Mega Man X3 Reviews

Third time's the charm. Like most sayings, it's a classic that we use every now and then. The only things that are for certain are death, taxes, and sequels. There's always a sequel, even if it's unjustified. All jesting aside, it may surprise some to know that Mega Man X3 was the sequel that almost never was....

Gazing upon a clipping saved from an old issue of Nintendo power (Volume 78), Greg Ballard, President of Capcom USA, proudly announces the canceled cancellation of Mega Man X3, claiming "Mega Man X3 represents Capcom's commitment to the Super NES... and Mega Man's millions of fans." Despite how tongue-in-cheek that statement sounds now with eight plus games in the series, I can remember how blasphemous the thought of a canceling a Mega Man game sounded to me back then. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted X3, the closest I ever got to it during my childhood was the time I rented it and I proceeded to tromp through it in a single night. Actually, I take that back, it was more like a handful of hours.

That said, one might say that's a good thing. Why fork over sixty to seventy dollars for a game that offers such a short experience? Point taken, but when you're that young you never think about the longevity of your purchases. Even after that brief experience with the game, Mega Man X3 would remain "the forbidden fruit" for years to come. X3 was "the one that got away." Ironically, that long awaited meeting would come to fruition - thirteen years later. Unfortunately, as most know, a lot can change in thirteen years, and when it comes to this particular series, it has. The rest of the narrative pretty much writes itself; even the most devoted fan can become disillusioned with a whole body of work even if only some of it is bad. Of course, there are times where one can find their own truths within such a quagmire. I think I've discovered and accepted my truths with most of the chapters of this convoluted saga, X3 being no exception. So what is that truth? Mega Man X3 may be somewhat more interesting than some of the other games in the series, but it's interesting for all the wrong reasons.

Unlike Mega Man X and X2, the majority of Mega Man X3 was handled by what Keiji Inafune calls "outsiders." As would be expected, all of the game's artwork and character design may have been handled internally, but many other elements where not. Mega Man X3's music, for example, was handled by an outside group called the Minakuchi Engineering Staff. That's not exactly the most revealing piece of information. However, years later, the actual employee (of the Minakuchi Engineering Staff) responsible for the music would be revealed: Kinuyo Yamashita. As it turns out, Yamashita helped compose music of the original Castlevania during her time with Konami, and such a rock-laden approach can be heard here.

So what does Kinuyo's score have to do with the core experience at the heart of X3? Lots. While I'll admit she hits (Gravity Beetle, Toxic Seahorse) as much as she misses (opening intro, capsule theme), the rough texture of her pieces parallels that abstract "edginess" and wreck loose feel that first took hold in Mega Man X2 but was absent from the "clean" original. Once again, there is a real sense of danger to the proceedings that isn't related to the game's difficulty level but is provided by unavoidable, single-entry characters like Bit and Byte (the Nightmare Police), not series mainstays like Sigma and Vile. Also returning from X2 is the concept of cause and effect. Accomplishing certain feats earlier on (mostly defeating or destroying certain adversaries) changes how some things unfold in the second half of the game. It's nothing truly dramatic, a different boss fight or two, or a slightly different ending, but it adds a bit of replay value where it is sorely needed. The rest of the game plays out as one would expect, not broken but not inspiring.

Far from the missing crowning jewel I billed it as in my adolescence this one is purely for the fans. More of the same usually isn't a bad thing when it comes to Mega Man, but then it's nothing to get excited about either. That said I have to cast my vote for the SNES original when compared to the CD-based version released in the Mega Man X Collection. The full-motion videos are nice, but the remixed music simply doesn't gel with graphics from a previous generation. I'm glad that Mega Man X3 managed to find it's way off the drawing board, but in all honesty, it's only because it's the stepping stone that made the series fourth (and perhaps best) installment possible.