Mega Man X FAQ
By X

*Updates to this guide can be found at the end.

Story: On a dig, Dr. Cain unearthed a capsule containing the amazing
robot Mega Man X. When Dr. Cain found the capsule, he also found this
included in a file:

Mega Man X's Specifications:
HEAD - Broad-range Eye Camera, Ultra-sensitive Voice Recognition
System, Voice Generation System made by HAYATOM, Inc.
CHEST - Accumulative Energy Generator, Micro-fusion Fuel Tank, Central
Joint-controlling System,
ARMS - X-Buster (Mega Buster Mark17), Energy Amplifier, Variable Weapon
System
LEGS - Gyroscopic Stabilization System, Emergency Acceleration System
(Optional)
INTERIOR SKELETON - Reactive armor skeleton which reduces damage by 93
percent.
BODY SKIN - Lightweight "Titanium-X" Alloy.

WARNING: "X" is the first of a new generation of robots which contain
an innovative new feature - the ability to think, feel, and make their
own decisions. However this ability could be very dangerous. If "X"
were to break the first rule of robotics, "A robot must never harm a
human being", the results would be disastrous and I fear that no force
on earth could stop him.

Approximately 30 years will be required before we can safely confirm
his reliability. Unfortunately I will not live to see that day, nor do
I have anyone to carry on my work. Therefore, I have decided to seal
him in this capsule, which will test his internal systems until his
reliability can be confirmed. Please do not disturb the capsule until
that time.

"X" possesses great risks as well as great possibilities. I can only
hope for the best.

                                           September 18, 20XX
                                                     T. Light

Unfortunately, Dr. Cain did not heed the warning and thus placed X's
design onto an assembly line, mass-producing "Reploids". Unfortunately,
these robots decided to turn against their creators, believing that
they were superior to the humans, and ended up going "Maverick". X has
decided to stop these "Mavericks" as they are called, and sets out
after them.

Mega Man X's controls:

A - Dash (Requires the Ground Dash upgrade, but don't worry, you won't
be dashless for very long).
B - Jump (Longer you hold it down, the higher X will go).
      Wall Jump (Performed by touching a wall and then pressing the
button, and you will climb the wall, able to be done multiple times by
pressing the button again when you touch the wall again)

Dash Jump - Performed by hitting the Dash button and the Jump button at
the same time. This will let you jump much farther than a regular jump.

Y - Shoot X-Buster shots. Hold down for more powerful (charged) blasts.
Longer you hold it down, more powerful the shot will be.
L or R - Cycle through the weapons you have earned from the Mavericks
(explained below).
Start - Opens the Status Screen. Here, the game is paused, and you will
be able to select which weapon you wish to use (convenient if you don't
have time to use L or R to cycle), absorb a Sub-Tank, or activate the
Escape Unit.

Basic Things for Beginners:
- If no enemies are around, take the time to charge up your X-Buster.
This will make it quite easier when enemies come, as charged shots keep
going after destroying an enemy, whereas basic shots will not. Your X-
Buster can reach three levels of power:
1)	No charging. Small yellow sphere fired forward.
2)	Charged to blue level. Larger, green rocket-shaped shot fired forward
(does not stop unless multiple hits are required for enemy).
3)	Charged to yellow level. Even larger, blue, circular shaped shot fired
forward (does not stop unless multiple hits are required for enemy,
much more powerful than the previous two shots).

- Wall Jumping will be necessary to complete most levels. Be sure to
get the hang of it, it's not that hard.
- Sliding down walls will also help. To slide down a wall, touch the
wall and press the direction of the wall on the control pad. You can
fire your X-Buster while sliding down as well.
- The Escape Unit can be used when you return to a level in which you
have already defeated the Maverick there. Activating the unit will
cause you to teleport out of the level.
- There are five main different power ups you will see on the ground:
White and Yellow Capsules - These will refill X's energy meter. There
are small and large ones. Obviously, large ones will refill more life
than small ones.
Blue and Red Capsules - These will refill the Maverick weapon's meter.
There are small and large ones. Again, the large ones will refill more.
Extra Lives - These look like X's head, and are glowing. They will give
you an extra chance to play the game. You can have a maximum of nine.
- Bosses will be invincible temporarily after hitting them. You will
see them flashing white during this period, so any shots used at this
time will be wasted. Once the white flash dissipates, you may freely
shoot at the boss again.

Level 1: Highway Stage

Nothing much to say here, just continue through, blasting enemies and
recharging as they come. When those big helicopter-like enemies come,
just stand as far back as possible and blast it. Just don't be under it
when it falls. Eventually, you will reach an airship.

BOSS: VILE

Vile is not able to be defeated at this time. His Robot Walker will
make it impossible for him to take damage (at least from you right now
anyway). When your energy gets low enough, he will fire energy spheres
from a cannon, which will paralyze you. Then Zero will step in to save
you just in time, but cannot destroy Vile either (who runs off). Now
you will go to a stage selection screen. I suggest Chill Penguin first.

