Mega Man X3

Mega Man X3
Mega Man X3
Mmx3 box.jpg
North American SNES cover art
Developer(s) Capcom
Publisher(s) Capcom
Producer(s) Tokuro Fujiwara
Artist(s) Keiji Inafune
Composer(s) Kinuyo Yamashita
Platform(s) Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayStation, Sega Saturn, PC, mobile phones
Release date(s) SNES
PlayStation/Saturn
PC
Mobile phone
Genre(s) Action, platform
Mode(s) Single-player
Rating(s)
  • ESRB: K-A (Kids to Adults)
Media/distribution 16-megabit ROM cartridge, CD-ROM, download

Mega Man X3, known as Rockman X3 (ロックマンX3?) in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). The game was originally released in Japan on December 1, 1995 and later in North American and PAL regions in 1996. It is the third game in the Mega Man X series and the last to appear on the SNES. Mega Man X3 takes place in a fictional future in which the world is populated by humans and intelligent robots called "Reploids". Like their human creators, some Reploids involve themselves in destructive crime and are said to go "Maverick". After two defeats of the Maverick leader Sigma, the hero "Maverick Hunters" Mega Man X and Zero are faced with a new enemy: a Reploid scientist named Dr. Doppler.

Mega Man X3 follows in the tradition of both the original Mega Man series and the Mega Man X series as a standard action-platform game. The player traverses a series of eight stages in an order while gaining various power-ups and taking the special weapon of each stage's end boss. Mega Man X3 is the first game in the series in which Zero is a playable character in addition to X. Like its predecessor, Mega Man X2, Capcom included the CX4 chip to allow for some limited 3D vector graphics and transparency effects.

Critical reception for Mega Man X3 has been favorable. However, most reviewers tended to dislike the game's lack of change from previous installments in the series. A 32-bit version of Mega Man X3 was released on the PlayStation, Sega Saturn, and the PC in various countries. This version was included on the North American Mega Man X Collection in 2006. The game was also ported to Japanese mobile phones in 2010.

Contents

Plot

See also: List of Mega Man X characters

The story of Mega Man X3 is set during the 22nd century (the year 21XX), in which humans coexist with intelligent robots called "Reploids" (replicant androids). Due to their free will, some Reploids are prone to criminal activity and are said to go "Maverick". Dr. Cain, the inventor of the Reploids, establishes a military taskforce called the "Maverick Hunters" to prevent it.[4] Even after two successful efforts by the Hunters Mega Man X and Zero to stop a Maverick leader named Sigma from attempting to exterminate the human race, Maverick activity seems to continue.[4] However, the threat of the Mavericks is later neutralized thanks to the technology of the Reploid scientist Dr. Doppler, which prevents the Mavericks from going berserk. The reformed Reploids form a utopia near their new mentor called "Doppler Town".[6] It seemed that all is well until the former Reploids suddenly revert and once again begin causing trouble, even going so far as to attack Hunter headquarters. Doppler is held accountable, and X and Zero are sent out to contain the new threat.[4][7]

Once the two heroes defeat Doppler and the forces that have sworn allegiance to him, the scientist comes to his senses and realizes all the damage that he has done. He explains that Sigma is alive, that his true form is now a computer virus, and that Doppler was corrupted in order to create a new body for Sigma.[8] X seeks out Sigma, and after an intense battle, the Sigma Virus in its pure form chases X in an attempt to infect and possess him.[9] Once X finds himself at a deadend, one of two things may happen. In the game's main ending, Zero takes Doppler's true antivirus software and uploads it onto his sabre offscreen. He rushes in to save X just in time and causes Sigma to explode, destroying the lab as they evacuate.[10] However, if Zero is injured during the game, Doppler instead uses his own body as the antivirus and sacrifices himself for the greater good.[11]

