Mega Man X6 is a
sequel that never should have been made. In a recent interview, the series creator even
disowned it, stating he wanted to move onto other things. He has good reason too. This is
an abysmal entry into the incredibly long running series and quite possibly the worst one
ever. The formula has not been changed at all since the series humble beginnings on the Super NES. You'll start off in a brief introductory stage and then head off to the stage select screen. Eight robots have stages relegated to their specific powers and it's up to either Mega Man X or Falcon to take them all on, one at a time.
The storyline picks up a mere three weeks after the previous entry in the series, and it seems like that was how much time was spent programming this one. This is a game with most inept level design you'll see this entire generation of consoles. Blind jumps into spike pits, regenerating (and serious lack of) enemies, inane mini-boss fights, and enemy placement that makes no sense whatsoever. Oddly, the boss fights are simple and can be beaten on the first try, a complete change from every other game in the series.
The graphics engine has been kept in its entirety, sprites and
all. The animation is above par for the heroes, but the lack of variety in the enemies is
disappointing. Every stage features the same "variety" of five baddies to combat
until you hit the final few stages (if you play that long of course). The backgrounds are
static with usually only one line of parallax with hardly gives any sense of depth.
The music is a step down from the previous games with annoying tracks that grate on your nerves. The classic feel of 16-bit tunes has been completely lost here. The effects are no different with Mega Man's classic charging sound of his mega buster left intact. The explosions are of normal quality and don't advance the game in anyway.
This one was either produced under rushed conditions or without any care at all. No wonder Sony tends to reject 2-D games like this. This will easily go down as one of the worst in the series, and as one of the weakest of all Mega Man games period. It won't be easy to rebound from this disaster.
