Saturday 22 July Japan.
Reno Akigawa, a freshly graduated college student currently working at a soul-crushing and uninspiring company, was more excited than he had been in months. Today wasn't just another Saturday—it was a day he had marked on his calendar for weeks. Why? Because his favorite game franchise of all time, Megaman, was releasing a brand-new installment: Megaman X2.
While Reno had still in love with the original Megaman Series 1 through 7 on ZEPS 1 and 2, it wasn't until he played the first Megaman X on ZEPS 2 that his connection to the series deepened. Megaman X brought something different to the table—it had an edgier tone, richer storytelling, and a style that resonated deeply with him. It didn't just entertain; it spoke to him. The themes of sacrifice, rebellion, and heroism struck a chord. From that point on, Megaman X became his personal benchmark for what a great game should be.
Now, standing in a long but buzzing line outside the official ZAGE store, Reno was practically vibrating with anticipation. His eyes darted around, taking in the excitement of the other fans. "Hehehe, I wonder what kind of upgrades they've added in Megaman X2," he muttered to himself, unable to contain his grin. The thought of improved mechanics, new weapons, upgraded stages, and maybe even some deeper lore made his imagination run wild.
He knew that the new game would be running on the ZEPS 3, the revolutionary 64-bit console that had already stunned the industry with its capabilities. Reno had read last month ZAGE Power magazine , analyzing every screenshot and teaser, but he also knew those glossy pages couldn't capture the feeling of actually holding the controller and diving into a new world.
This wasn't just a new game release. For Reno, this was escape. It was a reminder of his dreams, of the joy games used to bring him before real life got in the way. It was a moment where he could feel alive again.
After waiting in line for what felt like an eternity, Reno finally held the coveted copy of Megaman X2 in his hands. A grin stretched across his face as he clutched the game tightly, wasting no time as he hopped onto his bicycle and pedaled furiously toward home. His small house was about 2 kilometers from the store, but today, he rode like the wind, driven by pure excitement.
The moment he arrived, he tossed off his shoes at the entrance and bolted into his room. Dropping into his chair, he held up the game like a treasure. "Whoa, what a nice cover," Reno said with awe. The artwork featured Megaman X riding a sleek motorcycle at high speed, with menacing, centipede-like robots giving chase in the background. It looked dynamic and intense—everything Reno hoped the game would be.
He quickly opened the box, eager to explore every detail. Inside, he found the game disc, snugly secured in a sturdy plastic DVD case. Alongside it was a full-color game manual—thicker than usual—and a fresh issue of "ZAGE Wow," the monthly insert that listed all current and upcoming games for the ZEPS 3. Reno flipped through it quickly, eyes scanning for any hidden gems.
But that wasn't all. Included in the package were the signature black-and-gray Z Cards, a staple of most ZAGE titles. These cards were special—they indicated whether the mysterious in-game character Zabo-man made an appearance. Reno remembered how in the ZEPS 1 era, these cards used to include subtle gameplay hints or codes. But now, in the ZEPS 3 generation, they had been streamlined. No hints, no codes—just the card itself, its design more cryptic than ever.
Even without those extra clues, Reno felt like a kid on Christmas morning. The packaging alone told him this game had been crafted with care. And now, it was finally time to play.
Without wasting another second, Reno gently placed the DVD into his ZEPS 3 console. The system whirred to life, and within moments, the iconic ZAGE logo flashed across the screen in brilliant resolution. A wave of excitement hit him like a rush of electricity. Then, as the logo faded, the Megaman X2 title screen appeared with an epic soundtrack blaring through his speakers. Reno didn't hesitate—he gripped his controller tightly and quickly selected 'Start Game,' his heart pounding with anticipation then X in the screen Shoot the "Game Start".
Then, when the gameplay started with the intro stage first X was riding motorcycle laser bullets flying anywhere until he arrived at the robot that shot him and the stage are set in a desert laboratory-like environment, Reno was immediately stunned. "What amazing graphics!" he exclaimed, eyes wide with awe. The visual upgrade from Megaman X on ZEPS 2 was striking—and not by a small margin. Everything looked crisper, more detailed, and alive with vibrant color and smooth animation. It was more than just an improvement—it felt like a leap forward.
