Board 8 > Robazoid Ranks MMX1-3: 24 Mavericks, 24 Stages, 24 Songs

(+) Yeah! (+)

This is a quick ranking project I've wanted to do for awhile. The write-ups won't be super long, but I do try to get my thoughts across. While I'm certainly no expert on these games, I grew up with MMX and MMX2. I only played MMX3 for the first time this year, but I've done all three several times since I discovered they had randomizers. This forced me to fight bosses in strange orders, often without having much health or the weapons they're weak against, which gave me a new appreciation for some things and a newfound hatred for others. I hope there are enough MMX fans here that we can discuss them.

I'm only ranking the eight main stages, the eight Mavericks, and the main stage songs from each game. I considered doing full boss rankings, but I realized the Sigma Tower bosses and stages would all be at the bottom. The only boss I genuinely enjoy is Serges in MMX2 because he's fair, interesting, and keeps me on my toes. Difficult bosses like Bospider or Violen are annoying, while easy bosses like Agile or D-Rex are just boring. So let's just stick with the main stages and bosses.

Note: Even though I'm ranking songs, I have almost zero musical knowledge. I won't be able to articulate most of my thoughts, but I'll do my best.

Now, let's start with the worst in each category...

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/6/64eb312e.png

24. Boomer Kuwanger (Mega Man X)

As a kid, Boomer Kuwanger was the one Maverick I could never defeat with the buster alone. Which is odd, because he only really does two things. He occasionally throws an easily dodged boomerang, which is fine. For the most part, he just constantly teleports around. That sucks for two reasons. One, without an armor upgrade, touching the enemy is a huge source of damage. Boomer Kuwanger constantly trying to teleport inside of you is super annoying. Worse, he's immune to damage when he's teleporting. Half your shots don't hurt him, which means the battle takes forever. He's simply no fun to fight with the buster. However, the real problem is that he's one of many Mavericks who are completely trivialized by using his weakness. Homing Missile annihilates Boomer Kuwanger almost without trying. So, in a fight using the buster, he's difficult in an annoying way. But if you use his weakness, he's way too easy. Boomer Kuwanger is the worst of both worlds, either too hard or too easy. I hate fighting him every time no matter what weapons or upgrades I have. He is never a fun boss.

STAGE
24. Tower Stage (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8a88gH-n7Y

Hey, the worst Maverick has the worst level too. What are the odds? The problems in this stage are evident right from the start with the first two enemies. A shield guy who's tough to kill without getting hit, followed by one of those red cannons that go up or down to dodge your shots. This whole level is just climbing up fighting one annoying enemy type after another. Turtles in enclosed spaces? Check. Indestructible enemies who shoot you if you touch a laser? Check. The elevator portion also has instant death spikes, so make one mistake and you have to do it all over again. The part where you climb the exterior of the tower is also annoying. You're left waiting for platforms to come out so you can destroy the cannon on them and slowly climb up one step at a time. This whole level is just stop and start, there's no momentum. There's a heart upgrade at the top, but the easiest way to get it is with Boomer Kuwanger's weapon. That means you have to play through this entire awful level twice. Nothing about playing the Tower Stage is enjoyable. In my opinion, it is the easy pick for the worst level in the first three games. I am never happy to play through it.

SONG
24. Launch Octopus (Ocean Stage) (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ik8kWVBBn-w

There are parts of this song that I enjoy. It definitely gives an oceanic vibe, which is a plus. Parts of it are kind of catchy. 0:19 to 0:31 show how good this song could have been. Unfortunately, I just hate that harsh noise that's present throughout. The song opens with it, a jarring, discordant banging noise that makes me wince. Then it's a common motif the whole way through. I don't know enough about music to describe it as anything other than grating. If you removed that, this would be a fine song. With it, I just can't handle it. Maybe that's an unpopular opinion, I don't know. All I know is, this is the only MMX song I outright dislike. Everything ranked above this is boring at worst.

Having level 3 charge makes Tower stage much better, since you can get the heart with charged shotgun ice and charged rolling shield makes a couple sections much easier.

I haven't played this game in 20 years, but for some reason I want to push against Boomer Kuwanger's last placements. I have no argument except "I don't remember him being that bad." Come to think of it though I probably did just homing missile him to death every single time I played him though since I remember always doing his stage last

MacArrowny posted...

Having level 3 charge makes Tower stage much better, since you can get the heart with charged shotgun ice and charged rolling shield makes a couple sections much easier.

This is true, and back when I played the game as a kid it definitely helped. Now that I've been playing these three games randomized, though, sometimes I have to climb the tower first level. And it's just... miserable. There's no other level in the game as unfun to go through with nothing but the buster. And, even with end-game weapons and upgrades, I still don't like it.

colliding posted...

I haven't played this game in 20 years, but for some reason I want to push against Boomer Kuwanger's last placements. I have no argument except "I don't remember him being that bad." Come to think of it though I probably did just homing missile him to death every single time I played him though since I remember always doing his stage last

I should say that this list is obviously based on my personal opinions. I feel like everyone will have different bosses they're instinctively good at. What feels like an unfair challenge to me could feel like a rewarding difficulty to others. I just can't seen to find a rhythm with Boomer Kuwanger (or the maverick coming up next). There are some who are hard but I feel good when I overcome them. Boomer Kuwanger just feels bad to fight, in my opinion.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/7/70415059.jpg

23. Sting Chameleon (Mega Man X)

Sting Chameleon has a lot of the same problems as Boomer Kuwanger. Using the buster only, I find the fight more annoying than anything. Sting Chameleon often goes invisible and cannot be shot. It makes sense, I mean he is a chameleon. I also like how it looks with him sticking out against the background. But it drags the fight out. The number of times I've fired a fully charged shot only for it to do nothing because he started camouflaging at the last second is frustrating. He also has an attack that, for the life of me, I can never seem to dodge. He crawls towards me and reappears, lashing out with his tongue at the same time. If I jump to avoid it, he lashes out a second time instantly and hits me anyway, every time. This is not a fun fight to go into without a bunch of health upgrades. Some of his attacks are neat, like when he shakes the ceiling to drop thorns. Still, the tongue attack and the invisibility makes Sting Chameleon an annoying battle. He's also a boss who is trivialized by his weakness. If you have Boomerang Cutter, you can pretty much just stand in the middle of the screen and shoot him whenever he jumps into a corner. So, like Boomer Kuwanger, Sting Chameleon is either annoyingly difficult or brain-dead easy. I never enjoy fighting him. The nicest thing I can say about him is I like how he looks, especially the way his eye spins around when he first lands in the boss room. He certainly looks cooler than Boomer Kuwanger.

STAGE
23. Safari Park Stage (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTIao1GF7a4

For the most part, I don't hate this level. The first portion is a fun area to jump around in with the dragonflies and red guys throwing spike balls. The level has semi-obvious secrets that are still fun to discover, like how that one cracked wall stands out and how I intuitively knew I needed to hit it with the drill weapon. Unfortunately, Safari Park is dragged down by the miniboss. I hate, hate, hate fighting the sandworm. The guy in the video I linked makes it look easy, but I struggle so much against this stupid thing. You can only damage its head, and you have to do it while dodging spike balls and trying to guess where it's going to unburrow from. I always struggle against it for reasons that don't feel fair. This thing is the true threat of the level, not Neon Tiger. It's sad that one miniboss can drag down an entire level, but... it can. I dread playing through Safari Park because I know the sandworm is going to kick my ass. The tiny hitbox and the bouncing spike balls make it hard to find an opening to shoot it. Some bosses are a fun challenge to overcome. The sandworm is just "I fired and oh I missed the tiny head, time to wait for it to unburrow again".

