This particular Mega Man game is one of the most challenging with very interactive sprite powers. Three items are of absolute importance: The Air Dash sprite sheet, the N (Chimera) armor, and the Dual Buster. The last two are needed to get items, but the Air Dash is essential to even reach some of the bosses, making it the first item you should ever attempt to get. I’m am not an avid advocator of entering a board to get an item, and dying to exit the stage, but some beginners may want to consider doing this to get the Buster and N sprites. I mention this because the path I suggest following puts off getting these items until later into the game, which in turn forces you to get other items even later.
Mega Man Sprite order is important, as it always is. It wouldn’t be a Mega Man game without and boss order to follow. However, in MMX3, the correct weapon doesn’t do tons of damage like you would expect. What’s important in MMX3 is that the correct weapon cancels the bosses’ attacks. Some of the bosses attack you in such a way that they nail you with a barrage and don’t allow you to retaliate. That is why following the order is a lot wiser to do than before. Only certain weapons will give you the opportunity to press your attack on the sprite.
Therefore, the best Mega Man sprite sheet to rip first is Blizzard Buffalo. Not only is he the (possibly only) easiest Mega Man sprite to finish off with your normal X-Buster, but housed in his stage is the essential Air Dash power up capsule. I will proceed to each stage here. I will list how to reach all the items within each stage, as well as how to beat that particular boss. The listing of each stage will be in the proper sequence one should take to get through them. Listed in brackets will be what is needed to get that item. A weapon name with a star next to it means the powered up version of that weapon (requiring the Dual Blaster).
After mega man 4, I was skeptical of the series thereafter. Mega man 5 feels like a proper sequel to MM2/3. With a great feeling mega buster, some unique stages and some fun bosses. The game also feels more fair, maybe because of the buster or maybe because I have recently beaten 4 other mega man games. But this is one I suggest you don’t skip.
The combination of gamer nostalgia, tight gameplay, and hardcore challenge got great reviews and sales on the downloadable console game market. But now the last of those elements, the challenging gameplay, can be adjusted in Capcom’s second bite at the apple, Mega Man 10. This game introduces “Easy Mode,” a typical choice in most video games, but one that the long-running Mega Man series has actually never seen before. With most other features remaining very similar to 9, the most important consideration here is whether you think Easy Mode adds to the game, or perhaps hinders it.
Easy Mode makes hits to your character less damaging, hits to enemies more damaging, takes out some enemies here and there, and, perhaps most helpfully, puts new platforms down to prevent most falling deaths. These changes make a giant difference, and at least guarantee that you’ll live to see the end of the game this time with only a little work. It certainly expands the audience for the game, as surely many confronted Mega Man 9 two years ago only to die at the ends of Jewel Man one too many times and quit. Those same gamers can have an experience more on level with the difficulties of most games today, and breeze through the title.
Technically, the addition of an Easy Mode can’t hinder the experience, because the gamer can simply choose to play on the normal difficulty if they wish. However, the fact remains that some players will cruise through the Easy Mode in a little over an hour, and fail to see what’s so special about the Mega Man series. The fun comes in conquering the really tough challenges, in mastering each level layout one by one. When you’re not simply compelled to overcome these hard circumstances to see the rest of the game, players become less likely to willingly go through it. More players can beat the game, but it’s possible that less will actually be having fun.
Mega Man 10 also adds in a challenge mode with dozens of shorter challenges for the player to complete. Some are simply boss fights from the main game, but most are like very short levels that focus on one specific skill, like perfect jumping, or destroying a specific type of enemy. This feature would be perfect, if it weren’t so tedious to retry a challenge. After you fail, the game spits you back out to the challenge menu, rather than simply including a “retry” button, which wastes a frustrating amount of time in-between each session.
Proto Man, before a paid DLC component, giving a slightly different experience one can try. He is hurt more by each enemy blast, but he has a shield that protects him from many hits to compensate. That small difference, along with a sliding ability and the appearance change, are all the variety you get, but it’s still certainly a welcome addition.
Mega Man 10 doesn’t try to add too much to what made its predecessor successful, which is just fine. The gameplay is still pitch-perfect, and the additions all add up to make it a more solid product for a wider range of gamers.