Virtua Fighter 3/TB..........underrated or garbage?

[Joe Asakura]

A couple of years ago I bought myself a copy of the DC port of VF3TB, despite knowing that it was looked at and treated as a sort of "black sheep" of the VF series, wasn't even the best DC fighting game (but one of the easiest to find) and played differently to all other VF's. Not to mention the DC control pad was horrible for this game and it's pretty much sat untouched since I bought it almost 5 years ago. At least the game has a kick-ass soundtrack.................


So negative reviews aside, how much play and fame did VF3 get when it came out??? I remember it getting attention mostly because of it's then-mind-blowing graphics (OMG Lau's eyes are tracking you!!!) and not because of the gameplay. I've been browsing youtube for some VF3 vids (dunno if I could post up the links), and surprisingly I found a whole lot of interesting Japanese vids. Almost makes me wanna keep my copy..............except that I have yet to own a stick for any system. Those guys really did dissect and eat up that game, but over here it was just overpriced eye candy.

So.................any tier lists and whatnot for this game??? Also:

- What was the whole controversy behind the accuracy of the Dreamcast port of VF3??? I recall people throwing their arms up and shit over the DC ports of VF3 and Sega Rally 2, saying how they were disappointing and inexcusable.

- Are the rumors of a Saturn port of VF3 which was near if not already completed before it was shelved (in favor of the DC port) true??? It was sure an anticipated title for the Saturn, but the Saturn was already stretched to it's limits with the flawed VF2 port ( a second-gen title). Model 3 games on Saturn= :rofl: Perhaps I should chalk this up with all those other promised/cancelled Sega ports such as Daytona/Panzer Dragoon/Clockwork Knight on 32X (I've SEEN pics of those..........forgot which site) and Sega Super GT/Daytona 2 on Dreamcast.

- The original VF....................did it get any play/tourney play??? Hell why not mention the original Tekken while we're at it...............I'm a sucker for those old, first-gen 3D fighters.

[plasmakill]

Haha, some of those Sega facts took me back. I was real into Sega when Saturn was around lol. Dam them to this day for never porting Super GT, I used to spend alot of cash playing that game in the arcade..tiss a shame.

I have VF3 TB somewhere around here, I never really played it much and don't know why. Probably cause at the time DC was flooded with fighting games VF, SC, MvC, KOF..maybe a couple others all around at or close to launch.

[Rico!]

My only complain, and the one I've heard from all over the internet, was about the uneven stages, which can lead to some stupid combos.

[SaBrE]

no9176: hes referring specifically to the dc version i think.

if not then:

to put it briefly. none of the vf's did well over here period. the us just doesnt play vf. its a phenomenon in japan and even korea. vf4 kinda broke thru on ps2, selling very well. but it still never spawned a tourney scene. vf5 could change it all tho

[hanz0]

I used to have it for DC, i never really understood it i just played it:looney: now after playing vf4 evolution i really got into virtua fighters

the only thing i remember is that big sumo guy taka something:rofl:

[SaBrE]

i liked taka. only reason he hasnt come back is the simple fact of technology. he hasnt returned just cuz they cant get his body to behave the way they want it to. kinda sucks.

[Rhythm1c]

I use to love vf3 for dreamcast. One of the first games I played and bought for dreamcast.

Big VF fan however, Loved to play part 1 and 2 in the arcades so maybe that is why I loved vf3.


Still wasn't as good as vf2 however and I have yet to play vf4 :(

[Rico!]

i liked taka. only reason he hasnt come back is the simple fact of technology. he hasnt returned just cuz they cant get his body to behave the way they want it to. kinda sucks.

Lol reminds me of a tourny video I saw... Ten Foot Toss makes him go up like 1 ft in the air

[Dandy J]

It's a good game, though a bit overrated imo by the veteran players that played it competitively. Then again I wasn't around so my opinion is biased. The game had dedicated scenes in Chicago, NY, and Boston iirc.

As for tiers I think Jacky, Wolf and Kage were top? That may be way off. I know Wolf could do some kind of throw trap with low K, and Jacky could do something similar with his low K,K string.

