M E G A M A N 3 B O S S F A Q

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M E G A M A N 3 B O S S F A Q
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A complete Mega Man 3 Boss FAQ for the NES version, to be used in conjunction
with my (CMoriarty's) complete FAQ/Walkthrough on Mega Man 3, found at:

http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/file/mega_man_3_b.txt

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| By Colin Moriarty (CMoriarty)
| E-Mail: [email protected]
| Date: January 19, 2002
| Version: FINAL (Only)
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NOTE: Although the date says "January 19, 2002", on May 20, 2002, I updated
each of my Mega Man boss FAQs, posting that they are now "Final" versions, in
addition to the "Only" version I denoted them to be earlier. This is to stop
any e-mails I'm getting with "add this strat, d00d11!!!!" You, as readers, are
more than welcome to read this, e-mail me with comments, suggestions, and/or
criticism, but please, no e-mail regarding your strategies being better than
mine, or how I should put your strategy in my FAQ in place of yours. Trust me,
there's a 99.99% chance I'm better than you at Mega Man anyway, so not to sound
rude, but don't waste my time. If you have your own strategy, that's excellent;
to each his own. Keep it to yourself though, because not only will I not post
your strategy, but I won't respond to your e-mail, or even acknowledge that I
recieved it, if you send me an e-mail like that.

So to re-itterate, the FAQ was submitted on January 19, 2002, and hence, the
date wasn't changed to reflect that on this version, since nothing but this
"note" was added into this FAQ. Thanks for reading.

END NOTE!

-Colin Moriarty ([email protected])

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This FAQ, and all other of my FAQ/Walkthroughs, are now dedicated to the over
6,000 innocent people killed in the World Trade Center and Pentagon terrorist
attacks in New York City, New York, and Washington, D.C., on September 11,
2001. To all of the innocent working people, and FDNY Firemen, as well as other
emergency workers, you will always be remembered. We won't stop until we bring
these criminals to justice, your deaths were NOT IN VAIN! God Bless America,
death to all terrorists of all races everywhere.

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T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S...
--------- --- ---------------

I.)........... | Legal Disclaimer
II.).......... | Versions of the Guide
III.)......... | Introduction
IV.).......... | Robot Masters
V.)........... | Robot Masters Revisited (Mega Man 2 RMs)
VI.).......... | Dr. Wily's Castle Bosses
VII.)......... | In Closing
VIII.)........ | About the Author

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S E C T I O N I
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L E G A L D I S C L A I M E R
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This guide/FAQ/walkthrough is copyrighted © 2002 to Colin Moriarty, and is the
intellectual property of Colin Moriarty. This guide/FAQ/walkthrough is only to
be found on GameFAQs (http://www.gamefaqs.com). If you are reading and/or found
this file ANYWHERE else but GameFAQs, please contact the author, Colin
Moriarty, immidiately, at [email protected]. This guide/FAQ/walkthrough is
protected under International Copyright Laws, and it is prohibited to take any
piece of this document and reproduce it in anyway without the written consent
of the author, Colin Moriarty. Any website or other medium found to have this
document without permission will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the
law.

Please don't e-mail me and ask to have this document on your webpage. It's too
frustrating for me to keep track of all of the webpages that have my
document(s) on their page, especially the smaller, domain-less fan sites.
GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com) is the only, and I repeat, THE ONLY webpage allowed
to have this document on his website, GameFAQs.com. CJayC, owner and operator
of GameFAQs is the only person allowed to use this document on a webpage, so
please, I repeat once more, no e-mails regarding using this document on your
webpage. If you do e-mail me about it, your e-mail will be promptly erased and
ignored.

You ARE allowed to download this off of GameFAQs and keep it on your computer's
harddrive for personal use, as long as the document is not edited or otherwise
distributed except for personal use. You can even print out the entire FAQ or
portions therein to share with a friend who also needs help in the game. Just
please don't distribute it as your own, sell it for profit, et cetera. Well,
you guys get the idea.

Onward.

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S E C T I O N II
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V E R S I O N S O F T H E G U I D E
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This version of the guide is the only version of the guide I will release, as
it's basically a mini-FAQ. Hence, it's "Version Only." (FINAL VERSION)

Version Information:

Version: FINAL (Only)
Date: January 19, 2002
Percent Complete: 100%
Version Entails: Everything on the bosses in the game.
Still To Come: Nothing... this is the first, only, and final release of the
guide, so enjoy it! =)

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S E C T I O N III
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I N T R O D U C T I O N
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Welcome, readers, friends, et cetera, to my Boss FAQ for the classic NES game,
Mega Man 3, on the NES Nintendo Entertainment System.

