Rival Schools 3: Graduation Year

Rival Schools 3, also known as Rival Schools 3: Graduation Year in Europe, Australia, and Latin America, (Japanese: 燃えろ!ジャスティス学園) is a 3D fighting video game produced by Mad Man Ninja Studios and published by Capcom.

It is the sequel to Project Justice and was first released as an arcade game in July 2022 in Japan and ported to consoles worldwide in September 2022.

Gameplay
Graduation Year's fighting system is lifted from the original Rival Schools, with some notable changes. The game continues to be a team fighter, but has teams of three characters instead of two. This allows another Team-Up attack to be used in a fight, but also adds a new type of attack, the Party-Up, initiated by pressing any three attack buttons. The Party-Up is a three-person attack that varies based on what school the character initiating the attack is from.

The additional partner also allows players to cancel an opponent's Team-Up Special by inputting a Team-Up command of their own. This initiates a short fighting sequence between one character from each team. If the person initiating the sequence gets the first successful hit in during the sequence before time runs out, the Team-Up they are caught in will be canceled, and the game switches back to the main fight; if the opposing player gets the first hit or time runs out, the Team-Up continues as usual.

Additionally, the 'vigor' meter in Graduation Year, similarly to Project Justice, is limited to 5 levels (down from 9 in the original Rival Schools), with Party-Ups requiring all 5 levels, Team-Ups continuing to cost two levels, and any attempts (successful or not) to cancel a Team-Up costing one level.

Game Modes

 * In Story Mode, players select a portion of story grouped by school and play through a rigid storyline with a limited group of 2 to 6 characters that the player can choose from for each fight. Like the original games, each fight in story mode is accompanied with 2D cut scenes that advance the story. In some stories, the plot will branch out depending on the results of certain fights or decisions made by the player, changing the fights that the player faces. After fighting the boss of the game, an ending for the school's story is shown.
 * In Free Mode, players select a team of three characters and fight random teams of opponents until getting to fight the boss, similar to selecting two characters from different schools in Project Justice. After defeating the boss, the player is shown a screen where the game rates the performance of player, and gives them a ranking named after a character from the game.
 * In Character Creation Mode, a player is able to create their own fighters who can be used in all modes except for single-player. However, the mode is packaged as a board game, taking place during an inter-school festival, rather than a date sim game like in Rival Schools.
 * In School Life Mode, the player creates their own custom character and go through a typical Japanese school year with the rest of the cast. This mode isn't enabled in the arcade versions of the game.
 * In Versus Mode, a multiplayer mode enables players and/or computer players to fight against each other or in a variety of settings.
 * In Training Mode, options are available to see game play elements such as inputs and damage scaling that can be triggered on and off among other game play elements.

Plot
It is the third year of High School, and two years have passed since the events of Rival Schools: United By Fate. Although things have gone back to normal in Aoharu City, Batsu Ichimonji, Hinata Wakaba, Kyosuke Kagami, and the rest of the fighters have a decision to make: what will they do with their lives? While most of them have resumed their normal school lives and enjoyed the calm peace that came after their last adventure, the peace itself doesn't last for long when new fighters and familiar faces get involved in a new struggle.

Characters
All the fighters are divided by local schools, as listed below:

Taiyo Academy: The High School of the Free-Spirited
A school in Aoharu that currently consists of a middle school and a high school. The school has rather conservative uniforms, but the children don't raise too much of a fuss about wearing them.

The school's motto is "A liberated school tradition that yields carefree students", giving consideration to the individuality of each student. Aside from the entrance examinations that assess the students' individuality, interviews are also conducted that assess their excellence in extra-curricular activities. Basically, this school aims to give students freedom in their lives.

Representing the academy:


 * Batsu Ichimonji: Foul-mouthed, belligerent, and impulsive. These are the first three words that best describe Batsu. Nonetheless, he has a strong sense of justice and a kind heart.
 * Kyosuke Kagami: His personality is the opposite of Batsu's; being cool and calculating, almost never showing emotions of any sort. Every pose he takes stands out with his coolness, and he has a habit of adjusting his eyeglasses whenever he poses.
 * Hinata Wakaba: Being a very curious girl, Hinata just can't keep still, and would often run around off campus after school. She can be sometimes be a bit of a smart-aleck because of her winning spirit; but other than that, she is a cheerful and lively person who lives the usual life of a modern schoolgirl.
 * Ran Hibiki: She is a spirited girl, almost as hot-blooded as upperclassman Batsu Ichimonji and her gym teacher Hayato Nekketsu. She has a strong desire to succeed, and always goes for the gold.
 * Hayato Nekketsu: Hayato is Taiyou Gakuen's number one lady-killer and physical education teacher, as hot-blooded as his name implies. He developed his own sense of justice. Corporal punishment was also one of his own ideas.
 * Sanane Suzuki: After being freed from the Mizugami clan as her older sister wanted, Nanase finally assumes her name as "Sanane", a girl who is exceptionally skilled in naginata and occasionally overcomes her deja vu when using her weapon.

