Mega Man X4

Download Mega Man X4 and join Mega Man X and Zero in an action-packed, side-scrolling adventure! Battle through challenging levels, defeat deadly bosses, and save the world from the evil Sigma. Power up and play now!
a game by Capcom
Genre: Adventure/RPG
Platforms: Playstation, PSX
Editor Rating: 8.1/10, based on 5 reviews
User Rating: 6.5/10 - 26 votes
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See also: Mega Man Games, Mega Man X Series
Mega Man X4
Mega Man X4
Mega Man X4

Mega Man X4 would be the second game in the X series to appear on the PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The X series has always been a more story-driven take on the Mega Man series and I will admit right off the bat that this game is not exactly doing anything groundbreakingly new to the series, but it is still a damn fine Mega Man game and one that is well worth playing through.

The Reploid Uprising

Like most of the other games in the X series, there is a great deal of talking in this game. The story is interesting enough and it features Reploids becoming Mavericks and two badass Maverick hunters in the form of X and Zero trying to stop them before things get too dangerous. There are a few twists and turns and in all, I like the story that Mega Man X4 is telling. It is not as convoluted as some of the later Mega Man games would become which I like.

32-Bit Power!

If you look at this game and then one of the Super Nintendo X games, you will notice a massive difference. I even think that this game looks better than the other Mega Man games that had appeared during the 32-bit era before this. Some fantastic quality cut scenes feature amazing animation. Now, these have aged and can be a tad washed out due to not being in HD, however, you cannot deny the artwork!

The game sprites in Mega Man X4 are exactly what you would expect. Capcom is the master of this kind of art style and this game is no different. The backgrounds have a ton of polish to them with many things going on. They have a kind of realistic vibe to them which does make the characters stand out, but not in a bad way or anything like that.

More Of The Same Is Not A Bad Thing

Have you ever played a Mega Man game before? Well, you will know what to expect here. You can play as X and you pick your stage and once again blast your way through. taking down bosses, getting new abilities, and so on. It is the classic Mega Man formula and it is fantastic stuff. The game is very, very challenging, but I feel that it is a fair challenge.

The big addition here is the gameplay of Zero. You can pick who you want to play as either X or Zero and they both play completely differently. Zero is all about melee attacks and instead of getting new abilities for his weapon he gets new general abilities that he can use. He and X play so differently to each other that you will want to beat the game with both of them. I must admit that in this game, I much preferred playing as Zero.

I love the Mega Man series and while Mega Man X4 may not be changing things considerably, but what is on offer here is a damn solid Mega Man game. I had fun playing this on the PlayStation back in the day and I had a lot of fun playing through it again. I do wish that they let you play as Zero or X and then change on the fly, but still, this is an awesome action platform game.

8.5

Final Score

Pros:

  • You can play as X or Zero
  • Playing as Zero feels fantastic
  • It has the classic Mega Man gameplay
  • The challenge is high, but fair
  • It is worth playing through as both characters

Cons:

  • I wish you could change characters on the fly
  • The animated scenes are good, but they look a bit washed out

Download Mega Man X4

Playstation

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
PSX

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

People say:

8.0

Mega Man X4 is the first game in the X series that actually provides a decent amount of variety from earlier games in the series. For one, the ability to play the entire game as either X or Zero is very cool. Both have different story lines (more or less--the central plot is still the same), and Zero now uses his sword exclusively, making play with him entirely different from play with X (Zero needs to rely much more on hand-to-hand combat because of his sword's limited reach). Also new are the fully animated cut scenes in the game which are done very nicely, and really bring the story to life. Thankfully the voices are done well this time, and don't ruin the otherwise very cool story, as was the case in Mega Man 8 with its insanely lame voice-overs. Graphically, MMX4 looks really good--the characters in the game alt animate very nicely, and there's a lot of parallax and bright, vivid stages. The game plays well too. Control is tight, and while the stage layouts seem a little uninspired (if 2-D is going to survive, companies need to realize that the games need to remain challenging), the overall experience is definitely a positive one. In fact, I really don't have many complaints at all about X4. but I wish it was a wee-bit harder (ironically the end Boss is damn near impossible if you ask me), and it's all over a bit too fast. Still, it is the best X game yet.

