<LigerOfFortune> HERE I COME YOGURT
*** LigerOfFortune has left #sda

First of all I want to say that I'm not using rapid fire/turbo buttons!

My old run in 48:08 took the third place in resets (a Swedish game-magazine) the best speed runs 2005. And here I am. Beat the old one with around 3 minutes.

I never thought I should be able to beat my old speed run with more then a minute and I thought that somewhere around 2 minutes faster (46 minutes) was the human limit. Now I'm here and am near to brake 45 minutes. A damn mistake on the last boss stopped me :( But I'm proud over this run anyway. I recommend it. It's a good run even if you can see mistakes everywhere. I will improve this run in the future and hope someone beat it. That should give me new motivation. And biggest thanks to my friend Mike. With out him I shouldn't beat this game below an hour =)

I want to do deeper comments on this run. If you try to beat this record run I'm sure you can find something.

Deeper comments (if you want to read)

History:
As a kid I didn't played much Mega man. I didn't like it that much. The autumn of 2004 Tim Trygg and Mikael Sjöberg (friends of mine) Played trough all classic Mega man games over a weekend. I played a little too and mike told me: "-Frez... you never going to be as good as I on Mega man games". I don't think he remembers it but I do, hehe. I borrowed Mega man 3 and begun to play it... In one month, every day and I reached a time somewhere around 55 minutes. I had so fun and couldn't stop playing it.
Mike and I had a little competition, we discussed tricks and brought down the clear time together but I played it more seriously then him I guess and think I had the record. I took a brake but then Mike beat my record so I was forced to play and beat him once again. And it was then I found this site. I found out that the famous SMB3 time attack wasn't played on a console by a human. It was called a tool assistant speed run. So I figured out that even I could do speed runs =)
A year passed and I played trough Mega man 3 now and then. Also played much Mega man 2,4 and 5 and other games that gave me skills for this game. People on the forums told me a few new tricks and I have watched the TAS some time too. I knew I could beat my speedrun with a minute or MAYBE with two. Mike (my friend) also played the game again and was very close to beat my speedrun so I guess he gave me some motivation. I remember that we played trough Mega man 3 on each TV at the same time more then 6-7 times in a row. Damn! That was fun =) I was hurt in my arm after all shooting, hehe. After a few days off to get my arm back I begun to play Mega man 3 again. Three days later (around 20 laps trough this game) I had four runs on tape with times around 45:30. I was so pissed off because one or two deaths stopped me over and over again as usual. Finally I got 45:10? And it was a relief. But still I got that mistake on the last boss =( I need a brake for this game. But I will definitely be back and beat this run. Or maybe does a NTSC run later.

General faqs and stuff:

This is a PAL run. It means I played on the PAL version, which is slower then the NTSC ( US ) and Japanese version. I guess PAL is 16-17 % slower. ( PAL use to run exactly 1/6 slower the NTSC ). But I'm not sure. Maybe cut scenes and stuff is the same and I think NTSCs lagging is worse. Maybe this speed run played in NTSC speed should have been reach 38 minute. But I'm not sure at all. The NTSC version is also harder since it faster.

Some people think I'm cheating with rapid fire, hehe. I'm not using rapid-fire and haven't even tried to do a run with turbo buttons. I shot pretty fast in some places in this run. Fore example the Proto man fights. But I have done way faster proto man fights. I guess my "live-speedrun" movies is up on my and Mikes Website soon or linked from there (www.freewebs.com/retrosuperstars ). Nice site ;) =P
I can mention that I used a really slack NES control with soft buttons. I can say that with an original hard XBOX control I shouldn't managed to shot more then two or maybe three shots / second.
If you studying this run I'm sure you can see that the shot-series mostly is irregular. (hear all "smacking" when I stand close to enemies)

For this speed run I used (as usual) a PAL NES, a 28" normal TV, An old really bad NES controller. (But Its good when you want to shot fast since the buttons is really soft), a big Swedish SNUS! And a VHS (VCR) video to catch the run.

