Release
Date:
Japan: 1990
USA: 1990
Europe: 1990 |
Developer:
Capcom |
Systems:
Nintendo |
Genre:
Action |
Game Specs:
Dr Wily just doesn't know when to quit. After tricking Dr Light into believing
that his evil days were behind him, Dr Wily developed a new special robot
designed especially for war. In his usual evil ways, he also created eight
brand-new Robot Masters to finish Mega Man off once and for all. This time it
seemed that Dr Wily would surely succeed in world domination, but Mega Man -
along with his new robotic K9 partner Rush - had other things in mind, it was
time Dr Wily was shut down for good. Most of the game is relatively difficult,
you'll probably find certain sections quite hard, so be ready for a challenge.
This time Mega Man can slide along the ground (Down + A), this move can also act
as a ducking technique.
Story:
Dr. Wily turns from his former evil ways and begins helping Dr. Light once
again. This time the two build, besides normal robots, a huge peace-keeping
robot named Gamma. But their newest set of Robot Masters go berserk, and the two
scientists really need eight power crystals buried deep in the robots’ domains.
Mega Man is called in to fight through the hostile forces, stopping them and
gaining possession of the crystals at the same time.
There is more here than meets the eye, namely—Proto Man! Mega Man’s “long lost”
brother makes his reappearance in this game—the first time we as game players
see him, though Dr. Light of course knows who he is. Proto Man was Mega Man’s
prototype and the first robot Dr. Light built. He picked an especially confusing
time in which to return, however, as Dr. Wily is rarely on the level...
Sliding:
In Mega Man 3 you can slide. It comes handy quite a lot of times in order to
dodge fireballs and dodging enemies faster. It's also useful because there are
places that you can only get into by sliding.
Special Features:
Mega Man 3 introduces Mega Man’s greatly-misunderstood twin brother, Proto Man.
It also features the debut of Rush, Mega Man’s robotic dog, and this is the
first game in which Roll is actually named.
Rush Coil:
You have this from the beginning of the game. When you use this item, Rush will
appear in front of Mega Man and when you jump on his back he will spring Mega
Man up to reach higher platforms.
Rush Marine:
You will receive this after defeating a certain boss. This will make Rush become
a submarine in water and can carry Mega Man through the water areas of Gemini
Man's stage. Be careful though, as once the energy bar runs out, the submarine
will disappear.
Rush Jet:
You receive this when you defeat Needle Man. This allows Rush to become a flying
sled which Mega Man can ride on to fly over dangerous areas or reach higher
platforms. Similar to the Rush Marine, as you fly on Rush the energy bar will
slowly run out.
Mega Buster:
The Mega Buster is Mega Man's primary weapon. You will have this weapon from the
start of the game. This weapon can cause damage to most enemies encountered in
the game.
Magnet Missile:
This weapon fires out small magnets which will fly towards an enemy and cause
damage. The magnets will also home-in on certain enemies.
Hard Knuckle:
This fires out a large missile shaped like a fist. It will slowly gain speed and
can damage more than one target.
Top Spin:
Jump and press fire to use this weapon. Mega Man will spin around in the air and
can cause damage to any target that touches him.
Shadow Blade:
This weapon will fire out a large star-shaped shuriken that will travel a small
distance from Mega Man and will then return to him. It can cause damage to any
target that touches the projectile.
Spark Shock:
This will fire a small electric spark ball that will fly across the screen until
it hits something. This can cause damage to most enemies.
Needle Cannon:
This fires small needles that can be fired rapidly and will damage anything the
projectiles strike.
Search Snake:
This fires out a small snake which will land on the ground and will crawl along
the floor and walls until it hits an enemy. This can be used to hit enemies high
up on a wall.
Gemini Laser:
This weapon fires a blue energy beam which will bounce off walls and ceilings
until it hits something. This weapon is effective against most enemies
encountered.
Final Passcode:
Super Jump:
Hold right on controller two and Mega Man’s jumps will almost touch the top of
the screen!
Slow-mo Mode:
Hold up on controller two for slow motion. (Actually, it’s really only the
animations that are slowed down.)
Time Stop:
Hold up and A on controller two to freeze most robots in their tracks—including
Mega Man. (You won’t be able to move unless you jump first. But you can still
fire your arm cannon, which is why this is such a useful trick.) Note that
robots in motion will usually continue to move, but you can use this to freeze
most of the Robot Masters during at least one stage of their attack. Then you
can fire away at the helpless robot for an easy victory!
Jump/Stop Combo:
Hold up, right, and A to freeze the action and give you the super jump!
Invincibility from Bottomless Pits:
If you happen to fall in a pit, quickly press right on controller two and the
jump button on controller one to jump out—even after you hear the “death” sound
effect! You’ll have to play the rest of the stage without music, but it’s worth
it to save your skin!
