Tekken 3

Tekken 3 is the next installment of the iconic series of 3D fighting games created by Namco (now known as Bandai Namco). The game was released in 1998 on PS1 and quite significantly developed the gameplay mechanisms of its predecessor, also making significant changes in the list of playable characters.

Plot

Tekken 3 takes place several years after the tournament from the previous title. The Tekken Force, a paramilitary organization created by Heihachi Mishima, accidentally awakens the ancient martial arts god, Ogre. He kills the troop and sets off into the world, hunting for the great masters of martial arts.

One of his victims is Jun Kazama, who raised her son Jin alone - the boy is Kazuya Mishima's son. Jin goes to his grandfather Heihachi to ask him for teachings. The old Mishima decides to use the young man to lure Ogre, whom he would like to capture and use for his purposes. After several years of training, Mishima announces another Iron Fist Tournament, hoping that the god of fighting will not miss such an opportunity.

Mechanics

Tekken 3 on PS1 significantly enhances the combat mechanics of the previous installments. Although the controls follow the same rules, where individual buttons are responsible for different limbs, the title makes much more use of the three-dimensionality of the environment. All characters gained the ability to dodge sideways and had their jump height shortened, adding depth to the duels and forcing players to use different tactics. The use of so-called "juggles", that is launching an opponent into the air and attacking them while they are defenseless, has also become more important.

Moving the action of the game several years forward served as a pretext for replacing a large part of the cast. Tekken 3 features only eight characters from the previous, the rest are debutants (although many of them have very similar attacks, or even appearance, to absent warriors). Once again you can play as Nina Williams, Heihachi Mishima Heihachi, Yoshimitsu, a cybernetic ninja or Lei Wulong. The debutants include capoeira master Eddy Gordo, Kazuya and Jun's named Jin and Chinese pupil Ling Xiaoyu. In total, players can choose from over 20 characters.

Game modes

Tekken 3 includes game modes such as Arcade, Survival, Time Attack and Versus. In addition, the production also offers other, more original, modes. Tekken Force Mode imitates the classic side-scroller beat'em ups, in which you have to defeat numerous opponents while heading to the right side of the level. In the Tekken Ball Mode, you can participate in a very unusual variation of beach volleyball.

Technical aspects

Due to technical limitations, the PS1 version of Tekken 3 offers slightly worse visuals than its arcade counterpart. Three-dimensional backgrounds were replaced with two-dimensional panoramic images, the number of polygons used on characters was reduced and the game works at a lower resolution. Despite these cuts, the game remains one of the best looking productions available on PS1.

Last updated on February 12, 2020