna pop in the game and get Axl searching for the seven dragon balls, while X is mastering demon summoning or some outlandish thing like that. From what has been stated about the game officially though, it clearly implies XCM doesn't affect the main storyline at all, which by your theory is exactly what it does.
Something most people over look about it all is; Command Missions isn't canon also due to the fact that it takes place in 22XX, the same time period as MegaMan Zero. MegaMan Zero is stated to take place with in canon roughly 1XX years's after the Elf Wars which takes place at the tale end of the X Timeline. The Complete Works books, the dialogue with in both the Zero series and Command Missions, all point to them running concurrent with each other. Command Missions is basically a what if scenario in which Zero didn't seal himself away, as such the Elf Wars don't happen and the Zero series doesn't come to pass. Since the two take place in 22XX and the Elf Wars happened in 21XX according to the Zero series, it is impossible for CM and Zero to exist in the same timeline. So enjoy CM for what it is, an alternate outcome of the X series.
DeleteIn regards to Zero series, there was never had an officially date, only that is over a 100 years after Zero seals himself after the Elf War. While the classic, X, EXE and Starforce series have in-game text the mention the date as 2XXX, the Zero series does not. Not even MMZ Complete Works give a date.
DeleteXCM's side-story statue is because characters like Sigma and Dr. Light wasn't involve and the all-round story wasn't about a high-level global threat like usual. You are trying to undermined X8 ending quote, a quote that was clearly trying to make an important reference to another game. And the only other game that has Reploids with shape-changing powers is XCM.
What are you talking about? What happens in X8 doesn't directly connect to anything that happens in XCM. People aren't undermining anything, you are overreaching and trying to connect a very broad and general peace of information with aspects shared between XCM and X8 (NG Reploids).
DeleteWhat part of "the story isn't related with the series" do you not understand? If Axl is doing something that directly relates to the main chronological series, than it would make the story related to the established series, which the quote specifically states it doesn't do.
Just this morning I was thinking how cooler the X series coul've become... X8 was a step in the right direction; with a new villain every game and a more serious plot like the MMZ series.
ReplyDeleteI still like to believe in my head-canon that Axl did became a villain eventually, forcing X and Zero to retire him and explaining why he wasn't around anymore in MMZ, and why both X and Zero changed their character to a more pessimistic output.
That's one of my favorite pieces of X.
ReplyDeleteHoly crap, it's been 10 years! I'll admit, X7, X8, and CM were the only X titles I manage to beat. X8 is the only one I can beat on Hard mode. X1-6, I'm still stuck at the final stage XD
ReplyDeleteSay what you will about X8. It's my favorite next to X4, and I love the music. I wished I'd brought the OST when I saw it cause now, it's impossible to find for under $50 (It cost $50ish to begin with).
I think I'm gonna hook up the good ole PS2 and play it again tonight.
It is also available on the PC perfectly ported, just a heads up. Also just get the Rockman X Sound Box, it is a worthy investment in my opinion.
DeleteI really like X8's soundtrack, only track I was disappointed with was the boss battle theme, cause it wasn't completely unique but had elements of the main theme all over it, it just didn't work for me. X7 and CM had fantastic soundtracks as well.
Personally, I like Axl. I think he gets more hate than he deserves because of the design decision to start X7 with X as an unplayable character. In Command Mission and X8 he has cool abilities and I think his fresh face and exuberant personality plays nicely off the other characters. Because let's face it, both X and Zero act pretty grim and jaded by this point.
ReplyDeleteI hope if they continue the X series they'll keep him around.
I don't think it's all that. I can't speak for others but, I jut think his physical design looks random, lacks originality and lacks in the standout department. I also don't find his "exuberant" personality appealing but rather annoying. I don't mind a positive or an electric personality, It's just Axl lacks the subtlety or tact I find necessary to complement X and Zero's "seriousness" properly without overdoing it. I also don't find his gameplay all that original or necessary to the games he's been in, with the exception of XCM where his copy ability was actually put to good use. When I converse with most of the fans who dislike him or read comments of fans that dislike him, I find a lot of the time people share my reasons for disliking the character.
DeleteI totally agree that any chance that Axl had to be judged fairly by fans was ruined by how bad X7. It's a terrible first impression.
DeleteIMHO, they should of followed the X6 ending of Zero being put to sleep, and X would play the role of mentor/big brother to Axl.
He isn't necessary but Axl's character and gameplay have a lot of potential.
While X8 left a slightly bitter taste in my mouth due to an ugly graphical design overhaul (really glad only Alia kept hers aftewards) and bland gameplay, I'm glad it existed both as an alternative the Zero series and the disaster that was X7. That being said, I can't say I trust Capcom to make a GOOD X9 given their track-record in recent years. So, until there's some reassurance it wouldn't be more harmful to the X series, which I fear has been falling out of fan interest, than helpful, I remain firm in not anticipating it.
ReplyDeleteMeh the headline made me think that X9 it's on the way. :-/
ReplyDeleteI would love to see Lucas Gilbertson return as Zero. If not him, then at least Johnny Yong Bosche. As for the gameplay, I would love to see a co-op mode. I bet it could easily be done with a Wii U (or 3DS) version. One player could play on the game pad screen as X, and the other player could play on the TV screen as Zero. (and vice versa)
ReplyDeleteNo! Why would you want those two terrible voices for Zero, I should strip you of your avatar and name. Haha. Anyways I can kinda see Capcom making another X for WiiU, and if they did I'd definitely want a multi-player feature like the one you just described. I have a feeling that if X is ever gonna release out of Capcom's hands and exclusive for a console, it most likely will be for a PlayStation console.
DeleteBetter Armors for Zero, A reploid who uses psychic abilities, Axl the new bad, option to choose to play 2D or 3D, Grade system return, Better Armors for X, and let players choose Maverick or Maverick Hunter by the end of the game.
ReplyDelete