Mega Man Xtreme 2

Mega Man Xtreme 2, known in Japan as Rockman X2: Soul Eraser (ロックマンＸ２ ソウルイレイザー), is the second and last Mega Man X series game on the Game Boy Color, released in 2001. The story of the game is said to take place between Mega Man X3 and Mega Man X4. While it is gameplay-wise a remix of Mega Man X2 and X3 similar to its predecessor, more effort was put into original content such as the DNA Soul system, some slightly redesigned level layouts, more unique bosses and a playable Zero. Like Mega Man Xtreme, the graphics and music are remade in 8-bit quality similar to a Gameboy game, due to the Game Boy Color's limitations. This game is currently available for download on the 3DS Nintendo eShop.

Story
All over the world Reploids are having their programs (memories and personalities) suddenly erased, becoming like hollow shells. This phenomenon was named "Erasure". One day, the readings of Reploids in "Laguz Island" in the Southern Ocean had instantly vanished, and the Maverick Hunters X and Zero received the orders to investigate the island to attempt to determine what is going on and who is behind the soul erasures.

Game modes
X Mission and Zero Mission: In the beginning, only those two modes are available. In X Mission, X is the main character and the four Mavericks are Launch Octopus, Volt Catfish, Neon Tiger and Flame Mammoth. In Zero Mission, the player controls Zero, who must fight Overdrive Ostrich, Wire Sponge, Tunnel Rhino and Blast Hornet. After the four Mavericks are beaten, the player can enter the final stages and is given the ability to switch between X and Zero at any time by going into the pause menu or pressing Select (although this option is temporarily disabled when the player's character is recovering from taking damage). The character not chosen by the player at the start has all of his armor parts, but can't use any special weapons. In the last level, the hunters split up again; X takes on Berkana and Zero takes Gareth.

After completing one of these modes, the player can save to continue the other character's mode, starting with the weapons from the bosses of the first mode chosen and any remaining DNA Souls. Like before, the character from the other mode can't use Special Weapons when he is made playable in the final stages.

Extreme Mode: After completing the two previous modes, this mode will be unlocked. It can also be unlocked by buying it for 2000 DNA Souls. Both characters are playable from the beginning and can be switched at any time, and all eight Mavericks from both modes will appear. However, only the character who defeats the boss will obtain his weapon, leaving the player to choose which weapons each character will obtain. In the intro stage, the player is able to switch characters only in the first part of the stage: once they approach the gate that is guarded by an Arm, they will have to play the rest of the stage with the character they are playing as upon engaging that enemy. Similarly, in the level where only one character is playable, which path the player takes depends on the character they are playing as when the cutscene is triggered and the hunters split up. After this level, the player gains access to the true final level of the game and both characters are playable again. This level has a rematch with the eight Mavericks, a fight against Sigma, and a different ending.

Boss Attack Mode: This mode is unlocked after completing Extreme Mode, or by buying it for 2000 DNA Souls. It is a time attack against the bosses and the player can choose between two paths. The right path is a fight against the eight Mavericks from this game, and the left path is against the eight bosses from Mega Man Xtreme. Both X and Zero, who can be switched at any time, can use all eight weapons and all parts are available to them, but they don't have armor upgrades without the use of a code or Sub-Tanks.

Bosses
First boss: Skullhead

Mega Man X Mode:

Zero Mode:

Extreme Mode:

Final bosses: (Reploid Research Laboratory)
 * Velguarder
 * Isaz and Sowilo
 * Berkana (X only)
 * Gareth (Zero only)
 * Rematch with Mavericks (Extreme mode only)
 * Sigma (Extreme mode only)

Boss Attack only:
 * Armored Armadillo (Weakness: Tri-Thunder)
 * Chill Penguin (Weakness: Fire Wave)
 * Flame Stag (Weakness: Marine Tornado/Fish Fang)
 * Magna Centipede (Weakness: Earth Gaizer/Bomb Bee)
 * Morph Moth (Weakness: Ray Claw/Rising, Fire Wave)
 * Spark Mandrill (Weakness: Strike Chain/Lightning)
 * Storm Eagle (Weakness: Sonic Slicer/Dash (Mega Man Xtreme))
 * Wheel Gator (Weakness: Tornado Fang/Drill Crush)

Development
Mega Man Xtreme 2 was developed and published by Capcom. The game was first announced for release in Japan in March 2001, with Capcom later announcing that it would be localized for western territories on May 16, 2001.

