Mega Man Zero 3

Zero begins the game with this. Operates very much like traditional arm cannons. It fires rapid shots and can also be charged.

This works very much like Zero’s sabers from the X series, except he can actually charge this one.

When this is equipped, hold down the appropriate button to put up a shield in front of Zero. This will reflect certain shots from enemies. Zero can move around while the shield is up, but he cannot dash while using it. When fully charged, Zero will throw the shield like a boomerang. However, Zero cannot use the weapon again until it returns to him.

This short-ranged weapon can be used in eight directions, although to use it straight up or down it must be charged. A charged Recoil Rod can push away enemies or rebound Zero off things below him.

When you don’t have an element Body Chip equipped, your charged buster shots turn into lasers which rebound off walls like the Gemini Laser.

When you have the Thunder Chip equipped, your buster shots split into a horizontal V shape (like the icon suggests). This affects even non-charged shots.

When you are equipped with the Flame Chip, your charged buster shots will explode into a brief burst of fire when they hit an object or the edge of the screen.

Basically, when equipped with the Ice Chip, your charged buster shots will turn into a triplet of ice shards which pause, then move forward. This one can be a little tricky to use at first because of the delay before it moves forward, but you can use it strategically as well.

When you dash and then swing your saber, you get a > shaped attack instead of a swing.

This is your typical down-stab attack.

This is the regular flaming upward strike.

When you use this, Zero creates a > shaped projectile that travels almost off the edge of the screen.

Rapidly press the Recoil Rod button, and after a few swings, Zero will begin using a rapid-slash attack. The main downside to this attack is Zero is pretty much nailed to the ground while he’s using it.

When you have this equipped and you aim a charged Recoil Rod shot straight up, Zero will fire four projectiles straight up from the rod. These shots eventually arc downward and land on the ground. They will also bounce off the ceiling if they hit one.

Charged Shield Boomerang shots will roll along the ground, then finally boomerang back to you.

Charged Shield Boomerang shots will orbit Zero for a short time before veering off and then returning to him like normal.

Energy pellets refill your life meter. The small ones refill 2 units—not a whole lot, but it can really add up. They will also fill your Sub-Tanks if your life meter is full.

These globes are the same as energy pellets except that more energy is refilled.

These are like currency, except they’re used to raise Cyber-elves instead of purchasing things. (Which is the same thing, basically.) They come in large and small sizes, just like energy pellets and capsules. Large ones are worth 16, small ones are worth 4.

These are the 1-Ups of this game, which allow you to retry after you die. Generally you will find them lying around stages. They are dropped by enemies, but rarely. Zero can carry up to 9 of them at a time.

These are permanent containers that can be used to store spare energy and carry it around until it is needed. They are reusable and can be refilled as often as necessary. To fill a Sub-Tank, acquire energy when your energy meter is full, and the energy will go to your tank instead. Tanks are used off the subscreen and refill your life meter. You can use a Tank that isn’t yet full, but it might not restore all of your energy.

These contain Cyber-elves, equipment, items, or information about the characters and plot in the game.

This gives your weapons the property of electricity when equipped, which will stun most enemies for a brief moment. You must charge to the second level to get this effect.

This gives your weapons the property of fire when equipped, which causes things to burn. You must charge to the second level to get this effect.

This gives your weapons the property of ice when equipped, which can freeze some enemies in their tracks. Like all Elements, you must charge the second level to get this effect.

While you have this equipped, Zero will not cause crumbling terrain to collapse by simply standing on it. Only useful in a few select areas.

This eliminates Zero’s horizontal recoil (as seen in the game play stats).

While you have this helmet equipped, Zero will automatically charge both of his weapons at all times—even during most story scenes.

Equip this and have Zero stand still in one spot, and eventually he will gradually begin regaining health.

This helmet shortens the time required for Zero to charge his weapons.

This enables a typical double-jump, although note that Zero’s second jump won’t be quite as high as his initial one.

These boots slow down the speed at which you slide down walls.

If you time it correctly, you can use this to jump on the surface of water.

When these are equipped, Zero runs faster.

