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One of the best fighting games on a system that's filled with them

Tekken 3 was originally released in 1997 in the arcades. The arcade port was released in 1998 for the Playstation. This awesome fighting game was developed and published by Namco, the same company which would later create the Soul Caliber series. Tekken 3 is regarded by many as the high point of the series, and it's not difficult to figure out why. The game has a great cast of fighters, plenty of different modes, and a lot to unlock and see.

There are eight modes in the game: Arcade Mode (which is the main game), Vs Mode, Team Battle Mode, Time Attack Mode, Survival Mode, Tekken Force Mode, Practice Mode, and Option Mode. You won't be getting bored with this fighter any time soon! The game is comprised of ten original characters with ten hidden characters, the total being twenty characters, which is a good number.

In Arcade Mode, you fight eight opponents, then fight Heihachi (the dude with the silver wing hair), then fight Ogre, and finally you fight an ugly combination of the two--a giant dragon/monster mash-up which doesn't resemble either of them. As in most fighting games, you have to beat each fighter twice. The incentive to beat Arcade Mode is twofold: 1) To unlock a hidden character, and 2) To see the cinema scene of the character you played as. These incentives are more than enough reason to keep playing Arcade Mode with more characters.

The fighting aspect of the game is simple. The Playstation controller has four face buttons; the top two buttons are punches, the bottom two are kicks. Sadly, the shoulder buttons don't do anything. Beating Arcade Mode is never a problem because you're given unlimited continues (no quarters needed!). I usually got stuck on a specific fighter, but if you just keep trying, you're bound to beat him eventually. Battles can be intense right up to the end, and when you win with just a sliver of health left, the outcome is sooooo satisfying. When your fighter gets knocked down, you can either roll to get up or come up with a counter (a kick). The counter can literally be a lifesaver at times.

The cast of fighters in T3 is great. While fighters are nearly identical in basic punches and kicks, each one is unique in speed, power, and technique. The most well-rounded fighters are probably Jin and Nina while Julia is probably the fastest fighter. Moves and combos are unique to each fighter. Lei and Law are the martial artists of the game (Law being the Bruce Lee stereotype); King uses wrestling moves while Eddy is constantly moving and uses swift and graceful breakdancing attacks (Eddy is a real standout). Some characters are just bizarre, such as Mokujin (a guy made of logs) and Panda (a bear!). Suffice to say, with such a wide range of characters and fighting styles, the game does not disappoint in this regard.

The game does disappoint, however, in regard to the cinema scenes. Well, saying that probably isn't fair since I'm spoiled with movie scenes nowadays; back in 1998 these scenes must have been amazing to watch. Some scenes are just for comic relief, such as Paul getting pulled over for speeding on his motorcycle or Anna going with a group of dudes at the beach, but other scenes are very serious, delving into the past problems of some of the fighters, such as Nina and Eddy. The scenes are very short, maybe thirty seconds each, but it's fun to see what's gonna happen anyways.

Outside of the main game, T3 has a lot more to offer. In Team Battle Mode, you choose the number of fighters on a team (ranging from one to eight fighters) and then fight in consecutive battles. In Time Attack Mode, your goal is to beat the main game as fast as possible. Survival Mode challenges you to beat as many opponents as possible without losing. Tekken Force Mode is like a simple beat 'em up broken into small stages, complete with "bosses" (fighters) at the end of each stage; you can even grab some chicken lying on the ground for a health boost. Practice Mode allows you to play freestyle or learn combos of specific characters (combos in T3 are really long, being 10 inputs or more, so props to those who master the combos!).

Two player is an absolute blast. I think I could play this game forever with a friend! T3 is not a difficult fighting game, but a very strong and well-built one, meaning it can be addicting. Third time's a charm, right? I'm glad to see that T3 was not a lazy arcade port. Outside of everything I've covered, there's also a lot to unlock, including extra costumes, Theatre Mode, extra stages, Tekken Ball Mode, and more. The fun just never ends with this one.

Final Verdict--5 Stars: Awesome!

Almost two decades after its release, Tekken 3 is still just as fun and compelling to play as it was when it first astounded gamers in 1998. The cast of characters is great, the fighting is intense and addicting, and the game has no lack of features. Even the cinema scenes are still enjoyable to a certain degree. The Playstation has a lot of fighting games, but T3 is easily one of the best on the system. I don't keep up with all the Tekken games, but I wouldn't be surprised if Tekken 3 is still the high point of the series. Can it really get any better than this?

Thanks for reading, as always. There will be no Retro Game of the Week next week because I'll be camping all week, but stay tuned after that for more stuff.