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Mega Man 3 - Ridley X Hack 2

Levels: Okay

Graphics: Okay

Music: No Change (shuffled)

Enemies: Eh (more hp)

Bosses: No Change (Yellow Devil has a new room)

Weapons: No Change

Castle: Okay

Difficulty: EASY-MEDIUM

Comments: It's getting harder and harder to judge these early Ridley hacks as time goes on, largely because they've all congealed into this "it's alright" gelatin. Vanilla hacks lean heavily on their stage design, and with 3's Hack 2 it's no different—expect some decent levels, light challenge, and bolstered enemy hp. There's not much else here besides that, which is kind of the rub with Ridley hacks in general: nothing astonishes or captivates the player. Ridley X hacks are perfectly fine in a vacuum, but when you play them back to back, each individual experience feels simultaneously lacking and superfluous. 3's Hack 2 is decent overall but doesn't stick with you—which is par for the course with Ridley X.

(heads up: some bosses like Gemini Man, Crash Doc Robot, and Heat Doc Robot can softlock you)

This hack changes the levels and introduces enemies in levels they weren't before. It also pays homage to previous Mega Man games: Top Man's stage now looks like Air Man's stage.

The doors taking you to a robot master have a cool glowing effect. Impressive.

This hack is fun, and it plays a lot like an official Mega Man game.