Mega Man Star Force 3

Mega Man Star Force 3 has two versions, Mega Man Star Force 3: Black Ace and Mega Man Star Force 3: Red Joker. Both versions are for all intents and purposes the same, aside from minor differences such as which of those two final Noise forms the player can temporarily unlock in the middle of a battle.

Plot

The wave roads are being overrun by mysterious "noise" that change the environment. This noise is coming from an approaching gigantic meteor that threatens both the physical and digital worlds, forcing Geo Stelar and friends to fight the oncoming threat. Mega Man discovers that he can control the Noise, using the new "Noise Change" system to transform into many different forms, including the ultimate "Black Ace" or "Red Joker" forms.

Noise Changes

New to Mega Man Star Force is "Noise Changes," random enhancements that change Mega Man's form & unlock new abilities. The two versions each have over 100 unique Noise Types that can be combined with Mega Man to unlock powers based on earth, air, water & fire. The Noise feature will add randomness and strategy to battles, encouraging players to explore, collect and battle.

Differences from Star Force 2

Mega Man Star Force 3, aside from being an all new chapter in the Star Force saga with new areas to explore, new enemies and battle cards, and new story, makes some changes (some better, some worse) to the gameplay system and graphics.

• The Noise Change system, as mentioned above.
• Similar to the 3 original Mega Man Star Force sattelite admin forms, your "Finalized" Noise change (Red Joker or Black Ace, depending on which version of the game you have) is dealt at random during battle as a battle card and this form goes away when the battle ends. (As opposed to your normal Noise Change form, which you start each battle with.) In this sense Star Force 3 combines the armor systems of Star Force 1 and 2.
• The Big Wave shop will sell items from any merchant hertz you encountered during the game. Thus, Cloakers can be purchased from the Big Wave shop instead of having to find a merchant hertz that sells them.
• You will fight leveled-up versions of bosses without warning. When navigating the environment these bosses are invisible, despite not being random.
• Battle cards on your custom screen during battle may be dimmed at random and cannot be selected, greatly limiting your access to your own battle cards compared to Star Force 2. However, dimmed cards can instead be used for a "support function" which is only possible with dimmed cards. The support function depends on the element of the card - Water, Fire, Elec, Wood, or no element. For example if you use any Elec card this way, it becomes a Paralyze Plus card, all water cards grant invisibility, and if you use non-elemental card this way, it becomes "Area Eater" which erases the row of floor panels you're standing on, moving you forward one row. Area Eater becomes a big element of the game whereas this ability didn't even exist in previous Star Force titles. Because you can't prevent your cards from being dimmed and are dealt dimmed cards are random, you are challenged to make the best use of the 5 support functions and strategize your deck around this fact.
• The stylus is never required, not even in the final area in the game.
• Compspaces aka Cyber Cores return to the series and these are no longer a single square room but maze-like areas. In addition the game introduces Noise Waves which are essentially like Cyber Cores but harder to find, and when entering them you are placed in a random location and must find the exit.