These boots allow you to walk on ice as if it was normal ground.

When you have these equipped, Zero turns translucent when he dashes. You can use this to dash straight through certain enemies.

This combines all of the boots in one.

These elves give you some free extra lives (continues).

The vast majority of the Nurse elves restore some lost health when used. These are similar to a Sub-Tank except they don’t need to be filled first and can each only be used once.

She flies back and forth across the top of the screen. Occasionally she will drop a life energy pellet. Level her up and she will drop them more frequently.

When you use this one, the elf will turn into a Sub-Tank and appear on your subscreen. You can then fill and use this Tank as usual. Tanks never disappear.

There are a few elves which will increase your maximum health, including one which doubles it (it gives you an overlapping meter like what some bosses have).

If you fall onto spikes or lava with this active, you take damage instead of dying. The damage dealt is a big chunk, but still, better than an instant death.

This elf speeds up how fast you climb ladders.

At first level, this elf fires one bullet forward constantly. At second level, he auto-aims. Some variations of these shoot toward the ground instead.

When you use this satellite elf, it will catch you each time you fall into a pit. This works like Beat in Mega Man 7. Note that because the elf will catch you an infinite number of times, you can in essence use this to cross pits by just floating across them. However there really aren’t that many big pits in the game to take advantage of this.

This elf eliminates your horizontal recoil (as seen in the game play stats).

This increases your running speed slightly.

These elves follow you around, and when they spot an enemy they can affect, they fly over and latch onto it, stunning the enemy for as long as the elf holds. You can attack the enemy without harming the elf, and should you choose not to destroy the enemy, you don’t have to worry about leaving the elf behind because it will let go and catch up to you if you move far enough away. Not all enemies can be grabbed.

Use this on a boss to cut its energy meter in half.

These elves have a new function now; they shorten your charge time for all of your weapons.

When you use one of these powerful elves, the area in which you currently stand will become completely empty of most minor enemies. This is an excellent one to use in places with lots of pits or floating platforms where enemies keep knocking you out of the air.

This ensures that enemies which can drop items when defeated (such as energy, crystals, and such) will always do so. What items are dropped is still random. This is a useful one for gathering crystals.

Turns all minor enemies in the area into Mets. This one’s for real!

These elves raise your rank to A instantly when used. You’ll want to use this before you fight the boss of a particular stage in which you want to get the EX Skill.

These elves boost the power of your various weapons, depending on the elf.

When used, these elves will attempt to stun all enemies in the area for a short duration. Can only affect certain enemies.

When you use this, energy and crystals that you pick up are worth more. It’s much easier to fill your energy meter when this is active.

These elves give you additional abilities based on the elf. The elf’s description will point out what controller motion you need to use the technique.

Zero was awakened by Ciel after 100 years of stasis. With his memory gone, most of his past is unknown. He joins up with Ciel’s resistance force to battle Neo Arcadia, which for some reason is trying to eliminate Reploids.

This human scientist was involved in Reploid research before Reploids were banned. Now she runs a resistance group which strives to save Reploids who are being hunted down and destroyed.

This is a Reploid scientist who helps out the outcast Reploids and makes weapons for Zero.

A perfect copy of X? Or just a wanna-be? Whichever he is, he thinks of himself as a hero, yet has a heart of cold steel.

This scientist was banished from Neo Arcadia years ago when he started the Elf Wars using the Dark Elf and Omega.

Having lost his physical form in his effort to protect the Dark Elf, the original X now exists only as a Cyber-elf.

Once one of Copy X’s Four Guardians, Harpuia is still loyal to X and the humans he fights to defend.

This giant Reploid was jettisoned into space after he was defeated in the Elf Wars.

Her staff can block some shots, although you can get through it with the fire-burst explosion or the saber or such. She’ll then toss her staff and disappear off the screen, coming back on the other side of the screen, and the staff will move back to her, so if you take note if her location, you can dodge it. She also forms zombie-like enemies, and can go into the sand and her sarcophagus halves come up from the sand and then slam together, nailing you if you aren’t quick enough to jump over them. Finally, near the end of the battle she’ll cause the ground to change shape, going from flat and smooth to ragged, and she’ll start tossing her staff without switching sides of the screen, but this shouldn’t be a problem.

