Mega Man Xtreme 2

Like its predecessor, Mega Man Xtreme 2 is an action-platform game that has the same gameplay as other Mega Man games with the added ability to switch between player characters X and Zero, and the "DNA Soul" system, none of which is present in earlier Mega Man X games. The player is tasked with completing a series of side-scrolling stages by avoiding obstacles and destroy end-stage bosses. Stages are typically linear, and present traps and enemy robots to combat, whereby the player can collect DNA Souls and items that refill health, ammunition, and extra lives; power-ups that improve the player's maximum health; and armor parts that grant X new abilities. Defeating the Maverick boss at the stage's end will earn the player a special weapon that can be used to more easily defeat other bosses, each of which is vulnerable to a unique weapon.

After each stage, the DNA Souls gathered in the stage will accumulate; the player can use these to purchase additional upgrades from Iris. These upgrades improvements on speed and power to health-recharge and shielding.

The Mega Man X universe is set in the 22nd century, where humans and intelligent robots called "Reploids" live among one another. After a tumultuous coexistence, some Reploids go "Maverick" and exhibit violent and destructive behavior. To end such activity, human scientist Dr. Cain established a taskforce of "Maverick Hunters".

The series mostly follows the adventures of the Hunters X and Zero, who have numerous times saved the world from Maverick leader Sigma. Mega Man Xtreme 2 is set between the events of Mega Man X3 and Mega Man X4, during which X and Zero, with the aid of their new friend Iris, are sent to investigate erasure incidents on the mysterious Laguz Island. Reploids on Earth have been losing their "DNA Souls", leaving them useless piles of junk.

Mega Man Xtreme 2 was developed and published by Capcom. Artist Haruki Suetsugu designed the characters and Japanese package art for the game; he expressed joy over being able to illustrate Iris, having not been able to do so since Mega Man X4. Because Mega Man Xtreme 2 was intended to be set in earlier time than the earlier game, he modified Iris' outfit, removing her beret and giving her a uniform that would exude a youthful "schoolgirl look". Berkana and Gareth were drawn as a witch and a knight respectively to tie with the medieval theme of the villains in the first Mega Man Xtreme. Gareth's lion companion, for which Suetsugu was given specific design instructions, is not present in the game.

Mega Man Xtreme 2 was first announced in Japan in March 2001. Prior to Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), Capcom announced it would localize the game for Western territories. Mega Man Xtreme 2 was released in Japan on July 19, 2001, and in North America on November 12 the same year. On July 18, 2013, it was confirmed Mega Man Xtreme 2 would be released on the 3DS Virtual Console in Japan on December 25, 2013, and in North America on May 29, 2014.

Reviewers praised Mega Man Xtreme 2 as an improvement over its precursor. Giancarlo Varanini in GameSpot complimented the DNA Soul system as "interesting" while Skyler Miller in AllGame said in addition to the character-switching feature, both make the game "feel somewhat fresh". Game Informer praised the game's multiple hidden modes, higher boss intelligence, and steeper difficulty curve. Varanini said most of the unbalanced difficulty from the first Mega Man Xtreme has been alleviated, except for parts in which the player must leap off platforms without being able to see the next portion of the screen. Miller wrote, like other Mega Man titles, the game's difficulty level is "challenging to the point of frustration, but it somehow keeps from feeling impossible".

Miller and Varanini were generally satisfied with the graphics and sound of Mega Man Xtreme 2, though Miller noticed a few instances of visual slowdown and audible repetition. The two reviewers criticized the game's storyline and translation; Miller found the instruction manual and in-game texts to be inconsistent with one another in both narrative and character names. Varanini noted the plot's introduction mistakenly renders the word "laboratory" as "lavatory", which he said "ironically speaks to the quality of the storyline". Varanini was particularly disappointed by the game's use of previous stages and bosses, attributing it to Capcom's diminishing creativity.