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 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, 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 what is later known as the Kangaroo Ride Armor, a much more powerful version. Armed with spiked fists, it can bash through certain doors. By holding the fire button, the Kangaroo 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 Ride Chaser was also introduced. In the introduction movie and at the beginning of the Intro Stage, a CPU-controlled X rides towards the Reploid Factory. Later, in Overdrive Ostrich's stage, X has full control of the Ride Chaser. 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.