15 reviews
Sales Rank: 5607

Platform: Playstation
ESRB: Everyone
Media: Video Game
Operating System: Playstation
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.3
Dimensions (in): 5.6 x 4.9 x 0.4

UPC: 722674020909
EAN: 0722674020909
ASIN: B00004R9IK

Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: very good condition with book and case

Similar Items:

•	Air Combat
•	Ace Combat 4: Shattered Skies
•	Ace Combat Advance
•	Aces of the Air

Editorial Reviews:

Editorial Review
The critically acclaimed Ace Combat series has long been known as the best way to get your flying kicks on the PlayStation, so it is no surprise that Ace Combat 3 takes things to new heights in terms of terrific visuals and overall gameplay.

The standard mission design of previous games in the series remains intact, giving players complete control over their aircraft as they zip around in a fully 3-D environment. There are plenty of fun planes to fly this time around, from agile superfighters to lumbering bombers. Their maneuverability has been toned down from previous games in the series, which makes lining up targets more of a challenge, but it becomes second nature with a little practice.

Don't be intimidated by some of the fancy moves available to thrill-seeking flyers here. After all, what's the worst that can happen when you decide to risk a daring loop and roll? The truth is that Ace Combat 3 is ultimately more about pyrotechnics and fast action than about realistic flight physics. Ace Combat 3 isn't the leap in technology over its predecessor that we expected, but it's still a great way to satisfy your urges to fly the unfriendly skies. --T. Byrl Baker

Pros:

Much-improved graphics
Plenty of planes and missions to fly

Cons:

Linear gameplay isn't quite as compelling or replayable as that in Ace Combat 2

Customer Reviews: Read 10 more reviews...

2 out of 5 stars

3rd string efforts produce 3rd Ace Combat March 10, 2008
I was severely disappointed with this game. Everybody has a different take depending on their background and experience. It affects your conclusion in a review. For myself, I am nearly "grandfather" age now (sheesh!) and am not a professional gamer, as many of you out there may be. So, for you young guys in your teens and 20's who've been playing since age 5, my comments will be as irrelevant as those of a weekend Piper Cub pilot to an Air Force F-15E combat experienced pilot. But still, I feel compelled to share my own humble view.

I have played Air Combat, AC2, AC4, and just finished AC5. I bought AC3 not long after it came out, with a game book, and only did a couple of the missions. I decided to to go back through it, since it's the only one I have not completed. I was very impressed with AC2--it was fun, the graphics were great (for the time), the controls etc. could be mastered without too much trouble and the game was lots of fun. I enjoyed the ranks and medals that could be earned. It was easy to navigate the control screens.

AC3 significantly does not meet this standard in about every category. I found the flight controls were very clumsy and I either could not slow down well enough to get a proper lock and observe the scene/target or--I was constantly stalling. Getting a good solid lock was difficult. I didn't appreciate much improvement in the quality of the graphics of either the terrain or the jets. The HUD screen was unappealing and seemed sort of "Playskool"-toys in design. The planes also handled in a clumsy fashion just in general. The screen briefings were nearly worthless. There was no "story", at all; though I understand that the original Japanese version had a story, etc. Too bad they didn't put some of it in this game to liven it up a little. In some of the missions it is very difficult to accomplish the top grade and I'm referring to some of the very earliest missions. I will say that the radar scope on the HUD was good; in fact, much better than in AC5. I could actually see where my plane was and which direction I was facing, regardless of other craft very nearby. This, sadly, is about my only laudatory comment regarding this game.

If I had never experienced the others in the AC series, I might have had a better impression of AC3. I can logically understand that AC4 (the best of the series in my opinion) and AC5 would be better since they used a more advanced platform (PS2) etc. I am a bit astonished though that AC2 was significantly better in virtually all categories compared to AC3. Even accounting for the editing out of a story line etc., I cannot understand why the essentials of the game itself, i.e., the controls, the lock-ons, the graphics, the performance of the aircraft, etc. are all inferior to the experience in AC2. It doesn't make sense.

So, in a nutshell, that's why I ranked this game so low. Overall, I didn't think it was much fun to play; much of the time I was just annoyed with how it went.

I wish my Japanese was up to snuff because it would be revealing to communicate with the design engineers of AC3 and ask them how this all happened. To their credit, Namco salvaged their reputation with AC4 and AC5 (I don't have an XBox 360 and haven't played AC6. I just contacted Namco today, they have no plans to have a Playstation 2 or 3 version of AC6.)

However, if you are a true afficionado of the AC series, then I suppose you ought to get this and try it. Some day, you may be of "grandfather" age too, and the young gamers will sit at your knee, enthralled as you regale them with your experiences in the Old Days of playing the AC series. To truly have that Sage Wisdom, you will need to reveal to the younglings the presence of this glitch in the AC series and how you handled it.

Thanks for listening and Good Gaming to all of you!

3 out of 5 stars

Take to the skies September 9, 2005
3 out of 4 found this review helpful

Ace Combat 3: Electrosphere - Circa 1999

GOOD:
- Fun and unique missions (especially later on in the game)
- Lot's of planes to unlock

BAD:
- Graphics may looked dated, to today video game players
- Controls can be tough
- Learning curve is high
- Story is a little on the dry side

IF IT FITS YOUR TASTE:
- Arcade type jet fighter game with some simulation elements

GAME ITS MOST ASSOCATED TOO:
- Air Combat
- Ace Combat 2

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- All of the planes are real ones, or based on the concepts of future ones

2 out of 5 stars

Horrible! Hard! Don't Buy This! January 20, 2003
0 out of 5 found this review helpful

BORING! This is a hard and stupid game. And it's title AceCombat03: Electrosphere...What's Electrosphere? When I read the other reviews it said that the Japanesse version told you about Electrosphere.The Japanesse AND the Americans should be able to have the better game. Namco made it hard to play because of it's BAD graphics. This is a tottaly stupid game. The planes are not that realistic and replay is very bad. When a plane explodes you can see it all choppy. The little missile lanching thing in the mountains on Mission 2 is weird and hard to escape and destroy. The lock-on is HORRIBLE! The squares surronding the plane are huge and bigger then the plane itself. ... They have too much missile lanchers and makes it nearly impossible. When you complete a objective it makes more targets for you to destory. When you fly where they where before you complete the objective it is not there...it's bare ground. ...P>Rating AceCombat03: Electrosphere

Graphics 2/10
Realistic Controls 9/10*
Mission Difficulty 10/10
Realistic Enviorment 0/10~
Realistic Sound 1/10

*There is also a EASY MODE for the controls.
~Realistic Enviorment includes Explosians, Buildings etc.

1 out of 5 stars Not quite... September 15, 2002
3 out of 5 found this review helpful

If you are going for a good flight-sim than turn elsewhere. If you want a good flight-shooter than this is for you, almost.
This game is just meaningless shoot this and then blow this up. Every mission plays almost the same. I was bored out of my mind very quickly but forced myself to play thinking that Namco could not have ... up so bad. Just one more step over the hill and then it's all clear. Nope. Do yourself a favor and find yourself a copy of Ace Combat 2 instead. At least Namco cleared it's name with Ace Combat 4. Get either 2 or 4 and don't bother with 3.

5 out of 5 stars The best game ever. February 17, 2002
3 out of 6 found this review helpful

The reason this game is so cool is because all of the Ace Combat games are good but this one takes the cake with mind blowing graphics and great detail... This thing takes the cake in strategy as well as excitement and if you get one game that is the second most recent game, it should be Ace Combat 3