Snow Mountain Stage
      X*
X           X
X           X
      XX

(Note that the above X's and * refer to where the boss is located at on
the selection screen.)

This is a very simplistic and relatively easy level. Just continue
through until you find the first capsule of the game. You can't miss it
(literally, it's blocking your path). After Dr. Light gives you his
little speech, step inside to receive the Ground Dash upgrade.

GROUND DASH: By pressing the Dash button (A) X will slide on his
stomach. The longer the button is held, the farther X will dash. You
can also combine the button with the jump button, allowing X to perform
a Dash Jump, a much farther jump than before. This can also be combined
with wall jumping, allowing you to kick off farther. You can also use
this enhancement only on the ground by tapping left or right twice in a
row. The longer you hold the button down, the farther X will dash.
Also, this has the capability to make your non-charged shots more
powerful. By Dashing and firing while doing so, the increase in speed
doubles the power of a non-charged shot. (Thanks to Freespace2dotcom at
Freespace2dotcom@yahoo.com for pointing this out.)

BOSS: CHILL PENGUIN
Height: 5.34 feet  Weight: 237 pounds

Chill Penguin is quite easy (though for beginners, may be a bit
troublesome). Try to walk into the level with a fully charged X-Buster
shot, and release it right away. Also, spend this whole battle touching
one of the walls (not necessarily going to be the same one the entire
fight).  If you see Chill Penguin move, you know you're gonna have to
react fast. His attacks:

-	Chill Penguin will use his sliding attack, which involves him sliding
on his stomach in your direction. Just jump up the wall while charging,
then come back down and blast him.
-	Chill Penguin will start blowing icy breath a fair distance. If you are
in its path, climb the wall, or you will be frozen. Two ice statues of
penguins will appear then. Touching them causes damage. His next move
will be to grab the handle in the ceiling. This will bring on a
snowstorm, sliding the statues to you. Climb the wall or destroy them
before you get hit.
-	Chill Penguin will simply jump up and try to land on you. Dash away if
this happens.
-	Chill Penguin will begin spitting ice shards at you, which is his
Shotgun Ice attack. You cannot destroy them, and nothing will stop him
at this point, so basically just climb the wall until he stops, and
blast him when he's done.

Charge up whenever possible. If you are forced to climb a wall at any
point, use that time to charge.

WEAPON: SHOTGUN ICE

This weapon will fire an ice shard forward. If it hits an enemy,
multiple smaller shards will ricochet backwards, which can also do
damage. Charged up (see later), this weapon will create an ice
platform, which will shoot forward, allowing you to ride it.

The next Maverick I suggest you go after would be Storm Eagle.

Sky Stage
      XX
X           X
*           X
      XX

In the beginning of this level will be platforms constantly moving on
conveyor belts. Make your way to as high as possible as you can on
these. Once there, do a Dash Jump as far left as possible. You will
land on a green section, which will have a Heart Tank.

HEART TANK - There are eight of these in the game, (one for each
level). As you may have noticed from the fight with Chill Penguin, X
has about half the energy of the Mavericks he fights. Each time you
pick up a Heart Tank, X will permanently gain two unit capacity spaces
to his energy meter.

Next, continue on until you see an enemy shooting fireballs on top of a
rising platform. Destroy the enemy, and then get on the platform, which
will rise. Climb on the green-blue wall there, and shoot it. It's
glass, which will shatter a doorway for you. Destroy the enemy inside,
which will shatter the rest of the glass. At the end of this small
room, is your first Sub Tank.

SUB TANK - There are four of these in the game. If X has full energy,
and picks up an energy capsule, the energy will instead go to the Sub
Tank. Sub Tanks, when used, will transfer the energy stored in the tank
to X's energy meter.
Continue on in the level. Eventually, you will come to a tall tower of
metal, which you have to climb. Slide down the right side of it. Once
you have gone about half way down, dash jump right. Shoot the tanks
with the fire symbol on them (don't worry, the explosion won't hurt
you), (it'll take quite a few hits) and then go through to Dr. Light's
next capsule upgrade.

POWER HELMET: With this on X, he can break certain blocks with a head
butt, or by wall jumping off of them. Practice a bit on the blocks that
are provided there.

Continue on to finally meet the boss.

