Story
Irregulars and Strategies
Counter-Hunter Locations and Strategies
the Counter Hunters' Fortress
Items and Special Upgrades
Codes

Life has been interesting for X since the death of his friend and mentor, Zero. It has been six months since the defeat of Sigma and the end of the initial Irregular revolt. However, X hasn't forgotten Sigma's posthumous threat, and mysterious forces are at work against X. A triumvirate of Irregulars calling themselves the "Counter Hunters" carry on Sigma's legacy of destruction. Darker plots are afoot, however, and X is made leader of an expedition to an abandoned mechaniroid construction factory where the Irregulars are hidden. And so the story continues.

Irregulars and Strategies

The easiest order that I've found to tackle the Irregulars in is as follows:

Right. There's the order. Now for the strategies:

Wire Hachimar
Weather Control Dome
The cool thing about this stage is that the weather changes throughout it, and it actually has an effect on the game play. The weather control globes that are protected by the large structures in the stage react differently to different weapons. For instance, using Bubbly Uraflos' weapon will cause it to rain, and using Flame Stag's weapon will cause a heat wave.
Wire Hachimar himself isn't much of a challenge; keep clear of his grapple-wire when he hurls it, and keep hitting him with charged shots. Watch out for the mechanical spores he launches, and X will be victorious, gaining the Strike Chain.

Kill Alligator
Dinosaur Tank
The Dinosaur Tank sure is a pain in some areas; it's absolutely riddled with enemies. The "Rabbit" mech makes its first appearance here (in a full hangar of the same type). It's really fun to ride in since it can fly like the "Hawk" in X3, but also has that cool spike-punch like the "Kangaroo" (also from X3).
Kill Alligator can live up to his name really well if you're not careful. Whatever you do, don't let X fall into the water for extended periods of time if Kill Alligator is submerged. Doing so will result in said Irregular leaping out of the water (or whatever that is) and royally kicking X's butt. So don't do it. Stay to the walls when Alligator is submerged. When he's busy firing his wheels, there's a place where X can stand and fire continuously without getting hit. Victory will bring X the Spin Wheel.

Bubbly Uraflos
Marine Base
This stage is just too cool. The music is nifty and the background is slick. However, it's not a big challenge. Take care of the giant fish mech at the beginning of the stage by keeping out of its spotlight and blasting off its fins. Other than that, you should have no problem navigating this course.
Bubbly Uraflos can be a pain if you aren't careful. Use the Spin Wheel from Kill Alligator to burst his bubble-shield, and watch out for the ring of bubbles he fires. Smart dodging will ead X to victory and the Bubble Splash.

Flame Stag
Volcano Base
Wow. Talk about a pain in the butt. The volcano stage can be real torture if you don't move quickly. The key to successfully completing this tage is: jump, jump, jump. Jump and dash. Remember that if you get touched by the bubbling magma, it's pretty much all over. Especially when in the volcano's caldera, make sure to keep ahead of the rising lava. As long as you remember that, X should be fine.
Flame Stag himself can similarly be either a royal pain or quite easy. If you have the Bubble Splash, then he utilizes an easily predictalbe pattern. Stand about 3/4 to the left of the screen and keep using the Bubble Splash to knock Flame Stag back, and he'll be finished in no time. If you don't have the Bubble Splash, good luck. You'll need to keep out of Flame Stag's way and fire at him when he's on the ground. Be careful of his special attacks. Victory will bring you the Speed Burner.

Metamorph Mothminos
Robot Junkyard
This stage is cool, too. Watch out for the motor-control bugs that latch onto X's head; they can be a real pain. Make sure to avoid the spiked floors and ceilings, and X will survive this level without an problem. Also, at two points during the stage, junk robots will be resurrected by motor-control bugs. You have to destroy the resurrected robot first and then blast the bug with a few charged shots before it goes underground again.
Metamorph Mothminos isn't anything to worry about. Whether you have the Speed Burner or not, the first part is basically the same; hit the coccoon while it's suspended by its thread and do a circular jumping and dashing routine to avoid the spiralling trash he spits at you.
When his coccoon splits, Metamorph Mothminos flies back and forth across the screen, dropping golden dust. Use the Speed Burner if you have it. Otherwise, charged X-Buster shots will do the trick. Destroy Mothminos and you get the Silk Shot.

