Heart Tank - an item that increases X's or Zero's maximum health by 2 units onto the life bar, depending on whichever character obtains them.

Life Sub Tank - an item similar to the E Tank in the Classic Series, but instead of being used once, it remains with the player and can be refilled after usage, usually by picking up more life energy when the player's life energy bar is already full. Using a Sub Tank will restore health to the player until his or her health is back at full or the Sub Tank is empty.

Weapon/Energy Sub Tank - a special kind of Sub Tank (not to be confused with the W Tank from the original series) introduced in Mega Man X4. They act very much the same as normal Sub Tanks, except they fill and restore weapon energy instead of life energy.

EX Tank - allows the player to start a stage with 4 lives instead of the usual 2.

Capsule/Dr. Light Capsule - Dr. Light created several capsules and hid them in different locations, all of them containing a hologram of Dr. Light, which gives a message for X, or Zero in later games, and a power-up, usually parts of an armor, although in some games he also gives a full armor, chips that enhance the power of the current armor, or a secret technique.

If you want to go through the game with the minimal amount of backtracking, these are the best orders:

*Stages in bold indicate that you're visiting the stage for the first time
*Stages in italics indicate that you're replaying the level.
Number in brackets indicate total number of obtainable items in each stage and how much you can acquire during first and second visits.

For X's orders;
IF you're after parts, play only the first level as Zero, then play the rest of the game as X. Playing the first level as Zero will make boss' level 9, instead of 7 as X. Since any part requires a boss to be minimum level 8, playing and completing the first level as Zero will guarantee in acquiring a part. As for the stage collectibles, collect them as X and not Zero, while you're wasting time, beforehand.

If you have trouble understanding how the whole part and timer systems work, read here: https://megaman.fandom.com/wiki/Parts#Mega_Man_X5

If you don't care about the parts, just pick your preferred character and play through the game normally

Needless to say, but, if you got some of the items beforehand, while wasting time and by looking at table below, you can ignore them in their respective stages.

* - indicates that you can grab the items now, if you didn't while wasting time

X[Order 1](Start when 10 Hours left on timer):

X[Order 2](Start when 11 Hours left on timer)

X[Order 3](Start when 9 Hours left on timer):


Now, if you're after getting as many as parts as possible and need to waste time, try getting the following items:

X or Zero:

Zero(Start when 11 Hours left on timer):

Note: If you're after Hyper Dash as Zero; you're choosing it over Shock Buffer(SB reduces 1/2 of the damage), which is very helpful during Zero Space stages. You can find the Black Zero Armor in Zero Space Stage 3, but it'll take a while to get there. Just warning you here!

If you have trouble getting certain items as Zero, watch this video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_PPydVHmIc&t=174s

Now, if you're after getting as many as parts as possible and need to waste time, try getting the following items:

X or Zero:

Heart Tanks:


When you proceed through the larger truck near the center of the first area, you should notice that between two of the carriages you can climb up the side of the two. Climb up and jump onto the roof of the carriage on the right. Continue across the spikes and you'll eventually find the heart tank.
Alternatively, you can use Falcon Armor's Ability to fly through the spikes and obtain a heart tank, but you'll lose life in doing so. Climb up from the right side.

As for Zero, climb up from the right side and air dash upwards with F-Splasher.


After the water drains, you will find a passage in the ceiling surrounded by spikes. You have to fly up there with the Falcon Armor or climb with Gaea Armor. Be careful; you’re not immune to spikes even while flying.

As for Zero, as soon as you enter the ship, proceed to the right until you see a destructible opening in the ceiling. Use E-Blade and proceed till you find the heart tank.


Just before Squid Adler's room, you should notice that there is an electric lock and a door to the left of the final two locks guarding the door to Squid Adler's room. Open the single lock and jump up through the opening. You should now see three v-blocks stacked up on the right. Destroy two of them and dash into the third one to move it to the right. Keep pushing it until you come within firing reach of the lock on the right. Jump up and fire at the lock to eventually open the next door, then head into the small room to find the heart.

As for Zero, you cannot get it.


Right at the beginning of the stage, drop down the large hole with the bridge that you can shoot down. Land on the spikes below and head right to find the heart(Gaea) or cling to the right side of the wall and fly down to get the heart tank(Falcon).

As for Zero, cling to the right side of the wall and as soon as you start falling dash towards the heart tank.


Both Characters: In the second area with the pillars that reverse the roof and floor of the area, once you reach the fourth one, jump back into it so that the room reverses a second time. Keep going and you should see the heart visible up on a ledge.




Both Characters: When you reach the large platform that rises up the tunnel leading to Spiral Pegasus's room, jump into the second large opening in the wall on the right and proceed down the hallway to find this heart in the corner.




Both Characters: When you reach the area where the lava flies across the screen, consuming everything in its path, stand next to the hole in the floor and wait until the lava stops. Once it leaves, quickly jump down and head left. Drop down the hole in the far corner and quickly grab the heart to the right. Jump back up the wall as fast as you can and rush back to the right to avoid the lava.


You need the Gaea Armor to find this one. Just as you enter the area near the start of the stage where you need to climb up the green vines to proceed through the stage, you should notice at the base of the cliff a v-block. Destroy it and continue to the right.

Once you reach three blocks stacked on top of each other, jump over them and push the block up on the ledge to the right so that it drops down into the hole in the ground below to straighten out the terrain. Jump down and fire back to the left to destroy the block under the ledge and the bottom block of the stack. Destroy the second one so only one block remains.

Go to the left of the single block and push it to the right up to the edge of the hole. Use it to jump across to reach the ledge on the right that has the heart waiting on top.

As for Zero, Nope...

NOTE: Best place to refill Sub Tanks is in Dark Necrobat's Stage. Kill bats by flying straight at them with Falcon Armor Flight.

Sub Tanks:


Both Characters: Right at the front of the second auto-exploding truck, you should see the tank sitting below the nose of the truck. Quickly jump down to grab it and jump to the right before the truck blows.







Right at the end of the first area with the moving platform, you'll see the tank in plain sight sitting up on a ledge. Hover up to reach it(X) or double-jump to reach it(Zero).

Thanks to Rola Sakuraba for reminding, that you can also get the Sub Tank by air-dashing in time, both as Zero and The 4th Armor X. Heck, you can reach them without air-dash abd just jumping in time


Both Characters: When you reach the area with the platform that slowly moves down the large tunnel, once it breaks through the third floor, jump down and grab the tank before the platform comes down.





Near the beginning of the stage just after the first two moving spike platforms, you should see the tank above the ceiling. You'll need to use the Ground Fire to destroy the wooden blocks above so that you can reach the tank.

