We love the Blue Bomber. Out of the many excellent NES franchises, Mega Man is a top-tier highlight through and through. While many prop up Mega Man 2 as the best of the bunch, Mega Man 3 deserves just as much love, if not more. First released in late 1990 and keeping the hype rolling, this sequel offered sleek graphics, awesome tunes, a new slide move and companion character, and much more. It also had a diverse set of robot master boss fights, each with their own thematic twist. Now that Mega Man 3 is 35 years old, we figured there’s no better time than the present to whip up a definitive list of every robot master, ranked from worst to best. So, settle in as we take these robot masters to task and celebrate over three decades of Mega Man 3.
Every Mega Man 3 Robot Master, Ranked
8. Magnet Man
Magnet Man is a kind of a doofus. This red, constantly hopping robot master is likely one of the first you’ll face during Mega Man 3, as he doesn’t pose much of a threat. Magnet Man’s defining feature is the big ‘ol magnet directly on his forehead, which he uses to mediocre results in battle. In order to reach Magnet Man, you have to trek across a pretty boring stage, with only a few platforming challenges causing any delay. Once you’re finally in the arena, you’ll find a pretty simple fight, as Magnet Man only tries to suck you in with his forehead magnet, or fire them from afar. While his magnet noggin is quirky in the moment, there’s just not enough personality to keep him from the bottom spot on our list.
7. Needle Man
I really want Needle Man to be cooler than he is, but unfortunately, this is one of Mega Man 3‘s weaker robot masters. Whereas other robot masters make up for their lackluster style with a fun stage or cool mechanics, Needle Man does neither of those things. His stage leaves a lot to be desired, with no real platforming challenges or fun sections to speak of. You’ll likely blast through the level in just a few minutes, and upon arriving at the final arena, the boss fight is just as meandering. Especially if you have Gemini Man’s power, this fight mostly consists of lightly dodging projectiles and shooting at random, effortlessly bursting down Needle Man. In a “blink and you’ll miss it” dash, both Needle Man’s stage and his boss fight are over before you have time to really think about it. It’s not bad, exactly, it’s just kind of boring.
6. Hard Man
Believe it or not, Hard Man does his name justice. Not the robot master is “hard” in the difficulty sort of way, but rather, not soft. Hard Man is one of the earlier robot masters you’ll encounter in the game, putting up a tiny fight, but not challenging enough to warrant more than a few tries. Despite the catchy theme music, his stage is a bit of a pain too, with its plain rock theme and abundance of bee and monkey enemies. Before you fight Hard Man proper, you’ll have to do battle with Proto Man, but once he’s clear, the path to stage-end isn’t all that bad. Hard Man only throws a few projectiles and stuns you with a ground pound, but if you have Magnet Man’s weapon, he goes down in just a few rallies. Intimidating enough to shelter him from last place, Hard Man is still one of the less thrilling robot masters of Mega Man 3.
5. Spark Man
Spark Man’s main thing is, well, sparks and electricity, which tracks. Unfortunately, the way that Capcom decided to evoke this theme was by placing a bunch of flickering lights all around the stage, which quickly become annoying. Even the great stage theme can’t save this sloppy level, which is often just frustrating to play as it is to look at. Luckily, the boss fight is a bit better than most, as Spark Man has two projectile moves and also bounces around the uneven stage. Though you can burst him down with Shadow Man’s throwing stars, the fight still takes a second, requiring smart jumps and attacks. While the catchy tune and decent boss fight are enough to put Spark Man further up the list, very few excuses can be made for the aesthetically antagonistic level design.
4. Top Man
Though Top Man’s silly spinning top design doesn’t do much for me, there’s something to be said about his stage. A pleasant mixture of blue and green, and with a ripping stage theme to accompany it, Top Man’s level is lots of fun. The hopping froggy enemies and metal bolts require a bit of precision to dodge, and the giant furball-throwing cats are weirdly memorable. Like most of the other robot masters, all Top Man does is shoot some projectiles and try to knock you over with a dash attack, but he’s still a fun fight. If you have the Hard Knuckle from Hard Man, this fight is pretty fun to clear without getting hit, reinforcing your robotic superiority.
3. Snake Man
Everything you need to know about Snake Man is right in the name: he’s a robot man that looks like a snake. While this sounds somewhat silly, Snake Man makes up for it with an awesome stage, great music, and a pretty fun boss fight. Seriously, out of all the stages in Mega Man 3, Snake Man’s might be the most evocative. The level is essentially one big twisting snake, as you run around, fighting snake head turrets and slithering past danger. It’s also a pretty easy stage, all things considered, offering less frustration than its peers. After a quick jaunt across the clouds, Snake Man’s arena awaits you, and to beat him, you must dodge his slithering snake pods and constant jumping. In truth, the level before the boss is better than the boss itself, but Snake Man still gets a lot of points for being so dang cool.
2. Shadow Man
Not only is Shadow Man one of the coolest bosses in Mega Man 3, but he also has one of the best stages in the game. Starting with a vertical descent down waterfalls of lava, this stage mixes excellent platforming elements with great enemy placement, making it a fun romp from start to finish. Only of the best moments comes partway through the stage, when the lights turn out, forcing you to navigate against a starry night sky as sentient grenades rush you down. While the boss fight itself is reminiscent of Metal Man from Mega Man 2, you won’t be fighting for long if you have Top Man’s power. Spinning at high speeds and face-checking Shadow Man, it’s a shame that this boss fight ends so quickly, as Shadow Man is easily one of Mega Man 3‘s best robot masters. Plus, if you beat him, you get a throwing star weapon, and who wouldn’t want that?
1. Gemini Man
Gemini Man is mysterious, cool, and powerful, everything you’d want in a robot master. His level design sets the stage well for the encounter ahead, as you navigate crystal platforms against the night sky. After a quick meeting with Proto Man, you descend below the surface of the stage, revealing an immensely colorful, coral-like setting. Don’t be fooled by the vivid visuals though, Gemini Man’s stage is tough and will likely take a few E-tanks out of your inventory. The difficulty doesn’t let up once you’ve reached the boss arena either, as Gemini Man is one of the most unique fights in the game, with the boss duplicating himself and attacking from either side. Thanks to the awesome stage design, interesting fight, and pure element of mystery, Gemini Man earns the top spot on our list of every Mega Man 3 robot master ranked.
You must be logged in to post a comment.