Hit him (her?) with a super-shot as you enter the battle just to soften him up. After that, if he stands in the center shooting flames in a circle around the room, stand in the left corner of the room, by the gate, and shoot at him from there, and the flames shouldn’t hit you. If he uses the flame-thrower, try to stay on the wall, or jump over him if he’s too close. If he tosses the little flames, you can stand in between them, of course.

He tosses ice shards, some of which turn into ice spikes on the floor, and he can shoot a wide beam which pushes you backward. The beam itself doesn’t hurt you, but it might push you into spikes or something else that you’d rather avoid. Also, sometimes he adds sharp ice projectiles into the beam.

He jumps around, fires missiles, and shoots a huge slash of ice across the screen. He also drops down from above with spikes below him, smashing into the ground. Keep your distance and come in close only to hit him with a saber slash. He reacts to Fire, but only when the water level is down (which it is if you find all of the switches). This battle is hilarious while the water level is down, actually, because his missiles don’t go anywhere, they just sort of drop down at his feet (but then they travel through the water along the floor).

The voice samples make this one sound like a woman. She (he?) can turn into flames and float around the room, and can shoot flames which land on the floor in patterns. Foxtar reacts to Lightning.

He has two blades on his arms, and he uses them to chop up a block that drops from above and send the pieces toward you. Climb the wall to avoid this. He can also fire his blades forward, or throw a circular blade which travels across the top of the screen, down a wall, then along the floor. Probably the easiest way to deal with this guy is to keep away from him and only come in close to use a saber weapon. In particular, try to stay behind him.

He spends most of his time near the ceiling, but drops down sometimes to throw energy balls which boomerang back to him. He also “blinks” (disappears and reappears somewhere else). You can stay on the walls to avoid most of his attacks, firing charged shots at him from a distance, or jumping over to hit him with a saber-type weapon, then quickly climbing the wall again. The only real danger up there are the energy balls he tosses along the floor, because those will climb the walls. Just drop off the wall and jump in between the bursts of energy, then climb the wall again when they are gone.

He walks slowly across the room while icicles form on the ceiling. He can stretch out his arm toward you, or throw shards of ice at you in an arc. And the icicles fall when you walk under them, of course. He can also slam the ground to cause the icicles to fall early.

He reacts to Lightning. His fireball attack can break the blocks in his battle room, but try to use this to your advantage to find places to avoid his attacks. He can also shoot flames around and summon little monkeys

The only one of Copy X’s Guardians who isn’t still alive. His attack pattern is largely the same here. He dashes a lot, so you have to be on your toes to avoid him. His throwing star acts as a boomerang, so jump straight up to avoid it, or make sure you’re running forward when you jump it. He’ll jump on the star when it returns to him and float around the top of the screen briefly dropping projectiles. Phantom can also make duplicates of himself (the dummies can turn into minor enemies), and afterward he’ll usually try to drop down on your head. Finally, sometimes he can chuck stars that land on the ground and stick.

You have to hit his head and I think the dogs on his shoulders. Frustratingly enough there are no walls to climb. He throws a box and then dashes through it, destroying it, so jump on the box then use it to jump over Kelverian. He also can separate the dogs from his shoulders into separate sprites that you can attack to damage Kelverian. And, as a cute attack, he bends a bar into a V shape, then throws it at you like a boomerang.

He can go through the holes in the room, then he sticks his head out one side and I think it’s his tail out the other side and his tail fires energy spheres. He also sometimes swims from hole to hole. And sometimes he comes out of the holes altogether and actually fights outside.

In bat form, they simply fly toward you, even through walls and floors. When they close their wings, they drop downward and then spin across the floor. They are invulnerable when their wings are closed.

Similar to enemies from the classic games, these cannons can only be harmed while their shells are open while they are firing. They shoot in two directions simultaneously.

This tank is shielded from one side. Hit it while it is swinging its spiked ball at you, or just whack it with a charged Recoil Rod.