SONG
23. Tunnel Rhino (Quarry Stage) (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eiMd7r1G5I0

This song doesn't have anything jarring like Launch Octopus' theme did, but Tunnel Rhino's theme just never grabs me. It feels like a song that never builds into anything. It really sounds like it's going somewhere for a few seconds from 0:07 to 0:09, but then it just stays at the exact same level with a mediocre tune that feels like it's repeating over and over. And it just... stays there for the entire rest of the song with no sections that stand out to me. It's like the song has no energy. I honestly don't have anything to say other than that. Tunnel Rhino's song feels empty.

Sting Chameleon might be at the bottom for me. Too much disappearing

Launch Octopus is the first one to have both the boss fight, the level, and the song eliminated and we're only three entries in. I guess that makes him the worst Maverick of them all.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/8/85c2a87e.jpg

22. Launch Octopus (Mega Man X)

I swear, I do like some MMX mavericks, just not these bottom three. Launch Octopus is at least a good example of what I look for when using a boss weakness. Sting Chameleon and Boomer Kuwanger are trivialized by theirs, but even if you have Rolling Shield you still need to watch out for Launch Octopus. I like how it can destroy his projectiles while rolling towards him, helping protect you too. Unfortunately, you can't damage him when he's spinning and creating a whirlpool, and he does that a lot. This is yet another boss where you can't hit him during regular portions of the fight. Still, the real trouble with Launch Octopus is that, in my opinion, he's a poorly designed boss if you fight him with very few upgrades. Have you ever tried fighting Launch Octopus without dash boots? Of course not, what kind of crazy person doesn't go through Chill Penguin's stage first to pick them up. Well... when I was playing these games randomized, I had to. That whirlpool move Launch Octopus does went from an annoyance to deadly. It's almost unavoidable damage if you can't dash away from it. I'm not a fan of that. Every other boss, even Storm Eagle who also pushes you around, can be beaten without dash boots. Launch Octopus makes it a chore. The best thing I'll say about him is that I like how he gestures 'you're going down' with one of his tentacles at the start of the fight.

STAGE
22. Ocean Stage (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rfS1CSgXEg

Hey, this matches 22nd with Launch Octopus. I don't hate Ocean Stage, it's not as bad as Tower. There are just too many minibosses here. There are two of those submarine things, one with instant death spikes that it pulls you onto. The coolest part of this stage is when you ride a cyclone of water up onto a boat, destroy the boat, and sink it through the floor into an optional snake miniboss. I genuinely love the sense of discovery this has. It's one of the more unique secrets in these three games, and the snake is a cool fight where you ride him and shoot at his head or tail. Unfortunately, it's undermined by having a second snake miniboss right after it. Ocean Stage has four minibosses! It's just too much. I'm also not a fan of the blowfish enemy where all they do is suck you in. They don't hurt you. They just waste your time until you blast them from inside, and then you're probably pulled in by another nearby fish, wasting even more time while in zero danger. Between the blowfish and repeated minibosses, this level doesn't respect my time.

SONG
22. Sting Chameleon (Forest Stage) (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LsJ-wvyflA0

Well, I disliked the Launch Octopus song in 24th and the Tunnel Rhino song in 23rd was boring. It's a sign of how good the soundtracks are in these three games that, at 22, we're already at one that I consider 'fine'. What holds this theme back, more than anything, is that nothing about it really stands out to me. My favorite part is from 0:24 to 0:34. The rest of it just strikes me as a generic MMX tune. It also doesn't really give me a forest vibe. Lots of MMX songs really sell the level's theme, like even if I never played the games I feel like Chill Penguin's song would give me a feeling of snow. Sting Chameleon's theme just doesn't do it for me.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/5/5550ad31.jpg

21. Tunnel Rhino (Mega Man X3)

There are a lot of MMX3 bosses whose main strategy seems to be going right and left. Of them, the worst offender is Tunnel Rhino. I swear, most fights against him boil down to the same pattern. You climb the wall, jump over him when he slams it, shoot him in the back, repeat. He tries to mix it up halfway through by firing drills behind him, but you just... jump after they move out of the way. As long as you get the timing down, beating Tunnel Rhino without getting hit is easy. Not all the easy bosses are bad, as the rest of my ranking will show. Sadly, Tunnel Rhino is both easy and boring, a damning combination. He's not miserable to fight, but I never look forward to doing battle with him. He's just an obstacle, quickly dispatched. Climb wall, jump, shoot, repeat. Nothing flashy. Not much else to talk about.

STAGE
21. Forest Stage (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmOLx6ztY60

This stage is surprisingly short. There's the opening section with various enemies, a short cave, and then you drive ride armor up to the boss door. Along the way, there's an optional miniboss guarding an upgrade capsule. This boss is braindead easy, just swinging an arm, then jumping across the screen and repeating. The annoying thing about it is that it has so much health. It takes a solid two minutes of mindless shooting just to destroy it. There really isn't a whole lot else to talk about in this level... except for my favorite thing about it. Once you defeat Launch Octopus, the area below the cave floods, allowing you to reach an upgrade. I wish the games had more of this sort of thing. There are only a handful (this one, Chill Penguin freezing the factory, Storm Eagle crashing into the power plant, and in X3 Blast Hornet stops delivering weapons to Gravity Beetle). I feel like these games would feel a lot more unique and have more replayability if the boss order mattered more. These changes to levels depending on who has been defeated are a great way to use that. Even if I'm not a huge fan of the rest of Sting Chameleon's level, I do enjoy this.

SONG
21. Overdrive Ostrich (Desert Base Stage) (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ9l-DRUgpo

I think this track is mostly fine. I enjoy the drums throughout, which create a catchy beat. My favorite part is a short section between 0:30 and 0:33. Still, as catchy as it is, it isn't all that memorable. I also feel it doesn't fit the stage very well. The main point of Overdrive Ostrich's level is riding the bike, and this doesn't feel like a bike song. It's a bit fast-paced, but just... not a song that fits this level very well. I apologize for not having much else to say about this one. It's a fine song, doesn't really fit the level, and isn't one of my favorites.

If you think the ranking stops just because no one is posting you are mistaken!

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/48ac1fd2.jpg

20. Gravity Beetle (Mega Man X3)

Gravity Beetle isn't as boring as Tunnel Rhino, but he's pretty close. Usually, he just shoots out a gravity orb and then hops slowly forward. If he catches you, he can do some damage, but you can almost always jump over him as long as you're careful. Later in the fight, he launches a bigger gravity thing that looks cool, but it doesn't change the flow of battle much. Gravity Beetle is just too slow to be exciting or pose any threat whatsoever. Like Tunnel Rhino, he's just an easily defeated enemy. The most interesting thing about him is that he's apparently Boomer Kuwanger's brother, out for revenge. Too bad the first three MMX games don't have much of a plot for these guys beyond supplemental material. That's a neat motivation that would have been fun to explore. On the other hand, Boomer Kuwanger is the worst and isn't worthy of being avenged.

STAGE
20. Power Plant Stage (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNnth-AzVSQ

The best thing about Power Plant is that it changes if you go there after defeating Storm Eagle. Once the airship crashes into it, the beginning is all wrecked and formerly electrified floors are busted and sparking. I love how you can actually see the debris of Storm Eagle's ship in the background. No other level in these games connects to another one quite like that. Unfortunately, the rest of the Power Plant just kind of annoys me. In particular, I hate the section where it gets dark and a moon-shaped robot flies towards you. They make it harder to navigate and force you to prioritize caution. It's unique. I honestly can't think of anything else like this in any of the games. Sadly, I just find it annoying to not be able to see what I'm doing and get smacked in the face by a moon. On the plus side for this stage, I like the miniboss, a robot in a bubble who sticks you to the floor and shoots bolts of power. If the Power Plant is damaged after Storm Eagle, there's no power for it to draw from, making the fight a lot easier. Man, good ideas like that make me wish the level-changing mechanic was more of a thing in these games. I love seeing the miniboss impotently fire nothing and feel accomplished because, I did that when I blew Storm Eagle out of the sky.

