Written by
Guanjin Feng, Singapore
updated on: 01/01/2008

Tips on using this guide - I've used keywords to help you better find rare
metals throughout the game. For example, for Axl's Shock Absorber you can
search for ABA, for Weapon Bottle Full, search for WBF. etc. To use the find
function ctrl+F or go to edit>find.

When I was playing Tim's guide to play megaman X8 PC on 25th Dec 2007 (Which was
ported from PS), I noticed it was not complete and not detailed enough. Then I 
realized it was last updated on 01/05/04! So unlikely there is going to be any 
updates. What I hope to provide is a more detailed walkthrough. This is also my 
first time writing a walkthrough, so please leave comments!

1) Game Intro / Game Play
2) Modes / Ranking
3) Choosing Game Characters
4) Armor / Weapons
5) Metals / Upgardes
6) Stages
   6b1 - Troia Base Stage
   6b2 - Pitch Black Stage
   6b3 - Primrose Stage
   6b4 - Metal Valley Stage
   6b5 - Dynasty Stage
   6b6 - Central White Stage
   6b7 - Inferno Stage
   6b8 - Booster Forest Stage
   6c1 - Jakob Elevator Stage
   6c2 - Gateway Stage
   6c3 - Sigma Palace Stage
   6d - Intermissions
7) Secrets and Tips
C) Credits
L) Legal Info

1) Game Intro / Game Play
I played through megaman X1-6 (Didn't play X7) There is really a great 
improvement from X6 to X8. The game is still played in 2D but graphics in 3D.You
are also able to choose 2 characters out of the 3 and swap between them. You 
also get to do the very cool-looking double attack, doing alot of damage. Bosses
and stages are alot harder. Stages tend to be very diffcult if you are playing  
it for the first time. Some of the bosses are hard, even if you are using 
'weakness' weapon against them. Bosses when they are damaged, enter into 
'Rage'(Red  glow) and 'Hyper'(Purple sphere). During this time, they are immune
to any forms of attacks. Thus, you'll always have a chance to see the bosses
unleash their full potential! Also a new combo system that has some uses!

You can switch characters anytime after the intro stage. Anytime you get
damaged, you'll have red-bar damage. The red-bar damages goes away over some
time, you can switch character to recover the red-bar damage.

When 2 characters are not knocked out and with the double-attack gauge full,
You are able to perform double-attack which deals 10 bars of damage. At anytime 
if one of the characters knock out (not by spikes or pits) you can bring back 
that character by filling the double-attack gauge also. The more combos you get,
the faster the guauge fills.

Throughout the game, you can collect metals. They are used as a form of $ to
purchase upgrades for your character. You no longer need to find the special 
heart item to increase your maximum life bar. Special rare metals must be found
for special upgrades for the characters

2) Modes / Ranking
Easy Mode
- Start game with all life powerups
- No rare Metals to find; you gain upgrades as you complete stages
- All enemies/bosses at half strength
- Cut Man battle not present in Optic Sunflower's stage
- Game ends after defeating Sigma
- Cannot get Ultimate Armors by continuing a save file

Normal Mode
- Start with 2 Retry Chips (5 if you buy all retry chips)
- Find rare metals throughout the stage to gain upgrades
- Bosses are left with 1 bit of hp after getting hit by X's Nova Strike
- Proper Game Ending
- Able to get Ultimate Armors after completing the game
- Able to play as one of the navigators

Hard Mode
- Start with 0 Retry Chips (3 if you buy all retry chips)
- Extra cutscenes after Vile battle and during Sigma fight
- All enemies/bosses have 2x health, are better defenders and do more damage

After you complete a mission, you'll be given a rank. Rank is determined by the
time you take to finish the mission, enemies killed, combos done, no damage
taken and finishing off the boss with a double-attack. It is only for fun and
no direct effect on the storyline or gameplay.

  Rank		Points
  ====		======
    S           250 - I only saw this on you-tube. To get this, you must get
                      everything nicely mentioned above including no damage..
  AAA		241+ - You are the greatest Maverick Hunter in history!
   AA		201-240 - Very good job
    A		101-200 - Great job
    B		51-100	- Average job
    C		1-50 - you need major improvement
    D		0 - you get this if you really sucked, or exited a stage.

3) Choosing Game Characters
///===X===/// "Play it safe"
Range: Normal
Damage: Normal
Defence: High
Speed: Normal
Combo: Low

Special - Charge shots, Use Armor Upgrades

Description: He's usually the person to choose if you dunno who to use for the 
mission. He got range, able to do good damage with charged shots. Also able to 
use Neutral Armor which allows you to custom choose the parts you want. With
his armor, he can fit into any situation and makes him hard to go down.
When bosses see X, they know it's a 'long' battle (long distance I mean)

///===ZERO===/// "Slash away for quick wins"
Range: Low
Damage: High
Defence: Normal
Speed: Low
Combo: Normal

Special - Able to use various weapons(must be bought), Do double jumps 

Description: Everyone's favourite. He's the man to pick if you want want damage
and clear missions quickly! Most of his attacks are close range, so you have to
dodge, get into range to dish out massive damage. With various weapon at his
disposal now, different weapons sometimes will mean different special moves he
gain from bosses! Try it! It's fun!
When bosses see ZERO, they know it's going to be a painful experience.

///===AXL===/// "Speed Ii the Key"
Range: High
Damage: Low
Defence: Low
Speed: High
Combo: High

Special - Continuous fire, Hover, fire at any diection, copyshot

Description: He's really fun to use if you know how to dodge really well with 
his speed. He's not really recommended against Bosses because of his low damage.
He's pretty fragile, so please handle him with great care.
Unless the bosses require you to keep a distance, for example that giant panda.
When bosses see AXL, they know it's going to be a ticklish experience.

4) Armor / Weapons
All the armors special recharge automatically after it's used.

***Hermes Armor***
Power-Up            Use              	       Location
Foot Parts H ------ Gain invincible dash ----- Burn Rooster's stage
Buster Parts H ---- Three-way charge shot ---- Optic Sunflower's stage
Body Parts H ------ Immunity to light damage - Dark Mantis' stage
Head Parts H ------ Faster charge speed ------ Avalanche Yeti's stage

SPECIAL: X-DRIVE - When atactivated, gives 5 way shot, Immunty to normal damage
but not heavy damage. The longer the armor(weapon) meter, the longer it lasts.

***Icarus Armor***
Foot Parts I ------ Jump higher than usual --- Bamboo Pandamonium's stage
                    Jumping attack  
Buster Parts I ---- Powerful laser attack ---- Noah's Park stage
Body Parts I ------ Halves damage taken ------ Earthrock Trilobyte's stage
Head Parts I ------ Jump to damage enemies --- Gravity Antonion's stage

SPECIAL: GIGA CRASH - like MMX2. The game freezes, the background changes and
do deal damage to the enemies on the whole screen. The longer the armor(weapon)
meter, the more damage it does.

***Ultimate Armor*** (Not Available at until game completed on normal/ Hard)
Foot Parts U ------ Move faster -------------- Beat game with 100% of X's items
                    Invincible dash
Buster Parts U ---- Gain Plasma Shot --------- Beat game with 100% of X's items
Body Parts U ------ Cuts damage by half ------ Beat game with 100% of X's items
Head Parts U ------ Jump higher      --------- Beat game with 100% of X's items

SPECIAL: sHORYUKEN - Press up+ Special attack button, X will do a shoryuken
SPECIAL: NOVA STRIKE - Jump + special attack button. X will do a flashy dash
which reduces bosses hp to 1 bar on normal diffculty

D Glaive ---------- Massive lance weapon ----- Dark Mantis' stage
B Fan ------------- Defensive Fan weapon ----- Gravity Antonion's stage
K Knuckle --------- Melee combat weapon ------ Gravity Antonion's stage
T Breaker --------- Powerful Hammer weapon --- Burn Rooster's stage
S Blade ----------- Sigma Sword       -------- Buy after you beat the game on
                                               normal or hard

***BLACK Zero*** (Get 100% of ZERO's items, which include S Blade)
Does more damage

Copy Shot - Certain enemies you kill with copy shot will leave their DNA. Which
allows you to tranform into them.

***WHITE AXL*** (Get 100% of AXL items, complete the game using him to finish 
off the final boss)
Has permanent hover (when firing), very useful in the burn rooster stage.


