Mega Man Maverick Hunter X

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This article is about the 2005 video game. For cancelled first-person shooter, see Maverick Hunter.
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X
Mega Man Maverick Hunter X PSP box art.jpg
North American box art
Developer(s)Capcom
Publisher(s)Capcom
Director(s)Atsushi Otsuki
Producer(s)Keiji Inafune
Tatsuya Kitabayashi
Designer(s)Tatsuya Yoshikawa
Artist(s)Tatsuya Yoshikawa
Keisuke Mizuno
Writer(s)Makoto Ikehara
Yusuke Tokita
Composer(s)Kento Hasegawa
Seiko Kobuchi
Shinya Okada
SeriesMega Man X
Platform(s)PlayStation Portable
PlayStation Vita
Release
December 15, 2005
Genre(s)Action-platform
Mode(s)Single-player

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X[a] is a action-platforming video game developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation Portable (PSP); it is a remake of the 1993 video game Mega Man X originally released for the Super NES, the first game in the series of the same name; in the game, players control Mega Man X as he attempts to stop Sigma from leading the human race to extinction. It was first released in Japan on December 15, 2005, followed by a North American release on January 31, 2006.

Development began with Keiji Inafune discussing with his development team about whether they should make a Mega Man X9 or a remake of the first game for the PSP, with them deciding on a remake due to wanting to take advantage of the new hardware.[4] Due to being on newer hardware, Maverick Hunter X features full 3D graphics instead of the 2D graphics used in the 1993 original, alongside other improvements and extra features.

Upon release, Maverick Hunter X was met with positive reviews from critics, who praised its updated presentation and story, although the music was met with mixed reception; despite this, the game was a commercial failure, leading to Capcom cancelling future remakes of Mega Man. The game was later made available on the PlayStation Vita in February 2012; another Mega Man X game wouldn't be released until Mega Man X DiVE in 2020.

Plot[]

See also: List of Mega Man X characters

The plot of Maverick Hunter X follows the original game's story closely, with a few changes. In 21XX, an archaeologist named Dr. Cain discovers Mega Man X, Dr. Thomas Light's last creation before his death, and uses X's design to create a series robots called "Reploids"; as the years go on, crimes performed by Reploids start to rise, which leads to the creation of the Maverick Hunters (Irregular Hunters in Japan), a group of Reploids tasked with disabling other Reploids who may pose a threat to humans.

After an encounter with one Maverick named Zero, the leader Sigma unexpectedly turns Maverick himself, leading X and the reformed Zero to stop him from creating a Reploid uprising.

Gameplay[]

See also: Mega Man X (video game) § Gameplay

Maverick Hunter X is a remake of Mega Man X, originally released in 1993. The original game used 16-bit graphics, however Maverick Hunter X uses realistic 3D graphics instead. Players choose either X or Vile at the start, both of which have their own campaign; X controls similarly to how he did in the original, while Vile has the ability to hover for a short time period. Upon completing the intro level, players can choose one of eight Mavericks to fight. Beating a Maverick will unlock their ability to use as long as X still has weapon energy, using certain abilities on Mavericks will cause them to take more damage than usual.[5] When all eight Mavericks are defeated, Sigma is unlocked as the final boss of the game. Hidden throughout several levels are Dr. Light capsules, which include armor parts that give X additional buffs; in Maverick Hunter X, the position and stages these capsules were in are changed.

After completing the game, a 25-minute anime by Xebec titled The Day of Σ is unlocked; the anime details the events leading up to the first stage, which include Zero's awakening and Sigma turning Maverick.

Development[]

So we decided that instead of going the X9 route, let's go back to the series' roots and rediscover what makes the X series so classic.