Gameplay

Mega Man X3 adopts the gameplay of Mega Man X and Mega Man X2, an expansion of the gameplay model of the original Mega Man series. These action-platform games involve taking control of the protagonist X and completing a series of eight, selectable stages.[4] Each stage has a variety of obstacles, traps, and enemy robots to fight. The stage's conclusion contains a Maverick boss fight; defeating this boss will add a new special weapon to the player's arsenal.[4][12][13] Each boss is particularly weak to one special weapon, so the player may complete the stages in an order that best exploits these weaknesses. The player character X retains his abilities from past games. He is able to run, jump, dash, cling to and scale most walls, and fire his chargeable "X Buster" arm cannon and special weapons.[13] The player can further upgrade X's abilities by collecting armor parts (head, body, legs, and X Buster) found within capsules in certain levels.[12] Capsules containing special chips add new abilities as well, but X is generally only able to benefit from one of these chips at a time.

Like the two previous Mega Man X games, the player can locate power-ups such as "Heart Tanks" for extending the maximum life energy and "Sub-Tanks" for storing energy for later use.[13] Also returning are powerful "Ride Armor" vehicles can be piloted in some of the stages.[12] Items that grant X access to more vehicles are also hidden certain stages.[13] Mega Man X3 is the first game in the series which allows the player to play as X's ally Zero.[14] Zero can be called to take X's place during nearly any stage, but he cannot collect armor parts or power-ups, and cannot fight end-stage bosses.[12][13][15]

Development

By the time Mega Man X3 was in development, Keiji Inafune, a major contributor to the Mega Man franchise, had transitioned from his role as an artist to that of a producer at Capcom.[1] His duties included merchandising the game into toys and trading cards. Although the character designs and artwork were done at Capcom, Inafune recalled experiencing "psychological turmoil" over allowing "outsiders" handle the game's development.[1] Inafune's only illustrative designs for the game were the characters X, Zero, and Vile. Inafune admitted being very "possessive" of Zero, which he had vested interest in since the character's design in the first Mega Man X.[1] All of the designs for the game's other characters, bosses, and its minor enemies were divided among artists Hayato Kaji, Tatsuya Yoshikawa, Shinsuke Komaki, and Kazushi Itou.[1] Mega Man X3 is graphically similar to its two predecessors, and even utilizes the Cx4, a DSP cartridge chip which allows for basic 3D graphical effects such as rotation, enlarging, and shrinking of wireframe objects. The game's soundtrack was composed by freelancer Kinuyo Yamashita, who created all the music and converted it to data.[16] Although the Minakuchi Engineering Staff is credited in the game's soundtrack album, they were merely the company that requested Yamashita work for Capcom.[17]

A port of Mega Man X3 was released on the Sega Saturn and PlayStation (PS1) in Japan in 1996 and in Europe in 1997.[1][4] A PC port of this 32-bit edition was released in Japan in 1997 and in North America and Europe in 1998. All three versions feature additional animated FMV cutscenes, rearranged music tracks, and different sound effects than the original SNES version.[4][15][18] The Japanese 32-bit editions feature two J-pop songs by Kotono Shibuya: the opening theme "One More Time" and the ending theme "I'm Believer". Both the SNES and 32-bit versions of the musical score were included on the Capcom Music Generation: Rockman X1 ~ X6 soundtrack released by Suleputer in 2003.[19] A cancelled port for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer was also planned for release in Japan.[20]

Reception and legacy

 Reception
Review scores
Publication Score
Allgame SNES: 4/5 stars[21]
Electronic Gaming Monthly SNES: 7.4 of 10[22]
GameFan SNES: 87 of 100[23]
GamePro SNES: 4/5 stars[24]
Nintendo Power SNES: 3.43/5 stars[25]
Game Players SNES: 81 of 100[26]
Super Play SNES: 70%[27]
Sega Saturn Magazine SAT: 66%[4]
Computer Games Magazine PC: 1/5 stars[28]

Critical reception for the SNES version of Mega Man X3 has been generally favorable. IGN named Mega Man X3 as the 67th-best SNES of all time on a 2011 list.[29]