I don't have much to say here except that this FAQ is meant to be used in
direct conjunction with my FAQ/Walkthrough, already on GameFAQs, which can be
found at the following URL:

http://db.gamefaqs.com/console/nes/file/mega_man_3_b.txt

Of course, you don't HAVE to use it in conjunction. The primary point of this
FAQ on the bosses in the game, in fact, is to simplify the information out of
my more intricate FAQ/Walkthrough for the game, so if you don't need step-by-
step instructions on beating the game as a whole, but only on the primary
problems people encounter in the game - the bosses - then this FAQ is for you.
There ARE pretty good instructions in my FAQ/Walkthrough for this game as far
as all of the boss battles are concerned, but again, this is for
simplification, so I hope it helps you out. Enjoy!

-Colin Moriarty (CMoriarty)
([email protected])

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S E C T I O N IV
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R O B O T M A S T E R S
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This section is to assist you on your battles with the Robot Masters in the
game. Included are descriptions of each Robot Master, as well as their battle
tactics, their weapon information, et cetera - everything you need to know
about to defeat them! I hope it helps!

[in order which you should beat them, for ease]

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MAGNET MAN
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Weapon: Magnet Missiles
Primary Weakness: Arm Cannon (the weapon you SHOULD use on him)
Other Weaknesses: Shadow Blade, Spark Shock
Description: Magnet Man, one of my favorite Robot Masters ever, is a Robot
Master that looks (and even acts) harder than he actually is. He has a very,
very distinct pattern that he repeats over and over again if you watch him. His
primary attack is to jump super high in the air and unleash semi-heatsinking
magnets at you, called Magnet Missiles. Additionally, however, he can also turn
himself into a magnitized being and bring Mega Man into him, which you can only
avoid by walking, jumping, or sliding in the opposite direction.

To Defeat Magnet Man...

Magnet Man DOES have a pattern, just like I mentioned above, and it goes a
little something like this. He starts out each motion with a short jump
forward, then a bigger jump forward. From here, he almost always jumps in the
air, fires three Magnet Missiles, comes back down, and does it going the other
way, (the same thing, that is). On rare occasion, instead of jumping in the air
to fire Magnet Missiles, he'll magnitize himself and bring you to him via
magnets... you are metal, afterall. Knowing his pattern, stand far enough away
from him so that he doesn't land on you with the first jump, then run towards
him, slide under him with the second jump, turn around, fire a few plasma shots
at him before he jumps and fires. Now, slide away from the Magnet Missiles he
shoots, and he'll repeat this process, which you should as well. Pending he
does any of the alternate move, you can't hurt him in that magnitized state, so
you'll just have to wait until after he's done to fire upon him. Since he's
first in line to be fought, you only have the arm cannon to use on him,
pending, of course, you're following the order I've given here. If not, the
Spark Shock and Shadow Blades work just as well on him.

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HARD MAN
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Weapon: Hard Knuckles
Primary Weakness: Magnet Missiles
Other Weaknesses: Hard Knuckles (yeah, that's right)
Description: Sure, you can take his name the wrong way, but Hard Man is still a
menacing character to combat. He, like Magnet Man, has a pattern that's even
more predictable then his aforementioned counterpart, but has a lot more power
behind him as well. He has two modes of attacks as well. Firstly, he shoots two
Hard Knuckles at you, one going straight at you and the other going in the air.
Then he jumps high in the air and plummets back to the ground on his head,
doing massive damage to anything below in his path.

To Defeat Hard Man...

Again, as I mentioned before, Hard Man too has a pattern, even more predictable
than Magnet Man's. Reading above, and knowing his pattern, you'll basically
want to fire away at Hard Man every other second or so with a Magnet Missile.
They don't even have to be going right for him, the metal of his plating is
attracted to the Magnet Missile, so he, like all other enemies in the game,
pulls it right in. Just make sure to turn around and fire on Hard Man when he's
about to plummet into the ground, before he freezes everything with his impact,
to get in one more hit. Within two or three cycles of his pattern, he'll be
dead if you keep up the attacks. He's just as weak to his own weapon as he is
to Magnet Missiles, as well, but they are slower and clunkier... and you can
only attack him in Wily's castle with his own weapon, so it doesn't even
matter.

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TOP MAN
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Weapon: Top Spin
Primary Weakness: Hard Knuckles
Other Weaknesses: Needle Cannon, Top Spin
Description: Top Man is easily the simplest Robot Master in the game to defeat.
His style of fighting is strictly within the realms of readable patterns, and
he only has one attack - three Tops that fly into the air and then shoot down
at Mega Man (or his position at the time they were shot, as in, they can be
easily avoided by sliding), and then Top Man shoots across the room by
spinning, where he is invulnerable to any attacks from Mega Man, before he
repeats his pattern once more.

