Kamen Rider V3

"This game has its ups and downs..."

At last, a Kamen Rider V3 show that was translated into a game! For most of you that could remember, Kamen Rider V3 was shown in Japan in 1973 and is considered one of the great Kamen Rider shows after Kamen Rider. I was excited when the game was released and so I bought it. When I played it, it was like watching V3 again. From the intro music through the ending music,it was a trip down through memory lane.

GRAPHICS: 7
The graphics are not bad at all. The game shows how your character is transformed,(for example: Shiroh Kazami into Kamen Rider V3) which is a sight to see,in Kuuga there is no tranformation process there. At least there is no slowdown and the winning poses and the finisher effects are OK.

STORY(GAME):7
Probably the reason I like this story mode better than Kamen Rider Kuuga because the characters have dialogue unlike in Kuuga where the narrator is only talking. Each episode has a different outcome depending what time will you transform into V3.Sometimes you can think what will happen next if you transformed in different time.
But sometimes the game doesn't follow through the TV series,like in Riderman's storyline, Riderman faces the Destron leader which is not in the TV series.

CONTROL:6
Well, you wished you can jump in this game because it does not have a jump button at all!! Pressing up or down will make your character strafe left or right. And also they added an annoying grab system. Pressing different buttons during the grabbing process is really annoying because your opponent can block your move. This is finally removed in Kamen Rider Kuuga. And also, they have to add a block button,which is also annoying because you never know when your enemy will attack,eventually you will recognize your opponent's attacks. But fortunately, your character responds quickly the moment you press a button.

SOUND:7
The sound is good as well,from the sound of Kamen Rider 1 transforming(a memorable sound effect for me)to the punching sounds of your character. There is also a BGM select at the option screen where you can listen to the good tunes of the game as well as remixes from the original music.

GAMEPLAY:7
The moves of all the characters are balanced, some range from weak punches to kicks to devastating special attacks . You can actually learn combos in practice mode. It's also great to see the replays when you finish your enemy off with a finisher.

OVERALL:7
If you are a Kamen Rider fan,then get this game. If not and you want to try something alternative,rent of borrow it from a friend.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 05/13/02, Updated 05/13/02