Time for another review. This time I will be reviewing Mega Man 5 Ridley Hack 3. MM 5 Ridley Hack 3 is a hack of Mega Man 5. Mega Man 5, was a popular Nintendo game and was one of the last hits for that system. So in this review I will be comparing this version, to the original as well as other hacks. 

Story 9

The story is left unchanged from the original game. Basically Mega Man has defeated Dr. Wily and his schemes 4 times. The world is at peace thanks to Mega Man. Suddenly a new army of robots is released and bent on destroying the world. Dr. Light gets Kidnapped during the mayhem. Mega Man sees a yellow scarf floating down could this be his brother Proto Man's doing. Dr. Cossack who now works for Dr. Light upgrades Mega Man's buster. Mega Man sets out to see is it really his brother and if so why has his brother turned to evil. He also sets out to see if this is another scheme of an old foe. 

Okay plots do not get much better than this. This is a good story so I was glad to see nothing was changed from the original. There is a lot going on in this plot as you have suspense, mystery, action, and later in the game there is a plot twists. I really like games that offer suspense, and mystery it really shows creativity. Therefore, I give the plot a 9 out of 10. 

Graphics and Controls: 9 

The graphics are really good in this hack. I liked how the maker or makers used previous Mega Man games for the background. The stages are real colorful and nicely done. The sprites are also amazing. They are just about as good as the original Mega Man 5. There are not any lags I noticed in this version. Of the three Ridley Hacks of MM 5 I have played this one has the better graphics. The first Ridley hack had issues with the controls. The second version had better controls but had a glitch in it. I did not notice a glitch in this version. So I was glad to see the graphics were improved in this game. 

The controls are very similar to the original game. Not one time did it feel like I was fighting against the controls. In fact, I would say of the three Ridley Hacks of MM 5 this one has the best controls. Thus, I give the graphics and controls a solid 9 out of 10. 

Sound: 10

The sound in this game is amazing. So far none of the hacks of this game I have played have changed the sound. The original MM 5 sound did not need to be messed with. The music is amazing. As I stated in my other reviews of Mega Man 5 one can just pause the game and listen to the tunes. They are that good. Mega Man's buster still sounds like a cannon letting players know they are doing damage. Enemies still have their sound. Sounds do not get much better than this in a game. It should be no surprise I give the sound a 10 out of 10. 

Replay Value: 9 

So far this has been my favorite Ridley Hack of MM 5. I think that is because it resembles the original in so many ways. The first Ridley hack of MM 5 was fun to play but it had some flaws to it. The second one was also fun but did have a few minor problems. This one is very fun to play. It is one that you would want to play again and again. I don't play it as much as the original because lets face it topping the original game would be very hard to do. But this one is pretty close. I give the replay value a 9 out of 10. 

Depth: 7 

Mega Man games are known for their depth. This game has a lot of depth to it. There are several secret rooms, items to collect, and the stages require revisiting. However, compared to the original and the first two hacks it seems like the depth has been toned down some. The stages in this game are for the most part short. It doesn't take long to reach the midway point in the stages. Ridley Hacks I and II had very long stages that took a long time to beat. The original had pretty much standard death for a Mega Man game. It just seems like something is missing here. I think the maker of this game could have extended the stages somewhat. Also some of the items are in plain site and do not require as much exploration. Still, though they require special weapons to get. I give the depth of this version a 7 out of 10. The game has good depth to it but not like the original game or the previous Ridley hacks. 

Difficulty: 8 

The difficulty in this game was not to bad. The original game had a difficulty of about 6 out of 10. It had its rough spots but once you played it a few times it was slightly more than a middle of the road rating. The first Ridley Hack of MM5 had a difficulty that was higher. The main issue in that game was the controls. The second Ridley Hack just buried you in terms of difficulty. That game was brutal very brutal. This one is not as hard as Ridley Hack 2 but its difficult then the original game. 

Unlike the previous game, enemies are no longer immune to buster shots. Most enemies take damage from a fully charged buster shot or special weapons. So that makes the game more manageable. However, a lot of the enemies are ambush type enemies. Some, come from behind and others pop up out of the ground. In addition, a lot of the enemies are in tight spaces around pits or spikes. It is so easy to get shot and get knocked off into the pit as well as spikes. Speaking of spikes and pits, they are numerous in this game. Just about every stage has a pits and spikes. It requires precise jumping and creativity to advance. 

The good news is the game is tough but doable. Also the game helps you out in several ways. First of all there are lots of extra lives in this game. Just about every stage has an extra life to pick up in it. Second, enemies are very good at dropping extra lives. That was common in the original game too. Also enemies while more numerous are not as durable as the previous Ridley Hack. Bosses are about the same as they are in the original.

Due to the pits and spikes I think this game is more difficult then the original game. But as I stated earlier its doable. You will die some in the game but once you get the hang of it, its not as bad. The game also tries to help you out. Therefore, I give the game an 8 out of 10. The game will challenge you and its difficult for the right reasons.

Overall 8.8 

MM 5 Ridley Hack 3 is a very good game to play. In my opinion its just under the original in terms of greatness. The original game was just great and its pretty hard to top that game. This is a hack that has a lot going on for it. First of all, this version cleaned up the problems the previous two hacks had. The graphics and controls have been fixed. It was so nice to play the game through without fighting the controls or having to deal with sudden glitches.  

The backgrounds are nicely done. I really liked how the makers of this game used backgrounds from Mega Man 2, 3, and 4 in the stage layout. To me that shows creativity and that it took a lot of time to develop this game. It is like the makers wanted you to forget you were playing a hack. Its easy to tell they spent a lot of time developing this game. Second I really like how the makers of the game kept the original sound. I have played hacks of other games and the sound be changed. The difficulty is about right for this game. Its a hard game to beat but doable. It does not bury you like Ridley Hack 2 did and its not difficult for the wrong reasons. I like games that offer a challenge it makes mastering them an accomplishment.

The biggest negative I could find in this game was the depth being trimmed back. I liked how in the previous hack versions how the stages were long. It took a long time to beat them, required exploring, and coming back several times.  While the stages do require you to come back to get items it just seems like something is missing. The stages are short in this game shorter than the original game. I think one stage it took me less than 5 minutes to master. It just seemed like this game did not share the amount of depth Mega Man games are known for.  While the game was difficult for the right reasons. It seemed like the game was way too generous with the extra lives. I don't know if the makers were trying to make it it like the original game or did they feel bad for making the previous game so difficult. For most gamers that is not a big deal but as I stated I like games to challenge you. 

In summary I give this version a solid 8.8 rating. I had fun playing this game and I think it is one that people should try. I think this would be a great game for most people. The only person I would not recommend this game for is new Mega Man players. While the game is not as difficult it still has its tough spots. I think new Mega Man players should play the original Mega Man 5 to get used to the controls and playing style. Other than that I highly recommend this game. I played this game and it exceeded my expectations. Hope you enjoy this hack as it is a good one. 

Nice work as always man. I like how you don't pull the tired old "This is the same story as the other so it's boring and overused" card and just say "Hey man, this was a good story then and it's a good story still". Good is good, regardless. That's my take on it, and you seem to be in agreement.


I also like how you compare it against previous versions of the same hack as well as the original. It really helps us understand how it stacks up against the other experiences, and paints a crystal clear picture of what to expect. Very well done.