Walks along ceilings and shoots a flurry of projectiles downward. Its shots can be destroyed.

These appear and disappear. They shoot dart-like projectiles in four directions simultaneously.

This pile of junk occasionally tosses chunks of itself at you. But it never seems to run out of ammunition...

This cannon only shoots when you get too close to its red sensor beam. The cannon turns back and forth. Try to approach it from behind.

These move back and forth and have no direct attack, but when you hit them, they explode. The explosion will harm enemies too, so strategic use of these bombs can really make your day.

Not really a cannon at all; this ejects small flying robots at regular intervals. There was an enemy in Mega Man X2 similar to this.

These enemies serve one purpose in the game, and that is to fly toward you when you trigger alarms in certain stages. They are relatively easy to deal with as their only attack is direct contact.

This cannon’s turret can change angles so as to attempt to hit you with its arcing shots. It cannot move, however, so just approach it on your terms.

Shoots twin shots and drops small bombs underneath it. Falls on the ground if you zap it or freeze it. If you’re really good, you can even shoot off its propeller and strand it on the ground. This won’t keep it from attacking you, though...

Now these are pretty funny. They shoot heavy cannonballs which roll along the ground. If you hit the cannonball with the Recoil Rod (or with your body, for that matter), the cannonball will change direction and begin rolling the other way. If the ball hits the cannon, it will destroy it.

Not really an enemy, although you can destroy them. These produce ice platforms which float upward. You can stand on these to reach higher areas underwater. However, occasionally Icebons will throw some spiked balls into the mix.

This flamethrower is shielded from one side. You can hit it with a charged Recoil Rod to turn it around, but if you do, you better be prepared to destroy it quickly or it will simply take the opportunity to barbecue you.

Little rats that typically appear from holes in walls. They are almost always found in groups.

Bees which hover motionlessly in the air for a short time, then suddenly zoom in your direction. If you want to dodge them rather than destroy them outright, you need to anticipate when they are going to make their charge, then move.

These things are hilarious. When you turn on a lamp, they are attracted to the light and just spend their time fluttering around it. In absence of a light source, these moths simply fly back and forth.

These cannons rotate around poles and cannot be harmed except while they are shooting. This property is probably their most irritating, because their locations can sometimes make it difficult to hit them with the correct timing.

A larger version of the regular Pantheons that punches at you with its over-sized arms.

This slower and more decrepit model has a sword arm instead of a gun. Depending on the angle of the floor, it may or may not be able to hit you.

It’s a humanoid robot that looks a little bit like X. Fires three shots rapidly in spurts. They reel when you strike them, so blast away.

Flying enemies with bombs underneath. They occasionally leave behind their bombs. I don’t even want to comment on the name...

This is a plant-like robot that shoots spores which grow into more copies of itself. However, each plant will only spawn so many copies of itself; the copies then just shoot normal bombs.

Little fish that, because of their coloring, look almost like fish bones. They swim toward you, trying to make your life difficult underwater.

Oysters similar to the ones found in the classic Mega Man games which are only vulnerable while they are open.

These are the Shield Attackers of this game. They are invulnerable from the front unless they are firing. So either wait until they fire, or shoot them from behind.

Very similar to the Crazy Cannon enemies from the classic games. They walk along then stop and shoot at you.

These little guys hide under the snow or sand, visible only by the little humps they produce. Then they jump out of the ground and toss a projectile at you. Try to stand beside them and hit them with a saber weapon quickly as they appear.

One of the more bizarre enemies; these cords hang from the ceiling, swinging back and forth, then eventually break off and start bouncing along the floor trying to bite you with the sparking end. Hit the “head” of the snake to harm it.

These cannons flip out from an otherwise plain wall and shoot at you. The irritating part about them is that destroying them accomplishes nothing. They will come right back the next time the tile flips.

Another classic enemy with a new look. These move back and forth on their surface, speeding up when you are standing on that same surface. Attacking them will cause them to pause for a brief moment.

These enemies shoot from volcanoes and other sources of magma, then trot along the ground trying to get at you.