Magna Hyakulegger
Control Center
Watch out for spikes, but otherwise, this stage is a snap. If you blast the searchlights off of the large sentry robots, they can't draw you or push you into the spikes.
Magna Hyakulegger himself is a big pain in the butt if you don't use Metamorph Mothminos' weapon against him. If you do, you'll knock off his tail, and he's a cinch. Otherwise, he'll use his magnetism to draw you towards him, and you can only escape him with a dash. So here's a hint: dash. Failure to do so will result in almost certain death. If he catches you, he'll steal one of your special abilities until all you can do is whine about how unfair it is that you don't have any special abilities anymore. Victory will bring X the Magnet Mines.

Crystal Maiman
Energen Crystal Mines
The Crystal mines have two rules if you want to survive them; watch for spikes, and always avoid the large, sliding crystals. There are all sorts of cannons that will try to blast you, so watch out.
At two points in the stage, there are large metallic orbs encased in crystal structures. You must defeat them while dodging their small, mobile cannons, which can be a trick. These are the biggest challenges in the stage.
The biggest challenge, of course, is Crystal Maiman himself. He has three attacks. First, he will try to freeze you with blobs that crystallize you. If you jump as quickly as you can, you can break the shell before the overgrown snail leaps on you. Once you've escaped that, he'll leap in the air and spin around. If he comes out of his shell in mid-air, it means that he's about to initiate a stasis field. This means that you'll be able to move at half speed, while he can move at full speed. If you have already defeated Magna Hyakulegger, use the mines to kill Crystal Maiman quickly. Otherwise, do lots of dashing and jumping. Success will add the Crystal Hunter to X's growing arsenal.

Sonic Ostrigue
Desert Base
This stage introduces the hover-bike, which can drive over spikes with impunity, and takes damage for X. It can turn around, which is something I'm embaressed to admit I didn't figure out for quite some time.
Sonic Ostrigue is little enough challenge, even with just the X-Buster. If you have the Crystal Hunter, then he's no problem at all. Be sure to leap over him when he charges X, and to dash under him when he bounds across the screen. Keep at it, and the Sonic Slicer will be X's in no time.

the Counter Hunter Triumvirate

Strategies
The Counter Hunters will appear in different locations after 2 Irregulars have been dispatched, depending on how many more Irregulars X are left. Be careful to defeat all of the Counter Hunters as quickly as you can; they disappear once you start killing off Irregulars.
Despite the fact that they move around, their tactics are always the same, so here it goes.

Violen: Violen looks like a big robotic ape--and he fights about as intelligently, too. He will stand in the room and swing his massive morning star around, in hopes of hitting X. If that doesn't work, he'll either jump into the air and let loose a sprad of plasma bursts below, or turn towards X and shoot the same spread--but horizontally. Then he'll repeat his cycle. Keep nailing away with the X-Buster and watch out for the morning star. Victory will bring Zero part #2--the torso.

Serges: Serges is a Russian-constructed repliroid whose legs have been damaged. Because he is outloawed, he has difficulty getting his legs repaired, and so he rides on a shielded hover-sled.
He'll drop a few mines on the ground that can be cleared with a charged X-Buster shot. Be careful of how you fire. If it's not timed right, the shots--no matter how powerful--will bounce harmlessly off of teh blue energy shiled that intermittently appears around the sled. Try to catch Serges with your blasts when he's in the air, shooting electrical bursts. If you're careful and quick, you'll obtain Zero part #1--the head.

Agile: A favorite student of Sigma's, Agile's weapon is the beam sabre--and boy is he good with it. Keep to the walls when he dashes across the screen with a blade-sweep. Otherwise, lure him into jumping when he fires off his massive energy blasts so that X can duck them and fire when Agile lands. His pattern is predictable but he moves quickly, so it can be tricky to master. Defeat the leader of the Counter Hunters, and X will receive Zero part #3--the legs.

Locations
The Counter Hunters will appear in different locations, depending on when you fight them. Each one is hidden in another Irregular's stage.

Marine Base: You must destroy the large fish mechanoid before it docks. After you have done so, follow the floating platforms at the far right of the deep-sea area until you can leap up and to the left to another floating platform. Do not head right, into the airlock, or you will miss the secret room.

