Mega Man Zero 3

"Yeah I got your Gameboy Advance Game of the Year right here!"

Right after the moment I had finished beating the difficult challenge known as Megaman Zero 3, I was left craving for more. Sure, I picked up Megaman Zero 1, but that was more of a drop back than more of a good thing. So I suffered an entire year waiting for the arrival of this game. And the day it came out I went to Walmart as fast as my legs would go. Then it turns out they weren't giving it away until next Tuesday, so I said screw them and went to the game store next door. It was definitely worth walking the extra store distance for this game (and it turned out they were both the same price. Go figure.) I took this bad boy home as soon as I could and threw it into my Gameboy Advance as fast as I could open up the box.

The Story Continues
Taking place exactly two months after Megaman Zero 2 ended, Zero 3 starts out with another opening dialog that fills you in on what happened in the last two games incase you never got the chance to play them. To start out this new adventure, Zero and the Resistance are heading to the cold regions of Antarctica to investigate a newly located source of energy. Problem is, Neo Arcadia's (bad guys) forces have already taken over the area for some reason! Looks like it's up to Zero to bust in and figure out what's up.

It seems like the story is pretty lame at this point, but there is only so much to be revealed without spoiling the entire game for you. Point is, you're in for a fun time no matter what.

Gameplay
Just as the two games before it, Zero 3 follows the same fast paced hardcore action that people seem to love, mostly due to its difficulty. You control Zero as you head out into the world to fight Neo Arcadia's forces, while trying to stay alive. Things don't always go smoothly for you, seeing how you have a short life bar, and only a few lives to save your bacon here.

Moving Zero is simple enough. Using the option screen, you can choose a control style that suits you best. The three standard buttons are all solid however, seeing how A button makes you jump, B uses your primary Weapon, and L makes you dash. R will make use of your secondary weapon depending on how you set it up with your options.

Staying true to the Megaman Series, you are allowed to choose a mission from a list offered by the scientist Ciel. Depending on which mission you take care of first can determine how hard the game will be, seeing how Zero 3 has a variation of the classic Paper-Rock-Scissors formula that has become the staple of Megaman Games. For the Zero series, it is based on what elemental chip you use against whichever boss, since all bosses have a weakness to a certain element. Good deal too, seeing how element chips make the fights slightly easier than if fighting with your weapons alone.

Returning from the previous two games is the Rank system. Depending on how well you complete the mission and other requirements, you will receive a grade which will determine how difficult your progress will become. Grades are ranked from lowest to highest: F, E, D, C, B, A, S. To obtain a low grade, there are several things you can screw up to lose points, such as failing the mission, taking too much damage, or even using a Cyber Elf. If you manage to get an A or S ranking after defeating a boss, you will receive the boss's EX skill (kind of like the Robot Master's abilities from the original Megaman Series.) Basically the same stuff from the last two games, so nothing new here.

Also returning is the famous Cyber Elf system. The Cyber Elf system is the upgrade system of the Zero series, so everything ranging from extra health, extra lives, to an increase of health is done through the help of these elves. To use these elves, you must collect enough energy crystals to feed them so they will gain the power to imbue yourself with the upgrades. Too bad using certain elves will deduct from your ranking score.

New Features
Just like the two games before it, Megaman Zero 3 offers a few new features to make this version a bit different compared to the original two games. The most noteable new feature is Cyberspace. During the levels, you may notice a door that seems to be shaky like it was made of static. If you happen to go into the door, every cyber elf you have collected will become activated with a minimal score deduction. However, this point deduction is NOWHERE NEAR as severe as if you had activated EVERY FRIGGIN' ELF YOURSELF! This means that if you find yourself on a hard level, you can opt to deduct a few points from your final score, go through Cyber Space with maximum power, and STILL have a chance to finish the level with an A ranking! THAT is an awesome edition! As an added bonus (although I have yet to do this), if you link up with Megaman Battle Network 4 (either version), you can fight the enemies from that game in place of the normal Zero enemies. It seems like a good idea (although it would seem that Battle Network gets the better benefit...scoring a Z Saber battle chip in the process), and it would add for a challenge depending on what the enemies were changed to. Still, Battle Network benefits aside, Cyber Space is a welcome edition to the Zero Series.

Another new thing is the addition of new chips for your body. Added to the already popular Element Chips, you now have Foot chips to enhance your feet, be it speeding up your running, preventing you from slipping on ice, or even allowing a double jump. There is also a new Head chip feature, allowing you to upgrade your helmet to allow for either charging your weapon faster, to recharging your health slowly. These new chips are a great asset to the game, seeing how they make life MUCH easier than before. Its a shame you won't get most of them until later in the game though.

Another great benefit to Zero 3 is the fact that the Weapon Leveling system is gone! You automatically have full power in ALL of your weapons. No more fighting enemies over and over to be able to charge up your weapon anymore! Hooray! Unfortunately, the Forms that were part of Zero 2 were removed, but the benefits are back in the form of Cyber Elves. Bummer.

Speaking of Cyber Elves, the entire system has been changed for them as well! The most noteable is the fact that there are now two types of Cyber Elves: Fusion and Satellite. Fusion elves are the permanent upgrades that WILL TAKE AWAY from your final ranking score, because they will ALWAYS be with you. Examples of Fusion Elves would be life increasing, skill upgrades, and Subtanks. Satellite elves are a bit weaker than Fusion elves, but they will NOT deduct fro m your final score, which is a HUGE benefit seeing how extra life every now and then will be a GREAT asset to your cause. You can only have up to two satellite elves following you at a time, so choose wisely. Also, the feeding system has evolved as well. If you play your crystals just right, you can actually convert a Fusion elf into a Satellite! That means you can easily get extra life at a moments notice without penalty! GREAT JOB CAPCOM!!

Finally, as it seems to be the habit of the Zero series, you no longer have the Chainrod from Megaman Zero 2. The Megaman Zero series has always stuck the player with four weapons: The Z Buster, the Z Saber, the Shield Boomerang, and the ever changing fourth weapon. In Zero 1, this was the decent weapon known as the Triple Rod. It was evolved to a much better form in Zero 2 to its Chainrod form, which allowed you to swing across the screen by grappling the ceiling and swinging from it. Megaman Zero 3 introduces the Recoil Rod. While the main attack from the Recoil Rod is decent in attack power, its true strength lies in the fact that you can use it to propel yourself higher than your normal jump if you point it at the ground. It also adds to hilarious results as you hit an enemy with it and watch him fly across the room and explode. Too bad you couldn't opt to keep the Chainrod as well.

Music and Sound
Honestly, I can't tell if this is better or worse than the awesome tunes from Zero 2. The music is definitely a step up from Zero 1, but something about it seems to be lacking from Zero 2. Perhaps its the Jungle Level remix that made me consider this or something, I don't really know. The sound effects are all nice, adding in a little more voice acting for the new bosses and the like. They are still pretty much the same as always, which is nice since they were never crappy to begin with. Capcom knows their sound effects.

Replay?
Just like Zero 2, Megaman Zero 3 has a nice replay factor since there are more EX skills to collect than before. There are even unlockable mini games to get if you feel up to the challenge. And if you happen to have two Gameboy's or a buddy with Megaman Battle Network 4, you should hook up and try going into cyber space and try your luck against the new enemies. It'll be like playing a new game!

This game is definitely worth buying at its 20-30 dollar price tag. With a difficulty factor that is still in the difficult section as far as Gameboy games go, this is definitely the game or series for those craving a challenge.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 12/02/04