Vimm's Lair: NES Reviews - Mega Man 3

Nintendo
Mega Man 3

Graphics:
Sound:
Gameplay:
Overall:
8.88
9.04
8.87
8.91
Votes: 67
Reviews: 8


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Reviewer: Seth Koopa Date: Jun 10, 2005
My reviewing of the original five NES Mega Man games continues with this, the first Mega Man game I got for myself (second-hand), and one of my very favourites for reasons I'll try and explain below.

Graphics: 9
The graphics have been greatly improved from Mega Man II. The game feels more like an interactive animated feature than the previous two Mega Man games. The bosses are all fantastically well rendered. There are a few graphical glitches to speak of, in the select screen and in the first battle with Dr Wily. In the latter case, it's an eyesore. But that's forgiven because in order to achieve such great graphics, you understand that there are graphical glitches to be found.

Sound: 10
The soundtrack is absolutely breathtaking. I love this music. It bears head and shoulders over not only the first two Mega Man games, but Mega Mans IV and V as well. It's wonderfully diverse and yet always so catchy that I for one find it impossible not to sing along. The theme for the second part of Dr Wily's fortress in particular brings tears of joy to my eyes. I think I can safely say that this is the peak of the original Mega Man game soundtracks.

Gameplay: 10
Mega Man III stars lots of captivating bosses. Hard man is my favourite, but nearly all I have a great soft spot for. As I've said elsewhere, I believe the strength of a Mega Man game is in its eight boss characters.

After you defeat the eight boss characters, you need to reventure through four of the levels, which have changed dramatically, to battle Dr Wily's old robots from Mega Man II in battle suits (that's how I see it, anyway). There the game gets really tough, but as always, each has a weakness for certain weapons you have obtained.

A notable thing about this game is that it marks the first appearance of Mega Man's loveable robo-canine sidekick, Rush. You can use him as a springboard, but by defeating certain bosses, you can receive additional updates for him, allowing him to also help you in the form of a a submarine and a jet.

Mega Man III is a very challenging game indeed. It's one of the toughest original Mega Man games. But as a result, you strive through each challenge with great satisfaction.

Overall: 10
An absolute masterpiece, I can't say anything else. Every aspect holds hands with the next, forming a very strong chain. One of the best original Mega Man games. Highly recommended.

In this game, Dr Light and Dr Wily join forces, so in Magnet man's factory stage, you can see the logo 'Dr RW' (Dr Right/Wily).

 

Reviewer: Kurt Cobain Date: Jun 5, 2003
Mega Man 3 was actually the first game I played in the Mega Man series. For its time, it was rather enjoyable. When I was able to play the others, and compared it to this one, there was no comparison. With Break Man(Protoman) to sharpen your skills in most levels, and Mega Man's robotic companion Rush, there was no chance Wily would win. But it is much more complicated than it looks.

Graphics: 6
For 1990, this game was pretty straight-forward. Like its two predecessors, Mega Man I & II, the graphics didn't change much. Mega Man still had a basic 3-frame movement. When you gained a weapon, his armor would shift colors, and his teleporting into a stage was unchanged. I saw nothing more impressive here, seeing as its Mega Man, and Nintendo. But the game's backgrounds were just a little more detailed, as shown in Gemini Man's level, and also Shadow Man's level.

Sound: 8
The sound quality of Mega Man III is nearly the same as Mega Man I & II, but still a little better. Mega Man I's music and sounds were tingy and a little scratchy, as were Mega Man II's. I found Mega Man III to be a little cleaner, particularly with the way the sound effects seemed to blend in better with the level music. Mega Man's cannon wasn't as over-powering, and the music had a better tune. I found myself humming along with nearly all of the tunes, and even getting some stuck in my head, like Gemini Man's and Break Man's whistke tune at the end of the game, though you don't hear it all.
Over all, the sound is better, but not perfect.

Gameplay: 9
Control and movement were what got me hooked with this game. I found myself having an easier time here with Mega Man than in any other game, with the exception of the later game Mega Man X on SNES. Mega Man, in this game, does not slide nearly at all when you move slightly left or right, and his movement during jumping, like jumping left or right, is easy to control. Though his slide function is sometimes delayed or hard to execute, it isn't that bad, and his basic control makes up for it.
I also found it cool controlling Rush Jet. In later games, Rush Jet would shoot forward when you climbed on it. This was Rush's first appearance, and it was not going to be a disappointment. Having so much control with Rush Jet really helps in a game with so many levels.
Also, speaking of so many levels, even though a good challenge is good once in a while, the Doc Man robot levels were kind of annoying. I think the makers of this game should have spent more time adding more of a challenge to Wily's Castle instead. I found it easier every time I played it. But at least between Doc Man levels, you can get a password, so it makes up for the annoyance...SOMEWHAT.

