NostalGame: Tekken 3 (1998)

Tekken 3 is a game that holds a special place in the hearts of many gamers who grew up in the PlayStation 1 era. It was a game that had a significant impact, and even today, we still talk about it 25 years later. The legacy of Tekken 3 is still felt, and it's not surprising why.

In the years leading up to Tekken 3, arcades and fighting games were hugely popular in Japan. The big boss at the time was Virtual Fighter 2, and it was Harada's dream to one day surpass the franchise. However, at this point, he was just a voice actor. During the development of Tekken 2, many from the Tekken project left Namco, as Japanese game companies were desperate for developers, and they just went elsewhere. It was Harada who stepped up during these dark times to become the game director, and so the recruitment strategy also changed.

It was in 1996, a year before any release of Tekken 3, that the world first saw Tekken 3, and they didn't just show a combo video followed by a logo. They showed the world what is still considered an iconic game intro. People couldn't believe what they were seeing, and the beauty of Tekken 3 on the arcade was just too much for PS1's hardware as Tekken 1 and 2 were developed on Namco system 11, whereas Tekken 3 was developed on system 12. In the meantime, PS1 remained the same throughout, so major down scales were made from arcade to console, but despite being a very painful process, it was a successful one.

From a gameplay perspective, Tekken 3 still holds up to this day. Korean back dashing was a thing in Tekken 3, and it covered huge distance, making foot season attacking free a key element. The sidewalk was introduced in Tekken 5, but sidestepping and Tekken 3 covered huge distance. Pair this with the fact that hurt boxes were relatively small in this game, and you get a lot of freedom to move around and avoid your opponent. This was the first game with a good okazemi system and wave dashing. Imagine how this must have felt when playing only Tekken 1 and 2.

As always, when looking back on Tekken 3, you can't ignore some of the broken stuff in this game. There was a 12 frame unbreakable throw, and unblockables tracked, resulting in dumbass Tech tracks. Gentile sweep was practically safe, and two characters pretty much owned the game. However, games like Tekken balls show that Tekken 3 didn't take itself too seriously at the cost of fun. The simple game of fighting game volleyball was enhanced by the massive moveset that the Tekken 3 roster had at the time, and this made it so a variety of strategies could be used to kill your opponent.

Tekken force is the weakest game mode in this game. The character's movement just feels awkward with this camera angle, and it's hard to know which direction is blocked sometimes. With the enemies all around you, it can get super frustrating. However, there is a high score leaderboard for replayability, and the four different stages are a good amount of content for a mode added into the console version at the time.

In conclusion, Tekken 3 is a game that has stood the test of time and has left a lasting impact on the gaming industry. With its impressive gameplay, iconic soundtrack, and memorable characters, it's not hard to see why it's still being talked about 25 years later. Tekken 3 is a game that will always hold a special place in the hearts of those who played.