Gorin High School: The School of Advanced Sports
Gorin High is a private school aimed at producing the best athletes that can compete at the national level. The school places sports as its top priority, wherein athletic ability and character determine if an individual is worthy enough to enroll in Gorin, instead of the entrance exam results. The school's motto is "A healthy mind, a strong body, and Olympian training".

During the events of Graduation Year, the number of high school graduates was more than what many P.E.-centered colleges and universities could accommodate, which led to the educational institution establishing a university of its own. Just like Gorin High, the university aims to produce world-class athletes, as well as sporting doctors and trainers.

Outside academic matters, this school has a serious, hostile rivalry with Gedo High.

Representing the academy:


 * Shoma Sawamura: A quick-tempered and impulsive person who hates losing. Because of this, he often loses track of what has to be done. His membership into the school's baseball team was due to the fact that he causes wild fights during games.
 * Shuichi Sawamura: Calm and pleasent, and the complete opposite to his younger brother, Shoma, Shuichi is recovered from a serious injury and took back his place as the ace pitcher in Gorin's baseball team.
 * Natsu Ayuhara: Natsu is a smart and outspoken person seen by many of her schoolmates as a sister figure. With a sharp personality, she dislikes liars and people who bully the weak.
 * Roberto Miura: Roberto possesses a cool and shy side. Most of the time, he's a quiet loner. Nonetheless, he will not abandon anyone who is in need of help. Outside the soccer field, he's a cool guy, but becomes hot-blooded when inside it.
 * Momo Karuizawa: Momo has long blue green hair tied in two long ponytails adorned in two pink hairbands, two fringes at the right side and a single fringe at the center of her head.
 * Sean Matsuda: A notorius basketball player, his main pastime is martial arts. At some point, Sean saw veteran World Warrior Ken Masters in action at the U.S. Martial Arts Tournament and swore to become his pupil.

Pacific High School: High-Class International School
Pacific High is located in a harbor town next to high-rise living quarters, and is also near an international military base. The school's student population is small, though, at a count of only 500.

The reason behind this, however, is justifiable: The students enrolled here are children of high-profile Ocident International workers, studying here as exchange students. The said students' parents are mostly ambassadors, high-ranking military officers, politicians, and other high-profile figures. The school's motto is "Circulate élite education through the world using culture and sports".

Representing the academy:


 * Boman Delgado: Despite the fact that he is still a student, Boman acts far ahead of his age. He is a devout Christian who never misses Sunday Masses. As a person who dislikes violence, he is aware of his own size and strength. After any unavoidable fight, he silently prays to God for forgiveness.
 * Roy Bromwell: A capricious, sometimes less than serious American, who tries more than anyone else just to look sharp. Nonetheless, he is a frank person who dislikes cowardice.
 * Tiffany Lords: a cheerful and bubble-headed "American funky girl" who is very much into fashion and love life. She's always in a haze and playing around, without any thought of what lies ahead of her in the future.
 * Shin: He is a Taekwondo fighter born to a South Korean mother - whose father was a Taekwondo champion - and a Japanese father, who was a Karate champion. He feels pressured to be a martial artist by his family legacy, but he has no true interest in martial arts and would rather be a musician.
 * Area: a genius teenager, daughter of a scientific inventor, whose inventions she has modified into weapons for her own use. She is curious, enthusiastic, eccentric, clueless and "a little crazy". It is said that Area has an intellect far superior to that of her father and has far surpassed his inventive abilities.
 * Elena: She is a light hearted, nature-loving capoeira fighter from Kenya who is currently studying abroad. She is a young girl with a strong, pure spirit and a cheerful "tomboy" personality similar to Sakura, Ibuki and fellow rival Makoto.

Gedo High School: Collecting the Nation's Worst
Gedo High is an all-male school located beside an industrial area on the Yamato river. The school's motto is "Gang morals and perseverance", and their objective is "One person will force a lot of graduations".

Before the currently-known status of this school, Gedo High used to be a high-profile school that equally promotes excellence in both academics and martial arts, aiming to raise fine Japanese men. But now, it has degraded to an institution that makes use of "lessons that drill the mind" to raise "people who don't drift from the way of the people", making it look like a correctional facility of sorts, seeking to rehabilitate bad guys from all over the country. Outside academic matters, Gedo High has some bad-blood issues with Gorin High.

