Mega Man Xtreme
Encyclopedia
Mega Man Xtreme, known as in Japan
, is a video game developed by Capcom
for the Game Boy Color
handheld console
. It is a spin-off title in the Mega Man X
series of video games that originated on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
. Mega Man Xtreme takes place within the series timeline, during the 22nd century, in which a group of "Maverick" androids called the "Shadow Hunters" hack
into the world's "Mother Computer" system, destabilize all of the networks, and allow other Mavericks to cause rampant destruction all over the world. The heroic "Maverick Hunter" Mega Man X is tasked with going into cyberspace to relive his past missions and put a stop to the group's plans.
Mega Man Xtreme contains the same gameplay as its home console counterparts. An action
-platform game
, the player must attempt a series of stages, gain various power-ups such as armor parts, and defeat each stage's boss, assimilating its signature weapon. The game features stages, enemies, and bosses from both Mega Man X
and Mega Man X2
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
(SNES). Mega Man Xtreme was met with a lightly positive critical response. Reviewers enjoyed its familiar gameplay, but were disappointed by graphical issues and a high difficulty level
. The game and was followed by one direct sequel, Mega Man Xtreme 2
, also for the Game Boy Color.
series timeline, during the 22nd century in which humans and intelligent androids called "Reploids" coexist. Daily life is under constant threat by "Mavericks", Reploids that have turned to a life of crime. The series follows the exploits of Mega Man X and his partner Zero
, a pair of "Maverick Hunters" led by the benevolent Dr. Cain. This police force has been responsible for supressing the threat of robotic, criminal activity, particularly that of a dangerous Maverick leader named Sigma. At the opening of the normal difficulty
mode of Mega Man Xtreme, a hacker
named Techno from a band called the "Shadow Hunters" breaks into the world's Mother Computer, destabilizing all of the networks and allowing Mavericks to run wild everywhere. X awakens to find himself on the highway from his first adventure
to stop Sigma. Realizing it is merely a simulated replication, the protagonist is greeted by Zero, who informs X that the Maverick Hunters have partnered with a computer genius named Middy to halt the madness.
With Middy's help, X dives into cyberspace to erase the battle data of four Maverick bosses from his previous missions. Once they are beaten, X makes his way to Mother Computer core and defeats the Shadow Hunter Zain, only to see Zain's companions Techno and Geemel retreat and Sigma unveils himself as the mastermind behind the hack. Dr. Cain manages to find Sigma's hideout, and X warps there via the Mother Computer core. At the hideout, X confronts Techno, firing his buster and mortally wounding the Shadow Hunter. Middy arrives, revealing that Techno is his twin brother. Having been controlled by Sigma, Techno comes to his senses and dies. X continues on, finds Sigma, and finishes the Maverick off. The computer core begins to denote, but as X escapes, Middy chooses to stay, stating that he and his twin brother share a central processing unit
and perishes alongside Techno. The hard mode of Mega Man Xtreme partially extends the storyline, where Zero informs X that someone else has illegally accessed records from the Mother Computer and reproduced more Maverick data. The heroes soon learn that Geemel and Sigma are again responsible and destroy both villains in a similar fashion.
-platform game
that features the same gameplay as Mega Man X games on non-handheld game consoles. As the titular protagonist, the player is tasked with completing a series of selectable, side-scrolling
stages in any order desired. X has the ability to run, jump, scale walls, and fire his chargable "X-Buster" arm cannon to overcome enemies in each stage. These stages consist of various obstacles, enemies, and a boss at the end. As the player progresses, helpful power-ups such as health, weapon energy, and extra lives can be found or dropped from slain foes. Permanent power-ups include special tanks that extend the player's life bar, and armor parts that grant X new abilities. For instance, the leg upgrade will allow the player to rapidly dash forward while on the ground. Depleting the health of the end-stage boss will clear the stage and allow X to assimilate its signature weapon to his arsenal. As each boss is weak to another's weapon, the player can defeat them easier by choosing to complete the stages in a specific order.
