Mega Man 3 features the return of recurring characters, new Robot Masters, and a new character named Proto Man. Mega Man 3 also has new features of gameplay such as the ability to slide under enemy attacks and low-level barriers. Don't get me wrong, this game can be just as tough as it's predecessors, but still a very exciting game. I decided to make this review since I am a fan and supporter of Mega Man since my childhood, and also for the fight to bring back Mega Man, in which Capcom unjustly cancelled it after the cancellation of Mega Man Legends 3.
Plot. Some time has passed after the events in Mega Man 2. Dr. Wily claims to be a changed man, and wants to work with Dr. Light for a "peacekeeping" robot named Gamma. However, the eight Robot Masters have gone mad and are on the rampage. Needing eight energy elements protected by them, Light calls Mega Man into action to stop them all. But Wily is up to his schemes once again as he wants to use Gamma to take over the world. Only our blue hero Mega Man can save the day once more. Also, a new character comes to train and help Mega Man, his brother Proto Man.
Rush's transformations include the "Rush Coil" for jumping higher, the "Rush Jet" for flying around the screen, and the "Rush Marine" for traveling underwater. Mega Man fights against eight bosses, and after beating them, he obtains their abilities in which can be used against other bosses that are weaker to them. Mega Man 3 also expands upon the two preceding games by having additional stages set between the initial eight Robot Masters and the linear stages of Dr. Wily's fortress. There is also a password system where players can continue where they left off.
Concept. You start with Mega Man and choose one of eight bosses to fight first and then fight the rest in any order that you want to do so. But choose wisely, because any mistake you make could be your undoing. As you progress you obtain new abilities and encounter a new character in some stages, Proto Man.
Development. The game's development began over a year after the release of Mega Man 2, however, the lead supervisor of the first two games has quitted Capcom at that time. Mega Man 3 is one of Keiji Inafune's least favorite titles in which he stated that due to "what went into the game and what was behind the release of the game." Mega Man 3 brought new characters and gameplay mechanics to the franchise. Though Inafune considers the gameplay to have lost some of its simplicity, he felt Mega Man's slide ability was successfully implemented to enhance the player's control while battling enemies. (from wikipedia)
Design. The majority of the boss stages are very well detailed and the developers were no slackers at all in the game's design and development. I might say that Inafune is a complete genius the way he made this game, because it left me very impressed. However, some of the Wily stages are similar to the ones in Mega Man 2. Like I said in other reviews, it was a gorgeous time in video games when games were more than just exaggerated 3D graphics like many gamers of today think about all the time. Also I would say when video games didn't have online multiplayer, no such thing as downloadable content, it was more interesting.
Music. Although I liked the Mega Man 2 soundtrack, I love this one equally to the one in the second game. The theme songs are just catchy and intense. Also, the Proto Man whistle theme is so epic, almost like if he's a lone western badass. The sound effects are also good, and the developers were no slackers.
Memories. Watching the Mega Man cartoon back in 1996 when I was 10 years old, I thought that Proto Man was bad like in the cartoon, but in the games he's actually training his little brother. I also remember watching Mega Man in the cartoon Captain N: The Game Master when I was 7 years old back in 1993.
Legacy. Mega Man 3 has seen many re-releases such as in the Sega Genesis game Mega Man: The Wily Wars, Mega Man: Anniversary Collection for both GameCube, Xbox and PlayStation 2 in 2005. The NES version went into the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console worldwide in 2008. But with the release of Mega Man 9 in 2008, the game's elements were dropped to make it more like the first two games, in which was considered as the new Mega Man 3.
Rantings. After so many years, I STILL hate stages with appearing and disappearing platforms because they always pissed me off when I was a little kid. Magnet Man's stage is the one I really don't like because of fans pushing you off as well. Another boss I hate in this game is Quick Man, because he is just annoying with his lasers.
Good Aspects. Shadow Man's weapons are the best because they don't use up too much ammo unlike the other weapons. Besides, it's like a ninja shooting star and it's like Mega Man became a ninja warrior. The Rush power ups were great, especially the Rush Jet. Also, this game has a lot of great qualities and high replay value. You can download this game for 500 Wii Points.
Overall. Mega Man 3 is one of the best games in the series, and still my favorites are Mega Man 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8. This game gets a 10 out of 10.