Mega Man X3
Encyclopedia
Mega Man X3, known as 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 region
s 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 robot
s 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 phone
s in 2010.
(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. 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. 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". 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.
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. 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. 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. However, if Zero is injured during the game, Doppler instead uses his own body as the antivirus and sacrifices himself for the greater good.
and Mega Man X2
, an expansion of the gameplay model of the original Mega Man series. These action
-platform game
s involve taking control of the protagonist X and completing a series of eight, selectable stages. 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. 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. The player can further upgrade X's abilities by collecting armor parts (head, body, legs, and X Buster) found within capsules in certain levels. 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. Also returning are powerful "Ride Armor" vehicles can be piloted in some of the stages. Items that grant X access to more vehicles are also hidden certain stages. Mega Man X3 is the first game in the series which allows the player to play as X's ally Zero. 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.
, a major contributor to the Mega Man franchise, had transitioned from his role as an artist to that of a producer at Capcom
. 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. 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. 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. 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. Although the Minakuchi Engineering Staff is credited in the game's soundtrack album, they were merely the company that requested Yamashita work for Capcom.
A port
of Mega Man X3 was released on the Sega Saturn
and PlayStation (PS1) in Japan in 1996 and in Europe in 1997. 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. 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. A cancelled port for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer
was also planned for release in Japan.
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. 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
. In more recent times, Mega Man X3 cartridges fetch very large sums of money on collector and auction websites such as eBay
. 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. 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. Finally, Mega Man X3 was released on EZweb-compatible mobile phone
s in Japan in 2010.
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
(SNES). The game was originally released in Japan on December 1, 1995 and later in North American and PAL region
PAL region
The PAL region is a television publication territory which covers most of Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and most of Western Europe...
s in 1996. It is the third game in the Mega Man X
Mega Man X
The Mega Man X series is the second Mega Man franchise released by Capcom. It debuted December 17, 1993 in Japan on the Super NES/Super Famicom and spawned sequels on several systems, with the PC platform notably having the most releases within the series...
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 robot
Robot
A robot is a mechanical or virtual intelligent agent that can perform tasks automatically or with guidance, typically by remote control. In practice a robot is usually an electro-mechanical machine that is guided by computer and electronic programming. Robots can be autonomous, semi-autonomous or...
s 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
Zero (Mega Man)
is a video game character present throughout the Mega Man franchise. First appearing in the 1993 game Mega Man X for the Super Nintendo, Zero has since been the star of the Mega Man Zero series and has played a supporting role in other game series such as the Mega Man ZX series.First developed by...
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
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
-platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
. 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
Mega Man X2
Mega Man X2, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was released in Japan on December 16, 1994 and in North America and PAL regions in 1995. It is the second game in the Mega Man X sub-franchise after the first installment,...
, Capcom included the CX4 chip to allow for some limited 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
vector graphics
Vector graphics
Vector graphics is the use of geometrical primitives such as points, lines, curves, and shapes or polygon, which are all based on mathematical expressions, to represent images in computer 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
History of video game consoles (fifth generation)
The fifth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at stores...
version of Mega Man X3 was released on the PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
, Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
, and the PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
in various countries. This version was included on the North American Mega Man X Collection
Mega Man X Collection
Mega Man X Collection is a compilation of video games developed by Capcom. It was released on January 10, 2006 exclusively in North America for the Nintendo GameCube and Sony PlayStation 2 platforms...
in 2006. The game was also ported to Japanese mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s in 2010.
Plot
The story of Mega Man X3 is set during the 22nd century22nd century
The 22nd century is a century of the Christian Era or Common Era in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. It is the upcoming century, beginning on January 1, 2101 and ending on December 31, 2200.-Events:...
(the year 21XX), in which humans coexist with intelligent robots called "Reploids" (replicant androids). Due to their free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
, 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. Even after two successful efforts by the Hunters Mega Man X and Zero
Zero (Mega Man)
is a video game character present throughout the Mega Man franchise. First appearing in the 1993 game Mega Man X for the Super Nintendo, Zero has since been the star of the Mega Man Zero series and has played a supporting role in other game series such as the Mega Man ZX series.First developed by...
to stop a Maverick leader named Sigma from attempting to exterminate the human race, Maverick activity seems to continue. 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
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
near their new mentor called "Doppler Town". 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.
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
Computer virus
A computer virus is a computer program that can replicate itself and spread from one computer to another. The term "virus" is also commonly but erroneously used to refer to other types of malware, including but not limited to adware and spyware programs that do not have the reproductive ability...
, and that Doppler was corrupted in order to create a new body for Sigma. 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. 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
Antivirus software
Antivirus or anti-virus software is used to prevent, detect, and remove malware, including but not limited to computer viruses, computer worm, trojan horses, spyware and adware...
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. However, if Zero is injured during the game, Doppler instead uses his own body as the antivirus and sacrifices himself for the greater good.
Gameplay
Mega Man X3 adopts the gameplay of Mega Man XMega Man X (video game)
Mega Man X, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . It is the first Mega Man game for the 16-bit console and the first game in the Mega Man X series, a spin-off of the original Mega Man series that began on the SNES's predecessor, the...
and Mega Man X2
Mega Man X2
Mega Man X2, known as in Japan, is a video game developed by Capcom for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System . The game was released in Japan on December 16, 1994 and in North America and PAL regions in 1995. It is the second game in the Mega Man X sub-franchise after the first installment,...