Like the portable incarnations of the original Mega Man series, Mega Man Xtreme borrows content from its home console counterparts. Specifically, the game reuses stages, enemies, bosses, and music from Mega Man X
and Mega Man X2
for the SNES
. Mega Man Xtreme contains three difficulty levels that are meant to be played one after another. Normal mode features four initial stages, hard mode features four different initial stages, and Xtreme mode features all eight.
. The Japanese version of the game was initially debuted as a playable demo at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in May of 2000. The game was shown at the Tokyo Game Show
the following fall. Haruki Suetsugu was the sole artist responsible for the game's character designs and cover art, just as he had been for both Mega Man X4
and Mega Man X5
. He designed the twins Middy and Techno so that if one's helmet is turned 90 degrees
, it is shaped like the other's helmet. Additionally, Middy was illustrated with soft, round lines and Techno was given sharper, pointed angles, each to reflect their personalities. Going by his instructions, Suetsugu designed Zain and Geemel in contrast to one another by giving them heavy and light armor plating
respectively. He felt his illustrations may be too complex for the Game Boy Color's hardware, but he was greatly satisfied with the outcome by graphics designers.
writer Jon Thompson found justification in the game's graphical inferiority to the SNES titles. "While obviously some graphic cutbacks have been made, due to the limitations of the system, the levels are still colorful and vibrant," he explained, "And the enemies, while many have been scaled down from their original sizes, are still clear and visually pleasing as ever." Frank Provo of GameSpot
and Marc Nix of IGN
both noted the animation of the protagonist to stand out among the other sprites. Provo overall called the backgrounds "neither garish nor ugly", but complained about the frame rate, control, and collision detection in certain areas and an apparent flicker
throughout the game. Nix only noticed these irritations when playing Mega Man Xtreme on an original Game Boy
or Game Boy Pocket, and that they can be alleviated by using a Game Boy Color. Thompson and Provo were each satisfied with the "catchy" background music, though the latter reviewer believed the sound instrumentals to be "laughably tinny".
In terms of gameplay, critics saw Mega Man Xtreme as a competent entry among home console titles in the franchise. Thompson and Nix pointed out that like other Mega Man X games and unlike the classic Mega Man series, Mega Man Xtreme focused more on the end-stage boss battles than the stages themselves. A universal complaint about the game was its high difficulty. Provo largely traced this to the graphical issues and difficult bosses. However, though he suggested that the player can overcome the challenge of earlier bosses with practice and patience, the final few battles become "an exercise in frustration", particularly in Xtreme mode. Nix attributed the difficulty to the player's need for Sub-Tanks and armor upgrades hidden in very remote locations. "Since there's no indicator to let players know when they've finished a stage 100%, most won't know that these bonuses are even there, and there's so few of them hidden that some gamers may never even guess that hidden stuff is even part of the gameplay," he concluded. "Without those obscure items, even the best gamers would find the further battles of this game a nightmare." 1UP.com
editor Jeremy Parish was less specific about his objections with the game, but nonetheless called it a "rough transition" from SNES to Game Boy Color, "bordering on unplayable".
Mega Man Xtreme was the fourth best-selling video game in Japan during its week of release at 15,312 copies. The game dropped to the eighth slot the next week, selling an additional 11,279 copies. Media Create
sales information shows that Mega Man Xtreme was the 182nd best-selling game in Japan in 2000 at 64,011 copies sold. Mega Man Xtreme was followed by one direct sequel, Mega Man Xtreme 2
, released for the Game Boy Color in 2001.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, is a video game developed by Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
for the Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
handheld console
Handheld game console
A handheld game console is a lightweight, portable electronic device with a built-in screen, game controls and speakers. Handheld game consoles are run on machines of small size allowing people to carry them and play them at any time or place...