Keiji Inafune, producer on "Mega Man Maverick Hunter X".[4]

Maverick Hunter X was developed and published by Capcom for the PlayStation Portable handheld video game console; it was produced by Keiji Inafune, who was an artist and writer for the original game, and Tatsuya Kitabayashi. Maverick Hunter X was conceptualized after Inafune discussed with his development team on whether they should make a Mega Man X9 or reboot the series, with them deciding on a reboot due to wanting to take advantage of the new hardware.[4]

The character designs used in Maverick Hunter X were based on the ones used for merchandising and X8, which altered the designs to look more human.[2] The inclusion of Vile as a playable character was done since Inafune felt that having Zero as a playable character felt "too obvious and boring".[2]

Reception[]

Maverick Hunter X received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic, averaging a 79/100;[6] on GameRankings, the game averaged a 82%.[7]

IGN scored the game 8/10 stating "Maverick Hunter X will satiate old-time fans, yet it packs enough new content to draw new players. It's a little on the short side, but it's intense, fun and very challenging".[5] Phil Theobald of GameSpy was similarly positive, giving a 4.5/5 stars saying "It's easily one of the best games available for the PSP, and it might even earn the Blue Bomber a few more fans."[8]

IGN ranked Maverick Hunter X as the nineteenth best PSP game ever made.[14]

Sales[]

Despite the positive reviews, Maverick Hunter X was a commercial failure, although it sold better in the U.S.[15] Inafune had planned on making remakes of future Mega Man games, but the poor sales of both Maverick Hunter X and Powered Up have put future remakes on hold.[16]

The game would eventually find success following its inclusion on the PlayStation Store; in April 2014, Maverick Hunter X was the tenth-best selling game on the PlayStation Network.[17]

Legacy[]

In 2011, it was announced by Capcom that both Mega Man Powered Up and Maverick Hunter X would be included in a double pack, alongside a double pack for Monster Hunter Freedom 2 and Monster Hunter Freedom Unite.[18]

In 2018, The Day of Σ was included in the video game compilations Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 and 2; although the full anime was included and remastered in high-definition, the actual game isn't included, making it and Mega Man X: Command Mission the only two 3D entries not included.[19]

Notes[]

  1. ^ Known in Japan as Irregular Hunter X (イレギュラーハンターX, Iregyurāhantā X)

References[]

  1. ^ IGN staff (February 1, 2006). "Capcom Releases Mega Man Maverick Hunter X". IGN. Archived from the original on June 29, 2011. Retrieved December 25, 2010.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c Mega Man X: Official Complete Works. Udon Entertainment. January 6, 2010. pp. 86–9. ISBN 978-1-897376-80-5.
  3. ^ Luke (January 16, 2006). "Updated Australian Release List - 16/01/06". PALGN. IGN. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2011.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Mega Man on PSP -- Keiji Inafune and Tatsuya Kitabayashi Interview". GameSpy. September 18, 2005. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c Castro, Juan (February 1, 2006). "Maverick Hunter X". IGN. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b "Mega Man Maverick Hunter X". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b "Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X for PSP". GameRankings. Archived from the original on January 19, 2011. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Theobald, Phil (January 30, 2006). "Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X (PSP)". GameSpy. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  9. ^ Navarro, Alex (May 17, 2006). "Mega Man Maverick Hunter X Review". GameSpot. CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  10. ^ Keller, Matt (March 30, 2006). "Mega Man Maverick Hunter X Review". PALGN. Archived from the original on March 23, 2008. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  11. ^ Dodson, Joe. "Mega Man Maverick Hunter X Review". GameRevolution. Archived from the original on January 2, 2014. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  12. ^ Parish, Jeremy (January 30, 2006). "Mega Man: Maverick Hunter X (PSP)". 1Up.com. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  13. ^ "Collection of every PSP-game reviewed in Famitsu". NeoGAF. August 27, 2006. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  14. ^ "The Top 25 PSP Games". IGN. December 28, 2011. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  15. ^ Nadia, Oxford (June 24, 2007). "Isle of Miscast Robots". 1UP.com. p. 2. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  16. ^ Klepek, Patrick (May 16, 2006). "Mega Man Creator Talks Future". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on November 17, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  17. ^ Makuch, Eddie (May 8, 2014). "Best-selling PlayStation Network games of April revealed". GameSpot. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
  18. ^ Sahdev, Ishaan (October 17, 2011). "Capcom And Gamestop Release MegaMan And Monster Hunter Dual Packs For PSP". Siliconera. Retrieved April 6, 2021.
  19. ^ Legarie, Destin (July 24, 2018). "Mega Man X Legacy Collection 1 Review". IGN. Retrieved April 5, 2021.

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