BOSS: STORM EAGLE
Height: 8.20 feet  Weight: 275 pounds

This boss is another easy one. Again, try to enter this with a charged
up blast, but don't release it when the battle starts, since Storm
Eagle will be blowing you away. Using your Ground Dash will combat
this. Keep dashing towards Storm Eagle until you are in firing range
and then unload on him. Basic attacks include:

-	Storm Eagle will begin flapping his wings, blowing you away from him.
Use your Ground Dash to get back closer to him.
-	Storm Eagle will use his Storm Tornado (the weapon you will soon
receive). This weapon will blow you faster than his wings can. Also
dash under this.
-	Storm Eagle will fly up and stop in mid-air, dropping a sort of egg,
which will shatter on impact, releasing four small birds. These birds
will come for you. Shoot them as soon as they come.
-	Storm Eagle will fly up and try to clip you using his diving attack.
Just keep walking around and charging (or dashing) when you can't see
him on screen. If you keep dashing, you'll have to wait until he lands
again to start inflicting damage. If you keep walking and charging,
wait until you see him come down, then quickly turn and fire.

WEAPON: STORM TORNADO

You will have most likely seen Storm Eagle use this already. Basically,
you will fire a small, ringed tornado forward. Charged up, it becomes a
true, large, vertical tornado, covering much more ground, or air for
that matter.

The next Maverick to tackle is Flame Mammoth.

Factory Stage
      XX
X            *
X            X
      XX

I'll bet you're probably wondering why a fire-type enemy would have an
icy level. He doesn't usually. You see, because you have already
defeated Chill Penguin, his level freezes over, making it easier and
possible to gain an essential item. You may freely walk on the icy
floors, but before this would've been fire, an instant kill on contact.
First off, go through the level until you have to fall. Then you will
start seeing icy floors again, with a walkway above it. On the ceiling
you can see some weird grayish blocks. This is extremely hard to do,
but stand on the very edge of that walkway, and dash jump over there.
Once you can see yourself near those gray blocks, start wall jumping
like mad (press the button as rapidly as possible). Your Power Helmet
will destroy those blocks. You'll have to get through all of them and
up to the top to receive Dr. Light's next capsule upgrade. However, if
you destroyed some and fell, you'll either have to kill yourself to
come back, or complete the level and come back, because it will be
impossible to get back up there. Or, you can wait until close to the
end of the game with an alternative to reaching this power, but it will
mean missing out on one of the best weapons in the game. You can ONLY
get it here if you are playing the PC version.

X-BUSTER UPGRADE: With this in your possession, X's X-Buster can now
reach a fourth level of power, a pink level. When you fire off at that
level, pink snakes of energy are shot forward, and a half sphere of
pink energy appears behind X's back, providing some protection behind
him momentarily. Much more powerful and longer lasting. Also, the
weapons you have earned from Mavericks may now be charged as well.

Now keep going right again. Dash under all of the walkways you see. At
the end, on that icy floor, you will come to the second HEART TANK.

Now climb up the right wall, and then jump left onto the walkways that
are higher than the others. Go to the leftmost and highest one (you
will see an extra life on it, then Dash Jump left. You will hit a wall.
Wall Jump until the blocks are broken, and pick up the second SUB TANK.

Now finish the level and you will encounter the next boss.

BOSS: FLAME MAMMOTH
Height: 10.5 feet  Weight: 719 pounds

This guy is huge (hence the name Mammoth). It helps to come in with a
charged shot. Your best attack to use is the Storm Tornado. You'll also
have to adjust to fighting him on a constantly moving conveyor belt.
When the battle starts, Flame Mammoth will jump up and try to land on
you. Dash under him to prevent this from happening. If you entered with
a charged shot, you can release when he's over you to strike him. His
attacks include:

-	Flame Mammoth will start using his Fire Wave attack, throwing small
fires at you. Just keep going in the opposite direction, then climb a
wall because Flame Mammoth will try to land on you again.
-	Flame Mammoth will often shout, then try to land on you, which is his
jump press attack. When this happens, climb a wall, causing him to miss
you, then Dash Jump off to avoid getting hit by him. If you're not on a
wall when he lands, you will fall to the floor and not be able to get
up for a couple of seconds, making you vulnerable.
-	Flame Mammoth can also use his oiling attack, enabling him to shoot oil
from his trunk, which can end up being ignited if he uses his Fire Wave
attack. Be sure to stay off any oil that is thrown onto the conveyor
belt.

In addition to these, just shoot a Storm Tornado at him whenever
possible.

WEAPON: FIRE WAVE

You can hold down the Y button to continually have a wall of fire in
front of you. Charged up, flame will hit the ground and keep traveling
until it hits a pit or a wall.

At this point, return to Chill Penguin's stage. Continue through the
level until you find the Robot Walker. Keep traveling with it until you
can see some ground above you. Jump with the Robot Walker then jump out
of it (Up and A) and Wall Jump onto that area up there. Switch to the
Fire Wave and use it to destroy the metal domes that enemies come out
of, and inside the first one is the third HEART TANK.

