Mega Man X6 review (PlayStation)

One of Mega Man X6's more-touted features is its nightmare system. Whenever you complete a level, you'll immediately notice that one of the mavericks on the maverick selection screen is highlighted in red, which indicates that particular level is currently being affected by the nightmare. Essentially, it means the level has been changed in some way, and these changes can range from the strategic placement of boxes for making specific areas more difficult to the appearance of spectral versions of Mega Man and Zero, which fly around on the level and deliver some serious damage. Some levels will even turn pitch-black with only a few shreds of light to help guide your way. And some levels--those that are affected by nightmare--change, depending on the level you've just exited. It's an interesting system, and while it does add some diversity to the game, it doesn't factor in as much as you might think it does. In fact, if you're not really concerned with collecting the extra items and power-ups, then you probably wouldn't really know the nightmare system existed unless someone told you.

The same circumstances apply to the nightmare-soul-collecting system. In each level, you'll see flying enemies that are capable of converting friendly reploids into enemies. If you kill one of the nightmares, you'll see that it leaves a blue orb behind--this orb goes toward your nightmare soul total. Depending on the number of nightmare souls you have, the game will give you a ranking, which determines how many and what types of special items Mega Man and his ally can equip. Again, it's one of those features that can make the game easier and extend its longevity, but it's just as easily ignored.

While Capcom has attempted to make subtle changes to the structure of the game, the graphics look on par with previous Mega Man efforts, which is to say that it's time for the Mega Man series to start receiving some upgrades in the graphics department. Some of the enemies and bosses, specifically Blaze Heatnix, look absolutely horrible. Except for perhaps Infinity Mijinion's stage--with an enormous robot firing constantly at you from the background--most of the background art is bland and fairly devoid of any activity. In general, the graphics in Mega Man X6 seem to lack the clean and colorful visuals of its predecessors.

It's not difficult to see that Mega Man X6 is a disappointing effort. The nightmare system and the item collecting add variety and longevity to the game, but these two features can easily be set to the side to accomplish the larger goal of just completing the game--which isn't an incredibly easy task--but most shouldn't have trouble getting through each maverick level and the subsequent boss fights with Gate and others after three or four tries. The graphics aren't really even up to the standards set by older games in the series, and while the music is good, there aren't any tracks that particularly stand out. Despite these shortcomings, it's still Mega Man, and the gameplay is still entertaining, making X6 an attractive package for hard-core Mega Man fans. However, everyone else should probably give it a rent first.