Mega Man X5/Equipment

In this game, you can obtain multiple sets of armor upgrades for X at once, and choose which one to use before each stage. However, the armor upgrades can't be used individually; you must collect a full set of armor upgrades to be able to use it.

Fourth Armor
Just start the game as X, and he'll have this armor available from the beginning. It's the same armor he got in Mega Man X4, except it no longer allows infinite special weapons, and can no longer use the Nova Strike. But it does still allow you to hover, air-dash, and charge special weapons, as well as increasing your defense. It also comes with the Plasma Shot buster upgrade.

Falcon Armor
This armor enables X to fly for a limited time by pressing the Jump button in midair. While flying, he's invincible to anything that doesn't inflict instant death, and can damage enemies by touching them. Its charged buster shot is a thin, piercing laser shot that can go through walls. It also increases your defense, and makes your special weapons use less energy. It doesn't charge special weapons, however. Its Giga Attack makes laser shots rain up and down all over the screen, damaging every enemy on screen.

Boots Upgrade
The boots upgrade is in Grizzly Slash's stage. Just after the section with the trucks, look for an opening in the roof of the cave, and climb up the wall there to reach it. There's a tricky jump there, you need to dash-jump off the wall on the right and turn around in the air to reach the upper right wall, then climb up that to reach the upgrade capsule.

Helmet Upgrade
The helmet upgrade is in Squid Adler's stage. During the Ride Chaser segment at the start, you need to collect all eight of the little orbs. If you get them all, at the end of the Ride Chaser section, X will use them to destroy the door that leads to the room with the upgrade.

Buster Upgrade
The buster upgrade is in Izzy Glow's stage. You need the C-Shot or C-Sword. Look for an opening in the ceiling, climb up on the right, and use the C-Shot or C-Sword to destroy one of the cannons on the left to open the way to the capsule.

Armor Upgrade
The armor upgrade is in Duff McWhalen's stage. You need to beat McWhalen first, then revisit this stage and use the Goo Shaver to hit the little bomb next to the capsule in order to blast open the wall blocking you from the upgrade.

Gaea Armor
This armor makes X immune to spikes, and lets him cling to walls without sliding down. Its charged buster shot can destroy the black blocks marked with a "V", and its dash can move those blocks. However, it can't use any special weapons or Parts, its shots have a more limited range, it has no air-dash, and it slows you down a little. Its Giga Attack creates a large ball of energy in front of X to destroy enemies right in front of him.

Helmet Upgrade
The helmet upgrade is in Dark Dizzy's stage. You need the F-Laser. Right before the door to the boss room, there's a hole in the floor. Drop through it to the room with the upgrade. To get to it, you'll need to shoot an uncharged F-Laser shot and guide it through the tunnels to hit the blue wall from the other side. This is a bit tricky, since the shot disappears if it hits anything along the way. Precise timing is required to guide the shot through the tunnels.

Armor Upgrade
The armor upgrade is in The Skiver's stage. You need the Falcon Armor. When you reach the part with the platform that goes diagonally up-right, just fly straight up to reach the upgrade.

Buster Upgrade
The buster upgrade is in Mattrex's stage. It's all the way to the right, under the entrance to the boss room. Either fly over to it with the Falcon Armor, or use the Ride Armor to approach it through the lava.

Boots Upgrade
The boots upgrade is in Axle the Red's stage. Late in the stage, look for an opening in the ceiling above one of the rails, and fly up with the Falcon Armor.

Ultimate Armor
The Ultimate Armor can be obtained in two ways. You can begin the game with it by entering a cheat code. On the character select screen, highlight X, and press twice, then  nine times. You'll hear a chime. Then start the game.

The other way to get it is to play the third Zero Virus level as X without any armor. Look for a pit with a platform hovering above it, and slide down the right side of it. You'll find a Dr. Light capsule that gives you the armor. However, it doesn't actually equip it, so you'll have to either finish the stage armorless, or lose all your lives and go back to the stage select screen to equip the Ultimate Armor.

As in Mega Man X4, the Ultimate Armor has all the same capabilities as the Fourth Armor, but with unlimited use of the Nova Strike.

Black Zero
As with the Ultimate Armor, there are two ways to get the black armor for Zero. You can begin the game with it by entering a cheat code. On the character select screen, highlight Zero, and press twice, then  nine times. You'll hear a chime. Then start the game.

You can also get it by playing the third Zero Virus level as Zero. It's in the same place as X's Ultimate Armor capsule. Unlike X, Zero equips this armor immediately.

This armor enhances Zero's attack and defense power, and grants the same effects as the Parts Shot Eraser, Shock Buffer and Virus Buster.