SONG
20. Toxic Seahorse (Giant Dam Stage) (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vZxiNK7MCg

We're now firmly into the 'these songs are good' tier, and it all just comes down to personal preference. For the Giant Dam, which opens in a filthy sewer, I'd have preferred something that had more to do with that theme. A song that makes me think of water, maybe, like Bubble Crab's. But this is still a great song. It's got a powerful beat, and I like the overall tune. I prefer the first five seconds to the rest of the song, but it's all good. No complaints. Just nothing in it that makes it one of my favorites.

Every post that goes by without Crush Crawfish's stage confuses me

I like Spark Mandrill's stage a fair bit, it's surprisingly non-descript but I think dashing through the dark hallways is fun

Surprised to see three X1 guys at the bottom here too - I think Octopus, Chameleon and Kuwanger are all way more dynamic and fun to fight than Beetle or Rhino

I hate X3 in general though - I'm not sure there's a single X3 boss, stage, or song that I would rank above ANY X or X2 boss, stage, or song. I'd genuinely have to think about it.

Hey, I'll take a tag here, and an opinion: most of X3's songs do not play nice with SNES, but the PSX versions that play the arranged soundtrack almost all lose their impact. (At least they dont hurt like Tunnel Rhino's, Toxic Seahorse's, and presumably, Neon Tiger's SNES tracks do.)

Paratroopa1 posted...

Surprised to see three X1 guys at the bottom here too - I think Octopus, Chameleon and Kuwanger are all way more dynamic and fun to fight than Beetle or Rhino

I hate X3 in general though - I'm not sure there's a single X3 boss, stage, or song that I would rank above ANY X or X2 boss, stage, or song. I'd genuinely have to think about it.

Despite having low rankings for a lot of X mavericks, stages, and songs, I'd actually rank the games as X2 > X > X3. I don't hate X3 but it's easily the weakest overall experience. X has high highs and low lows, in my opinion. X3 is more mediocre overall. X2 I can play over and over and never get tired of it.

Isquen posted...

Hey, I'll take a tag here, and an opinion: most of X3's songs do not play nice with SNES, but the PSX versions that play the arranged soundtrack almost all lose their impact. (At least they dont hurt like Tunnel Rhino's, Toxic Seahorse's, and presumably, Neon Tiger's SNES tracks do.)

I actually had no idea the PSX ones were different versions! I listened to them and, yeah, some of my favorites lose their impact. Tunnel Rhino's PSX version is still boring, too. But I thought Toxic Seahorse's song was way better with the PSX version. The best way I can describe it is that it felt more grimy, like sewer. I got that vibe from it way more than the SNES one linked above.

Proud to be the Command Mission voter in the poll.

Its been a while since I played X3. Interested in the X and X2 opinions though. Im a bit surprised at the low X stage rankings.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/ddbbf2c2.jpg

19. Neon Tiger (Mega Man X3)

We're officially out of the 'boring' tier and into the personal preference tier. Neon Tiger isn't easy like Tunnel Rhino or Gravity Beetle. His main attack sends a lot of bullets flying, and he often zooms across the stage, either diagonally or straight towards you. Even after learning his moves, you still need to watch out. He also isn't trivialized by his weakness, Spinning Blade is too unwieldy to really exploit like other weapons. Those are all positives for Neon Tiger. I just... never enjoy fighting him. His attacks and moveset make it difficult to hit him consistently. When he's on the wall, he's spamming bullets so it's hard to climb up and hit him. When he's on the ground, half the time he's turning indestructible and charging at you. All I know is, whenever I head into his level, my reaction is always "ugh, I don't want to fight Neon Tiger". Maybe that's unfair, but it's my ranking and I'm ranking him low.

STAGE
19. Quarry Stage (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-s_Zjs6NImQ&t=1s

This stage, much like Tunnel Rhino himself, is boring. At the very beginning, there are enemies holding giant boulders. You can't dash under them fast enough. The strategy is just to... stand still and wait for them to drop them. They exist to slow you down, which is a common theme in this stage. One of the main hazards is mud falling from the ceiling. It doesn't hurt you, it just pushes you down, slowing your progress. This stage has tons of those annoying enemies that drill into the ceiling and create a wall that can't hurt you but you have to take a second to blast through. I'm also not a fan of how nearly every secret in the level requires charged up Triad Thunder to knock down some boulders. They should have had varied secrets that required different weapons, not the same thing over and over. It's lazy, and there's no sense of accomplishment to the later ones after you've learned the first one. The best thing about this level is that it doesn't have any major problems. Just a lot of minor ones that make it not super fun to play.

SONG
19. Gravity Beetle (Airborne Aircraft Carrier Stage) (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ze39UzNocMg

I like this song for the most part, even if it isn't one of my favorites. I don't know quite how to describe it, but it has a kind of upbeat heroic quality that's rare in the soundtrack. My main problem with it is that there isn't much variety within the song itself. Around 0:27 it sounds like it's starting to build into something, but it never does. It stays at about the same level the whole way through. Not much else to say about it. Man, I'm looking forward to getting to my favorite songs and out of this 'this song is okay I guess' tier.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/e/e7d39849.jpg

18. Bubble Crab (Mega Man X2)

I think Bubble Crab looks really cool, especially when you go over him and he jumps up covered in holographic green spikes. Unfortunately, Bubble Crab has too many annoying qualities. The bubble shield he summons makes fighting him with the buster a huge pain. You have to blast through that thing over and over to do tiny bits of damage. To really hurt him, you have to jump over him and bait him into doing the jump attack, but he sometimes summons minions who float around at the top of the water just to block you. Buster-only, this battle is just frustrating. I'm also not a fan of how his rematch boss room has insta-death spikes at the top. Instant death has no place in a boss room! However, it's so satisfying to fight Bubble Crab if you have Spin Wheel. It cuts right through his annoying bubble shield. And if you get lucky, it can hit him two or three times as he jumps around trying to get away from it.

STAGE
18. Shipyard Stage (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRFMQg1n01I

Note, the video I linked goes through the Vile section, but I'm not ranking that. I think the Shipyard stage is mostly fine. I like how, near the start, a big robot falls down and breaks through the floor. It looks so goofy, but that makes it great. This stage has fun secrets to discover, too. There's the cracked wall near the broken floor, sliding down a pit, and using Triad Thunder to shatter the ground near the start. Compared to a level like Quarry where you just use Triad Thunder over and over, exploring Shipyard is so satisfying. I also think it uses a miniboss room in a neat way. Near the end, you head into a submarine, move into the miniboss room, but all you have to do is blast a component. Then the level turns sideways. You sink the submarine! That's worth at least a middling ranking. The only thing holding this stage back is that some sections feel half-baked, like the conveyor belts. Also, the things I enjoy about it are arguably pretty small, even if they appeal to me specifically.

SONG
18. Morph Moth (Robot Junkyard Stage) (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLdRKRy0idg

I enjoy this song, but it's yet another one in this stretch of the list where I don't have much to say about it other than it being fine. My favorite stretch is from 0:08 to 0:22 or so, where it has a really clean tune and feels like it's building into something. Sadly, the next portion kind of drops the ball. I honestly don't know enough about music to describe it well, but the louder instrument that kicks in around 0:23 just sounds like it doesn't belong there. Around 0:40 it goes away again and the song improves once more. It's a small thing, but... hey, this portion of the list all comes down to personal preference. Once again, I'll have more to say about the songs I really like higher in the list, I promise.