  X's Weapons
  > Weapons earned from defeated Mavericks:
     A weapon harnessing the power of light. It can be fired in 8 directions
     A gravity-based weapon. Creates localized black holes that suck up enemy 
     A darkness-based weapon. A boomerang with homing capabilities
     An electrical weapon. Bullets will automatically ricochet to the next
     A flame-based weapon. Sends flames crawling across the ground
     A weapon that harnesses the power of ice. It freezes opponents to absolute
     A weapon that uses the power of rock. A shield that can deflect enemy fire
     A weapon that uses the power of wood. It shoots gigantic missiles

  ++ Zero's Saber Techs/Weapons
  > Techniques earned from defeated Mavericks:
     Push Down and the special weapon button while grounded to fire a wave 
     attack (PC version has a printing error stating it is UP button)
     Push the special weapon button while grounded to attack barrier-protected
     Push the special weapon button in the air to slash, hold the special 
     button to spin
   - RAIKOUSEN (Can be done in the air)
     Push the special weapon button while dashing to execute this dashing slice
     Push Down and the special weapon button while in the air to execute a 
     flaming attack from above
     Press Up and the special weapon button while grounded to freeze enemies in
     their tracks
     Deflect energy shots fired by enemies. Weapon glows red instead of green
     Push the special weapon button and Right or Left while grounded to break
     enemies' barriers

  ++ Axl's Firearms
  > Firearms earned from defeated Mavericks: 
   - RAY GUN
     This laser can pierce through enemies.
     These powerful bullets can pierce any surface. Shoot right through walls!
     These arrows home in on targets. They hurt enemies even if stuck in walls.
     These powerful shots cover a wide range and can break enemies' barriers.
     This fearsome flamethrower roasts foes like marshmallows.
     This ice-derived ammo will make your enemies chill out.
     These shots reflect off walls, floors, and other surfaces for maximum
     This weapon launches time-activated grenades.


5) Metals / Upgrades
Enemies you cut down sometimes drop diffcult colored metals, their value are as

Blue Metal: Worth 1 Metal
Gold Metal: Worth 5 Metal
Red Metal: Worth 50 Metal
Purple Metal: Worth 100 Metal
Super Metal: Worth 2500 Metal (From defeated bosses)

Some upgrades you see are ???, these are uncovered by finding rare metals
throughout the stages
Rare White Triangular Metals: For all characters, X or AXL
Rare Cylinder Metals: For ZERO

* are items that are ???. For Alia Buster, Layer Rapier, Pallet Bullets and
sigma sword is only uncovered once you complete the game once on normal/hard 
mode.  Depending on which navigator you used the most, only one of the 
navigators weapon is uncovered. Also I noticed there is a printing error for 
weapon converter, which is suppose to convert the damage you take to weapon 

all: All characters can use this
A: Only Axl can use this
Z: Only Zero can use this

Item		            Use		     	 	   Cost/ Discount  Found
Life Bottle half (all) ---- restore some LE -------------- 50 / 45
Life Bottle full* (all) --- restore more LE -------------- 150 / 135 ----- LBF
Life Charge (all) --------- fill Life Sub Tank ----------- 50 / 45
Retry Chip 1 (all) -------- retry a stage ---------------- 100 / 90
Retry Chip 2 (all) -------- retry a stage ---------------- 200 / 180
Weapon Bottle half (all) -- restore some WE -------------- 10 / 9
Weapon Bottle full* (all) - restore more WE -------------- 30 / 27 ------- WBF
Weapon Charge (all) ------- fill Weapon Sub Tank --------- 10 / 9
Prickle Barrier (all) ----- can touch spikes 1x ---------- 200 / 180
Spare Energy (all) -------- survive critical hit --------- 250 / 225
Alia Buster (all) --------- makes Alia playable ---------- 40000 / 36000
Layer Rapier (all) -------- makes Layer playable --------- 40000 / 36000
Pallet Bullets (all) ------ makes Pallette playable ------ 40000 / 36000
Life Tank* (all) ---------- gives a Life Sub Tank -------- 1000 / 900 ---- LST1
                                                                      ---- LST2
Weapon Tank* (all) -------- gives a Weapon Sub Tank ------ 500 / 450 ----- WST
Hyper AT (all) ------------ AT Gauge fills quicker ------- 1500 / 1350
Escape Boost (all) -------- escape from enemies easier --- 1000 / 900
Metal Generator* (all) ---- generate Metals by running --- 5000 / 4500 --- MG
Metal Discount* (all) ----- discount prices by 10% ------- 5000 ---------- MD

Life Up (all) ------------- increases life meter --------- 1500 / 1350
Life Up +1 (all) ---------- increases life meter --------- 3000 / 2700
Life Up +2 (all) ---------- increases life meter --------- 4500 / 4050
Double Barrier (all) ------ doubles hit recovery time ---- 20000 / 18000 - XDB
                                                                         - ZDB
                                                                         - ADB
Speedy Recovery (all) ----- speeds up recovery gauge ----- 500 / 450
Weapon Up (all) ----------- increases weapon meter ------- 500 / 450
Weapon Up +1 (all) -------- increases weapon meter ------- 1000 / 900
Weapon Up +2 (all) -------- increases weapon meter ------- 1500 / 1350
Chain Combo (all) --------- makes for easier combos ------ 1000 / 900
Super Recover (all) ------- recover more energy ---------- 1500 / 1350
Spike Walker (all) -------- slows down slide speed ------- 500 / 450
Weapon Converter* (all)---- Covert damage taken to ------- 500 / 450 ------ XWC
                            weapon meter                             ------ ZWC
                                                                     ------ AWC
Shock Absorber* (A/Z) ----- No Knockback when taking ----- 15000 / 13500 -- ASB
                            damage                                          ZSB
Shield Armor* (A/Z) ------- halves damage taken ---------- 15000 / 13500 -- ASA
                                                                         -- ZSA

Saber Skill +1 (Z) -------- adds 1 move to Saber combo --- 3000 / 2700
Saber Skill +2 (Z) -------- adds 1 move to Saber combo --- 4500 / 4050
D Glaive* (Z) ------------- Massive lance weapon --------- 1000 / 900 ----- ZDG
K Knuckle* (Z) ------------ Melee combat weapon ---------- 1000 / 900 ----- ZKK
B Fan* (Z) ---------------- Defensive Fan weapon --------- 1000 / 900 ----- ZBF
T Breaker* (Z) ------------ Powerful Hammer weapon ------- 1000 / 900 ----- ZTB
S Blade* (Z) -------------- Sigma sword ------------------ 30000 / 28000


6) Stages

> BOSS: Giant Mechaniloid
> RECOMMENDED CHARACTERS: Nil (X / Zero for rare metals)
> POWER-UPS: 2x Rare Metal (WBF, ASB), Buster Parts I

Blast away anything that comes your way, collecting metals along the way.
Eventually you'll come down a waterfall and meet your first miniboss

  This boss is really easy if you know what to do. Use Axl, jump and hold in
  mid-air and keep firing at his head. When he fires out his arm, just jump and
  hold mid-air in the middle. If you want to end this fight early, do the 
  double attack when the boss stops moving and goes down after taking damage.

When the mini-boss is beaten, continue to the right to trigger a dialogue 
sequence, after which you'll control Axl. He can hover in the air and shoot in 
multiple directions. Hover across the pit. There's a rare metal above you which
you can't reach yet. So continue on.

  You need to revisit this stage for this metal. Right after the pit you hover 
  across, use either Zero to double jump or X with the Foot Parts I to grab a 
  ledge where the rare Metal sits. You can redeem this one at the R&D Lab for 
  a Weapon Bottle Full.

Back to the stage, head to the right, destroying the crabs, bats, and missile-
firing enemies, and proceed to the stone gate. Head inside and hang out on the 
left-hand side of the room. Alternate between firing diagonally and straight to
destroy all the bats as they fly down, and collect the Metals and energy left 
behind when you have beaten them all. Exit this room through the gate, and 
proceed a little ways to trigger another cutscene, after which you'll take 
control of Zero. Zero has his trademark triple slash and double-jump to aid him
in combat. Above you is a rare Metal, but you can't get it just yet.

  RARE METAL #2 (X with Head Parts I) *ASB*
  Once you get the Head Parts I upgrade, equip it on X and return here. Use 
  Zero to double jump (or X with Foot Parts I also) to grab hold of a ledge
  above you, then have [X] crack the rock above with a jump. Jump up again
  to collect the rare Metal, which you can redeem at the R&D Lab for Axl's
  Shock Absorber.

Back to the stage, however, head to the right and drop off the edge, then comes
Your 2nd mini boss

  This one is really easy. When you enter, the boss drops small crabs which
  drops items that charge your double-attack meter. When your double-attack
  meter is full, do your double-attack when the boss shows it's head out of the
  waterfall.  That will really end this quick.

Head to the right to trigger another dialogue sequence, after which you'll be 
left in control of Zero again. Keep going to the right to fight a host of small
Mettaurs, weird giant mechaniloids, and Bladeys. Eventually, you'll reach a 
high ledge that Alia will contact you about.

  You'll have to come back for this one as well, because the door is locked at
  this point. Come back here after defeating one Maverick, and the door leading
  to the capsule will be open. Step inside to get the Buster Parts I upgrade.

