Capcom’s Mega Man franchise has always stood out thanks to how it approaches non-linearity and progression in the platforming genre– especially Mega Man X. Beyond Heart Tanks, Sub-Tanks, and Armor Parts hiding in each stage, players are free to approach bosses in whatever order they choose.
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That said, every boss does have a weakness and this can end up inferring an “optimal” order. Mega Man X5 is notorious for its need for backtracking to get everything. As a result, it’s hard to pin down a “best” order. If nothing else, prioritizing getting through the game first & foremost never hurts. Mega Man X5 feels like the sub-series’ grand finale and the game’s boss fights rise to the occasion as formidable foes.
8 Crescent Grizzly
As is the case with most bosses in Mega Man X5, Crescent Grizzly is much easier than his stage. His level requires either X or Zero to rush across the rooftops of multiple trucks as they explore behind them, often with a timer. It’s a tense stage with a great level gimmick, but Crescent Grizzly struggles to put up a fight.
Not only is his hit box both large and generous, his telegraphs are very easy to read and encounter. You basically need to be a sitting duck in order to get hit by Crescent Grizzly. X’s charge shot and Zero’s saber combo will put Crescent Grizzly down without much of a fight.
7 Tidal Whale
Tidal Whale’s stage is not so much hard as it is tedious. It’s not so bad on a first playthrough– an auto-scroller at heart– but the fact it needs to be cleared a minimum of three times for 100% completion is rough. Underwater auto-scrolling is just too slow paced to force more than once in an action-platformer.
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Tidal Whale is a bit harder than Crescent Grizzly, though. While he’ll offer players more than enough opportunities to lay hits into him (heavy ones courtesy of Crescent Grizzly’s C-Shot/Sword,) Tidal Whale summons ice blocks which can insta-kill careless players.
6 Volt Kraken
Volt Kraken is tied to one of Mega Man X5’s hardest stages, arguably considered its worst. The first half takes place on a Ride Chaser and players need to react fast– almost immediately. Not only is the level filled with bottomless pits and roadblocks, there are collectibles littered about that lead to an armor upgrade for X.
Volt Kraken, mercilessly, isn’t anywhere near as hard. Although he likes to move around, he’s a bit enough target where you can hit him from just about anywhere. Tidal Whale’s Goo Shaver and F-Splasher decimate Volt Kraken fast.
5 Shining Firefly
Shining Firefly has one of the most traditional and memorable stages in Mega Man X5, taking X through a lab’s ruins that are honestly more reminiscent of a palace forgotten by time. It’s a great set piece and the balance of spikes & combat scenarios make for a stage with a great difficulty curve.
Unfortunately, Shining Firefly is one of the easiest bosses in the game. While he moves fast, he’ll move in set patterns that are as easy to read as they are to counter. Like with the easiest of Mavericks, Shining Firefly goes down fast if hit with his weakness: Tri-Thunder for X and E-Blade for Zero.
4 Dark Necrobat
Dark Necrobat’s stage counters Mega Man X’s inherent fast paced, but its platforming gimmick is both appropriate for the genre and a game that pays tribute to classic Mega Man quite often. X’s gravity will slow down every few seconds, requiring players to time their jumps well and pay attention on where they’re jumping.
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Necrobat is weak to the F-Laser and C-Flasher, but neither one is particularly useful. Dark Necrobat will dodge X’s F-Laser too readily and the C-Flasher just doesn’t hit as hard as it should as Zero. That said, X’s charged shot will make very quick work of Dark Necrobat, as well as Zero’s C-Sword.
3 Spiral Pegasus
Spiral Pegasus has one of the tougher stages in the game, featuring multiple set pieces where players only have five seconds to clear a room and save Reploids. There are also numerous enemies throughout and an elevator section where players need to avoid the Sigma Virus if they’re playing as X.
In a change of pace, Spiral Pegasus is actually harder than his stage. His weakness, Dark Hold, freezes time but isn’t actually that useful. Players can only damage Pegasus so much while time is frozen, leading to a boss fight with an opponent who loves to zip around the screen.
2 Burn Dinorex
Burn Dinorex’s stage is another hard one, featuring several insta-kill traps for X or Zero and plenty of fire. It’s not unusual to make it through the stage while dangerously low on health. Players need to be careful not to get obliterated by walls of lava, timing when they progress and when they hide away in the stage’s nooks & crannies.
Burn Dinorex is weak to Wing Spiral and W-Shredder, but his attack patterns are hard to counter and his flames can cover up a good chunk of the screen. One wrong move can mean certain death against Burn Dinorex.
1 Spike Rosered
Spike Rosered’s stage is filled with spikes and makes good use of the game’s grip mechanic, but it’s otherwise not too challenging of a stage. In spite of its gimmick, it very much feels like a traditional level with a lower difficulty curve. Spike Rosered is a bit harder to compensate, but it’s surprisingly easy to cancel his attacks before they happen. Ground Fire and Quake Blazer will reset most of Spike Rosered’s actions as they’re occurring.
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