My route for the first eight stages/levels is Magnet man, Hard man, Top man, Shadow man, Spark man, Snake man, Gemini man, Needle man.
Some guys say that begin with Gemini man is faster. I understand them and I'm not sure which is the fastest but I can tell you that its not a big difference. I have checked it a little and done some calculations. I actually think it's the same. Probably my calculations weren't good at all but I guess The "Gemini route" couldn't save more then 5 seconds. But I'm not sure at all. The Gemini route is also little harder. Do a good "Gemini fight" (that's the biggest time of lost in that route) is also very hard. And you don't save so much time that you think to use the Jet in a few places.

Mega man 3 have a little bit more different sliding then the later games in this wonderful series. In mega man 3 you have to slide a bit (a square, if you know what I mean?). You can't do so fast "slide-jumps". Its possible to slide a little to earn some time in the smallest platforms but its hard and very risky in this game. I did it in a few/several places anyway because it looks so cool! I also want to say that you can "slide-jump" in the water in this game. But not in the later Mega man games. The slides are also shorter in Mega man 3.

I will improve this run in the future or else I will do a NTSC (American version) run. I hope someone beat this record or make a NTSC run. That should motivate me to speedrun this game again for sure.

When I choose a stage on the menu I use the "hado(/u)ken technique", hehe. Draw the thumb on the "cross". And then push the B button. (If you wanted to know). I guess other speedrunners do the same.

If you wonder why I call R.coil some times when I don't have to... Its because he is a part of this game and I try to show him as much as I can. (Or something)

Sliding over gaps: --- It's possible to slide over some gaps in this game. The gaps have to be in the right size and I'm sure you have seen it if you have watched the TAS runs. It's possible to do on a console too, but super risky and very hard. You have to stand in exactly right route/pixel. I use to try it over the two small holes before you reach all bosses when you have to fight them again. Some times I succeed with sliding over one hole and a several times even over booth. I actually have a 45:30 run when I did that.
There is also two hole connected with two lasers in the Spark man stages. Mike and I tried to slide over booth of them. I remember when Mike slide over the holes one time. We were "heeeelt off"!...Then he did it again, HAHA!.... And I think he did it a third Time in a row. It was crazy. But I guess that's almost impossible to do on a console in a speedrun. (100% risky) :P

A goal for this run was to make it with out using E-tanks. I used two in my old run... Did I make it? No, I took two e-tanks in this run to. One was a mistake in the first needle stage and one I took before quick man. (I was hit one time more then I usually been and quick man is easily the hardest boss in the game)

The runs include lots of mistakes. You can see mistakes in every stage I think. But remember... This is Mega man 3. You must have 100% concentration everywhere and you can improve your moves everywhere. For example: better sliding, faster shooting and You always try to land as early as you can on every platform to use the slide, since that save you time. In many games there are long places that is like a transport. You can't do it faster then hold down the "forward" button. In Mega man 3-6 you have to concentrate all the time. (Except cutscenes) This is why you can't even get close to the "TAS-time".

Stage by stage:

Magnet man - This stage is hard to get perfect but since it the first stage is easy to push the reset button on your NES. The beginning of the run is good. The Protoman fights were OK. And after the long ladder I killed that enemy above me on the way up on the platform. It's very hard for me but I succeed. The stage went well and after all I was close my personal record on this stage even if I had no luck in the boss battle. Magnet man is very random. In the perfect battle he using his shield all the time except one I think (a fight with the buster). You can't take as many hits as you want. I guess its possible to do this stage a couple of seconds faster. Overall I did this stage very good!

Hard man - The beginning of this stage is odd. You loose much time if your slide and jumps is bad because of all lagging that the baby bees give you. The first two bees are not so hard to rush by. I have managed to rush by even the third one two times but guess it was a bug/some glitch, here. Anyway, If I had shadow blade here I should smack the bees down! And when I watched the run again something hit my mind. Maybe Magnet missiles could be of some use here :P But I'm almost sure its not working. Need to check it out.
BAH! I was one shot to slow on the first enemy after that too.
The gorillas didn't give me more troubles then usual but I jump on R.coil one time.
I tried to do The R.coil trick in the small place to the left from the ladder but didn't succeed =( And after that when I switched to the buster I did four mistakes in a row :S. probably one of the most unprofessional place in this run =( I was forced to beat half the stage with out get hit after that. The Proto man fight should have been awesome too. If I shouldn't missed three of my shots.
Maybe you think the Hard man fight was good but it wasn't. I use to kill him one shot quicker. Even the second fight later in the game was like this. *Sigh* I think this stage and the last boss fight was the worst in the run. But I don't loose more then some seconds and it isn't much in this run.