However, for those of you using the PC version, it will not quite be
this easy. From what I have learned, Robot Walkers do not exist in the
PC version, so you will have to go about this a different way. Instead,
go through more of the level until you can see the edge of that cliff
on the other side. You will have to use a Dash Jump to get up there, on
the other side. Then you can use the Fire Wave to destroy the domes and
collect the Heart Tank.

Now go to Spark Mandrill's stage.

Power Plant Stage
    XX
X        X
X        X
    *X

This stage has also been altered. It has been wrecked due to the demise
of Storm Eagle. Lights will dim making it impossible to see anything
but yourself at times, but I prefer it to having electrical sparks
shooting at you. When the lights go out, I recommend you stop moving,
you're probably headed for a pit. Go through the level (when you come
to the first ladders, take the one up, not down, because you won't have
to go there until later) until you come upon a multi-colored turtle
launching rockets. After that, don't go down the ladder at first, Wall
Jump up instead. You will see the fourth HEART TANK above you. You'll
have to Dash Jump off the wall at the right time to be able to jump
onto the ledge to obtain it. Takes a bit of practice. If you are having
difficulties doing this, you can come back here later when you have the
Boomerang Cutter and retrieve it that way (see later). Also, at some
point you will fight a mini-boss in this stage. You cannot see an
energy meter for it. Your best bet against it is to use the Storm
Tornado on it and get on the walls whenever it launches a sticky
substance onto the floor.

Continue through the level until you reach Spark Mandrill.

BOSS: SPARK MANDRILL
Height: 10.0 feet  Weight: 646 pounds

This boss is a joke. Pull out your Shotgun Ice, and definitely do not
charge it (it will take too long to use then). As soon as the battle
starts, shoot him with it. He will be frozen. Once he breaks out, hit
him again. Repeat this process until he dies. Since I have always used
this strategy, I never really found out what his attacks are, but I do
know that he can do the following:

-	Spark Mandrill will create two Electric Sparks (weapon you will
receive) which will travel on the ground and up the walls. Jump over
them.
-	Spark Mandrill will use his Dash Punch attack, attempting to ram into
you. Freeze him to stop this.
-	Spark Mandrill will jump up and cross the room using the ropes in the
ceiling. Eventually he will drop back down.

There may be more, but I am not sure as I have always quickly finished
him off with the Shotgun Ice.

WEAPON: ELECTRIC SPARK

This weapon will fire small purple spheres of electrical energy
forward. Charged up, walls of electrical energy will shoot both left
and right.

Your next Maverick to defeat is Armored Armadillo.

Gallery Stage
    XX
*        X
X        X
    XX

This level will begin with a platform that will shoot forward, which
will kill enemies on the way, just be sure to jump off before it lands
in a pit. Eventually, you will fall down, but slide down the right side
of the wall, and stay on the bottom of it, until a machine breaks out.
Go to where that machine started to get your third SUB TANK. Continue
on again. Eventually, you will fall down again, and another machine
will be there. Hold the Fire Wave on it until is destroyed. Continue on
and Wall Jump up to get your fifth HEART TANK. (If you hadn't destroyed
the machine, you wouldn't have been able to jump high enough to get it,
as the machine would have destroyed part of the walls.) Keep going on,
and eventually you will reach the next boss.

BOSS: ARMORED ARMADILLO
Height: 6.36 feet  Weight: 510 pounds

This Maverick is not too hard. The Electric Spark will have a unique
effect on him (you don't have to enter charged). He will start out by
becoming a ball and ricocheting around the room. Dodge until he lands.
At this point, fire off your weapon, and his armor will be blown off,
making him much more vulnerable. You can now hit him when he is in ball
form. His attacks are:

-	Armored Armadillo will become a ball and ricochet around the room,
dodge and hit him when he lands, his version of the Rolling Shield
attack.
-	Armored Armadillo will open a  cannon in his head and then fire four
energy blasts at you. Climb the wall when this happens.
-	Before his armor is blown off, Armored Armadillo can effectively block
your attacks with his guarding process, when his Rolling Shield attack
is in effect.

Just shoot him when you can and dodge the above attacks.

WEAPON: ROLLING SHIELD

This weapon will fire a shield on the ground, which will roll forward.
Charged up, it becomes a true shield protecting you for the time being.

The next Maverick you should face is Launch Octopus.

Ocean Stage
    *X
X         X
X         X
    XX

This is the first water level you will encounter. In water, X can jump
higher than normal. Go through the level, and you will fight small
mini-bosses that are ship-like, that will try to suck you towards them
and they also throw out tentacles. After destroying the second one, use
the second tornado like thing in the water to jump up to a submarine.
Destroy the submarine with a single shot of the Storm Tornado, then
when it sinks, stay on it. Eventually it will crash through the spikes
in the bottom, and you will be able to enter a chamber to the right and
fight a dragon-like mini-boss. You can stand on it's scales, and only
it's head and tail are vulnerable. Simply walk into there with a fully
powered Storm Tornado and it will be a one-hit kill, provided it is
held onto him long enough. After killing it, go to the very right to
find your sixth HEART TANK. Continue on through the level, and you will
eventually fight the dragon-like mini-boss again. This time he is a bit
harder, as he digs into the sand beneath him. Use the same strategy as
before. Finish the level and come upon the next boss.