[ParryAll]

VF3 and VF3 TB are excellent games, and regarded as such (at least by Japan and people who aren't dumb).

Not just from a graphical standpoint, which btw VF3 was probably the most impressive shit evar. The shit came out in 1996 and for the time represented the largest gap between console and arcade. Miss those days.

No the reason the game has such a bad rap is because of the shit Dreamcast port. It wasn't horrible, but for a 2-3 year old game everyone expected arcade perfect and instead got a rush job. Being put up next to DOA2 and Soul Calibur didn't help it, even though it's a better game either of those two.

3 is not VF's black sheep but one of it's highest moments.

[Shag]

.....I know Wolf could do some kind of throw trap with low K....

In VF3 (not tb), if Wolf and Jeffry's low kick hit on major counter, a throw followup was guaranteed. I'm not sure if every character could this.

[SaBrE]

well, between vf2 thru vf5. vf3 was the worst, imo. it was still an excellent game nonetheless. definitely was amazing at its time. but that was also the problem with the game at its time, way too expensive for a market that was heavily switching to console..

but i think vf series overall represents great progression, sega just keeps making em better and better and better. while most games are falling off after a couple games (tekken imo)

[ParryAll]

In Japan, VF3 was basically Street Fighter 2 in the US.

Then again, so were parts 1 and 2.

Some actually view part 4 as a step backwards for the series from 3.

3 represented a quantum leap forward as far as play control and mechanics were concerned from parts 1 and 2. 4 and five just built off that while creating all new move sets for some characters and removing the evade button and tiered stages, simplifying things in the process. Which in most peoples opinions is a good thing. 4 and 5 are really just progressions of VF3's play mechanics and control.

VF3 was the first modern 3d fighter. Soul Calibur series, Dead or Alive series really owe everything to VF3.

On a tangent for a second, but check out VF3 tourney vids on YouTube and you can find some really sick shit. It will make you want to drop 75 bucks on a Model 3 board and the game.

[Desk]

So did players complain about the uneven stages? I always assumed that's why the removed them in VF4. They were fun and at the time new and exciting (at least for me, lol) but surely you could gain an advantage by being in a certain higher or lower position. I had a discussion with a friend about this recently, like how it adds a new level of complexity having to maneuver into a better position or take into account your opponents height when attacking. And I don't think this is a bad thing but because the stages weren't always symmetrical one player may have a slight advantage from the start of the round. Was this the case and is that why they were removed in later versions?

[Joe Asakura]

Wasn't "Tekken 4" also knocked for taking the same departure from the series that VF3 took??? Except T4 seemingly got it harder.

[1/2Man1/2God]

Wasn't "Tekken 4" also knocked for taking the same departure from the series that VF3 took??? Except T4 seemingly got it harder.

speaking of this..am i the only one who thinks Tekken is better than VF.I like VF but Tekken is more fast pase and the character design and moves are so much better to look at.

[Saotome Kaneda]

Wasn't "Tekken 4" also knocked for taking the same departure from the series that VF3 took??? Except T4 seemingly got it harder.
It wasn't only because of this. Most of the problems came from a combination of the uneven stages, Direction Shift(the push), and wall stuff.



And Jin.

[Dandy J]

And hella hitbox problems. And the fact that nerfed backdash made people learn frames and then figure out that Tekken's frame data was all fucked up. Well, at least it made you have to learn a lot of technical shit to be competitive.

Tekken is more fast pase
Say that when you can edteg accurately on reaction after getting hit by a random P. The problem is you're just looking at the games. Half of VF's speed comes from the fast inputs you have to use on defense, which you can't see in a video (unless they have the input display on, which I heard they added to VF5's arcade video record thing). VF's the only game where my arms ache after I play it.

[Return of Shiki]

Tekken appeals more to the American public, because we have to remember the majority of the American public are scrubs.

They can look at Tekken and enjoy the pre-canned 10-hit combos and repetitive juggles. They look at VF and see none of that, so it's deemed "slow" even though it really isn't.

