Tekken 3

"Tekken 3 is in every ways better than its predecessor"

The King of Fighters has returned. That’s right Namco finally brings us Tekken 3. This game will play out like the arcade version and it will also offer many new features. And as the game has been released for this time we’ve seen that Tekken is here to stay and that the series latest game, Tekken 3 is the reason for it.

Tekken 3 plays out a lot like its predecessor which is Tekken 2, except Tekken 3 is like way better. It is way better because it features so many new features and added on additions that can make Tekken 2 be like nothing. So to sum that up Tekken 3 is in every ways better than its predecessors.

One of Tekken 3’s major additions comes in the form of Single Player mode. In Single Player mode you will go through 10 stages of hard right non-stop action till your selected fighter is fighter of the world. Tekken 2 had a nice single player mode too, but its problem was that the fighting mechanics of the characters were planned out too slow. In Tekken 3 it is all about fighting. Now the fighting mechanics are played out way faster than they were played out in the Arcade version. And that’s already saying a lot.

Tekken 2 featured some great fighters- in fact they were way better than Tekken 1’s, but with Tekken 3 you see some of the greatest fighters ever. Back are some fighters from Tekken 2 like Lei, Nina, Paul, but the fighters are obviously the new ones. These new ones include fighters like Jin Kazama, who is Kazuya’s son, Hworang, who is a Korean heavy kicker, and Ogre who is a monster bent on world annihilation. There are even some more new ones. Where this game shines though is with it’s unlockable characters. There are over 15 fighters that can be unlocked making your Tekken fighting experience even more worthwhile. Also to get 2 of the characters you will have to accelerate past some new modes in order to get them making this game even more fun to play.

Tekken 3 features over 12 different modes of play. These modes include from a single player mode to some 2 player modes and some more. One of the best additions come in the form of Team Battle Mode. In this mode you will pick some characters and you will use them to fight against your opponents team of characters. One of the new additions is Tekken Force Mode. In this mode you will pick a character and you will fight your way against a stage full of enemies and then a boss at the end. There are 4 stages in this mode, with each one being harder than the last. If you beat this mode once you will get a key. This key collecting can lead you to getting a new character. There is also an always handy Practice mode. In this Practice Mode you can test out your moves against a dummy opponent. Some other returning modes are Survival mode and Time Attack mode. And just in case if you were wondering there is also a secret mode that is just loads of fun.

In this game however, the most important mode will obviously be 2 player mode. This is because once your done with single player mode and are just bored with this game, then you should put your challenge to a test and challenge a friend. With this mode this game is mainly unstoppable and with over 25 characters for you to choose from, then you can obviously bet that 2 player mode will last you a long time.

This game also follows what every Tekken game has been following. This is a good story. This game features that good story. This game takes place 15 years after Tekken 2 and now an evil being called Ogre has gone on a rampage. He has even killed many of the fighters who have competed in the Tekken fist tournament. And then one day Ogre killed Jun Kazama. Then Jun’s son, Jin wanted revenge on Ogre. He then was approached by Heihachi and was soon trained by him. Soon a Tekken tournament will begin again and this time the prize will be even more special then the last. [This pretty much sums up Tekken 3’s story.]

The game features lots of fighting moves for you to pull off. You now got greater combos, more juggles, better throws and with more characters to make those moves ever happen. But to do those moves then you will need great and simple controls. This game features that. In this game just mainly tap a button to do some good moves and then combine those buttons to make up a great combo maneuver. And just in case you can’t pull of those moves then you can always press START and look at all your moves through one of this game’s options.

Where this game really shines is with its graphics. These are awesome graphics and they are probably the best to be seen on Sony’s Playstation console. This game features great looking character models, then add it up with great looking backgrounds, and then just add a dose of some of the best FMV cinemas ever, and then you will see why this game’s graphics are just so damn good. The sound is also well organized. This game features many urban and hip-hop beats making the soundtrack a fully listened to one. Plus this game features many great sound effects and the sound of your character’s screaming is just plain funny.

This game also features a couple of Easter eggs here and there. These Easter Eggs include hidden costumes, a disco guy, and a Theater option. The Theater option lets you watch all the movies of Tekken 3, Tekken 2, and Tekken 1. This is just awesome.

Tekken 3 is definitely worth buying or purchasing because it is just so fun and just so perfect. Despite some small flaws like it being too easy, this game is still pretty darn good. Overall Tekken 3 is probably the best fighting game around, if not the best fighting game ever.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 01/05/02, Updated 09/03/02