Mega Man 3 Review

By Charles

August 26, 2025

Mega Man 3 is my favourite NES Mega Man. It's definitely flawed, but it's a lot of fun. This game introduces a lot of new features, some which would stay and some which would be unique to this game.

Mega Man 3

NES, 1990 ~$1,950 sealed ~$45 used

Virtual Console 3DS

Mega Man Legacy Collection

29

/40

Mega Man Anniversary Collection

PRESENTATION

CONTROLS

CONTENT

FUN FACTOR

8

Aside from the very blank tilte screen, Mega Man 3 adds more detail to everything. The backgrounds have a lot of detail but only when it doesn't interfere with the equally detailed level tiles. This game's excellent graphics allow it to present many interesting environments. The enemies all look metallic and are obviously robots. The menus, including a very convenient pop-up menu, are the best yet in the series. However, these very ambitious graphics cause a lot of sprite flickering and lag.The music is great and has a very energetic feel to it. Unfortunately, sometimes music tracks aren't fully heard.

8

Mega Man 3 is the first game to add to Mega Man's moveset, giving him the ability to slide. The level design and bosses are designed with the slide in mind, making them more complex and a lot more fun. This wasn't followed through with the special weapons as most are very weak and barely even useful as boss weaknesses. Mega Man's robot dog, Rush, is introduced to replace the Items from Mega Man 2. They are all easier to use and more powerful than their Mega Man 2 editions but eat up weapon energy to keep them balanced. The only issue with Rush is that the Marine power isn't very useful and would ultimately be removed later.

Mega Man 3 has 19 levels, giving it the highest level count of an NES Mega Man, but it still only takes a few hours to beat. Rush and the slide allowed the developers to put prizes in hard-to reach areas, solving Mega Man 2's Weapon Energy issue. There are level sections that are extremely difficult without Rush or the Magnet Beam, but I think this incentivizes you to create your own level order. You now keep your E-Tanks after Game Over, allowing you to gather tanks to get past a tough seciton. The difficulty spikes to a brutally fun segment after beating the Robot Masters, but then Dr. Wily's Castle is too easy, ruining the fun.

Mega Man 3's new moves as well as awesome music and graphics make the game one of the most exciting platformers on the NES. There is some story in the game, but it's not fully fleshed out without the instruction manual. The non-linear difficulty is a bit wacky, but I think it makes the game more exciting. This is my favourite Mega Man game to replay since there isn't really an annoying section. Mega Man 3 is difficult, but the challenge is straightforward and engaging. The end is anticlimactic, but it is fun to run around collecting lives and E-Tanks without much difficulty. You really feel like nobody is left to stop you.

9

4

WORTH THE MONEY?

Mega Man 3 begins the trend of Mega Man cartridges becoming rarer and rarer. Unless you're a super collector, play it on the Legacy Collection.

WORTH THE TIME?

Mega Man 3 stacks up very well against Mega Man 2. If you liked Mega Man 2, at least play this one if you're not going to do all of them. However, if you have to play one Mega Man, I would still recommend 2.