Crush Crawfish's stage is a lowlight in MMX3 for me - it just feels short and unfinished, like there's barely anything there. Tunnel Rhino's is also pretty bad though; it's weirdly long and empty, which describes a lot of X3's stages in my opinion.

Gravity Beetle's theme is the only one in X3 that I actually like lol

Gravity Beetle theme rules. Definitely my favorite from MMX3, and one of my favs in the trilogy.

One of my absolute favorites is from X3 and it ain't Gravity Beetle! I bet once we get to it, it'll be one everyone except for me hates, lol

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/b/bcc7ec78.jpg

17. Overdrive Ostrich (Mega Man X2)

There are two things I love about Overdrive Ostrich. The first is how you reach the boss arena. This is the only one in the trilogy where you don't just slide into the room. Instead, X hops onto a missile and rides it up before shooting it out of the sky. Then he lands in a big expansive stage, which is also unique. I love how Overdrive Ostrich can run off the edge, then reappear in the background before leaping back in. It's unfortunate that these cool ideas are wasted on a maverick who is as basic as this. If you have his weakness, Overdrive Ostrich is completely trivialized, quickly caught in a loop where you freeze him over and over. Fighting him with a buster isn't much harder. The only challenge is discerning whether he's running straight at you or doing a little hop. Then you either jump over him or dash under him and shoot him in the back. If he jumps into the air, it's easy to dodge his projectiles. There just isn't any challenge to this fight whatsoever. But damn if riding a rocket into the arena isn't one of the coolest things ever.

STAGE
17. Airborne Aircraft Carrier Stage (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGEHALaDXZI&t=20s

I like the opening storage room. It's another example of boss order impacting other levels (I believe the only such instance of this in X3). If you go here first, it's filled with boxes you have to navigate through. If you beat Blast Hornet first, the boxes stop getting delivered so you have an easier time through. Otherwise, this is just a solid level in my opinion. It's got an outdoor section where the background subtly moves to show you're on an airship, an elevator section, and an area you can traverse with ride armor if you have some unlocked. I like how you need to jump the ride armor up, too, it isn't just a straight area like most other ones in the games. You actually have to platform with it. Basically, this is a solid stage with no glaring flaws. This is the part of the ranking where the stages start rapidly getting better and better.

SONG
17. Neon Tiger (Safari Park Stage) (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOTFmAF7ICA

I don't like Safari Park, but damn if this isn't a good song. In my opinion, it has kind of an ominous feeling to it. The beginning is my favorite part, it starts with just the drums and then launches into a really bold tune. There isn't much variety throughout except at around 0:37 before it loops, but it doesn't really need to change it up. The song is solid the whole way through and fits the vibe of a jungle area. No complaints.

ostrich too low

Neon Tiger's song wins the biggest glow up award from the SNES->PSX AR soundtrack. The notes are shorter, yes, but turning it into a wailing baseball organ just works for him in comparison. Shame to see the Beetle's song out, but eh, there's another X3 still in contention for best song for me.

I dunno, I think the only X3 song where I prefer the PSX version is Toxic Seahorse. The others just sound off to me. Toxic Searhorse's PSX song is such a huge improvement though.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/c/cf01b064.jpg

16. Wheel Gator (Mega Man X2)

As a kid, Wheel Gator was always the Maverick I fought first in X2. He's pretty much the only one in the trilogy who's easier to fight with the buster than his weakness. If you hit him with Strike Chain, he goes back underwater way more often than if you just hit him normally. And that's the worst part about this fight. I like everything else about it. It's neat dodging the saws he throws up the wall while avoiding him diving out of the water. I like how, if you mess up and feed him a shot, he spits it back at you. I especially like that drill attack he has that puts spikes on the wall. It's so cool that Wheel Gator makes the boss arena more hostile. And, once you find a rhythm with him, you're dodging his barrage of saw blades and doing massive damage. It's a fun boss fight. The only thing holding it back is how often he hides underwater. If you get unlucky, the fight is just a bunch of waiting for him to resurface. Sometimes I can kill him before he dives more than once. Other times, I can only hit him once before he dives again and it's annoying.

STAGE
16. Airport Stage (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GU3cpeAoL2Y

Even if it isn't my favorite stage, I still feel like Airport is iconic. I mostly like it for the aesthetic. Climbing into the sky, smashing through control tower windows, hopping across platforms to Storm Eagle's ship, all of that feels great. Shattering the windows especially is so satisfying. It's unfortunate that the stage itself is kind of mediocre. It starts with an annoying powerup. You need to dodge those grabby yellow guys, ride the elevator up, then jump to the left to get the heart tank. Then you have to do the elevator again. Also, large portions of this level involve floating platforms that go up and down. Most have turrets on them, so it turns into standing on a platform waiting for the two to line up, shoot the turret, hop over, then doing it again. It kills the momentum, in my opinion. Still, there's nothing cooler than reaching Storm Eagle's airship, entering the boss arena, and blowing it the hell up to draw him out.

SONG
16. Flame Stag (Volcanic Zone Stage) (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI3H3v1NBFc

I like this song. It has a powerful tune at the start, which really sells the volcanic vibe. Then, at 0:14, it gets so energetic. Compared to lots of other songs that don't have much variety, Flame Stag's song goes different places. It always gets me hyped up, and it's satisfying to listen to while outrunning the lava eruption. I honestly don't have anything negative to say about it, just that the songs ranked above it are ones I like even more.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/8/81be4fe8.jpg

15. Blizzard Buffalo (Mega Man X3)

I've always been a fan of boss rooms that are more than just the standard one-screen square, so Blizzard Buffalo having lots of room to run around in is a plus. I also like his attack variety. He's got a charge, he can shoot ice across the stage, and his coolest attack by far is a huge white beam that blasts across the entire stage. It's unfortunate that the fight, at least in my experience, usually devolves into just going back and forth. Head to one side, dodge and destroy ice if he shoots them, climb the wall, leap over him, shoot him in the back, repeat. There are other easy bosses who I enjoy, but something about fighting Blizzard Buffalo leaves it feeling both easy and tedious. I enjoy his aesthetic and attack variety, just not enough to rank him any higher.

STAGE
15. Desert Base Stage (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugCjkPo8tsE

Desert Base, the only level where you can use the Ride Chaser. It's a neat gimmick, don't get me wrong. I love driving forward, blasting down the bridges, then riding into the sandstorm and eventually crashing the bike into the machine generating it. All of that is great. The thing that holds this level back for me is how short it is once you get the hang of riding the bike. I've learned that you can just hop on the bike, ride forward without slowing down, and fire as much as you can. You'll get through the whole section without stopping. You don't even need to destroy the sandstorm generator, you can just jump over it and keep going. After that, there are just a handful of scorpion enemies and then you're at the boss. It's a neat stage, I just would've liked for there to be more to it than one quick bike ride. I can beat this level in like two minutes. Still, as I mentioned in the write-up for Overdrive Ostrich, riding the missile into the boss arena is one of the coolest things ever.

SONG
15. Volt Catfish (Power Control Center Stage) (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTxSDSpo39Q

I really like how powerful this tune is. Like Neon Tiger's song, this one starts with drums and then launches into a great song. It also has a lot of variety. Around 0:22 it has a build-up with the strumming, and then at 0:34 my favorite part begins where it hits a catchy peak and stays there for a bit before repeating. Volt Catfish's song always hypes me up for running through the power plant.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/a/aaab5b2b.jpg

14. Flame Mammoth (Mega Man X)

This boss is pretty easy. Flame Mammoth sometime shoots oil, and then follows it up with fire. It's possible for him to set the oil spots on fire, but I have no memory of ever actually seeing it happen. This dude has terrible aim, I guess. For the most part, this battle consists of blasting him while he ineffectually trumpets to change the direction of the conveyor belt. Still, I think this boss is neat. The conveyor belt makes the stage unique. I'm also a big fan of how you can cut off his trunk by hitting him a few times with Boomerang Cutter. I think Flame Mammoth might be the only maverick who interacts with more than one boss weapon like that, since he's also weak to Storm Tornado. More than anything, I just think this is a fun fight. Even if it is a bit on the easy side, at least it isn't tedious. You still have to stay on your toes to dodge his fire.