To Defeat Top Man...

Top Man is a very, very easy Robot Master to defeat, especially if you have the
Hard Knuckles, although he is simple enough (maybe even simpler for those with
the quick trigger finger) with the regular old arm cannon. As I described
above, Top Man fights strictly upon the basis of a pattern. He shoots his tops
in the air, they spin for a bit, and then quickly shoot down upon Mega Man.
That's Top Man's easiest way to damage you, so avoid damage by those by waiting
until the last minute before they come down on you, and then sliding to avoid
getting hit by them. Then, Top Man will start spinning and shoot across the
room. Jump over him (don't waste ammo, he's immune to attacks in a spin state),
and fire upon him with a Hard Knuckle or two as he repeats this fighting
pattern. He'll be toast with a quick four Hard Knuckles to his structure,
sending him kaboom. =)

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SHADOW MAN
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Weapon: Shadow Blade
Primary Weakness: Top Spin
Other Weaknesses: Hard Knuckles, Shadow Blade
Description: Shadow Man is pure craziness. He has many attacks, and can take
care of you in a matter of seconds if you aren't careful. Faster than even Mega
Man 2's Quick Man, Shadow Man has an array of ways to damage you, and his
Shadow Blades, huge ninja stars, can do massive damage to Mega Man as well. And
you know how Mega Man can now slide in Mega Man 3? Well so can Shadow Man.
Don't bother fighting him if you don't have Top Man's Top Spin... unless of
course, you're a Mega Man master, and you have a whole lotta E-Tanks. This
Robot Master isn't called the menace of Mega Man 3 by fans of the series for no
reason...

To Defeat Shadow Man...

Shadow Man is pure energy, and that's not even supposed to be a joke. While his
primary weapon, the Shadow Blade, is actually a large ninja star that he chucks
like a boomerang, this ninja can and will do more damage with you by simple
body-on-body collisions with Mega Man. He often jumps, runs, and slides into
Mega Man without bothering to use his weapon once, although he'll use his
weapon more often if you keep moving. Shadow Man has no pattern, and only the
best players of Mega Man can beat him with the arm cannon with no E-Tanks. It
might sound ridiculous, but it's not. So whatdya do? Well, equip the
unconventional weapon you got from Top Man, the Top Spin. Using the Top Spin,
you have to jump into Shadow Man and press B to start spinning into him. You
can kill Shadow Man in one hit with this weapon if you're accurate enough with
your hit. If not, keep going, but keep in mind that using the Top Spin on
Shadow Man will eek down your damage with the quickness too. Don't be afraid to
use E-Tanks while fighting Shadow Man, as he'll be the only Robot Master
that'll challenge you to the extent that you have to use one. In either case,
good luck. =)

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SPARK MAN
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Weapon: Spark Shock
Primary Weakness: Shadow Blade
Other Weaknesses: Needle Cannon, Hard Knuckle
Description: Spark Man is an interesting Robot Master design indeed. He doesn't
have hands, which isn't uncommon amongst Robot Masters, but he doesn't have any
arm cannons in their stead, either. Instead, he has to electrical conductors in
place of hands or arm cannons, and a powerful electric transmiting unit atop
his head. When he takes the tips of his arms and touches his head, it produces
a strong electrical charge, a Spark Shock, which he uses on his enemy with
great skill. His lair layout is full of uneven ground, making him even more
difficult to fight. But he DOES have a pattern... kind of.

To Defeat Spark Man...

Spark Man's lair layout should be your biggest concern upon taking him on. He's
pretty easy to beat otherwise, especially if you have the Shadow Blade
equipped, which'll take him out in seven hits or so. As Spark Man begins his
battle pattern, he'll run to and fro across the uneven areas of his lair,
before touching his head with his arm conductors to form an electrical shock
which he'll shoot in all directions across the room, which can usually be
avoided with a slide and a jump. Then he'll continue to run and jump around his
lair, trying to collide with Mega Man. Jump over him if you can (although he is
kind of tall), and fire some Shadow Blades on him before he repeats his battle
pattern. You'll see that it's easier than it sounds when you actually get
there. Use an E-Tank if need be, but try to save them if at all possible for
later on in the game. You'll need them more later, trust me! =)

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SNAKE MAN
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Weapon: Search Snakes
Primary Weakness: Arm Cannon
Other Weaknesses: Needle Cannon, Shadow Blade, Search Snakes, Hard Knuckle
Description: Snake Man looks a lot more menacing than he actually is. As was
the case with Spark Man, Snake Man's lair layout makes him seem harder than he
actually is. Again, like Spark Man, Snake Man also has a very distinct attack
pattern... plus, he almost always has his back turned to you if you position
yourself in the correct area (right in front of the lair entrance,
coincidentally enough), so that you can pummel the hell out of him with the arm
cannon before he can do much to stop you.

