Jump to content

Twisted Metal III

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 71.239.229.213 (talk) at 16:07, 12 May 2008 (→‎Reception). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Twisted Metal III
Developer(s)989 Studios
Publisher(s)989 Studios
Platform(s)PlayStation
ReleaseOctober 31, 1998
Genre(s)Vehicular combat
Mode(s)Single player, Multiplayer

Twisted Metal III is the third game in the Twisted Metal vehicular combat series, released in 1998. The game went on to become a best seller and was re-released as part of the Sony Greatest Hits program.

Overview

In concept, Twisted Metal III is a demolition derby which permits the usage of ballistic projectiles. Players choose a vehicle and an arena, or a series of arenas in the story mode, to engage in battle with opposing drivers. A variety of weapons are obtainable by pick-ups scattered throughout the stage. The objective of the game is to be the last one standing.

The story of the game is situated 2 years from Twisted Metal 2. The basic plot is retained: Calypso continues with his vehicular combat tournament Twisted Metal all over the world, promising to its winner any wish he or she desires, despite how unreal it could be. Calypso watches over the battles from a personal blimp, which also serves as the game's final stage.

Development

After a contractual dispute with the developer of previous games in series, SingleTrac, Twisted Metal development duties were handed over to Sony's in-house development team, 989 Studios.

Because the source code from the previous games turned up missing at Sony, the source code and physics engine had to be built from the ground up. The new source code introduced advanced physics simulation and AI techniques to the series. However, most of the gameplay aspects of its predecessors, like weapon pickups and Advanced Attacks, were re-emulated.

Many fans of previous installments were upset at the resulting change of game play; however, new players received these titles well and they went on to become best-sellers. The game can be seen briefly during the 1999 movie Big Daddy as well as the 2000 movie Bring It On.

Characters

Twisted Metal III presents a total roster of twelve default characters, both returning and new ones, as well as two additional characters (Sweet Tooth and Minion) that must be first unlocked.

Vehicle Name Vehicle Type Driver Story
Auger Crane cab with oil drill at front Buster Cobb An angered construction worker that wants to protect his buildings.
Axel Two-wheeled contraption Axel Disfigured when he freed himself from his car, wants to become one with it.
Club Kid Smiley face-covered Mini Cooper Not named A party enthusiast that desires to have a big all-night party.
Firestarter Flame-painted hot-rod Demian Coles A pyromaniac who wants to have a barbecue with his friends.
Flower Power Hippy Volvo PV544 Amber Rose Ambientalist wanting to stop the endangering of the world.
Hammerhead Red monster truck Granny Dreads Bothered by the tournament's noise, she wants some peace.
Minion Green 3 guned battle tank Minion A demon from Hell, wants to return to it. Unlockable sub-boss.
Mr. Grimm Red motorcycle with sidecar The Grim Reaper He wants to steal Calypso's soul.
Outlaw Police car Jamie & Buzz Roberts Brother and sister, desires to stop the tournament for good.
Roadkill Scraped-together car Marcus Kane Homeless man that believes he has the right to win.
Spectre Blue Dodge Viper Lance Wylder Self-proclaimed ladies' man, he wants to be famous.
Sweet Tooth Ice cream truck Needles Kane A homicidal clown who wants to eat all the candies he want
Thumper Purple lowrider Bruce Cochrane Desires to hang with his homies.
Warthog Military Humvee Captain Rogers Rogers makes a return in pursuit of eternal youth.
Darkside Black semi-truck Mr. Ash First Sub-boss on the game. Unplayable in normal gameplay.
Primeval Large off-road vehicle Unknown Final Boss of the game. Unplayable in normal gameplay.

Stages

The ruins of Hollywood following an earthquake. Includes a destroyable Hollywood sign.
Features the United States Capitol and the National Mall. After defeating the starting enemies, the player must face the first sub-boss, Darkside.
  • Hangar 18
A small circular stage, based on Area 51, with a giant UFO in its center and a smaller one flying around. It's name is a refence to the Megadeth song Hangar 18 from the Rust in Peace album
A snowy level, which contains Santa's workshop at the center of a small island surrounded by a pit.
Based on the real city, includes a destroyable Big Ben Tower. As in Washington, upon defeating the initial enemies, the player must faces Minion as a sub-boss.
A stage situated on the rooftops of Tokyo with its streets covered in lava. Falling into the lava will slowly drain away health until the player returns to the rooftops.
A small stage based on Egypt, it contains both the Valley of the Kings and the Sphinx alongside a single pyramid.
  • Blimp
Calypso's personal blimp, and the final stage of the game. It has a generator that repeatedly [until destroyed]brings all enemies back, and Once all of the enemies are destroyed, the player confronts the final boss, Primeval.

Music

Track listing of Twisted Metal III by use:

Reception

The game was panned by critics and fans of the first two games in the series. Receiving an overall rating of 54% on Game Rankings.

Many Twisted Metal fans do not view 989 Studios' games (the third and fourth games) as true entries in the Twisted Metal franchise. Fan Site Twisted Metal Alliance formed in protest of the games, going as far as sending a petition against 989 Studios to Sony. This ended when Incognito Entertainment, formed by members of SingleTrac, the studio responsible for the first two games, was put in charge of developing Twisted Metal: Black and future games in the franchise.

Although disliked by some, it can be argued that Twisted Metal III introduced a younger generation of gamers to the Twisted Metal franchise. The game went on to become part of Sony's Greatest Hits collection.

See also

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Twisted_Metal_III&oldid=211893873"