Rockman 3: Dr. Wairî no saigo!?

Mega Man 3 for the NES was actually the first Mega Man game I have ever played. In this installment, Dr. Wily, learning the error of his ways from the last two games, teams up with Dr. Light to build Gamma, a peace-keeping robot. However, the eight Robot Masters sent to mining worlds to find the power crystals needed to power Gamma go berserk and keep the crystals to themselves, Mega Man goes to stop them, being teamed up with robot canine Rush, although he confronts a mysterious Break Man, who inhibits powers similar to the Blue Bomber.

The third entry, this is a good game (although Inafune has said the game was released before the team thought it was ready). The run and gun gameplay from the first two games return, and the game retains the ability to copy the weapons of defeated foes, but Mega Man 3 introduces a lot of changes. One of them is the ability to slide, which allows Mega Man to slide down narrow paths that hide power-ups or serve as shortcuts. Another addition is Rush, Mega Man's robot dog who serves as the replacement for the items from the second game, as he is used for transport, starting off with Rush Coil, but gaining the ability to become a submarine and the iconic Rush Jet after beating certain Robot Masters.

With more levels, a neat soundtrack, new characters who would become mainstays, and new mechanics to use, Mega Man 3 is a great installment, and is worth checking out.

Mega Man 3 is definently one of the best of the MM games to be made on the NES. It has excellent game play, and it keeps you playing for hours. In this game it's basically the same like Mega Man 2. Defeat the 8 robot leaders, and obtain their weapons, but in this game, you have to defeat the robots from Mega Man 2 (again), and defeat Dr. Wily again in his newly constructed Skull castle. The game has some new features including the introduction of Mega Man's robot dog Rush, and the abillity for Mega Man to slide through tight spots. It also introduces us to a new robot in Protoman whom i believe is a new creation from Dr. Light.

This game ruled. After i played it, i couldn't stop! After all, this sequel was the one that got me hooked on Mega Man!

An excellent game through and through!

I just didn't like this game as much as most reviewers do. Even though the game engine (if that's the right usage of words) has advanced from the first 2 games, and the graphic detail is perfect, there just seems to be something missing. I can remember playing this game all of the time as a kid (along with Mega Man 2,) but I find myself playing MM2 again much more than 3. Don't get me wrong though, it isn't a bad game. There's some great new additions to the series, like Mega Man's ability to slide, being able to carry more than 4 energy tanks, and of course, the robotic dog Rush. As far as challenge in this game goes, it would fall somewhere between Mega Man and Mega Man 2 (both of which I don't find too difficult, except for a couple stages.) The sound effects have changed quite a bit as well, and gives the game a little more shine. The music, on the other hand, was terrible (excluding Shadow Man's stage.) Everyone says it's great, but compared to Mega Man 2's, I don't see how. Anyway, if you're a collector, this is a good game to pick up, although I would recommend 1, 2, and 4 before you get this one.

Graphics: 9.5

Sound: 9.5

Playability: 10

Challenge: Medium

Replay value: High

Nostalgia rating: 10

Comments:

This was my first mega man game ever. This game was an excellent one. Sure the sound may not seem like a big deal but its not bad. The graphics are very nicely done. The robot master designs were also very nice. And while the story may not be all that big of a deal by itself it is excellent compared to the other ones. But the best thing about it is the music. Sure the stage music & such may seem regular but. My favorite music themes in this game are the intro theme & the protoman theme. GOD I LOVED THE INTRO THEME! It was the most beautiful theme I have ever heard in a Mega man game. And for extra measure it was one of the best things in sci-fi related symphonic music since Vince DiCola's work in Transformers the movie. (I wonder why they never did any Transformers games back then?) And I consider it as one of the best NES themes around. I do quite like the Protoman theme. It is very much playable and as for the challenge well it is no big deal but some parts in the game may seem frustrating while it is nothing that a Game genie can't fix. So to be honest I consider this to be my favorite Mega man game ever.

Overall Rating: 10

I finished it today and it was a lot of fun, for sure. Megaman 3 is almost what you'd expected of a sequel of Megaman 2 (my favourite of the franchise and I didn't even write a review for it cause would be just ovation). Also, the final battles were enjoyable and the conclusion with the Dr. Willy battle was truly surprising (spoiler: my mind exploded!!!)

Anyway, I'll start saying the best points for me, and later I'll say the negative/bad points.

First, the sliding movement is a huge improvement to the gameplay. It adds dynamism and fun to every battle. The inclusion of Rush is also a great touch, even though I mainly used the Jet and Jump Dog forms.

The robomans have more cool designs and they have a variety of combat. Protoman is a nice surprise, but fighting with him is kinda boring since he have few movements (also, when I fought the misteryous crash man the game just crashed. Was this one of his powers too?) The music sure is good; my favorites are the top and spark man theme, willy fortress 2 and the (goat) proto man theme. But, c'mon, megaman OST isn't just good, IT'S ONE OF THE BEST AMONG 8-BITS GAMES SONGS! Megaman 3 didn't have any standout songs for me, and perhaps my expectations were too big due to the amazing music in Megaman 2.

The aliens and other planets in the plot is interesting, but the story is almost pointless since it doesn't feel that the game is even telling one. The lack of a intro don't helps too.

Now, let's discuss what I didn't like: rush marine form is almost useless. I don't recall using it for the most part of the gameplay. Jet form was my go-to for most parts since it makes the stages a piece of cake. But my BIGGEST disappointment with megaman 3 lies in the weapons, like, I really don't think hard knuckle and gemini laser have other good use than defeating the bosses. Others like the top and snakes are difficult to use, and the rest are just plain boring. I really hope megaman 3 is the only game in the series with lackluster weapons.

In conclusion, megaman III introduces some cool mechanics, with some fails though. I'm not a big fan of the "megaman" formula, so my experience with this game is similar to the others: megaman is a fun game to play for hours, get frustraded, play more hours until you beat the whole thing. Get it?