Dr. Light Capsules(Falcon Armor):

NOTE: You cannot use Falcon or Gaea Armors until you collect all the Armor Parts. You cannot use parts individually. Zero can collect armor parts for X




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. A double-jump or Jumper part can help, if you can't do it with dash-jump off the wall.

The leg part of the Falcon Armor will allow X to fly through the air, he'll also be invincible while flying, and can destroy any enemies that strike him. Also, the Leg Upgrade in this game sacrifices the air-dash for the flight function


In plain sight behind a wooden wall. Use the Goo Shaver to break the device sitting to the right of the capsule. Zero can't access this capsule!

Halves damage taken and reduces recoil. X can use the Giga Attack, which unleashes a wave of Spear Charged Shots all across the screen, severely damaging enemies that it hits.





Ride the hoverbike and gather the little energy balls you see (they make a sound when you pick them up). You need all eight to open the door.

Increases the maximum shot capacity for all Special Weapons by 50%.






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.

X obtains a new high-powered charged shot named "Spear Charged Shot" that can penetrate surfaces, terrain and shields when fired. However, this also disables X's ability to charge Special Weapons.


Dr. Light Capsules(Gaea Armor):

NOTE: You cannot use Falcon or Gaea Armors until you collect all the Armor Parts. You cannot use parts individually. Zero can collect armor parts for X





Right at the end of the stage just before Dark Necrobat's room, you'll notice a hole in the floor. Jump down to see the capsule. This one will be very difficult to reach, as you'll need to fire an F-Shot and direct it through the small tunnels to the room with the capsule. Once you get the shot through, direct it up to the blue wall to destroy it and open the way to the capsule. Zero can't access this capsule

The Helmet Part of the Gaea Armor will allow X to move the special blocks with a "V" printed on them by dashing into them.


In the section with the platform on treads that goes upward at an angle, use the Falcon Armor to fly up and left. With Zero, it's actually trickier: Speedster/Jumper are needed for extra distance. Most importantly, you need to make sure Zero will be in the Virus State when you pass through the spikes. Use spikes as a platform to reach the capsule while in Virus State.

The armor part will enhance X's defense power and will allow X to perform the special Giga Attack which will damage enemies in front of X.





When Alia tells you that the level is branching, take the lower branch through the sea of lava in the ride armor. Keep walking along the bottom and you’ll find a passage going underneath another ledge, and to the right. If you can manage to climb the Ride Armor up to the surface and jump out without plunging into the lava (you have to jump the walker, then eject), you can make it to the capsule to the right. Note: With the Falcon Armor you can also take the other route, and then fly over here, by flying right where the diagonal ropes are at the end of the stage.

To reach the capsule with the Ride Armor, dash-jump with it toward the capsule and jump out of the armor in-time before it falls with you into the lava.

The X Buster will only have 2 levels of charge; the Charged "Gaea Shot" will be a green powerful plasma blast that dissipates over a short distance. It can also destroy the "Gaea Cubes" - Black-colored blocks that have a "V" sign on them. Special weapons are disabled for this part, but X gains "Shot Eraser" capabilities with the Charged Shot, and the "Virus Buster" that can neutralize both the Sigma and Zero Viruses throughout the game.


During the second area of the stage where you climb along the green pole above the large hole, you should eventually see an opening in the roof just before the end of the pole.

The boots part will allow X to safely walk on any spike trap in the game without losing a life or sustaining damage.

The Fourth Armor
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.

Note: If you choose Zero as your main character, X's Fourth Armor will be damaged during his battle with Sigma at the start of the game and you won't be able to use it during the rest of the game.


Dr. Light Capsules(Secret Armors):




Enter the stage as armorless X. 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, X doesn't automatically 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.

The Ultimate Armor will be just like the Fourth Armor, but you'll also have unlimited use of the invincible Nova Strike attack, which is VERY useful.

You can also access X's Ultimate Armor by inputting a special code on the Player Select screen. This way you can have the Ultimate Armor for the entire game.

Playstation: Highlight X, then press "Up" twice and "Down" nine times, then press Start
Xbox: Highlight X, then press "Up" twice and "Down" nine times, then press Start
PC: Highlight X, then press "Up Arrow" twice and "Down Arrow" nine times, then press Space
Switch: Highlight X, then press "Up" twice and "Down" nine times, then press Start







Zero's Black Armor can be found at the same location as X's Ultimate Armor. Enter the capsule and Zero will receive the black armor. This time, the armor will enhance his defense power, give him the purple Beam Saber which is much stronger than the green one and also give him three of the special parts which will always be equipped - Shot Eraser, Shock Buffer and Virus Buster.

If you want to get both X's Ultimate Armor and Zero's Black Armor, use one character to get their armor first, then lose all your lives so that you can go back to the stage selection screen and re-enter the stage as the other character.

You can also get Zero's Black Armor from the start of the game so that you can use it for the entire game.

Playstation: Highlight Zero, then press "Down" twice and "Up" nine times, then press Start
Xbox: Highlight Zero, then press "Down" twice and "Up" nine times, then press Start
PC: Highlight Zero, then press "Down Arrow" twice and "Up Arrow" nine times, then press Space
Switch: Highlight Zero, then press "Down" twice and "Up" nine times, then press Start

Once you defeat a boss, you'll notice that you can choose between a Weapon + Life or a Weapon + Energy. The "Life" option will give your character an extra life heart, the "Energy" option will give you more weapon energy for the special weapons. These two parts will be completed once you beat another stage after choosing them. When the part option displays Weapon + Life/Energy +, it means that you'll also receive a special item you can equip to certain armor suits.

If the boss was on level 8 or higher, you get "Weapon + Life +" and "Weapon + Energy +" options. Then you get an additional Part along with the Life Up or Energy Up. The Part you get depends on which option you pick. The most Parts you can get is 8 out of 16. The bosses' levels rise as the countdown progresses, so you'll have to enter stages and deliberately lose all your lives at the beginning, not fighting any bosses until the first boss's level reaches 8. Also, once you've earned a Part, you still won't actually get it until one hour later.

When playing as Zero, start fighting the bosses when there's 11 hours left (it'll change to 10 once you enter the first boss' stage).
When using X, enter the first stage when there's 9 hours left (it'll change to 8 when you enter the stage).

The boss' levels don't change on Easy mode, so you only be able to get the parts on the Normal and Xtreme modes. Once you have an item, on the Stage Selection screen, press L1 to reach the part equip screen. You can equip parts for the following suits: X, Zero, Fourth Armor, Ultimate Armor, Falcon Armor. The Gaea Armor can't have any parts equipped. X and Zero can have four parts equipped at a time, the other armors can only have two.