, an expansion of the gameplay model of the original Mega Man series. These action
Action game
Action game is a video game genre that emphasizes physical challenges, including hand–eye coordination and reaction-time. The genre includes diverse subgenres such as fighting games, shooter games, and platform games, which are widely considered the most important action games, though some...
-platform game
Platform game
A platform game is a video game characterized by requiring the player to jump to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles . It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps...
s involve taking control of the protagonist X and completing a series of eight, selectable stages. 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. 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. The player can further upgrade X's abilities by collecting armor parts (head, body, legs, and X Buster) found within capsules in certain levels. 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. Also returning are powerful "Ride Armor" vehicles can be piloted in some of the stages. Items that grant X access to more vehicles are also hidden certain stages. Mega Man X3 is the first game in the series which allows the player to play as X's ally Zero. 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.
Development
By the time Mega Man X3 was in development, Keiji InafuneKeiji Inafune
is a video game producer and illustrator. He was the former head of Research & Development and Online Business and Global Head of Production at Capcom, best known as the illustrator and co-designer of the character Mega Man, as well as the producer of the Onimusha and Dead Rising video game series...
, a major contributor to the Mega Man franchise, had transitioned from his role as an artist to that of a producer at Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
. 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
Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the process of contracting a business function to someone else.-Overview:The term outsourcing is used inconsistently but usually involves the contracting out of a business function - commonly one previously performed in-house - to an external provider...
" handle the game's development. 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. 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. Mega Man X3 is graphically similar to its two predecessors, and even utilizes the Cx4, a DSP cartridge chip
Digital signal processor
A digital signal processor is a specialized microprocessor with an architecture optimized for the fast operational needs of digital signal processing.-Typical characteristics:...
which allows for basic 3D
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
graphical effects such as rotation, enlarging, and shrinking of wireframe objects. The game's soundtrack was composed by freelancer Kinuyo Yamashita
Kinuyo Yamashita
is a Japanese video game music composer and sound producer. Her best known soundtrack is Konami's Castlevania, which was also her debut work. She was credited under the pseudonym James Banana for her work on the Nintendo Entertainment System version of the game....
, who created all the music and converted it to data. Although the Minakuchi Engineering Staff is credited in the game's soundtrack album, they were merely the company that requested Yamashita work for Capcom.
A port
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
of Mega Man X3 was released on the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
and PlayStation (PS1) in Japan in 1996 and in Europe in 1997. A PC
Personal computer
A personal computer is any general-purpose computer whose size, capabilities, and original sales price make it useful for individuals, and which is intended to be operated directly by an end-user with no intervening computer operator...
port of this 32-bit
History of video game consoles (fifth generation)
The fifth-generation era refers to the computer and video games, video game consoles, and video game handhelds available at stores...
edition was released in Japan in 1997 and in North America and Europe in 1998. All three versions feature additional animated
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
FMV cutscenes, rearranged
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
music tracks, and different sound effects than the original SNES version. The Japanese 32-bit editions feature two J-pop
J-pop
, an abbreviation for Japanese pop, is a musical genre that entered the musical mainstream of Japan in the 1990s. Modern J-pop has its roots in 1960s music, such as The Beatles, and replaced kayōkyoku in the Japanese music scene...
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
Suleputer
Suleputer is a record label the Japanese game development company Capcom uses for its releases. Its name derives from the full name of Capcom: " ".-Discography:*Biohazard 2 ReMIX ~met@morPhoses~...
in 2003. A cancelled port for the 3DO Interactive Multiplayer
3DO Interactive Multiplayer
The 3DO Interactive Multiplayer is a video game console originally produced by Panasonic in 1993. Further renditions of the hardware were released in 1994 by Sanyo and Goldstar. The consoles were manufactured according to specifications created by The 3DO Company, and were originally designed by...
was also planned for release in Japan.
Reception and legacy
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.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. 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
Supply and demand
Supply and demand is an economic model of price determination in a market. It concludes that in a competitive market, the unit price for a particular good will vary until it settles at a point where the quantity demanded by consumers will equal the quantity supplied by producers , resulting in an...
. In more recent times, Mega Man X3 cartridges fetch very large sums of money on collector and auction websites such as eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. The Japanese PS1 version of Mega Man X3 was eventually re-released as part of the Sony
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
"The Best for Family" line of budget titles. The 32-bit version of Mega Man X3 was also ported to the Mega Man X Collection
Mega Man X Collection
Mega Man X Collection is a compilation of video games developed by Capcom. It was released on January 10, 2006 exclusively in North America for the Nintendo GameCube and Sony PlayStation 2 platforms...
, released for the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
and Nintendo GameCube
Nintendo GameCube
The , officially abbreviated to NGC in Japan and GCN in other regions, is a sixth generation video game console released by Nintendo on September 15, 2001 in Japan, November 18, 2001 in North America, May 3, 2002 in Europe, and May 17, 2002 in Australia...
in North America in early 2006. Finally, Mega Man X3 was released on EZweb-compatible mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s in Japan in 2010.