STAGE
14. Volcanic Zone Stage (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT9rafEAZ_Q

Much like Overdrive Ostrich's level ranked above, Flame Stag's area is surprisingly short. You head into the mountain, outrun an eruption, run through one small lava zone, then climb another mountain and you're at the boss in a handful of minutes. However, this stage gets points from me for a lot of little things. I like how deceptively open it is, like how you can ride the flying robot at the start up to an upgrade. The volcanic eruption itself is also super cool. I love the tense few seconds where you blast the barrier to the heart tank and then try to get out alive. The level may be short, but it makes good use of the space that it does have. It's enjoyable to bait the flying robots into breaking dirt walls, giving you various paths into the mountain even if they all lead to the same place.

SONG
14. Crush Crawfish (Shipyard Stage) (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhmyTJxAjbg

This song has a great build-up at the start. From 0:01 to 0:15, it sets the mood before finally breaking out into a powerful, catchy tune. Then, around 0:35, it changes it up a bit more. I enjoy the variety and the overall vibe. Not much else to say, it's just a solid song. It's fun to listen to while storming the submarine and sinking it before heading up to Crush Crawfish.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/13f3343e.jpg

13. Wire Sponge (Mega Man X2)

Wire Sponge is a fun boss fight. He's easy, but if you only have the buster you still need to watch out for him. His stage is small (especially in the rematch), and he can drag himself across it at any time. You also need to watch out when he starts firing plants at you, then take time to destroy them before they start restricting your movement. The only attack of his that's a dud is the one where he turns invincible and fires lightning. I swear, I never get hit by that if I just stand still near the wall. All it does is waste time. Wire Sponge is trivialized by his weakness, sadly. If you have Sonic Slicer you can just tear him apart. However, fun fact, Wire Sponge is the only maverick with a unique death animation! If you kill him with Sonic Slicer, his silhouette splits in half as he explodes. I think that's such a cool detail and wish more mavericks had something like that.

STAGE
13. Power Control Center Stage (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZ0pl3hw0UE

This stage doesn't have any major gimmicks. I just think it's a really solid level. The enemy placement and variety feels fair the whole way through, and there are no annoying sections designed to slow the player down. I also like, towards the end, how there's an area where you can grab a ride armor and smash through the floor before going to town on some chumps. Ride armor is always satisfying to use, so it's nice to have access to it in this little area. This is also the level I always go to reach Vile because the elevator is right at the start, so I associate it with that bonus area as well. Bringing Vile back was such a neat idea, and I'm glad X3 has something like that. Not too much else to say, just a fun level with no complaints. Using a charged up gravity shot to reach the capsule is one of the cooler ways to reach an upgrade in these games.

SONG
13. Spark Mandrill (Power Plant Stage) (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9YU7E483SI

I like the vibe this song has, it feels more energetic and upbeat than a lot of the ones in the trilogy. The combination of instruments definitely gives me a power plant vibe, if that's something that's possible to quantify. At 0:37 especially, I get a real sense of electricity spiking across the floors or that stupid moon zipping around. This is a solid song with great pacing, and it's super catchy.

We're halfway through the ranking! Here are the three of them, separated by game. The mavericks are pretty even. X2 is solidly leading in stages, and X3 is very far behind in songs.

MAVERICKS
14. Flame Mammoth
22. Launch Octopus
23. Sting Chameleon
24. Boomer Kuwanger

13. Wire Sponge
16. Wheel Gator
17. Overdrive Ostrich
18. Bubble Crab

15. Blizzard Buffalo
19. Neon Tiger
20. Gravity Beetle
21. Tunnel Rhino

STAGES
16. Airport
20. Power Plant
21. Forest
22. Ocean
24. Tower

14. Volcanic Zone
15. Desert Base

13. Power Control Center
17. Airborne Aircraft Carrier
18. Shipyard
19. Quarry
23. Safari Park

SONGS
13. Spark Mandrill (Power Plant Stage)
22. Sting Chameleon (Forest Stage)
24. Launch Octopus (Ocean Stage)

16. Flame Stag (Volcanic Zone Stage)
18. Morph Moth (Robot Junkyard Stage)
21. Overdrive Ostrich (Desert Base Stage)

14. Crush Crawfish (Shipyard Stage)
15. Volt Catfish (Power Control Center Stage)
17. Neon Tiger (Safari Park Stage)
19. Gravity Beetle (Airborne Aircraft Carrier Stage)
20. Toxic Seahorse (Giant Dam Stage)
23. Tunnel Rhino (Quarry Stage)

MAVERICK

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12. Spark Mandrill (Mega Man X)

Spark Mandrill is a pretty well-balanced fight. If you go in buster only, the main strategy is to wait until he climbs onto the ceiling, dash under him, then shoot him when he drops down. But Spark Mandrill has ways to punish that, such as shooting energy orbs when he lands. He also sometimes dashes forward with a punch, which you have to constantly watch out for. I like how he keeps you on your toes. I also like how his weakness to ice freezes him when he gets hit. It's satisfying to see him frozen blue and delayed for a second. Lastly, I'm a big fan of how he's introduced in a dark room with just the lights on his armor glowing. It would've been cool if that was more of an element of the fight, like the lights going on and off so sometimes you're in the dark. Overall, a solid maverick.

STAGE
12. Snow Mountain Stage (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOvCKC_Vr_c

Ah, Chill Penguin's stage. The one stage everyone does first because this is where the dash boots are. I'm glad that subsequent games start X with the dash boots, because having to do this stage first every playthrough is something I resent about it. The dash boots aren't a small upgrade, several other stages (like Launch Octopus) require it. Still, I shouldn't hold bad upgrade design against the stage itself. This is a neat level with lots of areas within it. In particular, I like the indoor portion where you go back and forth dodging those spike wheels heading up to the capsule. The ice being slippery is a unique mechanic too. The ride armor section here is also a lot more satisfying than the one in Sting Chameleon's stage. The guys towards the end who throw snowballs that grow bigger are also one of my favorite regular enemies. It's so goofy that someone designed those things where their only attack is rolling snowballs. It's great.

SONG
12. Armored Armadillo (Gallery Stage) (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eAGRVDZdB3Q

I love how fast-paced this song is. For a level where you often zoom around on minecarts, it fits in great. It has a catchy tune, which is good because Armored Armadillo's stage is the best one to visit to fill up sub-tanks. As a kid, I listened to this song a lot running back and forth shooting at bats. Lots of good memories. My favorite part is when it really kicks into gear at about 0:15.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/f/fcdd55aa.jpg

11. Volt Catfish (Mega Man X3)

Volt Catfish is an example of a boss who's tough to catch in a pattern, because no area of his stage is ever safe for long. He sometimes fires electricity that climbs the walls, forcing you off of them. Other times he shoots orbs out and sucks them back in so you can't threaten him. My favorite part of the battle is when he sits in the middle of the stage and fires sparks in all directions. Then, as soon as the barrage ends, he slams into the wall. You need to have sharp timing to avoid getting hit, which is great. It's just unfortunate that most of the sparks miss you if you just stand still. Seriously, look at this video around 0:40- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1S_j1rSAZ0 and see what I mean. This is the big finishing move, so you should have to dodge back and forth or something while keeping an eye on him. Instead, you can just stand there waiting. Removes a lot of the threat. Oh well, Volt Catfish is still cool.

