Mega Man X, Ep. #01: Central Highway

This is it, the beginning of [Press Start], something I've been wanting to do for quite some time now. Hopefully I will keep at it for as long as I possibly can regardless of how much of a chore handling four channels at once is; and just like I did with TheOSTation, I'm beginning this new journey with Mega Man X.
First episode sees our futuristic Blue Bomber strolling down a ravaged highway fending off against berserk Mechaniloids. X comes face to face with Vile, confronting him, but realizing that he's not as strong as he needs to be, not until his comrade, Zero, makes him realize that his potential resides within his own insecurity.
This is a pretty straightforward stage, there's nothing special or anything that's cumbersome about it. It's basically the type of stage that serves to teach the player the controls and the basic mechanics of the game.
NOTE: Mega Man X would take place after the events that unfold in the OVA, The Day of Σ (Sigma), where we are given a more in-depth background in regards of the Maverick rebellion and other relevant matters. I say "would" due to the current "canonical" status of the Maverick Hunter X series.
STAGE DATA
ENEMIES:
Spiky / スパイキー
Gunbolt / ガンボルト
Crusher / クラッシャー
Bee Blader / ビーブレイダー
Ball de Voux (AKA Deerball) / ボール・ド・ボー
Bombeen / ボンビーン
Jamminger / ジャミンガー
Road Attacker / ロードアタッカーズ
BOSS:
Vile (VAVA) / ヴァヴァ Unbeatable
MISCELLANEOUS:
• The ship Vile drops from is named the Death Rogumer / デスログマー.
• Although Central Highway / 中央高速 is the official and most common name of this stage, it is also known as both, Havoc Highway / 高速大混乱 and Awakening Road / 目覚め路.
TRIVIA
• X was supposed to have the dash ability from the beginning, but Inafune decided against it believing it would overwhelm players due to X's inherent wall-jumping ability.
• This game is 12-bit, not 16-bit.
• The PC version has stronger enemies, elevating the difficulty.
• In the PC version Zero does not hand his Buster, you must get it from Dr. Light.
OBSCURE TRIVIA
• This stage was referred to as "The White City / ホワイトシティ" during the game's beta stages. Early screens of this level were published in gaming magazines (GamePro and EGM), depicting the stage with a strict metropolitan appearance, much like we see in the OVA. The stage also had less Crushers due to it having an alternate type of Crusher that attacked with flamethrowers. These, however, were modified, unarmed and rehashed as the Sine Faller.
• Apparently Gunbolts seemed to be tougher since they had extra layers of armor and were a bit taller during early concepts.
• Based on screens scattered throughout magazines, Crushers (Sine Faller) literally permeated the stage and Bombeens were nowhere in sight.
• Only one Bee Blader was meant to appear in this stage, and was aimed to be used as a way to get to a new "lower area" of the stage once it was destroyed. The second encounter would take place there with RT-55J taking the second Bee Blader's place. The RT-55J is the sub-boss encountered at the mountaintop in Sting Chameleon's stage, and its removal from the stage makes sense due to its grip handles.
• Although the Bee Blader releases Ball de Vouxes, the few that roam around the stage were added at the last minute.
• Spikeys were also a last minute addition.
• Another interesting note is that, in the alpha stages of the game, the charged buster shot was the level three, red-colored version instead of the usual blue-colored, hadouken-like version.
• Apparently X's Buster was intended to have an energy bar similar to the weapons gained after defeating a Maverick. This truly made no sense, so I'm certain that's the reason it wasn't implemented in the final product. This information was obtained from the ROM, which is curiously available in all of the three SNES games.
• Vile was intended to have a Buster Cannon much like X's, but surely enough, he wasn't given it. Wise move seeing as his Shoulder Cannon is enough of a gun.
• According to a late GamePro article, during Mega Man X's production, it was revealed that X would have two partners named Rx (Rex) and Ry (Rai). However, in later articles these two were never mentioned again, as well as we never saw them either. One theory that has come about is that, since Inafune intended originally for Zero to be the new Mega Man in this series, that Rx became X and the other was either dropped or used some way or another.
-
R20 Rockman & Rockman X Official Complete Works
Mechanical Maniacs
GamePro magazine articles.
All Mega Man X / Rockman X material including but not limited to game, characters, images, and music are © Capcom Co., Ltd. Video gameplay done solely for entertainment purposes.

[@gladeplugins]

When I get discouraged and feel the need for an adrenaline rush, I think of that part where Zero blasts off Vile's arm. Childhood memories and nerdiness FTW!

[@DuoDynamo]

Mega Man X is always the best way to start anything.

[@ThePressStartProject]

Couldn't agree more. MMX is my favorite of the X series: everything about it equals masterpiece, starting from gameplay and ending up with the soundtrack. Perfect game, as far as I'm concerned.