To Defeat Snake Man...

Snake Man's lair is layed out much like Spark Man's in many respects, so Snake
Man, in traversing around his room, is always jumping and running. Don't run
with him. Instead, just stay right by the lair entrance and pummel him with arm
cannon shots from there, while avoiding the Search Snakes he shoots across the
ground at you one at a time (just jump over them). Staying in the position
you're in makes Snake Man run back away from you through his pattern, where you
can pummel him with arm cannon shots, hitting him in his back. Just make sure
to follow him when he jumps and changes heights for full effect from your arm
cannon. He's really that simple.

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GEMINI MAN
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Weapon: Gemini Laser
Primary Weakness: Search Snakes
Other Weaknesses: Magnet Missiles, Hard Knuckles, Shadow Blade
Description: Gemini Man is the coolest idea for a character in this game. You
might be wondering "what does Gemini have to do with anything"... but if you're
saying that, then you obviously don't know what the word means. Gemini means
"twin" and the power of Gemini Man lies primarily in the fact that he can
segment himself into a twin, and the two of them wreak twice the havoc. Thet wo
run around the room, onto the walls and jumping across the ceiling to the other
wall, where they repeat this process in a circle while shooting their arm
cannons at you. You can kill one, and that's when the battle gets more
difficult, and the Gemini Laser comes into play.

To Defeat Gemini Man...

Upon the battle beginning, it gets very fast paced as the real Gemini Man and
the twin Gemini Man run around the room, shooting their arm cannons at you.
Equip the Search Snakes and start firing at either one of them (they are
indistinguishable from each other), and jump over or slide under them as they
make their rounds to avoid damage. After half damage is inflicted upon them,
the clone Gemini Man will disappear and the battle will slow down drastically.
Gemini Man will now pace his room, making it easier to smack him up with the
Search Snakes. He can now unleash a powerful blast, the Gemini Laser, out of
his arm cannon instead of regular plasma shots he was shooting at you before,
so try to beat the crap out of him with Search Snakes before he can unleash the
Gemini Laser on you. Now that wasn't so hard, was it?

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NEEDLE MAN
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Weapon: Needle Cannon
Primary Weakness: Gemini Laser
Other Weaknesses: Needle Cannon, Shadow Blade
Description: Needle Man looks kind of corny, sure, but he is actually a menace
to defeat, if you believe it. That is, of course, if you don't have the Gemini
Laser in your aresenal. Needle Man has dueling arm cannons (the first Robot
Master to sport this look since Fire Man in the original Mega Man) which means
he can shoot at you twice as quickly with his plasma shot-looking Needle
Cannon. Also, his head is on a spring-like mechanism which allows for him to
unleash the needle-covered headpiece of his to be shot at Mega Man for a
certain distance before retracting to Needle Man's head. And he's always
jumping and moving, and is surprisingly quick, which makes him hard to hit with
the Gemini Laser... so you gotta get in close...

To Defeat Needle Man...

Needle Man can only take three or four hits from the Gemini Laser before
meeting his doom, but he's hard to hit with it unless you get in close. What
sucks even more is if you shoot a Gemini Laser at him and you miss, it'll
bounce from wall to ceiling to wall to floor, et cetera, for a few seconds
before you can shoot another Gemini Laser at him. While this makes it possible
that a rebound shot can hit him, it leaves you 100% vulnerable to him because
you can't shoot anything at him while the Gemini Laser is still bouncing around
all over the place. Instead of shooting at him from afar, risk getting damaged
by him and move in close. Shoot the Gemini Laser at point blank range to avoid
any mishaps, and he'll almost certainly jump away. Simply stay on him and
repeat the process a few more times until Needle Man bites the bullet. While
this technique leaves you open to more damage, you can always use an E-Tank if
you need to (you should have some by now, almost definetly), and this shortens
the battle greatly so that in the long run you'll substain less damage from him
using my technique.

