Ultimate Armor

The Ultimate Armor is a generally secret armor for X that bestows the most all-around fighting power when equipped (or in Mega Man X4, owned). It enables every power of the Force Armor in X4, X5, and X6. A major change is the use of the Nova Strike; you may use it freely, as it consumes no energy.

In Mega Man X8, you may unlock the Ultimate Armor through a code or by playing a Clear Game save file with X at 100%. It bestows the powers of the Plasma Shot of the Force Armor, the Icarus Body, the Shoryuken, or Dragon Punch, from Mega Man X2, and the powers of both boots. This version of the Ultimate Armor looks different from the X4-X6 Versions, the X8 version being the Neutral Armor, with purple glowing parts, rather than the Blue or Red Glowing Parts of the Icarus and Hermes armors. The Nova Strike drains the entire Energy Gauge, but it refills rather quickly.

In Mega Man X: Command Mission, the Ultimate Armor is X's 2nd Hyper Mode, which he earns by defeating the boss Rafflesian. This version of the Ultimate Armor looks very different from both X4-X6, and X8 versions. This version almost makes X appear as if he is in a flying Ride Armor - He has a large device attached to his back, and his arms have become massive Cannons. He has a scope over one of his eyes, and he hovers several feet off the ground, due to some form of rockets being affixed to his foot parts.

In Mega Man X5, there is a way to receive the Ultimate Armor without using a code. In the third station of the Zero Virus Maze, there is a vertical shaft that leads to a capsule. Enter the capsule as X without any armor on to gain the Ultimate Armor. Note that you must select the Ultimate Armor before entering a stage to use it. On another side note, X uses this armor when you fight against him as Zero in the very same level.

Refer to the table below for codes used to gain use of the Ultimate Armor. The codes are listed with the button pressed and the number of times pressed next to it. In Mega Man X4 and X5, highlight X on the Character Select screen and enter the codes. In addition, in X4, the shoulder buttons must be held until the actual game begins (after the cutscenes). In Mega Man X6 and X8, highlight Game Start, complete the sequence of buttons, and press Start.

Trivia

 * When Zero is selected during the third Fortress stage in Mega Man X5, X will use this armor during their battle at the end of that stage.
 * Coincidentally, the battle also saw the temporary return of X's Special Weapons from Mega Man X4, which is the same game the Ultimate Armor debuted in.
 * With only a few aesthethic changes, the Ultimate Armor is a sort of pallette swap of the Force Armor, which also debuted in X4.
 * The Ultimate Armor's Giga Attack is one of two that is immediately available at the start of the game (in this case, X5 after entering the code). The other is the Giga Attack of the Falcon Armor, one game later.