This was Capcom's first Mega Man X game. For the most part they pulled it off nicely. Though you began the game normal you had to find four capsules, each one with an upgrade for your body. The leg part would let you dash short distances and jump further. The helmet part allowed you to break certain surfaces with your head. The body part allowed you to withstand twice as much damage. And the arm part let you charge your blaster to a fourth level of damage. Also, you begin this game with a very small life meter. You must find the heart tanks (one is in each of the eight stages) to make it larger. Instead of energy tanks, you now have sub tanks (which you must fill yourself (with surplus energy.)) Also, completing certain stages will alter others. If you beat Chill Penguin's stage, Flame Mammoth's fire factory will have frozen over. If you beat Storm Eagle's stage, the wreckage of his flying machine will destroy the electricity generation in Spark Mandrill's stage. If you beat Launch Octopus, the underground of Sting Chameleon's stage will flood. Being a totally new series, this takes place approximately 100 years after the most recent game in the classic Mega Man series.