Mega Man ZX

Mega Man ZX contains elements from both the Mega Man X series and the Mega Man Zero series. The player controls a character along a side-scrolling 2D plane, using jumps, dashes, and both melee and ranged weapons to traverse platforms and engage enemies, in order to cross the game world and complete missions. Missions are selected from a list, displayed on a computer. The player can freely explore the game world during and between missions, and they must find a mission's specified area themselves.

The game also adds metroidvania concepts into the level design, with more exploration elements than the main Mega Man series. During the game, the player uses "Biometals", sentient mechanical artifacts, to transform into different forms whose appearances and abilities are based on X, Zero, and the Four Guardians from the Mega Man Zero series. Each form has unique abilities that can be used to fight enemies, solve puzzles, and obtain special items found throughout the game world. The function of the Nintendo DS's touch screen changes with each form as well; for example, one form displays a radar on the touch screen, while another allows the player to customize the trajectory of their shots.

The Model X form is initially only available temporarily at the beginning of the game, but it becomes a permanent transformation option during a second playthrough. The player can also choose to transform back into a powerless human, allowing them to crawl through tight spaces and move through civilian areas without frightening civilians or being attacked by security devices. Additionally, nine extra bosses from the Zero series appear as hidden encounters: four stage bosses from Mega Man Zero 3 , four stage bosses from Mega Man Zero 4 , and Omega from Zero 3 . While Omega can be encountered by default, each game's set of stage bosses are accessed from a hidden room which can only be accessed by inserting the GBA cartridge of the appropriate game into the GBA slot for the Nintendo DS or DS Lite.

After defeating all eight stage bosses or Omega and then completing the game, the player will gain the ability to play as Omega until they start a new game. For the Mega Man Zero/ZX Legacy Collection release, the gameplay received minor changes to make features exclusive to the DS's hardware accessible on all platforms. The touch screen features are now placed in a small support window outside of the main game display, which can be positioned as the player chooses and operated using a control stick. The hidden encounters with the Zero series stage bosses are now accessed by activating "Link Mode" in the collection's main menu; when accessing Mega Man ZX , the player is allowed to select either the Zero 3 or Zero 4 link to encounter the bosses from that respective game.