For the items Armor Parts and Armor, see List of The Misadventures of Tron Bonne items. |
Armor Parts (アーマーパーツ Āmā Pātsu), also known as Armor Power-Ups (アーマーパワーアップ), Custom Parts (カスタムパーツ)[1], or Power-Up Parts (パワーアップパーツ Powā Appu Pātsu, not to be mistaken with Power-Up Parts)[2], are unique power ups that X can equip to enhance his abilities.
Characteristics[]
Although each armor is unique and provides a different set of enhancements, most of them share a few common themes, being generally white with details in blue, gold and red (the latter being more uncommon). Some armors are based on specific motifs, such as the Falcon Armor's birdlike features and the Shadow Armor's ninja aspect. The armors themselves are separated in four parts: Foot Parts (フットパーツ Futto Pātsu, Leg Parts in some sources), Arm Parts (アームパーツ Āmu Pātsu, Buster Parts in Mega Man X7 and X8), Body Parts (ボディパーツ Bodi Pātsu) and Head Parts (ヘッドパーツ Heddo Pātsu), each hidden away in one of Dr. Light's hidden capsules. When a capsule is discovered by X, a blue hologram of Dr. Light explains the function of the part stored before allowing X to step inside and receive it.
Usually, X can equip the part and enjoy its benefits immediately upon receiving the upgrade, but there were circumstances (in Mega Man X5 and Mega Man X6) which forced him to acquire an Armor Program (アーマープログラム) of the four parts before the full armor could be used. The fate of each armor with the end of an incident is unknown; most of them disappear completely, while others such as the Fourth Armor and Falcon Armor are damaged in action. It is possible to repair and reuse an armor, although repaired armors tend to lose some functionality depending on the situation. Some armors such as X's "Second Armor" could be even acquired from Dr. Light a second time, with minor modifications.
Generally, the Armor Parts are strictly designed for X's use; although Zero could occasionally download the Armor Programs for X, he could not use Dr. Light's power-ups himself. The only exception Zero used an armor in video games was during the Erasure Incident, where he could receive enhancements from Dr. Light's capsules, although there were no visual changes like in X's case, and a small upgrade in Mega Man X5. In the Mega Mission card series, Zero was able to equip the Energy Armor originally meant for X, although he was not able to make use of it as much as X was ultimately able to after Zero passed it onto him. However, in Mega Man X7 and X8 where two Maverick Hunters are deployed in gameplay, X must be in the team and only he (as the Hunter the player is using) can open up the Armor Capsule by going near it even if it means using the Reserve Hunter to access the capsule, as X will immediately be able to use the part inside once obtained.
History[]
When Dr. Light created X, he predicted that the world could need a new champion in the future and designed armor upgrades to assist his creation, storing each part in a capsule containing a holographic representation of himself. As if to test X, the capsules are often found very well hidden throughout the landscapes of the different areas X visits.
With the Sigma Virus and later the Nightmare rampant during the Earth Crisis and the Nightmare Incident respectively, Dr. Light would not allow X to use any of the parts until he had completed the entire set of armor for security reasons. When the data files of all four armor parts were obtained, Alia would analyze the programs and make the armor available for X. Zero could also help X by delivering any armor programs he found.
During the uprising of Giga City in 22XX, X was equipped with an armor called the X Fire as his Hyper Mode, and could uncover a new version of the Ultimate Armor hidden away in Tianna Camp. The origins of these two new armors are unknown.
Mega Man X series[]
The section contains X's Armor from Mega Man X games.
Mega Man X and Mega Man Xtreme[]
The first Armor Parts obtained by X. It made its debut appearance in the first Mega Man X game, and reappeared in the remake Mega Man Maverick Hunter X and in Mega Man Xtreme.
Mega Man X2 and Mega Man Xtreme 2[]
The second Armor Parts that X obtains, found in Mega Man X2. It is an upgraded version of the First Armor, created after X returned those parts to a Light Capsule.[3] The armor also appeared in Mega Man Xtreme 2, though with different abilities.
Mega Man X3[]
The third armor, obtained in the Mega Man X3. In addition to the Armor Parts, X can also obtain enhancement chips to improve its abilities. However, X's system can handle only one chip at a time, save for the secret Hyper Chip which grants the powers of all four chips at once.
Mega Man X4[]
Mega Man X4 is the first game in the series to have two armors: the Fourth Armor (フォースアーマー Fōsu Āmā) and the Ultimate Armor (アルティメットアーマー Arutimetto Āmā). The Ultimate Armor is also the first armor to be obtained as a whole instead of in separated parts.