Illustrator Haruki Suetsugu was responsible for designing the games characters and Japanese packaging. Feeling that Game Boy cartridges packages were to small for illustrations with lots of detail, Suetsugu decided to go with bold simple close-ups of the main characters to convey the games main attraction, the ability to play as X and Zero, and to show that they would be joined by Iris. Suetsugu stated that he was happy to be able to draw Iris again, as he felt sorry for her because of the role she played in Mega Man X4. As Xtreme 2 was set as a prequel in an earlier timeframe, he adjusted her design giving her a more youthful schoolgirl look to make her appear to be still in training. The two new original villains, Berkana and Gareth, were designed as a witch and a knight respectively to tie them in with the medieval theme set with Zain and Geemel from the previous Xtreme game. Also, following his instructions for Gareth to make a "knight and his lion", Suetsugu designed and illustrated a lion companion for Gareth that for unknown reasons did not appear in-game. Suetsugu jokingly remarks, "If the player could just assume that the lion loyally follows Gareth everywhere, but not in anyway that is visually confirmable within the game, that would be great."

Trivia
Gameplay & links to other games


 * The "Erasure Incident" is mentioned in part of the dialogue in Mega Man X6 (specifically, when X is looking at Isoc's blank remains).


 * Part of the gameplay in Mega Man Xtreme 2 involves switching between the two playable characters, apparently a precursor to the feature seen from Mega Man X7 onwards.


 * Mega Man Xtreme 2 bears some elements from the games The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages/Seasons, with Berkana and Gareth being a possible nod to the villains Veran and Onox, respectively. As both Oracle games and Mega Man Xtreme 2 were developed by Capcom for the Game Boy Color in roughly the same time period, this may be more than simple coincidence.
 * Coincidentally, Onox's final form in the Oracle games bears a striking resemblance to Wolf Sigma, albeit more draconic than lupine.
 * Another coincidence is that all three titles were among the Game Boy Color games designed with the same type of Cartridge showing the inner workings (the circuit board). This design was intended for all Game Boy Color games that could only be played on that system, and as such unlike its predecessor, this is the only Mega Man Game Boy Color game that could not be used on the previous Game Boy models.

Secrets


 * If the player holds the Select button while choosing the Boss Attack mode, X and Zero will start this mode with complete armor.

Typos & glitches


 * The "Reploid Research Laboratory" is called "Reploid Research Lavatory" in the first scene of the game.


 * All speeches have a quotation mark in the beginning, but none at the end of the quote.


 * If X's Giga Attack is used while he is on ladder, a glitch will occur.
 * A glitch will also occur if Zero uses Tri-Thunder repeatedly on Launch Octopus. This will cause Zero to be stuck in one place and will require a reset of the game unless the player is able to defeat Launch Octopus; even if he does defeat the boss, the graphics will remain glitched.

Minor peculiarities


 * In the final level of Zero Mission, Iris contacts Zero and warns him that he's fallen into their trap. She does not, however, contact X.


 * Oddly enough, this is one of two games in the X series where the bosses are refought in their original rooms from their stages rather than in separate rooms in the fortress during the boss rush, the other game being Mega Man 5. However, in the unlockable Boss Battle mode, the Mavericks from the first Mega Man Xtreme are fought in eight identical rooms.


 * This is one of two instances (the other one being a secret in Mega Man X5) in the X series where Dr. Light gives upgrades to Zero's armor.


 * The stage themes for Mega Man X3 Mavericks are based on the arranged CD-ROM soundtrack instead of the SNES soundtrack, which is especially noticable with Neon Tiger and Blast Hornet's stage themes.


 * This is the only game in the X series where Zero does not gain the ability to Double Jump.


 * This is the only X series games where the Special Weapons/Techniques system has several irregularities that makes it more unbalanced compared to the PlayStation games with both X and Zero's gameplay.
 * The fact that most of Zero's techniques (excluding Rising and Drill Crush) are connected to a Weapon Energy system with a single weapon energy meter, making it difficult to use multiple techniques before the energy runs out.
 * This is most apparent during the Boss Rush in Extreme Mode and Boss Attack Mode, where facing against multiple Maverick makes it impossible to fully exploit their weaknesses without switching to X who does not have this problem.
 * In Extreme mode, the Special Weapon/Technique is granted only to the character that slays the Maverick (though if the player starts a new Game with X or Zero Mode using the save data from the other character's save file, the Weapons/Techniques from that other game become available).
 * This is very troublesome if X were to slay Tunnel Rhino or Blast Hornet, as it would become impossible for Zero to acquire the Body and Arm power-up parts as he needs the techniques he gains from defeating these two bosses to acquire them.