Maverick Hunter X

[StrikeMaster Ice]

Here some good news, Mega Man is coming to PSP. Maverick Hunter X is a remake of the original Mega Man X.

Mega Man has lingered in the minds of gamers for years. The young, robotic hero has saved the galaxy time and time again through titles spanning the GBA, NES, SNES, GameCube and PS2. And he's showing no signs of slowing down. On the contrary, a few compilations have recently shipped (Mega Man X Collection, Mega Man Anniversary Collection) and now, the PSP will get a dose of the Mega love through a pair of titles scheduled to hit later this year.


The first, titled Maverick Hunter X, is a remake of the original Mega Man X. For those who don't know anything about it, the "X" series represents a more complex, more mature version of Mega Man. The titular hero looks a little older, for example, and the story elements aren't as kid-like as in the regular series. Beyond this, the "X" series featured upgradeable weapons, armor, boots and helmets; where as the original series only featured upgradeable weapons. Then there's enhanced control over your character through dash moves and mech vehicles. And finally, it had several hero-class characters, some of which you could control.

With Maverick Hunter X, Capcom has completely reworked the original title's visuals, music and sound effects. But the first thing you'll notice when booting the game is the slick introduction movie. And by slick, you should understand that it's almost ridiculously clear and vibrant. This sequence tells of a future when humans and robots live in harmony. Robots help with dangerous labor, chores and other tasks humans no longer want to do. All is well. At least until a shady figure named Sigma instigates a robotic rebellion. Since most of the aggressors are robots, the government assigns a crew of robotic "Maverick Hunters" to track down and eliminate hostile bots.

The game starts like the original, with an attack on Central Highway. You, as Mega Man, are dispatched to handle the situation. The visuals, now entirely polygonal, animate smoothly and retain much of charm of the original. Not all, mind you, since there's no real substitute for an awesome sprite, but it looks close enough to the original that old-time fans will take to it quickly. As for non-fans, they'll like it too. Both enemy and friendly units share nice animation, although at this point there's a little slowdown when things get too hectic. Fans will notice the effects of the "X Buster," Mega Man's favorite weapon, has been completely redone, as are explosion and weather effects. And they all look pretty cool.

With all this talk of revamped visuals and sound, certain fans may fear the worst—that Maverick Hunter X simply doesn't play as well as the original. They'd be wrong. It plays almost exactly like the SNES classic. Success still hinges on timing, reflexes and a thorough knowledge of level layout. And yes, the game still splits between eight themed worlds, each with their own end-level boss. After completing the first Central Highway stage, you're free to tackle any level at any time you want. But, of course, there's a certain path you should take if you want to do things the right way.
In terms of actual gameplay, there's not much crazy different from the original. There are, however, differences when it comes to item placement. You'll notice developers have hidden sub-tanks (for increased health) and suit upgrades (boots, helmet, etc) in different areas, so you'll have to spend time looking for them.


But, as fan knows, that's all part of the fun. In addition to this, the dash maneuver is now mapped to the circle button, so there's no need to tap forward (or back) twice to initiate the maneuver. Finally, you now have the choice between traditional D-Pad and analog stick for character movement. And, fortunately, using the analog stick feels pretty good.
Like most PSP games, Maverick Hunter X uses an autosave feature, which you can toggle on/off in the options menu. There's also an option to save progress manually mid-level, but all this does is save items. You'll still need to start each level over if your lives run out. Currently, Maverick Hunter X looks and plays well. There's a little slowdown in parts, but it feels just as classic as the original in most respects.

http://psp.ign.com/articles/680/680040p1.html

[The Chocobo Kid]

can't wait to get my hands on this game. it's going to rock.

[ReCnaLz]

WHOA! A remake of the original in somewhat 3d/2d graphics! First it was Mega Man X Collection, now this? THANK YOU CAPCOM!

[Zero_]

Yeah, I've been hyping this for some time, primarily for the remixes. But I'll tell you, it's not just an upgrade of instruments. I hated the remixes so badly because they were all totally transformed, and honestly, won't get the game because of it. That... and I can't afford a PSP.

[Fenris]

This is how this should do Castlevania on the PSP. Good old 2.5-D

[curryking1]

We're sure you've grown to expect each European update to be disappointing and seriously lacking, however it's time for a change. SCEE has finally released an update capable of being proud of. With demos for upcoming titles such as Fracture, where you're able to change the entire landscape at will and NBA Live 09, where basketball fans can rejoice and prepare for the long season ahead, gamers can probably let loose a smile.

Playable content

- Fracture demo
- SoulCalibur IV demo
- NBA Live 09 demo

Videos

- Fallout 3 official trailer
- Resistance 2 "Twisted History" video
- Pure Exhilaration trailer
- PAIN Amusement Park Clown Toss trailer
- PAIN Amusement Park Hot & Cold trailer
- PlayTV Product trailer

Themes and Wallpapers

- inFamous theme
- 4x PAIN themes
- PlayTV theme
- 3x PAIN wallpapers
- PlayTV wallpaper

Rock Band DLC

- Locksley Pack 1 (£2.49)
- "She Does" - Locksley (£0.99)
- "Dont Make Me Wait" - Locksley (£0.99)
- "All Over Again" - Locksley (£0.99)

PAX Pack 1 (£1.69)

- "Skullcrusher Mountain" - Jonathan Coulton (£0.59)
- "Livin' on the Corner of Dude and Catastrophe" - MC Frontalot (£0.59)
- "Shhh?." - Darkest of the Hillside Thickets (£0.59)