Maybe with VF5 and its awesome graphics and Rey Mysterio will have a better chance of breaking through to the common American scrub.

[Humbag]

do you actually want that though? haha

[TS]

VF5 vids still up at a-cho. I suck at VF pretty hardcore, but even I wouldn't say it was a slow game.

[Alucard20]

can u link me plz?

[Obliterate]

I think the main reason why VF never really got as popular as Tekken is because of the block button. For me, being an SF player I'm so used to holding back or down back that hitting a button to block takes a long time to get used to. It also takes an incredibly long time to master just one character in VF and being able to pull of combos consistently. If SF is complicated for scrubs then imagine VF, that's like a dyslexic taking Calculus IV with an abacus.

[Saotome Kaneda]

I think the main reason why VF never really got as popular as Tekken is because of the block button. For me, being an SF player I'm so used to holding back or down back that hitting a button to block takes a long time to get used to. It also takes an incredibly long time to master just one character in VF and being able to pull of combos consistently. If SF is complicated for scrubs then imagine VF, that's like a dyslexic taking Calculus IV with an abacus.
I can't count how many people(scrubs) ask me how to block in Tekken. So I don't know what you're getting at.

[CarpeNoctumXIII]

To me, Tekken was always the slower paced one when compared to VF. When I play one after the other, Tekken feels like almost half the speed. There just doesn't seem like there is a lot going on in Tekken in my opinion. It's a great game, don't get me wrong, and my second favorite 3d fighter, but meh. Anyways, to the OP, when I went to Brazil to stay there for 2 months, I actually came by a lot of VF3 machines, which shocked me. A lot of good players too. The DC was kinda shit though, and never really got into it, mostly went to the arcades we used to have in my area.

[Rhio2k]

i liked taka. only reason he hasnt come back is the simple fact of technology. he hasnt returned just cuz they cant get his body to behave the way they want it to. kinda sucks.

And here I thought it was because the hyenas killed him.

[Dandy J]

Speaking of Taka, I always thought it was a lame excuse that they didn't put him in VF4 (or 5). They could've just made him unable to tech roll, but he weighs so much you only get maybe 1 string OTG attack before he can get up. Personally I think that'd be quite fair and work well.

[Rico!]

So why is the DC port of VF3 so bad?

[Humbag]

taka seemed like a beast in videos on youtube, was he really good? his throws seemed awesome

[Superking]

So why is the DC port of VF3 so bad?

They had problems at the time porting the game over from Model 3 (and still to this day there are problems since Lockheed Martin/Sega's design of the Model series was in simple words, crazy), and the DC port was outsourced to Genki and was not made by AM2.

[Wellman]

speaking of this..am i the only one who thinks Tekken is better than VF.I like VF but Tekken is more fast pase and the character design and moves are so much better to look at.

Looking at the sales and popularity of both games, no your not.

Although, I personally think think VF is better than Tekken. After I played VF4: Evolution, I just couldn't go back. Like CarpeNoctumXIII said VF "feels" a lot faster when you play it and the three button lay is surprisingly fun. Still, both are great games.

But getting back on topic, I never actually played any version of VF3 which is funny because I have played the arcade version of every other VF (except VF5... yet).

[complexz]

They had problems at the time porting the game over from Model 3 (and still to this day there are problems since Lockheed Martin/Sega's design of the Model series was in simple words, crazy), and the DC port was outsourced to Genki and was not made by AM2.

thats interesting info, But to me I;m more wondering the technical details of why it sucks. was the gameplay different? i remember the graphics were not quite as good.

but i havent touched the dreamcast version since i rented it the week of DC's launch lol

[CarpeNoctumXIII]

If I remember correctly, the gameplay was pretty accurate, it was the visuals of the game that made it LOOK bad next to games like Soul Calibur or Dead Or Alive 2. The game just didn't feel or look right.

[Saotome Kaneda]

taka seemed like a beast in videos on youtube, was he really good? his throws seemed awesome
Taka was pretty much tops because of the fact that most throws and juggles were useless, and his throws were great for ROs and he had a good number of juggle starters and mid/low mixups.

