GENRE
	Action
	DEVELOPER
	Capcom
	PUBLISHER
	Capcom
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	1
	CONNECTIVITY
	No
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When the next generation of video gaming landed, many feared that the two dimensional era of greatness had come and gone. Mega Man started appearing in a series of poorly executed three dimensional adventure games and all was not well. The series has been born again on the Game Boy Advance and thank the heavens for Capcom, as they simply don’t know when to quit. In fact, we hope they never do quit. Frankly, we’re pretty sure that the word isn’t available in the dictionary. Over the past years, we’ve been treated to several different Mega Man games, but Mega Man Zero has always provided the solid, challenging, and fun gameplay that makes the franchise what it is. That being said, if I had to recommend a Mega Man game for the Game Boy Advance, it would be Mega Man Zero 3. It truly is the best game in the series on the Game Boy Advance.

visuals

Mega Man Zero 3 is more about the style rather than the eye candy. This is primarily due to the recycled sprites and animations. Basically, Capcom simply used the same engine from the predecessor with a few tweaks here and there. This isn't necessarily a bad thing since Mega Man Zero 2 was a great looking game. The visuals may seem a little outdated, however, but that really isn't what counts in a Mega Man video game. The point is, everything here runs beautifully. There are details everywhere, even in places that you wouldn't expect such as the robotic innards after Zero hacks them up. Backgrounds and environmental conditions, like snow and rain, all look amazing and the amount of detail put into the boss characters is fantastic.

audio

The traditional Mega Man music has certainly evolved after sixteen years. The intense rhythms are memorable and go along with the hectic action on-screen. There are even a few voice samples here and there, which are clearly projected with quality production. So far as sound effects go, you should definitely know what to expect. The usual blaster fire, explosions, and damage-inducing crunches are all here. They sound great, and keep the Mega Man vibe alive.

gameplay

This follow-up puts the players in the reploid boots of, obviously, Zero. In order to progress throughout the game, you'll have to crawl through several different levels, defeat the boss of each respective area and use your weapons to every advantage that crosses your path. The series has been known for its nail-biting difficulty (and rightfully so), but the challenge in Mega Man Zero 3 is quite possibly one of the most delicate balances between fun and difficult. Sure, you may die several times along the way, but once you've got the pattern of each brilliantly designed level down, you'll wiz through the game in no time.

In order to get through each level, you'll need a veritable arsenal of weapons. If you've played a Mega Man game, you should know that certain weapons are key to advancing through a given situation. The same holds true in this series. You'd think that Zero would be completely unstoppable with his mega buster cannon, the Z-Saber, the shield boomerang, and the new recoil rod for all of your fencing and pogo stick needs. However, once he starts to encounter bosses under different conditions and elements, he'll need all the help he can get. Boss battles can be difficult, but they follow the same pattern formula as any other Mega Man boss does. Simply find out where to dodge what and what to shoot at what. Easy, right? Right.

Of course, this wouldn't be a proper follow-up to its predecessor without the inclusion of Cyber Elves. Zero can find several different cyber elves scattered about the areas he visits, locked inside of different Secret Disks. These cyber elves give Zero different boosts to his abilities when used within a level. For example, some elves will be able to destroy a certain number of enemies whereas others will be able to heal Zero. As wasn't the case with this game's predecessor, certain cyber elves in Mega Man Zero 3 won't count against your end-of-level grade or disappear. However, fusion cyber elves will. This new advancement within the developing play mechanic has really helped balance the difficulty.

multiplayer

N/A

overall

With sixteen levels, several weapon upgrades, two unlockable difficulty settings, and eight mini-games, Mega Man Zero 3 is packed. Lest we not forget the ability to trade in chips from Battle Network 4 into your game as well. If you’ve ever played a Mega Man game before, and enjoyed your experience, there’s nothing to not like about this game. It is a good, solid adventure with some intense action and enough of a challenge to keep you busy for a while. Unfortunately, some may not get over the initial challenge, which is really too bad. As I mentioned before, this is easily the best Mega Man game on the Game Boy Advance. If you haven’t already checked it out, you should definitely pick this one up.

8.0/10