Use Zero's double jump to reach the high ledge, and fight the large Bee at the 
top. Go forward and enter the next door to engage in another bee-slashing fest. 
After this, you'll take control of X again. Have X destroy the next group of 
enemies by charging his X-Buster. Drop down and head right into the corridor, 
and destroy the remaining enemies. Hit the panel with your weapon to trigger 
the compressor walls, then leap up and head right into the next room. Use Zero 
to double jump to the area above you, then clear the enemies and hit the next 
switch. Drop back down and collect the full-life refill and the red Metal, then
enter the door to reach another dialogue sequence. Meet the boss again for the
final showdown

  The Mechaniloid employs a barrier shield in this round, which can be broken
  either with Zero's triple slash, or X's Charge Shot. For a quicker time, have
  Zero break it, then switch to X so you can hit the head with a fully-charged
  shot. Repeat this strategy until the Mechaniloid has under 10 units of life
  left. Break its shield a final time, then jump and use the Double Attack on it
  to finish off the boss (which boosts your rank and gives you a special "EXF" 
  symbol on the "stage cleared" screen).

After the intro stage, you can pick one of the usual 8 stages. You can only
come back to the intro stage (Noah Park) after you destroy 1 Maverick first.
Below is the recommended order for easier gameplay. You don't have to follow
if you are really experienced.

*NOTE* If you've defeated two or seven Mavericks, Vile may appear to replace
mini-boss in some stages.

> BOSS: Optic Sunflower
> RECOMMENDED CHARACTERS: Zero/AXL (X for buster parts) 
> POWER-UPS: 3x Rare Metal (ZWC, LST1, MG), Buster Parts H

This stage is a set of training scenarios. The fun part is that what items you
get (as well as the actual difficulty of the stage) depends on how well you
perform in the training. The only enemies in this stage appear in the training 

   Scenario 1: Destroy as many Bulbrites as you can (Destroy 90+ to S-Rank)
               Using AXL is easy to gain S rank in this one. Just stay in the 
               middle and fire in the direction bulbrites is coming.

   Scenario 2: Destroy the falling Bulbrite (10 seconds to S-Rank)
               This one is kind of hard for the first trip. You can use AXL 
               Blast Launcher or Zero's D Glaive or S blade to make a short 
               work out of it
   Scenario 3: Destroy the floating Bulbrite (5 seconds to S-Rank)
               This one is really hard, again use AXL Blast Launcher or S blade
               to finish off quickly. Watch out for the pits!

   Scenario 4: Destroy the two jumping Bulbrites (10 seconds to S-Rank)
               Use AXL's blast launcher and keep firing them from above. Zero
               D glaive with RASETSUSEN (spinning mid-air attack) will make
               this real quick. Again, watch out for the pit. Time your double
               attack if you got a hard time hitting them to get S-rank.
   Scenario 5: Destroy the gigantic Bulbrite (10 seconds to S-Rank)
               You can use Axl's normal gun to achieve this. Just keep firing
               at it. Axl's ray gun will make this even faster.

   Scenario 6: Destroy the flying Mechaniloid (10 seconds to S-Rank)
               Use Zero, get near and start chopping away. Best if you can use
               Zero's RASETSUSEN.

   Scenario 7: Destroy the two sentinels (10 seconds to S-Rank)
               Vile might appear here instead if you have already defeated 2
               mavericks. Dash towards the 2nd one and start slashing away or 
               use Zero's SASETSUSEN. Use double attack if possible.

   Scenario 8: Destroy the giant mechaniloid (40 seconds to S-Rank)
               This one is really easy if you can hit it with Zero's D Glaive,
               if not start slashing away or fire away with AXL or X's charged

The rest of the stage consists of just traveling from one training area to the
next, picking up Metals along the way. If using Pallette, she'll contact you
in one of the rooms with a tall vertical wall on the right-hand side.

  LIGHT CAPSULE (X with Squeeze Bomb)
  Climb the wall and use an air-dash to the left from the ledge leading to the 
  hatch to reach the area, then use X's Squeeze Bomb to break the wall down 
  leading to the capsule. Step inside to get the Buster Parts H upgrade.

A little further along in the stage, you'll reach an area where you'll have to
work at climbing up a staggered left-hand wall. There's another item to be
gotten here, as well.

  This one's easy. About midway through the stage, you'll have to climb up a 
  set of staggered ledges to reach the next doorway. About halfway up, use an
  air-dash (or Axl's hover) to reach a ledge where this one sits. This one can
  be redeemed at the R&D Lab for Zero's Weapon Converter.

The only really tough parts of the level are a section where you need to either
hover or carefully air-dash across segments of staggered ceiling, and the spike
section towards the end. This one's configuration will change depending on your
scores in the training simulations. The best advice is to simply time your air 
dashes well, and use Axl's hover ability. The good thing is that some of the
spike traps have invisible walls on the sides that give you a bit of breathing
room when lining up your dashes.

When you've cleared the final scenario, you'll reach a room where your spoils
of battle will appear, including Metals, Energy refills, and one of the two
items below, provided you fulfill the requirements.

  You have to complete at least 5 scenarios with an S-Rank to get this one. Re-
  deem it at the R&D Lab to gain a Life Sub-Tank.

  You'll need to S-Rank every scenario for this one. Redeem it at the R&D Lab to
  gain the Metal Generator, which generates Metals simply by you running.

Finally, if you're playing on Normal or Hard Mode and get S-Rank on all
scenarios,  you'll see a final warp just inside the boss hallway. 
No matter what navigator you're using, they'll all contact you to give 
information about a mysterious packet of data called "CM" that's been 
downloaded. Head into the teleport to...

... battle Cut Man? It's Cut Man from the Classic series, right down to the
8-bit music, and slightly 3D-rendered version of his room. Cut Man's old 8-bit
sprite is used, and even flips around in cool Paper Mario style. Hardly any 
kind of threat, dispatch him to reach the boss chamber where you'll take on
Optic Sunflower.


  Optic Sunflower's weakness is the Green Spinner (or the corresponding charac-
  ter's equivalent), but you'll have to make do with your default weapon for 
  now. Axl's Bullets can do decent damage to any opponent, so I suggest using
  him when you want to score some quick hits. Sunflower's trademark move is to
  dissolve and reappear somewhere else in the room, so your best chances of
  hitting him are when he's on the ground. If you can, avoid the other attacks
  he uses by dash jumping (use Tag Assist if you get caught in one of his pris-
  matic bubbles) while striking him repeatedly. Most of his attacks can be
  avoided hiting behind / under the blocks. When Sunflower goes into Hyper
  Mode, he'll utilize a powerful seeking laser attack. The trick to dodge it is
  when the laser goes into 1 thin line before it starts blinking, dash away. 
  Finish offSunflower with a Double Attack for the final hit to earn the 
  boosted rating and the "EXF" as part of your records.

6b2 PITCH BLACK STAGE   ***NOTE: Good place to stock up metals!***
> BOSS: Dark Mantis
> RECOMMENDED CHARACTERS: Zero/Axl (All for rare metal)
> POWER-UPS: 3x Rare Metal (LST2, ASA, ZDG), Body Parts H

Before going into detail on the walkthrough, it should be noted that the Light
Capsule is the only item that can be gotten before using Axl to get into the
Generator room. The ledges will appear after that, and they'll be a lot easier 
to get once you use Gigavolt Man-o-War's weapon to turn the lights on. From the
start, move forward past the lasers and Dark Mettaurs to reach the first passage
in the wall. Move through it, and drop down through the shaft (slide down if
you don't want to take damage), and head left into the next passageway. Avoid
the sensors and head through the gate to reach a cadre of sentinels who have
been alerted to your presences. Shoot/slash your way through them to take them
all out, and grab the refills and metals when you're finished. By the way if
you want to get 999 hits, switch to AXL with ray gun, get spotted by the sensor
Then dash to one corner and keep firing the ray gun at the coming sentinels.
This is one of the best spots to gain metals if you can dispose the sentinels
quickly after getting spotted by the light sensors.

When you reach the large room with the spotlights, maneuver past them until you
see a lone guard standing. Have Axl defeat it with the Copy Shot to pick up a 
DNA Core, then at the end of the road (before the drop), air-dash over to a 
ledge. Climb up, transform, and press Special Attack to perform a salute to the 
sleeping guard. He'll let you into a room with the generator, from which you 
can gain the majority of the items here. Only problem is, you need the Thunder
Dancer, which you get from Gigavolt Man-O-War. Come back here when you have it,
and getting the items will be made easier.

  RARE METAL #1 (X's Crystal Wall/AXL) *LST2*
  You have to have already defeated Earthrock Trilobyte, and you need to use X
  to charge the Crystal Wall. In front of the generator, the triangle-shape on 
  the floor, then charge the weapon to "mine" the rare Metal. Redeem it at the 
  R&D Lab for another Life Tank.

  RARE METAL #2 (ZERO/X with Foot Parts I) *ASA*
  After turning on the lights, backtrack along the path you came until you see 
  ledges high above you. With either Zero or X (if you have the Foot Parts I
  equipped), jump up and travel along the ledges to eventually reach the Metal. 
  Redeem it at the R&D Lab for Axl's Shield Armor.

  RARE METAL #3 (ZERO/X with Food Parts I) *ZDG*
  Right before the door where you face group of sentinels. Use either X with 
  the Icarus Foot or Zero to jump up to a ledge, then jump up to another one 
  just barely obscured by the ceiling to reach the out-of-view Rare Metal. 
  Redeem it at the R&D Lab for Zero's D Glaive.