Navigate Bottomless Pits:
Hold right on controller two, then jump into a bottomless pit. Keep that button
down while you move left and right using controller one. You can slide through
the pit safely avoiding anything up above. When you’re ready to leave, press
jump on controller one to get out. There are a couple of catches to this,
though—one, if you stay down there too long, you’ll die; and two, sometimes Mega
Man takes damage down there. Still, it’s a useful trick to get past those long
bottomless pits without using Rush Jet.
Zombified Mega Man:
Here’s a really interesting one to try. While holding right on controller two,
jump into a pit. Now hang out down there until you hear the “death” sound effect
and your energy meter plunges to zilch. When this happens you must jump out
immediately or Mega Man will perish.
Once you are out of the pit, you can journey on with absolutely no energy. No
robots will be able to damage you. The disadvantage is you can’t fire your arm
cannons (Mega Man no longer has enough energy to do that!), but you are allowed
to fire all the Master Weapons you’ve obtained (which run off their own energy
supply)—including Rush—which means you’ll be able to defeat the stage boss with
no problem!
One final note on this trick: any energy you pick up will cure Mega Man’s
“zombie” state by restoring some of his health. He will be able to fire again,
but he will also be able to die. An Energy Tank will also do this to him, in
case you need to be able to fire again. Weapon energy will not, so you can
safely charge up your weapons like normal and still be “zombified.”
Turn a Weapon Energy Capsule Into Rush Jet/Marine:
First, find a weapon energy pellet or capsule (a capsule would be better as
you’ll get more energy for it.) Now, go to your sub screen. If you want Rush
Marine, point to the Spark Shooter; if you need Rush Jet point to the Shadow
Blades. (You therefore must have these weapons for this trick to work.) Now
press right. Rush will appear, wagging his tail. Press A or START. Pick up the
energy capsule.
Although the chosen mode won’t appear on your weapons list until you either use
it or get it for real, you can now use Rush in this new form. Also, you’ll have
to fill up its energy before it will be of much use, but this can get you out of
some tight spots!
Whacked-Out Level:
Use the super jump listed above to enter the screen in Gemini Man’s level where
Proto Man appears. If you position yourself correctly, you will fall straight
through the block that Proto Man lands on, before he even blows it up. I hear
this will cause his whistle to extend and goof up the graphics for the rest of
the level, although I’ve not tried it myself.
Longer Whistle:
I’m told that if you open the subscreen with just the right timing when Proto
Man is making an appearance, you can hear more of his whistle than what plays
normally. I haven’t tried this, but my guess is this extended whistle is
identical to the one which plays during the ending.
Invincibility:
Go to the weapons screen, then hold up and A on controller two as you exit the
subscreen. Mega Man will get frozen in his faint-warp state and cannot be
harmed! This isn’t really useful because you can’t do anything while phased, but
it’s a pretty neat trick. (Try it while fighting the Yellow Devil!) Its greatest
asset is its use in the trick below...
Longer Ending:
After beating the game, hold up and A on controller two during the time that Dr.
Light is telling Mega Man, “I discovered you lying here when I came in. I wonder
who...” Then, keep holding these buttons down! The ending will continue like
normal until Mega Man tries to teleport out of the lab. At this point, because
you are holding down the freeze buttons, he will get stuck in his teleport
stance and nothing will happen. The music will continue to play, and you can sit
there and listen to it as long as you keep those buttons held down. Try this, as
the ending music is actually about two times longer than what you normally
hear—and it gets pretty wild too!
Ending:
Mega Man defeats Gamma and Dr. Wily falls to the ground, begging for mercy. (I
guess I don’t have to mention that part all the time...) But Gamma was a huge
robot, and its destruction pretty much destroys the lab. The ceiling falls on
both Mega Man and Wily (though this scene is a little generic—the blocks are
shaped perfectly and they just happen to fall right on their targets...oh
well...). Then a shadowy form (like we can’t guess who it is) drops down,
freeing Mega Man. “Where’s Dr. Wily?” he asks the dusty air. Had the scientist
escaped, leaving Mega Man for the dead? “Oh no, too late....”
When Mega Man comes to, he’s back in the lab and Dr. Light is leaning over him.
“I found you lying here when I came in,” the scientist explains. “I wonder who—”
He breaks off as Proto Man’s characteristic whistle rings through the air. Yep,
Mega Man’s rescuer was that mysterious red guy.
We then see Mega Man walking outside the lab. We also see Dr. Light’s old
invention notebook, which reveals that he created Proto Man and that the two are
brothers. Mega Man stops and looks up; there’s an image of Proto Man in the sky.
There’s also this weird eye flying by a tree. I think it’s supposed to be Wily’s
saucer, proclaiming ahead of time that he actually survived...
