Machine Guides

Game History

Time Crisis 3 is a light-gun shooter arcade game developed by Namco and Nextech and released in 2003, serving as the third installment in the Time Crisis series. The game runs on the Namco System 246 hardware and was released in Japan in April 2003, with earlier releases in the United States and Europe.

The game's storyline follows VSSE agents Alan Dunaway and Wesley Lambert as they are sent to Lukano to thwart the Zagorias Federation, led by General Giorgio Zott, which has invaded the neighboring country's island as part of a plan to strike at several countries with tactical missiles.

A significant innovation in Time Crisis 3 was the introduction of a new weapons system, allowing players to switch between four different weapons: the standard 9-round handgun, a 200-round machine gun, a 50-shell shotgun, and a 5-round grenade launcher. Players could release the pedal and pull the trigger to switch weapons, with special ammunition obtained by defeating specific enemies.

The game also featured enhanced enemy designs, with some enemies having lifebars that needed to be depleted to defeat them, such as armored machine-gunners and bosses. Like its predecessor Time Crisis II, it supported two-player cooperative gameplay.

How to Play

Objective

The main goal of Time Crisis 3 is to progress through each level by defeating all enemies in your path and ultimately confront and defeat the boss at the end of each stage. You play as a VSSE agent sent to Lukano to stop the Zagorias Federation from launching tactical missiles. The game is completed when you successfully navigate all levels and defeat the final boss.

Controls

• Light Gun Controller: The primary input device is a light gun that you point at the screen
• Trigger: Press the trigger to shoot at enemies on screen
• Foot Pedal: Step on the pedal to attack and release it to take cover and reload
• Weapon Switch: Release the pedal and pull the trigger to cycle through available weapons

Gameplay

• Starting the Game: Insert credits and press the Start Button to begin your mission.

• Progression: The game advances automatically through each level. You control the crosshair on screen to aim and shoot at enemies that appear.

• Combat System: Step on the foot pedal to emerge from cover and shoot at enemies. Release the pedal to hide behind cover and reload your weapon.

• Weapon System: Switch between four different weapons: handgun, machine gun, shotgun, and grenade launcher. Each weapon has different ammunition capacity and damage capabilities.

• Ammunition Management: Your handgun has unlimited ammunition, while other weapons have limited ammo that must be replenished by defeating specific enemies.

• Health System: You have limited health that decreases when enemies attack you. The game ends if your health is completely depleted.

• Boss Battles: At the end of each level, you'll face a powerful boss enemy with specific attack patterns and weak points that must be identified and targeted to defeat them.

• Two-Player Cooperative Gameplay: In two-player mode, both players work together to complete missions, sharing the same health pool.

• Game Over: The game ends when you run out of health or continue credits. Your final score is displayed based on your performance.