Mega Man X (video Game) - Re-releases and Remakes

Re-releases and Remakes

After the SNES version debuted, Mega Man X was ported by Rozner Labs to the IBM PC in 1995 and was packaged with a six-button game controller. Mega Man X received a separate PC release in Japan in 1996. Majesco republished the SNES version of the game in 1997. Nintendo of Japan also republished the game on its SNES Nintendo Power cartridge service in 1998. Mega Man X, alongside its next five direct sequels and Mega Man Battle & Chase, was compiled and made available on the Mega Man X Collection in North America for the Nintendo GameCube and PS2 in 2006.

An enhanced remake titled Mega Man Maverick Hunter X, or Irregular Hunter X (イレギュラーハンターX?) in Japan, was released worldwide for the PSP between 2005 and 2008. With the launch of the PSP, Keiji Inafune and his team debated on whether or not to create a Mega Man X9. "So, we decided that instead of going the X9 route, let's go back to the series' roots and rediscover what makes the X series so classic," Inafune concluded. "We felt that the best way to do that would be to make an X remake." Although the remake stays true to the original game in both gameplay and basic storyline, Maverick Hunter X features a total graphical overhaul with 3D character models and backgrounds, a remixed soundtrack, voice acting, and anime cutscenes. According to Yoshikawa, the character illustrations were updated to resemble both toys and the designs of Mega Man X8.

In addition to these changes, many power-ups in Maverick Hunter X, such as the armor capsules, are relocated to different levels. The remake also has a few extras including an original video animation titled "The Day of Σ" (which serves as a storyline prequel) and an unlockable mode to play through the game as the character Vile. Inafune implemented this mode to offer players a new perspective on the game through the eyes of a villain, feeling it would be "too obvious and boring" given an option to play as Zero.

Like the original game, Maverick Hunter X has received very positive reviews from critics, accumulating aggregate scores of 82% on Game Rankings and 79 out of 100 on Metacritic. Although the game did not meet sales expectations, it was later made available as a download from the PlayStation Network. The Japanese and North American versions were also bundled in a special compilation with Mega Man Powered Up, a remake of the original Mega Man.

Capcom released a port of Mega Man X onto FOMA and i-mode compatible mobile phones in Japan in 2007. Mega Man X has also been made available for purchase on the Wii Virtual Console service in Japan and North America in 2011 and in Europe in 2012. The game was ported to the Android operating system in Japan as a free download on November 18, 2011. Another remake of Mega Man X was released on the Apple iOS (iPhone and iPod Touch) on December 21, 2011. This version is based on the mobile phone version of the game and features touch controls, Game Center support, and a challenge mode with 80 levels. Weapon and armor upgrades can be purchased to ease the game's difficulty.