Because the game takes place 20 years after Tekken 2, only six characters from the previous installment return, with the rest being new. The arcade version features a total of 21 characters. See also: List of Tekken characters § Introduced in Tekken 3 Another minigame is known as 'Tekken Ball', similar to beach volleyball, where the player must hit the ball with a powerful attack to pulverize the opponent, or cause them penalty damage by letting the ball fall into the opponent's territory. The concept was expanded on in a minigame for Tekken 4, and succeeded by the Devil Within campaign mode in Tekken 5.

Tekken 3 introduces a beat 'em up minigame called 'Tekken Force', which pits the player in various stages against enemies in a side-scrolling fashion. New improvements include quicker recoveries from knockdowns, more escapes from tackles and stuns, more moves with juggling enabled, and newly created combo throws.

Fighters now jump more reasonable heights than in the previous games, making them less overwhelming and putting more use to sidestep dodges, as jumping can no longer dodge every ground attack. Three-dimensional movement is insignificant in previous Tekken games (aside from some characters having unique sidesteps and dodging maneuvers), but Tekken 3 adds emphasis on the third axis by allowing characters to sidestep in or out of the background. Tekken 3 maintains the same core fighting system and concept as its predecessors. The direct sequel, Tekken 4 was released in arcades and on the PlayStation 2 in 20, respectively. It was followed by Tekken Tag Tournament, a non-canon installment in 1999 in arcades and in 2000 for the PlayStation 2. Tekken 3 has since been cited as one of the greatest video games of all time. The game was a major hit for both arcades and consoles, selling 35,000 arcade units and more than 8 million PlayStation copies worldwide, making Tekken 3 the fifth best-selling PlayStation game. The home version includes a new beat 'em up mode called Tekken Force, and the bonus Tekken Ball mode. Tekken 3 features a largely new cast of characters, including the debut of several now-staple characters such as Jin Kazama, Ling Xiaoyu, Bryan Fury, Eddy Gordo, and Hwoarang, with a total of twenty-three characters. The game was re-released in 2018 as part of Sony's PlayStation Classic.

The original arcade version of the game was released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 as part of Tekken 5 's Arcade History mode. The original arcade game initially had a limited Japanese release in November 1996, followed by a wide international release in March 1997, before being ported for the PlayStation in 1998. Tekken 3 ( 鉄拳3) is a fighting game, the third entry in the Tekken series.

Tekken 5 arcade history