Tekken 3

Tekken 3 (鉄拳3) is a fighting game, the third entry in the Tekken series after Tekken and Tekken 2. It was released to the arcades in 1997, before being ported to the PlayStation in 1998. The arcade version of the game was released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 as part of Tekken 5‘s Arcade History mode. The game was also re-released as part of Sony‘s PlayStation Classic.

Tekken 3 features a largely new cast of characters, including the debut of several now-staple characters such as Jin Kazama, Ling Xiaoyu, Bryan Fury, Eddy Gordo, Hwoarang, Forest Law and Julia Chang, with a total of twenty-three characters. The home version includes a new beat ’em up mode called Tekken Force, and the bonus Tekken Ball mode.

Gameplay – Tekken 3

Tekken 3 maintains the same core fighting system and concept as its predecessors.^[5] Three-dimensional movement is insignificant in previous Tekken games (aside from some characters having unique sidesteps and dodging maneuvers), but Tekken 3 adds emphasis on the third axis by allowing characters to sidestep in or out of the background.^[6][7]

Characters – Tekken 3

See also: List of Tekken characters § Introduced in Tekken 3

The arcade version features a total of 21 characters. Because the game takes place 20 years after Tekken 2, only six characters from the previous installment return, with the rest being new.

Returning characters – Tekken 3

• Anna Williams ^a e
• Heihachi Mishima ^a
• Lei Wulong
• Nina Williams
• Paul Phoenix
• Yoshimitsu

Reception – Tekken 3

Publication	Score
AllGame	(arcade)[19]  (PS1)[20]
Computer and Video Games	[21]
Edge	9/10[22]
Electronic Gaming Monthly	39/40[23]
Famitsu	39/40[24]
Game Informer	9.5/10[25]
GamePro	5/5[26]
GameRevolution	A−[27]
GamesMaster	95%[28]
GameSpot	9.9/10[15]
IGN	9.3/10[29]
Next Generation	(arcade)[30]  (PS1)[31]
Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine	[32]
Entertainment Weekly	A[33]

Commercial – Tekken 3

The arcade game was a major hit. In Japan, the 15 April 1997 issue of Game Machine listed Tekken 3 as the most-successful arcade game of the month.^[37] It went on to be the highest-grossing arcade printed circuit board (PCB) game of 1997 in Japan,^[38] and second highest-grossing overall arcade video game below Sega‘s rival Virtua Fighter 3 (1996).^[39]