Overall: 9
I guess overall, I give this one a near-perfect, mainly for the great control of not only Mega Man, but Rush Jet as well, and the sound quality. But the ease of the game because of glitches and cheats that the makers and designers didn't take out makes the game so easy it almost isn't worth playing. I advise ignoring the cheats and have a good time with it. It's a classic and a great debut for Break Man and Rush.

If you can get this game, get it. You will not be disappointed if you just want to have some fun.

 

Reviewer: Liitle Bad Adventure Date: May 13, 2003
Heeloo,I'm back in town with a Megaman 3 rewiew.This is the BIG hit of the NES series and i absolutely love it.So let's start.

Graphics: 8
They were pretty cool at the beginning,but when i played the game longer they started to bug me and the emulator has a little problem with my save states so when i load my game my graphics go all glitched out.Anyway it is pretty good for the NES so i gave it a 8.

Sound: 10
The sound is great!I can't get the protoman SUPER-COOL WHISTLE out of my head and it just get's better and better in the later episodes so i'm giving it a ten and the other music like the one at snakemans stage is also real cool.Ah,the protoman's whistle is coming again.AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!Sorry it just makes me lose my mind!It is just so great *babbles on and on in hours how good the whistle is*

Gameplay: 10
It's good like all of the series and it did change alot with the slide and rush adaptors.But you still cant charge the shots and i played the game first an then played all the other megaman's,yes even the ones that where released on TIGER and Wonderswan,so i started playing it again and i tried to desperately charge it maid me go crazy because i could not do it.And so i gave it a 10.

Overall: 10
Well it is good like all of the series and the Megaman series are real great.And to all of the fans out there i would reccomend you a website www.ibis-research.com/mm.

"Nobody is guilty until the reploids say it"-Me

 

Reviewer: SparksterKnight Date: May 4, 2003
*ahem* Hello, again! SparksterKnight here to talk about a classic (possibly?) game for the Famicom/NES.
Megaman 3.

Sit back and reeeeeeeelaaaaaaaax whilst I give you, the readers, my review of this game...

Graphics: 8
*blinkblink* Why does CAPCOM keep re-using the same Megaman sprite as before?! I mean, come on! They could have at LEAST drawn him a nose!!... er... *ahem* Sorry.. As I stated before in Megaman 2 and in Megaman, the graphics were great for the era! Not breakthrough, but they were an improvement!

Sound: 8
Whoa! Everything (Okay, maybe not EVERYTHING!) sounds so different! From Megaman's buster going off, to Protoman's whistle (I have that tune stuck in my head!! I can't get it out!! *rolls around on the floor, whistling Protoman's theme*), right up to the music!

The music is a little less "Rock and Roll", but hey! You gotta love Geminiman's theme! .... sorry, again.

Gameplay: 9
Easy to play! It's the same as previous Megaman games: A to jump, B to fire! Easy as anything, huh? Who here agrees with me! *sees a few hands go up in the audience*
*counts* one, two, three.... six? Six out of a few billion?! Oy...

Overall: 7
I was going to give this game a higher mark!

I know, you are all asking, "But Sparkster! You gave this game an almost perfect review! Why the ~censored~ did you give it a 7?!"

Two words: Bad. Programming.
There are TONS of little cheats that you can do with just the gamepad alone!! One of the tricks give him invincibily, one can stop all enemies from moving, one can give you a super-mega-high jump from out of nowhere... *gasp! gasp!* CAPCOM can do better than THIS!!

Okay, I'm not dissing the game. I love the game! As a matter of fact, it's one of my favourites! Except for the bad programming!

Anyway, I'm off now.. If I get my butt off my school work, I'll review Megaman 4..

See ya!

 

Reviewer: Vega Date: Feb 14, 2002
This is the only Megaman cartridge which I paid for playing ;P. Well, actually that was a Christmas present, but it's the same, the matter is that I repented of this choice in no way... This can be considered as one of the best games of this series and, why not, one on the best games for NES. Comparing it with the other parts, I'd say that many features are better than other ones in the rest of Megaman games for this system.

Graphics: 9
When the emulation is started and you see the title screen, you are likely to think the graphics are simple but, once you press the start button (or the key you want of your keyboard! :P), you can appreciate the difference. Even the selection of each stage is awesome (a detail I like is the movement of Megaman's eyes when you're choosing a robot), as well as the presentation of each boss. Some of the enemies are pretty large, unusual in NES games, so I think that's an aspect that has to be mentioned, though it causes flickers in most of cases, usual in NES games :) Moreover, there are some interesting stages with notable graphics such as Gemini Man, Shadow Man, Snake Man or Needle Man, but in the main they're OK in all the phases.

