Mega Man 3 NES

Mega Man 3 is Capcom’s 1990 sequel, notable as the debut of Rush, Mega Man’s robotic dog companion, and Proto Man, a mysterious rival who appears throughout the story before his true role is revealed. It also introduces the slide move, letting Mega Man duck under obstacles and enemy fire in a way the previous two games never allowed.

Series co-creator Keiji Inafune took on a larger design role here, and the game reuses all eight Robot Masters from Mega Man 2 as a second round of boss rematches partway through, alongside eight new ones — a structural choice the series wouldn’t fully repeat. It’s frequently ranked among the strongest entries in the NES Mega Man run.