If you have Zero's Black Armor, he'll already have three specific parts equipped(Shock Buffer, Shot Eraser, Virus Buster)

Now, a major concern for everyone is the fact that, when you fight your first maverick as X, he will be at LVL 7. To mitigate this issue, fight your first maverick as Zero, instead of X(If you use the order, that I wrote, then it'll be Crescent Grizzly). Get all items in a stage, and proceed to fight. The reason for that is, due to Zero's SA Rank, all bosses' levels will be +2, i.e. LVL 7 for X will be LVL 9 for Zero. Choose whatever part you want, and play the rest of the game as X. Don't worry, if you continue playing as X, the part that you chose as Zero, will go to X, instead of him 2 stages later. As for the 2nd Maverick and onwards, they'll all be at least LVL 9 for X from now on.

For more info, go here:
https://www.trueachievements.com/a255857/insert-tab-a-into-slot-b-achievement

If you want to go through the game with the minimal amount of backtracking, this is the best order:

*Stages in bold indicate that you're visiting the stage for the first time
*Stages in italics indicate that you're replaying the level

Also to point out: Just like X5, making a perfect no or min. backtracking order is really difficult or straight up impossible and takes a lot more into considertation, and thus, it's bound that, these orders will become outdated/flawed. Plus, you're gonna backtrack in any way, trust me on that one!
BTW, after you defeat the Zero Nightmare and collect everything needed in any stage's alternate route, it doesn't matter, whether you will defeat High Max or lose all your lives. It won't affect the orders in the slightest

X:


Zero:


If you're after "Glitch in the System" achievement, you can replay the levels to achieve the Nightmare Effects you have missed.

*For Zero's order:
1)Before unlocking Zero, while you're playing through the Shield Sheldon's stage as X(since it's your first time here and it is the first stage in the order), IF you want Zero to be at MAX Health and Energy, ignore the following, when you're playing this stage as X:
*The Heart Tank
*The 1st and the 7th Reploid in this Stage - they both give Heart and Weapon parts, respectively. The 7th Reploid is the one, that is directly above the Heart Tank.
2)After unlocking Zero, play through this stage again as Zero and beat Shield Sheldon ONLY
3)After beating Shield Sheldon, play this stage again(for the 3rd time, yes) and collect everything as Zero. DO NOT go to Alt. Stage as Zero. Once done, exit the stage.
You don't need to go to the Alt. Stage, since you can collect everything there as X with no penalty for Zero, as the items collected there apply for both characters. Additionally, you won't able to leave the Alt. Stage, unless you will intentionally lose all your lives to High Max, which is a time-waster(You can't deal ANY damage to High Max at this point in the game as Zero).

Heart Tanks:


Once you reach the inner ice-cave area, you'll eventually spot a pole leading down, head down and move on to the right. When you spot a Nightmare ahead hovering over a trapped Reploid, rescue the Reploid and drop down the hole just in front of him. You'll land in a lower cavern containing two trapped Reploids, a Nightmare and the heart. Destroy the Nightmare, rescue the two Reploids and grab the heart before leaving.


This heart will be difficult to reach as you'll need to find the correct sub-level area within a totem pole, and as most of the totem pole areas are random, it might take a few tries to find it. Once you find the right area, you'll find this heart just before reaching the end, it'll be in plain view so you can't miss it.



Once you destroy the second large wheel-shaped Mechaniloid, you'll reach a tall room with two doors leading on. Jump up to the higher door, then jump up the wall on the left. You should see a trapped Reploid and a Nightmare above up on a ledge, use Zero's double jump with Jumper to reach the gap and climb up, or with X the Mach Dash equipped with Hyper Dash or Speedster should allow you to reach the opening. Behind one of the trapped Reploids above is the heart. If Metal Shark Player's nightmare effect is in action, a metal block will be moving up and down to the right. With some careful movement, you may grip the side of the block as it is moving up and dash jump off the side of the block to reach the overhang. This won't require any parts regardless of who you play as.


Once you reach the end of the first part of the stage, you'll reach an area with a sloping ridge where huge ice blocks will be falling down. Head down the slope to the base and you'll find an opening in the wall (if the meteorites aren't falling it'll be closed). Head in and you'll find a new area. Look below the ledge you're standing on and you should spot two trapped Reploids. Hiding behind the one on the right is the heart. Head down and use Zero's double-jump or the Mach Dash(Blade)/Ceiling Jump(Shadow) to reach them.


In the final acid rain area just before Rainy's room, the heart will be hidden in one of the spike alcoves on the left. There are spikes on the ceiling and floor right before it. Take a hit from the enemy and use the invulnerability frames to surpass the spikes and claim your reward(Zero/Blade Armor/Falcon Armor). You may need to take a death after obtaining it. Alternatively, you can use Blade Armor's mach dash to fly between the spikes or simply use the Shadow Armor to walk over them.


During the second part of the stage where the conveyer belt is constantly moving, towards the end of the belt you should spot the heart hiding behind a trapped Reploid between large blocks of junk. Wait for the compactor to rise clear of the junk, then jump down to reach the Reploid and the heart.



Take the path leading down to the secret boss room, then just before the teleport portal that leads to the boss room, you should spot the heart sitting on the spiked floor just below the invisible platforms. Jump down and grab it with the Shadow Armor, otherwise if you land on it with any other suit or Zero, you'll lose a life.



Once you destroy the second cable controlling the Giant Mechaniloid in the background, it'll explode and a blue teleport capsule will appear. Jump into it to teleport to the area leading to the secret boss room. As soon as you reappear, head left to find the capsule for the X-Buster part of the Blade Armor, you should then easily spot the heart sitting right next to it.

NOTE: Best place to refill Sub Tanks is in Rainy Turtloid's Stage. Inami temple has some preset refills(with super recover to fasten the process)

Sub Tanks:


Early in the stage, you will encounter a large room inside the cavern which you approach from the right and must go down to progress. The Sub Tank is located on an overhang, along with a Rescuable Reploid (who has the Life Recover part; essentially a free full Sub Tank in itself) in the top left corner of the cavern. Dash jump from the upper ledge on the right side with either the Jumper, Hyper Dash or Speedster parts, or a combination of the three, to reach the overhang and obtain two miracles in life recovery. Alternatively, the Ultimate Armor's Giga Attack can allow you to reach the overhang from the other side with ease.


Once you reach the upper area beyond the heart, head right and eventually you'll find a teleport portal. Head in to reach the area leading to the secret boss room. While climbing up the area with the fire exhaust ports, you should easily spot the energy tank in clear view up against the right wall.