The SNES version of Mega Man X3 is very rare due to its limited run and the fact that it was released during declining support of the console.[15][30] Despite higher-than-expected retail orders for their SNES products, Capcom had lowered its shipping of 16-bit titles during the fall 1995 release quarter due to supply and demand.[31][32] In more recent times, Mega Man X3 cartridges fetch very large sums of money on collector and auction websites such as eBay.[14][30][33] The Japanese PS1 version of Mega Man X3 was eventually re-released as part of the Sony "The Best for Family" line of budget titles.[34] The 32-bit version of Mega Man X3 was also ported to the Mega Man X Collection, released for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo GameCube in North America in early 2006.[18][33] Finally, Mega Man X3 was released on EZweb-compatible mobile phones in Japan in 2010.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Mega Man X: Official Complete Works. Udon Entertainment. January 6, 2010. pp. 28–39. ISBN 978-1-89737-680-5. 
  2. ^ "Super NES Games" (PDF). Nintendo. http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/gameslist/manuals/snes_games.pdf. Retrieved 2010-10-17. 
  3. ^ "Mega Man X3" (in German). Total! (Future Publishing): pp. 36–7. May 1996. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Yeo, Matt (April 1997). "Review: Mega Man X3". Sega Saturn Magazine (EMAP) (18): p. 74–5. 
  5. ^ a b "EZアプリ「バイオハザード Survival Door」＆「ロックマンX3」配信開始！" (in Japanese). GameSpot. July 1, 2010. http://japan.gamespot.com/goods/news/20416112/. Retrieved 2010-07-12. 
  6. ^ Capcom. Mega Man X3. (Capcom). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. (1996-01) "Narrator: In the year 21XX, all the Mavericks have been neutralized thanks to the efforts of a Reploid scientist named "Dr. Doppler". Using his Neuro Computer, he has been able to suppress any abnormal behavior in the Reploids and prevent them from going berserk. Many of the most advanced Reploids have gathered near their new mentor and founded "Doppler Town", a perfect Utopian community."
  7. ^ Capcom. Mega Man X3. (Capcom). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. (1996-01) "Narrator: The Mavericks who were supposed to have been neutralized by the Neuro Computer suddenly appeared and began to riot... At Maverick Hunter Headquarters, all the intelligence indicated that Dr. Doppler was the mastermind behind the invasion. Soon, the call went out to X and Zero destroy the invading Mavericks and bring Dr. Doppler to justice."
  8. ^ Capcom. Mega Man X3. (Capcom). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. (1996-01) "Doppler: Sigma's true form is that of a computer virus... I was corrupted by him and... I created a horrific new body for him..."
  9. ^ Capcom. Mega Man X3. (Capcom). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. (1996-01) "Sigma: N... No!! This can't be! I can't even defeat you with this magnificant body..?! There seems to be only one choice now... I'll possess you!!"
  10. ^ Capcom. Mega Man X3. (Capcom). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. (1996-01) "Zero: How do you like that, Sigma? I picked up an Anti-Sigma virus program from Doppler and used it on my Beam Sabre! Sorry about the delay, X. I thought the program might be the only thing that would work against Sigma."
  11. ^ Capcom. Mega Man X3. (Capcom). Super Nintendo Entertainment System. (1996-01) "Doppler: How do you feel now, Sigma? Did you like my special vaccine for the Sigma virus? X, I'm sorry to have given you so much trouble. I know I can never really atone for what I've done... But I will try to set things right by taking Sigma with me!!"
  12. ^ a b c d "Now Playing: Mega Man X3". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) (81): pp. 18–27. February 1996. 
