Mega Man X4 ends up feeling a lot like the SNES Mage Man X games mechanically, which is really the highest praise I could possibly give it. Everything is a little bigger and fancier, and Capcom attempts to "modernize" the series in many ways, but at it's core it's definitely a Mega Man X game. It's a lot of fun.

While the game does have a bunch of new power ups and armor upgrades to collect, the biggest addition to the series is the ability to play as Zero from the get-go. Zero plays differently from X, using his signature beam saber rather than a blast. Instead of gaining special weapons from beating bosses like X does, Zero instead learns special techniques which are activated through different button combinations. It's a lot of fun, and it adds a good reason to give the game additional playthroughs.

Another addition, this one slightly less welcome than the last, is the extra emphasis on story telling. X2 and X3 started picking up on the dialogue, sure, but X4 really starts pushing the story. That wouldn't be a problem at all... if the story made any amount of sense, were enjoyable, or were told remotely well. Unfortunately, X4 fails on all fronts, and honestly would have done better just sticking to the gameplay. Luckily, the story never really gets in the way of said gameplay either.

Sprites are larger, more animated and more detailed than previous Mega Man X games, but X4 still manages to maintain its classic style. Everything looks great and runs incredibly smooth, and it's generally an excellent looking game. There's a few anime cutscenes scattered throughout and, while these are enjoyable, their quality isn't the best.

As would be expected, the music in X4 is great, though it doesn't quite live up to most of the tracks that have come before it. Sound effects are all on point but the voice acting... well... the voice acting is ear poison. It's not even so bad it's good, it's just... so... bad...

Going in to X4 I was a little leery, as franchises don't always handle the console generation jump very elegantly. I've also loaded this game up a couple times in the past, but never really felt like pressing through it. Having now sat through the whole thing, almost twice, I can say I'm, more than pleased with it! It hasn't dethroned the original as my favorite X game, but it has enough compelling reasons to bring me back to it in the future, which is really saying something.

Mega Man X4 has always held a special place for me. It was the first Mega Man game I ever played, mainly because it was ported to PC for some reason. Years later, after trying both Mega Man X3 and X5, I realized that X4 strikes a perfect balance. It looks incredible, much better than X3’s SNES visuals, but still maintains the solid gameplay that X5 doesn't quite match.

What I didn’t catch as a kid was how Dragoon's moves are directly inspired by Street Fighter's Ryu and Ken, literally shouting "hadouken" and "shoryuken" during his attacks.

Playing on the Switch’s Mega Man X Legacy Collection, I found it odd that save states are missing. Though I rarely use them now, Mega Man games can still be brutal without that safety net. My usual route starts with Dragoon, who I beat easily using the exosuit. After that, Peacock was simple with the fire sword, and then Walrus, for obvious reasons.

Next up, Lion only required dodging his stomps, and Stingray, although weak to Walrus' weapon, can also be taken down using the saber while jumping safely underneath. The spider boss gave me the most trouble—his homing webs are tough to dodge since his positioning feels random. However, with the Spider weapon, Mushroom becomes an easy win. I saved Owl for last, though Peacock’s weapon makes him an earlier possibility.

Completing X4 with Zero was fulfilling a childhood dream. Colonel is manageable, but Zero versus General is a different story. His only vulnerable spot is the head, but getting too close hurts. I had to backtrack for the second energy tank, refill it at Walrus’ stage, and beat Iris again to be ready for this tough fight.

Afterward, you face the eight animal bosses again. It sounds intimidating, but fortunately, you get to replenish health between battles, and any defeated boss stays dead even if you lose.

The final boss wasn’t too bad. The first phase is predictable, the second requires precise wall jumps, but is still doable. The third phase, however, is chaotic. I got lucky with the alien form repeatedly missing Zero, making it easier than expected.

Feeling confident, I decided to play through as X, despite finding him more difficult as a kid. Maybe I was wrong. A tip: remap your controls! I put dash on the left bumper, regular attack on the right trigger, and special attack on the right bumper. Using them all at once with default controls is just impractical. X's regular shot is weak, but the charged attack is solid, and his ranged capabilities make bosses like Spider and Stingray much easier than with Zero. You still need to master dodging the Spider’s attacks, though.

This time, I tackled Dragon first (as always), then Walrus—who's still weak to fire—followed by Spider and Stingray. Colonel is vulnerable to ice, just like with Zero. Mushroom is easily beaten with Spider’s web, Lion with Stingray’s weapon, and Owl’s fight is a joke with Peacock’s power.

Overall, X's gameplay feels easier than Zero’s because his weapons perfectly exploit boss weaknesses. The General fight, which was tough with Zero, ended with me taking no damage as X. The first two phases of Sigma are simple, but the third is a slog. There’s no apparent weakness, and the fight drags on. It took over five minutes, and I even had to pause for a hand break.

But in the end, I finally finished Mega Man X4—28 years later! 😆

Uuhhh boy, these games are a rabbit hole, man.

I remember playing this specific title a lot during my teenage years/early adulthood. Some time later I got to play the newer ones (and the first three of the X series) but this still keeps a special place in my heart. I don't know, I guess this one has that special mix of strong formula + new cool additions that made me love it more than the more famous and more critically loved X5.

To this day I loooooove the feeling of completing the armours, or playing with that busted Ultimate Armour. Maaaan and it took me so long to complete the game with Zero. It was funny because of course the minute I saw Zero slashing shit away I choose him as main and when frustrated switched to X, and I always thought that X was extremelly dificult to handle until I learned about bosses' weakneses. Ohhh boy from that point on it was a beautiful stroll, so freaking easy. Then I knew that the real challenge was play as Zero.

I love this game. I will play it right now (because the other game I'm playing right now from another beloved franchise is giving me a headache).

This video-game is a standout entry in the Mega Man X series, marking the franchise's leap into 32-bit territory with vibrant hand-drawn sprites, anime cutscenes, and a refined soundtrack, similar to what happened before with the first Mega Man X in the SNES platform, a big leap from the 8-bit Mega Man (non-X) franchise. The game lets players choose between X and Zero, each with distinct playstyles, X with long-range blasts and Zero with fast-paced melee combat. The platforming is tight, bosses are memorable, and the overall difficulty is challenging but fair, while the voice acting is infamously bad, I see this as a plus in my books, it adds charm to an otherwise polished and exciting action platformer.

I highly recommend not skipping this one since it is the most balanced out of all the 2D Mega Man X titles from the PlayStation platform, particularly I recommend playing with both of the playable characters, since the level design is so balanced that there is no downside in doing so, compared to other entries in the series. There are lots of secrets to discover, similar to other titles of the franchise, but this one definitely has less things to do compared to the later entries, a must-play classic of the PlayStation platform.

The story also takes a darker and more cinematic turn compared to previous entries, centering around the conflict between the Repliforce and the Maverick Hunters. Zero’s narrative in particular stands out, delving deeper into his past and his connection to Sigma, adding emotional weight that earlier titles only hinted at. The anime cutscenes, while brief, give the game a distinct late-90s flair that separates it from its Super Nintendo predecessors. It feels like a natural evolution of what Mega Man X started, but with more ambition in presentation and storytelling.

Another major highlight is the boss design and OST, each Maverick has a strong visual identity and a theme. Battles are fast, intense, and reward mastering each character’s abilities, especially when learning weapon weaknesses. Compared to later PlayStation entries like Mega Man X5 and Mega Man X6, X4 feels more polished and less frustrating, avoiding unfair difficulty spikes or questionable level design choices. Because of this balance between challenge, style, and replay value, this title remains one of the high points of the entire franchise.