But mostly because most things didn't work on him and other things did made it a lot easier for him. LMAO at One Foot Throw

[1/2Man1/2God]

Looking at the sales and popularity of both games, no your not.

Although, I personally think think VF is better than Tekken. After I played VF4: Evolution, I just couldn't go back. Like CarpeNoctumXIII said VF "feels" a lot faster when you play it and the three button lay is surprisingly fun. Still, both are great games.

But getting back on topic, I never actually played any version of VF3 which is funny because I have played the arcade version of every other VF (except VF5... yet).


iunno what it is, about VF then...I guess just like Tekken better.Maybe it's he characters or the moves iunno.I never seen any really amazing moves in VF but I still like VF becuase it's the most realistic fighter out there.I think VF5 will change the way the average gamer looks at VF.Cause i tried to play against people i know but they won't take the time to get better at it so i just destroy them and then they say "pop in Tekken".

[Airthrow]

They had problems at the time porting the game over from Model 3 (and still to this day there are problems since Lockheed Martin/Sega's design of the Model series was in simple words, crazy),

Could you elaborate please?

Also there IS a working proto of VF3 for the Sega Saturn. It had an add-on with extra Ram/processors or something. Some collector has it, I've seen pictures a couple years ago...

[TS]

Given that there was a version of Shenmue for the Saturn (search Youtube), a version of VF3 being planned wouldn't be too surprising, though it probably would have ended up looking more like Tekken 3 (not bad, but not as good). VF3 came out in 96 and there were a few years before the Dreamcast came out, so one might expect they wanted to have a console version, and decided the Saturn couldn't handle it.


As for the a-cho vids: they ask for people to not link to the video page, and only to the main page. So got to a-cho.com, click "arcade," and find the button in the frame on the lefthand side which is above the VF5 icon.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/tsdcs/misc1/acho_ins.gif

Should say mov.html in your status bar at the bottom of your window.

[osotogari]

thats interesting info, But to me I;m more wondering the technical details of why it sucks. was the gameplay different? i remember the graphics were not quite as good.

but i havent touched the dreamcast version since i rented it the week of DC's launch lol

from what I remember in the DC version the character would bounce a bit higher off of some moves, I think that was the main complaint

[Joe Asakura]

Yes, I've also heard that this supposed Saturn port of VF3 used extra hardware that utilized the cartridge slot (dunno if it was a RAM cart or a cart w/ extra hardware). I also recall reading how this port was friggin' ready to go to print after being in development for a long while, but got shelved amidst the revealing of the Dreamcast in mid-1998. If anybody can make that convoluted Saturn hardware sing, it's Yu Suzuki and Sega-AM2.

As far as Saturn Shenmue goes................I still think that footage was running off a developemnt system and not stock Saturn hardware. Not to mention I've heard how the Saturn's sound CPU was put into play as well to achieve that performance, meaning the game would've had little to no sound/music.

Back to VF3, as we all know the DC/NAOMi was superior to Model 3 (but not by much IMO, think of the jump from Gamecube to Wii. Testament to the M3's powerful yet complicated hardware) so this time around the port's problems can't be blamed on underpowered hardware. So considering Genki was behind this M3 port............how are all the other Model 3 game ports for DC???

Oh..............and I think VF5 is the first instance in which ALL of the VF females look remotely hot. Aoi looked like a blocky dog in her first apperance. Now they all look hot and are wearing more skimpy clothing....................keep in mind this is excluding Eileen the jailbait.

[Superking]

Back to VF3, as we all know the DC/NAOMi was superior to Model 3 (but not by much IMO, think of the jump from Gamecube to Wii. Testament to the M3's powerful yet complicated hardware) so this time around the port's problems can't be blamed on underpowered hardware. So considering Genki was behind this M3 port............how are all the other Model 3 game ports for DC???


They weren't very good, with the exception of VOOT which AM3 worked their asses on to port, while it was near perfect it was still missing many details and effects from the original game.

