Way of the Warrior 3DO

Way of the Warrior: the early days of Naughty Dog

Naughty Dog, now synonymous with blockbuster franchises like Uncharted and The Last of Us, began its journey with an ambitious, budget-strapped fighter: Way of the Warrior. Facing financial peril, founders Andy Gavin and Jason Rubin resorted to casting family and friends, including Rubin’s ex-girlfriend, and filming motion capture in an employee’s living room. Their gamble? Securing a 3DO publishing deal at Winter CES.

THE DEAL

Publisher Tug-of-War: MCA vs. 3DO

Interest in Way of the Warrior was fierce. MCA, Crystal Dynamics, and 3DO’s Trip Hawkins all saw potential for a fighting game on 3DO. Hawkins pushed for exclusivity, but Naughty Dog ultimately partnered with MCA/Universal. This decision proved pivotal, as Crystal Dynamics had really only wanted to use their panning and zooming technology for a Samurai Shodown port they had in the works.

The MCA deal provided proper studios and a multi-game contract, potentially saving them from 3DO’s eventual collapse, had they gone with Trip.

THE GAME

Mortal Kombat Clone: Absurdity Rules

Released in 1994, Way of the Warrior landed as the 3DO’s first fighting game, riding the wave of Mortal Kombat’s popularity. Its over-the-top presentation, bizarre characters, and often hilarious handling set it apart. The game embraced absurdity, making it a uniquely entertaining, if flawed, experience.

SOUND & VISION

White Zombie & Choppy Moves: Polarising Audio, Jerky Animation

The audio, featuring White Zombie’s heavy rock tracks courtesy of Geffen Records, is a love-it-or-hate-it affair. While fitting for a fighter, the constant barrage could become tiresome. Voiceovers, provided by the developers, added to the game’s quirky charm. However, the animation suffered from a low frame count, resulting in choppy, sped-up movements and characters that seemingly “bunny hopped” across the arena.

CONTROL & COMBAT

Controller Conundrums: 50 Moves, Limited Frames

Gameplay was hampered by the 3DO’s notoriously awkward controller. While a joystick offered some relief, the game’s 50-move arsenal per character was marred by the limited animation frames. Despite this, loading times were minimal, and the final bosses, like the High Abbot and Kull, were visually impressive.

The lack of annoying loading screens was down to Naughty Dogs optimisation of 3DO’s Direct Memory Access (DMA) routines. The 3DO has 3 megabytes of RAM, larger than the biggest SNES cartridge. To optimize performance, Naughty Dog developers employed an asynchronous design, where loading happens in the background using DMA. While there’s a brief pause before a fight, once gameplay begins, there are no interruptions—allowing smooth moves, fatalities, 3D scrolling, and stereo sound without slowdown.

VERDICT

Cult Classic: Flawed but Unique

Despite its technical shortcomings, Way of the Warrior possesses a certain charm and remains a unique 3DO title. The game, intended for arcades but never released, serves as a fascinating glimpse into Naughty Dog’s humble beginnings, a stepping stone to the legendary franchises they would later create.