Mega Man 3

Mega Man 3 is the entry that added the series' signature move: the slide. By pressing down and jump, Mega Man ducks into a slide that slips under bullets and squeezes through one-block gaps - a single ability that reshaped how every level afterwards was designed.

It also introduced Rush, the robot dog who becomes a spring, a jet and a submarine, plus Proto Man, Mega Man's rival in the red scarf who appears at dramatic moments and whose whistle is one of gaming's most recognisable motifs. The eight Robot Masters (Top Man, Shadow Man, Spark Man) each give a weapon and a stage that teaches that weapon's use, and the Doc Robot rematch stages extend the campaign well past its predecessor's length.

• ▸The slide - Mega Man's most important mobility move
• ▸Rush the robot dog: Coil, Jet and Marine transformations
• ▸Proto Man, the series' recurring rival, introduced here
• ▸Eight Robot Masters plus Doc Robot rematch stages