If Capcom's good for one thing, it's bringing their licenses around for a new chapter. Granted, it's not always the wisest decisions they can make (cough hack Final Fight Streetwise cough hack), but sometimes they strike gaming gold. Take Mega Man X, for example. Instead of just following another go-around with Mega Man facing Dr. Wily and his ridiculous robot creations, this sub-series instead took the hero seveal years into the future, where Reploids are wreaking havoc and our hero finds a few new colleagues to fight alongside with, including the fellow Maverick Hunter Zero, who packs a saber so cool that even Darth Vader would probably want one. The games were a hit when they began on the SNES, and Capcom eventually shifted to the PlayStation and Sega Saturn, adding anime-style cinemas and better soundtracks to the mix, as well as bigger bosses.

Granted, the series has since gotten a little stale with Mega Man X7 and X8 on the PS2, but at least Capcom was wise enough to give us all the old favorites in a retro collection. Mega Man X Collection chronicles the beginning of the series, running through the first six titles and even including a couple of extras for good measure, including a long-lost game that Sony never felt compelled enough to license for the original PlayStation. I suppose that's reason enough to celebrate in itself.

The games themselves don't differ too much, as they mostly play about the same. The original, Mega Man X, introduces gamers to the futuristic flavor of the series, and also introduces Zero to the mix, telling the tale of the Maverick Hunters and how the Reploids want nothing more than to squash the futuristic city flat. Mega Man X2 picks up right after one, with Mega Man thrust into a battle against a gigantic robot with a somewhat vulnerable head, and then taking off from there. Mega Man X3, surprisingly enough, doesn't take the SNES version but rather the import Sega Saturn version, complete with cinemas and an improved CD-backed soundtrack. I was surprised by Capcom's decision in this, as I was just expecting the 16-bit version. Very cool.

Things pick up with Mega Man X4, as you're given the choice of either Mega Man with his X-Buster cannon, or Zero and his, ahem, light saber. (I gotta make sure George Lucas doesn't burst through the door over the use of that term.) This is also where the cinemas are better introduced in the series. Mega Man X5 and X6 come into play shortly thereafter, although you might notice that the gameplay's waning a little bit in these later chapters. The exploratory "find the items" example of X5, for example, can get grating on the nerves. And some people might think X6 is downright poor, although I personally think it's pretty good. Not the best in the series, mind you, but certainly not poor.

The gameplay is just fine, emulated perfectly from the past versions to allow you to jump up walls, charge your weapon, and even perform ground and mid-air dashes (in the later versions) to help you get around. The boss battles get a little slow at first, but eventually pick up to challenge you, as your energy can easily dwindle away at the spray of bullets or a forceful attack. The challenge picks up rather well also, especially in the earlier X games. Mega Man X3 beaten the first play through? Nah, not unless you're some kind of Maverick yourself.

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