In the area leading to the secret boss room, eventually you'll spot the weapon tank sitting on a bed of spikes. You can reach it by either using the Shadow Armor, or you can also deliberately hit the shield-reploid on the left of the tank so that you begin to flash. While your character is still flashing, quickly jump down, grab the tank and jump back up before the invincibility wears off.


Head to the area where the wall is opened up by the meteorites and where you found the Heart Tank. Head in and drop down off the right of the platform. Ahead you should spot an opening leading down lined with spikes. If you drop down the spike lined shaft, you will observe the EX Tank lying on a bed of spikes, and a platform with a Rescuable Reploid just to the right of that. It may be best to take a death now to observe the layout of the land. The easiest way to obtain it is to simply use the Shadow Armor to walk on the spikes. Alternatively, by using the Falcon Armor or Zero's air dash, you can nab the EX and die in the process or even more easily with the Blade Armor's Mach Dash, to reach the platform with the Reploid. Although this is quite precise, it is easier with the mach dash than with an air dash. Using a vertical mach dash, you can also reach the area above the spike shaft and climb down the ladder to the other side and approach the EX Tank from the right instead too. Ultimate Armor can likely be used in similar or the same ways to the Blade Armor to obtain it too.

Dr. Light Capsules(Blade Armor):

NOTE: You cannot use Blade or Shadow Armors until you collect all the Armor Parts. You cannot use parts individually. Zero can collect Armor Parts for X



Just after you drop down into the first underground area, you should see an opening in the wall on the right behind the praying mantis-type enemy. Head through and on to find the capsule behind a trapped Reploid.

The boots part of the Blade Armor will allow X to perform the Mach Dash - a powerful mid-air dash. To use it, jump up and hold the dash button. X will stop and freeze mid-air, once you release it he'll dash left, right or upwards a fair distance and be invincible for a short time.


This capsule will be difficult to find, as it's hidden in one of the random totem pole areas, so it might take a while for you to find it. Once you land in the correct area you should spot the capsule straight away, sitting up on a ledge.

The Helmet part of the Blade Armor will allow X to consume less energy while using special weapons than normal.



Instead of going through boss doors, head down and continue until you drop down from the room with the reflecting lasers and into the room with the floor lined with spikes. Jump to the wall on the left and you'll find that there is an invisible hole. Jump up and rescue the floating Reploid. Capsule is on the left of the room. X or Zero can reach it by dash jumping from the platform beneath the floating reploid. Can be tricky, but it is pretty doable. You can use the wall and bounce off of it to reach the capsule.

The Armor part of the Blade Armor will improve X's defenses and give him a special Giga Attack move, unique to the Blade Armor.


Upon destroying Illumina, a portal will appear. Jumping into the teleporter and going to the left will bring the player to the capsule, as well as a heart tank

The X-Buster part of the Blade Armor functions similarly to Fourth Armor's Plasma Charged Shot; leaves plasma blasts behind when it strikes an enemy to cause further damage. You can also perform a special Z-Saber attack by holding up while releasing fire after charging up the X-Buster.


Dr. Light Capsules(Shadow Armor):

NOTE: You cannot use Blade or Shadow Armors until you collect all the Armor Parts. You cannot use parts individually. Zero can collect Armor Parts for X




When you reach the end of the first part of the stage, you'll reach an area with a sloping ridge with huge ice blocks falling down. You should spot a platform up above the base of the slope, use either Zero's double jump or the Blade Armor's Mach Dash to reach the top of the platform. Once there, head right to find the capsule behind more falling ice blocks.

This upgrade will allow X to jump up to a ceiling while hanging upside-down. Press fire while hanging to fire down three shots. You can also dash left and right while hanging upside-down. You can also stick to walls without sliding down, and can walk on spiked areas without losing a life.


Once you reach the tall shaft leading up to the heart, head up there and keep going to the very top of the shaft. You should then easily spot this capsule sitting up on a platform at the top.

This upgrade will allow X to perform a deadly charged-saber attack, as well as giving him a new standard shot, small ninja-star shaped projectiles that fly out in different directions, similar to Ray Splasher/Cresecent Shot.



Found in the final area with acid rain. Heading towards the upper right area will bring the player to some spikes. The capsule is right on the other side of the spiked tunnel. Zero and X can reach it, but they need to take damage from nearby bats and quickly dash through the spikes(via D-Barrier/Hyper Dash). It can also be reached with a well-timed air dash from the Blade or Falcon Armor as X. You can reach the capsule as Zero, but the timing is very precise, as seen here:

https://youtu.be/SlmxIjW-9A4?t=792
This upgrade gives X a new type of Giga Attack, one where two large crescent-shaped projectiles will fly around X and cause serious damage to any enemies in range


Once you reach the second compactor area, head through until you find a ladder leading down. Instead of going down, head left and you'll find that the room extends further. Wait until the compactor rises, then keep dashing to the left until you find another ladder. Head down and you'll drop down into a new area. Go right until you find a huge hole. Destroy the three Nightmare Bots there, then jump out as far as you can go over the hole, then use the Mach Dash to get to the other side. Ice Burst helps a bit here. You can also reach the capsule as Zero with the Hyper Dash/Jumper/Speedster part equipped. You'll spot the capsule just ahead, as well as a trapped Reploid and the teleport portal leading to the Alt. Stage

This upgrade allows X to swing his Z-Saber at a faster rate than normal.

The Falcon Armor

X will have the Falcon Armor from X5 available to him this time. The armor has the same abilities that it did in X5, except this time you can only perform a mid-air dash and not the hover move, and you'll be able to charge up special weapons. The Falcon Armor will have the same charged shot as before, and this time you'll also have the Z-Saber as an extra weapon.

The mid-air dash move is slow but effective, and X will also be able to perform the Giga Attack - one which will cause energy bolts to fly up and down the screen, any enemies caught in the fire will be seriously damaged or destroyed.

You'll still be able to use X without any special armor equipped, but it's strongly recommended that you use the Falcon Armor when no other special suit is available yet as it offers the same strength and protection as it did in X5.


The Ultimate Armor

X's Ultimate Armor can only be accessed by inputting a special code on the title screen. Highlight Game Start and input:
Playstation: Press "Left" three times and "Right" once, then press Start
Xbox: Press "Left" three times and "Right" once, then press Start
PC: Press "Left Arrow" three times and "Right Arrow" once, then press Space
Switch: Press "Left" three times and "Right" once, then press Start


You should hear a sound to confirm the code was entered correctly. Start the game and you'll have the Ultimate Armor.

The armor works in exactly the same way as the ones in X4 & X5, including the Nova Strike Attack. X will have the huge charged-up shot which leaves behind a plasma ball which continues to damage enemies, he'll also be able to mid-air dash and use the Z-Saber.

