Tekken 3 is one of those titles that just HAS to grace your games collection (Tekken 3 (PS))

Member Name: trussellp

Product:	Tekken 3 (PS)
Date:	09/03/02 (21 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: characters, moves, grahics, controls

Disadvantages: none really...not for any other game machine!!

Quite probably the greatest beat-em-up ever to have existedfor the playstation, Tekken 3 sees Player 1 beating the crap out of either a computer opponent, or, much more enjoyably, Player 2. And that’s it. The game doesn’t deliver much, but what it does deliver, it delivers with style…

Featuring 21 different characters (ten selectable from the start and eleven to be unlocked), each boasting their own unique style and moves, there’s someone in Tekken 3 to suit everyone. Whether you like the acrobatics of Lei, or the raw power of Paul, or even if you prefer to simply strike the controls at random, vaguely hoping your fighter might come out victorious and so choose the button-basher’s favourite, Eddi, everyone will eventually find a character they’ll want to stick with. I’m a Jin Kazama man myself.



The hidden characters can be unlocked by playing through single player mode and defeating the big end baddie, True Ogre. Each time you complete the game, a new character appears.

Once you’ve been playing the game a while, a new mode appears out of the blue, too. Tekken Ball sees you taking part in a sort of violent version of volleyball, walloping the large metal ball as hard as you can towards your opponent, in the hope it’ll knock them unconscious. Never saw them playing that particular game on Baywatch, it must be said.

Tekken Force is another mode, which sees your chosen character making his way through a scrolling landscape, taking on dozens of attackers, before confronting an end of level boss. Both this mode and Tekken Ball have a secret character which can be unlocked and then used in the game proper. Gon, the midget dinosaur from Tekken Ball is useless, though, so steer clear.

As mentioned above, though, Vs mode is where Tekken 3 comes into its own. Beating up a computer controlled opponent is all well and good, but leathering Hell out of a friend is a mu
ch more enjoyable way to spend a rainy afternoon. Many’s a crunching knee I’ve delivered to my fiancée’s face. Many’s a time I’ve twisted her head round until her neck loudly snapped. Ungentlemanly? Quite possibly. Fun? Most definitely.



With Survival and Team modes to round out the package (both of which see you taking on multiple opponents one at a time), Tekken 3 is the most complete fighting game you’re likely to get. Tekken Tag Tournament arrives with the PS2, and should prove interesting, but it’ll have quite a fight on its hands if it wants to steal the Greatest Beat-em-up of All Time crown away from its younger sibling.

Even if you already own the two that come before it, and even if you’d rather be flayed alive by angry farmers than play another fighting game, Tekken 3 is one of those titles that just HAS to grace your games collection.

And if you disagree, I’ll meet you round the back in five minutes. I’ve got a Demon’s Paw with your name on it.

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