Forms (Mega Man Zero 2)

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Mega Man Zero 2 introduces the Forms system, allowing Zero to change his abilities via specialized forms, which are all unlocked through various means.

The stars in the ratings of each statistic are not actually representations of the changes applied with each form, and represent the general weaknesses and strengths of each form.

Unlike previous upgrades in the series, forms can be changed at will through the Sub Screen.

Normal Form

"Your basic form when you begin."

Unlocked by: Starting the game.

POWER: ★★
DEFEND: ★★
SPEED: ★★

Normal Form is Zero's form at the start of the game. All of Zero's abilities are balanced, with no upgrades, but no downgrades. This and Rise Form are most suitable for standard gameplay with little to no restrictions.

Active Form

"Do jumping rolling slashes."

Unlocked by: Defeat 20 enemies with dashing Z-saber slashes.

POWER: ★★
DEFEND: ★★
SPEED: ★★★★

Active Form is the form for dash-and-slash tactics. Zero gains the jumping and dashing Rolling Slashes, and benefits a speed boost. Zero's Z-saber combo is restricted to a single slash. While Active Form is decent for normal stage play (e.g. defeating standard enemies and minibosses) Active Form is extremely weak against bosses, due to the single slash restriction. The Chain Rod's charged attack is the only attack that can perform a combo against bosses, as the Z-saber's 3-Slash combo is the only other attack that doesn't have a Hit priority of 1. This also applies to the Rolling Slash, with its hit priority of 1 making it about as effective as the jumping slash. Using charged attacks is necessary for efficient combat against bosses. It is important to note that having Sengatotsu activated will disable the dashing rolling slash.

Energy Form

"Many extra life energies."

Unlocked by: Pick up 25 Life Energy items during a mission.

POWER: ★★★
DEFEND: ★★
SPEED: ★

Energy Form is a form based on obtaining more health to repair damages rather than outright reducing damage (unlike the Defense Form). Health items drop slightly more frequently, slightly reducing the time it takes to fill up Sub Tanks, but the bonus is not large enough to make a large difference. The Buster Shot does 1 more damage per shot, but can only fire 2 shots at a time. The Z-Saber's triple slash combo is changed to do the second, second, then first slash, with a forced delay between strikes and 2 more damage on the last slash of the combo. Most damage bonuses are lost on bosses, so charged attacks are a necessity for efficient combat.

Defense Form

"Get defense power."

Unlocked by: Defeat 20 enemies with the Shield Boomerang during a mission.

POWER: ★
DEFEND: ★★★★
SPEED: ★★

Defense Form increases Zero's defensive power and the ability of the Shield Boomerang. The form by default decreases overall damage by half. The Shield Boomerang does 2 more damage, but due to the damage reduction against bosses, it merely becomes 1 extra damage point. Since the Shield Boomerang can only attack when charged, the overall damage output is much worse than other forms. The Z-Saber is notably downgraded with this form, doing half of the normal damage. While it is still able to perform combos, the Z-Saber is overall much weaker against foes and will lose its potency against weaker foes like Pantheons. This form is generally designed for players who like to avoid damage and if they have to endure it, reduce it to as minimal a loss as possible.

X Form

"Obtain the Buster Shot."

Unlocked by: Defeat 50 enemies in a mission with the Buster Shot.

POWER: ★★★
DEFEND: ★★
SPEED: ★★★

X Form is a form that increases the usefulness of the Buster Shot. The Buster Shot does +2 damage for every shot (+1 for bosses), but the damage boost does not apply to any of the EX Skills. The Buster Shot can also fire four bullets at a time, which is not incredibly useful due to the GBA's small screen size. X Form also restricts the Z-Saber's combo to a slow downwards slash, resembling X using the Z-Saber in Mega Man X6. As such, the Form cripples the viability of combos against bosses.

Power Form

"Use the slash with the saber."

Unlocked by: Pull items with the Chain Rod 30 times in a mission.

POWER: ★★★
DEFEND: ★★
SPEED: ★

Power Form gives a slight damage boost in exchange for speed. The Z-Saber now does +2 damage (+1 for bosses), while all of Zero's other attacks do +1 damage (+0 to bosses) against bosses. However, the Z-Saber loses its triple slash combo, and with it, its combo capabilities. Against bosses, the Power Form lacks usefulness, and its major draw, the damage increase, is rendered naught with all other weapons barring the Z-Saber, which only does an additional point of damage.