You'll also be able to use all of the special weapons. The Nova Strike attack is the same as in the previous games, and you'll still be able to perform it an unlimited amount of times. Just about every single enemy and boss in the game can be damaged by the Nova Strike, so it can almost always guarantee victory over the enemy.

You can select to use the Ultimate Armor from the Boss Selection Screen when you enter a stage, and you'll still be able to select all the armor suits available. You'll also be able to perform the hover move by pressing jump once you've jumped up. Keep in mind that you won't be able to have the Ultimate Armor and Zero's Black Armor together, as you can only enter one code at a time on the title screen. You'll also receive the codes for the Ultimate Armor and Zero's Black Armor when you beat the game.

Black Zero

Zero's Black Armor can be gained by inputting a special code on the title screen. Highlight Game Start and input:
Playstation: Press L1 three times and R2 once, then press Start
Xbox: Press LB three times and RT once, then press Start
PC: Press D three times and V once, then press Space
Switch: Press L three times and ZR once, then press Start

You'll hear a sound to confirm the code was entered correctly. Once you regain Zero as a playable character he'll have the black armor.

This armor is identical to Zero's normal armor, the only difference is that it'll have three Power-up Parts already installed - the Saber Plus, Shock Absorber and Shot Eraser. You'll also consume 1/3 less weapon energy than normal when you use a special weapon or technique. This way you'll be able to have normal parts equipped while having three already available.

You'll also notice that the Z-Saber has a new teal color to it. You'll also receive the codes for the Ultimate Armor and Zero's Black Armor when you beat the game.

Four types of parts will be available:
1)Life and Energy parts
2)Normal parts for both X and Zero
3)Specific parts that X or Zero can only equip
4)Special limited parts that can be used once per stage.

The only way to gain the special parts in the game is to rescue the Reploids that carry these parts. 5/16 Reploids per stage will be carrying the power-up parts. Once you rescue the Reploids, you'll have gained the part straight away.

You must make sure that no Nightmares take over the Reploids, as if one is taken over that's carrying a part, you won't be able to get that specific part. X and Zero can both equip a maximum of 5 parts, 1 limited part and 4 of any other kind, but you'll need to raise your Hunter Rank before being able to equip parts.

The only way to increase your rank is to gather Nightmare Souls from defeated Nightmares. Dynamo can also greatly increase your Nightmare Soul count by 200 per orb, if you hit him with the Meteor Rain/Ensuizan. The number of Nightmare Souls you'll need for each extra part is listed below:

P.S. I know they have mixed Speedster and Hyper Dash icons

Normal Parts:

X's Parts:

Zero's Parts:

Limited Parts:

Ehhhhhh, I don't remember....I'll update the guide later....
[UPDATE]: So, after viewing a few LP's, I finally came up with a guide. Keep in mind, that it's not perfect. This order works for all 3 characters:

Order:

Heart Tanks:


While you're walking through the stage, you'll eventually encounter the stone-head enemies. Once you find the fifth once, destroy it to find the heart beneath it.





As you're walking up the tower, you will encounter a large hole in the ground. To get over it, you must jump on wooden crates which will appear and then vanish after a few seconds. Jump to the second one and wait for it to vanish. You will fall right onto the heart.




After conquering the three Serpents in the second area, check behind a crate up ahead (in the third area) on the left to find this heart concealed there.





In the second section, you will have to jump from platform to platform. When you find the first pipe that fires green gas, jump down onto the pipe to find the heart on it.





As you're driving through the stage, you'll eventually get to a part with pink lanes on both sides of you. Drive near the right side to grab the heart.





In the second section of the stage, there will be orange platforms which allow you to walk upside down. As you start, walk left and you will see the heart clearly. Jump on the nearest orange platform and then walk left while beneath the platforms. Jump up the next orange platform and you'll get the heart.



In the beginning of the stage, you will eventually have to jump onto a red plane which will explode. The heart will come flying towards you, so wait until you see it and then jump to grab it. This may take a few tries to grab it successfully.




In the very last room of the stage, in the room where you have to destroy the specific amount of Robot Ride Armor enemies shown in the bottom corner of the screen, there will be pillars around the room. Climb up one of them to find the heart.

Sub Tanks:


In the second section of the stage, right before the three Serpent enemies, look behind the crate on the left and you will find the Energy Tank.





In the very last room of the stage, in the room where you have to destroy the specific amount of Robot Ride Armor enemies shown in the bottom corner of the screen, there will be pillars around the room. Climb up one of them to find the Energy Tank.




Near the beginning of the stage where there are several crates stacked about, wait for the crates to explode and the Weapon Tank will be hidden behind it on the left side of the track.





At the very end of the stage, when you find the last stone-head enemy, climb up on its head and wait for it to rise. Then double-jump to find the tank in the bushes over you on the left.

Dr. Light Capsules:

NOTE: Only X can open the capsules


When you find one stone-head enemy on top of another and a reploid floating right behind them, destroy the lower one and climb up the upper one. Walk to the left to find the capsule.

The Boots Upgrade will allow X to use the Glide Dash. This allows him to glide in the air.






In the first section of the stage, you will eventually encounter some giant Serpent enemies. When you find the second one, climb down the hole to find the capsule.

The X-Buster Upgrade allows X to charge up a fourth version of a charge shot and he can also charge up his special weapons.





In the second section of the stage, there will be a gigantic orange platform where the capsule is resting. As this maze can be confusing, try to follow these steps to find it. Near the end of the second area you'll see a Samurai passing through a wall between two orange platforms.

Jump into the teleporter on the first platform to flip upside down, then head right to find a large orange platform there. Jump into the teleporter and you'll reappear right next to the capsule.

The Helmet Part doubles the distance of absorbing health and weapon energy pellets.


In the second section of the stage, when you're inside the ship, you'll eventually come to a place where the path splits in three ways. Walk left to find the capsule.

The Armor Upgrade allows X to use Giga Crash by pressing the L1 + R1 or LB + RB buttons.

In my opinion, unlike with the previous 7 games, backtracking in X8 is just abysmal, the worst the series has ever seen, unless you know the minimum backtracking order.

Now, to explain some X8 changes that make it different from the previous 7(Or 9, including Xtreme) games:
- You cannot find Heart Tanks and Sub Tanks in stages. Instead, you gotta buy them in R&D Lab with Metals. Instead, you gotta find Rare Metals, from which you can make Life Upgrades(Substituton to Heart Tanks) and Sub Tanks.
- No Parts System, that was present from X5-X7. In X7, however, it wasn't as difficult or complex as in X5 and X6, hence no X7 Parts System explanation in the guide. Now, let's start off:

*Stages in bold indicate that you're visiting the stage for the first time
*Stages in italics indicate that you're replaying the level

Rare Metals - Gold Metals, that are hidden in out-of-the-way places, and usually require the use of a certain characters abilities (e.g. Zero's double-jump and Axl's A-Trans) and/or Special Weapons (Crystal Wall, Plasma Gun, Tenshouha, etc.) to collect them. They're used to make various items, that'll provide health, weapon energy or improve your character's overall attributes.