8.0

In a world populated by polygons and 3-D environments, there's something unique about a sidescrolling action title. Mega Man X4 carries on the Mega Man franchise with straightforward game-play that incorporates the running, jumping and shooting technique that enabled its predecessors to stand out when similar titles were commonplace. The game blends anime with gameplay to produce a somewhat uneven effect, but Mega Man X4 is a nice change of pace.

8.0

Heh, looks like Sony had a change of heart about X4 (they weren't going to release it before, but the consumers spoke loud and clear), it's another classic game with classic gameplay that survives the 32-Bit transformation intact. This is, no doubt, the best Mega Man game yet. I can't help but wonder, however, if the series is getting a bit old. Sure, it looks and plays great, but how many Mega Man games do we really need?

9.0

I seriously enjoyed diving into this latest entry to the Mega Man X series (not to be confused with the Mega Man 8 story line, which is not my favorite). Playing as Zero is just as fun as Mega Man, and the voices really add personality to the old grind. The new weapons aren't all that innovative, but the difficulty is back up to where it belongs, not oversimplified cartoon fodder I've seen lately. Now if only Mega Man would do a Hurricane Kick...

Mega Man X makes an impressive 32-bit debut on the PlayStation with Mega Man X4. While this is definitely one of the best games in the X series, it's surprising to know that the real star of the game isn't even Mega Man.

X4 retains the series' 2D platform engine. You run-n-gun through several levels, collecting power-ups and new weapons, while squaring off against tough end bosses. However, X4 adds a second playable character, Zero, and his own story line. Playing as Mega Man is as fun as ever, but Zero steals the show with his own unique attacks and techniques. Instead of an X Buster, Zero uses electro-sabers that force him to get up close and personal to his enemies, ultimately making playing as him more challenging.

Mega Man fans will be right at home with X4. For solid 2D platform gameplay, it's a definite must-have for any action gamer's library.

ProTips:

  • When riding the military train in Slash Beast's stage, destroy the laser cannons first
  • When you start the game, defeat Frost Walrus first
  • As Mega Man, use the Frost Tower weapon to defeat Jet Stingray.
  • As Zero, use Ryuenjin on the trees in the Jungle stage to reveal some very valuable power-ups.

Graphics

X4 features beautiful 2D sprite graphics. The colorful, gigantic explosions and little details like the recoil of Mega Man's X Buster are state-of-the-art, while the anime cinemas are clean and help enhance the story.

Sound

The music goes perfectly with the various stages, especially the thundering bass in the Volcano stage and the conga drums in the Jungle stage. The sound effects are almost as good, but Mega Man's cutesy yelps are distracting.

Control

Mega Man and Zero are simple to maneuver, and the controls hold up beautifully--even later in the game when you acquire more abilities and advanced techniques.

Fun Factor

Mega Man X4 makes a big splash on the 32-bit platform. Playing as the blue bomber or as Zero is a thumb-busting good time, and the hidden areas and collectable items will keep you playing for hours.

The fourth Mega Man X entry takes the series to the 32-bit arena for more blue-bomber blasting action. Taking a decidedly more serious tone than Mega Man 8 by nixing all the cutesy characters, X4 allows you to play as either the buster-blasting Mega Man X or the lightsword-toting Zero. X4 has excellent controls, which you'll truly appreciate when you start accumulating special weapons and advanced skills. The game looks awesome with tons of detail, screen-filling explosions, and colorful 2D sprite graphics. Originally slated for release only on the Saturn, X4 is also now coming to the PlayStation.

Overview

Mega Man is back and he has brought Zero with him. That's right. You're not just restricted to playing as Mega Man, you can now play as his side-kick too. New armies, new battles, new enemies, and most importantly, new bosses highlight Mega Man's latest and greatest adventure.

