Mega Man 3

"The sliding robot..... Mega Man!"

If the Nintendo Entertainment System was good for something, it was good for jumpstarting several influential series into fame. Mario, Zelda, Metal Gear, Final Fantasy and Metroid are just some examples. Mega Man is another example. Mega Man for the NES is the beginning of a legacy that spans well over 50 titles and does not appear to be stopping any time soon. There are 6 Mega Man games just for the NES! Legend of Zelda has only two, Final Fantasy had three and Mario Bros. has 3. The NES Mega Man games aren't too much different than one another which would probably explain why the later games aren't received as well. The games were rehashed for the most part and there wasn't a whole lot of spark of creativity. There is no need to worry about that in this game though as this was one of the originals.

Mega Man 3 is a platformer but it does have unique aspects that only the Mega Man series can call as its own. The story as you know begins as the brilliant scientist Dr. Light made humanoid robots to perform specific everyday duties. Mega Man was the first of these. Dr. Light and his assistant Dr. Wily proceeded to develop six additional humanoid robots all with different purposes. Dr. Wily went evil and re-programmed all the robots to do help him enslave the world. Fortunately, Mega Man was here to save the day and he crushed Dr. Wily, not once but twice. In this game, Wily steals the plan to Gamma from Dr. Light so Mega Man must stop Dr. Wily before he finishes the robot. Wily of course has robots to protect him. These robots are Magnet Man, Hard Man, Snake Man, Shadow Man, Top Man, Needle Man, Gemini Man and Spark Man. What's cool about this game is you'll also have to battle some old bosses from Mega Man 2. Mega Man must once again embark on a quest to stop Dr. Wily and save the day.

At the beginning of this game you will have the option of eight levels to choose from, one for each of the aforementioned robot masters. This is different from the original Mega Man which only had 6 to choose from. Your goal is to navigate through each level and have a final showdown with the robot master at the end. This isn't as easy as it sounds though because several of the robot masters can really only be easily defeated with their weakness. I personally approve of this way, I think it requires you to have more strategy than just waltzing through each level. Having these different powers at your disposal is really nice and adds a lot to the game play because let us be honest here, it would get boring just using your little blaster over and over again.Fortunately, you can now slide in this game! You still can't charge though, that comes next game.

Mega Man 3 is a very challenging game. Difficulty wise, it is much more intense than a Mario game. While the difficulty can't quite compare to the original, that is actually okay, it is more balanced in this game. Simply jumping over a pit can be a challenge because you have to time your jump just right. One thing that is irritating about this game is that you have to be precise. I looked at the “Game Over” screen a countless number of times. You'll have to battle some tough regular enemies and you have to make sure you shoot well, or an enemy might run into you which would knock you off a block you were standing on. There are some block puzzles where the blocks will appear and disappear and you'll have to study their patterns and act accordingly. Of course, by accordingly I mean quickly. It can get irritating but once you have conquered it, it's quite satisfying and rewarding.

The graphics of this game are better than what was done so far at that point in time but in retrospect, they are merely sub-par now. The backgrounds were still very nicely done for an NES game. The enemies were creative and original and the attacks were noticeable. The scenery was at times pretty vibrant and it's overall pretty impressive for a NES game. There was noticeable enhancements from the original Mega Man and Mega Man 2 but it still could be better.

When judging a game, I do feel music is a very important feature. Without a good soundtrack, the quality of a game is often severed. A game with no soundtrack is the equivalent to Donald Trump without his hair. It just doesn't work. Fortunately, the Mega Man series is widely known for its good music and Mega Man 3, for the most part, is no exception. The themes of the levels fit the environments and the boss battle music, while sometimes creepy, is also good for the most part. The music to this game was quite frankly, AWESOME. Much better than the original Mega Man's and about on the same level as Mega Man 2. This was the last Mega Man game with inspired music, the music in MM2 and MM3 was at it's peak for these two games. Unique themes that make you feel ready for action envelop this game. The sound of this game is actually quite good. Despite the blasters sounding pretty much the same for the most part, there is a noticeable difference between them which is good. The have a few different types of attacks sound-wise and I think it's funny that no matter how you die, it always sounds the same.

I will admit I was often frustrated with this game. This is a very difficult game and it was more difficult than some of the later games. But I endeavored and it was rewarding to complete this game. When I beat an easy game, I usually don't feel that proud of myself as it is like passing a test with the answers in front of me. Yeah, it is nice but you honestly don't feel very rewarded when you beat it. When I beat this game, I was happy, it was an accomplishment. I was mad at this game on numerous occasions but I overcame it and so can anyone.

Rating Breakdown:

Story: 7/10
Game Play: 9/10
Graphics: 8/10
Music: 4/5
Sound: 5/5
Difficulty: 9/10

Average Score: 8.5 = 85% = B (Rounds to 9)

Pros:

Unique Abilities
Awesome Soundtrack
Pretty good graphics for the time
Okay sound
Interesting game play
Balanced Difficulty
Sliding is now available!

Cons:

Rehashed story
Lack of certain aspects (Like Charging) that are implemented only in future games.
Glitches

Mega Man 3 is widely considered to be the peak of the Mega Man series and Mega Man 3 is the most well received Mega Man game. Personally, I have a slight preference towards Mega Man 2 but both games kick ass. The sliding robot..... Mega Man!

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 06/06/06