The Fourth Armor can be pieced together from four Light Capsules hidden in the stages, like previous games. It differs in that it has two Arm Parts that can be swapped out at any time.
The Ultimate Armor is a secret armor that is only available by inputting a code before starting the game. It replaces the Fourth Armor, and has the same abilities as the Fourth Armor with the Plasma Charge Shot, but with infinite Nova Strike usage.
Mega Man X5[]
The Fourth Armor and Ultimate Armor both return, and two new armors are available: the Falcon Armor (ファルコンアーマー Farukon Āmā) and the Gaea Armor (ガイアアーマー Gaia Āmā). X can only use these armors once all four Light Capsules are found each. The Falcon Armor is a lightweight armor that focuses on mobility. The Gaea Armor is a heavy armor that sacrifices maneuverability for offense and defense.
If X is chosen at the start of a new game, he begins the game with the Fourth Armor equipped. However, its Plasma Charge Shot only generates a plasma orb for the first enemy it hits, the Head Parts have no function, and the Nova Strike is unavailable. If Zero is selected, the armor is damaged by Sigma and unusable for the entire game.
While the Ultimate Armor can be obtained with a code as usual, it can also be obtained without one (thus retaining the Fourth Armor as well) by entering Zero Space 3 without armor and finding a hidden Light Capsule. X also uses this armor as a boss in his battle against Zero.
Mega Man X6[]
The Falcon Armor and Ultimate Armor return, along with two new armors: the Blade Armor (ブレードアーマー) and the Shadow Armor (シャドーアーマー). They are again each stored in four separate programs that must all be collected before use. Both armors increase X's maneuverability and proficiency with the Z-Saber in different ways: the Blade Armor grants more aerial mobility, while the Shadow Armor helps him scale spikes, ceilings, and walls.
The Falcon Armor is available from the beginning, but as it was damaged in the previous game, its flight ability is limited to a damaging air dash. The Spear Charge Shot also lost its piercing properties, but X can now charge Special Weapons with the armor. Like Mega Man X4, the Ultimate Armor can be obtained only with the use of a code, and has a new black color scheme.
Mega Man X7[]
Mega Man X7 features the Glide Armor (グライドアーマー Guraido Āmā). Like the first four games from the series, the Glide Armor can be equipped one piece at a time, foregoing Mega Man X5 and X6's program system. Like later games however, X can remove the armor and perform missions without it once it has been fully assembled.
Mega Man X8[]
X receives a single Neutral Armor (ニュートラルアーマー) that can be customized by equipping parts from two sets of Armor Parts. While the player can mix and match parts as they desire, equipping a full set grants X access to its special ability.
- The Hermes Armor (ハーメスアーマー Hāmesu Āmā) focuses on movement speed and mobility. When the armor set is complete, X can use the X-Drive to enhance his abilities further. Its Parts are colored blue.
- The Icarus Armor (イカロスアーマー) focuses on offensive and defensive power. When the armor set is complete, X can use a Giga Crash to attack all enemies on-screen. Its Parts are colored red.
The Ultimate Armor also returns as a secret unlockable. It is an entirely separate option from the Neutral Armor selection, and thus cannot mix its parts with those of the Hermes and Icarus Armor. It combines the abilities of both armors to a large extent, and also grants X the classic Plasma Charge Shot and Nova Strike, plus a new Shouryuuken.
Mega Man X: Command Mission[]
Mega Man X: Command Mission has armors explicitly designed for the game that possess a vast arsenal of weapons, mostly enable combat capabilities without less special ones.
X's standard armor is called New Armor in the game. It allows X to equip the Booster Parts found in Gimialla Mine to break boulders. The most notable difference are the openings in the back, which, while X is moving, produce energy trails referred to in-game as a "scarf" ("Beam Muffler" in Japan).
X Fire (Cross Fire) is X's Hyper Mode. It is a special armor system that focuses on melee combat and is fire-elemental. In this state, X's LE and attack increase by 50%, his speed and WE gain increase by 25% and he takes half damage from most enemy attacks. X's buster is replaced with a tri-pronged attachment called the "X Collider", and can be charged with his Action Trigger to use the "Charge Collider". X's sub weapons are replaced by a Power Charge and a Shell Buster (this last has low accuracy). It however, cannot be used indefinitely and has a cooldown phase, reverting X back to normal after some turns. It presumably does not have long range combat capabilities.