Note: Rare Metals can only be obtained on Normal/Hard Modes.


Use Zero's double jump in the first waterfall to find it. Although difficult, it can also be obtained with Axl in the first run by hovering and shooting. Alia will tell you about it.


After the room with several enemies, use X's Icarus helmet to break the ceiling and get the Rare Metal. Palette will tell you about it, but you can notice it yourself.


Use Axl's A-Trans to copy a Sphereroid(sphere-transforming enemy) and roll down a small passage containing the Rare Metal.


Get the Ride Armor to the second section of the stage, where you need it to break the blocks to get to an upper passage. After going across some spikes and such, jump out of the Ride Armor and move to the right on foot and shoot the blue button hidden on a wall there to lower the elevator. Then go back and get in the Ride Armor again and put the armor on the elevator. Jump out, shoot the button again to move the elevator back up. Use the Ride Armor to break the blocks in the way up there. Now, use a charged Crystal Wall on the circular plate you see behind the blocks.


Follow the same path from Axl's Double Barrier shown above and, from the elevated platform, dash-jump and hover to the door. Continue until a small area with rolling spikes that the Ride Armor can't pass. Leave the Ride Armor and it will be carried by the spikes to an elevator that moves in the background. Follow it and, as soon as it becomes available, jump back to it and return to the rolling spikes before the elevator goes down. The Ride Armor's weight will break the floor and, if the player is inside the Ride Armor, take a ride in the elevator, obtaining the Rare Metal in the path. Alternative, players with Prickle Barrier can follow the Ride Armor in the spiked path. Of note, from this point it is possible to take the Ride Armor to the boss, as long as the boxes aren't broken with the Ride Armor's weight.


In the bottom-right of the area between the sixth and seventh challenges. It is easier to be taken with Axl's hover.


Rewarded in the end of the stage if all challenges are cleared in their highest difficulty/top score. The above weapons certainly make it easier to gain top scores


Rewarded in the end of the stage if 5-7 challenges are cleared in their highest difficulty/top score.
The above weapons certainly make it easier to gain top scores


Use X's charged Crystal Wall right in front of the power generator used to switch on the lights in this stage to reveal this Rare Metal.

In the top left of the dark area with spotlights, there is a hidden room with a sleeping guard. Touch the spotlights and use Axl's A-Trans to copy one of the guards that appear, or copy the lone guard on patrol. Transform and salute the sleeping guard to make him open a door. Inside, use Plasma Gun to energize the generator and bring light to the area. Return to the beginning to find that platforms appeared in the area, one of them with the Rare Metal


With the lights on, leave the generator room and drop down the pit just outside. Follow the path from there until you reach a door leading to the next area. Right above the door you'll spot a small platform high up that wasn't visible in the dark. Use Zero's double-jump or X's enhanced jump to reach it, then jump up to the next platform off the screen to find this Rare Metal there.


Eventually you'll teleport to a large room with a large staircase sloping skyward. Using Zero, jump up the left wall to find a lone large block up above. Use his double-jump to reach the top of the crate, then simply release a charged shot with X's Crystal Wall to reveal this Rare Metal.


For this Rare Metal, having Axl on your team makes short work of it. Use his Copy Shot to pick up an A-Trans capsule from one of the spike-skating foes near the start. With that in hand, near the end of the stage you'll find a room full of moving blocks. In the second room of the two, activate the A-Trans and drop down off the ledge. You'll fall down past two red Metals and land on a spike bed below without harm. Right in the corner ahead lies this Rare Metal. You can also flip the room upside down once and climb up to the Rare Metal safely via the moving blocks.


Near the beginning, climb the skeleton and take it before Yellow Mechaniloid breaks the bones. Easier to be taken with Zero's double jump and Axl's hover.


While you're being chased down by the giant Mechaniloid you'll eventually begin an uphill climb to the cliff where you'll face off against it. Near the end of the climb you'll come across a group of cranes in the background, one which has a switch you can shoot to activate. Once the crane swivels about you'll have access to reach this Rare Metal hidden atop the furthest crane on the left. On the way back Pallette will inform you of new open routes, so climb across the cranes to reach it (Axl's hover assists greatly).


Upon chasing the giant Mechaniloid back to the entrance of the stage, you'll come across a small alcove in the ground covered by a few metal plates out in the middle of the open plateau. As it walks over the hole, the Mechaniloid will blow the plates away and open it up for you. Drop into the hole and disharge a charged shot of X's Crystal Wall to reveal this Rare Metal inside it.


At the very end of the stage where your Ride Chaser plows through the ice blocking Avalanche Yeti's hideout, use Zero's double-jump to reach the large platform above where the Head Parts H capsule rests. Once up above, switch to Axl and hover back over to the top of the gate on the left to find this Rare Metal waiting there.


During your descent of the large pipe-filled shaft riddled with spikes, you'll eventually find a platform where Pallette points out a weakness in the floor. She'll say a good kick will break through, but in fact the T Breaker and the Dairettsui technique (press Special Weapon while standing still) will do the job. Descend the small shaft to find this Rare Metal hidden inside a crate.

At the very base of the tall shaft riddled with spikes, you'll find a flying Reploid which Layer points out can be copied with Axl's Copy Shot. Destroy it with said weapon and grab the A-Trans capsule it drops. Now you'll need to backtrack and ascend the tall shaft, if you're feeling lazy you can always sacrifice yourself to respawn at the top.

Either way, near the very top where two bats hang out you'll see a small hole up on the left wall surrounded by spikes. By assuming the form of the jetpack-Reploid you'll be able to fly about (jump up as high as you can and hit jump again to glide). Stand on the third step down starting from the right and jump as high as you can.

Hit Jump a second time to hover, then simply zip through the hole to find a room with this Rare Metal hidden inside. Don't worry if you run out of Weapon energy before leaving, as the game will let you escape before returning Axl to his normal form.


Upon exiting the second room where you face waves of fiery Bulbrites, Pallette will inform you of a hidden area above the corridor. Head left to find the second giant auto-descending shaft with a range of platforms hanging about. Quickly climb up the platforms leading skyward using Axl (each one falls when you step on it), then once at the top hover through the range of Metals floating in the air to find a door on the right wall (X & Zero should barely be able to make it with a mid-air dash). Go inside and take out the Reploids guarding this Rare Metal in the corner to reach it.