After entering the next door, you'll face another group of sentinels who just
want to beat you up. Zero's best for just hacking away at them, but X's charged
shot can clear a bunch out in one blast. Use Axl's ray gun to make a short work
out of them. Eliminate them how you see fit, and collect the goodies that 
appear once you've terminated them. Be cautious - as the passageway ahead is 
completely dark, and you have to rely on a slow floating Bulbrite 
(unless you're good and memorize the layout of the passage). Jump over the 
first spike pit (pretty much directly in front of you, and move forward until 
you see an electrical trap. Blast it, and dash jump to clear a nicely-hidden 
spike pit in front of you, then drop off the block to reach solid ground. 
From here, just run forward to clear the entirely-darkened area, and grab the
refills in the next corridor. Ahead of you is the third elevator shaft, as well
as the final item of the stage.

  You don't need the lights on for this one. (If using Pallette to navigate, she
  will comment on the height of the shaft). On the 3rd Evevator shaft
  Simply climb up the right side of the elevator shaft to reach a passage 
  leading to the capsule. Enter it and the Body Parts H will be yours

After you grab the capsule, slide down the right-hand wall in between the laser
beams (or just drop and switch out to recover the damage), and fall into the
passage leading to the right. Move past the sensors and take out the last two
sentinels to reach the boss gate.

  Dark Mantis can be easily taken down with X's Shining Ray or Axl's Ray Gun;
  hitting him with the Zero's Tenshouha is a bit difficult given how close 
  you have to be. Mantis likes to leap along the walls and fire down his
  Shadow Runner and Black Arrow attacks. Shadow Runner is easily avoided, but
  the Arrows stick on the ground for a short time, forcing you to air-dash
  over them. The Shining Ray has a wide field of range, making it the optimum
  weapon to use. When Mantis goes into Hyper Mode, he'll fly into the center of
  the room and swipe his huge blade at you. It hits half a screen and a little
  more. Watch the direction he starts to swing it in, and dodge accordingly. 
  For the final hit, try to finish him with Double Attack for the boosted rank.

> BOSS: Gravity Antonion
> RECOMMENDED CHARACTERS: X /Axl (X/Axl for rare metal)
> POWER-UPS: 2x Rare Metal(ZKK, ZBF), Head Parts I

Antonion's stage should be fairly reminiscent of Gravity Man's stage, for those
veterans of Mega Man who date back to the good old days of Mega Man 5 (or if
you've gotten pretty good with the Anniversary Collection...). The basic trick
here is navigating the puzzles to find the teleports while manipulating gravity
switches. The first few are easy, and are designed to get you into the hang of
it. As you move through the stage, you'll have more than one type of switch and
you'll have to plan your moves a bit more carefully. Unless you wind up totally
trapping yourself, you usually have one or two seconds of time to get yourself
out of any bind you may be walking into when switching the gravity. 

  RARE METAL #1 (X with Charged Crystal Wall) *ZKK*
  Climb up the wall and either use a well-timed dash jump or Zero's double jump
  to grab the side of the large block near the top. Climb on top of it and 
  stand by the wall, using X's charged Crystal Wall to unearth the Metal. Re-
  deem it at the R&D Lab for Zero's K Knuckle.

If using Layer as your operator, she'll alert you to a Reploid with copyable
DNA in the third room. Switch to Axl and use Copy Shot (Triangle by default) to
capture a DNA Core from one of the Runnerbombs (The orange sentinels that is
skating on the spikes), then switch back to X. Use him to clear the rest of the
stage up until the mini-boss. Follow the directions below to clear it easily. 

Just past the next teleport is one of two battles - either the block mini-boss,
or a battle with Vile (Vile appears randomly after two Mavericks have been 
beaten, and again after another five Mavericks have been beaten). If you get 
Vile, just pelt away at him with your default weapon until he goes away. If you 
get the blocks mini-boss instead, refer to the below strategy.


  This mini-boss consists of six moving spiked blocks, and is easy to deal with
  once you memorize its pattern. Because of Axl's ability to hover, he's the
  character of choice to use here.

                      |			             |
                      |			       	     |
                      |			             |
                      |			             |
                      >			             >
                       entrance		     exit

  Using this diagram, picture the room, and the six blocks at the top. When each
  one falls or rises, a large spike will protrude from the end that the block is
  traveling in, so you need to work around the spikes as well as the blocks. At
  the start, Block #6 will descend. Dash Jump on top of it as it falls, and stay
  on the wall as the others descend. Next, Block #3 will ascend. Hover over to
  it and drop into the gap in the floor. After all the blocks have risen back,
  Block #2 will descend. Jump on top of it and cling to the wall, and wait for
  the sequence to finish. At this point, the blocks will start to move a bit
  faster. Block #6 will descend again, but don't make a move for it. Jump off
  the wall when Block #3 descends, and quickly drop into the gap. Now, you can
  just run back and forth between the gaps of Blocks #3 and #4 as the others go
  up and down repeatedly. Keep running so you don't get smashed by the spikes,
  and just wait it out until the blocks reset to the ceiling.


After completing the puzzle, collect the goodies that are left behind, and head
through the hatch to reach another warp. Take it to a new room, where Pallette
will alert you to an extra warp. Use Axl to take out the shield cannons, then 
hit the two gravity switches in the room to change the gravity field.

  After switching the room configuration around so you're facing the spike pit,
  switch to Axl and use the Runnerbomb DNA Core that you picked up earlier. Run
  across the spikes and drop into the first pit to reach a gravity warp leading
  to the capsule. Step inside to get the Head Parts I.

After exiting the capsule area, switch back to Axl and change into his Runner-
bomb Form again. Climb out of the spikes and head right, hitting the switch at 
the top-left. Wait there for a block to come crashing down, then climb your way
back out of the spike pit and hit the switch on the left-hand wall. Change back
to X, and drop into the warp at the bottom-right.

The next room consists of some moving block puzzles. Defeat the shield cannons
and hit the switch to rotate the room. From here, keep moving to the right, and
switch in and out of Axl's Runnerbomb Form when you're dropping off the screen.
Grab the red and purple Metals in the room, and enter the warp at the far end
of the room. The next area is even larger, and there's a precious Rare Metal to
be had here. Make sure you have enough of Axl's weapon energy left - you'll need

  The Rare Metal is right below. Sitting on some spikes to the left, opposite 
  of the exit warp. Redeem this at the R&D Lab for Zero's B Fan.

If you have energy left, make a run for the warp across the room (it should be
one level up), and switch back to X once you've exited the area. The last sec-
tion is one more staircase structure leading to the boss gate. Defeat the enemy
Mechaniloids for Metal and energy refills before heading in to challenge Gravity


  Gravity Antonion can be beaten easily with the default weapon, but X's Shadow
  Runner is easier to hit with, and Axl's Black Arrow is good for hitting him
  when he's moving about the area at rapid speed. Antonion's main move is to
  either scamper around the room or create large blocks and (a) hurl them at
  you, and (b) reverse the gravity field in an attempt to make the blocks land
  on you. After taking off about half of his life, Antonion will create a large
  black hole in the middle of the room that absorbs attacks - this will sort of
  force you to attack differently, making Axl a better choice at this point.
  Once forced into Hyper Mode, Antonion will unleash a rapid-fire burst of
  gravity blocks. Dash back and forth to avoid the attack when you see it com-
  ing, and continue to hammer him when you get the chance. For a boost in rank,
  take Antonion down with a Double Attack.

6b4 METAL VALLEY STAGE   ***NOTE: Good place to stock up metals!***
> BOSS: Earthrock Trilobyte
> RECOMMENDED CHARACTERS: X/Axl (X/Zero for rare metal)
> POWER-UPS: 3x Rare Metal (LBF, ZDB, MD), Body Parts I

Don't be intimidated by this giant mechaniloid, because he is rather easy to 
avoid. Just keep dashing and using X's charged shots, and you will have little 

  When you arrive at the rib cage (should be a few seconds into the level) jump
  on top on the marrow matter, and hop from bone to bone. The metal is high in 
  the air on the last one (Zero's a good choice for trying this one). This one 
  can be made into a Life Bottle Full at the lab.

Keep running from the Mechaniloid, leaping over the crates and blasting the 
enemies. Jump up a few cliffs, and run against some conveyor belts, and you'll
eventually reach a switch where you're forced into a mini-boss battle.


  X is your man. The lever at the top of the cliff is what you are aiming for. 
  Wait briefly next to him. Once he lower's his view, dash up the top of the 
  cliff, and fire (note: this works best NOT using the Buster Parts I). Repeat 
  this 3 times until he goes running off in to the distance. Swap to Axl and
  keep firing at him to get alot of metals. Ray gun will help you to get even
  more metals!
  *NOTE* If you want to gain unlimited metals- Take Axl, sit directly in front
  of the gas tanks (where the light capsule is). Keep on firing at the giant
  mechaniloid from there, the mechaniloid would keep firing it's laser but it
  wouldn't be able to reach you. Use the ray gun for gain metals even faster!

