Metal

Metals (メタル) are collectible items from Mega Man X8. Much like Screws from early Mega Man games, they act as currency and can be used to purchase upgrades for the playable characters. They vary in size and color depending on their value.

Aside from Life and Weapon Energy recovery items, Metals can be dropped by defeated enemies. They can also be found scattered throughout each stage, and also hidden in various places, such as in destructible objects, underground, or in hidden rooms.

In addition, defeating a stage boss (except for Opening Stage and Sigma Palace) will allow the character to gain a shining silver Metal worth 3000 Metals.

Hidden Metals
Within six of the eight stages are several locations where X's Crystal Wall can be used to excavate a purple Metal. Each Metal can only be collected once per game.

Rare Metals
Many Chips are not available for development until the proper Rare Metal (レアメタル) has been recovered. These large, gold Metals are always hidden in out-of-the-way places, and usually require the use of a certain characters abilities (e.g. Zero's double-jump and Axl's A-Trans) and/or Special Weapon (Crystal Wall) to collect them.

MegaMan NT Warrior Axess
A different Rare Metal appears in the MegaMan NT Warrior Axess episode Underground Hero. 80% of the world's Rare Metal supply comes from Sharo, and it is used produce artificial limbs and organs. FridgeMan set a Dimensional Area around Sharo's Rare Metal mine to take control of it and use the mineral to create Dark Chips. Lan and Raika are dispatched to defeat FridgeMan and secure the Rare Metal deposit.