Game:

Mega Man X (1993)

Duration: 4:23

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43

Again we come across a stage where its condition depends on whether or not X has defeated a different boss beforehand. In this case, destroying Launch Octopus will flood portions of Sting Chameleon's abode.

Unlike the other cases, whether or not you could consider the changes enacted upon this area is wholly positive. At the very least, it doesn't serve to make the stage any easier, as X doesn't get the ridiculous boost to his jump in such small amounts of water...but it will hinder his movements while letting the water-skitter robots called Amenhoppers move about somewhat more annoyingly. (Apparently Planty and the Iworms are not bothered at all by the water either.)

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Sting Chameleon stage
(a.k.a "Forest Stage" and "Recon Base Ruins")
Hidden upgrades:
-Heart Tank (requires Leg Parts, Launch Octopus defeated)
-Body Parts (requires Leg Parts)

Anyway, to say the least, if it's just about clearing the stage, I think I'd much prefer that the stage be un-flooded, thank you very much... but that said, an abundance of water is required if you'd like to acquire all the upgrades that the area has to offer.

A hidden extension to the bottomless pit immediately before the cave segment reveals an additional cavern. Without water filling it up, the chasm inside proves entirely impassible. This is the one section in the whole stage where you'll find the water serving an exploitable purpose to X's benefit.

Climbing back out, our other stop is remarkably close, and basically just requires that you be willing to use the dash to climb new walls that you couldn't reach before... why? Just because they're there!

Atop the cliff, there's a suspiciously empty space, and if you venture too far along, you'll find your escape route blocked off by some impressively self-stacking stone blocks... or rather, it would seem that X is patient enough to wait for his incoming bogey to finish the job first. Cue the entrance of the cryptically-named RT-55J, ready to take on the intruder for an optional boss fight!

RT-55J has a rather simplistic attack style, but it also has considerable defensive capabilities, deflecting or otherwise neutralizing any attack that hits its claws. The only recourse is to attack the head or slip in around a deployed claw attack. The chain won't hurt you, but the claw sure will. If you get grabbed by the claw on its way out, prepare to be sent hurtling toward the wall. Ouch!

RT-55J can use very same claw attack can be used to reel itself in if it should strike the wall, but this is actually surprisingly difficult behavior to provoke... the thing will exclusively use its claw when at mid-to-close range and only jump when far away, and its jumps are targeted towards where X was standing at the time, so it's for the most part not a worthwhile exercise try to get it to happen.

As the battle wears on, RT-55J will begin to show signs of wear, with steam issuing forth from around the head in relative proportion to how much damage has been sustained until finally it is destroyed. For whatever reason, this will cause a hidden capsule from Dr. Light to appear! This time it's the Body Parts (heh, heh-heh, Body Parts), which will reduce all the damage you take by half. Then, just as seemingly unconnectedly, the wall that RT-55J (presumably) built self-destructs. (Also, trying to leave too quickly will apparently confuse the camera, which will remain locked in the mini-boss view until X stands in the impromptu arena's center and signals the viewport to free itself and return to normal stage navigation mode.)

Just to satisfy my own personal curiosity and seeking to verify the events as I'd recalled them, defeating RT-55J stops the pesky ceiling cave-in along the cavernous tunnel route. You will recall that the shaking was in full force while I was gathering up the Heart Tank, but stopped after I returned from collecting the Body Parts.

This stage's hidden armor capsule once more provides some confusing fuel for questioning Dr. Light's particular involvement with placing these things all around in strange and fairly illogical ways when overly scrutinized. In this case, it would seem that RT-55J was able to detect its presence and camp out there, further attempting to prevent an intruder from getting close to it. When X was confirmed to be alone in the capsule's presence, it revealed itself.

Furthermore, I suppose we might similarly conclude that since the shaking of the quakes was apparently RT-55J's doing, that perhaps it was tasked with trying to unearth it the old-fashioned way, which apparently proved ultimately futile.

The real question is what the heck the capsule was doing hidden in what appears to be an artificial cave (based on the cubic debris falling from the ceiling and the presence of Crag Men staking out the ceilings) an artificial forest that was apparently a stealthily-camouflaged former recon base. I guess it's possible that it was once a real forest with a real cave... hmm...

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