Mega Man X5
General Information
Route Information
All Stages
This is largely incomplete information at this time after a brief conversation in The Practice Room in 2025.
The route for X5 All stages primarily focuses on defeating mavericks with a high grade to give parts. These parts then take time to craft, dictating when they are available for use.
It also focuses on using Zero and his Saber Dash Cancel for maximum damage output. This results in the at first bizarre route of Pegasus as the next to last stage, since Pegasus's weapon removes the saber dash cancel.
Parts Routing and Grade
Getting a part from a maverick depends on having a GA(?) grade upon completing the stage.
Your rank itself is determined by how well the game thinks you completed the stage (as opposed to X6 where it is purely a function of an item collected). Rank is calculated based on
- Damage taken (by stage)
- enemies defeated (by stage)
- Time taken (by stage)
- Total Mavericks defeated
As such, there are two routes, one for WR attempts, and one that is safer for beginner.
- Dinorex First, which requires getting an immediate GA rank to make the parts routing work. It gives the Hyepr Dasher and Saber+ quickly, which is of course faster.
- Bat first, which is more likely to get you GA rank after two stages (with Dinorex second), at the cost of having those parts slightly later and a longer journey through the Bat's stage.
The parts gained are listed on the parts page - https://goodboyrush.net/books/mega-man-x5/page/maverick-parts
The Enigma Manip
The enigma manipulation refers to guaranteeing the Enigma Cannon shot at the space colony successfully destroys it, unlocking the final stages with Zero still a playable character.
Normally, even if you defeat all 8 mavericks, there is a small chance the colony is not destroyed, resulting in not being able to play as Zero for the remainder of the game (at least until a new game is started).
There are two known manips. Neither counts against In-Game-Time. One is significantly faster for Real Time, however only has a 4 frame window. The other is trivial to execute except the significant Real Time needed.
The RNG Manips
Intro Stage Demo
This is faster RTA but has tighter timing. You must press start to end the demo at a specific point.
Mattrex Demo
It takes longer to see the Mattrex Demo, since the game will play other demos first, however the Mattrex demo has a very easy place to end the demo for success - watch the whole thing.
That's it. Watch the whole demo, don't press start until you see the title screen again. Then continue your game and go immediately to the Enigma Shot.
How do the manips actually work?
The Enigma cannon succeeds or fails on a variety of factors, however these are ultimately controlled by the game's current "RNG" value. The game's randomness is set to a known value when a stage starts, then changes based on the events that follow. This value sticks through the stage selection screen, where the Enigma Cannon (and the Shuttle, if you get there) ultimately checks it for success against the Space Colony.
The manip works because of the title screen demo.
Just like normal gameplay, the demo screen itself sets the RNG value to known values at beam-in, and progresses it "normally" as the demo plays itself out. As such, it always lands on known RNG values every time it plays out.
The places mentioned above, the 4 frame window in the Intro Stage, and watching Dinorex to completion, are both RNG values where it is a 100% success rate for the Enigma Cannon even without upgrades (that is, with 0 mavericks defeated).
In theory, there are likely other places the manip could work. However, these are the best two - one is fast RTA, the other is extremely reliable.
Maverick Parts
After defeating mavericks with a level of at least 8, Alia will ask if you want Life+ or Weapon Energy+. That + is a part that can be equipped, and the part you get depends both on the Maverick defeated, and the Life/Energy choice.
Many of these are currently documented at the Mega Man Home Page - https://mmhp.net/GameHints/MMX5.html#Items
All Stages Route Parts
- Bat - Life
- The Anti-Virus options are not useful in a speedrun, so take the HP
- Mattrex - Life
- Again, neither part is particularly useful.
- You should be here early enough there is no part anyway
- Grizzly - Energy (Hyper Dash)
- Whale - Life
- Weapon+ grants the Energy Saver
- Axle Rose - Energy (Z-Saber+)
- Izzy Firefly - Life
- For the HP. Energy gives shot eraser for Zero
- Squid
- Life if you play the last stages as X
- Energy grants Saber Extend for Zero but is not available until the final stages
- Life if you play the last stages as X
- Pegasus - Life
- this part will never be built if you do it next to last, but this creates the Jumper part
Time Until Part is Crafted
After selecting a part, it takes 2 in-game-hours (so 2 selected stages) to be created. This Includes Dynamo encounters and Zero/Sigma stages. This is why the optimal route for All Stages defeats Grizzly for the Hyper Dasher second, then uses Dynamo and the autoscrolling Duff McWhalen to have the Dashing part crafted.
What controls a Maverick's Level?