[@CrescentGrizzlySlash]

Funny memories of my first times of playing this game as a kid, I often wondered hey, just who runs HAYATOM Inc, anyway? Then I'd get into some silly debate with a friend of mine like, 'I think it's run by Dr. Light!'. Then my friend would shoot back with, 'umm no for sure it's run by Dr. Cain.', and I'd get so mad at him cause he thought he was sooo right... LOL :) Ah, those were the days. 1994 was the first time I played it, and I remember like it was yesterday. Fun times.

[@ThePressStartProject]

Thanks for the support, by the way. =)

[@maxdett90]

Well good luck to you sir and i just love mega man X!

[@ThePressStartProject]

Those were different times, developers and such used to think more on the gamer side rather than the other way around. I sort of see what Inafune meant, but also feel it wouldn't overwhelm but rather make the player somewhat more comfortable. Still, the initial stage doesn't seem like a dashing heaven. . . As for 12-bit, I think Magic Sword and Final Fight are. Those two are the only ones that come to mind, though. . .

[@scifiguy9000]

The obscure information looks really interesting.

[@ThePressStartProject]

Those type of details are always intriguing, not just for Mega Man X, but for gaming in general...and other stuff. Thanks for watching and reading.

[@ThePressStartProject]

Definitely. =)

[@ThePressStartProject]

Yeah, OST collecting has become an addiction for me, and a royal pain for my pocket, too; I thought this would be a good excuse for me to play some games. Retro gaming is my thing, so thats what youll se mostly, but maybe I delve further sometime. . .

[@ThePressStartProject]

It was written somewhere in the back of the game's box, as well in the instruction booklet. I'm sure you can find this info online, too. But yeah, at plain sight it's something unnoticeable, thus why so many believed it was 16bit (like X2 and X3 are).

[@MastersOfInfinity]

This music was my childhood

[@gangialf90]

Me too!!!

[@ThePressStartProject]

Actually I have yet to make playthroughs for any other MMX game. Before the recent "update" playlists with no vids weren't visible, but since they're now that's why you saw one for Mega Man X2, which was empty. I will eventually make playthroughs for more games, I'm just a tad busy ATM.

[@ThePressStartProject]

Likewise. =)

[@ParrotMan01276]

Inafune was wrong about dashing overwhelming players, at least wrong about me. :) Also, that's interesting that this game was 12-bit. I wonder what other games were actually 12-bit rather than 16.

[@ThePressStartProject]

The video has annotations linking to each song. But if you mean download links, sorry, but I don't pass links.

[@ThePressStartProject]

Here I was always believing MMS was 16-bit. Pfft. =? LOL, Michael Jordan: Chaos in the Windy City.

[@ThePressStartProject]

Yeah, I had to thinker that description a bit because it went over the character limit, which is unknown to me. . . A lower level would've been cool, by the way.

[@ThePressStartProject]

Yeah, it can happen. It's good for a laugh of two...

[@ThePressStartProject]

Likewise.

[@ThePressStartProject]

My exact thoughts. Who knows if Ry was actually the GBD. I do believe that whoever it was, was someone close to X, be it a villain (Vile or Mac) or a comrade (GBD). I highly doubt it, but what if Ry was the first initial idea behind Axl? Quite a number of possibilities.

[@ThePressStartProject]

Yeah, I see what you mean. And X7 as a whole is a trainwreck. =P The music is good, though. But who's kidding, bad or not, I still like X7...except when I reach Hyenard's stage. -.-

[@maxdett90]

This was awesome but what happened to all your other mega man videos?

[@AlphaSquadZero]

I actually got Vile to kill me on this stage 8P.

[@ThePressStartProject]

It's natural, there was a time where I was like that, but there's a moment in life where everything changes. I'm sure you're young, so just enjoy yourself now, you'll have plenty of time later to worry about everything else. Anyway, although I'm becoming quite lethargic lately, thus why I haven't uploaded anything new to either of my channels, I'm really trying my hardest to break the habit and upload something in the following days.

[@ThePressStartProject]

I don't doubt X6 is good, I just haven't played mostly out of lack of interest. Hope you can get a gamepad soon; they make the world easier.

[@maxdett90]

I know at one point you did mega man x2 and others but it doesnt appear in your playlists anymore.

[@ThePressStartProject]

Keyboard? You don't have a gamepad? =u And I still haven't fully played X6. First time I went through Yammark's stage, and didn't bother after that.

[@ThePressStartProject]

What do you mean? They're all there: playlist?list=PLEA2E9C41680BFEC4

[@AnnoyingBird100]

You're lethargic when it comes to Video Games? Apparently you have a life, something I lack...