The Sengoku series of video games is a truly beloved set of beat em ups that had a unique gimmick to them, via the transformation mechanic that was used in them. The third game however, changed things up considerably and offered a very different style of gameplay. Rather than using transformations, Sengoku 3 was a more traditional beat em up that offered a variety of characters to play as. There has always been some controversy due to how different the game is from the previous 2 entries, and this often overshadows discussion of the game’s actual quality.
I will agree right away that this entry is not like the others, and the difference is very jarring. I do not feel that this is a bad thing however, as the game has a lot to offer on its own. Sengoku 3 is extremely well designed and very fun to play. I had a great time trying out the different characters and found a great deal of pleasure in how they did play differently. This is a much more involved beat em up, and it is clear that lessons were learned from the 90’s glut of arcade beat em ups.
I feel that if Sengoku 3 was given a different name, things would have been different and that this would be considered a true classic beat em up. Because most just focus on how different it is from the previous games, the deep gameplay is ignored and not given the attention it deserves. Sengoku 3 has excellent replay value. Yes the game does have flaws, mostly due to repetitive enemy types and some monotony towards the end. That being said however, I found that this was a fine tradeoff and the refined action and hours of replay that the game brings, give players more than their money’s worth.
The more diverse move set that borrows heavily from SNK’s fighting games, along with stages that play more of a role than in previous games, make this a beat em up that should be very much on the radar of any fan of the genre. I also feel that Neo Geo fans who perhaps wrote the game off too soon should give this one a second try. Is it the best in the series? That depends on what you like in your beat em ups, but I would definitely say there is a strong case for it. With its recent re-release via Arcade Archives, this is one that should be played on whatever system you have and I give it a strong recommendation.