Mega Man X3

"I'm a LITTLE disappointed"

I love Mega Man X. It is one of the greatest series of all time. The little blue guy just makes me wonder what it would be like to blow up stuff. I played Mega Man X and X2 and I was amazed at the quality of both, but now I play this, and there are a few problems with it. It's still like old times, but there are a few things that bring down the score. You should only play it if you REALLY like Mega Man X.

Story: 9/10
In the year 21XX, stuff happens. Robots and stuff are still blowing up stuff and being weird. A new guy, Dr. Doppler, is building more robots. He is one of the new baddies. Mega Man X and Zero are coming to the rescue. Is Sigma STILL alive? Play to find out. Not a bad advancement in the series. Oh yeah, Zero is back (duh). And so is... I will let you figure that out (clue: he is from X1).

Gameplay: 10/10
Same. You blow up some reploids, then fight the mavericks, get their powers, and use them on the next. Not boring, although it may sound like it. There are plenty of power-ups to get, like hearts (as usual), sub-tanks (no change), robot carriers (new!), super upgrades, and more! Oh yeah, you can play as Zero. It is really cool (to be him, just hit L or R on the pause menu). He has a light saber and everything. But, you can only be him for a while because he can't go through boss doors (even mini-bosses). And, once X gets all his upgrades, Zero becomes pooey. Zero's main function is just a long lifebar, anyway.

Graphics: 10/10
Still running on the C4 chip technology, the graphics have never looked better. Wireframes still existing, the graphics are amazing. Enemies look great and maverick designs are sick ('good' sick)! Everything runs fluently and everything is cool. Zero's light saber animation is a must-see. Everything has that Mega Man X touch, too. The graphics are some of the best on the SNES. If you really like graphics, this game will amaze you.

Sound: 10/10
Nothing has really changed here. The sounds are basically rehash of X2. There are some new ones, though, and they are nice sounding. The sounds have not been changed much, but you are really able to stand them. They're great.

Music 6/10
This is where it starts to go down. The music is not that good (with the exception of the intro stage, Gravity Beetle's song, and Crush Crawfish's, and a couple others). I mean, almost every song is metaly. There aren't very many smooth going songs, but there's almost too much heavy metal. The music is also a little grating. If you could turn the music off (and only the music), the score would go up. The music is a little bad.

Control: 10/10
Same. Nothing has changed here.

Longevity: 6/10
While there is a LOT of stuff to get, there are only 12 kinda short stages. The replay value is pretty high because you can try anything. But only 12 stages. It's a little short, but the hunting for upgrades is pretty fun.

Do you want this?
Only if you really like Mega Man X. This game has some fun stuff to do, but the music can grate your ears at times (especially of you hate metal). Get it if Mega Man X is your forte.

Overall:
A fun Mega Man X (and the last for the SNES), but that music just brings down the score. It is really fun and all, but that music... oh well. This game is great. Get it if you really like Mega Man X.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 10/18/03