Mega Man 9 – Dr. Wily Stage 3
Mega Man 9 is a perfect tribute to the previous entries in the series, a modern retro title indistinguishable from the games made decades earlier. Wiley Stage 3 is its most punishing level, and perhaps the hardest overall stage in the whole series. Thank goodness the re-released Legacy Collections allow for mid-level saving, huh?
Stage 3 has two anti-gravity sections that lift Mega Man upward toward the top of the screen, forcing players to dodge a variety of shooting enemies. Following that, there’s a lengthy traditional platforming sequence of jumping over spikes and ducking into pits to avoid enemies that move in awkward patterns. The second of the gravity rooms is the most challenging, as the walls and ledges are lined with spikes and there are hovering enemies that block your path around them.
Once you’ve negotiated a final platforming sequence of desperately difficult timed jumps, constantly hassled by irritating enemies that randomly shoot or spring to life, it’s on to the boss. Remember Yellow Devil from Mega Man 1? Say hello to Twin Devil — a ridiculously difficult boss fight that requires even better memorization of its movement patterns, especially because there are two separate Devils that shoot at you from different angles. Good luck.