. It is a spin-off title in the Mega Man X
Mega Man X
The Mega Man X series is the second Mega Man franchise released by Capcom. It debuted December 17, 1993 in Japan on the Super NES/Super Famicom and spawned sequels on several systems, with the PC platform notably having the most releases within the series...
series of video games that originated on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. Mega Man Xtreme takes place within the series timeline, during the 22nd century, in which a group of "Maverick" androids called the "Shadow Hunters" hack
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
into the world's "Mother Computer" system, destabilize all of the networks, and allow other Mavericks to cause rampant destruction all over the world. The heroic "Maverick Hunter" Mega Man X is tasked with going into cyberspace to relive his past missions and put a stop to the group's plans.
Mega Man Xtreme contains the same gameplay as its home console counterparts. An action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
-platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
, the player must attempt a series of stages, gain various power-ups such as armor parts, and defeat each stage's boss, assimilating its signature weapon. The game features stages, enemies, and bosses from both Mega Man X
Mega Man X (video game)
Mega Man X, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first Mega Man game for the 16-bit console and the first game in the Mega Man X series, a spin-off of the original Mega Man series that began on the SNES's predecessor, the...
and Mega Man X2
Mega Man X2
Mega Man X2, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was released in Japan on December 16, 1994 and in North America and PAL regions in 1995. It is the second game in the Mega Man X sub-franchise after the first installment,...
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
(SNES). Mega Man Xtreme was met with a lightly positive critical response. Reviewers enjoyed its familiar gameplay, but were disappointed by graphical issues and a high difficulty level
Difficulty level
In general usage, difficulty level refers to the relative difficulty of completing a task or objective.In computer and video games, the term specifically delineates the ease or difficulty with which an average user may complete a game or a part of a game. Arcade games as well as many early console...
. The game and was followed by one direct sequel, Mega Man Xtreme 2
Mega Man Xtreme 2
Mega Man Xtreme 2, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Game Boy Color handheld game console. It is a spin-off title in the Mega Man X series and is a follow-up to Mega Man Xtreme, released the previous year. Mega Man Xtreme 2 takes place during the 22nd century, between...
, also for the Game Boy Color.
Plot
Mega Man Xtreme takes place within the Mega Man XMega Man X
The Mega Man X series is the second Mega Man franchise released by Capcom. It debuted December 17, 1993 in Japan on the Super NES/Super Famicom and spawned sequels on several systems, with the PC platform notably having the most releases within the series...
series timeline, during the 22nd century in which humans and intelligent androids called "Reploids" coexist. Daily life is under constant threat by "Mavericks", Reploids that have turned to a life of crime. The series follows the exploits of Mega Man X and his partner Zero
Zero (Mega Man)
is a video game character present throughout the Mega Man franchise. First appearing in the 1993 game Mega Man X for the Super Nintendo, Zero has since been the star of the Mega Man Zero series and has played a supporting role in other game series such as the Mega Man ZX series.First developed by...
, a pair of "Maverick Hunters" led by the benevolent Dr. Cain. This police force has been responsible for supressing the threat of robotic, criminal activity, particularly that of a dangerous Maverick leader named Sigma. At the opening of the normal difficulty
Difficulty level
In general usage, difficulty level refers to the relative difficulty of completing a task or objective.In computer and video games, the term specifically delineates the ease or difficulty with which an average user may complete a game or a part of a game. Arcade games as well as many early console...
mode of Mega Man Xtreme, a hacker
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
named Techno from a band called the "Shadow Hunters" breaks into the world's Mother Computer, destabilizing all of the networks and allowing Mavericks to run wild everywhere. X awakens to find himself on the highway from his first adventure
Mega Man X (video game)
Mega Man X, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first Mega Man game for the 16-bit console and the first game in the Mega Man X series, a spin-off of the original Mega Man series that began on the SNES's predecessor, the...
to stop Sigma. Realizing it is merely a simulated replication, the protagonist is greeted by Zero, who informs X that the Maverick Hunters have partnered with a computer genius named Middy to halt the madness.