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S E C T I O N V
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R O B O T M A S T E R S R E V I S I T E D
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This section is the in-between, between the defeat of the eight robot masters
in the game, and Dr. Wily's castle. Here, you revisit four stages in the game
(different then they were, and segmented into two parts now), the stages of
Shadow Man, Gemini Man, Needle Man, and Spark Man. In each stage, there are two
Robot Masters from the previous Mega Man game, Mega Man 2... but they aren't
literally there. Instead, a robot called Dark Master encompases the powers of
each particular robot master from the previous game and uses those powers
against you with great skill.

[in order which you should revisit the stages, for ease]

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SPARK MAN'S STAGE REVISITED
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METAL MAN
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Weapon: Metal Blades
Primary Weakness: Magnet Missiles
Other Weaknesses: Hard Knuckles, Shadow Blades, Spark Shock
Description: Metal Man, who almost looks like an oldschool doctor with his
sprite when you fight him (the blade on his head looks like that silver thing
old-school doctors used to wear, you know what I'm saying), is actually a cool
Robot Master simply because he won't attack you unless you attack first, or if
you get too close to him. If you stay away from him and don't attack, he'll
just stand there. The minute you start attacking, or get too close, he'll start
chucking his Metal Blades at you in full effect, but he'll stop if you stop. =)

To Defeat Metal Man...

In Mega Man 3, Metal Man is identical to that of his form in Mega Man 2, in
that he won't attack you unless you attack him first. Unlike his first
appearance, however, you don't have the Metal Blades to use on him, so you
can't kill him in one shot, unfortunatly. Dark Master's size also makes Metal
Man harder to avoid (although the slide really helps in this game when he jumps
from side to side). Metal Man can be beaten easily with the heat-sinking Magnet
Missiles. You don't even really have to fight him with any skill, just fire
upon him with the Magnet Missiles and they will almost always find their way to
him because they obviously attract to the metal of Dark Man.

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QUICK MAN
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Weapon: Quick Boomerangs
Primary Weakness: Gemini Laser
Other Weaknesses: Search Snakes, Magnet Missiles, Shadow Blade
Description: My personal favorite Robot Master in the Mega Man series, Quick
Man's name pretty much says it all - this robot is QUICK. Although I don't
quite see where his boomerang comes into the scheme of quickness, he chucks
those things around with great skill, as he should. Similar to Flash Man, Quick
Man's lair layout makes him harder than he should be. But if you know a few
tricks, this boomerang weilding friend of mine will surely fall to you...
quickly. Excuse the pun.

To Defeat Quick Man...

Quick Man had added size in this game thanks to the battle stylings of Dark
Master, but you have the slide in this game. The slide outweighs Quick Man's
new size, and hence, Quick Man is far easier to defeat in this game then he was
in Mega Man 2, even if you don't have the Time Stopper to take half of Quick
Man's energy from the get-go. The Gemini Laser works just as good on Quick Man,
however. While avoiding Quick Man's barrage of Quick Boomerangs as he rapidly
jumps around his lair, try to get up close to him and fire a Gemini Laser at
Quick Man from point blank range, just like we did on Needle Man. If you miss,
you'll have to either hope that Quick Man collides with a rebound shot of the
Gemini Laser, or wait until it goes off screen to be able to fire another. That
leaves you vulnerable, so make sure to properly aim your shots before you fire,
to avoid any mishaps, as Quick Man can be a true pain otherwise.

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NEEDLE MAN'S STAGE REVISITED
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AIR MAN
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Weapon: Air Shooter
Primary Weakness: Spark Shock
Other Weaknesses: Magnet Missiles
Description: Air Man, a robot with a big fan built into his chest cavity, has
the power to control mini-tornadoes, which can be a real menace, and are almost
inavoidable, because he tosses 'em at you so strategically. You'll have to get
in close to kill this robot master, because his tornadoes also block enemy
attacks, making him invulnerable to attacks from afar.

To Defeat Air Man...

Air Man is identical to his form in Mega Man 2, and just about the same size as
the Dark Master, so nothing here as really changed. The only thing that hasn't
changed is that you don't have the Leaf Shield to use on him from Wood Man, but
that's okay, because he's actually easier this time around. Equip the Spark
Shock and try to get a few shots through the Air Shooter he uses on you, which
shoots out multiple tornadoes at you that can be avoided in Mega Man 3 with the
slide (ha ha ha, couldn't do that in Mega Man 2!). These tornadoes block all
attacks by you, so try to find gaps, or wait until he jumps across the room to
fire at him.