BOSS: LAUNCH OCTOPUS
Height: 7.80 feet  Weight: 348 pounds

This boss is a little hard. Turn on your Rolling Shield, but do not
charge it up. Trying to hit him with it will only hurt yourself most
likely. In the beginning, Dash immediately. Like Flame Mammoth, he will
try to land on you. His attacks are:

-	Launch Octopus will fire Homing Torpedoes at you (weapon you will
receive). Jump up to dodge them.
-	Launch Octopus will create small enemies to attack you. Destroy them
with a Rolling Shield.
-	Launch Octopus will leap up and create a whirlpool, beginning his
energy drain procedure. Walk in the opposite direction to prevent
getting sucked in. If you are, Launch Octopus will latch onto you and
steal some of your health.

Hit him with a Rolling Shield whenever you can. Quickly you will claim
victory.

WEAPON: HOMING TORPEDO

This weapon is a missile that is heat seeking. Launch it for a
guaranteed hit on an enemy on screen. Charged up, four projectiles are
released instead.

Now head over to Boomer Kuwanger's stage.

Tower Stage
    XX
X        X
X        *
    XX

There are no enhancements that you can get in this stage right now, so
just go through the level until you reach the boss. There is a small
hard part in this level. Eventually you will come to a platform that
constantly rises. Floors with spikes beneath them are constantly
appearing as you go up. Your best bet would be to jump on top of these
floors as soon as you can. When the platform stops, instead of risking
getting hit by the spikes by jumping, just Dash to your right.

BOSS: BOOMER KUWANGER.
Height: 7.93 feet  Weight: 206 pounds

This boss is not too hard. Use your Homing Torpedo. There is no need to
charge up. His attacks are:

-	Boomer Kuwanger will throw a Boomerang Cutter at you (the weapon you
soon get). Just jump away from it and fire a Homing Torpedo.
-	Boomer Kuwanger will use his Dead Lift attack. This begins when he
lowers his head. Next, he will clasp you with the pincers on his head,
and hurl you into the ceiling. Just stay away from him to avoid this.
-	Boomer Kuwanger will teleport. Jump around when he's gone and fire as
soon as he returns.
Other than that, just get in a shot whenever you can. Soon you will
claim victory.

The best way to fight this boss is to stay on the wall he is farthest
from and fire torpedoes constantly. When he teleports over to your
side, Dash Jump to the other wall.

WEAPON: BOOMERANG CUTTER

This weapon describes itself basically. Use it, and a boomerang will
fly out, cutting away. Charged up, four much larger, green boomerangs
will orbit you for a second. You will not lose energy for this weapon,
as long as the boomerangs come back to you when used. However, if you
charge it up, you will lose the energy. The boomerangs will not come
back if it takes more than one of them to defeat an enemy, and you can
also use the uncharged ones to retrieve objects (Sub Tanks, Heart
Tanks, energy capsules, and weapon capsules). This will be important to
retrieving some items later.

At this point, return to Spark Mandrill's stage. Take the down ladder
in the beginning, and go through the other ladders, except for the last
one. When you see the Sub Tank on your right, jump and use your
Boomerang Cutter. It will give you your fourth and final SUB TANK.

Now go back to Boomer Kuwanger's stage. Go through most of the level
again, until you can see the HEART TANK above you. Again, use the
Boomerang Cutter to retrieve. Stand back until you can barely see it,
and throw.


Now go to the final boss, Sting Chameleon.

Forest Stage
    XX
X        X
X        X
    X*

This level has also been altered. Since you defeated Launch Octopus,
the are has become flooded. This will help you receive an essential
item. Go through this level until you see the walls and floor change
from brown to gray (stone). Slide down the wall below you, and go
through the hole to the bottom (you will see water at this point). Wall
Jump to destroy the blocks on the right. You will see water all over in
this area. On the small platform that is below those blocks, Dash Jump
to the right (the water will keep you up) and collect the eighth and
final HEART TANK. Dash Jump back to go back and this time, Dash Jump up
to the wall above you when the walls and floors first change color.
Wall Jump up, and then rocks will close you into the area, thus forcing
you to fight a mini-boss. This boss is not hard, just jump over his
hooks and blast him with the Electric Spark. You do not have to wait
for that even, you can jump up and hit his head with it. Smoke is a
sign of his destruction close at hand. When you run out of Electric
Spark, use Fire Wave. The boss can jump over you (just Dash under him
then) and can fire hooks at you (simply jump over them and then shoot
him). If the hook hits the wall, sometimes the boss will pull itself
towards it. Wall Jump over him then. Sometimes if the hook hits you,
the boss will pull you towards it and injure you. Once he is defeated,
Dr. Light's capsule will rise out of the ground.