X can also obtain a second Hyper Mode, the Ultimate Armor, by defeating Rafflesian. A stark change in appearance from previous Ultimate Armors in terms of design, but the color-scheme is back to the white, blue, red, and yellow detailing. It has X floating in place with both of his hands replaced with gigantic guns, which are utilized in all of his attacks.
Mega Man X DiVE[]
The game Mega Man X DiVE introduces the "Equipment" system, referred as アーマー (Āmā) in Japanese. It contains various armors which enhance the player's powers in HP, Attack, and Defence. The Equipment can be unlocked after the player reaches level 20, and a stronger set becomes available every 10 levels. Each set is divided in six parts: Helmet, Upper Body, Hand, Drive, Lower Body, and Foot.
There are 18 armor sets available in total, but the same armor is divided into different ranks:
- Lightweight (見習い Miranai, "Trainee"), upon reaching level 20
- Processed (ノーマル Nōmaru, "Normal"), upon reaching level 30
- Impact-Pesistant (プロト Puroto, "Proto"), upon reaching level 40
- Regular (プロテクト Purotekuto, "Protect"), upon reaching level 50
- Composite (ハンター Hantā, "Hunter"), upon reaching level 60
- Combat (ソルジャー Sorujā, "Soldier"), upon reaching level 70
- Assault (アサルト Asaruto, "Assault"), upon reaching level 80
- Elite (フォース Fōsu, "Force"), upon reaching level 90
- Next-Gen (ネクス Nekusu, "Next"), upon reaching level 100
- Glitch (ジーク Jīku, "Sieg"), upon reaching level 110
- Genesic (オリジン Orijin, "Origin"), upon reaching level 120
- Nova (ノヴァ Nova), upon reaching level 130
- Nightmare (ナイトメア Naitomea), upon reaching level 140
- Hero (ヒーロー Hīrō), upon reaching level 150
- Trait (レジェンダ Rejenda, "Legenda"), upon reaching level 160
- Legend (ファントム Fantomu, "Phantom"), upon reaching level 170
- Ultimate (エクストリーム Ekusutorīmu, "Extreme"), upon reaching level 180
- Eternal (エターナル Etānaru), upon reaching level 190
Previous armored versions of X can be played as a Hunter Program separately, includes all armors from X1-X5, Shadow Armor, and the Ultimate Armor from Mega Man X Command Mission. The New Armor, Designer Series Armors, and X Challenge Ultimate Armor are available as skins.
In addition, there are several original armors and forms available for X:
- DiVE Armor X - The first Hunter Program in the DiVE Armor series. It was based on the level 70 "Combat" armor parts in the game.
- Next DiVE Armor X - The last Hunter Program in the DiVE Armor series. It is a further upgrade from DiVE Armor X. It was based on the level 180 "Ultimate" armor parts in the game.
- Rathalos Armor X - X's data mixed with the data from a Rathalos. It was added during the first Monster Hunter Rise event.
- Shagaru Armor X - X's data mixed with the data from a Shagaru Magala. It was added during the Monster Hunter Rise: Sunbreak event.
- X Dante Trigger - A form based on Dante from Devil May Cry 5.
Other media[]
Rockman X by Yoshihiro Iwamoto[]
The Rockman X manga series by Yoshihiro Iwamoto follow the game locations of the armor parts for the most part, although they do not necessarily come from the capsules. Some examples would be the helmet of his first armor, which Zero found and presents to X after his defeat of Storm Eagle, claiming it to be a "medal" from Eagle to X. Or in cases such as his Third Armor, of which X did not collect any parts himself; instead, the program chips are obtained by the cured Doppel Town Mavericks and delivered by the pirate Marty. During his battle against Kaiser Sigma, X is completely obliterated, but the circular core gem of X's armor survives and regenerates him in his gold variation of the armor. At the very end of the X4 series, the Ultimate Armor obtained by X dispels from his body, revealing the Fourth Armor underneath.
Rockman X Mega Mission[]
X has obtained unusual armors of varying origins during the Limited incidents from the Rockman X Mega Mission carddass series.
The first power up was the Clear Armor, an armor forged by the Limited substance after X was contaminated with it in his fight against the Limited revived Wire Sponge. Although the armor was powerful, increasing his abilities and allowing him to use all Special Weapons he had used in the past, it threatened to take over X's body, initially infecting his arm and later spreading to his body and legs, forcing him to take advantage of his enemy's power to destroy the armor.
The second armor was the Giga Armor, the final form of the Energy Armor given to Zero by Dr. Light. Zero passed on the armor to X after freeing him from the control of a Limited device, Replicapture, and X who used the Giga Armor's stored energy to destroy Tackione with a Giga Crush.
