Mega Man Zero 3 (Game Boy Advance) review "Dawn of the Dark McGuffin."

If you’ve been following along or playing through this series, you’ll be pleased to know that it picks up right up where its predecessor left off. The Dark Elf has been awakened, Neo Arcadia defeated, and what’s more is Ciel has finally completed her research and developed the inventively named “Ciel System.” Who says the adorable scientist doesn’t have an ego?

INTI Creates’ habit of keeping the successful parts of the formula and changing mechanics to be interesting to the player also has a way of reflecting the story, as well. The Resistance Headquarters has larger screens, a more powerful “trans” system for getting you around from one mission to the next, or to revisit areas you’ve been before. You’ll also notice that headquarters is less ramshackle and more next generation than previous versions.

So how goes the story? We have some newcomers, so let’s look at the introduction level. We’re greeted by an all-too-necessary prologue that briefly describes the event of past games so you’re well informed. Considerate. Our opening scene indicates that the Resistance is hopeful about the prospect of peace now that Ciel has completed her new energy resource.

Alas, their hopes are to be dashed, and quickly, as we are introduced to a lore teasing spaceship-like spire beyond the snowy vista during which Zero castigates his allies for daring to babble during the mission. Why he waited so long, only exposition will tell, as it does, but not that particular detail.

The Dark Elf has left its mark on the world, apparently the cause of all the devastation, and apparently the spire reeks of it. Strangely the Dark Elf knew who Zero was, and many a fan theory was sparked as a result. It’s these sorts of details that makes the Zero series of games so interesting to play.

Meanwhile, Neo Arcadia blockades the path of our heroes, and Zero must forge on ahead to ensure it is safe for them to continue. As the player, that’s your cue to toy around with a fully functional hero. Unlike previous introductions, Zero isn’t hobbled. He has his base weapons, the Z Saber and Buster, which you can charge and use to their full capacity. A nice change from previous outings, and suitable to the energy abundant situation of the Resistance.

This time I won’t be tipping the hat of the story entirely, as there some recurring characters and new players that shake up the status quo. Some of these are obvious, but others raised the audience’s collective eyebrows. Some of the questions are answered, but in series tradition, not all of them. The story as shifted from the tale of a threadbare resistance to a struggle between to forces of closer to equal power and resources.

The central McGuffin is the Dark Elf, who threatens to throw that relative balance into chaos, and so your goal is to prevent that. Missions and bosses orient around accomplishing this goal, while the latter will serve as a series staple obstacles. Just as before, your elemental chips will grant a slight edge against enemies and bosses, but it will be your combat and platforming skills that will do most of the talking.

This leads us into some discussion about Elves, who make a return, with the many of the same abilities, but new scope and depth. Admittedly it’s a bit of a confusing rabbit hole. As you play through missions, you’ll encounter secret disks, which a certain researcher will decode for you back at headquarters. These contain all sorts of things, like E-crystals, snippets of character profiles, enemy information and the aforementioned Elves.

You have the ability to evolve the elves without Ciel’s assistance, and can do so at any time, even during a mission. The three type categories are in force here, but there are two new sub types to consider: Fusion and Satellite. A Fusion Elf will “die” (says so in the game) when used, so at least make sure to upgrade it completely. Satellite Elves can be deployed between missions, and will provide a boost for the duration thereof, and they don’t die. Some will change type when upgraded, so finding a good place to farm E-crystals is a good idea, since a small drop is 8, and a large is 30. Each Elf is going to need between 300-400 of these, each. Yipes.

The abilities you get are well and above what was implemented in the previous game, though, as the entire engine has had a substantial overhaul. Zero moves more smoothly and is more responsive. He is almost too nimble for the size of the screen, and that can make some areas and enemy spawns feel cramped, especially when they keep respawning once off screen. You might notice that instead of three dash afterimages, he has four. It’s a small detail, but a big leap in coding efficiency for the Gameboy Advance.

Now, I can’t help the impression that this is where the story starts to get a little thin. By that, I mean that we’re entering speculative territory, with the introduction of new villains and their enigmatic origins. It can hurt a story to lean too heavily on plot elements like this and MMZ3 begins to suffer here. For a lead into the next game, it works quite well, but the payoff, as series veterans understand, doesn’t do what we hoped it would.

Now, that’s no reason not to play this game. If you’ve gotten this far in the series, you’ll enjoy what follows. Just be aware that there’s only one more game left in a series the ending of which is known, and it’s clear that INTI Creates started to flounder in ways that deep lore stories have a tendency to do. We love a good introduction, but a satisfying ending is particularly difficult to pull off for anyone. We don’t like it when good stories end.

In the meantime, this game is going to keep you busy for a while, hunting down all the secret disks, acquiring all the EX Skills by improving your rank on missions, and evolving all those pesky Elves. For a GBA game, and even a Mega Man title, this has some impressive depth and longevity. Another worthy entry one to sync your skills with.

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Community review by hastypixels (September 11, 2025) Retro, and moreso all the time.