Players control an advanced, mechanical being called X through eight stages as he faces enemy forces and obtains new powers to defeat the strongest bosses.

Mega Man Maverick Hunter X was first released in Japan on December 15, 2005, and in North America on January 31, 2006.

X, the main character, has access to a hidden technique based on the fighting game series Street Fighter, the Hadoken, which allows X to easily defeat any enemy.

As a playable character, Vile has access to three weapons—one each for his arm, shoulder, and leg—and he acquires new weapon sets as he defeats each maverick boss, which must be equipped before each stage.

[5] As the game begins, while pursuing Sigma X instead finds the Maverick Vile, who wants to rule the world on his own term.

[12] In the final sequence, a memory reveals a human named Dr. Cain found X's body as it was sealed by Dr. Light before he could finish his creation.

Acting as a prequel, it follows Maverick Hunters led by Sigma to face a giant, rebellious mechalonoid.

After disabling Zero, Sigma forces X to remove his weaponry and destroys Abel City, killing Dr. Cain in the process.

[18] Although the remake follows the original game in both gameplay and storyline, it has new graphics and uses 3D character models and backgrounds, a remixed soundtrack, voice acting and anime cutscenes.

[21] Tatsuya Yoshikawa, the game's main artist, enjoyed Mega Man X for its simple gameplay and storytelling, especially in the introduction.

[21] The Japanese version uses the track "Don't Wanna Be" by Spinwake as opening theme.

[25] Mega Man Maverick Hunter X was originally released in Japan on December 15, 2005;[21] in North America on January 31, 2006;[26] and in Europe on March 3, 2006.

[30] The gameplay was generally praised; Juan Castro of IGN stated that it would appeal to new gamers and fans of the original, calling it "intense, fun, and very challenging".

He found the main game to be short but noted the extra content, saying Vile stands out for new weapons the player has and his unique story.

[33] Alex Navarro of GameSpot found the remake faithful enough to the original game enough to appeal to players but noted some upgrades for the main characters were moved to trick them and make the experience unique; he also called Vile's sidestory and Sigma's backstory the most-surprising new materials.

Castro praised the animated cutscenes for adding "extra story and character depth" with good production values, but had mixed feelings about the quality of the English voice acting.

[1] Joe Dodson of GameRevolution initially praised the setting and story for resembling the film Blade Runner (1982) but criticized the voice acting and localization, saying these might ruin the appeal of the concept.

[33] In regards to the Sigma from the Mega Man X: Maverick Hunter original video animation, Bonus Stage Magazine noted that his characterization was different from the original timeline as he appears to express free will about his betrayal to the Maverick Hunter rather than being a victim of a virus he suffered when capturing Zero.

[42] In retrospect, IGN ranked Mega Man Maverick Hunter X as the nineteenth-best PSP game ever made.

[44] Mike Spletchta of Game Zone found the remake as enjoyable as the original and suggested gamers try it on the PlayStation TV.