Today, it looks like fighting games have mostly accepted that the 2D plane works best for them, with big names like Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat returning to the 2D realm after brief forays into 3D back around the turn of the millennium. But there was a time in the late 90s when you'd have been forgiven for thinking that the future of the genre lay in 3D, thanks to the incredible experience offered by new kid on the block, Tekken - or more specifically Tekken 3. The animations were smooth, different combos flowed seamlessly into each other, and during more elaborate holds and throws, the camera would even change angle to give the action an incredibly cinematic feel. While the big fighting games of recent years - including the Tekken series - have been incrementally tweaking and refining their formula with each successive game, Tekken 3 felt like a huge jump on everything that came before it both mechanically and visually. Tekken 3 was truly breathtaking, and until the excellent Street Fighter IV, it was the most impressive fighting game of all time. Tekken 3 broke the Mortal Kombat-Street Fighter hegemony over fighting games in the late 90s, and with its realistic moves, close-up combat and stunning presentation dominated its genre during the PS1 era.
Gamer, Researcher of strange things.
I'm a writer-editor hybrid whose writings on video games, technology and movies can be found across the internet. I've even ventured into the realm of current affairs on occasion but, unable to face reality, have retreated into expatiating on things on screens instead.
