Mega Man X Collection (Nintendo GameCube, 2006)

When Mega Man X Collection was announced, fans everywhere rejoiced. Those who searched learned more and more information from Mega Man sites, such as how Capcom would be developing the collection, how X1 and X2 would receive remixed music, and how bad voice acting would be replaced because it has had it's bad voice acting (not horrible but not good). But something happened. Keiji Inafune, Mega Man's creator, decided in the end to not do this. Capcom was ready to please it's ever-patient fans but Keiji Inafune didn't want the old X games redone in any way. In fact, he wanted them as original as possible. So Capcom had to remove all things that weren't in the original games. Did you want the new cool X voice from X8 and Command Mission to be on all the old games? Too bad. Did you want enhanced cut scenes which might better move the flow and understanding of the games? Too bad. Aside from removing these much awaited improvements, it slowed the release date to about two months later. Personally, that makes very little sense to me. Apparently the reason why Inafune did this, was to rewrite the Mega Man stories in the form of Powered Up and Maverick Hunter X on the PSP.

By now you are probably asking why you should bother getting it then. Well, that depends. If you don't own any of the old X through X6 games, this is a bargain! That was exactly the case with me. I loved the old X games but I could never buy any of them. Call it bad luck or bad stores it dosen't really matter now. If you already own all the originals, there is not much to gain aside from Mega Man Battle & Chase which is essentially Mario Kart with Mega Man characters. The games all run beautifully but there are many noticeable glitches, errors, and in some cases bad audio encoding and compression. There are too many for me to have the energy to list but these don't really bug me though and you could easily get used to them. They are all really small and shouldn't get in the way of your fun.

Everything in these games are like the originals including the old passwords. Unfortunately, this means both the good and the bad. If you wrote down and kept your old X through X3 passwords, you can continue from your password. But X still sounds like a girl in X4 and the voice acting is still bad. X6 still has the Japanese voices during fights. It was removed from the dialogue in the cut scenes. Personally, I prefer good Japanese voice acting to bad English voice acting anyway. Gamecube players also get a nice treat. Aside from slightly faster loading times, they can also get a nice Mega Man X customized controller. It makes Mega Man playing on the Gamecube even better. The buttons are better positioned, at more prefered sizes, and has two Z buttons. Plus, it has the cool picture of X from X8 on the side. Mega Man Battle & Chase works very similar to Mario Kart except with Mega Man characters. You have to beat the first three X games to unlock it though.

The only REAL complaint I have with this game is that the version of X3 they have is from the Playstation. It remixed the music and added animated cut scenes. I prefered the music from the Super Nintendo version, but I can always buy it on Ebay :). The collection also does have some extra gifts. It has original artwork and some remixed music which must be unlocked through playing the games. I have nothing against Mr.Inafune but I think he should think more on his decisions in the future.

As a rabid MegaMan fan, I not only bought the MegaMan X Collection to add to my collection, but to also have a few games I had stored away on hand all in one disk.
As an owner of several of the MegaMan X games, I often find myself hesitant to unpack the somewhat rare and valuable original copies that were released years ago, both on the Super Nintendo as well as the original Sony Playstation. Now, I never have to worry about wearing out the cartridges on the SNES games, or the disks on the PSX games; they are all stored in one small, easy to care for GameCube disk for me to play whenever I wish.
Whether you're a newcomer to the MegaMan franchise, or an old fanboy like myself, this game is perfect for introducing a player to the first six games of the MegaMan X series. Not only does the Collection have each game in its entirety, but also has some valuable add-ons as well; a save game feature in conjunction with the original password feature on the first three games, and as you play through the series you will unlock hidden features such as rare artwork and concept sketches, unreleased or arranged versions of music used in the series, and a video game previously unreleased in the US (think Mario Kart, but with MegaMan characters)!
The main setback to the Collection is the limited save space alloted for each game; only 3 save slots per game. This is enough save space to save for the games with multiple ending scenarios, but not much else. Other than that, the music and sound effects can waver, depending on your TV and settings. Regardless, the Collection is a must-have for any MegaMan fan!

This collection is very well done, all the games are emulated almost to perfection (the sound effects in the first three X games are a little lower than in the original games). If you are a diehard fan of the series and don't want to spend hundreds of dollars getting a snes and all the games from both consoles, or if you are just a fan of oldschool no nonsense high curve of difficulty games, then this is for you. The added bonus of the never-released in the states kart racing game is a cool addition as well, I really recommend this collection!

Mega Man X Collection contains 6 of the chapters in the X series, from the SNES conception to the PS1 days. MMX1-3 are all SNES games and they hold up suprisingly well. Gameplay is slightly altered from the original series, with suit upgrades, the ability to play as Zero, a slightly older Mega Man character - all to give the games that "X"treme kinda aesthetic.
All the emulations hold up well, there's little slow-down, graphics look right, and even some of the PS1 load-times are much shorter. For under 15$, you're getting some of the finest chapters in the Megaman franchise - and also some of the best 2D gaming around. But, it's also some of the hardest.
I don't know if I'm getting old, but as a kid, I remembered being able to beat these games. Now, I struggle beating single bosses. It's ridiculous how hard these games are. Sometimes a challenge isn't so bad, and if you're a gamer looking for a test, pick this one up. If you've grown tired of 2D games or can't stand the Megaman universe, these games aren't going to change your perceptions - they're still cheesy and still have little to offer besides intense arcade action.

Pros
+ Includes Mega Man X 1-6 plus a bonus game.
+ Fun flashback to Capcom's silver age.

Cons
- Reminds me how frustratingly hard these games are.
- Mega Man X series is still going so you don't get the whole collection.
- What about Mega Man Soccer? Will we never get to see it again.

Comments
This is a great compilation disc. It explores all of the Mega Man X series. Any fan should love a chance to own all of these games on one system.

Verdict
Must have title for any Mega Man fan. Others may want to rent before buying.