The hardware was just too different and maybe they could have lost their original data. lol

This info is just off the top of my head from old articles of years past.

[Gutter Trash]

VF3 and T4 were necessary additions to those franchises to help build a better VF4 and T5

I replay VF3tb from to time just for Taka

[Saotome Kaneda]

Taka needs to shine again. =/

[Shag]

thats interesting info, But to me I;m more wondering the technical details of why it sucks. was the gameplay different? i remember the graphics were not quite as good.

but i havent touched the dreamcast version since i rented it the week of DC's launch lol

from what I remember in the DC version the character would bounce a bit higher off of some moves, I think that was the main complaint

That is somewhat true.

I know for sure some combos that work on Model 3 version do not work on DC. Also there are combos that only work on the DC version. Most of them were documented, I don't know where to look for them at the moment.

[Josh-TheFunkDOC]

First off, I have to disagree about Tekken dropping off. I much prefer DR over Tag since it's not nearly as much of a Mishima fest. And VF5 looked worse than 4 to me in vids, because of Kage/Jacky whoring - has the game progressed since then?

Also, very interesting info in this thread! I recall Gamest ranking Wolf #1 in regular VF3 because of that low kick thing, but also heard Kage was high up there.

[evilmuffinmanX]

i cant remember the tiers of vf3 but

the sumo was broke...:wasted:

[Joe Asakura]

Check out the VF3 vids I linked to, good stuff.

http://forums.shoryuken.com/showthread.php?t=117316&page=19

[Rikidozan]

First off, I have to disagree about Tekken dropping off. I much prefer DR over Tag since it's not nearly as much of a Mishima fest. And VF5 looked worse than 4 to me in vids, because of Kage/Jacky whoring - has the game progressed since then?

Also, very interesting info in this thread! I recall Gamest ranking Wolf #1 in regular VF3 because of that low kick thing, but also heard Kage was high up there.

I definately want MC Low Kick -> Throw back in VF5 Evolution (or the next VF that's gonna be released) :P

[JackTenrac!]

i cant remember the tiers of vf3 but

the sumo was broke...:wasted:

- They took Taka out in VF 4 and replaced him with that Goh Hinogami guy because he was too hard to integrate, according to Wiki.


His only appearance was in Virtua Fighter 3 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtua_Fighter_3). His fighting technique is sumo (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sumo). He did not make any further appearances in the series because he was too difficult to integrate. This was infuriating for many Virtua Fighter fans, as he is the only character to be dropped from the series. In VF tradition (and unlike in its rival game Tekken (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tekken)) all characters remain in every new version after their initial appearance, increasing the size and complexity of the roster.

The bold part is what I have to contest since there was another loss in VF before public release. Siba was eliminated since the beginning.

I just think they took him out because he and Kristie Alley can go at it without incident. A majority of the characters there are fit or a little overweight in aesthetics. As for VF 3TB, I felt as if presentation was off for a VF release, but since when was that an issue?(don't bring up Virtua Fighter for the Genesis). Genki also did this instead of AM2 and you could tell. It was also overshadowed by other fighters on the system(Dead or Alive 2:LE, Soul Calibur, Project Justice). This was the system of fighters we're talking about.

More time was put into Shenmue, though. LOL.

...that went well.

[Dandy J]

they took him out cause they dont like fat people then made some dumb excuse

[DevilJin 01]

Apparently one of the reasons they took him out was because they said that they didn't have the technology to do what they really wanted to do with a big character like that. It's VF5 and the fat man still hasn't come back yet.

[Dumehra]

The DC port was flawed even in the environments. The beach stage in the model 3 version was a sight to behold and it still amazes me till today. If you look at the DC port of the beach stage, the clouds are pixelated and they look horrid compared to the arcade version's beauty. The res was also lower and the graphics are kinda blurry when compared to the sharp, yet smooth and higher res model 3 version.

[Joe Asakura]

Yeah, something really did seem to be off about the background scenery in the beach stage, especially when I played the game on VGA. It looked like a low-res, pixelated bitmap, kind of like the lifeless 2D bitmap backgrounds most PS1/Saturn 3D fighters had back then.