- Rank increases a maverick level. The route assumes GA before fighting Grizzly
- Hours left until impact
- Does not affect Level after the colony is destroyed (such as by using The Manip immediately)
- The route depends on hours passing to allow mavericks to gain levels. Do not fire the enigma cannon until after fighting Grizzly for the Hyper Dasher.
Ranking System
Akiteru's Pastebin
Mega Man X5 ranking system documentation by AkiteruDone on USA versionPOINTS TIERSSTAGE TIME:less than 1'00"00 - 8 pointsless than 2'00"00 - 4 pointsless than 5'00"00 - 2 points5'00"00 or greater - 1 pointENEMIES DEFEATED:less than 40 - 8 pointsless than 80 - 4 pointsless than 150 - 2 points150 or greater - 1 pointDAMAGE RECEIVED:less than 16 - 8 pointsless than 32 - 4 pointsless than 64 - 2 points64 or greater - 1 pointMAX DAMAGE DEALT TO ANY ENEMY IN THE STAGE (INCLUDING BOSS):8 or greater - 8 points6 or greater - 4 points4 or greater - 2 points1 or greater - 1 pointNUMBER OF TIMES GONE INTO "VIRUS MODE" DURING THE STAGE:0 - 8 points1 - 4 points2 - 2 points3 or greater - 1 point----------------------NEW RANK CALCULATIONMEH:less than 32: decrease rank32 or greater: same rankPA:less than 32: decrease rankless than 40: same rank40 or greater: increase rankGA:less than 24: decrease rankless than 36: same rank36 or greater: increase rankSA:less than 20: decrease rankless than 32: same rank32 or greater: increase rankA:less than 12: decrease rankless than 32: same rank32 or higher: increase rankB:less than 15: decrease rankless than 28: same rank28 or higher: increase rankC:less than 12: decrease rankless than 20: same rank20 or higher: increase rankE:less than 16: same rank16 or greater: increase rank
The short version is, don't get hit, have at least one massive damage hit, and do it fast without needing kills.
General Techniques
List of basic movement and information applicable throughout the run
Dash Jumping
In the Playstation 1 Mega Man X games, you do not need to re-press dash to jump fast. You can hold the jump button and "just jump". This saves the start-up time to begin a dash before jumping.
Saber Dash Cancel
Zero's most effective damage technique(s) involve slashing, then dashing to interrupt the combo, then slashing again.
The first 2 hits of Zero's triple slash do not give bosses invincibility frames, allowing you to do this over and over again. It is a small amount of damage, but significantly faster than most other techniques.
Execution
In principle, execution is easy to explain - push dash, push slash, push dash, push slash. In practice, this can be slightly tricky to get right.
One factor is where is your dash button? Many runners change the default controls, so dash can be in an awkward place to "double mash". The way you grip the controller during this mash can also make it hard to move otherwise.
You can also use double tap dash itself, though that works better with saber-saber-dash-cancel.
The other big factor is timing, making sure your dash actually interrupts a combo, and that the combo actually lands hits between dashes
Pegasus Ruins Things
In Mega Man X5, defeating Pegusus will give Zero a new attack executed by dashing and slashing. This negates this technique, and is why Pegasus is done next-to-last in all stages.
Volt Kraken
Volt Kraken's stage is late in the speedrun route. His stage holds a part for the Enigma Cannon and a piece of the Falcon armor, if those are desired.
Kraken - Wall Skip
Late in Kraken's stage is a section with two of the colored gate switches over spikes. The speedrun can be seen skipping this through the wall using an invincibility trick. This requires damage boosting.
- Get on the right edge of the moving platform
- As soon as it starts moving, dash jump to the wall, and slide down it
- Your objective is to take damage from the electrical plug in the wall, then stand on the spikes with the invincibility frames until the platform arrives
- When the platform does crushing damage, quickly jump up the wall and air-dash through the gate.
Dynamo
Dynamo attacks twice in runs that play enough maverick stages - after 2 mavericks, and after 6. While Dynamo has a higher level and more attacks in the second encounter, he is trivially defeated by Zero in both instances.
Fights with Zero
Assuming a run through all stages where Zero is collecting upgrades, Dynamo is trivially defeated using the Saber Dash Cancel .
Fights with X
Charged Grizzly (using the Fourth Armor), while not the weakness that stuns Dynamo, is very effective.
Dinorex
AKA Mattrex
Dinorex - First Half
This stage is all about moving fast, but also not taking damage. If you are playing Dinorex first, you need to achieve GA rank.
Decent
The first section of the stage falling and outrunning the flame throwers. Dashing off the ledges is largely enough to outrun the fire, but be quick. The timing is important for saving a cycle at the bottom in the lava section.
Lava Tunnels
The Heart Tank is in the bottom in the lava, in the far left. Most categories want nothing to do with this.