Goodbye, Southtown. Hello, someplace that is not Southtown.
Overview
When it comes to fighting games in video game history, they like to spice thing up and retouch it when it hit the number “3” and it is no different for the SNK Corporation. Some have resulted in some revolutionary, some impressive, some average, and some that just plain out sucked. Which brings us to “Art of Fighting”, a series that has manage to make it for a third dose of fighting mayhem.
The story features Robert as the main man, on his quest to meet a friend in Mexico to sort out a few personal things. Ryo plays second fiddle, as he follows RObert to find out what lurks across the border. They are joined by several new faces. Each with their own goals to fulfill that may involve our main heroes. Will the third release continue the fighting tradition or will it be a lost art?
Graphics 7/10
Admit it. Art of Fighting is probably the least popular SNK title in their fighting game lineup, but my god, the graphics done on this one are amazingly fresh. The fighters are sharp and big. They move sort of more “human” like in a way, as in some parts, they move around gracefully.
Hell, I believe it is the only 2D fighting game that has the down opponent breathing in and out. Look at the winner/loser section and you swear like they are moving in 3D while in a 2D game. Sadly, they have taken out the physical injury feature so no plump bruise faces to see here, people. Other then that, it is very intriguing and is earns major high points for the game. Amazing that this is coming from within system hardware that no one thought could display in its old age.
This release still kept the camera zooming effect like the others before it. The motioning of going in and out to focus is clear and no doubt, well done. My only drawback in this area is where the battles take place as they came out plain and bland, even with them being extremely in depth. A barely active gas station and a peaceful day at a café is not what I would expect if I am about to fight somebody to a bloody mess. However, I did take pleasure in the water park stage as it was quite elegant.
Gameplay/Controls 7/10
While the new recruits are a colorful bunch, they sort of lack any depth and interest. Even their special moves are somewhat below expectations and sometimes look off key. The only people that give out a lasting impression are Kasumi and Karmen. Even the bosses are a lot more to be desire for and really did not catch any of my interest. Some special moves are far simpler to carry out then others and that could be unfair in some situations. The super moves can be done with ease now that the controls are much tighter, even if the direction moving to perform them looks hard to do.
The computer AI has gone down since the last sequel, but that is not really saying much. It becomes hard after defeating two or three opponents, cause then, chaos ensues and you might as well walk away from it. The CPU knows when to stick it to you, unleashing those powerful attacks and Ultimate KOs just when you think you had everything right in your hands. The final boss, Wyler, does not even intake your projectiles damage or let you throw him because he is too damn big and on steroids. Missing, and probably abandon, are the bonus rounds, which at this time was really more of a recurring setback that most players did not want to deal with.
The button configuration stays intact with a punch, kick, and hard attack in your arsenal. The D button serves as your taunt. The recharging of your spiriting meter feels more comfortable and does not seem as a chore this time. I do feel that this setup finally found it niche as this game is finely tuned and responsive.
There are some bizarre skills added to the game. Each fighter has a set of commands acting sort of something like from a 3D gaming, pressing a direction with a mash of buttons, resulting in you doing a light tap of chain attacks. Included in this game is dodging maneuvers that are useful against throwing attempts. Ground attacks come in helpful in doing more damage while your foe is knock on their back. Also, taunts deplete your opponent’s spirit gauge in unknown amounts, depending on how long you are not harm during the unkind gestures.
The game fighting engine is complex, but if mastered you can find some hazardous findings. In some cases, some fighters can plan a string of barrages and precise timing that could take out an opponent’s entire life bar, if not, be close to it. Good against the computer, bad for human opponents who have not fully understand or adapted to the game. Thing is, the juggles can be hard to keep up for some players because it feels so unnatural and will think there is something wrong with the hit detection.
Sound/Music 5/10
The sounds echoing in Art of Fighting 3 are filtered to be watertight. You can understand word-for-word what is being said, even if you do not speak a word of Japanese. When someone is hitting the dirt, you can be sure it sounds close to that scene. The crackling of Lenny’s whip is painful by listening to it alone. Some parts could need some work like Rody throwing his baton like a boomerang. I like the humor the game has when Kasumi tries to speak English. However, it leaves a lot of loopholes and questions unanswered in the future.
In my opinion, there is no outstanding music that sticks out from the whole list of tracks the game contains. I give credit where it is due, as they do try experimenting in combining and fusing music together to make something original, but it still does not have a lasting effect to stay stuck in your head, like many of the songs from the first and second Art of Fightings.
The character selection screen has one of the most atrocious themes I ever heard. If you were to ask some many upon first hearing Art of Fighting 3’s soundtrack, they would say the parts they can recollect in their heads are the trumpets blowing, percussion drums beating, and the declared winner scene.
Replay Value 5/10
With nearly three returning characters, if you count Kasumi, and a slew of new not-really-so-interesting warriors, it falls flat on its face in the roster department. The overhaul of the game engine also kills the fun factor for people who are just getting use to the first two games’ logic. Many players might possibly refuse to relearn this game’s way of fighting. The game also has no story to back it up for those not named Robert or Ryo. All you get is a bunch of fights with no chat happening between the two fighters. However, their endings are still present when finishing the game.
Even willing to pass that and study it, some people can still be turn off at how boring the fighting can actually be to them. Not everybody likes the idea of having a near realistic game, no matter the genre. Casual fans might be iffy, whether they like it or not, hardcore players can be damn sure to love every moment being given to them from this game.
Overall 6/10
It is a lot better then Art of Fighting 1 and 2, but they did a major mistake of taking some of the signature traits that help put the game in the hearts of some loyal SNK fans in the first place. It maybe the most visually dazzling game on the graphics’ side during its time of release, the overall presentation can be lacking, something Art of Fighting 2 had. It is really hard to say if this game is worth buying and playing it multiple times. It is the best of the series, but that does not mean it really worth it to the consumer.
- By Boombada