Rushed port indeed. Was it a big-seller when it was first released in Japan??? Because I seriously doubt VF3TB even sold it's entire print run here in the US (which is how I was able to score a new copy for $20 still in 2003).

And how good was the Japanese PS2 (Sega Ages) port of VF2??? As already mentioned, most of Sega's arcade hardware was quite proprietary and thus their games to this day are difficult to port to home consoles.

[Dumehra]

PS2 version of VF 2 wasn't perfect either. They retained the 3d BGs but alot of things were toned down. Here is a thread showing the differences. Amusing to see the differences. The temple BG in particular was toned down a lot!

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19027&page=1&pp=50

[Joe Asakura]

Very interesting read. Yet another victim of Sega's complicated-as-hell arcade architecture. But as far as this port goes, I feel people were being a bit too picky as far as the graphics go, unless the gameplay and frame-rate weren't retained that is. If you want some crappy Sega arcade ports, than you should start out with those crummy Master System and Genesis ports! Outrun and Shadow Dancer for Master System, Thunder Blade, Super Monaco GP, GALAXY FORCE II for Genesis.................it always pissed me off how Sega's console hardware (up until Dreamcast) was never up to snuff to handle decent ports of their arcade titles.

[Jida]

PS2 version of VF 2 wasn't perfect either. They retained the 3d BGs but alot of things were toned down. Here is a thread showing the differences. Amusing to see the differences. The temple BG in particular was toned down a lot!

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=19027&page=1&pp=50

Holy shit I'm gonna buy it anyway! :wow:

[Chanchai]

VF3tb played really well overall, but I have a lot of fond memories of that game since I was travelling all over the country for gatherings.

However, it played like a different revision of the arcade, because while a lot of the combos did work the same, a few did not.

Genki did the port and it wasn't a perfect port but it was still a very competitive platform. Graphics wise, yeah, they couldn't get it to really look that much like the arcade. Lower poly count for sure, background details, etc..

As for how VF3/3tb played altogether. It's still my favorite VF, but nostalgia gets partly in the way of it. A lot of people know how much I love VF5 and the VF4 games. But VF3tb strongly represents what I'd call "old-school VF" which had less option selects than 4 and 5 (but option selects were a big part of VF3 too) but had a lot more "pure mindgames."

In VF4/5, option selects sort of shift and re-regulate the mindgames. The mindgames and initiative flow are all still there, but 4/5 introduced lots of options to "redirect" options. Sabakis and broader option selects changed the mindset for "outwitting opponents" but they really rewarded the dedicated players more. In VF3, you were dealing with layered options, but not nearly as much as the later games.

The VF3 games were kind of designed a bit too much with the hardcore VFers in mind. The game was incredibly inaccessible to beginners and the flow of combat was very very slow if you weren't that good at the game. However, the better the players (both players) playing the game, the faster it would flow. And VF3tb was actually very fast or well paced at high-level play.

On top of that, timing was crazy strict. Throw escape timing had to be much more precise and so were countering options. Because of the strict timing requirements on counter-measures, the game was frustrating for a lot of people first learning the game. At high level play, the game was silky smooth. But at beginner level play... well... It feels like someone trying to learn Mortal Kombat 5 or 6 (or even 7) where anything you throw that doesn't hit does not feel good at all, because you're a sitting duck.

OTB (on the bounce) combos were a bigger factor because of both terrain and the lack of techrolls and quickrise options (but you could get up super fast if you mashed a lot of inputs during the fall and wakeup period).

I think Taka was removed from VF4 and VF5 because of tech-roll and quickrise. I loved having him in the VF3 games and miss him, especially with a lot of his own set of mechanics in the game. But most combos against him were OTB. Every member of the design team probably had a different reason for not bringing him back though.

The stages allowed a lot of variety for how matches would play out and how much some characters had to adjust their combos on the spot to match the situation. Furthermore, it emphasized ring positioning. The sacrifice was level balance. I felt most stages were balanced enough, but Pai's rooftop stage, as beautiful as I felt it was, was very unbalanced. Player one worried about ringout, player two worried about a wall.