Top man - One of the funniest stages. The beginning was good and I killed the big "wheelers" (what do you call them?) pretty good if you compare with them from the Hard man stage. Then I switch to Magnet missiles. With that weapon I kill a cat, some enemy, another cat and finally an enemy in the spiky room after a ladder. I shooted one more shot then it was meant to on the first cat but was so lucky to get a small "weapon-filler" on the second enemy there :D
Do you know the "Top man glitch"? The TASERS use it and I use it too when I normally play trough this game. I actually don't see it as a glitch but I use to call it so. When you been sucked under the last spinning platform before Top man. It's very risky and hard to do in a speedrun. I haven't got a hang of it and that jump killed my speedruns ten times in a row before this speedrun. That's why I not use it. Actually I really wanted to do this glitch but I guess I'm too lazy. Except the Top man glitch I run this stage very good.

Shadow man - I actually missed that enemy in the beginning when I falling down. It's the first time this year!
The stage went well and it's not much to comment here. The hard "slide-jump, missile, slide-jump, missile place" Is one of the hardest place in the game. Small energy balls from the enemies when you jump can easily kill you.

Spark man - I use to do a fast slide and get past the first laser more fast here. But I did a "slide mistake" and took a hit. And somewhere after that one of this "green throwers" stand lonely in a room and try to kill me. I take a hit there and I guess that's the fastest way trough him. Later on the two holes connected with the lasers is as I mentioned somewhere above in this comment. I use to do a slide between the first laser and the second hole but was scary this time around.
And there is three stone coming down. I shot them for fun. I don't save time. Then there is a new big improvement when I get trough all the tricky small elevators before the boss. Guess I needed some practice there. I also use to have problems on Spark man himself. It wasn't a good fight. This stage wasn't so well done but guesses its OK.

Snake man - I love this stage!
I use the buster trough the first part of this stage. I know there are a couple of options but I like the buster. With fast shooting you can take out all enemies fast enough. My friend mike use shadow blade trough this first part. Also very good. You have to shot the big snakes four times with that weapon. Kennyman666 say that Hard knuckle is a good weapon against the big snakes. If I remember you only have to shot the Snakes once or maybe twice with hard knuckle. But that weapon is pretty slow and it isn't good in the rest of the stages as I can see. That's why I prefer the buster.
I missed to use the R.coil to jump up a bit on the first ladder up to the sky. (From there is for me the second part). Also did a mistake before the boss on the small platforms. I tried to do as in my old run. Shot the two cloud-bombs then jump to the next platform between them. Here I missed the second bomb and then I jumped on R.coil. I guess you see it.

Gemini man - one of the three boring stages in this game and very long.
The first place before Protoman I had some problems. Think that Magnet missiles could be of some use here if you studying and shot all enemies exactly when they show up. And then I slide in to Protoman and done that glitch/bug. With this glitch the music stops and the two big penguins later is screwed up.
I use to take some hits here and there. That's why a waited for the little penguin one time because that one don't give you so much damage as the big one.
In the water place here I have two options. Use coil and jump on all platforms or use the marine. The marine is much more safe so I choose it. But I lost some time when I was hit by a flea, hehe. Then I didn't have so much energy left so had to do the Gemini fight a little safe.

Needle man - a short stage.
Bad beginning here. Maybe shadow blade or Magnet missiles could be faster. I took an e-tank when I switch to Gemini laser. (It wasn't my fault)

Here I have a checkpoint. My best time is almost 10 seconds faster then this run.

Which stage should I choose here? I always do Spark-Gemini-Shadow-Needle. But it makes no difference.