BODY ARMOR: This armor upgrade will prevent half of the damage you
originally received.

Once you take the enhancement, the rocks shatter, opening your way up
again. Head back, and finally take the right passage now. Continue
through the level until you reach the last boss.

BOSS: STING CHAMELEON
Height: 5.80 feet  Weight: 169 pounds

This boss is hard compared to the others. It would be wise to enter
with a charged weapon. Use your Boomerang Cutter for sure. Basically,
he can blend in with the foliage around him and then reappear somewhere
else (you can follow the wrinkle you see, though). The ceiling is lined
with spikes, so watch out. If he reappears near you, his tongue will be
lashed out at you. Fire Boomerang Cutters when you can. Other attacks
include:

-	Sting Chameleon will use his iron tongue attack, where he will hang
from the spikes with his tongue, and spikes will rain down. A certain
area will be untouched, stay there, and try to hit him with a Boomerang
Cutter. Do not jump in this instance, as if you fire from the ground,
the Boomerang Cutter will head back toward you and hit him on the way.
-	Sting Chameleon will be holding onto the foliage and kicking green
spikes at you, his own version of the Chameleon Sting. Charge up your
Boomerang Cutter and launch it to hit him while avoiding the spikes.

After this difficult fight, you will earn your final weapon.

WEAPON: CHAMELEON STING

This weapon will let you shoot three green spikes forward, diagonally
upward, and diagonally downward all at once. Also, when charged up, you
will flash colors, allowing you to pass through enemies without either
you or the enemy being damaged. This will also make you immune to
spikes. Though it will last a long time, it is not infinite, so watch
out for the time that it wears off.

Only one more thing is left for you to get (though it's not required it
will help a lot in the long run). Return to Armored Armadillo's stage.
Here, go through all of it (and make sure you have a high amount of
lives. If you are low, don't get on the first moving platform that's in
the very beginning, and instead use non-charged shots to kill the
Bubble Bat repeatedly for lives) and then get on the third and final
moving platform. While on it, fire constantly (this will clear out
enemies that will otherwise hit you) and then it will be launched into
the air. When you see it begin to descend a bit, quickly Dash Jump to
the right and grab the wall, Wall Jumping to the top. Take the energy
capsule. Now jump left and kill yourself off in the pit. Repeat this
process three to six times (that's why you need a lot of lives) and
eventually the last capsule will appear. You must be at full health for
it to be there, and you must have collected every Maverick weapon,
Heart Tank, and Sub Tank. Dr. Light will be projected, this time
wearing a karate suit instead of the usual lab coat. You will receive
the HADOKEN FIREBALL, named for what X says when using the weapon. This
weapon is not found on the status screen. You must be at full health to
use it, and it is used by hitting Down, Down and Forward together,
Forward, and then Y (you might want to practice this move). Though it
doesn't sound that great, you will find good uses for it eventually.
However, note that passwords do NOT save this enhancement. You must
recollect it every time you turn off the game.

For those of you using the PC version, I have learned that your Sub
Tanks must also be fully charged for the capsule to appear.

Now that you are armed to the teeth, you will notice that a new face is
in the center of the selection screen. It is Sigma, the ultimate foe.
You probably have noticed him since you defeated Sting Chameleon. Now
it is time to proceed to his levels.

   XX
X       X
X       X
   XX   *

Sigma's Fortress: Level One

Go through the level once Zero leaves, and eventually you will reach
moving platforms. These are hard enough to get onto, plus enemies are
all around, so I suggest you power up the Rolling Shield and leave it
on while using these platforms. Eventually you will reach a boss door,
and Vile will teleport down, as well as Zero. Zero says he will handle
him, and he walks in the door after Vile. Enter as well, and you will
hear signs of a scuffle. If you remember the first level sounds, you
might recognize the sound of Vile's Robot Walker. Go through the next
door, to see Vile in his Robot Walker again, and Zero in an electrical
prison. Now you start fighting again. The difference between this
battle and the one from the first level? The fact that it's in an
enclosed room, Zero is there, and you are more powerful really don't
make a difference, because you end up being paralyzed like last time.
Then Zero breaks free and self-destructs, destroying Vile's Robot
Walker, and himself in the process. X absorbs the energy from the
electricity paralyzing him, restoring his health meter to full, and
finally you can fight Vile for real.

