Tekken was already an enormous deal earlier than Tekken 3 got here alongside, however the third instalment rocketed Bandai Namco’s sequence to actually superior heights. It was each a revolutionary 3D combating sport and a industrial juggernaut, serving to outline a whole console era.
However maybe essentially the most spectacular factor about Tekken 3 is that, over three a long time later, it is nonetheless a pleasure to play. Sure, having a point of nostalgia for the unique launch clearly helps, however on a mechanical stage, it stays shockingly strong.
The place Tekken 2 can really feel greater than slightly wonky at occasions, its successor does an unimaginable job tightening every thing up. Again in 1998, it felt like Tekken 3 had perfected the method; it was extremely responsive but satisfyingly flashy, and it greater than earned all of these good overview scores.
At this time, the title has its justifiable share of questionable quirks. Some strikes are borderline damaged and the harm scaling is uncontrolled by fashionable requirements, nevertheless it’s loopy how shut the sport involves feeling prefer it’s not that previous.
This is applicable to the presentation as effectively. The character fashions and the levels nonetheless maintain up, and the sport’s total visible readability makes some present fighters seem like a little bit of a large number by comparability.
And the music… Bangers from prime to backside. The soundtrack might not have the dramatic aptitude of Tekken 2, however there are a great deal of memorable preparations right here. Jin’s theme is an all-timer, for instance — a observe so good that it was repurposed for Tekken 8 virtually 30 years later.
As for sport modes, Tekken 3’s the entire bundle. Arcade’s bought your traditional character ending films, whereas Tekken Power gives one thing completely completely different with its side-scrolling beat-’em-up model. A fantastic little distraction.
Past some dodgy character balancing, it is so exhausting to fault Tekken 3. The 1998 fighter remains to be a blast to only sit down and play, with or with out mates — and that is testomony to the sport’s tight and finally timeless design.