Volcano Base: After the volcano eruption, X will arrive at a place like the beginning of the stage. Have the helicopter-mech smash the upper wall and head as far up as X can go; the passageway should be vaguely on the left, and should be fairly obvious.

Robot Junkyard: A fair way through the stage, X will come to a long ladder that heads down. On the right will be a shield-weilding robot that throws spinning blades. Dispose of it and use the air-dash boots to reach the passageway behind it. The Counter Hunter room is at the far right.

Energen Crystal Mines: After the first large, sliding green crystal has crushed everthing in its path, take the Rabbit ride armor and fly to the platform above where you can see a row od stacked crystal cubes. Smash them with the Rabbit mech, and then use the mech to launch X to on of the floating platforms moving up and down. Head right, and the Counter Hunter room will be in the top-right corner.

Desert Base: At the beginning of the stage, there will be several loose rocks after a large scorpion robot. Use the Spin Wheel to dislodge them, and continue to the right. The Counter Hunter room is on the top-right of the diagonal passageway.

Point 00--the Counter Hunters' Fortress

Stage 1
Violen's Ring
Violen is a tactical idiot, and it shows in his ring of the fortress. There's not a lot to worry about here; just concentrate on keeping alive for the battle with him. Basically, it'll be a lot like the first time X fought Violen (if he did). Use powered-up X-Buster shots and lots of dashing and jumping to keep from getting pulverized by Violen's giant morning star.

Stage 2
Serges' Ring
Serges' Ring of the fortress isn't anything terrible, although there are a few tight spots along the way. The biggest pain is Serges himself. If you've been smart, you've been keeping the Giga Crush armor reserved for a really tight spot. Well, this is it. Get on the back platform and use it after Serges' life bar first fills up. That'll take care of the four cannons mounted on the front of his mech. After that, use the Sonic Slicer and lots of judicious jumping to keep X alive and send Serges into an early grave.

Stage 3
Agile's Ring
Agile's stage is just a pain in the rear. I'm not sure where he developed his unhealthy obsession with spikes, but it certainly shows through in his stage. Be careful going through here, because almost everthing you fall on will kill you. Agile himself isn't anything to worry about. Use charged up X-Buster shots to blow him away, and stay clear of the hole in the floor.

Stage 4
The Infamous Teleport Room
You knew it would be back. After a short climb up a vertical passageway, X will find two teleporters. One will be destroyed, and the other will be beckoning invitingly.
Once X has stepped into the operational one, he will find himself in a room filled with cyllinders. You know what to do.
Here's the order, and don't forget to recharge with the energy pellets lying around after each battle.

Items and Special Upgrades

Heart Tanks

Weather Control Dome: The heart tank here is easily found; on the very first screen, jump up the wall to the left, and hidden in a small crevice is the tank.

Dinosaur Tank: Right after X is forced to abandon the Rabbit Mech (large spike-handed ride armor), there is a wall lined with spikes on the left. X must already have the X-Buster upgrade, the air-dash upgrade, and have defeated Flame Stag. Standing on a platform to the right, X must execute a tricky jump-dash and then use the powered-up weapon from Flame Stag.

Marine Base: Near the beginning of the stage, a large fish mechaniroid will appear and swim for quite a long time. At the point when a large trapdoor opens and the fish drops into the deep-sea area, X should go to the wall on the right and jump to the top. From there, he must make a dash-jump leap of faith to catch a moving platform. This may take several tries. Once he is on top, he must head right.

Volcano Base: Around the stage's midpoint, X will be faced with an eruption, during which he must jump up the walls of the caldera in order to stay ahead of the magma. On the left is the heart tank--but move quickly.

Robot Junkyard: At the beginning of the stage, use X's helmet to seek out the heart tank. It's up on a ledge. You need to use Crystal Hunter to freeze an enemy,and then jump-dash off of teh hexagon crystal.

Control Center: After the bit with the falling blocks, there will be a dropoff and a piece of ceiling barely sticking out. If X times it just right, he can air dash and then use the powered-up Flame-Stag weapon to catch the ceiling and then--once inside the hidden chamber--jump to the left.

