Okay, got the game thursday, and have put a little time into it.
So far, good game, but a bit easier than ZX. I beat the first couple of bosses with ease!
That's a shock since in all the other Zero games, I always got my ass handed to me...I picked "beginner mode," so hopefully that's also for difficulty and not just tips on how to play. I'm using the female character since I prefer her design more than the male (who also happens to look almost exactly like the FEMALE character from ZX-- bleh), but since they have different stories, I'll likely replay the game on normal or hard (if that's unlockable) with him.
This time around, your armor is modelled after Axel from Mega Man X7 and X8. So no sword this time...just blastin'. The difference is that you get different types of shots (charge, homing, and a hail of bullets on both sides that will decimate enemies) to make up for it, plus you can now copy and become the bosses you defeat. The manual shows the ZX armor with its moves, so I'd wager you eventually get to play as "Zero" again.
Fun game, basically like the first with the copy armor ability added. Also the plant boss guy has a GIGANTIC PENIS.