Tekken 3

Developer: Namco

Publisher: Namco

Genre: Fighting

Players: 1-2

Difficulty: Adj.

Rating: T

Memory Card: 1 Block

Analog Compatible: No

Dual-Shock Compatible: Yes

With all of the hype and anticipation about Tekken 3, Namco really had to do something spectacular with the PlayStation port, and they did. Almost everyone has at least heard of Tekken 3, and it's huge popularity is not undue. Namco's development team shows with Tekken 3 that they are one of the top development companies in the industry.

 

Those of you familiar with the previous two Tekken games will be able to jump right into Tekken 3 since it plays almost exactly like Tekken and Tekken 2. The main difference is that the key to being victorious is to fully utilize the sidestep. A few characters in the previous Tekken games had sidestep moves, but it wasn't necessary to use it. In Tekken 3 you can pull of some seriously devestating moves during a sidestep, including some spectacular throws. As I mentioned before, Tekken 3 plays exactly like the other Tekken games. You play in a large, square arena where ring-outs are impossible, and you fight your opponent using a wide array of throws and special moves. You start off with only 10 characters, but each time you beat the game you get a new secret character, there are more secret characters than the original ones! Along with the obligitory VS., Practice, Survival, and Time Attack modes, two totally new gameplay modes have been added. One is Tekken Force, which plays a lot like Final Fight, but is much more difficult. The second new mode is Tekken Ball. It's kind of like full-contact vollyball without a net, it has to be seen to be believed.

 

Graphics is the main area that shows how good of a translation Tekken 3 is. The characters look great, they are a little blockier than they were in the Arcade version, but you probably won't notice. The character's moves were motion captured from martial arts masters, so they look very realistic, Eddy Gordo's fighting style is one of the coolest I've ever seen. The backgrounds are high-resolution and look great, but unfortunately they are only 2D backdrops, but they look really good. The Tekken series has always been known for it's awsome FMV, and Tekken 3 is no exception. You are rewarded with awsome FMV when you beat the game, even though some of the endings don't make much sense.

 

Tekken 3's sound effects are competent, but it could have been done much better. The thuds and smacks seem lower and a bit muffled compared to the Arcade version, but they get the job done. Each character has his or her own grunts and battle cries, which gives them personality. The music is done quite well. The music is kind of a mix between rock and techno, and it works surprisingly well. The music is remixed from the Arcade version, but you can change the music to the Arcade music if you want to. I especially like the sweet bass guitar on Lei's stage.

 

The controls are tight and responsive, just like they should be, but the special moves require extreme precision to execute. You have to make sure that you press the buttons just right or you won't do the move. Another thing that can be fairly frustrating to an expert player is the fact that a rookie player can often beat you by just mashing the buttons, especially with Eddy Gordo. But overall, Tekken 3's controls are executed well and really aren't anything to complain much about.

 

Odds are that you already have bought, or at least played Tekken 3 and you just want to see what I had to say about it. If you haven't gotten it yet because you think the game is over-hyped, well, Tekken 3 deserves the hype. I suggest that everyone at least rents Tekken 3, most will want to purchase it after they do.

 

With the shear amount of secret characters and modes, you'll be playing all the way through Tekken 3 many times. Even after you've mastered the game and received all of the games secrets, you'll still find yourself coming back to Tekken 3 to kick your friends asses.

 

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