Tekken 3 for PlayStation 1

Intro:

I remember the first time playing this game at Round Table Pizza. It didn't really impress me because it was basically an upgraded version of part 2. So instead of wasting the rest of my quarters on Tekken 3, I just headed to the claw machine and tried to win some stuffed animals (and if you really want to know I won two teddy bears, yeah!!!). Anyway, when Tekken 3 was released for Playstation I said "What the hell," and went out and bought it, mainly because my collection of games lacked a 3D fighter. Did my opinion on the game change? Not really, there wasn't really anything new that made me change my mind.

Story:

It's a 3D fighter, so the story is weak. It's basically about a bunch of fighters trying to win "The King of Iron Fist Tournament." Each character has their own story that unfolds at the end, but let me tell you straight up, some just don't make sense.

Gameplay:

Let's start out with the basics. There are 20 characters in all and there are around 8 modes of play. The main one player mode is the Arcade Mode. Other modes include vs., team battle, survival, time attack, Tekken force, ball, and practice.

Most characters are from part 2 and some special new ones like Gon were added in just for the PSX version. Each fighter has their own set of moves, throws, and fighting style. For example some use martial arts, wrestling moves, kung fu, and all these other wacky forms of fighting.

Before I talk about the actual brawling I want to talk a little about the control. The basic moves are left and right punches and kicks. Throws and other combos are done by hitting a certain combination of buttons. Blocking is simply done by holding back, and the power charge is performed by hitting all the four face buttons on the controller. Moving around is a little stiff and the lack of analog control doesn't really help either.

Every good fighting game has a feature in the gameplay department that separates it from other games. Soul Caliber has weapons and a ring out feature, Dead or Alive has bouncy you know what, multiple fighting areas, and a cool counterattack system, Powerstone 2 has…well it's just crazy, so what does Tekken 3 have to offer that other games don't? Nothing.

Tekken 3's fighting engine is a slightly improved version of part 2. The game still doesn't give players the ability to fully move around in the 3D environments. The control layout and functions have basically been untouched. Fights are rather slow, and the strategy involved is nonexistent, it's a button masher for crying out loud. You just have to sit down and press a lot of buttons and eventually you'll win. Hey I've seen it happened, I lost 5 times in a row to my uncle who was just hitting the same two buttons over and over.

The only part that I enjoyed in fighting was trying to master each character. Yes they do have lots of moves, and trying to perform them can be both fun and frustrating, especially those long combos. The other modes aren't that attractive and the Tekken Force mode is a run down version of Final Fight. The ball mode is pretty cool though. It's sort of like tennis and volleyball. Players hit a ball (beach ball, gum ball, or iron ball) back and forth. I only found this mode fun to play against friends who are good.

The theater mode is also a nice feature, but nothing too big. Playing against friends is the game's only plus side; a game with any human competition becomes more entertaining. The replay value is fairly short, once you beat the game with all the characters there's nothing else to do. There's no real story mode that'll keep you coming back for more and the other modes aren't that exciting.

Graphics:

I'm going to give Namco props for the visuals. After all this time Tekken 3 is still a good-looking game, well on the Playstation that is. Character models are great and animations are well crafted. My favorite animations have to be the throws and grabs; they look so painful. The CG intro is awesome and the ending sequences are equally impressive. The backgrounds are the only noticeable problems with the graphics. They appear rather flat and nothing is really eye popping.

Sound:

Many people have stated that Tekken 3 has some great music, but I think it's very boring and repetitive. The music just doesn't get you in the ahah-kicking mood; it's rather tame and uninspiring. The stale and lifeless sound effects aren't beneficial to this fighter either. Punches and grunts sound generic and the bone crunching attacks from part 2 seem to be toned down.

Overall:

Tekken 3 is a decent game, but the truth is that it's basically Tekken 2.5. The upgraded graphics and new modes are the only things that make Tekken 3 seem like a totally "new" game. The main reason why I can't recommend this game is because of its short replay value and often boring button-mashing gameplay. Fans of the series will enjoy Tekken 3, while other people will just like the simplistic fighting system. Having already played Tekken Tag Tournament (more like Tekken 3.5) in the arcades, it's pretty safe to say that it's another upgrade of a previous Tekken game. Namco sure knows how to make rehashes of their big games, and Tekken 3 surely falls in this category.