The SNES version was re-released for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One as part of Mega Man X Legacy Collection which released worldwide in 2018.

Namely, he is able to run, jump, dash, cling to and scale most walls, and fire his chargeable "X-Buster" arm cannon and special weapons.

[4] The player can further upgrade X's abilities by collecting armor parts (head, body, legs, and X-Buster) found within capsules in some levels.

[7][8] Zero can be called to take X's place during nearly any stage, but he cannot collect any of X's armor parts or power-ups, and cannot fight mid-stage or end-stage bosses, with only one exception that grants access to a secret weapon for X.

[14] By the time production began, Keiji Inafune, a major contributor to the Mega Man franchise, had transitioned from his role as an artist to director, producer, and writer.

[15] Starting with Mega Man X2, Inafune wanted to use a computer virus as a plot device, something he considered a more interesting idea than a tangible villain.

[15] All of the designs for the game's other characters, bosses, and its minor enemies were divided among artists Hayato Kaji, Tatsuya Yoshikawa, Shinsuke Komaki, and Kazushi Itou.

This digital signal processor cartridge chip allows for basic 3D graphical effects such as rotation, enlarging, and shrinking of wireframe objects.

[28] The SNES version of Mega Man X3 was released on the Wii U Virtual Console in North America on August 28, 2014, in Japan on October 8, 2014, and the PAL regions on November 6, 2014.

[33] Although the Minakuchi Engineering Staff is credited in the game's soundtrack album, Yamashita worked for them in a freelance capacity rather than being an actual employee of the company.

[5][7][18][19][37][38][39] Mike Weigand of GamePro was generally pleased with the game, and, though he admitted it brought little new to the franchise, enjoyed the increased difficulty, tight controls, and new special effects.

"[18] GameFan reviewer Dave Halverson was equally impressed by the "speed, diversity, special FX, and power up's," calling it "a fitting 16-bit finale to a great series".

[7][38] Super Play writer Jonathan Davies found the game far too similar to Mega Man X2, questioning whether or not "Capcom are cashing in on their loyal fans".

"[38] Likewise, 1UP.com writer Jeremy Parish thought that the game differed little from past releases, complaining that it was "more of the same, but with a kitchen-sink design philosophy that made every single level feel like a sluggish, ill-designed mess.

"[47] GameSpot editors Christian Nutt and Justin Speer specifically felt the number of power-ups and bonuses overshadowed the gameplay, barely benefiting from the addition of Zero as a limited playable character.

"Packing more cliché console conventions than you can shake a gamepad at," Smith opined, "you'll need the patience of Job, the manual dexterity of a nine-year-old, and the intelligence of Forrest Gump to really enjoy this one.

[48] The North American and the European SNES version of Mega Man X3 are very rare due to their limited run and the fact that they were released during declining support of the console.

[5][49] Despite higher-than-expected retail orders for their SNES products, Capcom had lowered its shipping of 16-bit titles during the fall 1995 release quarter due to supply and demand.

[50] To give the game a chance of turning a profit in spite of its limited production run, Capcom had to price it higher than any previous Mega Man title.

[7][49][27] Despite game's innovation over including Zero as a playable character, the team noted that there were little differences between him and X which led to a redesign in the next sequel, Mega Man X4, as a swordsman rather than a gunner like the other protagonist.