Mega Man X2 / X3

The blue bomber grew up, deepened into a darker blue and traded childlike innocence for the cool elegance of the future. After the revolutionary Mega Man X, with which Capcom recast an 8-bit series into nimble action featuring wall-running and dashing, came the pair of X2 and X3 as a fine-tuning of an already excellent formula. If you thought a faster and more fluid action platformer didn't exist on the SNES, this duo will prove you wrong.

At the core of the experience remains what made X so addictive: you control the cyber-hero X, who throws himself at a set of eight bosses (Mavericks) in any order, and after each defeated enemy you gain their weapon. This opens up a classic game of rock-paper-scissors, where the right order of fights changes the difficulty. Added to this are armor upgrades hidden in the levels, dashing on the ground and in the air, and wall-jumping that turns movement into something like a dance. X2 added a trio of mysterious opponents, the X-Hunters, and the Japanese cartridge even included a special Cx4 chip for wireframe polygon effects. X3 then introduced a playable Zero, the rideable Ride Armor mechs on a wider scale, and a greater emphasis on alternate paths.

Visually it's the peak of what the SNES could do in 2D: detailed backgrounds, multi-layer parallax, explosions and animations that still look fresh today. The soundtracks of both games bet on brisk, slightly melancholic melodies that perfectly match the aesthetic of the „Reploids“ and robots with a soul. The game runs at sixty frames per second, and every dash, every bounce off a wall feels precise and satisfying.

Among fans there's an eternal debate about which installment is better. X2 tends to be praised for its polished design and fair difficulty curve, while X3 is more ambitious but at times more chaotic. Together, however, they form the bridge between the brilliant first game and the series' later transition to the PlayStation. Both games were later revived in the Mega Man X Legacy Collection compilations, so a new generation can reach them too.

Why play it: They rank among the most fluid and stylish 2D action on the SNES — if you love precise movement, hunting for secret upgrades and boss battles, this pair will pull you in.