STAGE
11. Weather Control Stage (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbD8u_iaWRc&t

This stage has a few elements I really enjoy, starting at the very beginning. Having a heart tank hidden behind a false wall right to the left of the starting zone is so cool. Finding it as a kid made me feel clever. The energy tank a bit further in is neat too, it's hidden in an area above where you can see and rewards exploration. The central gimmick of switching weather between rain and heat is unique. I like how the enemies have varying attacks depending on the kind of weather. Really, the only thing holding this level back is that it's a bit on the short side, and it has an awful lot of instant-death spikes in areas where rainstorms will make it difficult to move forward.

SONG
11. Magna Centipede (Central Computer Stage) (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNGDD2Jn0iI

The beginning of this song is great. Launches straight into a catchy tune, then the drums kick in at 0:04 and it just keeps getting better. My favorite part is around 0:26 where it gets darker (best word I can think of to describe it). I love how well the vibe of this song pairs with running through the Central Computer stage with all the security systems and mini-bosses trying to slow you down.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/9/96b9e512.jpg

10. Blast Hornet (Mega Man X3)

In my opinion, Blast Hornet is one of the tougher mavericks. It's bad enough early on when he floods the stage with tiny wasps and is constantly flying around himself, making it tough to stay safe and find openings to fight back. Then, later on, he shoots out a tracker that sends the wasps right at you. Still, this battle is hard in a way that feels fair and is satisfying to overcome. Blast Hornet is another boss that's trivialized by his weakness. Once you shoot the gravity orb, he's locked in place taking damage. But... it's so satisfying to do that, I honestly don't mind. A trick I learned was to shoot the gravity orb, then walk forward and stand near it so that you pick it back up instantly once it stops hurting him. That way you can fire it again right away and poor Blast Hornet can't even move. Just a satisfying boss all around.

STAGE
10. Deep-Sea Base Stage (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XncAVYNBlwU&t

This level is deceptively short. The big central gimmick is the big fish robot, and if you ignore that you can zoom ahead of it and get into the inside area in roughly a minute. But why would you ever ignore the fish robot? It's so much fun to take this thing apart, piece by piece. It's a great sprite with so many individual parts. My favorite part of it is the searchlight that fires a laser if it catches you. There are also a surprising amount of secrets scattered around the underwater area in little caves, and even if they don't have any major upgrades, it's fun discovering them. My only real complaint with this stage is the upgrade that requires a charged-up bubble beam so you can jump high, then you need to jump across the surface to reach it. Jumping across water like that is finicky and always takes me a few tries.

SONG
10. Chill Penguin (Snow Mountain Stage) (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fcOjHuAD6SI

This is one of the more atmospheric songs, in my opinion. I don't know how else to describe it, but this whole song screams 'snow zone'. The instruments and tune both give me such an icy-snow vibe. It's also super catchy, and the song itself has lots of variety. It starts with that great build-up until 0:04, then hits another level at 0:11, then really gets going at 0:18. Lots of songs in the trilogy feel kind of samey the whole way through, but not Chill Penguin's. I appreciate that it has such distinct parts.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/3310149b.jpg

9. Flame Stag (Mega Man X2)

Flame Stag's boss arena is the only vertical one in the trilogy, and I love it for that. He really uses the space, too. His primary attack pattern is to throw fireballs, including sending one up the wall. Then he starts diving back and forth, moving higher and higher. He isn't a difficult boss fight. You can usually shoot him by dropping past him and hitting him as you fall, then hitting him again when he returns to the ground. And, if you have Bubble Splash, you can just jump back and forth over him while hitting him with it and he gets stuck in a loop. Still, I love Flame Stag for how unique he is. It's also neat how, if you get hit by him when he dashes forward, he lifts you into the air and slams you back into the ground. Not a tough boss, but a fun one nonetheless.

STAGE
9. Energen Crystal Stage (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTchYtRQejg

As a child, I never knew how to get the heart tank at the beginning of the level. It was only when I looked it up recently that I learned you could spin the ride armor's weapons to dash forward and tap the jetpack button to glide across. That obtuse method to get a powerup aside, I really like this level! It being set in a crystal cavern is such a neat aesthetic. The big gemstone blocks that slide and threaten to crush you are a unique mechanic, like how you need to use one early on to smash a wall so you can bring the ride armor forward. Then there are the ice blocks you can break in just the perfect way (as seen in the video) to get the ride armor into the miniboss room. But... I usually don't bother doing that, because this is one of my favorite minibosses. You can get in the zone against this guy and dodge expertly between the bullets while doing damage. Plus, he's a pushover if you have Spinning Blade. This is such a fun and unique level.

SONG
9. Flame Mammoth (Factory Stage) (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YmKu84IpMt8

Much like Chill Penguin's song, Flame Mammoth's is absolutely perfect for his stage. The fast-pace of the tune and instruments really give it a factory vibe. It has such a powerful start, and then at about 0:06 it gets catchy leading into 0:19 when it gets faster-paced. My favorite part is around 0:42, that's where it really hits its peak. This is the perfect song to listen to while riding around on conveyor belts and dodging those miner robots and their pickaxes.

Even if no one posts, the ranking will continue!

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/d/d442650a.jpg

8. Toxic Seahorse (Mega Man X3)

The strategy I learned to use against Toxic Seahorse is that it's best not to jump. He's always hopping around the stage, and it's easier to dash under him rather than try and jump over him. Other than hopping around, his main attack is to launch a ball of acid that bounces around leaking droplets, so you need to watch out for that as well. I enjoy tracking the two threats and picking the right moments to dash and where to stand. Overall, this just feels like a fair fight that's satisfying to figure out and overcome. More than that, I enjoy Toxic Searhorse's aesthetic. Towards the end of the fight, he melts into acid to move around, which looks super cool. It's like he's made of liquid metal!

STAGE
8. Giant Dam Stage (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUfWUMJAHRc

This stage starts with the great climb up through the flowing sewers. Filthy water pushes you down walls or towards edges on floors, and there's a gauntlet of enemies along the way. Then, you have a chance to use the underwater frog ride armor to explore a big open area near the dam. I love searching big areas in these games. This one has multiple routes, one requiring you to destroy some big fans. Then you can either jump perfectly with the frog ride armor or use Blizzard Buffalo's charged up weapon to ride ice to the surface and get a few upgrades. I also like the miniboss, even if it's on the easy side. This is just a fun underwater level that feels great to explore.

SONG
8. Bubble Crab (Deep-Sea Base Stage) (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOe3baIm3Ys

This song has the perfect aquatic vibe. Right from the first second it has a catchy tune, which almost sounds melancholic. It ramps up decently through the different parts. At 0:18 it hits its stride, and I really love this section. It's energetic and intense, for lack of a better term. I love listening to this song while fighting the big fish robot. It's hard to put into words any other way than that this song makes me think of a water level, and it's great.

Toxic Seahorse's level and fight are definitely among the better ones in the game but I still cannot abide by this MMX3 overranking

Well, there's only Crush Crawfish left for mavericks, and only two stages! The top ranks are still dominated by the first two games. I think MMX3 has some definite good points.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/6/6ceb9b85.jpg

7. Armored Armadillo (Mega Man X)

I mentioned before that I've been playing randomizers of MMX1-3, and the one I play has a glitch with Armored Armadillo. Usually, you can hit him with Electric Spark to knock off his armor and make the fight considerably easier. That lets you shoot him even when he's bouncing around, and he can no longer absorb your charged shots and fire them back at you. Honestly, as a kid, I never fought Armored Armadillo with buster only. This glitch forced me to, and it gave me a new appreciation for the fight. Suddenly, you need to focus on staying alive, because buster only makes this fight a drawn-out affair.

