Many of the features introduced in "Mega Man 3" have been carried on by the series. These include the characters Proto Man and Rush, the player's ability to slide, and extra stages set between the initial eight Robot Masters and Dr. Wily's fortress. With the release of "Mega Man 9" in 2008, however, some of these elements and others implemented in the third through eighth installments were forgone in favor of the more basic aspects of "Mega Man" and "Mega Man 2". The producers of "Mega Man 9" have referred to the ninth game as "the new "Mega Man 3"" because they wanted to surpass what they accomplished in "Mega Man 2".