Battle Arena Toshinden 3

Battle Arena Toshinden 3
Developer(s)	Tamsoft/Takara
Publisher(s)	Takara (JPN) Playmates Interactive Entertainment (US) Sony Computer Entertainment (EUR)
Platform(s)	PlayStation
Release date(s)	^JP December 27, 1996 ^NA March 31, 1997 ^PAL March 1997
Genre(s)	Versus fighting game
Mode(s)	Players: 1-2

Battle Arena Toshinden 3 for PlayStation is a 3D weapons-based fighting game and sequel of Battle Arena Toshinden 2. Toshinden 3 is the first of the main series not to be ported to other platforms. It is also the only game in the series that has game play differences between the Japanese version and subsequent U.S. and European releases.

Gameplay

Whereas Toshinden 2 was largely built upon the first game, Toshinden 3 radically changes the series' gameplay. Most notably the arenas are now enclosed, allowing players to launch opponents into the walls and ceilings in order to juggle them with further attacks. The combo system has also been reworked, with every character possessing a preset list of combos. As well as the 14 starting fighters, the game also adds a huge 18 unlockable fighters bringing the total to 32, though most of them are largely mirror images of the original 14's fighting styles.

Toshinden 3's Arcade Mode is much different from the previous two. The opponents that the player faces from within the game depends on their selected character. If the player chooses one of the 14 starting fighters or "Heroes", then the computer-controlled opponents will eventually be Organization members while choosing an Organization member will have the player facing off against the "Heroes" themselves. Nagisa and Vermilion serve as the first bosses to their opponents' sides while the specific playing character's sub-boss soon appears next. After that, Sho arrives as the third boss (doubling as the final boss for any Organization member) and once he's defeated, the player will then face off against the Organization leader Abel, who serves as the "final" boss of the game.

The U.S. and EU releases of Toshinden 3 featured several game play differences to the original Japanese release including:

• Blocking high or low was made automatic in the U.S. and EU releases; as in pressing back would block both block high and low attacks in the U.S. and EU releases. In the Japanese version one had to press back and down to block low attacks. This small difference has a dramatic impact on character balance, arguably outright breaking it.
• When hit by a reversal attack in the Japanese version of the game, how far your character flies is determined by his or her weight. In the U.S. and EU versions, all characters fly the full length of the arena.
• Practice and Survival modes were added to the U.S. and EU releases that were not present in the Japanese version.
• A bug regarding the direction a character flew when hit by attacks that send them flying across the arena, when they were facing away from their attacker, was fixed.

Plot

The destruction of the Secret Society should've meant the end of the Toshinden tournament, but this was not the case. While the second tournament had occurred from within its own time and accord, another malevolent group had watched on from the shadows and waited for the right moment to make their own move. This shrouded group is known only as "The Organization" and that its diabolical leader, a mysterious man named Abel, seeks to bring a destructive fighting god named Agon Teos into the world.

For his callous plan to work, Abel requires the sacrificial blood of the strongest warriors so that he can use it as a conduit of allowing Agon Teos to enter into the world. Upon Vermilion reporting the strength and power of the Toshinden fighters, Abel targets them as the immediate sacrifices and gathers a group of his own fighters so that they can learn and copy their respective targets' fighting styles.

Another part of the plan requires Abel to find a human vessel for Agon Teos so that it can be reborn through it while having immense spiritual power from within its own rebirth. To this end, Abel targets a young English boy named David and sees him as the perfect choice for his wicked plot.

Upon announcing and sponsoring the third Toshindaibukai so that he can use it as a way to lure the targets into his inescapable trap, Abel is determined to make his ruthless plan come into complete fruition and that he won't rest until things fall in his own favor. However, Eiji Shinjo and the rest of the Toshinden fighters won't exactly give in to Abel's plan and that each of them will fight in order to stop his wicked plot and defeat "The Organization" from succeeding in their sinister goal of causing havoc to the world.

Characters

Returning characters:

• Eiji Shinjo
• Kayin Amoh
• Sofia
• Rungo Iron
• Mondo
• Duke B. Rambert
• Ellis
• Gaia
• Sho Shinjo
• Tracy
• Chaos
• Vermilion

New characters:

• David - A young English boy who finds himself targeted by Abel and the Organization.
• Shizuku Fuji - A Japanese geisha-like gambler who finds and protects David from the Organization.
• Nagisa Iwashiro - A Japanese police detective who works with Tracy in an investigation of the Organization.
• Bayhou - A humanoid ape who was trained by Fo Fai and uses most of his moves and abilities.

Unlockable characters;

• Leon - An American pirate-like swordsman who seeks to usurp Abel and become the leader of the Organization. A sub-boss to Eiji.
• Ten Count - A cruel aristocratic assassin from England, who is largely based upon Michael Jackson in terms of appearance and mannerisms. A sub-boss to Kayin.
• Zola - A beautiful Austrian opera singer who dresses like Catwoman and doubles as an assassin for the Organization. A sub-boss to Sofia.
• Adam - A powerful robot who wishes to become a human being. A sub-boss to Rungo, but largely an original character with its own moves.
• Cuiling - A young Hong Kong Chinese girl who was raised from early childhood by a triad to be an assassin. Her fighting style mirrors that of Fo Fai's own. A sub-boss to Bayhou.
• Toujin - A retired Japanese assassin who had joined The Organization in order to seek a cure for his terminally-ill wife. A sub-boss to Mondo who shares most special moves with him, but has his own combos.
• Balga - A ruthless Norwegian knight who seeks the destruction of Duke and the Rambert bloodline. A sub-boss to Duke who shares most special moves with him, but has his own combos.
• Atahua - A Peruvian tribal boy who seeks the imperial inheritance of an ancient empire. A sub-boss to Ellis.
• Tau - A giant Brazilian tribesman who looks after and aids Atahua. A sub-boss to Gaia with whom he shares combos with. However, his special moves are nearly all different from Gaia's own.
• Rachael - Tracy's older sister who seeks to make her pay from within a personal vendetta. A sub-boss to Tracy.
• Schultz - A German assassin who aids Abel as the grand master of the ceremony. A sub-boss to Chaos, but shares no combos or special moves with him.
• Judgement - A hockey-mask wearing assassin (who is largely based upon Jason Voorhees) who lives only to kill. He was once David's best friend during their childhood, but had since sold his soul to gain his new dark power. A sub-boss to David.
• Miss Til - A Malaysian fortune teller who works for Abel and the Organization. A sub-boss to Shizuku.
• Abel - A cruel and ruthless megalomaniac who seeks to bring a destructive fighting god named Agon Teos into the world. He is the only character in the game (and series) to fight barehanded. He is the "final" boss of the game.
• Veil - A shadow-like man imprisoned by Abel who seeks to cause nothing but havoc and destruction. He is the true final boss of the game, appearing only in the higher difficulties after the fight against Abel.
• Naru Amoh - Kayin's foster daughter who seeks to aid her foster father in his battle against The Organization. She is a secret hidden boss of the game, appearing after Veil on the highest difficulty and only after everyone else has been unlocked.

References