Armored Armadillo often bounces around while invulnerable, but it's so chaotic and you need to stay so focused that I don't mind that I can't hurt him. Then he starts shooting. If you fire a normal buster, he blocks it with his armor. You need to charge up and shoot him... but then he absorbs it and fires it back at you. I kept trying again and again, wondering how the hell am I supposed to beat this guy? Then I figured it out! You need to charge up, shoot him, let him absorb it... then charge up and shoot him again right as he fires the blast back at you. If you jump at the same time, you dodge his shot and he gets hit by yours. The fight is still long, but damn if it isn't satisfying to learn this guy's pattern, discover his weakness, and slowly whittle him down. It felt like figuring out a Dark Souls boss. I loved it.

STAGE
7. Weapons Factory Stage (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywcewlICLX8

The video I linked skipped the ride armor early on, but you can grab some and use it in the conveyor belt section. Damn, I love ride armor, so getting to use it for an extended area is great. The level's miniboss, a holographic shuriken, reminds me of the holographic sword in Magna Centipede's stage in X2, which is a plus. However, it's the outdoor section that really makes this level great in my opinion. So many levels are mostly linear. This outdoor section with the weapon warehouses actually offers and rewards exploration if you blast through walls and floors to discover a new ride armor. Then you can use it to destroy boxes being loaded into an airship, which removes them from Gravity Beetle's level. That's the only way that beating one level impacts another in MMX3, and I love it, I wish that mechanic was used more. Basically, this stage has everything: fun individual sections, long ride armor sections, exploration, a satisfying miniboss, and beating it changes something in another level. No complaints.

SONG
7. Wire Sponge (Weather Control Center Theme) (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYtODpCAg4g

This song has such a nice blend of instruments. I like how many distinct sections there are. It opens with a kind of low and ominous tune, then gets more upbeat around around 0:13, only to go progressively lower around 0:21, and then it goes up and down a bit more before repeating. The two distinct feelings of the song fit well with the level, since the Weather Control Center also switches between sunshine and storm. I like that thematic touch, even if I lack the musical knowledge to really explain it. Give the song a listen, you'll see what I mean! Some parts of the song fit a heatwave, others fit a rainstorm.

Blast Hornet's stage is one of the stages that I think is emblematic of how bad X3 is; it's almost completely empty, the huge hangar section outside should have stuff happening but just kinda doesn't; the spinning laser blade miniboss is fine but the thing where it's dropping cargo boxes or whatever seems totally pointless. The stage doesn't really have any setpieces to speak of. There's nothing fun to do with the ride armor. Bleh.

The ship with the boxes is pretty easy, but it comes right after you find the new ride armor and I enjoy smashing the boxes. I just enjoy exploring the area too, I dunno. It felt like it had enough variety to me!

Also sorry most of my comments are just negative about X3, I just didn't have a lot else to remark on lol

I don't mind! Any comments are good considering how dead this ranking has been. I at least hope a few people are following along, even if there isn't as much to say as I hoped there would be, lol

I want to finish the ranking so going to post them a bit faster than usual. Might even do one more before going to bed.

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/3/314f21a0.jpg

6. Crystal Snail (Mega Man X2)

Crystal Snail is challenging if you only fight him with a buster. It took me a long time to figure out his pattern. He spins, moves around twice so you have to bait him to a good spot, then he comes out of his shell. You can shoot him now, but the second you do he spits crystals that freeze you if they hit you. It's a neat fight where you have to learn the timing to dodge between the crystals, and it gets even harder once he starts slowing down time in the second half. Moving at half speed while he's comparatively zooming around makes baiting him into a good spot and dodging the crystals so much harder. I like that. First you have to learn how to fight him, then you have to learn how to do it in slow motion.

A lot of mavericks are trivialized if you attack them with their weakness, and I think Crystal Snail fits in that category. If you have Magnet Mine, you won't have much trouble. But even then, I love how the weapon interacts with Crystal Snail. He explodes out of his shell and slams into the wall, taking damage. Then it's like he starts panicking, running back to get into his shell. You can troll him at this point and knock his shell around, making him jump after it like a loser while you keep hitting him with Magnet Mine. It's an easy fight at that point, but damn if it isn't satisfying.

STAGE
6. Factory Stage (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRdAV2Hlv2o

Playing this stage after defeating Chill Penguin freezes the lava throughout. I think that's a real shame because literally everyone fights Chill Penguin first to get the dash boots. I honestly wonder how many people out there have played this stage several times without ever actually seeing the lava. I certainly didn't until I started playing randomizers and doing levels out of my usual order. The lava really adds a lot. Early on, you can't just dash underneath the conveyor belts and crushers, you have to engage with the broken robots and dodge your way through. Then, later on, lava bursts out from the ground and cuts holes in platforms. I'm not a huge fan of the room filled with miners tossing pick-axes, there are way too many of them. However, if you thoroughly explore it, you're rewarded with an upgrade on the back wall, which is nice. Mostly, I think I just wanted to give this level a high ranking because the lava deserved some recognition after being frozen in most people's playthroughs.

SONG
6. Wheel Gator (Dinosaur Tank Theme) (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-BeeC6D7Xc

This song gives such a feeling of urgency, and I really love that. The Dinosaur Tank stage is flying through a city wreaking havoc, and you're fighting your way through trying to stop it before more innocent people are hurt. This fast-paced tune is perfect for it right from the start. My favorite part is around 0:15 where it slows down for a bit and gets a bit darker, for lack of a better term. This is a perfect fit for the stage, which (since it hasn't been ranked yet) is one I obviously have a lot of love for.

We've reached the final MMX3 stage and MMX2 song!

MAVERICK

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/4/4a5e5b0d.jpg

5. Chill Penguin (Mega Man X)

Ah, Chill Penguin, the maverick everyone fights first. That means almost no one fights him with his weakness (at least until the rematch later), but it doesn't matter because he's so easy. Even I could kill him as a wee lad the first time I played MMX. Chill Penguin has predictable attack patterns and they're all easy to dodge. I'm not sure you can even get hurt if you just jump up the wall and stay in a corner, so you can always catch your breath and observe him. Still, a boss doesn't have to be difficult to rank high! Chill Penguin has a lot of positives.

First off, I like how unique a lot of his attacks are. Sometimes he creates snow sculptures with ice breath, other times he jumps at the ceiling and grabs a hook that makes a snowstorm blow through. If the ice sculptures are there, they even interact with the snowstorm and smash into the wall. Chill Penguin always gave me a goofy vibe, too. Like, why do his sculptures need to look like cute little penguins? It's adorable. Most of the time, once me makes them, he ineffectually spits ice and just... hits the ice sculptures. And he seems genuinely confused at why his own sculptures are blocking his attacks. Quite often, he then dashes across the stage and smashes them, which I always saw as an ineffectual temper tantrum. I love you Chill Penguin. You're so easy to defeat, you even hinder yourself.

STAGE
5. Frozen Town Stage (Mega Man X3)
BEST MEGA MAN X3 STAGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_vnA1j6MJo

Can a stage be carried mostly on aesthetic and vibes? It turns out, yes, it can. Not a whole lot about the gameplay of this stage is unique. Even the blizzard machine later on is pretty much the same idea as the sandstorm generator on Overdrive Ostrich's stage in MMX2. Sliding around on ice is nothing new either. But, man, from the first moment I jumped into this stage, the background was what got my attention.

You're in a city that has clearly been hit by a devastating ice storm. One of the skyscrapers fell over, then somehow froze while sticking up diagonally, meaning the temperature must have lowered instantly to freeze the tower mid-collapse. It's a small touch, but I also love how it gets dark once you're far underground and then brighter again as you resurface, which further sells the fact that this is an area where the infrastructure is crumbling and unreliable. There isn't a whole lot I can say about the gameplay. It's fine, with standard enemies, exploration, and combat. It's the sheer spectacle of the Frozen Town that carries this stage for me, and makes it my favorite MMX3 stage. It gives me such a haunting vibe, which not many other stages do. Like, you warp into the Giant Dam and you're just in a dam. Here, killing Blizzard Buffalo means rescuing the town and saving people.

