Mega Man X3

"Worth buying for the animation alone - the rest is mixed"

The PC port of X3 is an interesting game; I don't know about you, but I was expecting much more (especially since I played X4 before tracking this down). It's not as though the PC can't handle a few graphical tweaks. As it is, if you own the SNES version, there is little reason why you should buy this one - if you don't go for the really good spots it has, like me.

The first thing you'll notice when you play the game is that it's completely identical to the SNES version graphically. Then you'll notice that it's completely identical to the SNES version in gameplay as well. If we are to be quite frank with each other, it doesn't look as though anybody bothered to improve upon the game at all apart from shipping it to a PC programming team. The Mavericks look, move and attack the same, pose the same challenge, the levels look the same etc etc. As a matter of fact, the game is completely identical to the SNES version. Apart from two things; the music and the animated sequences.

X3 is the rock game of the series; its soundtrack on the SNES version has a predominant electric guitar ambience (part of Neon Tiger's stage bears an inescapable resemblance to Guns N' Roses' "My Michelle"). I was hoping that the PC conversion would take this sound a bit further, bearing in mind the capability of the PC in terms of sound, and the fact that X4 had a number of stunning rock tunes. Alas, this is not the case. Hardly a trace of a guitar exists on this version. Instead all tunes seem to have been popped up. Some tunes suffer for this (Volt Catfish, Crush Crawfish), others have a new and interesting (while not better) take on them (Blast Hornet), while yet others gain (Tunnel Rhino and especially Blizzard Buffalo). On the whole, I wish the rock ambience had been left in the soundtrack, though worse crimes in the process of converting game music have been committed.

The PC port's defining characteristic and main reason for being, however, is the animated sequences. Each Maverick is introduced by a short animated segment characteristic for him. These are a wonderful touch that really helps the game get a more cinematic, atmospheric feel to it. Tunnel Rhino and Blizzard Buffalo easily have the best intros, in two almost directly opposite ways (and I'm not just saying this because they're my two favourite Mavericks) These segments are why I bought this version, pure and simple. (I won't mention the three remaining sequences, two of which open the game, because they are extremely poor).

Apart from that... literally nothing – not one single thing – has changed. You fight the 8 Mavericks, then go on to fight the mastermind. So, if you own the SNES version and aren't as excited about the animation as me, there's little reason why you should buy this port. I literally think the animation alone justified my purpose. X4 is a much better PC Megaman on all accounts (even if that game missed the opportunity of animated sequences for each Maverick).

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 03/03/09

Game Release: Mega Man X3 (US, 1998)