No matter what, you’ll be equipped with the Robot Masters’ weaknesses, so any other items or parts you may have equipped are fringe benefits. Since you have to defeat all eight Robot Masters in the same stage, having a Super Guard and a few Energy Tanks on hand essentially ensures your survival.
Head right and you’ll eventually encounter several Lyrics and a Fire Server. Take them out with the Mega Buster—you don’t want to waste any weapon energy on basic enemies in this stage.
Up the steps will be another Fire Server. He can’t hit you from afar because his fireballs will simply hit the ceiling and get snuffed out.
Past the second Fire Server will be a third, underneath a Lyric spawn. Decimate these weaklings and enter the boss shutter.
Drop down the shaft and you’ll be in a room with eight teleportation capsules. Each capsule leads to one of the eight Robot Masters.
With all of the Special Weapons, you can fight the Robot Masters in any order you wish. Use the Power Gear to easily destroy all eight very quickly. Revisit the Robot Master sections at the end of their stage walkthroughs if you need a refresher course.
When all the Robot Masters are scrapped once again, a ninth capsule appears in the middle of the room. Enter it to finish Gear Fortress 3 and open the way to the final stage!
Block Man
Weakness: Chain Blast
Acid Man
Weakness: Block Dropper
Blast Man
Weakness: Blazing Torch
Fuse Man
Weakness: Bounce Ball
Bounce Man
Weakness: Pile Driver
Torch Man
Weakness: Tundra Storm
Impact Man
Weakness: Acid Barrier
Tundra Man
Weakness: Scramble Thunder