Mega Man 3

The Good
I bought this game the second it came out! Man, it seems like yesterday. Here is what Mega Man 3 added:

-Rush the dog!-

Instead of the three 'special items' you had in Mega Man 2, you would 'upgrade' Rush (a robotic dog you could summon). At the beginning, Rush has a spring that Mega Man can use to jump really high. The upgrades includes the Rush Jet, which improves over the jet sled before as you can guide it up or down, and the Rush Sub, which is a Submarine Rush that Mega Man can pilot underwater.

-Proto-man-

In the middle of various stages, whistles would be heard and Proto-man would appear. After taking enough hits, he would run off. His addition to the game is mind-boggling but interesting nonetheless.

-Slide-

Mega Man now can slide! It is a nice addition and very useful during boss fights.

-Mega Man 2 bosses return-

When you defeat the 8 bosses of Mega Man 3, something strange happens. The corner bosses get replaced with four new bosses. When you play these stages, they are identical to the bosses that were there (Gemini Man, Needle Man, Spark Man, and Shadow Man). However, they are much darker in tone and the level, though similar and familiar, are changed. They are completely new levels but seem like an evil presence had smashed and rearranged the previous boss's level to his own liking. It's a very nice effect.

Two of the eight Mega Man 2 bosses are in each level. It is fun to use Mega Man 3 weapons and your new slide against them!

-Control-

This game's control somehow surpassed Mega Man 2's and is the best of the NES series.

-Kept doing things right-

It kept all of the things that Mega Man 2 did right. The music, the graphics, the unique levels (from Magnet Man's magnets sucking you around to shooting through hundreds of bubbles in Gemini Man's stage), to the classic gameplay.

-Content-

This game is the longest of content of the NES Mega Man games. It is just another plus as to why this game is so good.

The Bad
The game is much darker than Mega Man 2. A dark introduction rather than the energetic upbeat one in Mega Man 2. The levels are considerably darker in tone as well. The four levels that follow the bosses are considerably dark. The game lacks its 'happy pace' of Mega Man 2. Not that this is considerably bad. It just makes Mega Man 3 less charming than Mega Man 2.

The game also isn't consistent as Mega Man 2. There are parts of the game that become frustrating and a little bit boring.

The Bottom Line
This game cemented Mega Man as a franchise. The following NES titles are solid but do not match the design/gameplay heights that the third incarnation achieved. Mega Man 3 is the title that is the critics' favorite.

The Good
The graphics were clean and pretty amazing at the time, with little slowdown. Mega Man still had his same old animation for running, gunning, etc. but with a new slide thrown in for good measure. Sound-wise, the game's music shines as being the best Capcom's put out for the NES. It's amazing how much they could coax out of the NES for the sound. Gameplay is the typical Mega Man game: choose a boss, fight it out with the boss, get the boss' weapon, use the boss' weapon on another boss. Lather, rinse, and repeat. Granted, Capcom made a nice swerve after beating the initial eight robot masters (why didn't they do something like this in later games?). The game's challenge rating falls somewhere between moderate and easy, though one particular boss (Rockman aka Yellow Devil) is a pain if you don't know what weapon to use.

The Bad
Probably the fact that this was the last really good Mega Man game, and that those that followed were cookie cutter made (you knew who you were up against all the time, in reality), with some truly strange choices for robot masters. As for Mega Man 3, the disappearing platforms that Capcom loved to throw in throughout the Mega Man series rear their ugly heads again, and can become annoying if you don't know the pattern. Plus, one sequence does require the use of the Rush Jet for an extended period, and if you mess up and have to restart with a less than full energy meter, you're in for a world of hurt.

The Bottom Line
Simply put, the game is one of the best the NES offered, and truly was Nintendo's 'other' NES mascot. While Mario might be the king of action/adventure for the NES, Mega Man was right up there as well. Grab this game and don't let go.

The Good
Mega Man 3 takes everything that was great about the first two games and improves upon them, creating one of the best Mega Man games in the franchise as well as one of the best games for the 8-bit Nintendo. The graphics, music and sound effects have all been improved without losing the original look and feel of the game. The game itself is longer, with a more complex story, that develops the characters. Mega Man not only has his trusty laser cannon, but new weapons and devices to use on his large, science fiction, anime themed quest. The ability to slide is highly helpful as is your new robot dog.

The Bad
Mega Man 3 suffers from a few minor complaints that were typical of even the best of 8-bit games. Getting hit by a minor enemy frequently pushes Mega Man back, sometimes into the instant death of spikes or a bottomless hole. While the storyline was a great improvement from the previous games, no self-respecting gamer could believe that evil Dr. Wily was reformed.

The Bottom Line
Mega Man 3 demonstrated the full hardware power of the 8-bit Nintendo, as well as the ability of Capcom to produce a superior sequel.