Mega Man X4, originally released in Japan as , is an action-platform game developed by Capcom. It is the fourth game in the Mega Man X series and the second game in the series to be released on the Sega Saturn and PlayStation. The two versions were released simultaneously in Japan in 1997. A North America release followed sometime thereafter, while Europe received only the PlayStation version in 1997. Mega Man X4 allows the player to choose between the two mechanoid "Reploids" protagonists at the beginning of the game: X, who uses traditional, long-range attacks; or Zero, who wields a short-range sword.
Taking place in the 22nd century, the Mega Man X series is set in a society populated by humans and intelligent robots called "Reploids," which are branded "Mavericks" if they commit crimes. Two Maverick Hunters, X and Zero, fight against a Reploid army called the "Repliforce" who are waging war against humanity to earn their independence. Development of the game started due to Capcom's desire to explore the franchise in a new hardware which proved to be difficult as they aimed to make the two protagonists unique when playing. Xebec produced the animated cutscenes.
Critical reception for Mega Man X4 has been generally positive. Critics praised the ability to play as either X or Zero, a concept many found to expand upon the then perceived exhausted gameplay formula of the Mega Man X sub-franchise during the 1990s. However, it was criticized for its lack of innovation and its English voice acting. In addition to its console versions, the game was released on Windows worldwide in 1998 and 1999 and on Japanese mobile phones in 2011 and 2012. It was in compilations for the PlayStation 2 and GameCube in 2006, the PlayStation Network in 2014, and the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One, as part of Mega Man X Legacy Collection released in 2018.
Gameplay
The gameplay in Mega Man X4 is similar to the previous installments of the Mega Man X series. The player is presented with a series of action-platforming stages that can be cleared in any order desired. In these stages, the player must avoid obstacles like falling debris and spikes, and destroy enemy robots to reach the end of the stages. Some levels contain ridable vehicles such as hover bikes called Ride Chasers and mechs called Ride Armors. The player character's maximum health can be extended by obtaining a "Heart Tank" in each of the eight stages. Two "Sub Tanks" can also be found, which can be filled with life energy and then be used to replenish the player's health at any time.
New to Mega Man X4 is the ability to play through the game either as X or Zero fully, (while Zero was playable in Mega Man X3, he acted only as a backup for X). The two characters cannot be switched during a playthrough. Though both of them go through the same stages, they operate differently and are challenged differently from the terrain. X wields the "X-Buster", a plasma cannon on his arm that he uses to attack foes from a distance. It can be charged to fire stronger shots. A new weapon is given to the player with each boss defeated while playing as X. These weapons have limited ammunition. In some stages, the player can find hidden capsules that contain armor upgrades that greatly enhance X's capabilities. Zero is more melee-oriented than X by using a "Z-Saber" sword. Rather than acquiring weapons from the bosses (with the exception of his Giga Attack), Zero learns special techniques that do not require ammo such as the "Hienkyaku" air-dash and "Kuuenbu" double-jump. However, Zero cannot upgrade any of his body parts in this game.
Plot
Mega Man X4 takes place in an ambiguous year in the 22nd century (21XX), where humans coexist with intelligent androids called "Reploids". A second Maverick-hunting group has been formed to supplement the Maverick Hunters, though its relationship with the humans is tenuous. The army, called the "Repliforce", is a military regime led by the giant Reploid General and his second-in-command, Colonel. The storyline differs slightly depending on whether the player chooses X or Zero.