If a statement is declared incessantly, it tends to "come true" in that most people will believe it. Mega Man 2 has had that level of pre-assumption about it. Many state that 2 is the best game in the entire series, but few explain why. Without question, it's a great game and one of the best titles on the NES. To be fair, I'm sure that a large amount of people have played through the entire series and concluded on their own that 2 is the best of them all. That's fine. But in this blogger's humble opinion, Mega Man 3 refines the formula to a perfect level.
The addition of the Mega-Buster (the charge shot) in Mega Man 4 was prodigious, but its presence seemed to render most sub-weapons unnecessary. A couple well-placed charge shots could dismantle most bosses with relative ease. The better addition to the gameplay was the slide introduced in 3. One simple maneuver allowed Mega Man to fit through narrow passages and thus break up the action of the stages greatly. Power-ups and special items could be held in separate locations, hidden by a slide passage that made the gamer's decision final ("Darn it, I was supposed to go that way!") Yet the best application of the new move was for use in enemy and boss battles. The ability to quickly jut under a foe as he came close added an incredible fast-pace to the encounters.
In addition to the excellent new move, 3 just seemed to be incapable of doing any wrong. The big enemies were bigger, the tough bosses were tougher, and the level layout and variety were even better than its predecessors. One of Mega Man 2's most notable features was its robot master battles. But Mega Man 3 snarfs those right up by featuring a battle with every boss from 2, reproduced here via "Doc Robots." Some may see it as recycling content; I see it as an awesome rematch. Replacing the faceless numbered items of 2 with Rush the dog gave the game that extra shot of character. And the mystery surrounding Proto Man was certainly compelling. Remember the chills that went down your spine when you heard that famous whistle?
Again, Mega Man 2 is a testament to excellence in gaming and is arguably the most important iteration of the franchise. Yet Mega Man 3 shows that even a supreme achievement can be improved upon.
