Mega Man 3

"The best Mega Man game on the NES, and also where the series should have ended."

Mega Man 2 was nearly flawless. How could Mega Man 3 live up to its predecessor? Well, with a few new abilities and some interesting and original boss and level layouts you would be surprised. Mega Man 3 is better than then Mega Man 2 and is the best Mega Man game on the NES.

Gameplay – 11/10
I hope I don’t surprise you by revealing that the gameplay in Mega Man 3 is very similar to the other Mega Man’s. The most obvious new element that has been added is the ability for Mega Man to slide. This is done by holding down (on the directional pad) and hitting the A button. This is useful because Mega Man can now slide under enemies, avoiding contact; or slide under low hanging obstacles. It is important because it brings an important, upbeat, new element into the gameplay, preventing it from becoming stale. Also there is the ability to summon Mega Man’s new sidekick: Rush. Rush is a robotic dog that has the ability to change into different machines to help Mega Man get through tough spots. He can turn into a springboard allowing Mega Man to jump to higher heights, turn into a submarine allowing Mega Man to be more effective underwater, or a jet allowing Mega Man to fly. This is a nice new element that helps the Mega Man gameplay become less stagnant. The bosses in Mega Man 3 are, what I think the most interesting of the series. Bosses like Gemini Man, Shadow Man, and Snake Man have helped make round 3 w/ Mega Man more interesting. The bosses each have individual attacks that are unique, but a few bosses will seem like repeats of already used bosses. The levels now follow the theme of the bosses. Snake Man’s has a snake feel in it, Gemini Man has a crystal like feel to it, and Shadow Man’s level is done half in the dark. After beating all the 8 bosses, 4 of the bosses’ levels will become available for play once again. The levels now have added difficulty and they have 2 bosses instead of 1. Who are the bosses? They are the bosses from Mega Man 2. That’s right, you will get to beat all the Mega Man 2 bosses again. I like this idea a lot, and I wish Capcom would of done more of this in later installments of the series. This brings me to another point: Mega Man 3 is very difficult. Especially fighting your way through the redone levels for the 2nd time. Mega Man 3 is hands down the most difficult Mega Man on the NES. It is also probably the 2nd longest next to Mega Man 5. The gameplay in Mega Man 3 is awesome and the best in the series.

Fun Factor – 10/10
Mega Man 3 is very fun. The slide ability picks up the pace of the game making it progress quicker. The levels are fun to play, as are the bosses. The weapons you receive from defeating the bosses are interesting as well. Mega Man 3’s difficulty may turn away some people but I think so. I believe the level of difficulty has been perfected this time around.

Control – 9/10
The controls are great, but interrupting the slide with great precision is difficult. Same controls as before: move left, right, shoot, jump, etc. The only problem here is that interrupting the slide whenever you want to, is virtually nonexistent.

Graphics – 9/10
Graphics are excellent. This is where the Mega Man games begun to have a lot of detail in the background. Some level background looks good, others don’t. But it was an important start. The enemies look good, as do the bosses. Mega Man, of course is unchanged.

Replayability – 5/10
Just like every other Mega Man replayability is low. The game is very good and very fun, which may be enough to convince you to play through it again. It did for me, numerous times.

Music/Sound – 10/10
The music here is the 2nd best in the series (next to MM2). The level themes are upbeat and fit the theme of the level well. The sound effects are good too.

Story – 4/10
It appears Dr. Wily is no longer a bad guy. Him and Dr. Light are working together on a peacekeeping project that will, well, keep the peace. In order to complete the project Mega Man must find 8 crystals scattered throughout the world. Well needless-to-say, there is an “unexpected” plot twist, but of course, when is there not one. The story is weak but at least Capcom has decided to put some effort into it this time around.

Conclusion – 9/10

Pros
- New abilities
- Very fun
- Longer play time

Cons
- Like all Mega Man’s there is no replay value

Overall, Mega Man 3 is an excellent game. Upon reviewing Mega Man 5 I wrote that that was the best Mega Man game. Well, after playing through this one again to refresh my memory, I disagree with that statement. I think Mega Man 3 is the best and most fun Mega Man game on the NES. If you can only own one Mega Man game you should choose Mega Man 3. It won’t disappoint you. I believe that this is where they should have stopped making Mega Man games on the NES. Only 1 of the next 3 games are any good and if the series ended after the 3rd installment then it would of consisted of a trilogy of 3 near perfect games. It also would of enabled Capcom to be more deserving of respect, showing that they follow the belief of quality of quantity and not quantity over quality.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/06/04