  13. ^ a b c d e Capcom, ed (January 1996). Mega Man X3 Instruction Booklet. Sunnyvale, CA: Capcom Entertainment, Inc.. pp. 6–15. SNS-P-AR3E. 
  14. ^ a b Oxford, Nadia (May 17, 2007). "Mega Manniversary: Jumping the Shark Man". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3159529. Retrieved 2010-12-28. 
  15. ^ a b c Nutt, Christian and Speer, Justin. "The History of Mega Man". GameSpot. http://www.gamespot.com/features/6076983/p-12.html. Retrieved 2010-12-26. 
  16. ^ Sorlie, Audon (October 27, 2009). "Beautiful Music, Beautiful Lady: Kinuyo Yamashita Interview!". Original Sound Version. http://www.originalsoundversion.com/beautiful-music-beautiful-lady-kinuyo-yamashita-interview/. Retrieved 2011-09-25. 
  17. ^ Greening, Chris (February 2010). "Interview with Kinuyo Yamashita". Square Enix Music Online. http://www.squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/kinuyoyamashita.shtml. Retrieved 2011-02-24. 
  18. ^ a b Theobald, Phil (January 9, 2006). "Mega Man X Collection". GameSpy. http://cube.gamespy.com/gamecube/mega-man-x-collection/679792p2.html. Retrieved 2011-01-17. 
  19. ^ "カプコン ミュージック ジェネレーション ロックマンX1～6　オリジナル・サウンドトラック" (in Japanese). Suleputer. Archived from the original on 2003-12-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20031214215707/http://suleputer.capcom.co.jp/suleputer/lineup/cpca1076.htm. Retrieved 2011-02-27. 
  20. ^ "Express: Rockman X3" (in Japanese). 3DO Magazine (The 3DO Company): 34–5. May/June 1996. 
  21. ^ Kanarick, Mark (1998). "Mega Man X3 - Review". Allgame. http://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=2546&tab=review. Retrieved 2011-09-25. 
  22. ^ "Review Crew: Mega Man X3". Electronic Gaming Monthly (Ziff Davis) (76). November 1995. 
  23. ^ "Reviews: Mega Man X3". GameFan (DieHard Gamers Club) 4 (4). February 1996. 
  24. ^ Major Mike (December 1995). "ProReview: Mega Man X3". GamePro (Infotainment World, Inc.) (77): p. 100. 
  25. ^ "Now Playing: Mega Man X3". Nintendo Power (Nintendo of America) (81): pp. 93–7. February 1996. 
  26. ^ "Review: Mega Man X3". Game Players (Imagine Media) (60). January 1996. 
  27. ^ Davies, Jonathan (April 1996). "Import Review: Mega Man X3". Super Play (Future Publishing) (42): p. 42–5. 
  28. ^ Smith, Nathan (December 27, 1998). "Megaman X3 Review". Computer Games Magazine. Archived from the original on 2005-02-07. http://web.archive.org/web/20050207205810/http://www.cdmag.com/articles/016/088/megaman_review.html. Retrieved 2010-12-27. 
  29. ^ George, Richard (2011). "Top 100 Super Nintendo (SNES) Video Games". IGN. http://www.ign.com/top/snes-games/67. Retrieved 2011-08-27. 
  30. ^ a b Elston, Brett (June 30, 2008). "The ultimate Mega Man retrospective". GamesRadar. http://www.gamesradar.com/f/the-ultimate-mega-man-retrospective/a-2008062794557758069/p-7. Retrieved 2010-12-26. 
  31. ^ Mongelluzzo, Melinda and Kramer, Chris (September 5, 1995). "Capcom's Fall Line Up of Super Nintendo Products Exceed Sales Expectations; Game Leader Supports Viable 16-bit Market with Five Titles.". Capcom. http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Capcom's+Fall+Line+Up+of+Super+Nintendo+Products+Exceed+Sales...-a017336109. Retrieved 2011-01-10. 
  32. ^ Greenstein, Jane (September 8, 1995). "Game publishers tighten supply to control market.". Video Business. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-17485759.html. Retrieved 2010-04-16. 
  33. ^ a b Parrish, Jeremy (January 10, 2006). "Mega Man X Collection Review for GC". 1UP.com. http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3146893. Retrieved 2011-01-17. 
  34. ^ "ロックマンX3 PlayStation the Best for Family [Rockman X3 PlayStation the Best for Family]" (in Japanese). Amazon.com. http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00005OULD/. Retrieved 2011-01-10. 

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