Sixteen hours to impact[edit]
Unlike every previous Mega Man video game, the number of accesses to stages is limited. There are 16 hours left before the impact, and every access to a stage takes one hour.
As time passes, some changes happen:
- Plotwise, the Sigma Virus spreads more; in other words, more Sigma Viruses appear in the stages;
- The level of the Mavericks increases;
- Vice versa, the total hit points (HP) of the Mavericks decreases;
If the level of a defeated Maverick is 8 or higher and the score after completing a mission is A or higher, the Maverick will drop DNA that can be converted into parts. It takes two hours (i.e. two stages) to convert DNA into a part.
Suggested order[edit]
An example of suggested order playing with Mega Man X alone is shown here (remember that three Life parts are exclusive to X). In the table below, the stages are optimized to obtain as many parts as possible, but five Hearts and the EX-Tank will be missed, though.
| Hours left |
Maverick level |
Stage | Items | A-rank Life+ parts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raise the Maverick levels | |||||
| 16 | 1 | Grizzly Slash | Sub-Tank, Falcon capsule | - | |
| 15 | 3 | Dark Dizzy | Sub-Tank, Heart | - | |
| 14 | 3 | The Skyver | W-Tank, Heart | - | |
| 13 | 5 | Mattrex | Heart, Gaea capsule | - | |
| 12 | 5 | Squid Adler | Falcon capsule | - | |
| Defeat the Mavericks | |||||
| 11 | 7 | Grizzly Slash[1] | - | - | |
| 10 | 8 | Duff McWhalen | - | - | |
| 9 | 9 | Dynamo | - | Shock Buffer | |
| 8 | 10 | Duff McWhalen | Falcon capsule | Weapon Energy Saver[2] | |
| 7 | 13 | Squid Adler | - | - | |
| 6 | 14 | Izzy Glow | Falcon capsule, Falcon armor | - | |
| 5 | 17 | Dark Dizzy | (Gaea capsule)[3] | Quick Charge | |
| 4 | 18 | The Skyver | Gaea capsule | Burst Shots | |
| 3 | 13 | Dynamo | - | Anti-virus Guard | |
| 2 | 21 | Mattrex | - | Jumper | |
| 1 | 24 | Axle the Red | Gaea capsule | - | |
| Collect items using Gaea armor | |||||
| - | - | Izzy Glow | Heart, EX-Tank[4] | Speed Shot | |
| - | - | Dark Dizzy | Gaea capsule, Gaea armor | Ultimate Buster | |
| - | - | Grizzly Slash | Heart | - | |
| - | - | Duff McWhalen | Heart | - | |
| - | - | Squid Adler | Heart | - | |
| - | - | Axl the Red | Heart | - | |
| Virus stages | |||||
| - | - | Shadow Devil | - | - | |
| - | - | Rangda Bangda | - | - | |
| - | - | X vs. Zero | Ultimate armor | - | |
| - | - | Sigma | - | - | |
- ↑ Fight the Grizzly using Zero if you want to get a Part now.
- ↑ In this specific case, the "Energy+" part is more useful to X.
- ↑ Very hard to get; better come back later.
- ↑ The Gaea Armor allows to get the Heart, but not the EX-Tank. If you want to get both items in one visit, you can use Falcon Armor and Speedster Part.
An example of suggested order playing with Zero alone is shown here (remember that three Energy parts are exclusive to Zero). In the table below, the stages are optimized to obtain as many parts as possible, but Zero will miss three Hearts and the EX-Tank, though.
| Hours left |
Maverick level |
Stage | Items | A-rank Energy+ parts | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raise the Maverick levels | |||||
| 16 | 3 | Grizzly Slash | Sub-Tank | - | |
| 15 | 5 | Dark Dizzy | Sub-Tank, Heart | - | |
| 14 | 5 | The Skyver | W-Tank, Heart | - | |
| 13 | 7 | Mattrex | Heart | - | |
| 12 | 7 | Squid Adler | (fill tanks) | - | |
| Defeat the Mavericks | |||||
| 11 | 9 | Grizzly Slash | - | - | |
| 10 | 10 | Duff McWhalen | - | - | |
| 9 | 11 | Dynamo | - | Hyper Dash | |
| 8 | 13 | Squid Adler | - | Super Life Recover[1] | |
| 7 | 16 | Duff McWhalen | Heart | - | |
| 6 | 16 | Izzy Glow | Heart[2] | Z-Saber Extend | |
| 5 | 19 | Dark Dizzy | - | - | |
| 4 | 20 | The Skyver | - | Shot Eraser | |
| 3 | 17 | Dynamo | - | Virus Buster | |
| 2 | 23 | Mattrex | - | Speedster | |
| 1 | 26 | Axle the Red | - | - | |
| Collect last parts | |||||
| - | - | (any stage) | - | Buster Plus | |
| - | - | (any stage) | - | Z-Saber Plus | |
| Virus stages | |||||
| - | - | Shadow Devil | - | - | |
| - | - | Rangda Bangda | - | - | |
| - | - | X vs. Zero | Ultimate armor | - | |
| - | - | Sigma | - | - | |