Ryo and Robert’s forgotten classic
This week sees one of the most niche, but coolest one-on-one fighters from the SNK back catalogue return on PS4 and Xbox One, as Hamster bring usArt of Fighting 3: The Path of the Warrior.
The final mainline title in theArt of Fightingseries to date, AoF3 was released in arcades and on the Neo Geo in 1996 but sadly never found fame, buried beneath theStreet Fighter Alphatitles,Mortal Kombat 3and SNK’s ownKing of Fighters ’96. Which is a shame asAoF3is a pretty slick game.
Superior to both its predecessors,AoF 3still retains the zoom in/out camera and large sprites the series is known for, but gives the roster and stages much greater visual clarity, with richer colours and super-smooth animation.AoF 3also stars some of SNK’s more forgotten stars, such as Arabian warrior Sinclar and the dapper Karman Cole. It is also the debut of super-strict cutie-pie Kasumi Todoh, one of the game’s few breakout stars.
Already available on Nintendo Switch,Art of Fighting 3drops today on PS4 in Japan and Xbox One worldwide. I personally think the title holds up well, and while it may not be aThird StrikeorKoF ’98, it retains a unique visual style and playable charm all of its own.