Energen Crystal Mines: Right at the beginning of the stage, X will leap across a deep chasm and find a suit of Rabbit ride armor. Jump into the chasm and keep to the left of the chasm. Switch to the strike chain weapon and jump-dash off the edge of the cliff. If you're fast, you can use the strike chain to hold onto the far edge of the chasm. Then jump to get the heart tank.

Desert Base: After you have passed the large sand-spewing machine, there weill be a corridor lined with spikes. If you still have the bike (if you do, you're cool), use it to grab the heart tank. otherwise, you need to sacrifice a life to get the heart tank by air dashing and then using the powered-up Flame Stag weapon.

Sub Tanks

Volcano Base: Just at the start of the stage, a large, helicopter-like attack vehicle will appear and try to crush X against the wall. Jump up the wall, and keep the vehichle behind you at all times--making sure it follows you. When you are at the top, jump onto the carrier so that you can ride it on its trip to the left, and then dash-jump to the ledge.

Control Center: Be careful not to let any of the spotlights touch X, or large blocks will drop from the ceiling and fire at him. At the end of the spotligth passageway, X must leap to one of the blocks (still on the ceiling), and use it as a brace to jump up a shaft where the Sub Tank is hidden.

Marine Base: In the middle of the deep-sea area, right on top of the stone in which there is an energy capsule visible, power up the weapon from Bubbly Uraflos and super-jump. When you get to the top of the water, jump again and grab onto the small ledge to the left. Immediately visible is the Sub Tank.

Weather Control Dome: Near the midpoint of the stage is an area where the floor is lined with spikes and X must ride floating platforms. Jump left from the first of these, catch the wall, and run right along the top of the structures in mid-air until you see the Sub Tank.

Dr. Right's Upgrade Capsules:

Desert Base: If you use the Spin Wheel at a point in the wall about 3/4 of the way through the stage--on the side of a a long shaft that X must drop down--the blades will tear away a section in the wall, revealing a secret chamber in which the Air-Dash Boots can be found.

Dinosaur Tank: Once the air-dash boots are obtained, the X-Buster upgrade can be found by taking the first passageway into the Dinsaur Tank until it drops downwards. Instead, air-dash to the small outcropping to the left, and immediately air-dash to the left again so X can jump up the shaft where the capsule lies.

Robot Junkyard: The armor upgrade is found near the beginning of the stage. Use the Spin Wheel to tear away at the ground immediately after X enters the junkyard building. It will open up a secret passageway downwards, where X will find the armor upgrade that allows him to execute the Giga Crush.

Energen Crystal Mines: Near the end of the stage, there is a chasm about half the screen wide. Instead of leaping across it, slide downthe left side until X comes to a passageway leading left. Follow that until it terminates, and the helmet capsule should be obvious. If you get this first, it will help greatly in finding other secrets, since it uses a target to point out where secret locations are.

Agile Stage: If X has all the enhancements and four Sub Tanks (and all his heart tanks) then he has a prayer of receiving Ryu's Dragonm Punch from SF2. In Agile's stage, there is an alternate route after the long trek upwards in which X must ride floating platforms that change direction when they are jumped on. Instead of heading down the ladder, lure a bat towards X, and freeze it with the Crystal Hunter. Now jump on the hexagonal crystal created by the forzen bat and climb the ladder at the top of the screen.
From here, all I can say is: Good Luck! X has to negotiate the spikes without getting touched. Once he's clear, slide down the LEFT side of the wall (use a sub tank to recharge if you're less than full life, or the capsule won't be there).
Dr. Right will appear and give X the ability to do the Dragon Punch--an very nice little trick, and more useful than the Hado-Ken in RMX1.
First of all, X must have full life to use it at all. To punch, press FORWARD, DOWN, DOWN-FORWARD and Y. X will fly across the whole screen while jumping up and punching with a flaming fist.
It does tons of damage, but you can't control where X lands, so be careful of it around spikes. For fun, try using it on Agile at the end of the stage. It'll be the fastest fight you've ever seen!

Codes

In X2, there are a few ways you can beat the game. If you have all of Zero's parts, that affects the story. And if you don't have any of the upgrades, that affects the ending, so here are the codes for all three scenarios:

That about wraps it up for Rockman X2 hints. Have fun!

Return to Zero's Rockman X Museum
Return to Rockman's World Gate