Mega Man 3

"As the song goes "Simply irresistable!""

Mega Man III was the first of the six NES installments I actually owned and the second of which I played (2 being first). This was the game which many people raved about for it's gameplay and challenge factor. I remember it mainly for it's music. You can decide for yourself after reading this review. This is also the game which many people mark as the climax of the series along with MM2, for various reasons. I tend to disagree, but that discussion will be saved for the end. Now for the actual review.

Story: 7/10
The story picks up with Dr. Wily rejoining forces with Dr. Light. Wily claims to have given up his evil ways and wishes to make a peace-keeping robot. In order to do that, Mega Man will have to collect 8 different elements from different robot masters (wow, how predictable). But of course as you will learn upon completing the task, there is an all too predictable plot twist... The saving grace for the storyline is with Proto Man. Proto Man, as we learn, is a robot created by Dr. Light to serve as Mega Man's brother. He appears sporadically throughout the game to fight Mega Man, and also appears as a robot named "Break Man" near the end. His role is very unclear in the early going of the game and the random fights you encounter with him make little sense until you get further in the game. I feel that an in-game story should have been included to help give a general overview of what was happening beforehand, similar to what MM2 did. MM1 and MM3 fail in this respect, but the general story is OK, not great.

Graphics: 10/10
In terms of NES graphics, this game is complete from top to bottom. Certainly not the eye-candy of today's standards, but for 1990...very well done. Well drawn characters, better developed robot masters, fantastic animated backgrounds (in some instances), and most importantly SMOOTH FLOW. This game began the standard of smoothness in animation as well as game/play control for the rest of the NES MegaMan games. The seemingly choppiness of MegaMan and the enemies on screen which existed in the previous two games have vanished completely. The visual aspect of this game, in my opinion, is magnificent.

Sound: 7/10
The reason for the lower than average score in this caption is not because of the soundtrack. The soundtrack by itself is perfection, as is the standard set by Capcom with MegaMan games. Each track engages you and draws you into the level extremely well. Although I would have to say that the tone of the soundtrack seems a little mellow in comparison to the previous two MM games. You'll hear what I mean once you start playing. There is an obvious difference in the sound quality. It isn't bad by any means; just different. The reason for the massive docking of points is due to the new sound effects used in this game. I simply do not like them nearly as much as the first two games. The standard metal crunch which was used when MegaMan got hit has been replaced with what I would classify as a "metallic sneeze." The gunshot sounds like an "oink." Small things like this have made Mega Man out to be a little kiddie in this respect.

Gameplay/Play Control: 10/10
There isn't a single thing to complain about here. The play control is absolutely flawless and the gameplay is magnificent. The menu screen has been slightly changed to appear on the bottom of the screen rather than taking up half the screen; something I appreciated very much because I didn't feel as disoriented after returning to the game from the menu screen after selecting my new weapon or energy tank. Making his first appearance in the MegaMan series is MM's new robotic pet dog: Rush. Rush acts similar to the additional items that you could receive in the previous two MM games. He may be used as a trampoline to jump to out of reach places, a submarine to traverse underwater easier, or a jet to fly over pits. The Marine really has little use in the game and can only be used in one spot of the game effectively. The Jet, however, is quintessential in the game. It is necessary in several later areas of the game and it is completely maneuverable all all 8 basic directions. This is important to remember, because in later NES installments the Jet is unable to move with such freedom. But perhaps the biggest addition to the gameplay is the slide. MegaMan is now able to slide under enemies and tight places he couldn't normally walk under. Sliding becomes a VERY useful tool when fighting against robot masters and bosses; allowing for quick escapes and dodging. Another thing which has been changed from MM2 is the energy tank system. You can now store up to 9 energy tanks instead of 4. Overkill perhaps, but you may find those extra tanks handy when you come to face the powerful Doc-Robots.

Challenge: 8/10
Many people claim this to be the most difficult of all the Mega Man games in the NES series. I disagree(MM1), although I will admit it is fairly difficult. Sliding and jumping become very important in evading attacks. The challenge of the bosses may be the most difficult, but certainly not the levels. The bosses are rather difficult to beat with the regular arm cannon. It is almost REQUIRED that you have the correct weapon to defeat. The boss AI is particularly good, even though they move in patterns (as do all the robot masters in ANY MM game). The final levels, by comparison, are a joke. The levels are very easy to breeze through and the bosses provide minimal challenge at best. The real challenge comes against the Doc-Robots. If you can manage to beat that portion of the game, you have essentially beaten MM3.

Miscellaneous:10/10
Things are pretty tidy here and the additions to the game make for a fantastic overall experience. The additions of the slide and Rush-dog robots are extremely helpful. One of the most fascinating additions comes after beating the 8 robot masters. You are then introduced to a series of "Doc-Robots," who take the form of previous robot masters from MegaMan 2! You read that right, you will fight against bosses from MM2 in MM3. The reason for fighting the robots is unclear until you beat them, but it's pretty predictable I think. This addition to the game is simply awesome and, in effect, allows you to see how MM3 weapons fare against MM2 bosses. Truly unique and the only MM game which brings back former robot masters. Otherwise, generally speaking, the password feature is back with different colored dots; making it more difficult to punch in random coordinates and "luck" a successful password out of the system. The system even keeps track of how many energy tanks you have accumulated (up to 9). The last thing of note here is the addition of "mystery" tanks. They appear as question marks and when shot, provide MegaMan with an unknown item (energy pellet, weapon reload, extra life, etc.). You never know what you'll get when you find one. There really isn't anything to complain about here.

Overall: 8.7...rounds to 9/10
There is not a single NES Mega Man game that I have given a perfect score to; including this and MM2. Some of the games come SO close to achieving that perfect score, but a little flaw here and there causes enough of a disappointment to warrant dropping the score. In MM3, that flaw is not with gameplay, graphics, or even the sound. For some strange reason, I didn't feel as compelled to beat the game as I did with MM2. This could be due to a lackluster soundtrack in the final stages, I really don't know for certain. But overall, this is one of the best in the NES series, if not the best. It takes all the good things from MM2 and adds FLAWLESS gameplay for a damn near perfect game. The developing story toward the end, the gameplay, the music, and the characters draw you in just as did MM2. As I've said earlier, people tend to view this game as the pinnacle of the NES series, although I find MM4 to be up there as well. But this is certainly a game worth your time and energy to complete, and on the same elite perch as MM2.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/17/05, Updated 06/18/08

Game Release: Mega Man 3 (US, November 1990)