Lots of Mega Man X posts in the works. Well, it’s to be expected; I’m playing lots of Mega Man X. When I was playing lots of Castlevania there were lots of Castlevania posts. That’s just how these things work.

I mentioned in one of my Let’s Play Mega Man X4 videos that X4-as-Zero is the only occurence in the series where you can collect all the relevant pick-ups in the game without having to revisit any of the stages. This is due to a combination of X4’s comparatively straight-forward stage design and Zero needing fewer pick-ups to complete his collection than does X.

But then I got to thinking… wait, is that actually true? Truth be told, my routes through the rest of the series are designed around exploiting boss weaknesses, not pick-up collection. So I did some research online and spent a little time with each of the first five X games to give each one a rating on the patented Backtrackitude Scale.

It works like this: each game receives a rating on a scale of one to ten. The higher the score, the more backtracking is required to collect all the pick-ups. A pick-up is defined as any permanent fixture on X’s status screen: Maverick weapons, heart tanks, sub-tanks, armor pieces, and buildable parts. I took into consideration how many stages need to be revisited and how much of a revisited stage needs to be played before you can exit out of it. I also took into consideration how difficult it is to beat the Maverick without the proper weapon. If X can clear a stage of the pick-ups but can’t beat the Maverick at the end, he’s got to not only revisit the level but also replay the entire thing. That’s no good.

Also I didn’t rate X6 because that game is a leaky asshole.

So Brick, why does X ever need to revisit stages? I’m glad you asked that, boldface print. I suppose Capcom decided that in addition to the action-packed gameplay of each level and boss fight the player should have to earn things like a full health meter and the ability to air dash. If hunting for hidden items is fun, hunting for hidden items the second time you go to a stage must be double-fun! It’s real easy to create situations where backtracking is necessary, too. Say Item-1 is hidden in Stage-A, but you need Item-2 to retrieve it. Item-2 is found in Stage-B, but can only be reached by using Weapon-A. Weapon-A, of course, is earned from the Maverick at the end of Stage-A. So we have a situation where you need to finish Stage-A before you can clean out Stage-B, but you need an item from Stage-B before you can clean out Stage-A. In a 100% game you have no choice but to visit A-B-A. This kind of double-fun is called a Backtrack Loop and we hates it more than nasty hobbitses, precious.

Let’s take a look at the games! (Mavericks in italics indicate that you’ll have the weapon you need for an easy fight.)

Mega Man X

Backtrack Loop? – Yes! Mammoth’s weapon is required to get the heart from Penguin’s stage, but you need an item and a stage effect from Penguin’s stage to retrieve the goodies from Mammoth’s.

The Order

1. Chill Penguin – Get Leg Parts and Shotgun Ice. Defeating Penguin alters Mammoth’s stage.
2. Storm Eagle –  Get Helmet Parts, Heart and Sub-Tank.
3. Flame Mammoth – Get Fire Wave. Heart Tank requires Penguin’s stage effect. Sub-Tank requires Leg Parts. Arm Parts require Leg and Helmet Parts.
4. Chill Penguin – Heart requires Fire Wave.
5. Launch Octopus – Get Heart. Defeating Octopus alters Chameleon’s stage.
6. Boomer Kuwanger – Get Boomerang Cutter. Heart requires Shotgun Ice and Arm Parts. (You can also get it with the Cutter, but that requires an extra visit!)
7. Spark Mandrill – Get Heart. Sub-Tank requires Boomerang Cutter. (This stage is altered by defeating Eagle, but I don’t know if it’s a requirement to get the pick-ups.)
8. Sting Chameleon – Get Armor. Heart requires Octopus’s stage effect.
9. Armored Armadillo – Get Sub-Tank. Heart requires Helmet Parts. Hadoken requires all other pick-ups and at least five 1ups. (These can be easily farmed at the beginning of the stage.)

Complications – None. Well that’s pretty friendly!

Backtrackitude – 4/10
You only have to replay about half of Penguin’s level, so that’s not too terribly bad. The real killer is having to fight Octopus without Armadillo’s weapon. He’s already the hardest Maverick in the game!  You can make life a little easier for yourself by putting him off until after Kuwanger, where you’ll be four life pixels and a Sub-Tank ahead, but then you have to kill Kuwanger without the proper weapon. (Not that this is a big deal.)

Mega Man X2

Backtrack Loop? – Kinda! There are a few items you almost need to backtrack for, but can be retrieved through unconventional means. No matter how you slice it, though, you need Crab’s weapon inside of his own stage to complete your collection. Going to the same stage twice in a row isn’t really a loop per se. More of a xerox.