Sound: 8
Like always, the typical music and sound effects of this series, so that's great. Therefore, if you like it, you'll like the music if this game ;)
Personally, I enjoyed it very much long ago, and my favourite tune is the one in Magnet Man stage, by the way.

Gameplay: 8
Unlike the previous one, it's not possible to select between two difficulty levels, a shame... However, this is a good chance to taste your skills, because you will see this game isn't precisely easy!!
Changes? Yes, Megaman gets on and off the stairs faster!! :) Not many alterations, but in this release was added the option of sliding (thanks Capcom! How many hits we can avoid...) and Megaman's pet, Rush, that helps him to jump higher, to move easily in the water and to pass problematical passages; when all's said and done, the same items that can be found in Megaman 2, but with a ""robot-dog""...
In some stages, you'll have to fight against Protoman, a robot who just wants to decrease your energy; when you defeat him (or something so, because he isn't ever destroyed), you'll be able to advance in your quest.
Moreover, another of the new things that can be found are the surprise boxes, that is to say, a boxes that give some item (stupid or not) in order to help you, though not always they get it...
And, such as you can read in another review, there are many more levels this time: after defeating the 8 robots, you can play another four stages similar to the first ones, but more exciting and challenging (like a hack game you may download elsewhere); besides, you'll find at the end of them the 8 robots of Megaman 2... A nice idea! Finally, you'll have to defeat Protoman again (¿¿??) and then you'll get into the Dr. Wily's stages.

Overall: 9
Definitively, a complete cartridge! Despite it's tough the first times you play, it's very fun and playable. Well, that's a normal thing in almost all the games. There's not much to say, I've explained enough things before so anyone may understand this is simply a grand game.

Third parts are always good? In this case, it is, but be that as it may, don't play too much, or you'll loathe this game very soon, such as it happened to me ;)
At least I can still be objective...

 

Reviewer: Max Brown Date: Jul 8, 2001
Wow...this tops it all (I'm not crazy, i'm talking NES-wise) This game kicks some serious @$$!!! And with new bosses, new enemies, and ProtoMan!!! Definetly worth getting.

Graphics: Great. no other way to put it.

Sound: Maybe a 9.5 I don't like some of the tracks (points at hard man ;P) What kind of a name is that anyway?...

Gameplay: Great. replay value is through the roof! Ha ha...i hacked into the rom so you play as ProtoMan instead of MegaMan, and fight MegaMan where you would ProtoMan ;D. E-mail me to get it!

Overall: I'm tired...10. leave it at that

 

Reviewer: Tricob Date: Jun 21, 2001
It seems that in the creation of this game, the author of Mega Man 2 had quit working for Capcom, and someone else broke into code to hack away and make a Mega Man sequel. Unlike #2, #3 has a lot of uneven action, in that objects drawn that *didn't* slow down the game in #2 slow down the game to half the speed in #3.

Try as I might, I couldn't really enjoy this game like the majority of the public did. It's in part because of the uneven game action, but also because some parts focus too much on being hard and too little on being fun. The game's highest points are the Hard Man world, the Gemini Man and his world (where he splits apart into two separate monsters!), and areas in the next portion of the game after the first 8 bosses where Rush Jet and Rush Marine are used. The game *does* have its moments, just not enough of them.

But the Gemini Man and his world make the whole game worth getting! :-)

 

Reviewer: KTE the Pikashoe Date: Jun 20, 2001
Ah yes, the beloved classic Mega Man 3. We know the story: the same old Dr. Wily comes back to town and tries to take over the world. The interesting thing is that this game was the first attempt by Capcom to make Mega Man longer and more entertaining. First off, the slide. A very important ability for Mega Man to have as he uses it in the rest of the games that follow. Still the same old pellets, which are just fine if you can push the button rapidly enough. Also, you fight Proto Man in a few stages, and when he's filled with enough pellets (the only weapon that works on him), he goes away and you can continue on with the level. But in this game you don't just have your traditional 8 bosses and then Dr. Wily's fortress. After the 8 bosses are defeated, you go back to 4 of the stages. They are changed quite a bit, and you fight two Doc Robots, robots containing the abilities of the Mega Man 2 robots, per level. This part is tricky and gets very annoying, but at least Capcom tried. After that, it's the same type of fortress with a repeat of the yellow demon from the first Mega Man and another fake Dr. Wily to fight.

The graphics are about the same quality as ever. I tried not to be biased in the music, but it is also about the same quality, and the sound effects are pretty nifty for 1990 on the NES. The gameplay gets either very fun or very annoying with the 8 extra robots, so it suffers somewhat. Overall, Mega Man 3 was a great Capcom experience, and the idea to make the game longer gets better from here. MUCH better.