X's character model had also changed—he appeared taller now, with more defined proportions, giving him the look and presence of a mature adult rather than a young soldier. It was a subtle but impactful change that made him feel more serious, more battle-hardened, and Reno thought that was incredibly cool.
Reno was delighted. The textures, the shadows, the dynamic backgrounds—it all worked together to make the world feel immersive, even though it was still in classic 2D. Because this the graphic style was inspired by Megaman X4 in Zaboru previous life, but somehow looked even better. Zaboru and the team had clearly taken what worked and pushed it further, enhancing it in a way that made Megaman X2 feel polished, modern, and cinematic, while still honoring the series' roots. Reno could hardly believe his eyes—and he barely even started.
Then Reno began playing, and right away, the game reminded him why he loved the Megaman series so much. The gameplay was intense and punishing—enemy placement was clever and sometimes frustrating, especially with flying enemies hovering just out of reach. It was the kind of challenge that defined classic Megaman: you had to learn the patterns, be patient, and stay sharp. That signature difficulty was alive and well, and Reno welcomed it with open arms.
He was especially impressed with how fluid X felt in this game. The character moved with grace and speed, making each dash, jump, and shot feel satisfying. It was visually and mechanically polished, and Reno couldn't take his eyes off the screen.
After pushing through the initial desert stage, Reno reached the first boss: a large, round mechanical enemy with a menacing design. The battle was tough but fair. After several close calls, Reno managed to take it down. A wave of satisfaction washed over him.
Then the story began to unfold. It was revealed that X had been given an urgent mission by Dr. Cain—to help repair Zero, who had been critically damaged in a previous battle. To do this, X would need to search far and wide for the missing parts of Zero, scattered across enemy territories. The stakes were high, and the emotional weight of restoring his closest ally added a deeper sense of urgency to the gameplay. Reno leaned in, fully engaged. This wasn't just about beating bosses anymore—it was about saving a comrade.
Then came one of his favorite parts of any Megaman game—the stage select screen. The iconic interface appeared, this time updated with sleek animations and cool transitions. There were eight stages to choose from in total, but only six of them revealed boss portraits right away. The mystery of the hidden stages only made Reno more excited to dive deeper. The adventure was just beginning.
Reno hovered over the stage select screen, debating which Maverick to face first. He eventually chose a snow-themed level—an arctic base buried deep in frozen mountains. The moment the stage loaded, he was hit with another wave of awe. Snowflakes fell in layered patterns, the icy ground reflected the sky with a subtle sheen, and the frozen machinery embedded in the cliffs added a haunting, industrial atmosphere. "Whoa... this is insane," Reno muttered, his breath catching a little.
Beyond the visuals, the stage introduced environmental hazards—slippery ice that altered movement physics, collapsing ice platforms, and chilling wind gusts that pushed X off balance mid-jump. Reno had to adjust his reflexes, learning to time his dashes and jumps with more precision. It added a fresh layer of strategy that surprised him. "This isn't just harder—it's smarter," he thought.
After defeating the sub-boss and navigating a treacherous cavern, he reached the stage's Maverick: Frost Trident. The boss wielded a massive spear of ice and could summon blizzards mid-fight. The battle was fast and brutal, but Reno adapted and landed the final charged shot just as X's health dipped into the red. The victory screen flashed, and Frost Trident's weapon was added to X's arsenal.
Next, Reno jumped into a volcanic zone—a stark contrast from the cold north. Lava bubbled below the platforms, and fiery debris rained from above. The color palette shifted dramatically to deep reds, oranges, and glowing yellows, and the soundtrack took on an aggressive, percussion-heavy beat.
This stage introduced another new mechanic: heat buildup. If X stayed in lava proximity too long, his armor would overheat, reducing movement speed unless he dashed into cooling stations scattered across the level. Reno was blown away. "That's genius—it actually forces you to keep moving!"
After defeating the magma-based Maverick, Reno sat back, heart pounding, hands still gripping the controller. He thought he'd take a short break—but then something felt off. "Huh? Why isn't the stage ending?" he muttered. There was no fade-out, no victory music. Just silence… and another door.
