Mega Man X

Capcom's 1993 SNES reinvention took the Mega Man formula, added wall-jumping, dashing, and armor upgrades, and created the most perfectly paced action-platformer of the 16-bit era. The intro stage is a masterclass in teaching through gameplay — you learn every mechanic without reading a word. The boss weakness chain, the hidden hadouken Easter egg, and the Zero sacrifice are all iconic. It's the rare reboot that respects the original while being objectively better.