Despite not being widely recognized or used today, Zero's original design from Mega Man X1 is worth revisiting, especially following recent comments from former Capcom planner Magigi Fukunishi. Fukunishi revealed that, during the initial story planning phase, Zero's X1 body was drafted as a replica made by Dr. Cain, who lacked the knowledge to properly repair Zero after his discovery. This isn't reflected in the final product, but it's an intriguing "what if".
In the video editorial above, Rockman Corner staffer ColeManX takes us through this original concept, the impact they would have had on the events of Mega Man X2, and an analysis of why the design is so great in the first place (also featuring lovely original art by Sprinqgueen). There's a lot more to it than the age-old "round shoulders vs. block shoulders", that's for sure.
Nice work, Cole!
