Get XOVER It

Rockman X Over discussion. Read at your own risk.

I have been playing it since December. The game has been constantly evolving and improving since that time. They system for upgrading Battle Memory (what they call the chips/cards/data disks in this game) has been getting much easier to use. They’ve added new stages, new bosses, new items, and most recently the Master Boss battle mode (which sports a few awesome unique songs to boot) has been completely revamped into a competition where the top 200 contenders are rewarded weekly.

Despite the fact it is a free game that can only be played while maintaining a connection to their server (meaning that there are development costs for making content and to maintain and update this server) and that they stand to lose money if nobody is willing to pay a bit for the in-game items and upgrades… there isn’t much that you can’t accomplish just by spending a little more time and effort instead of cash. I expected the game to be a money-pit, and sure enough the game has no qualms about frequently reminding you of how much faster and easier you can progress by throwing real money at the game. Just the same, you can complete all of the game’s challenges just by playing a little bit at a time every so often–and honestly that’s really how I expect to play a mobile game to begin with. Despite the risk, it is an honest game that can be played earnestly for no money, and I respect that.

The graphics look pretty decent on the small screen of an iPhone, though less so on an iPad or stretched across a computer screen. Not all the music for the game is original, but the new music and remixes made for the game are downright catchy (save maybe the World 3 stage select theme, which sounds like playing Mega Man 1 with a Game Genie on–an acquired taste, perhaps).

If you only played that certain flash game, you have not played Rockman X Over. The stage aspect many are focusing on is best described as a jump-and-shoot minigame that helps you grind to prepare for boss battles. Boss battles and battle memory card collection and customization are the meat and potatoes of the game. Each world offers 5 bosses to conquer, each with a new piece of armor that will offer you new ways to personalize your play strategy (except for the 25th Anniversary Special World, which is a shame. An 8-bit style OVER-1 armor would have been more than welcome). It is something like a streamlined (or dumbed down) version of 2-D side-scrolling Rockman fused with turn-based Rockman EXE style boss battles. Despite this, I have found it infinitely more enjoyable than Battle Chip Challenge.

The beginning of the game is heavy on story, but once all the game’s components have all been introduced, that aspect drops entirely off the radar. This is the biggest shortcoming of the game, as I see it. Even if the game’s adventures are intended to continue on until you become thoroughly bored of them, having some kind of story progression and ending is something that (at least almost) every great Rockman game has. I’d like to see OVER-1 rescue the supposedly captured Rockman heroes and thus earn his rightful place among them. Here’s hoping this is on their list of things to add, perhaps alongside new fan-created boss characters.

TLDR: It’s a free game. You will need a Japanese iTunes account (this is also free and does not require a credit card–Google it). You will need an i-Something-or-other, though those are not usually free. If you want to bitch about the game that’s fine with me, but I will respect you more if you actually try it first. Then you can bitch from a place of true knowledge and experience. Did I mention it’s free?

I updated the XOVER tab up top with my advice for rookie players. It might give you an edge. Take it if you dare.

2 Comments to "Get XOVER It"

  1. RADIX's Gravatar RADIX
    2013/02/03 Sunday - 4:27 am | Permalink

    Free garbage is still garbage.

    That said…I do not even remotely have the means to play Xover and so I’ll just focus on criticizing the story here. As someone who loves crossovers, it really annoys/angers me that all that guff about the other Megamen being captured and Luka (I’m not calling him OVER-1) going to rescue them turned out to just that–guff. It’s that infuriating kind of crossover where all the involved elements are kept as rigidly and blatantly separate as possible, with only a single connecting element (in this case, Luka) to indicate that it’s a crossover. Just…gyah.

    (Sorry if this whole comment turned out to be a tanget. I’m rather incensed by this game, or as much as I can be without being able to play it myself)

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