The Order

1. Wire Sponge – Get Heart, Sub-Tank and Strike Chain.
2. Flame Stag – Get Heart, Sub-Tank and Speed Burner.
3. Wheel Gator– Get Spin Wheel. Arm Parts require Strike Chain and a perfect wall-jump. Heart requires Arm Parts, Speed Burner and another perfect wall-jump. (Alternately, come back after you get the Leg Parts. But where’s the fun in that!?)
4. Crystal Snail – Get Helmet Parts and Crystal Hunter. Heart requires Strike Chain or a small miracle.
5. Overdrive Ostrich – Leg Parts require Spin Wheel. Careful with the Heart; if you don’t get it on your first try you have to restart the level! (You can get it with Leg Parts + Arm Parts + Speed Burner, but only if you sacrifice a life. Which I guess is preferable to restarting the level.)
6. Morph Moth – Heart requires Crystal Hunter. Armor requires Spin Wheel.
7. Magna Centipede – Sub-Tank requires Arm Parts and Speed Burner. You have one shot at the Heart; miss it and you have to kill yourself for another try.
8. Bubble Crab – Get Bubble Splash. (You can get the Heart with a perfect dashing wall-jump, but there’s no point since you have to turn around and come right back.)
9. Bubble Crab – Heart requires Bubble Splash + Arm Parts or a perfectly timed jump. Sub-Tank requires Bubble Splash + Arm Parts.

Complications – You have to kill the X-Hunters when they appear to get the best ending. You miss your opportunity if you don’t challenge them in time. I’m unsure if this order allows you to kill all three of them without some backtracking.

Backtrackitude – 6/10
Stag is pretty easy to kill without special weapons, but I recall Snail being kind of a pain. And man, some of the tricks you have to pull off in Gator’s level are brutal. Both of the items in his stage are much easier to get if you come back with Leg Parts, but that creates a Backtrack Loop! I haven’t tested this path myself; it may lock you out of the best ending.

Mega Man X3

Backtrack Loop? – There are two! Hornet and Buffalo each require items from the other’s stage. You also need the Arm Parts to get everything from Rhino’s stage, but you need Rhino’s weapon to get the Arm Parts!

The Order

1. Tunnel Rhino – Get Sub-Tank and Tornado Fang.
2. Blizzard Buffalo – Get Leg Parts. Sub-Tank requires Leg Parts, so you you have to backtrack through part of the level on your first visit!
3. Neon Tiger – Get Heart and Sub-Tank. Arm Parts require Leg Parts and Tornado Fang.
4. Blast Hornet – Heart requires Leg Parts. N-Chip requires Tornado Fang. Defeating Hornet alters Beetle’s stage.
5. Blizzard Buffalo – Heart requires N-Chip.
6. Gravity Beetle – Get Gravity Well. Heart requires Hornet’s stage effect. F-Chip requires Leg Parts.
7. Volt Catfish – Get Triad Thunder. Heart requires Leg Parts. Sub-Tank requires N-Chip. Armor requires Arm Parts + Gravity Well.
8. Tunnel Rhino – Heart and Helmet Parts both require Arm Parts + Triad Thunder.
9. Toxic Seahorse – Get Heart. K-Chip requires F-Chip (which in turn won’t activate without the N-Chip).
10. Crush Crawfish – Heart requires N-Chip. H-Chip requires Arm Parts + Triad Thunder.

Complications – There are super armor parts hidden in the levels too, but thankfully you can skip them and get the super super armor instead in the Sigma stages. At one point you are assaulted by the three X-Hunters. You can alter the bosses you face in the Sigma levels by killing them with the proper weapons. I’m unsure if this order allows you to have the right weapon at the right time. It’s a moot point, though, since it’s impossible to get the best ending on a full-clear game. (You have to kill Zero to get the full-clear, but if you kill Zero you don’t get the best ending. Grr!)

Backtrackitude – 9/10
This game is specifically designed to make you backtrack as much as possible. Not only do you have to revisit two stages, but you have to replay one of them (the more boring one) almost to the end. Plus, look how many Mavericks you have to kill with the X-Buster! Rhino and Buffalo are pushovers, sure, but Tiger and Hornet both require some finesse.

Mega Man X4

Backtrack Loop? – Yes and no. X has to contend with a Spider/Owl/Dragoon loop, but Zero has no loop whatsoever, but requires at least one really tricky wall-jump.