  You can reach this one after the Mechaniloid has begun fleeing. On your way 
  back down, have Axl stand at the edge of the cliff above the Light Capsule,
  and hover off to the left to grab a beam. Continue hovering to the left until
  you reach the Rare Metal. This one will give you Zero's Double Barrier when
  bought from the Chip lab.

  Once the mechaniloid starts going in reverse, look for the capsule just below
  the first cliff. It was originally blocked up, but the rocks have been des-
  troyed by the giant mech's rampage. Use Melt Creeper to blast away the gas 
  tanks (Storm Eagle?), and the Body Parts I will belong to you.

  RARE METAL #3 (X with charged crystal wall) *MD*
  This one you need the Crystal Wall for, and some Buster part to charge it up.
  Come back to this stage and defeat the Mechaniloid again, then chase it. When
  it runs over a wooden plank that breaks under its weight (it has two chunks of
  gold metal), drop into the pit and use a charged Crystal Wall to raise the
  Rare Metal from the ground. This handy one gives the Metal Discount, an item
  which reduces the prices of the items by 10%.

Continue chasing the Mechaniloid all the way to the start of the stage, where a
new path will be open for you. Inside, you'll face either the Crystal Wall mini-
boss or Vile.


  If you do not meet up with Vile, you will encounter the Crystal Wall. It will
  start out by doing a left, then right pattern, which is very easy to avoid. 
  Simply jump over, and adjust the speed of your jumps to the speed of the Cry-
  stals. Soon, it will soon switch off to coming from all four corners of the 
  room. Stand in the center, and jump when the pair on the bottom start coming 
  for you. After Trilobyte gets bored (I guess), the next door will unlock.

Say hello to the giant Mechaniloid again! Run to the ledge and ride up the lift
to begin the next battle.


  Same fight, the only difference is you must go back and forth between two 
  levers instead of one. Use the original strategy, but be certain to wait until
  the crane moves back to its original position before using the lever again.
  Also be sure to alternate between the two, and jump to avoid his plasma shots.
  If it gets especially angry, it'll grab you (use Tag Assist), punch you, or
  use that giant fire beam, which is a bit trickier to avoid. Keep hitting him
  and you'll prevail.


  Depending on who you're using, use the weapon you got from Antonion to destroy
  his armor shell, and continue to hit him from there. Of the three characters,
  Zero does the most damage with the Juuhazan, but he's left open to attack for
  most of the move. X is best for dodging the bullets that reflect off of the
  walls, so switch between the two, using X's Squeeze Bomb to pass through the
  Crystal Walls he erects. When he goes into Hyper Mode, he'll begin rapidly
  using the Crystal Wall. This could have been a very hard fight, but the dev-
  elopers seem to have forgotten the fact that a very similar attack was used 
  for the mini-boss, making the learning curve minimal. Use X to climb and jump
  the intial batch, and shoot through them with charged X-Buster shots, or 
  Squeeze Bomb. If you have Axl, use his hover towards the end to avoid the
  smashing attack, or have Zero wipe him out with Juuhazan. Of course, you could
  try for the Double Attack, but chances are the gauge isn't full. If it is, go
  for it, and get the boost in rank plus the EXF mark.


> BOSS: Gigavolt Man-o-War

Attack of the Clones, anyone? First off, be prepared to experiment, and endure
frustration if you plan to beat this level (though once you get the hang of the
level, and forget everything you learned in Driver's Ed. about tailgating, it
becomes easier). With that being said, make sure the two characters you take
into the level have a decent amount of weapon energy (So haul yourself to the
Lab and buy the Weapon Up items). X and Zero are the best ones to use for this
stage, so upgrade them first.

When you first enter the level, Gigavolt will speed past you. Immediately start
boosting (special button) to catch up, and grab that first Boost Refill. Your 
goal is to collect these as you come across them and use them to stay on 
Gigavolt's tail. Keep firing away to score hits, and watch the condition of his
ship. When it starts really flaming and smoking, you're almost done. As for 
navigating the stage, it can get tough in some areas. If you go for a bit 
without collecting any Boost Refills, switch to your sub character and use his 
energy. After the first segment, Gigavolt will fly through an annoying 
spiraling area. Push hard up on the D-Pad, and don't try to shoot through the 
surrounding promotional material, because you will lose. Keep collecting Boost 
Refills, even if it means giving us a few pellets in your life meter. You need 
speed. If you ever fall behind, and your shots are not connecting, aim just 
above Gigavolt's head.

When you reach the tunnel area, this is another good place to score some cheap 
hits on Gigavolt. Make sure you pull to the right in order to collect the Boost
Refill. After a vertical chase segment, it'll begin again close to the start of
the stage, but alarms and red lights will start going off, making it a bit more
difficult. Your goal, of course, is to defeat him before it gets to this point.
After it cuts to a cutscene and the screen turns white, it's time for a battle.

The trick to win this battle fast is the first part of this stage when you are
very near the boss. Keep very close and fire away, using Boost when you are
drawn away. Avoid taking damage as it'll slow you down. I got it down before it
goes into the tunnel with 1 weapon bar upgrade.


  If you got his weakness weapon, any hit from Zero will soften him up like
  jelly. Keep doing that till he goes Hyper and pay close attention to the 
  floor. A few areas will starting lighting up, get away from those spots at 
  once. After he has unleashed his lightning attack 3 times, chop him up and 
  finish off with a double-attack

> BOSS: Avalanche Yeti
> RECOMMENDED CHARACTERS: X/Zero (X/Zero for rare metal)
> MISSION OBJECTIVE: Restore power to the environmental control system.
> POWER-UPS: 1x Rare Metal (AWC), Head Parts H

This is another Ride Chaser level, but much more fast-paced than the Dynasty.
Like that stage, it will require quite a bit of trial-and-error, but it gets
easier as you practice. X and Zero are the best bet for the mini-boss and Yeti,
but you might consider Axl since his rapid fire can take care of the constant
flow of enemies with ease. You'll start off racing forward. Maneuver using the
D-Pad or the Left Stick while blasting at the enemies, and use the blue ramps
while dashing to fly over the crevasses. Eventually, the music will change and 
you'll reach a mini-boss.


  How frustrating. Make sure X is charged. Start by zooming towards the mini- 
  boss and unleash your charged shot. Switch out to Zero at once, and start  
  pelting him with saber fire. When the mini-boss lifts in to the air, back off
  a little bit to avoid the bombs he throws at you (Zero works best at destroy-
  ing these). Once he touches back down, repeat the process. If you're quick
  enough, you can wipe him out before he even gets the chance to drop bombs.


After defeating it, the stage gets much worse. Pay extremely close attention to
the ramps after you clear the zig-zagging section with the Bulbrite traps. Take
the first if you want, but the second ramp is imperative (or else risk a very
harrowing ride with tons of ramps and pits). Shoot the Bulbrite in front of it
and hold right to enter the cavern on the right-hand side. In here, stay in the 
center and blast away to destroy the bombs. Once you exit, you'll have to leap 
across two more ramps before the second mini-boss.


  This is more or less the same fight as before, though the ship has a lot more
  HP, and he adds a ramming move after dropping the bombs. When he does this,
  watch to see what side he settles on, then pull hard in the opposite direction
  to dodge. Again, X's charged shots work well (and if you're good, can hit the
  boss during its ramming move) from a distance, and Zero's spread works great
  up close. Avoid the new attacks and the more prolific Volt Scatter, and you'll
  take him down.


After defeating the mini-boss again, you'll reach the last part of the stage,
which is on foot (and the area the two items are located in).

  LIGHT CAPSULE (X with shining ray)
  Yeah, you knew they were going to stick this at the end of the stage. After
  your bike crashes, run forward until you reach the vertical wall just before
  the boss gate. Have Zero climb it, and use the double jump to reach the outer
  edge, and pull yourself up. Use either the Tenshouha or Shining Ray to melt
  the ice cubes, and the Head Parts H will be yours!

  RARE METAL #1 (ZERO with lightning attack/ AXL) *AWC*
  Everyone says you need Axl to reach this one, but there is a way to reach it
  using Zero. Start from the very edge of where the Light Capsule is, jump out
  to the left. While in mid-air, perform Raikousen (You have to air-dash abit,
  the lightning attack will thrust Zero farther to the left, allowing you to 
  grab the ledge and collect this without making a return trip. Forging this at
  the Chip Lab will give you Axl's Weapon Converter.

When you're finished, simply drop and continue to the right to reach the boss
gate, where Avalanche Yeti awaits you.


  Avalanche Yeti is pathetically easy if you have X and Zero. X's Thunder Dancer
  will actually home in on Yeti when he's above ground, so employ the same kind
  of strategy you use on Blizzard Buffalo (MMX3), and stay on the walls until
  Yeti comes in your direction. Air Dash off, and hit him, then run to the other
  wall, and repeat. Zero's better for handling the snowflakes, as the Raikousen
  is a time-delayed move, and leaves him open to counterattack. Once Yeti goes
  into Hyper Mode, his speed increases, and he's much more prone to socking you
  with an uppercut. Stay close to him while he's energizing, pop off another
  shot with the Thunder Dancer, and you should be able to finish him off with
  a Double Attack after that. 

