Well, this is my second TA speedrun on GBA, this time running through Megaman ZERO 3.
My previous run was Rockman ZERO 4 (which is the episode just after this one.)
Here is what the movie features :
- Aim for fastest time
- Take hits to save time
- No Death
- Manipulate Luck (with bosses)
- Do not use any Cyber-elves
- Do not care about collecting Secret Disks (except Quick Charge)
Recorded with VBA 1.7.2 re-recording v10... using the US version of the game.
Though the gameplay is pretty much the same, you can experience some little differences :
- There are ladders in MMZ3 (while there isn't a single one in RMZ4)
- You CAN'T skip the cutscenes in MMZ3 before having seeing them once (at least...)
- Mid-bosses have an invincibility period in this game (they hadn't any in RMZ4) which is very annoying
- It's very personnal, but I find this game a lot harder than RMZ4
- Some find that MMZ2 is the hardest episode of the series... I think that MMZ3 is harder...
- It's the longest episode of the series...
In this episode, our dear hero Zero fights against Omega and Dr. Weil (who somehow reminds some people of Dr. Wily).
Even if you meet them, you don't have to deal with the three reamining guardians.
However you can fight Phantom in the before last level... AS it is optionnal and time-wasting, I have chosen not to fight him.
The funny thing in this game is that in most of the levels, I took more time to kill the mid-boss than the boss itself !
I shall describe briefly each level and their boss :
- Intro Stage (Omega) : 0'42
The intro stage is pretty simple, I try to kill a lot of enemies to get a high rank in order to obtain Hanumachine's
EXSkill later in the game. Not much more to say about.
Omega is the very first boss and is not so simple. In fact his attack are easy to dodge, however, as he is hovering
quite high over the ground, he is very hard to combo...
- Weapon Regeneration Factory (Hellbat Schilt) : 1'37
This stage is not very hard. I had to get hit to pass rapidly through the first hammer.
The only really annoying things are the conveyor belts and the "sticky" floors that slow you.
Hellbat schilt is annoying because he flies, making him difficult to combo. Though i dispose of him quite rapidly.
- Aegis Volcano Base (Blazin Flizard) : 1'52
This stage is not hard either... The Mid-boss is boring and the only difficult part is where you have to jump from
block to block over a lava pit...
Blazin Flizard is really easy and weak against thunder...
- Maritime Highway Ruins (Childre Inarabitta) : 1'27
Underwater level... I like this one, I use the recoil rod to go throughout long areas and to go over the high walls,
thus preventing me from wallclimbing and saving a lot of time. The mid-boss is not hard but takes time to kill.
Childre Inarabitta is incredibly easy...
- Old Residential Section (Deathtanz Mantisk) : 1'30
In this level you can burn the vines with the fire chip... However, as it makes the game lag i avoid to do that as much as possible.
There are 2 "hidden" secret passages in this level, the first one that allows you to skip a small part of the level, and the other one which makes you save a lot of time.
The mid-boss is quite tricky and long...
Deathtanz Mantisk is quite tricky as well because of his particular shape and his attacks are quite hard to dodge.
I dispose of him quite rapidly as well, though...
- Missile Factory (Crea & Prea) : 1'05
In this level I tend to destroy a lot of enemies to keep a high rank... It's not a hard level... with nothing particularly annoying...
Crea & Prea are quite easy even if they have three life bars... They can be attacked alternatively or simultaneously and thus you can deal them a lot of damage rapidly...
- Anatrey Forest (Hanumachine R) : 0'59
This is an annoying level... I have to pass through the leaves at the beginning of the stage... Then you have to wait on the switches to raise the walls and it's annoying...
The wall canon enemies are really annoying as well...
Hanumachine R is annoying as he cannot be manipulated at all... Moreover he is invicible while performing the fireball attack...
I use the buster to kill him rapidly...
- Ice Frontline Base (Blizzack Stagroff) : 1'08
Nothing really hard... At a moment a yellow crawling enemy fired small bullets that I dodged unporposedly... (i noticed it afterwards...)
Blizzack Stagroff is a piece of cake as i use the newly gained "Split Heavens" Technique...
- Desert Of Dusk (Anubis Necromancess) : 0'57
This level is annoying... The bombs enemies are a pain and the mid-boss is really hard... I got hit many times against him to combo him.
The "sliding" sands are really a hindrance........
Anubis is hard as she hovers high making her hard to combo...
- Area X-2 (Copy X-2) : 0'57
Not so hard, just slide all the way and then use the recoil rod in the elevators part...
I get hit to "spike-abuse" and save time...
Copy X-2 can be tricky if you're not careful as he has a regenerative ability... I combo him slowly to prevent him from using it...
some of his moves are hard to avoid as well...
- Snow Field (Glacier Le Cactank) : 1'19
Nothing particular, just a plain level. The only thing is that I collect the Quick charge secret disk, because it's a must.
Glacier is not hard at all and was killed pretty quickly.
- Energy Facility (Cubit foxtar) : 2'13
A very long level and quite difficult as well. Te rotating switches are a boring part of the level. The mid-boss is not particularly hard but can be tricky.
I got hit to go through the spikes and to climb the spikewall as well at the end of the level. I took an unnecessary refill pill at a moment.
The flying little moths are also a potential danger because of their strange movements.
Cubit Foxtar can be hard and dangerous, but as I combo her rapidly she was no threat.
- Sunken Library (Volteel Biblio) : 1'25
This level is really easy and except noticing that i took hit because of the electrified water to save time, there's nothing really to say.
Volteel Biblio is not hard, but i had to manipulate him to make him appear at the good place.
- Gigantic Elevator (Tretista Kelverian) : 1'58
This level is hard... The elevator part is really really hard and long and I dislike the rest of the level.
I somehow managed to do it in less than 2'00 and I killed the mid-boss very rapidly.
Tretista Kelverian is from far (in my opinion) the HARDEST boss of the game. He is difficult to hit, he has 3 life bars, and his attacks are pesky.
I got hurt a lot against him, in order to combo him rapidly... that was really hard...
- Sub-Neo-Arcadia (Crea & Prea 2) : 0'46
Not a hard level, but some tricky parts. You can fight Phantom in cyberspace if youwant, but I have chosen not to fight him.
The Baby Elves are back with a different pattern of attacks.
- Underground Laboratory (Omega, Omega Final, Omega ZERO) : 2'58
The last level... With all the bosses to fight again... And some icy ground...
Not particularly hard but you have to be cautious...
Omega is not hard as it only an upgraded version of the very first boss.
Final Omega is not hard with the double-jump and quick charge chips.
Omega ZERO is more tricky, but using the shadow dash chip makes him easier...
THE END... Final time (according the clock of the game) : 24'23
Et voila, j'ai fini...
Finally I would like to thank again Mike Uyama and McBain for providing motivation and useful advice...
Thank you guys !!
Enjoy the run...
<EDIT> I forgot to thank Zurreco for some useful advice about EXSkills...