BOSS: VILE

If you want a quick win and you are good at using the Hadoken Fireball,
Dash once quickly, turn around immediately, and pull off the move as
fast as you can for a one hit kill. I told you it'd be worth it
eventually. If not, pull out your Rolling Shield. His basic attacks
are:

-	Vile will jump up over you. Just dash away, turn around, and throw a
Rolling Shield.
-	Vile will run toward you in an attempt to strike you. Throw a Rolling
Shield to stop him.
-	Vile will throw another energy paralysis bolt, causing temporary
paralysis this time. When he does this, he'll leap up and throw
projectiles down at you. Try to dodge the bolts.

It doesn't take too many Rolling Shields to kill Vile, and eventually
you should claim victory. A special thing to note about this fight,
Vile is the only exception I noticed in this game where he does not
have the temporary invincibility that other Mavericks possess when you
fight them, therefore, you can fire off multiple Rolling Shields if you
are forced to use that technique, and kill him quicker and easier than
other bosses in the game.  After the fight, walk to the right to see
Zero dying. If you didn't get the X-Buster Upgrade from Flame Mammoth's
stage, Zero will give you his arm cannon, the equivalent. You cannot
receive it from Zero if you are playing the PC version, however, it is
only available in Flame Mammoth's stage in that case.

Continue on through the level. When you get to the area where you must
climb up the shaft (or even right after Zero's death if it's hard
enough for you) I suggest you power up your Chameleon Sting to pass
through all the enemies, and reactivate it at good stopping points. You
will open up another boss door eventually, for a rematch with Boomer
Kuwanger. Same strategy as before, use Homing Torpedoes. Keep going,
and finally you'll reach the last boss for this part of Sigma's
fortress.

BOSS: BOSPIDER

This boss is a large spider. The spider will either go very fast and
try to land on you (usually succeeding), or it will drop down four mini
spiders, then it will do the previous attack. The best way to fight
this thing is to Dash twice in a row in one direction, turn around and
then do it again. This will fool the spider making it land away from
you. Turn around immediately and fire a Shotgun Ice. It is only
vulnerable when it's center is red. May take some practice, but
eventually you'll get the hang of it. You will probably have to use a
couple of Sub Tanks for this fight. After this battle, X will teleport
out.

Sigma's Fortress: Level Two

Select the same thing as you did before on the selection screen, and
you'll go to the next level. Now you will fight Chill Penguin again.
Although the Fire Wave is his weakness, since it is a short-range
weapon, I find it easier to use the X-Buster instead. Or, you can use
the Hadoken Fireball for another one hit kill. The best time to use it
is after you dodge him when he slides on his stomach trying to hit you.
However you do it, beat him and continue on. I suggest you have a full-
power charge shot ready when you leave the battle, because a Robot
Walker will soon be there, with it's rider. If you can destroy the
rider in time, you can inhabit the Robot Walker instead. But if you
don't, you'll have to have a fight with it similar to Vile's attacks,
but it can be destroyed. When you are confronted with two ways to go
(the left side or the right side), I suggest you take the right. Next
comes the rematch with Storm Eagle. I wouldn't recommend that you use
the Chameleon Sting, because you'll need it soon. Use the X-Buster
again, though you can't seem to hit him by turning around when he
swoops anymore, because he'll hit you instead. I think it's because of
the time required to release the pink blast, so just Dash this time and
fire when he's on the ground. Keep going after this fight, and you will
come upon the final boss of this stage.

BOSS: RANGDA BANGDA

This boss has two eyes, and a central core. When the core is open, one
of the eyes will open at a time, firing energy balls at you. Shoot the
Chameleon Sting at the eyes. When the core closes, The walls will close
in, and the core will bounce around, most likely about to hit you. You
must destroy the two eyes, at which point the walls will permanently
move in, and you will have to destroy the core, which is not easy.
You'll have to jump off, turn around, fire, and then get  back on or
else you'll land on spikes. You may need a Sub Tank for this fight.
Eventually you will win and teleport out.

Sigma's Fortress: Level Three

First on this level you will right away fight Armored Armadillo. Same
strategy, shock off his armor with the Electric Spark, then pummel him
with it until he explodes. Next comes the fight against Sting
Chameleon. The strategy isn't different here, just pummel him with the
Boomerang Cutter. After that, keep going (you'll have to use the
Boomerang Cutter to retrieve the two capsules in the enclosed room).
Now fight Spark Mandrill again. The boss is no less of a joke than he
was before. Shotgun Ice is all it takes. The room after Spark Mandrill
is an excellent place to refill Sub Tanks if some are empty. Keep
dropping back down and defeating all the enemies to quickly recharge
them. The next door will lead to Launch Octopus (you should've figured
that out from the water part you just went through). This time around,
though, you might want to launch about four Boomerang Cutters at him,
because it will cut off his tentacles, depriving him of his whirlpool
ability (and making him look silly). However, the final boss of this
level is vulnerable to that particular weapon, so I suggest you don't
in that respect. It's your choice, make a wise one. Either way, just
use the Rolling Shield again and keep going. The next Maverick to face
again is Flame Mammoth. Like Launch Octopus, fire off a few Boomerang
Cutters to cut off his trunk, making him look like a pig and depriving
him of his oil shooting ability. Use the Storm Tornado again to quickly
dispose of him. The last boss door is next.