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CRASH MAN
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Weapon: Crash Bombs
Primary Weakness: Hard Knuckles
Other Weaknesses: Top Spin
Description: Crash Man is a formidable foe, unless you are equipped with the
proper weapon, the Hard Knuckles, from Hard Man. Crash Man wildly jumps around
his lair, planting his Crash Bombs on walls and floors, waiting for them to
explode. His endless array of explosive devices makes any battle with him
explosive, but taking him out with one shot via the Hard Knuckles cools him off
a bit. He was easier in Mega Man 2 with Air Man's Air Shooter, but that's
okay... the Hard Knuckles do the job just as well.

To Defeat Crash Man...

Crash Man is easier to defeat in Mega Man 3 than he was in Mega Man 2, again
thanks to the slide. Crash Man jumps around his lair wildly, throwing his Crash
Bombs against the walls and floors, and they explode soon thereafter, having a
small blast radius around them. When Crash Man jumps, slide under him, turn
around and fire a Hard Knuckle at him before he moves again. When he fires
Crash Bombs, run away from them before they explode and keep repeating this
pattern on him. He's simple... and identical to his form in Mega Man 2, except
for the added size that Dark Master gives him this time around.

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GEMINI MAN'S STAGE REVISITED
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FLASH MAN
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Weapon: Time Stopper
Primary Weakness: Shadow Blades
Other Weaknesses: Needle Cannon
Description: Flash Man is a "flashy" blue robot that looks kind of sort of
similar to Mega Man in colorization and look. Flash Man's got that smug look on
his face, and it's for a reason; he's the weakest robot master in the game. =)
He's the first in the Mega Man series to use the infamous freeze time weapon,
and he uses it with skill simply because the layout of his lair is whacked out
beyond belief.

To Defeat Flash Man...

Flash Man was a sinch in Mega Man 2, and he remains as such in his reappearance
in Mega Man 3. Flash Man uses the time stopping device of his, the Time
Stopper, in conjunction with his arm cannon, and runs wildly around his lair
while using it randomly. When he uses it, Mega Man freezes in place and Flash
Man fires his arm cannon at you. You are frozen in that position until you are
hit with an arm cannon shot or Flash Man runs into you. Because he jumps around
a lot, you can slide under him, but jumping over him is harder than it
previously was with the added height that Dark Master gives him. Either way,
equip the Shadow Blades and pummel him with them, keeping on his trail to take
care of him very quickly, before he has the chance to do any more damage,
although he is the easiest Mega Man 2 remake in the game.

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BUBBLE MAN
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Weapon: Bubble Lead
Primary Weakness: Shadow Blades
Other Weaknesses: Spark Shock
Description: Bubble Man is the first underwater Robot Master in the Mega Man
series, and certainly not the last. Out of all of the Robot Masters in the
game, Bubble Man has the most attacks at his advantage (that'd be two), but
that doesn't really mean he uses them with that great of skill. His arm cannon
can shoot harpoon-like shots at his foes, while the device built into his
helmet and goggles shoots lethal bubbles made of lead, or the Bubble Lead. The
Shadow Blades can take care of him easily, however.

To Defeat Bubble Man...

Bubble Man is underwater, naturally, as he was in Mega Man 2. He has the same
one-two aresenal of harpoon shots from his arm cannon and Bubble Lead shots
from the insert in his helmet. The added size that Dark Master gives to him is
his only advantage, however. He'll jump up in the water and float down,
shooting a few harpoon shots to keep you at bay, and then some bouncy Bubble
Lead, which you can slide under or jump over. When you get close enough, pummel
him up with some hits from the Shadow Blades. If you have no more energy in the
Shadow Blades from your fight with Flash Man, the Spark Shock works just as
effectivly.

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SHADOW MAN'S STAGE REVISITED
----------------------------

WOOD MAN
¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
Weapon: Leaf Shield
Primary Weakness: Needle Cannon
Other Weaknesses: Hard Knuckles, Search Snakes
Description: Wood Man's name can be taken the wrong way, but don't take this
Robot Master too lightly. He uses the cliché shield weapon in this game, as do
many robot masters after him, but he has an advantage that the others don't...
that's not his only weapon. He can also summon down from above razor-sharp
leaves upon his foe, and his big size makes both he and his Leaf Shield nearly
unjumpable.

To Defeat Wood Man...

Wood Man was big to begin with, but Dark Master gives Wood Man even added size.
This sucks not because you have to jump over him, but that Wood Man's Leaf
Shield's circumference becomes even bigger in this way, and is even harder to
jump over. Wood Man will summon down some leaves from the heavens upon you,
which you can avoid via proper positioning, and then shoot his Leaf Shield at
you. He's invulnerable to all attack when the Leaf Shield is around him, but
not when he shoots it at you. Jump over the shield if you can (or let it hit
you, either way), and rebound quickly. Fire some rapid shots of the Needle
Cannon at Wood Man before he is able to repeat his pattern. He's that simple,
really... in theory, anyway.

