Mega Man ZX - Hard Mode No Damage Run [Part 5]
47This is the final part of my Mega Man ZX hard mode no damage run. This time I’ll be tackling the postgame, which comprises 8 fights against cameo bosses from Z3 and Z4, along with everyone’s favorite lunatic, Omega. Lots to discuss, here are my notes.
Firstly, I need to mention that in the creation of this video, I used the Slot-2 Patch, developed by Prof 9. This patch applies to the original DS version of ZX, and allows you to enter both the Z3 and Z4 doors without resetting the game. This means I can treat this section as a proper boss rush, fighting all 8 in a row.
An unfortunate reality that’ll make itself painfully evident throughout the fights is that Model ZX’s slashing speed is molasses-like compared to that of MMZ Zero. Putting aside the differences in offensive repertoire, ZX’s triple slash is downright sluggish next to the quick, clean cuts Zero performs. Battle strategies can’t be directly ported from Zero to ZX due to this and changes to the arenas. Here are my boss comments:
-Inarabitta: The most luck driven of the 8. The principle here is to utilize the Skull Crush while jumping next to him, this allows you to safely descend onto him, cutting down the torpedoes and simultaneously dealing damage. Careful jump timing is required to track him as he hops around, as well as avoiding his Throw Blade.
-Flizard: Leaves himself wide open on numerous occasions, even Model ZX’s nerfed striking speed can keep up. Don’t let hubris overcome you, he’ll occasionally deign to jump directly into you à la Copy X.
-Hellbat: Either loves to waste innumerable amounts of time giggling while teleporting ad nauseam, or gives you perfect chances to slice him apart while he summons a bat barrage. Luckily, I receive the latter. Also, this arena is far too wide relative to Z3, if he fires orbs at you from the edge of the screen, they won’t last long enough to return.
Mantisk: The most faithful conversion of the 8. This battle pretty much plays out identically to how a barebones Zero would handle it in Z3, sans Recoil Rod of course.
Fenri: The most annoying Z4 Reploid returns to claim his throne. Even players intimately familiar with his pattern will need to adjust to using Model ZX’s offense here and to make matters worse, ice physics behave differently in ZX; relearning movements is key.
Pegasolta: The reticence I display here may seem excessive, but in addition to being slower, the ZX-Saber’s range is meager compared to the Z-Saber, especially in the air. The last thing I want to do is jump into this giant floating hitbox after clearing Fenri.
Mandrago: The lack of Z-Knuckle is felt harshly here. Otherwise quick disposal of her plants turns into tedious garbage duty; you have to wait for the plants to sprout before you can destroy them. A very similar battle that aside.
Titanion: The worst conversion of the 8. Her main gimmick, harsh sunlight, is absent, and so all possible tension is alleviated. Jump slash til’ you win.
Now for Omega, I’ll have a far more detailed breakdown in the community tab of my channel, he’s worth more words than can fit here. Here’s the truncated version:
ZX Omega skirts the line of what can be considered reasonable boss design. This game’s weak point system was designed to prioritize methodical play, landing surgical strikes on bosses is the crux of the challenge. Exceptions to the rule, such as Prometheus, Pandora and Serpent all employ some tactic to increase the challenge outside of the paradigm that the Psuedoroids follow.
Knowing this, it’s key to recall that Omega was initially designed to be tackled by Z3 Zero, a character with decidedly more offensive prowess. Adding to that is the fact that Omega was much slower and far more vulnerable to knockback in that game. This led to an odd scenario in which Zero, the player character, had a frankly grotesque offensive advantage, obviating what was supposed to be the climax of the series of all its difficulty.
This is remedied here by three main factors: First, the cooldown between Omega’s attacks is virtually nonexistent. He can rapidly cancel attacks into others and movement options too. A barrage of charge slashes, followed by dashes canceled into uppercuts is not uncommon. Add various projectiles and indelible healing into the mix and it’s a nightmare. Secondly is the granting of super armor onto the majority of Omega’s movements; only during specific moments while he’s airborne can knockback be inflicted upon him. As if ZX’s meager range and attacking speed weren’t enough of a handicap. Third is the sheer speed at which Omega moves. Player dash speed and acceleration are subtly altered in ZX, likely to accommodate the 4:3 aspect ratio of the DS. Omega, however, suffers no such constraints; as such, he’s flat-out faster than you. He can cover 80% of the arena with a combination of grounded and bounding dashes.
Timestamps:
00:00 - Area N Boss Rush
09:01 - Omega
Thanks for watching, I hope you enjoyed this series!
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