If you liked Mega Man 2, you'll surely enjoy this one.
THE GOOD
-Excellent level design
-Great graphics and sound
-Some very helpful power-ups (like the robot dog Rush)
-Challenging boss battles
-Solid controls
THE BAD
-Some robot master power-ups aren't as useful as Mega Man 2
OVERVIEW
Alright, so at the end of Mega Man 2 we see that Dr. Wily was mercifully saved by Mega Man. At the beginning of the third installment, to the series, we find out that Dr. Wily has learned from his evil ways and wants to work with Dr. Light again. But as we all know, Dr. Wily is going to betray our trusting doctor again and this time he steals the mega robot known as Gamma. Now it is up to Mega Man and his new pet robot dog named Rush to stop Dr. Wily and his eight new robot masters. The robot masters in Mega Man 3 are Spark Man, Snake Man, Needle Man, Top Man, Shadow Man, Magnet Man, Gemini Man, and Hard Man. Also seen in various spots through out the game is Proto Man. Proto Man is Dr. Light's first prototype robot and he duels with Mega Man in order to train and make him stronger.
GAMEPLAY
Mega Man 3 pretty much continued to use the exceptional gameplay of its predecessor but has also added a few new elements. Mega Man now has the ability to slide and his new canine pal has a few very helpful configurations (spring board or coil jump, marine vessel, and jet vessel). Just like the other games, in the series, Mega Man 3 starts with a very familiar title screen where you can enter in a password or go straight to the stage selector. Since there are eight new robots, there are eight new levels as well (plus some Dr. Wily stages at the end). Again the level creations are incredible. Each stage has the right amount of enemies to plow through and platforming elements. The stages are also uniquely theme based on the robot master like Snake Man for example. On Snake Man's level, which you have probably guessed, you'll have to deal with plenty of snake-like robots. In some stages you'll encounter Proto Man which is usually about half way through the level. This adds the whole new and challenging "mini boss" element. You won't gain Proto Man's power once you defeat him but he will unlock a passage to continue with the rest of the level. Once you reach the end, of a stage, you'll square off against the robot master. They can prove to be quite difficult if you don't have their weakness but very rewarding when you defeat them. Sadly, the power-ups that you gain, this time around, aren't nearly as much fun to use or helpful as in Mega Man 2. Top Man's spinning power, for instance, is only useful in a handful of situations. So, you'll end up only using the mega buster and Rush for the vast majority of the game.
The control scheme is just as good as before and the added slide element was a great idea. Now you can evade enemies easier. The slide also adds to the level design because there are plenty of situations that require this useful technique.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
The same exceptional graphics are back. They didn't change too much to the visual clarity.
The musical score is not only fun to listen too but complements each level. Plus, the sound effects from the pulses of the Mega Buster to the explosion of enemies are something you'll surely enjoy.
CONCLUSION
If you enjoyed playing Mega Man 2 then you'll enjoying playing number 3. The gameplay is pretty much the same with the exception of some new powers, abilities and stages. I would recommend a purchase here since it offers a decent amount of replay value. Mega Man 3 had a tough act to follow but definitely lives up to the Mega Man name.