Ride Armor

Ride Armor is the name for a giant mechanical armor that X, Zero, and Axl can ride. As the series went on, more Ride Armors were created, each with different strenghs and uses. In Mega Man X2, vehicles known as Ride Chasers were introduced as quick forms of transportation with weapons. They fall into the same family as Ride Armors.

Mega Man X
The Ride Armor was first introduced as Vile's impossibly powerful robot walker, and X was quickly decimated. X later found Ride Armors that he could use: A green one in Chill Penguin's stage, and a red one in Sting Chameleon's stage. These would later be known as the Chimera Ride Armor, with very simple functions. The Chimera Ride Armor can move, dash, jump, and punch enemies, but cannot climb walls. They can take a certain number of hits before they start to spark. While sparking, no more damage can be taken, and some players use this opportunity to "go berserk", as nothing else can negatively affect the Ride Armor. After the sparking period is done, the armor explodes. There is no way to avert this.

Small grunt robots(Ride Armor Joes) appear on several stages can pilot Chimera Ride Armors with much lesser defense. However, they can quickly destroy any armor X is wearing, so it is best to destroy them quickly.

Vile appears in another Ride Armor in the first station of Sigma's fortress. It brings X to the ground as easily as the previous one. Zero destroys it(at the cost of sacrificing himself), however, and X is able to fight Vile one-on-one.

See the section below for more information on Vile's Ride Armors.

Mega Man X2
The Chimera Ride Armor returns from the previous game, as well as the ones piloted by grunt enemies. It is joined by the Rabbit Ride Armor, a much more powerful version. Armed with spiked fists, it can bash through certain doors. By holding the fire button, the Rabbit Ride Armor can charge up an attack: When released, the armor charges forward with spinning spikes. The spikes begin to spin when charged, so enemies that walk into it will be destroyed. The Cheval Ride Chaser was also introduced as the first Ride Chaser. In the introduction movie and at the beginning of the Intro Stage, a CPU-controlled X rides one towards the Reploid Factory. Later, in Overdrive Ostrich's stage, X has full control of the Cheval. It constantly moves forward at a fast pace, and it can turn around, albeit slowly. It may fire small shots and dash along the ground, as well as jump. Unfortunately, like the Ride Armors before it, other enemies may pilot the Ride Chasers, as well.

Mega Man X3
Mega Man X3 takes the Ride Armor system further than any other game in the series, at the cost of even the slightest mention of a Ride Chaser. Scattered throughout the levels are Ride Armor Modules, small chips that allow X to use a certain type of Ride Armor. They can be activated at special Ride Armor platforms, very long platforms with an X on them. When X steps on one, he will be prompted to choose a Ride Armor out of the Modules he has. Each Ride Armor now has a visible life bar, so it is easy to tell when one will begin to spark. All Ride Armors except for the Frog Ride Armor will short out upon entering the water.

Chimera Armor Module, in Blast Hornet's stage: X needs the Tornado Fang to get this. When crossing the garages near the middle of the stages, blast all of the blocks with the Tornado Fang. One will be destroyed. Drop down and destroy the garage. Continue down to find the Chimera Armor Module, which X needs before using any other Armor Modules.
 * The standard Ride Armor from the previous two games. It can jump, run, dash, and punch.

Frog Armor Module, in Gravity Beetle's stage: Once X gets outside, air-dash upwards to ascend the left wall. You'll find the Frog Armor Module.
 * This is a Ride Armor designed for water, and it will be confusing and awkward to try and move it outside of the water. &larr; and &rarr; make short hops in that direction, and dashing will result in a long jump. Both functions work well underwater. It can fire homing torpedoes underwater, but the homing function does not work well on land.

Hawk Armor Module, in Crush Crawfish's stage: To the right of the Ride Armor platform at the beginning of the stage, use a charged-up Triad Thunder to destroy a small grey platform. Drop down to find the Module.
 * A Ride Armor designed for the air. If the jump button is held in the air, the armor will glide, losing altitude slowly. The armor can fire missiles in groups of two, which fly forward at a fast rate.

Kangaroo Armor Module, in Toxic Seahorse's stage: Use the Frog Armor when X reaches the Ride Armor platform. Jump down into the water, and reach the high ground when you are given an option to go lower. Two fans will attempt to push X back; Use the Frog Ride Armor's torpedoes to destroy them. Climb out of the Ride Armor and surface-jump across the water to reach the Module.
 * A Ride Armor designed for combat. It has powerful spikes on its fists, similar to the Rabbit Ride Armor in Mega Man X2. Its charged attack differs, however: The Kangaroo Ride Armor's fist, spikes spinning, will lash forward on a chain, causing massive damage to all enemies in its range.

Mega Man X4
Mega Man X4 features three new vehicles similar to ones seen in past games. The Adion Ride Chaser is an upgraded version of the Cheval Ride Chaser from Mega Man X2. X and Zero ride an Adion through Jet Stingray's marine base. A new feature of the Adion is the option to perform an offensive dash, as well as an offensive dash in the air. Any enemy that comes into contact with the Adion during a dash will be incinerated, but it is a risky manuver, as the pilot has little control during the dash. Jet Stingray's troops sometimes ride Hornet Ride Chasers, illegally-modified versions of the Adion.

A modified version of the Hawk Ride Armor, the Eagle Ride Armor, is available in Storm Owl's stage. By jumping in the air, the Ride Armor is able to hover for an infinite amount of time, and will only descend if jump is pressed, or if it is struck with an enemy attack. The Eagle exhibits enhanced offensive capabilities as well: Uncharged shots are large masses of plasma, and charged shots split into three rays that home in on enemies. A Ride Armor resembling the earlier Kangaroo and Rabbit Ride Armors, the Raiden Ride Armor, a mining Ride Armor found in Magma Dragoon and Slash Beast's stages. It can survive an infinite amount of time in still lava, and can destroy certain rocked walls. The Raiden can perform a combo of two slashes if the fire button is pressed twice: A drilling stab, and an overhead energy slash. It can perform a charged attack, which produces a lance of energy that is thrust forward.

Mega Man X5
Mega Man X5 doesn't add anything new to the Ride Armor and Ride Chaser families, and the two that exist are not used for very long. The Adion Ride Chaser is used at the beginning of Squid Adler's stage, and the Raiden Ride Armor is featured in the second part of Mattrex's stage.

Mega Man X6
Mega Man X6 only featured one instance of a ride armor &mdash; the Raiden Ride Armor, found in Metal Shark Player's stage.