SONG
5. Crystal Snail (Energen Crystal Theme) (Mega Man X2)
BEST MEGA MAN X2 SONG

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFQW1DFcWsY

This song is another one where the music and instrument choices perfectly match the theme of the level. Right from the first second, it gives a feeling of a crystal cavern, as if someone is drumming on a gemstone to create the sounds. Then, around 0:13, it shifts and has a catchy rock tune kick in. I mostly love this song for the beginning, but it's great throughout. I honestly don't know enough about instruments to even tell what it uses at the start, but is it a xylophone? It's great regardless.

I DO agree that Buffalo has the best stage in X3; it's got a really unique vibe (which most X3 stages are lacking), the ice physics are pretty fun, and it actually has some decent setpieces like the last room. It feels a lot more full and well thought out. It's still not a top-tier stage, in my opinion, but it gets like a B.

MAVERICK

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4. Crush Crawfish (Mega Man X3)
BEST MEGA MAN X3 MAVERICK

Crush Crawfish doesn't jump around or have any fancy attacks, but he doesn't need them. If he catches you in his claws, this guy grinds X up for a solid chunk of his health bar. He's a constant threat on the ground, always sliding back and forth or tossing his claws out towards the wall. No problem, right? You just climb the wall to keep away from him. But Crush Crawfish launches orange things that drag X back to the ground, constantly forcing you to struggle against them to keep out of his way. But you better not climb too high, because if you're in the top corner he can sometimes surprise you by tossing his claw diagonally.

That's pretty much it. Other than the orange things along the walls, Crush Crawfish doesn't have any big gimmicks or neat themes. He's not even a particularly challenging boss fight once you learn his rhythm. I just always enjoy fighting him. He has the perfect attack pattern to make the entire stage a constant danger. In terms of offering a fair battle, I honestly think he's probably the best designed one in the trilogy. The three that rank above him all have cool gimmicks or are just look too awesome to rank any lower.

STAGE
4. Robot Junkyard Stage (Mega Man X2)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ug1ect_-tME

This is another stage where I love the theme and aesthetic. The whole concept of robots being cobbled together from scrap is cool, and a lot of them use it in neat ways. There are the guys who hang from the ceiling and fall down if you go under them. If you shoot their head, they fall and explode. If you only shoot the body, though, then the head wakes up and starts shooting at you. There's also the big ones who roll forward, and if you blow up a part of them they pull in more bits of scrap to repair themselves.

I'm also a big fan of the two minibosses in this level. A parasitic robot leaps into the scrap, then emerges with a makeshift robot body to fight you. Once you destroy it, it jumps out and hops around before diving in again for another round. It's such a cool idea. And those little parasite guys are in other parts of the level too! They can latch onto X and take partial control of him, sometimes making him jump or dash around (potentially right off an edge). Or they can be oddly helpful and let you spam bullets much faster than you can normally shoot. This stage is just full of unique ideas. My only real complaint is that the upgrade capsule is hidden in a strange way. How is a first-time player supposed to know to use Spin Wheel on a random bit of floor at the start of the level? Every other major upgrade can be discovered through normal exploring or at least has some sort of hint. Still, this is a great stage.

SONG
4. Blast Hornet (Weapons Factory Stage) (Mega Man X3)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMzDplCxwqM

Man, I love this song. It rocks out so hard right from the start. Seriously, listen to how hard it goes from the first second, and it only gets better from there. It really kicks in at 0:09 with this really ominous tune. I think a big part of the reason why I like Blast Hornet's stage is because this song hypes me up every time I listen to it. There is only one song from the trilogy that rocks out harder than this one, and it is coming up in third place.

I just did a rank of boss fights for myself to see how it would go, and I have Crush Crawfish, your #4, as my #23, lol - meanwhile your #23, Sting Chamelon, I have at #4!

lol nice! Truly we have differing opinions. I'd be interested in seeing your list once you finalize it, I bet we differ on quite a few of them.

One more for tonight, only the top two in each category remain!

MAVERICK

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3. Magna Centipede (Mega Man X2)

Magna Centipede has the best gimmick in the entire series, and as a kid I never even knew it. The Control Computer stage was difficult for me as a young lad, so I always did it last. That meant I always went in with Silk Shot, which trivializes poor Magna Centipede. If you hit him with that, it destroys his tail. Then, no matter how much he warps around, you can just stand in the middle of the stage and aim the Silk Shot so it explodes and hurts him. I do like how the rematch makes the ceiling higher, but it doesn't really alter the course of the fight if you have Silk Shot.

However, playing MMX randomizers forced me to fight this guy for real. And, man, Magna Centipede has a lot of stuff going on. If he has his tail, he can magnetically pull you in. If you don't have the dash boot upgrade, he's going to succeed. And then Magna Centipede starts draining your powers. First, it's your ability to charge up. Then you can't dash. Soon, you can hardly even climb. You're a sickly version of yourself, stumbling around the stage just trying to keep up. And Magna Centipede is teleporting all over the place, laughing at you. I never felt desperation in a MMX game quite like weakly climbing a wall so I could shoot him while he was standing on the ceiling lobbing things at me. Every time I face this guy with only the buster, it's an adrenaline rush as I try to do as much damage as I can before he starts weakening me. God forbid you have to fight his rematch while still not having Silk Shot, suddenly the high ceiling can be a death sentence. In conclusion, I love how this fight starts normal and becomes more and more of a struggle as he weakens you.

STAGE
3. Gallery Stage (Mega Man X)
BEST MEGA MAN X STAGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXHkAAlIpGQ

This level has a special place in my heart. Running back and forth at the beginning killing the bats is the best place to refill sub tanks, and as a kid I had to go and do that after every single stage. Even little details like there sometimes being a big fat bat who dropped an extra life used to make my day. The rest of the stage is great too, though! Riding the minecarts is fast-paced, and I like how they eventually fly into a pit so you have to jump off at the right time to avoid going down with them. If you time it right, you can fly really far forward from the momentum, which is a nice touch.

There are also the two... I guess you could call them minibosses. The big digging machines are great. The first one can chase you down a corridor, carving the area apart behind you as you desperately try to keep ahead. It's a shame that most players know about the upgrade behind it, so they usually hop over this thing to grab it and miss out on fleeing from it. Later on, you drop down behind another one, and you need to destroy it before it reaches a part of a wall that lets you grab another upgrade. I've never been great at mashing the shooting button, so this is always a satisfying challenge to pull it off. And who can forget shooting down the birds at the end of the level so you can get the secret Hadouken capsule? Sure, it's annoying to do over and over, but it's also unique and worthwhile when you pull it off.

SONG
3. Storm Eagle (Airport Stage) (Mega Man X)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDcNhkVxjmM

There was a time in my life, around the age of fourteen, when an OC Remix version of this was my favorite song in the world:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpBngws8K2k

It's... less impressive now, I have to admit. Maybe it's the quality of the Youtube upload. Point is, I have some good memories about Storm Eagle's theme. It rocks out hard right from the start, and a lot of the individual sections appeal to me. When the main theme kicks in at 0:05, it is just so damn catchy and energetic. I'm not a huge fan of the Airport stage, but I always like rocking out to the song! As an adult with different tastes, it isn't my favorite one in the game anymore, but the Storm Eagle theme is still great.

I have been busy but I will finish this

I AM working on my own list for this lol but I have to replay the games again. I already did one replay but I want to go through them with no/minimal dashing