Spark man stage (part 2) - I use Gemini laser to kill the enemy in the first ladder. I guess that it makes no difference if you use Gemini Laser or shadow blade.
I did a bigger mistake when a missile before Metal man hit me but it's hard to rush trough there fast. The fight against Metal man was OK. I wish I had Metal blade...
It takes some time to reach Quick man. He is easily the hardest boss in the game and since this is a speedrun I rush trough all the lasers and screws before him and have to lose half my life. This time I was hit one more time then usual so I took that E-tank :(. I did a very fast and good quick man fight so it wasn't necessary to use.

Gemini man stage (part 2) - Nae... The beginning of this boring stage wasn't good. I took on more hit on Flash man then usual do so I had to catch some energy from the marines in the water and so on. Not much to comment here.

Shadow man stage (part 2) - I took it safe past this spiky place in the beginning here. Have died so many times when I try to save some frames :P I used Needles instead of the buster after wood man to spare the time it takes to switch weapon.
When I switched to magnet missiles I loosed the rhythm in the "slide-jump, shot missile, slide-jump" place. But it's a hard place.

Needle man stage (part 2) - This stage is boring.
I made some tests on the way up on the ladders to Airman here. This use of R.coil is the best I could come up with.
Constant jumping on the Jet is to avoid taking "weapon-fillers". I try use to shot all this flying insects to avoid some lagging (don't know their name in English). In this part I lost much energy and had to take it easy all the way to Crash man. I always try to kill that enemy before the boss before he transform into a ball. I have never succeeded there but think its possible. Well...

"Break man" - Terrible fight against him. But it's a hard fight.

Wiley stage 1 - I did a glitch or something like that in the spiky room where you have to wait for the square to show up. It isn't hard if you know how to do.
This boss is very easy to kill. But hard to kill fast. I always have problems with this one. This is how my fights use to be.

Wiley stage 2 - I use Shadow blade on the three bees instead of running away. I guess it's faster and thanks for this trick goes to Mike. You loose lots of time if the baby bees are released. The baby bees also give you terrible laggings and troubles. I did some mistakes on the jet too.
Yellow devil: a slow boss, I can't beat him faster then this and don't know how to do. I have tried to blast him with three knuckles on the two first forms. I'm close but not more then that.

Wiley stage 3 - This stage was very well done. I actually did an experiment in this stage. I rushed in to the big stompers here but it was slower then slide under them.
I took out the mega man clones pretty fast. It wasn't meant to do that glitch so they shot down... It was the firs time as I can remember I did this! I can mention that the clone on the top ALWAYS is the real one in the beginning.

Wiley stage 4 - This stage is interesting. I haven't found a good technique on this "stone man" here. I always take damage. What should I do? I hate them =) after that I didn't succeed to slide over this gaps :/

Magnet man: I use Spark chock on him. I recommend you to use Shadow blade instead. Spark is a little bit faster if Magnet man use his shield but In this case I should save a second or two If I used Shadow blade since I can reach Magnet man in the air with that weapon.

Gemini man: Could have killed him faster.

Hard man: As I said. He can be killed one shot faster.

Top man: The game freezes some seconds when I kill him hard Hard knuckles. Don't know a faster way.

Actually I don't know why I took that energy after I killed Snake man. Looks bad.

Wiley stage 5 - Not much of a stage But I'm satisfied with this boss fight. I don't think I have been close to kill him this fast!!!!

Final boss - This was a new way for me to kill him and I need to do some practice on this technique. I think a perfect fight here should give me a sub 45 run. But if you don't like it, make your own run :P

Thanks to:

Mikael "Mike"pro-jounin"micke" Sjöberg (mike): My dear friend. We brought down the clear time on mega man 3 together. He has find lots of tricks and I guess he will do some speedruns in the future. He working on a cool "Shadow-blade" run on this game. (Begin with shadow man) and use shadow blade at all places there its good. If you have some question about shadow blades you are free to ask him.

All mails and MSN friends I got because of my old run. I appreciate it =)

As usual:

Radix for this site and his work. And Nate for capturing all tapes.

The people on the forums. They always are pushing each other.

The TASers for all tricks they find.

Probably have forgot someone :P

Enjoy!

// Swedish gamer, Freddy "Frezy_man" Andersson

PS. this comments took a whole day of my life so hope its interesting =P