The evade button was a nice implementation of dodge. I like VF3's manual dodges, especially combined with the elevation in stage and non-symetrical design. It's something that worked out really well in VF3 and allowed easier buffering of advanced movement. Mind you, I also love the decision they made in VF4 and VF5 to make dodging something you mainly used in disadvantage, as it makes dodging something that assists the fast pace close exchanges--guiding how players use the now-called Defensive Move. But for VF3 and VF3tb, I think the evade button was perfect.

VF3/3tb also had a strong traditional okizeme game. The ability to manually move 3d helped in adding more options. VF has always had some uramawari setups where you could get the opponent to get up backwards if they used certain rising options in certain situations you could set up. Though for me, I was using Lion and I was able to manually get behind opponents in many situations (okizeme and mid battle).

I think ring positioning considerations were huge in VF3/3tb and those are my favorite games concerning ring placement (but I never played enough Dead or Alive to compare properly).

In any case, I personally think the game was underrated in the US. But obviously not underrated in certain countries.

The game had a few great scenes in the US, but it was hard to find a machine (and Sega was dumb enough to not allow a non-cabinet kit option). In Japan, the game dominated arcades for years (I think it only lost out to VOOT during its run--another game I absolutely loved for its intense and fast-paced play). Korea, Taiwan, and Singapore had well represented scenes too.

Korea dominated the early days of VF3 I think. Either that, or Akira Kid was like the lone wolf who dominated the world. In VF2 and VF3, that guy was freaking amazing. Still amazing as ShinZ and had a great "tour" during the early days of VF4. I took time away from fighting games during VF4Evo and FT so I don't know about the recent exploits of ShinZ. During VF3 (prior to VF3tb), Akira Kid won the Maximum Battle tournament which was like the world championships for the game. Fought Ige-Lau from Taiwan.

I don't know how it really was, but I was under the impression that as Tekken's scene grew more and more in Korea, VF3 was waning when VF3tb was out. I don't know for sure, there was still awesome stuff coming out of Korea, but I just wasn't seeing as much of it.

However, during VF3tb, Japan's scene seemed to keep getting more and more mature. I think there's a clear difference in how VF3tb was being played and how advanced it was, compared to the hey-day of VF3. I just have a lot more interest and entertainment and appreciation for the matches I see in things like the Beat Tribe Tournaments for VF3tb than I saw for a lot of the VF3 tournaments.

Obviously I am very biased. But if you want my personal opinion, VF3tb (arcade and dreamcast, despite differences) is my favorite fighting game of all time. But I have a lot of nostalgia invested in it, but I could still play that game for days straight with a smile on my face (actually, I have a serious look when playing seriously but you know what I mean).

-Chanchai

[Gutter Trash]

For movesets, tons of moves were added the returning character's arsenal.
Shun's moveslist in VF3 is considerably a big improvement from VF2.
Taka-Arashi was an awesome addition, I miss Taka.

the odd shaped rings, obstacles and uneven terrain was the biggest negative of the game. Messing up with allot of things.

the dodge button had good intentions, but the evade system of VF4 and VF5 are greatly superior. But VF3 needed to exist to make a better VF4 and VF5.

The music was as not good as VF2 or VF1, it's the same guy who did VF4 Evolution, so eeecsh.

The art didn't steer into in evolution, the character faces were super bizarre and the stages didnt look hot (thanks to the uneven surfaces). VF2 had a greater impact on it's release.

[oopsIdiditagain]

I really liked vf3, I thought the direction the game took was cool.

I still wish they'd bring the sumo back

[Cla]

Sega should release an arcade-perfect port of TB for download on the PS3.

[Chanchai]

Just remembered that one of the things different between DC and Arcade VF3tb was a slight speed difference.

Was a bit hard to notice, but I sort of felt it when I played the old VF3tb machine that was at Sunnyvale Golfland. I think the arcade was slightly faster, but it could have been the other way around. Can't remember exactly, aside from a speed difference existing.