> BOSS: Burn Rooster
> RECOMMENDED CHARACTERS: X/Axl (Zero/Axl for rare metal)
> POWER-UPS: 3x Rare Metal (ZTB, XDB, WST), Foot Parts H

This stage looks difficult, but it just takes a bit of practice. The main hazard
is the two sections of auto-scrolling (not as bad as Blaze Heatnix, though). To
get all the items in this stage, you'll have to come back here twice. X is a
good choice to start off with, and Axl is invaluable once the platforms start
speeding up. Take your time, hop from crate to crate while avoiding the laser
beams further down, and you'll eventually reach the bottom. Run into the hallway
and simply hop over the guard, and head through the gate.


  If you have Body Parts H on X, just stand there, and you won't get hurt. If 
  not, have Axl stand in the far side, towards the door, and rapid fire. Spray 
  your shots towards the upper right (or left, depending on where you're stand-
  ing) area of the screeen. After you've taken care of the flaming Bulbrites,
  the door will unlock and you'll have access to the middle area of the level.


For the next part, make sure you have no glare on screen so you can make out the
seemingly endless spikes in this area. Drop down and move to the left, where 
you'll find two Batontons on the ceiling.

  RARE METAL #1 (Axl) *ZTB*
  You actually need to reach the bottom of this area first, and use Axl to copy
  the Flyer's DNA Core. Let yourself be killed by the spikes to respawn at the
  top, Go to down where you'll reach a hole inbetween the spikes on the left 
  wall. Start on the second or third step, and transform into a Flyer. Jump, 
  and press Jump again at the peak to start gliding forward, and you should 
  glide into a little hole in the wall, where the Rare Metal is. Grab it and 
  use it at the Chip Lab to get Zero's T Breaker weapon.

Depending on whether or not you choose to exit the stage now, either come back
to the middle section, or try and glide your way out of the hole. Either way,
continue on, and and drop off the edge. Watch on the right side, and air-dash 
immediately after you clear the spiked wall to land on safe ground. Climb up the
next section, dash jumping in between the spikes, and drop down again on the 
other side. Defeat the two sentinels with the freezing guns, and continue on 
your way down to reach one of the electrical traps.

  RARE METAL #2 (Zero with T Breaker) *XDB*
  Unfortunately, you need to revisit this stage to grab this one, after you've
  gained the T Breaker (you need to physically purchase it, not just find the
  Rare Metal). Once you have, you need to use Zero with the weapon, and hit the
  floor with Triangle (so it's a Juuhazan-enhanced strike), which will crack and
  break the floor. Drop and do the same to a storage crate, and claim the next
  Rare Metal, which can be used to make X's Double Barrier.

  As you moved past the Freezers, you probably saw the capsule behind a wall.
  Keep heading down until you reach the wall on the far left-hand side, and 
  start climbing up (or if you still have some Flyer energy, use that to fly to
  the top). There are some staggered spikes on the way up, so just jump between
  the segments to reach the capsule. Enter it and you'll get Foot Parts H.

Keep working your way down to the bottom (there are more and more spike pits as
you progress - keep in mind that a Prickle Barrier is a good thing to have just
in case). When you reach solid ground, you'll encounter the Flyer I mentioned
above, as well as the gate to the second mini-boss. You might encounter Vile in
this one, otherwise, it's a mere rehash of the first one (see above). When you
clear either encounter, head through the door, and down the hallway to reach
the start of another scrolling platform section.

  This one is above you, and you have to be quick. Dash jump from the start to
  reach one of the higher platforms, and keep heading up even if the screen
  starts to scroll (it'll stop if you head up). Stand on one of the platforms
  and use Axl to hover (you can barely make it with an air-dash) over to another
  ledge. Climb up and jump over the sentinels to claim the Rare Metal, which 
  can be redeemed at the R&D Lab for a Weapon Tank.

Dropping back down, navigate the much-faster platform section. Start off with 
Axl, and have him hover in the center of the screen if you find yourself being 
rushed. You can also have him fire Axl Bullets and get the same effect. Once you
get to the lower portion of the area (several platforms line up in a horizontal 
row), switch to X. Axl can not move while using his weapons, and you will need 
to be shooting and dashing at the same time. Eventually, you'll reach a complete
straight row of platforms - drop onto any of them to be carried down to the
lowest depths, where Burn Rooster is apparently throwing a temper tantrum.


  This Maverick is so pathetically easy with the Drift Diamond that it's barely
  a challenge. Hit him until he flies to the background, and just watch for the
  flame attacks. When he jumps back, he'll come down right on your position, so
  move out of the way. The platforms might start shifting positions during the
  fight, so adjust for that. Keep hitting him until he goes into Hyper Mode, 
  which is also easy to avoid. He'll stand in the center and breathe flames at
  one of the walls - you can avoid it by simply standing behind him, and nailing
  him when he drops his flame shield. Take him out with a Double Attack, and
  he go hahahaha (If you are playing japanese voice sub)

You're not out of it yet, Maverick Hunter. The reactor has gone critical (but it
apparently cools down as you're able to revisit the stage... anyway), and the
magma flow is quickly backing up the main flow chamber. Now you have to work
your way back up the way you came with platforms that wobble and drop as you
land on them. There's lots of metal to be had, but you should focus more on 
getting away from the rapidly-rising magma. Zero is best for this part, because
of his very useful double jump and air-dash. Make it to the top, and grab the
large Metal to end the stage.

> BOSS: Bamboo Pandamonium
> RECOMMENDED CHARACTERS: X/Axl (Axl for rare metal)
> POWER-UPS: 3x Rare Metal(XWC, ADB, ZSA), Foot Parts I

This entire level is a Ride Armor facility. A few general tips before starting:
- Ride Armor can fire plasma shot(special attack) which disables enemies.
- You can land on enemies to kill them.
- Ride Armor has a charge attack, but it works only at close range.
- You can dash jump and air dash.
- Despite the sprite animations, you can jump again immediately after landing.
- Like all other Ride Armors, it takes damage instead of you. Use it wisely.
- If need be, eject and take on minor enemies to conserve Ride Armor energy.

When you first begin, you'll head past a couple of crates and conveyor belts.
Ride the slanted one up, defeat a few more enemies, and you'll encounter the
Cyclops armor sitting for the taking. Grab it and cross a few pits to reach a
semi-circular area. Head around the bend, and eject from the Ride Armor. Switch
to Axl and use the Copy Shot to destroy the blue Mechaniloid in front of you,
and pick up its DNA Core for later use. Get back in your Ride and keep moving.
After moving past a plethora of Mettaurs, pits, and Flamethrower mechaniloids,
you'll reach another bend. Head around and defeat the last few enemies (if you
time your hits right, you can score a fresh Ride Armor right before the mini-
boss encounter ahead. Eject from the armor so it can slide on the conveyor belt,
and grab it again before it falls into the pit. In the next room, you might 
fight Vile (if you haven't fought him twice already). If Vile doesn't appear,
then you'll square off against an army of Ride Armor foes.


  Eject from your Ride Armor, switch to Axl, and climb the left-hand wall. From
  this vantage point, aim diagonally at the floor and fire away to ensure some
  hefty combo numbers (you can't get hit up here). If you prefer the hard way,
  use X and try to fire as quickly as you can at the armors as they come at you
  one by one. Eventually, you'll wipe out all of them, and score some Metals,
  energy, and Double Attack refills. Use ray gun if you want to go over 300+

Exit the room (after you've hopped back in your Ride Armor), and you'll meet
two bomb-carrying Bulbrites. Eliminate them and head over to the platform that
has a switch. Eject from your Armor and trigger the switch so the platform
rises, then take out the Ride Armor in your path.

  Stand as far left as you can on the raised platform, and dash jump out into
  space. Hit Up + Jump at the peak of your leap to eject from the Ride Armor,
  and immediately punch the Jump button again to make Axl hover or you can air
  dash over. Now simply hover over the spiked wall to reach the capsule. 
  Enter it and the Foot Parts I will be yours. 

After the capsule, ride up the platform again, and exit your Ride Armor. The
next helpful item is below you, DON'T BRING YOUR ARMOR ALONG.

  Remember that blue enemy you had to copy earlier in the stage? You'll need to
  transform into it to get this one. Fall down into the area below and head to 
  the left to find a narrow tunnel. Transform, and yes, use the "Morph Ball" 
  ability to roll into the passage where the Rare Metal is (Metroid, anyone?). 
  This one will give you X's Weapon Converter.

Exit the tunnel and jump back up to a ledge blocked by two large objects. Climb
back up and get your armor. Jump and dash to the right and land on that 
platform, and punch your way to a new path.

This section consists of some conveyor belts. Jump onto the first one, and exit
the Ride Armor so it passes under you. Move forward to leap back into it and 
IMMEDIATELY air-dash to land on the ledge to your right. Exit again and move
forward until you see another switch. Hit it to lower a platform, then go back
and retrieve your Ride Armor.