BOSS: D-REX

In this room, you will fight a sort of vehicle that can split in half.
When they do join together, they will create a gigantic energy ball
headed toward you (Dash under it if that occurs, or try to fake it by
wall jumping before it fires). Also, the car part will ram you, and the
head part will also try to hit you. When this happens, jump between the
two and try to escape onto the other side before they collide to hit
you. The Boomerang Cutter will do the most (aim for the head part). If
you run out, try using Homing Torpedoes, though they don't do extra
damage, they are a guaranteed hit. Finally, you may have to use a Sub
Tank for this battle. Eventually, you'll win (may take a lot of
practice though). X teleports out, and you go to the next level.

Sigma's Fortress: Level Four

Just climb the walls as soon as you enter this stage, and avoid the
hole-shaped enemies jutting out. Once you reach the top, Sigma himself
will teleport down with his dog. The dog is your fight.

BOSS: VELGUADER

If you want to quickly dispose of him, don't move when the battle
starts, it'll leap right over you. At this point, get a Hadoken
Fireball ready. When it lands, the Hadoken Fireball should connect for
a one hit kill. If not, constantly dodge the dog's leaping and blasts,
and fire the Shotgun Ice whenever you can. Use the walls to your
advantage to dodge the dog. The dog will constantly run across the
room, and sometimes pauses to fire ice balls at you. Constantly climb
the walls, and I recommend that you cross over from each side when the
dog reaches your side.

After that, Sigma teleports down again. This time he throws off his
cape to fight you.

BOSS: SIGMA

Jump up in the beginning and climb the wall. You will definitely notice
a pattern to Sigma here. Learn it, and then return to the floor when
you know Sigma won't hit you. A one hit kill, again, will be a Hadoken
Fireball. Launch it before Sigma hits the ground. If you can't do that,
then use the Electric Spark, because it's the only weapon that will do
twice as much damage as the others will. If you can charge it up (I
recommend doing this while you are on the wall) it will do three bars
of damage. Plus, because of the range, it is much more likely to hit
Sigma, though it puts you a little more at risk. Stay on the walls to
avoid his attacks, and don't fire when his sabre is blocking. Stay on
the left wall, and drop down once he has crossed to that side. Then he
should land without hitting you, and launch an Electric Spark before he
hits the ground, because if he does, his sabre could be blocking. After
this fight, Sigma's body explodes, but his head remains.

The head attaches to a much larger machine. The final fight begins. The
machine in the center can emit huge balls of energy, which will fire
continuously across the room, from one side to the other. If your
timing is right, you can Dash under them. Also, a continuous jet of
fire can erupt from the center, which will also sweep the screen. For
this, you'll have to head to the side you can. You'll also notice two
claws, one on each side. Every few seconds, each will open up. If it
glows, lightning will strike vertically from them. If it doesn't glow,
the claw comes down for you. Use this to your advantage. Jump out of
the way when this happens, then get on the claw. The claw will
lightning strike the moment it returns, so get ready. Jump at the right
height and fire a Rolling Shield at Sigma's head. Try to stay on the
claw as long as you can, by being on the edge, where the lightning will
not hit you. The claws will not come down for you when the machine is
using fire or the energy balls. Repeat this process until Sigma runs
out of energy. Don't forget about your Sub Tanks, because you'll most
likely need them. However, if you die to any of these last three
bosses, then you will have to restart with Sigma's dog. However, you
can refill your Sub Tanks and weapon energy by using the enemies that
come out of the holes. It will take awhile, but it is better than
facing the three bosses again with no Sub Tanks handy. Once Sigma's
energy is depleted, you win. Watch the ending sequence, and feel good
about your win. (After all the credits, wait about a minute on the
screen where you can see the monitor in the background. When the song
ends, you will see an additional ending, one which promises a sequel.)

This FAQ is by me, X. Have any questions, comments, different
strategies I should know about, or find any typos? Please feel free to
E-mail me at zero3052001@yahoo.com    I will not respond to any E-mails
that have excessive swearing or anything like that. Also, if anyone
wants to know the ending to this game, you may E-mail me to find it
out. I do this because often times I have accidentally read endings I
wanted to find on my own, despite spoiler warnings that I missed. If
you wish to place this guide on your site, please E-mail me first for
my permission. Although I will most likely give it to you, I need to
know where to send updates and where it is headed first.

This FAQ is Copyright 2001 by X. Thank you to all those that took the
time to read it.

Most Recent Update: (This section was requested by Rubyheart,
cadieux_philippe@hotmail.com)

- My E-mail is back in the guide. You may mail me at any time again.