Dr. Light Capsules(Neutral Armor)

The Neutral Armor - is the standard base Armor Set. The base Armor itself gives X no enhancements on its own. However, it has the ability to mix and match parts of the Icarus Armor (I Parts) and Hermes Armor (H Parts) to give the Neutral Armor a customized mix of individual abilities. Having a complete single-colored set of parts in the Neutral Armor will grant X an Armor System with glowing parts, which also unlocks the Giga Ability of that specific armor: Giga Crash(I parts) or X-Drive(H-Parts).





Dr. Light Capsules(Icarus Armor)

With the Icarus Armor activated, X will receive the Giga Crash, an extra weapon capable of destroying all enemies on-screen at once. Activate the weapon by either having no weapon equipped or by selecting it from your inventory and pressing Special Weapon. One use will drain its weapon energy, but take note that it'll slowly recharge automatically. You don't need to wait for it to fully recharge, even the tiniest amount of weapon energy is enough for another shot. The strength of the blast won't reach maximum until the bar fully recharges.




NOTE: Only X can open the capsules


Just after leaving the first room with waves of Robot Ride Armor foes, Pallette will inform you that something interesting hides out above. Destroy the two bomb-toting Bulbrites and use the lift ahead to raise the Chimera Armor up the tall platform. If you've got Axl on your team, use his hover ability to find a platform over on the far left with its right edge covered in spikes. You'll need to go back to the right and use the Chimera Armor to air dash over to the platform as far as you can before bailing out to clear the spikes. Zero's double-jump should do the trick, so have him and X on your team. It might take a few rounds to reach the capsule, so be sure to have a Prickle Barrier in your inventory.

With Foot Parts I, X's jump height is doubled, allowing X to jump as high as Zero's double-jump and reach places that Normal X would usually be unable to reach.


While beginning the game, there is a locked door near the middle of the stage where Alia will inform Zero about him being able to double-jump his way to the top. Enter that stage again after defeating one Maverick Boss before returning to the same place. Palette will inform you about the door being opened with a block in front if it. Jump over the block and go inside and have X access the capsule.

With Buster Parts I, X-Buster shots need to be charged one less level than normal. For example, his normal shots become Level-1 charged shots, and Level-2 charged shots become Level-3 charged shots. The maximum charged shot becomes a powerful laser. However, X will freeze when the laser shot is fired, even in mid-air.


After the mini-game where you have to avoid moving blocks with spikes on them, you will end up in a large room. There is an extra green portal here near a narrow corridor full of spikes; this portal leads to the capsule. Axl’s Runnerbomb(enemies skating around on spikes) transformation is helpful here.

With Head Parts I, while jumping, a blue field surrounds X. It can damage enemies, but disappears while X descends, this effect is similar to the helmet part of the First Armor, because both parts give the ability to destroy things above X.


After whacking the mini-boss in the head, follow it as it retreats. A rock wall that was there while you are running away from the mini-boss should be gone, and the corridor leads to several fuel tanks. Destroy those tanks with Melt Creeper/Enkoujin/Flame Burner and take X to the capsule.

With Body Parts I, the amount of damage X takes is halved, and removes all recoil. All health X loses turns red, meaning he can be switched out and in and recover all of his health. However, if X is switched back before all his red bars of health is restored, the remaining red bars will be lost permanently.

Dr. Light Capsules(Hermes Armor)
The Hermes Armor gives X the X-Drive ability. When activated, this device will greatly increase X's mobility, jumping height, charge speed and number of charged shot projectiles.

X will become extremely frantic during the activation period, so don't use it unless you're in dire need of quick movement, such as when the giant Mechaniloid in Metal Valley chases you through the canyons. The effect wears off upon a full drain of weapon energy.


NOTE: Only X can open the capsules


After clearing four of the training rooms, you'll find a large empty room where Pallette will inform you of something interesting above which is blocked by a wall only penetrable by a black hole. Jump up to the wall blocking the capsule, then use the Squeeze Bomb to easily blow your way through.

With Buster Parts H, X fires 3 semi-charged shots in a spreading manner when the X-Buster is fully charged, with the added capability of breaking defences. Adds a fourth-level charged shot that shoots 5 semi-charged shots when X-Drive is in effect.


In the second of two vertical shafts with elevators in this stage, instead of going down, move up the shaft. Palette will notify the player of the existence of such space if the part has not been obtained before. There's a hidden room to the right containing the capsule.

With Body Parts H, it enables X an invincibility to enemy attacks that damages 2HP or less. Invincibility duration doubled when X-Drive is in effect. When X takes damage, he will earn Metals equivalent to the damage done to him.


Above the boss area. Jump onto the wall before the path narrows down to the boss, and use Zero's double-jump to get past the ledge sticking out above. Then, on the area above, use Shining Ray/Tenshouha/Ray Gun to melt the ice and the capsule will be accessible.

This part doubles the charge speed of all of X's Special Weapons and the X-Buster. Charge speed is quadrupled when X-Drive is in effect.


The capsule is in plain sight while the Hunters make their way through the area after the first enemy checkpoint. However, to get to the capsule itself, one must climb a spike-lined shaft climbing upwards. Using Axl's transformation into Skyroid(an enemy with a jet), a Reploid with limited flight found in the same area, will make this task easier.

With Foot Parts H, running and dashing speed is doubled, and turn invisible/"invincible" while dashing. Running and dashing speed is quadrupled when X-Drive is in effect. However, the vanishing effect granted from this armor has no effect on avoiding damage from enemies, as it counter-intuitively seems to make X invisible only to the player. This makes some segments of the game needlessly harder while using this Leg part (however its alternate Icarus leg part's uncontrollable high jump is equally unintuitive).

In Mega Man X8, along with unlocking X's, Zero's, Axl's secret armor, the Navigators -- Alia, Layer, Palette -- can be unlocked as playable characters. If you completed the game on Normal or Hard and load the clear game file, the weapon for Navigator you used the most in your previous round becomes available in the R&D Lab. To unlock the other two Navigators' weapon, clear any four stages (can be done with previously cleared stages) with the Navigator you are trying to unlock. Alia, Layer, and Palette play as female counterparts of X, Zero, and Axl respectively, although Alia cannot use X's armor parts and Palette cannot transform into enemies. NOTE: Dispatching any of the Navigators will forbid you from having them help you in the stage.

Once you've developed their primary weapon (see the chips page for more info), hit Special Weapon while on the character select screen to view your available navigators. To develop chip upgrades for them, press Special Weapon while on the Chip Development screen in the R&D Lab.