Mega Man is one of the longer running series on any gaming system. He has not only battled his way through tons of enemies, but also through three generations of home gaming systems. I have not played many of the other Mega Man games in the past, so I was really excited to pop in Mega Man X4 to see what all the rumbling is about. All I can say is Mega Man X4 is challenging gameplay, period.

Gameplay

If you are not familiar with the story of Mega Man, you're not alone. While I haven't spent much time playing any of these games, there's good reason for this: a lot of the titles never even made it to the U.S. It really does not affect the gameplay, but you will get the feeling that you are running into characters that may have been in previous games.

The most common asked question I get about Mega Man is "What is it?" The title does not give you much of a clue about what type of game you will be up against. The best way to describe this game is "old school." It has a very 16-bit feel to the gameplay, like one of the hundred Sega Genesis clone games. Mega Man X4 is a side scroller in which you jump and shoot at anything that gets in your way. Then, you will meet up with the ugly boss at the end of the level. If you destroy him, you move to the next level that follows the same formula. I will say that Capcom did throw in a curve ball by giving you the freedom to choose your levels, instead of following a pre-selected path.

One of the new features of this game is the ability to play as either Mega Man or his side-kick Zero. Each of the two characters play differently. Mega Man has a blaster that helps him mow down the enemies, while Zero is armed with a sword-type weapon. My first thought was to play with the character that has the gun. After a while, I found that Zero and his sword were quite effective too.

Since you can play as both characters, they must have added a two-player cooperative mode, right? Wrong. This would have been cool to have the two different characters fighting together. Since each of the characters has their strong points, it would have done wonders to team up against the bad guys. It was a little disappointing that it was only a one-player game.

The biggest thing this game has going for it, aside from the addicting gameplay, is the levels. There are tons of levels and they are NOT easy. The levels ranged from fighting your way through the jungle, on snow, on a moving train, and much more. Even though this works as typical side scrolling game, that is not an entirely accurate description. On some levels, you must work your way up a spiraling staircase. Other levels have you constantly moving on a motorbike. All in all, there was a great variety of levels and a good diversity to keep you interested.

I do have one warning for you. This is not a kiddy game. Not because of violence or profanity, but because of difficulty. Actually, this is one of the harder games like this that I have played. Working your way through the levels is usually not to difficult. The game get really difficult once you face off against the level boss. I would finally figure out a pattern to beat the damn thing, only to have him change up his attack half way through. This sucked because I was usually hanging on by the skin of my teeth and when the boss would change up his attack, I didn't stand a chance. It was quite frustrating, but in the end rewarding when you did manage to drop the beast. Did I mention the sub-bosses?

There are many signs of a good game but one tell-tale indicator is if you get "trigger thumb." This is a condition that first surfaced in the '80s. I think the first time I suffered from this was playing Asteroids on my old Atari system. It is when you press the trigger button so many times and so fast that your thumb gets sore. I started to develop this after playing Mega Man X4 for awhile. That tells me the action is intense and the game held my attention enough to make my thumb sore.

Another cool thing you'll encounter during the game is called Robot Ride Armor. This was armor that was located at random locations throughout the levels. The armor would protect your character from being hit by enemies. But the coolest part was that the armor actually looked like a robot and you had to jump into the armor to activate it. Once activated, you appear to have transformed into a robot. This help break up the game a bit and give you an added challenge to master.

Graphics/Audio

Capcom must have a thing for backgrounds because in just about every game they make, the backgrounds are awesome. This game is no exception. Everything is incredibly detailed and bursting with color, right down to the rainbows. The enemies were also well-done and looked good. The gameplay may remind you of a 16-bit classic but the graphics will slap you back into your 32-bit world.

Bottom Line

Mega Man X4 is a good game. I think the levels were well done and this game brings back memories of yesteryear even though I have never really played any of the other Mega Man games. It just has that familiar feel to it. I think the difficulty may turn some people off, though. It is tough to work your way through the levels only to be continually defeated by the boss at the end of each level.

Snapshots and Media

Playstation Screenshots