With Middy's help, X dives into cyberspace to erase the battle data of four Maverick bosses from his previous missions. Once they are beaten, X makes his way to Mother Computer core and defeats the Shadow Hunter Zain, only to see Zain's companions Techno and Geemel retreat and Sigma unveils himself as the mastermind behind the hack. Dr. Cain manages to find Sigma's hideout, and X warps there via the Mother Computer core. At the hideout, X confronts Techno, firing his buster and mortally wounding the Shadow Hunter. Middy arrives, revealing that Techno is his twin brother. Having been controlled by Sigma, Techno comes to his senses and dies. X continues on, finds Sigma, and finishes the Maverick off. The computer core begins to denote, but as X escapes, Middy chooses to stay, stating that he and his twin brother share a central processing unit
Central processing unit
The central processing unit is the portion of a computer system that carries out the instructions of a computer program, to perform the basic arithmetical, logical, and input/output operations of the system. The CPU plays a role somewhat analogous to the brain in the computer. The term has been in...
and perishes alongside Techno. The hard mode of Mega Man Xtreme partially extends the storyline, where Zero informs X that someone else has illegally accessed records from the Mother Computer and reproduced more Maverick data. The heroes soon learn that Geemel and Sigma are again responsible and destroy both villains in a similar fashion.
Gameplay
Mega Man Xtreme is an actionAction game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
-platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
that features the same gameplay as Mega Man X games on non-handheld game consoles. As the titular protagonist, the player is tasked with completing a series of selectable, side-scrolling
Side-scrolling video game
A side-scrolling game or side-scroller is a video game in which the gameplay action is viewed from a side-view camera angle, and the onscreen characters generally move from the left side of the screen to the right. These games make use of scrolling computer display technology...
stages in any order desired. X has the ability to run, jump, scale walls, and fire his chargable "X-Buster" arm cannon to overcome enemies in each stage. These stages consist of various obstacles, enemies, and a boss at the end. As the player progresses, helpful power-ups such as health, weapon energy, and extra lives can be found or dropped from slain foes. Permanent power-ups include special tanks that extend the player's life bar, and armor parts that grant X new abilities. For instance, the leg upgrade will allow the player to rapidly dash forward while on the ground. Depleting the health of the end-stage boss will clear the stage and allow X to assimilate its signature weapon to his arsenal. As each boss is weak to another's weapon, the player can defeat them easier by choosing to complete the stages in a specific order.
Like the portable incarnations of the original Mega Man series, Mega Man Xtreme borrows content from its home console counterparts. Specifically, the game reuses stages, enemies, bosses, and music from Mega Man X
Mega Man X (video game)
Mega Man X, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first Mega Man game for the 16-bit console and the first game in the Mega Man X series, a spin-off of the original Mega Man series that began on the SNES's predecessor, the...
and Mega Man X2
Mega Man X2
Mega Man X2, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was released in Japan on December 16, 1994 and in North America and PAL regions in 1995. It is the second game in the Mega Man X sub-franchise after the first installment,...
for the SNES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. Mega Man Xtreme contains three difficulty levels that are meant to be played one after another. Normal mode features four initial stages, hard mode features four different initial stages, and Xtreme mode features all eight.
Development
Mega Man Xtreme was developed and published by CapcomCapcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
. The Japanese version of the game was initially debuted as a playable demo at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in May of 2000. The game was shown at the Tokyo Game Show
Tokyo Game Show
The , commonly known as TGS, is a video game expo / convention held annually in the Makuhari Messe, in Chiba, Japan. It is presented by the Computer Entertainment Supplier's Association and the Nikkei Business Publications, Inc...
the following fall. Haruki Suetsugu was the sole artist responsible for the game's character designs and cover art, just as he had been for both Mega Man X4
Mega Man X4
Mega Man X4, known as , is a video game developed by Capcom. It is the fourth game in the Mega Man X series and the second game in the series to be released on the Sega Saturn and PlayStation. The two versions were released simultaneously in Japan on August 1, 1997...
and Mega Man X5
Mega Man X5
Mega Man X5, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom. It is the fifth main installment in the Mega Man X series. It was first released for the PlayStation in Japan on November 30, 2000 and in North America and PAL territories the following year.Mega Man X5 is set in the 22nd century...