During the third Limited incident, X and Zero received unexpected help from their former enemy Return X, who merged with them to create the X Armor in order to fight the Hyper Limited Mavericks. When Zero was defeated by Sigma Limited, his half of the X Armor combined with X's to create the All X Armor, which X used to defeat the enemy with the Double X Buster. The All X Armor melted away from energy depletion, although Return X regenerated later.
In Rockman X Mega Mission 4, X obtained the Grow Up Armor (グロウアップアーマー) from the wreckage of Himmel and Berg. The Body and Arm Parts were with Himmel, and Berg had the Foot Parts. The Arm Parts has the powerful G Up Buster. The shoulder nozzle controls the posture and can become a nozzle saw able to cut even steel.
In Rockman X Giga Mission, X had the Proto Blade Armor, built using the Falcon Armor as base for it. After fighting against a resurrected Slash Beast, his buster was infected by the Extreme, starting to mutate his armor and transforming it into the Extreme Armor.
Rockman X Giga Armor X[]
A figure of X designed by Kanetake Ebikawa has X with the Ride Chaser ADU-R381B Cavalerie, which can split into an armor for him named G.B.F. Armor ("Giga Beat Flügel Armor"[4]) and the support robot Rush Jagt.
Rockman Holic[]
X in his Sound Holic armor in one of the music videos.
Scrapped armors design[]
Trivia[]
- The idea of armor parts was thought of in a time RPGs were popular in the market, along with the concept of characters gaining experience points and new powers as they reached higher levels. Reflecting on this fact, the staff working on the first Mega Man X game decided on armor power ups to stand out in this trend. Hayato Kaji joked about the headbutt ability of X's first armor.[5]
- In the first three games, these armors are not actually named, but to facilitate communication, fans often use some specific names.
- According to the "Fourth Armor", the armors are called the "First Armor", "Second Armor" and "Third Armor" respectively. The names also appears in Mega Man X DiVE.
- The first Mega Man X armor is sometimes referred to as the "Light Armor", due to it being the first special armor created by Dr. Light. The name also appears in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.
- The Mega Man X2 armor is sometimes called the "Giga Armor" in reference to the Giga Crush provided by the Body Part. However, this conflicts with the Giga Armor from the Mega Mission 2 carddass story.
- Bandai's line of Rockman model kits refer to the Mega Man X3 armor as the "Max Armor", and referred to the Golden version as the "Hyper Max Armor."
- In later installments, X's armors come to bear dualistic themes:
- In Mega Man X5, the ideas of the Falcon and Gaea armors come to represent the concepts of Sky and Ground, respectively.
- In Mega Man X6, the ideas of the Blade and Shadow armors come to represent the concepts of the Samurai and Ninja, respectively.
- In Mega Man X8, the Icarus and Hermes models come to represent the concepts of Speed and Power, respectively.
- The Rockman X & Rockman X Mega Mission Selection Box booklet has concept art for an armor that is able to transform into a bird type support robot, similar to how the Ultimate Armor can become an aerial transport.
- Although Zero only got armor parts during gameplay in Xtreme 2 (not counting Absolute Zero or Black Zero), it is to be noted that Zero's body from Mega Man X2 had been created via upgradable parts that were meant to be implemented by Dr. Wily and created by Serges in the Japanese version of the game, similar to X's armors.
References[]
- ↑ Glide Armor Body Parts dialogue, Mega Man X7.
- ↑ Mega Man Maverick Hunter X save data.
- ↑ Kodansha Manga Hyakka #34: Rockman X Chō Hyakka. April 1996.
- ↑ Rockman-Unity: 【続報】ギガアーマーとは何か!?
- ↑ Mega Man X Official Complete Works - Page 7
Armors and Power-ups |
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X's armors in main Mega Man X series |
Armor Parts (Mega Man X) • Armor Parts (Mega Man X2) • Armor Parts (Mega Man X3) • Fourth Armor • Falcon Armor • Gaea Armor Blade Armor • Shadow Armor • Glide Armor • Neutral Armor (Icarus Armor • Hermes Armor) • Ultimate Armor |
Other characters and games |
Zero's Forms • Black Zero • White Axl • Hyper Mode (Ultimate Armor • Absolute Zero) • Monster Hunter armors • DiVE Armor |
Rockman X Mega Mission armors |
Clear Armor • Replicapture • Energy Armor • Neo Armor • Giga Armor • iX Armor • R-iX Armor |