Alia:
Alia's movesets and abilities were modeled after those of X, being able to charge her Buster for more powerful attacks and receiving the same Special Weapons from defeated Mavericks as X can. However, she was unable to charge up the gained weapons. Also, like with all other characters, her stats and abilities could be upgraded by finding Rare Metals and researching them. Though copying X's style, Alia, like the other two Navigators, received no pre-boss battle dialogue with the Mavericks when selected as part of the team.

Unlocking Code:
Playstation: Down, R1, Up, L1, ◻, X, △, O
Xbox: Down, RB, Up, LB, X, A, Y, B
PC: Down, C, Up, D, X, Z, S, A
Switch: Down, R, Up, L, Y, B, X, A


Layer:
Layer boasts a range of special moves much like Zero's, but instead she weilds a Rapier (thin saber) which is just a strong as the Z-Saber. Layer can also unlock the same weapons as Zero, as well as perform the special techniques he gains from defeated bosses.

Unlocking Code:
Playstation: ◻, ◻, Right, X, R1
Xbox: X, X, Right, A, RB
PC: X, X, Right, Z, C
Switch: Y, Y, Right, B, R


Palette:
Pallette utilizes the same abilities as Axl. She can use all of Axl's special weapons, and can also hover in mid-air. As with Axl, Pallette has unlimited ammo for her weapons, and has no Special Weapon energy gauge. Unlike Axl, however, she cannot use the Copy Shot nor the special armor.

Unlocking Code:
Playstation: R1, X, Left, ◻, ◻
Xbox: RB, A, Left, X, X
PC: C, Z, Left, X, X
Switch: R, B, Left, Y, Y

X's Ultimate Armor:
X's Ultimate Armor being absent in X7, finally returns in X8. It has some of the features from it's previous literations, but now with changes. Said features are:
- Plasma Charge Shot(X4 Ver.)
- Unlimited Usage of Special Weapons(Including Charged Versions)
- Nova Strike(X8 ver. like X4-X6 ver. is also unlimited, but, unlike X4-X6 ver., X8 is more powerful, at the cost of limiting its use since it now has its own weapon gauge. It will drain the entire energy gauge, but also has the quickest recharging rate, refilling the gauge in mere seconds. When used on a boss in Normal Mode or higher, most Bosses can go down in two hits; one Nova Strike will shave off most of the Boss' energy, leaving only a fraction so that that boss can use its Overdrive attack. Also, if used on Sigma before he automatically grabs the character, it will only reduce his health enough to initiate that segment of the fight).
- 50% Damage Reduction and no Recoil from damage. All HP damage will be converted to red bars which can be recovered while in reserve. (Act as Body Parts I)

Ultimate Armor also sports new traits, such as:
- Dragon Punch/Shoryuken(From the Second Armor)
- Double jumping height(Act as Foot Parts I)
- Dashing through enemies without damage(Acts as Foot Parts H)
- Increased Movement Speed(Act as Foot Parts H)

I think these are all of the Ultimate Armor's attributes...

X's Ultimate Armor can be unlocked by starting a New Game + from a save file that has been cleared while X is at 100% and all 8 Icarus and Hermes Armor parts are unlocked, or through a code. Highlight Game Start and then:

Playstation: Press "Left" three times, "Right" three times, "Left" four times, "Right" four times
Xbox: Press "Left" three times, "Right" three times, "Left" four times, "Right" four times
PC: Press "Left Arrow" three times, "Right Arrow" three times, "Left Arrow" four times, "Right Arrow" four times
Switch: Press "Left" three times, "Right" three times, "Left" four times, "Right" four times


Zero's Black Armor/???:
Zero's Black Armor's X8 ver. is radically different than its previous versions, functionality-wise. These changes are:
- Dash speed and distance are doubled (+ 100%)
- Damage power of his weapons is doubled (+ 100%)
- Overall defenses are halved (- 50%)

Zero's Black Armor can be unlocked by starting a New Game + from a save file that has been cleared while Zero is at 100%, or through a code. Highlight Game Start and then:

Playstation: Press L1 two times, R1 two times, L1 four times
Xbox: Press LB two times, RB two times, LB four times
PC: Press D two times, C two times, D four times
Switch: Press L two times, R two times, L four times


Axl's White Armor/???:
Not to be left out, Axl can receive a special white armor suit. Axl’s armor glows and leaves trails of light whenever he dashes. Its features are:
- Infinite hovering while firing
- Ground Dash is longer and faster
- Remaining transformed for an unlimited amount of time

Axl's White Armor can be unlocked by having Axl to deal the final shot to Lumine on Normal/Hard (Double Attack is not necessary in this case, but Axl must be the one that defeats him), then powering him up to 100%, or through either a code. Highlight Game Start and then:

Playstation: Press L2 three times, R2 three times, L2 three times, R2 once
Xbox: Press LT three times, RT three times, LT three times, RT once
PC: Press F three times, V three times, F three times, V once
Switch: Press ZL three times, ZR three times, ZL three times, ZR once

Cut Man - is a robot master from the original Mega Man. He can be accessed and fought in Troia Base/Optic Sunflower's Stage by either:
1)Gettting all the upper lights lit up in the Troia Base training sessions.
2)Inputting a special code:


Playstation: Left, O, Up, △, Down, X, Right, ◻, L1, R1, L2, R2
Xbox: Left, B, Up, Y, Down, A, Right, X, LB, RB, LT, RT
PC: Left, A, Up, S, Down, Z, Right, X, D, C, F, V
Switch: Left, A, Up, X, Down, B, Right, Y, L, R, ZL, ZR



The Σ/Sigma Blade - is the weapon Sigma uses in Mega Man X8, and it can be obtained by either:
1)Completing the game
2)Entering a code on the title screen

The Σ/Sigma blade will be then available for purhase in the R&D Shop. It is a giant sword with legendary attack power, and it can easily break enemies' barriers. In addition, equipping this weapon will reduce special weapon energy usage by half automatically. The reach of this weapon is two times that of the Z-Saber and is effective on any enemy or boss. One notable difference between Zero's and Sigma's blade is the color of its energy, as Zero's is light green while Sigma's is red.

Playstation: L3, L3, R3, L3, L3, R3, L3, L3, R3, L3, L3, R3, L3, L3, R3
Xbox: LS, LS, RS, LS, LS, RS, LS, LS, RS, LS, LS, RS, LS, LS, RS
PC: Requires a Steam controller. I don't know how to do it with keyboard. Probably impossible; needs testing
Switch: LS, LS, RS, LS, LS, RS, LS, LS, RS, LS, LS, RS, LS, LS, RS

L3 or LS - Press Left Analog Stick
R3 or RS - Press Right Analog Stick