. He designed the twins Middy and Techno so that if one's helmet is turned 90 degrees
Right angle
In geometry and trigonometry, a right angle is an angle that bisects the angle formed by two halves of a straight line. More precisely, if a ray is placed so that its endpoint is on a line and the adjacent angles are equal, then they are right angles...
, it is shaped like the other's helmet. Additionally, Middy was illustrated with soft, round lines and Techno was given sharper, pointed angles, each to reflect their personalities. Going by his instructions, Suetsugu designed Zain and Geemel in contrast to one another by giving them heavy and light armor plating
Plating
Plating is a surface covering in which a metal is deposited on a conductive surface. Plating has been done for hundreds of years, but it is also critical for modern technology...
respectively. He felt his illustrations may be too complex for the Game Boy Color's hardware, but he was greatly satisfied with the outcome by graphics designers.
Reception and legacy
Mega Man Xtreme garnered a mostly lukewarm response from critics. Opinions on the presentation of Mega Man Xtreme have somewhat varied, though all agreed the game appears as a compact version of the SNES titles. AllgameAllgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
writer Jon Thompson found justification in the game's graphical inferiority to the SNES titles. "While obviously some graphic cutbacks have been made, due to the limitations of the system, the levels are still colorful and vibrant," he explained, "And the enemies, while many have been scaled down from their original sizes, are still clear and visually pleasing as ever." Frank Provo of GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
and Marc Nix of IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
both noted the animation of the protagonist to stand out among the other sprites. Provo overall called the backgrounds "neither garish nor ugly", but complained about the frame rate, control, and collision detection in certain areas and an apparent flicker
Flicker (screen)
Flicker is a visible fading between cycles displayed on video displays, especially the refresh interval on cathode ray tube based computer screens. Flicker occurs on CRTs when they are driven at a low refresh rate, allowing the brightness to drop for time intervals sufficiently long to be noticed...
throughout the game. Nix only noticed these irritations when playing Mega Man Xtreme on an original Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
or Game Boy Pocket, and that they can be alleviated by using a Game Boy Color. Thompson and Provo were each satisfied with the "catchy" background music, though the latter reviewer believed the sound instrumentals to be "laughably tinny".
In terms of gameplay, critics saw Mega Man Xtreme as a competent entry among home console titles in the franchise. Thompson and Nix pointed out that like other Mega Man X games and unlike the classic Mega Man series, Mega Man Xtreme focused more on the end-stage boss battles than the stages themselves. A universal complaint about the game was its high difficulty. Provo largely traced this to the graphical issues and difficult bosses. However, though he suggested that the player can overcome the challenge of earlier bosses with practice and patience, the final few battles become "an exercise in frustration", particularly in Xtreme mode. Nix attributed the difficulty to the player's need for Sub-Tanks and armor upgrades hidden in very remote locations. "Since there's no indicator to let players know when they've finished a stage 100%, most won't know that these bonuses are even there, and there's so few of them hidden that some gamers may never even guess that hidden stuff is even part of the gameplay," he concluded. "Without those obscure items, even the best gamers would find the further battles of this game a nightmare." 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
editor Jeremy Parish was less specific about his objections with the game, but nonetheless called it a "rough transition" from SNES to Game Boy Color, "bordering on unplayable".
Mega Man Xtreme was the fourth best-selling video game in Japan during its week of release at 15,312 copies. The game dropped to the eighth slot the next week, selling an additional 11,279 copies. Media Create
Media Create
is a Japanese company that "gathers and analyzes data from the digital entertainment industry, specifically focusing on the Japanese console gaming market...
sales information shows that Mega Man Xtreme was the 182nd best-selling game in Japan in 2000 at 64,011 copies sold. Mega Man Xtreme was followed by one direct sequel, Mega Man Xtreme 2
Mega Man Xtreme 2
Mega Man Xtreme 2, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Game Boy Color handheld game console. It is a spin-off title in the Mega Man X series and is a follow-up to Mega Man Xtreme, released the previous year. Mega Man Xtreme 2 takes place during the 22nd century, between...
, released for the Game Boy Color in 2001.