  RARE METAL #2 (X with charged crystal wall) *ADB*
  Move forward with the Ride Armor, and let it sit on the platform you lowered.
  Eject again, and try to hit the switch again with normal weapon fire (X can
  hit it). Ride up and smash the blocks, then head into the alcove and use a
  charged Crystal Wall on the floor emblem to retrieve the Rare Metal. This one
  will give you Axl's Double Barrier.

Hop back in your ride, and take a long jump to the right, followed by an air-
dash to reach the next ledge. Head inside for another fight with some Ride Arm-
ors, and exit once you're done. Circle around the bend in the next area, and
take a flying dash jump off the edge to (hopefully) land on a ledge with another
spiked conveyor. Eject, and your armor will move through the spiked conveyor, 
eventually it'll hit the elevator and go behind the background. Chase after it
until it exits and immediately ride on the armor.

  Head left once you get back your armor, and drop back down the elevator
  shaft, and you'll crash through part of the floor and wind up back on the 
  lift platform. Ride it up along the path as you travel in the background, and
  snag the Rare Metal as it's right in your path. This one will give you Zero's
  Shield Armor.

Afterwards, head right and carefully work on creating a set of stairsteps up to
the boss gate. If you can't, that's fine, but it's more fun pounding on the boss
with Ride Armor.


  Don't let the looks fool you, this cute giant panda packs a punch with it's
  claws. Watch it burn with X's Melt Creeper, Axl's Flame Burner is even better
  Of course, if you kept the Ride Armor all the way to the end, you can pound 
  him into scrap in but a few seconds. Keep the heat on him (literally), and 
  stop only to dodge the missiles. When he uses this move, a small cloud appears
  where they are going to land or rise from. Be very careful when he goes to 
  hyper mode! It does MASSIVE amount of damage . It can only be avoided with a 
  well-timed air-dash. If you don't want to take the risk,just dash-through him


> BOSS: Vile mk-III

Try not to get caught up in the rockin' music here, because it's quite a spiffy
tune. This stage isn't even really a "stage", so to speak, as it's simply a 
vertical ascent up the Orbital Elevator, with multiple enemies along the way.
Just stay in the middle, use Zero and keep doing the spinning attack. As you 
near the top, you'll (usually) be informed of an ambush waiting for you. Here
comes the boss.


  This fight with Vile is pretty much the same as all the others, except that
  he actually has a life meter this time, a definite weakness, and he has a lot
  more room to maneuver. His tracking fireball attack is the same, so you'll
  just have to live with that as best you can. Whenever he pauses, have X att-
  ack with the Drift Diamond (or the corresponding ice weapon for either of the
  other characters) to inflict heavy damage on him. Vile will continue to att-
  ack in the same fashion until he goes into Hyper Mode, at which point he'll
  occupy the center and start a powerful rotating lightning attack. The bolts
  have brief safe points that you can dash in and out of, but X's Foot Parts H
  gives him the ability to shadow dash, so the lightning isn't that big of a
  threat. When Vile calms down, continue to pelt him, and finish him off with
  a Double Attack.

> BOSS: Sigma I

This stage is a hallway, basically, that leads to the boss teleport room. The
thing that makes this one unique is that each teleport has a different color
which corresponds to the appropriate Maverick. The color chart, as well as an
approximation of the capsule locations, is listed below.

Gold: Optic Sunflower
Black Teleport: Dark Mantis
Pink: Gravity Antonion
Orange: Earthrock Trilobyte
Blue: Gigavolt Man-O-War
White Teleport: Avalanche Yeti
Red: Burn Rooster
Green: Bamboo Pandamonium

                              TELEPORT ROOM CHART
               |					 	|
               |	 Mantis     		Yeti	  	|
               |  		       	  			|
               |					  	|
               |                     [L]		        |
               | 	         [W]     [A]			|
               |						|
               |						|
               |	Rooster		     Man-O-War		|
               |	 		       			|
               |						|
               |		  Sunflower			|
               |		    				|
               |						|
               |       Trilobyte             Pandamonium	|
               |	 					|
               |						|
               |                   Antonion			|
               |  		     				|
               | 						|
               [E]						|

[E] = Entrance/Exit
[L] = Life Refill
[W] = Weapon Refill
[A] = Attack Gauge Refill

After you've defeated the eight copy Reploids, your navigator will alert you
to the facility self-destructing. (Time Bomb Set! Evacuate Immediately!)* Head
exactly the way you came in, dashing the whole way since the floor will start
collapsing. As you reach the exit, Sigma will trap you, and you'll have to 
fight him (at least it's not timed) to escape.


  ***BOSS: SIGMA I***
  Sigma's pretty easy. X's Shadow Runner works best on him (if you brought Axl,
  then the Dark Arrow's good too; if you brought Zero, stick to the Z-Saber or
  the D-Glaive), but I would caution you to watch out for his Saber attack -
  unlike X1 (anyone notice the striking similarity to his X1 form?), his attack
  comes completely untelegraphed. The rest of the time, Sigma hovers in the
  air trying to use a laser attack. Get under him when he does this, and keep
  pelting him with the Shadow Runner to cause significant damage. If X starts
  taking heavy hits, switch out to Zero and hack away with your Saber. Actually
  this method is preferred since halfway through the fight, Sigma will start
  using barrier shields that are easiest to crack with Zero's triple slash.
  Once you whittle him down enough to where he goes into Hyper Mode, Sigma will
  engulf the floor in flames. At this point, keep jumping and slashing until
  you get him down to about 10 units, then finish him off with a Double Attack!


> BOSS: Sigma II, Lumine I, Lumine II

Since when did the Moon have spike pits? Anyway, the first part of this stage
involves a trek across a spike and enemy-infested lunar surface. If you're 
good, most of the enemies can simply be avoided anyway - your only goal is to
make it to the gate at the end of the area. Head inside for the final battle
against Vile.

  I'll just bet you were wondering if Vile was ever going to employ some good 
  old Ride Armor, weren't you? Vile doesn't so much use it this time as he does
  keep it around for a good old pounding, as you can easily knock him off of
  the mech (in fact, it's the only way you can damage him). Once you do, use
  the same strategy as before, using X to pelt him with the Drift Diamond (or
  the Hyouryuushou/Ice Gattling, depending on your character). After a couple
  of hits, he'll hop back on the Ride Armor. Repeat until he has been defeated,
  and move on.


NOTE: If playing in Hard Mode, the next area will be different, as a new cut-
scene occurs here. Your secondary character will warp in and have a brief con-
versation about defeating Vile, then be completely pwned by a not-exactly-dead
Vile, meaning you'll have to take on the next segment alone. I suggest having
the character you're best at be the one for the final leg, because this next
section is chock-full of spikes and Sigma copies.

After exiting Vile's room, move to the right to encounter the first copy Rep-
loid. It'll transform into Sigma, and use his Saber attack if you get close
(There are a total of 13 Sigmas in this area, for reference purposes). Defeat
it and climb the wall to face another one. Climb up the next wall for another
one, but this one utilizes a Virus Fireball attack. Zero can hack it back at
Sigma for damage; otherwise, just dodge it. Keep ascending up until you face
two Sigmas (one with a Saber, the other with the Fireball). Defeat them, and
climb into the next room that has massive spikes. Ascend the left wall and air-
dash to safety, then continue right into another spiked area. There's another
Sigma on the far right-hand ledge, but you can avoid this one by timing your
air-dash so you land on the lower ledge.

The next room has another Sigma and a large energy refill, so defeat the Sigma
and grab it if you need it. Slide down the wall into the next room and air-dash
over the spikes, then continue left for another Sigma. Slide down the wall
again, air-dashing over the next set of spikes, to face two more Sigmas. Keep
heading right for another life refill, then drop and continue right some more
for another Sigma fight. Air-dash between the three ledges to avoid hitting the
spikes in this area, then head into the next room where you really have to time
your jumps between the vertical spike segments. Make it to the top, and inch
over into the next area to the left. Air-dash to the platform, then, if you
have Zero, double jump over to the next left-hand ledge. With X (with Icarus
Foot), just jump and air-dash, and hover with Axl. Now, with either X or Zero,
you can make the final jump to the right with a long air-dash, or by hovering
with Axl. Defeat the final two Sigmas and head into the gate to reach the inner
sanctum of Sigma's Palace. From here, it's just a simple trek to reach him
where he (is THAT Sigma?) sits on his throne.


  ***BOSS1: SIGMA II***
  This is the *real* fight against Sigma. Although he has a number of potent
  attacks, once you learn to avoid him, he's rather simple to beat (he's a bit
  tougher on Hard Mode, but you can wipe him out with the Nova Strike). His
  first couple moves involve generating giant rings that will travel across the
  room - avoid these by clinging to the wall. When he stops (you'll get a feel
  for the timing), dash over and hit him with X's Shining Ray (if you have him;
  otherwise the Z-Saber or Ray Gun will suffice). Eventually he'll disappear;
  give him a few seconds, then dash out of the way, because he'll come down
  right on top of you. Hit him from behind with whatever weapon you're using,
  then back off and wait for him to repeat the pattern.
  After you take either half or 1/3 (the latter in Hard Mode) off his meter,
  he'll grab you by your face (and if in Hard Mode, initiate a story sequence
  where your secondary character returns). If in Normal, quickly swap for a Tag
  Assist, then resume the fight. Sigma will pretty much go wild at this
  point, doing multiple sword strikes, leaping attacks, and a laser which 
  engulfs the opposite wall in flames (X w/ Icarus or Zero can jump above Sigma
  head at this point). Eventually, Sigma will also use a barrier shield; hit
  it with whatever you use to break it, then keep blasting him. One of Sigma's
  final, and deadlier, moves is a giant fireball that no man can avoid (X takes
  damage even if you shadow dash through it). Switch out characters if you get
  hit, and just keep pounding him until he bites it. I don't suggest trying to
  finish him off with a Double Attack; save it for the real final battle.