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HEAT MAN
¯¯¯¯ ¯¯¯
Weapon: Atomic Fire
Primary Weakness: Shadow Blades
Other Weaknesses: Top Spin
Description: The final Robot Master on our journey (if you're following my
order, of course), is Heat Man, the zippo lighter look-alike. Heat Man can be a
toughie if you don't have the proper weaponry, so you'll almost always want to
make sure you use the Shadow Blade on him, unless you are one of the upper
echelon Mega Man players. Heat Man's atomic fire is shot out from his body, and
covers the floor with fire towers. In addition, whenever he is hit with any
weapon, he turns into a fireball and literally jets across the room,
incinerating everything in his path.

To Defeat Heat Man...

It must sound like I'm a broken record by now, but I'm not exaggerating. Heat
Man is tougher than his Mega Man 2 version simply given that Dark Master gives
him size... size that he didn't have before by any stretch of the imagination.
His battle tactics are the same, however. He'll shoot his Atomic Fire walls at
you, and repeat this until you hit him. So chuck a Shadow Blade at him, and
he'll shoot across the screen like a fireball. Then he'll shoot these Atomic
Fire walls at you from the other side of the screen. Chuck another Shadow Blade
at him and he'll again shoot across the screen like nothing. Repeat this
process on him and you'll slowly but surely take him down.

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S E C T I O N VI
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D R . W I L Y ' S C A S T L E B O S S E S
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This third primary section of this FAQ is to assist you in the battles with the
stronger bosses found in the game, that aren't Robot Masters, but are found in
your journey through Dr. Wily's castle! Again, I hope it helps!

[in order of which they appear]

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ROBOTIC TURTLE MAKER
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Weapon: Robot Turtles
Primary Weakness: Shadow Blades
Other Weaknesses: Arm Cannon
Description: The Robotic Turtle Maker is actually a mechanism that, itself, you
cannot inflict any damage upon. Instead, slightly above water, it randomly
shoots down green robotic, aquatic turtles at its foe, which land in the water
and swim at the foe, trying to damage it. In addition, the lair is lined on the
floor and both walls with tornado makers that don't inflict any damage, but
push you either up towards the mechanism, or side to side towards a Robot
Turtle. But it's not as hard as it sounds.

To Defeat Robotic Turtle Maker...

The Robotic Turtle Maker's weakness is nothing... as I mentioned before, you
can't harm it. You damage it by hitting the aquatic robotic turtles it releases
upon you. Equip the Shadow Blade, and keep in mind that firing while pressing
upwards will fire the blade upwards. Then, wait for the turtles to start
falling, and as each one comes, fire a Shadow Blade at it upwards before it can
even get down very far to destroy it in one hit. As you kill the turtles, the
next one coming out will get faster and more aggressive, so stay atop their
movements with a careful eye. They're that easy. Just make sure not to jump too
high, because the water makes you jump higher than normal, and you can jump
right into the mechanism itself, doing damage to yourself. Also be careful of
the tornadoes that come from the floor and the walls that I described above.

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ROCK MONSTER
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Weapon: Its Flying Body Parts (^_^)
Primary Weakness: Hard Knuckles
Other Weaknesses: Shadow Blade
Description: The Rock Monster is a staple of the Mega Man series. He is
basically identical to his form in the original Mega Man. His lair is slightly
smaller than normal, too, to make his flying body parts harder to avoid. The
Rock Monster, for those who don't know, shoots his body parts in forms of rocks
across the screen to the other side to reform his body. Then he opens his eye
(his only weak spot) and shoots a few plasma shots at you before doing the same
thing across the other side of the room. A new feature in Mega Man 3 on this
guy, though - sometimes, instead of segmenting his body and flying across the
room, his body parts will form clumps that will bounce across to the other side
of the room, and are actually easier to avoid if you utilize the slide.

To Defeat Rock Monster...

The Rock Monster's weakness is his eye, and you can only shoot it when he's
fully formed and his eye is open. Wait until he forms on one side of the room
and run at him when he's about to open his eye. Jump and fire a Hard Knuckle to
damage him, then avoid his body parts as he segments to the other side of the
room. Repeat the process over and over on him. If you want to do less damage
but take care of him quicker, the Shadow Blade is what weapon you should use.
It might actually make the battle go quicker, depending on your skill level.