Erase Form

"Erase Enemy Bullets."

Unlocked by: Reflect 30 enemy projectiles with the shield boomerang during a mission.

POWER: ★★
DEFEND: ★★★
SPEED: ★★

Erase Form is a form fit for mobility mixed with aggressive defense. Zero gains the ability to erase small enemy bullets with the Z-Saber, but in return the Z-Saber's combo is reduced to a single, slow slash. Due to the nature of the game itself, putting oneself in the path of an enemy bullet is a noticeably more dangerous than using the Shield Boomerang or simply avoiding the bullet altogether. As it loses its combo potential, it lacks usefulness against bosses, and most boss attacks cannot be erased.

Rise Form

"3rd slash moves upward."

Unlocked by: Defeat 10 enemies in the air with the Z-Saber during a mission.

POWER: ★★
DEFEND: ★★
SPEED: ★★★

Rise Form is effectively a straight upgrade from Normal Form. Rise Form's third slash in the Z-Saber's combo becomes an upward slash, resembling the third slash in the Z-Saber's combo in Mega Man X6. This 'Rise Slash' is technically faster, but due to a forced delay after the second slash, the time for the saber's combo overall has no change. The 'Rise Slash' does 4 more damage (2 on bosses) and has a higher reach, in exchange for slight horizontal reach. Like Normal Form, the Rise Form is very useful for a balanced playstyle, also benefiting from one of the easiest unlock conditions of any form.

Proto Form

"Attack level is higher."

Unlocked by: Finish the game.

POWER: ★★★
DEFEND: ★
SPEED: ★★

Proto Form is unlocked upon completion of the game. It increases damage for all weapons and attacks by 2 (1 against bosses), while Zero takes twice as much damage as normal. Using this form also disables charged attacks, except for the Shield Boomerang, and Z-Saber's triple slash combo is reduced to one. This completely removes any combo potential against bosses. While playing Hard Mode, Zero is forced to used this form throughout the entirety of the game. The form can be used in either difficulty, and acts about the same in both, other than the charge attack and Cyber Elf restriction in Hard Mode.

Ultimate Form

"Command the charge attack."

Unlocked by: Finish the game after using ALL Cyber-elves.

POWER: ★★★
DEFEND: ★★★
SPEED: ★★★

Ultimate Form is effectively Zero's strongest form in the game and is Mega Man Zero 2's version of Ultimate Mode. All of Zero's abilities are usable as normal, and the Z-Saber's second and third hits get a +2 damage bonus (+1 against bosses), giving it the strength of Rise Form's combo, with a +1 with every weapon (+0 against bosses).

The biggest benefit of Ultimate Form (other than the unpunished usage of every Cyber Elf available) is the ability to instantly perform Charge Attacks via button inputs. However, the button inputs utilize the D-Pad, which makes the form less practical due to the possibility of accidental inputs.

• Z-Saber: Forward, Down, Attack
• Buster Shot (Lv.1): Down, Forward, Attack
• Buster Shot (Lv.2): Down, Forward, Down, Forward, Attack
• Chain Rod: Forward, Down, Forward, Attack
• Shield Boomerang: Down, Forward, Attack

Trivia

• There are many quirks regarding the Forms System.
  • The damage dealt by the charged Z-Saber slash, as well as all EX skills, are unaffected by forms. This means that the Defense Form, despite its damage reductions, will still hit hard with the charged slash and EX skills.
  • The speed stat seems to have been meant to primarily be an indicator of attack speed, rather than movement speed. This is indicated by the Power and Energy form's 1 star speed ratings, despite their movement speeds being unchanged. Active Form is the only form with a movement speed increase.
  • Similarly, the defense stat only indicates a change in Zero's damage taken on the Defense and Proto forms.
  • The Rise Form's third slash is supposed to be faster than the regular third slash. However, likely due to an oversight, it will only execute after the full animation of the second slash has played, resulting in a very minimal speed increase over Normal Form. This issue was addressed in Mega Man Zero 3, with the cyber elf "Lizetus".
  • The "DEFEND" stat is misspelled as "DEFEMD" only on the Ultimate Form's stat listing.