X’s Order

1. Web Spider – Get Heart and Lightning Web.
2. Split Mushroom – Heart “requires” Lightning Web, but can be obtained with a tough-yet-stylish wall-jump.
3. Cyber Peacock – Heart, Sub-Tank and Helmet Parts all require speedy completion. If you’re too slow you have to restart the level.
4. Storm Owl – Get Heart. Arm Parts require Lightning Web.
5. Slash Beast – Get Heart and Twin Slasher.
6. Magma Dragoon – Get Rising Fire. Heart “requires” Lightning Web, but can be obtained with a very tough wall-jump. Armor requires Arm Parts and Twin Slasher.
7. Web Spider – Heart requires Rising Fire.
8. Frost Walrus – Get Weapon Tank. Heart and EX Tank require Rising Fire.
9. Jet Stingray – Get Heart and Sub-Tank. (If you miss them, you have to die or restart to get another shot.)

Zero’s Order

1. Magma Dragoon – Get Ryuenjin. Heart “requires” Kuuenbu but can be obtained with a very tough wall-jump.
2. Web Spider/Frost Walrus – Some of their goodies require Ryuenjin.
3. …that’s it! Zero can do the rest of the bosses before or after Dragoon, at his liesure. (Though if you can’t pull off the wall-jump necessary to get Mushroom’s Heart you will have to revisit his stage with his own weapon.)

Complications – X has to fight a decently rough boss after his fourth Maverick, but this boss order gives him four Hearts and a Sub-Tank. Zero has no complications whatsoever.

Backtrackitude – 1/10
Not too shabby! Zero can get a full clear in just eight stages. X has to replay most of Spider’s level to get everything. He also has to fight Slash Beast without a weapon, but he’ll have plenty of Hearts to get the job done.

Mega Man X5

Backtrack Loop? – Lots! Many levels require one of X’s complete armor sets… which he can’t build without pieces he finds inside that very level. Zero doesn’t even get off the hook since most of these are Hearts that he can actually benefit from.

The Order

1. Squid Adler
2. Squid Adler
3. Squid Adler
4. Squid Adler
5. Squid Adler
6. Squid Adler – By wasting all of your lives on this stage six times in a row (which takes 4-5 minutes depending on how fast you click through Alia’s nattering) you can finally start building parts for yourself. (Mavericks have to be Lv.8 before they start giving you parts, but they don’t reach Lv.8 until you’ve burned away half your clock. If none of this makes sense to you it’s because you aren’t a retardhead.) You could theoretically burn the clock by grabbing things from other stages and then killing yourself before you meet the Maverick, and that might save you a few stage visits, but it would take way longer than watching a jetbike fall into a hole 18 times.
7. Mattrex – This is literally the only level in the game you don’t have to revisit.
8. ??? – From here the stage order gets so complicated that I gave up trying to piece it together. Zero can get some pick-ups earlier than X. X can get some pick-ups Zero can’t get at all. Some require the Falcon Armor, some require the Gaea Armor. (Some can be obtained with either, but you need the full Falcon Armor before you can get several of the Gaea pieces so you might as well wait.)
9. Duff McWhalen – This stage bears special mention. You have to revisit it the first time because you need Whale’s weapon to retrieve the Falcon part. Then you need to revisit it a second time because the Heart requires one of the completed armor sets. You have to navigate two boring autoscrolling sections and fight two unbelievably tedious mid-bosses on both revisits.

Complications – Wow! Lots! See, you start with 16 hours on the clock, and picking a stage eats up one hour. You have to eat seven hours before the Mavericks will be high enough level to give you parts. It’s not possible to build all the parts in one game, and some of the parts are literally useless, so just figuring out which ones are worth getting is a job-and-a-half. Hearts and Maverick bonuses (like Life-Ups) only apply to the hero that find them, but it’s literally impossible to get some of these as Zero. If you do grab a bunch with Zero, the plot might randomly decide to kill him anyway, in which case you never see them again. Oh, and some jacknapes named Dynamo shows up twice to badger you for no reason, which kills another two hours. Also every 14.6 minutes the game disc climbs out of the PlayStation to roll across the room and kick you in the junk.

Backtrackitude – 10/10
Please note that 9 of these points come from Duff McWhalen’s level alone.

Mega Man X6

This game has a level with random sections. There are pick-ups in some of these sections. You might see them when you play the level. You might not. If you don’t you have to revisit the stage. If you don’t see them again, you have to revisit them again. I don’t know how the random selection works, but it is at least theoretically possible you could play this same level over and over into perpetuity and never get everything.

Backtrackitude – 0/10
No matter how quickly you backtrack your ass to the game store, you won’t get your money back.