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MEGA MAN CLONE MACHINE
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Weapon: Plasma Cannons and Deception
Primary Weakness: Arm Cannon
Other Weaknesses: Hard Knuckles, Search Snakes
Description: The Mega Man Clone Machine is an updated version of the clone
machine found in the first Mega Man. Instead of fighting a clone of yourself
one on one, however, this time around you fight three of them. On three
platforms there are three cloning machines. Out of each one comes another Mega
Man, but only one of them are real. The other two are fakes, but can still
damage you. Your shots go through the fake ones, but the real one can be
damaged by you. They change positions throughout the fight so you have to be
nimble in jumping from platform to platform in this battle.

To Defeat Mega Man Clone Machine...

I find that the regular old arm cannon works the best simply because you can
rapid fire upon the Mega Men. You just gotta be tenacious in this battle...
test them out randomly with each cycle of the cloning to find the real one, and
then fire upon that one while avoiding the shots from the one you are battling
and the two clones until they all re-enter the cloning machine to change
positions. You'll probably need to use an E-Tank here because the plasma shots
are very hard to avoid and you'll be concentrating more on damaging the Mega
Man clones rather then avoiding their barrage of plasma shots.

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DR. WILY
¯¯¯ ¯¯¯¯
Weapon: Large Machine (?)
Primary Weakness: Spark Shock, then Hard Knuckles
Other Weaknesses: Arm Cannon
Description: The Dr. Wily battle is on! Instead of fighting Mega Man in his
staple UFO like he has in the past two Mega Man games, and does in future Mega
Man games, Wily fights in a different kind of machine this time. This ground
machine moves about on two huge nail-looking legs and has many, many weapons...
what else can I say?

To Defeat Dr. Wily...

When Wily first comes out, you'll want to equip the Spark Shock. The large gun
turret on the bottom of Wily's machine is your target. Jump, and on the way
down, fire a Spark Shock at it, repeating this process until the gun turret
explodes. It only takes four hits, and Wily's first form is finished off like
that. Then, unequip the Spark Shock in favor of the Hard Knuckles. Wily will
now walk around on this machine of his. Every step the machine takes, the
machine will swoop down. Time your attacks with the Hard Knuckles so that the
slow moving weapon will get to him before he goes back up. You'll have to shoot
the Hard Knuckles before Wily even swoops down so they reach him on time.
Alternativly, for an easier victory, hop aboard the Rush Jet and fire at him
from the Rush Jet, out of the way of his plasma cannons and out of the way of
getting stomped to death by him!

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GAMMA
¯¯¯¯¯
Weapon: Plasma Cannons, et cetera
Primary Weakness: Shadow Blade, then Top Spin
Other Weaknesses: Search Snakes, Hard Knuckles
Description: Gamma is a huge robot that Wily stole from Dr. Light and brought
back to his castle to reprogram. Gamma is huge, but he's no match for your
aresenal, and he's actually many times easier than Dr. Wily was in your prior
battle, regardless of size.

To Defeat Gamma...

Gamma, the final boss, can be felled in a matter of 20 to 30 seconds if you're
quick. First, equip the Shadow Blade and go under Gamma's face. Then jump and
fire the Shadow Blades upward so that they hit Gamma in the head. Keep doing
this, repeating this, while easily avoiding the plasma shots Gamma's head
shoots down upon you. When the energy meter of Gamma gets to half, Wily appears
and enters into Gamma via his UFO. Now more plasma shots come at you, but no
problem. Wait for Gamma's arm to come from the right of the screen. When it
does, quickly jump on top of it and use that to get to the platform sector on
your right. Equip the Top Spin and jump right into Wily's cockpit area while
spinning, and one hit will take Wily down. That's game! Congratulations! =)

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S E C T I O N VII
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I N C L O S I N G
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I hope my little Boss FAQ for the game at hand helped you in your journey
through the lands of Mega Man 3, and made it THAT much easier. =) If you have
any questions, comments, or suggestions, please feel free to e-mail me at
[email protected]. Please, use reasonable language, don't demand things, and
above all, please be constructive, or your e-mail will be read, laughed at, and
deleted. I might even print it out and show my friends. =) Anyway, thanks for
reading, and take care.

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S E C T I O N VIII
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A B O U T T H E A U T H O R
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[accurate as of January 19, 2002]

I'm a 17 year old, a senior in high school. I live on Long Island, in New York,
about half an hour from New York City. I play ice hockey, I work at a deli, and
I love videogames, especially RPGs. My favorite series for videogames include
the Final Fantasy series (excluding VIII), the Dragon Warrior/Quest series, the
Mega Man series, and the Tales series. I aspire to go to Northeastern
University in the fall of 2002 to study History and Archaeology.

THANKS FOR READING!