Curiosity piqued, Reno guided X forward. As he approached the mysterious door, the screen transitioned into a cutscene. Suddenly, two figures were locked in battle: a towering robot clad in regal purple armor, styled like a futuristic samurai, wielding a glowing red laser katana, and a sleek black-and-silver robot with a glowing "Z" on its forehead, its fists enhanced with reinforced gauntlets.
The two clashed violently, metal striking against energy, sparks flying in all directions. Reno leaned in, eyes wide. The purple samurai moved with surgical precision, relentlessly overpowering the other robot. In a final crushing blow, the Z-marked robot was blasted off-screen, leaving a cloud of smoke.
Then, the samurai turned to face the player . His voice rang out: "Sorry for the interruption, X. But allow me to introduce myself. I am Agile—and I will destroy you!"
Reno blinked. "What!? An extra boss fight? Right now?"
A prompt appeared on the screen in bright red text: "You can't die here. If you die, you can't retry."
Reno groaned, gripping the controller tighter. "What!? No retry!?"
This game just refused to let up—and he was loving every second of it.
The Agile boss fight was absolutely insane. From the moment it began, Agile unleashed a flurry of rapid sword slashes, making it nearly impossible to dodge unless you had lightning-fast reflexes or you know the trajectory. He moved unpredictably, vanishing and reappearing with a flash, often switching positions across the screen using high-speed dash slashes. Reno was immediately put to the test.
Agile also used diagonal dash slashes, catching X mid-air, and performed lightning-fast frontal attacks that almost always came without warning. It was a relentless, high-speed barrage. The battlefield lit up with crimson streaks as Agile blurred across it. Fortunately, the developers had placed a few recovery items in the stage—just enough to let skilled players survive if they timed things right.
Reno, a seasoned Megaman player, dug deep into his reflexes and strategy. He memorized Agile's attack patterns, dodged with razor-sharp precision, and fired back with perfectly timed charged shots. One key thing he picked up on was a subtle animation cue—Agile always charged his sword for a brief moment before launching into any attack. That gave Reno just enough time to anticipate and react, giving him a slight but vital edge.
The battle pushed him harder than anything he had faced in the game so far, and the pressure of knowing there was no retry added an extra weight to his thoughts. The message—"you can't fail this"—echoed in his mind, tightening his focus but also pushing his mental endurance to the edge. Each time Agile attacked, it felt like a high-stakes duel where the cost of failure wasn't just a game over screen, but the loss of hard-earned progress.
Every mistake was punished instantly, and every success felt like a small miracle. Yet, with sheer determination, Reno kept going. Through a perfect blend of patience, deep pattern recognition, and razor-sharp reflexes, he steadily chipped away at Agile's health bar, his fingers moving in perfect sync with the game's rhythm. Victory was coming—he could feel it with every well-placed shot.
When Agile was nearly defeated, he staggered and shouted, "I will not go down like this!" With that, he raised his sword and summoned a swirling green energy barrier that enveloped him completely. All of X's attacks bounced off harmlessly.
Reno's jaw dropped. "What!? How am I supposed to crack it!?" he exclaimed, frantically trying different weapons.
Just then, a burst of light cut through the tension. Zabo-man, the mysterious Z-labeled robot, leapt onto the screen. His gauntlet, glowing molten red with energy, ignited as he charged forward. With a mighty punch, he struck the barrier. Cracks formed instantly.
Zabo-man dropped to one knee, clearly drained. A text prompt appeared on screen: "NOW! Destroy the barrier!"
Reno grinned. "Nice, Zabo-man!"
He charged up his buster and fired a powerful shot directly into the fractured barrier. It shattered in a blast of green light, stunning Agile. Without wasting a moment, Reno unleashed a barrage of fully charged shots, each hitting its mark.
Agile collapsed in defeat, his form disintegrating into data. In his place, a glowing item capsule appeared—containing Zero's Legs, one of the missing parts.
Reno leaned back in his chair, still buzzing with adrenaline. "Damn! That was intense!" he said aloud, rubbing his forehead. He thought about grabbing something to eat but knew he wasn't done yet. The game had hooked him completely, and he was more determined than ever to see it through to the end.
to be continue
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