Mega Man X Dive
A 2D action game recapping the Mega Man series.
Capcom's Taiwan team developed and published Mega Man X DiVE, a 2020 mobile game also called Rockman X DiVE in Japan. This 2D action title uses 3D models and brings back series staples like wall-kicking, dashing, dash-jumping, and piloting Ride Armors. Initially mobile-only, it was re-released in September 2023 as Mega Man X Dive Offline on Steam, iOS, and Android. The original online version shut down globally on July 30, 2024.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Action role-playing
- Platforms
- iOS, Android Windows
- Publisher
- Capcom Taiwan (Asia)
- Capcom (Japan)
- NebulaJoy (other regions)
- Developer
- Capcom Taiwan
- Producer
- Hideto Yoda (Asian version), Kenichi Hashimoto (Japanese version)
- Composer
- Yuko Komiyama
- Artist
- Keisuke Mizuno
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
The game includes cooperative and competitive multiplayer modes, alongside single-player options. Initially only story mode (normal) is available, with additional modes unlocked as the player level increases. Multiplayer elements such as competitive play, cooperative play, raid bosses, and the DNA portal were discontinued when the online version ended. Story mode involves conquering stages divided into six parts, with a boss every third part. Items temporarily boost player stats, and rewards depend on items collected. The item "Deep Element" appears in these stages. Normal and hard versions of each stage have different content and enemy placements. After clearing a stage, players can retry it or use "skip dive" to receive clear rewards without replaying, though stamina cost remains. Challenge Boss mode pits players against bosses from other modes. Time Attack has players compete against three randomly selected opponents for clear times on story stages, with targets changing daily. The DNA portal (online only) uses special stamina to traverse a map, with stamina recovery depending on hunter program and weapon registration; programs, weapons, and maps reset in this mode. Event mode offers special stages with objectives like enemy defeat rates and time attacks, with rewards based on goal achievement rate. Limited-time events may appear; skip dive in events requires a special consumable item. The offline version adds past event missions, including seasonal events modified to be playable after reaching a certain player level. Cooperative play (online only) lets two players complete a stage simultaneously with exclusive stage configurations.
Premise
In Mega Man X Dive, players step into the role of protagonist X, the first character they control, as the story revisits events from the larger Mega Man series. Original characters like ViA and RiCO have their personalities unveiled over the course of the narrative. The player is pulled into the Deep Log, a vast archive holding data from every Mega Man game, after encountering corrupted data called Maverick Data. To stop this data from slowly destroying the Deep Log, the player must fight through the scrambled code of the Maverick Wars, the Elf Wars, and the Game of Destiny.
Development
The original plan was initiated by Capcom Taiwan, and after receiving approval from Capcom in Japan, the project began development around March 2018. Illustrations and 3D animations were produced by Capcom Japan in addition to Capcom Taiwan. The original character RiCO was designed by Keisuke Mizuno, who also supervised all 2D illustrations and 3D models of other characters. Supervision and quality control related to intellectual property were checked by their team in Osaka. The producers and directors at Capcom Taiwan enjoyed the series and believed the online game would be appealing. While conceived as a Mega Man X title, the staff stated there would be "endless" possibilities. This game marks Capcom Taiwan's inaugural venture into developing original titles. Yoda Hideto, residing in Taiwan with a deep affinity for the series, took the initiative to connect with the producer of Mega Man in Japan and negotiated to create a Mega Man game in Taiwan. The project started around May 2018 and was completed nearly two years and ten months later. The idea was to develop a smartphone game focusing on the series' action elements, not replicating original gameplay; all actions are executed through the player's hands. The team considered feedback while making balance adjustments before releasing the Japanese version. Hashimoto believes there is nothing comparable to this level of side-scrolling action on a smartphone, hoping to attract both original generation players and younger fans. Nakayama, known for his work on Mega Man Zero, provided additional assistance. Mizuno particularly enjoyed working as an artist due to his desire to produce more Mega Man X games. The character χ-kai started as an April Fool's gag related to regular X but became a fully developed character. Original characters were requested by Yoda; RiCO and ViA were among the hardest to develop to fit the series. Mizuno was pleased with the positive response RiCO received.
Reception
The game's action and look earned praise, but many players felt its online battles didn't live up to the series' legacy, making it seem less like a true Mega Man title. While a proper sequel was preferred, the straightforward story was welcomed. However, opinions were split on the need to grind for upgrades and on the quality of the level design. Capcom’s financial results for the quarter ending December 31, 2020, showed mobile sales jumping 80.7% year-over-year, driven by this title and Street Fighter Duel’s launch in mainland China, adding 4.7 billion yen (about US$45 million) in mobile revenue. For the offline version, Siliconera’s Joel Couture gave it a 9 out of 10, calling it a solid adaptation that kept most content and focused on single-player. He did find the story mode too brief and warned that newcomers might struggle with the difficulty if they didn’t follow the game’s rules closely.
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