In 1990 Capcom released Mega Man 3, the pinnacle of the long-running platform series. Ten years and more than 30 titles later, gamers still find themselves attracted to one of the very first in the series' long history.

This time around, the simple yet entertaining plot centers on yet another world-conquering plot by the maniacal Dr. Wily and the blue bomber's attempt to stop him. Luckily, our hero won't be going into the battle alone as he is accompanied for the first time by his pet robo-dog Rush, who can transform into a sub, jet, and springboard.

Standing between Mega Man and the villainous Wily are another set of eight deadly robots with sinister names such as Magnet Man, Hard Man, and Needle Man. Equipped with his mega buster, a slick new slide technique, and any enemies' weapons he picks up along the way, Mega Man must battle his way through over a dozen levels of pits, spikes, robotic monkeys, armadillos, and so much more.

MM3 truly represents the apex of classic platform gaming. Only on the Nintendo could there be a game with such simple yet amazingly fun game play that keeps one entertained for hours.

The third game in the series also marked the introduction of Protoman, Mega Man's long lost "brother." Considered to be an interesting plot twist for the time, the idea of a robot brother might come off as a little hokey by today's standards, but entertaining nonetheless.

The graphics are of standard old-school quality, yet still excel Nintendo's eight bits of power. Sometimes the action gets so intense that the game actually slows down in order to process the "large" number of moving characters on the screen at once (usually five or so). The tunes are catchy as well, especially Protoman's whistling theme, and will immediately send any old-school gamer back into memories of their childhood.

One of the few complaints about the game is that it's too easy for the hardcore gamer. For anyone looking to ease themselves into the Mega Man series, however, MM3 is the perfect title to begin with. Thanks to a certain cheat that allows you to go through the levels virtually invincible, less skilled players will be able to sink into the game easily.

For those who can't get their hands on an original Nintendo, the Internet holds hundreds of sites dedicated to Nintendo emulators and ROMs which are programs that allow users to download and play classic Nintendo games right on their computer.

The game's conclusion ends on an unresolved note as Mega Man spots Dr. Wily flying away to fight another day. Gamers, however, practically root for the mad doctor to escape just so they can have the assurance that they will get to battle him again in the next game.