  ***BOSS2: LUMINE I***
  The key to beating Lumine lies in exploiting the weaknesses he takes on when
  using various Maverick weapons, for instance, hitting him with the Shadow
  Runner when he starts using Antonion's attack. He repeats pretty much in a
  set sequence - Antonion, Trilobyte, Mantis, Yeti, Pandamonium, Rooster, Man-
  O-War, and Sunflower - so use your weapons accordingly. X is best for this
  phase of the fight, and you need to stay on the move, as Lumine constantly
  moves around, except when using Rooster's attack. Avoid all of them exactly
  as you would when fighting the Mavericks, and eventually, you will be able to
  take Lumine down.



  ***BOSS3: LUMINE II***
  Lumine has a wide repertoire of laser-based attacks, and the trouble is that
  he can make himself invulnerable during most of them. Have X fire off charged
  shots (if using Icarus Buster, fire off the half-charged one, as the fully-
  charged shot seems to barely put a dent in his life meter). Jump over him 
  when he flies at you, and spend the rest of the time running back and forth
  to dodge the spread laser attacks. The ring ones have safe spots that you
  can dash through, and with some fancy footwork, you can dodge the slow-moving
  lasers that appear later in the fight. Of course, if you've beaten him once
  already and have X's Ultimate Armor handy, just mop the floor with Lumine by
  Nova Striking him (two attacks will leave him at 1HP).
  After whittling about 3/4 off his meter, Lumine will perform a move (ironic-
  ally enough) called Paradise Lost. The battle alters a bit at this point, 
  and this is the part you want to use Axl for. The sky will darken, and Lumine
  will appear randomly (anyone remember the annoying battles w/ Dr. Wily in
  his disappearing saucer routine? Yeah, this is the X-series version) around
  the arena, guarding himself with his wings. Have Axl (or X with a charged
  shot) break the shield, then wait for Lumine to reappear. This time he'll be
  vulnerable. Knock off a few shots, and repeat. The next time he's vulnerable,
  finish him off with Axl leading the Double Attack (you can just pound him,
  but this is quicker, and good practice for Hard Mode where you only have 30
  seconds to defeat him). Finish off using Axl leading the double attack if you
  want the Axl's white armor.


As the manual itself points out, sometimes new missions will appear throughout
the game. These depend on two factors - how long you're taking, and how many
times your sorry self has seen the "Continue" screen. The first one you'll get
is the Noah's Park one, and you get them in random order after that. So if you 
want them all, as well as an easy way to get Metal aside from the (ridiculous-
ly) easier way described in the Tricks & Secrets section, go for it. Here's a 
list of the Intermissions, and the goals for each. As far as I know, the only
stages that have Intermissions are those listed below.

Noah's Park  ***2nd easiest place to earn metals***
The goal here is to destroy as many of the crab mechaniloids as possible. While
doing so, you'll have to fend off multiple bladeys, Bulbrites, and that annoy-
ing claw from the intro stage boss. If you want to gain alot of metals, bring X
with weapon meter maxed, weapon converter, super charge parts, with drift
diamond. Just keep on firing, and protect yourself with charged drift diamond
(recharge after the ice shield goes down) I've hit 999 before and I can still 
keep going.

Troia Base   ***Best place to earn metals (must be fast)***
This opens up a new scenario called "On Parade" in the Troia Base training sim-
ulators. It consists of a ten-minute timed segment against the eight Mavericks
(with the Gateway stage serving as the testing ground). You can earn tons of
Metals here depending on your speed, so it's best to wait until X has the Ult-
imate Armor, so you can Nova Strike them into oblivion. Defeat all eight, and
the simulation ends. The faster you kill a boss, the more you gain. I've got 7-
8k metals using nova strike all the way.

Central White ***1k metals in 10+mins ride***
The environmental research center has somehow been blocked off by huge chunks
of debris (how these chunks qualify as Mavericks is beyond me, however). Any-
way, mount up your Barius and blast away (Axl is a great choice for this one).
Collect as much Metal as you can, and try to beat your record times. To my know-
ledge, this is the only Intermission besides the Troia Base one that actually
has an ending point.

Inferno ***In my opinion, slowest/worst place to gain metals***
This one's intriguing. Apparently the designers thought the player didn't get
enough of the aggravating platform segments in the stage, so the point of this
Intermission is... simply to climb down another set, while collecting the Metal
strewn about the platforms. You keep going until you are defeated.


1. (RIDICULOUSLY) EASY METAL (Didn't work for PC version...)
   This trick is just too easy, really. One has to wonder if it was put in the
   game intentionally, because it just seems impossible to have been an over-
   looked bug. Anyway, first defeat Trilobyte, then visit Mantis' stage with X 
   and Axl. Get to the generator room, and have X use the charged C. Wall to
   gain a rare Metal that he can turn into a Sub-Tank. Go back to the R&D Lab,
   and buy the Sub-Tank. Now use Chip Delete for however much Metal you have
   until you are under 50 units. Now go towards the top and buy a Sub-Tank
   fill. Watch the upper right corner for your Metal counter to disappear, then
   you can go and buy anything you want, provided you've found the rare Metal.
   Enter a stage, pick up a piece of Metal, and watch your counter start rapid-
   ly climbing all the way to 9,999,999 (you can hit START to make it go right
   to the max amount). In other words, infinite Metal, and you never have to 
   waste time gathering massive amounts to buy the three final items.

   Similar to other games such as Chrono Cross, or even more recent Mega Man
   titles (such as X7, or the three Zero series games), you can choose to save
   your clear data into Normal or Hard Mode, and start a new game with all of
   your Metals and upgrades from the previous playthrough intact. This is also
   the only way to go about acquiring the S Blade for Zero, unlocking the three
   extra armors, as well as unlocking the three Navigators as playable charac-
   If you complete the game in Normal Mode, save your file and play again.
   Go to the R&D Lab and four new items will be available (sort of). Zero can
   get the S Blade (the final item required to level him up to 100%), and the 
   three ??? items in the "ALL" category will be made available at certain 
   points throughout your new game. Whichever navigator you used most in the
   last game will now have a weapon available. Buy it for 40,000 Metal (if you
   use the infinite metal trick, cash won't be an issue), Clear any 4 stages 
   with other navigators to unlock their weapon(works with repeated stages). 
   Buy them all, and press Triangle on the R&D screen to make the X, ZERO, 
   and AXL parts change to ALIA, LAYER, and PALLETTE. Buy all of the upgrades 
   for each of them, and go select a stage. Press Triangle when asked to 
   select a character, and you will be able to select the Navigators as 
   characters! Just note: Alia can't use X's Neutral Armor, and there is no
   story-related text when playing as them. 

   Depending on who you use to score the final hit on Lumine, a small part of
   each ending will be different. In X's ending, he questions whether or not
   what Lumine considered "evolution" was valid. Zero ponders over whether or 
   not Sigma is finally dead, and Axl's Hard Mode-exclusive ending is a bit 
   more foreboding. Axl is shown still unconscious, and the hole left where
   Lumine struck him begins to faintly glow purple...

   As you complete milestones in the game progression, the way the introduction
   to the game is done will also be different. When you first start out, with
   no memory card data saved, the intro is green, and silhouettes of X, Zero,
   and Axl appear, and they cooperatively announce "Capcom!". Also, at the tit-
   le screen, X will announce the title.
   After completing Normal Mode, the intro changes to red sparks, has a differ-
   ent sound effect, and this time it's Lumine's voice that announced the Cap-
   com part. Zero then voices the title instead of X.
   Upon completing Hard Mode, the intro is the same in color and sound, only
   this time, the three Navigators (Alia, Layer, and Palette) can be heard on
   the "Capcom" part, and Axl announces the game title.
   As if that wasn't enough, after you go and buy the three Navigator weapons,
   and level each one up to 100%, silhouettes of the three Navigators appear
   instead of X, Zero, and Axl.

C) Credits
Thank God for the few hours I have to come up with this guide. Also thank Tim
for his Megaman X8 walkthrough. Most of the works you see here is using his FAQ
as a guideline. This is just an improved version of it.

L) Legal
Feel free to use and distribute this guide for your own use. This guide is not
to be sold or own benefit. Credit is to be given if any part of this guide is
taken and used in his/her own guide. MegamanX are copyright to Capcom Co Ltd.
anything else please email/msn