Representing the academy:


 * Daigo Kazama: Daigo may seem strict and harsh, but he is tender at heart. He is the undisputed leader of all the gangs in Gedo High who possesses a magnetic charisma and has a strong sense of duty.
 * Eiji "Edge" Yamada: Edge is best known for being irresponsible and unfair. No matter who his opponent is, he always has some Army knives ready with him, earning him the moniker "Army Knife's Edge".
 * Gan Isurugi: Gan is a big and fun-loving guy with immense physical strength, which appears to be the only thing worth his pride. On many other things, he is so simple-minded that he'll believe just about anything.
 * D.D.: A young man whose real name is Daisuke Dejima, formerly a street thug that fought in the subways for money. He is a new student and wishes to change the course of his life going back to school.
 * J: He is a punk with upright blond hair, that came back to school after the Mad Gear Gang fell into colapse. J has a very introverted personality, making it difficult to discern what he is thinking. Despite his appearance, J is health-conscious and prefers to eat healthy food such as salads and decaffeinated products.
 * Remy: He is a young savateur from Paris, seeking revenge against his father for abandoning him and his sister. Remy seems calm and composed, but in reality, he is a cruel and nihilistic warrior full of wrath and hostility.

Seijyun Girls' High School: The Fine Girl's Institute
As the name tells it, Seijyun High is an all-girls school, located on a small island in the middle of a lake. Student population statistics are unknown, and almost every student studying here lives in the school's dormitories until graduation. Most of the students studying here come from well-to-do families. The school's principal is notorious for being strict on allowing leaves of absence requested by students.

The school's motto is "Raise women who display feminine virtues and the time-honored traditions of Japan within themselves". Obviously, the motto is a reflection of its conservative and overtly strict policies, as seen with respect to modern standards of society.

Representing the academy:


 * Akira Kazama: Akira is a silent girl who rarely speaks out her thoughts. She may be tough and commanding while wearing her biker outfit, but is a docile and gentle person without it.
 * Aoi "Zaki" Himezaki: Zaki is an unsociable person who dislikes people who do not make efforts to voice out their thoughts and feelings. She's also a highly confrontational person who will easily snap at anyone who messes with her.
 * Yurika Kirishima: Yurika is a calm and timid young lady who's not the type of person to yell or make a fuss out of anything. She is musically gifted, being able to master just about any musical instrument; in particular, her mastery of the violin is at par with that of a professional.
 * Ibuki: a young ninja-in-training from an ancient clan who would rather live a normal life of a modern female Japanese teenager. Despite this, she performs her role out of at least respect and to hopefully leave the way of the ninja peacefully in hopes of having a normal life.
 * Sarai Kurosawa: a teenage girl who is the best friend and classmate of Ibuki who lives in the Glade of Ninjas. She dislikes cleaning up and doing homework. She is extremely skilled at tree climbing, taijutsu, and ninjutsu, and enjoys puzzle games.
 * Makoto: She is a tomboyish Japanese teenager looking to bring back the glory to her late father's dojo. While she is still young and inexperienced, many fighters are impressed by her skill and power, and urge her to continue her training.

Justice High School: Super Elite High School
Located close to a mountain quarry, Justice High's students live in dormitories, and are not allowed to go home until graduation. The academic curriculum is rigid, with the lessons taught aimed at changing the content of one's personal ability; and study schedule is determined by the dorm management. Students are classified according to their degree of ability and overall competence; and as such, there are 10 class levels labeled A to J.

The school's motto is "A sound mind and body build excellent abilities". The school admits talented students from all over the country and recently, from abroad.

Representing the academy:


 * Hideo Shimazu: Hideo is a person with a gentlemanly demeanor and a strong sense of justice. He leads a serious personal life; he doesn't drink alcohol and doesn't smoke. His speech and social skills need some honing, though. Now in his forties, he is looking for a wife.
 * Ingrid: She has long, silver hair with bangs and two, large gold pins, one on each side of her head. Little, if anything, is known about her. Her outfit resembles that of a schoolgirl like Sakura's, consisting of a violet, long-sleeved top with white accents, gold buttons, and a white bow below the collar; a matching, short, pleated skirt with a white petticoat; white gloves; brown tights; and black, high-heeled Mary Janes with a bow on each instep.
 * Kyoko Minazuki: Kyoko possesses elegance, style, and intelligence. While in her white robe, she is an energetic doctor who possesses great skill and intellect; but without it, she's very slovenly. Furthermore, she has very poor household skills and drinks sake (Japanese rice wine).
 * Shiba Shintaro: Shiba is a cocky ex-skateboard World Champion. He despises evil since he was involved in a terrorist attack. He was deployed in Justice High by Delta Red in order to investigate possible evil Shadaloo activities.
 * Kurow Kirishima: His primary appearance is an altered version of the Justice High school uniform. He came back without memories of his previous deeds.
 * Raizo Imawano: He is a calm yet serious person who is quite very caring and protective towards both his family and friends.
 * Raizo Imawano: He is a calm yet serious person who is quite very caring and protective towards both his family and friends.

Tamagawa Minami High School: A New Option
Founded recently, Tamagawa Minami High School is a new option for many students that didn't have the opportunity to enroll in others high-cost institutions. Despite the cost, their students have been rising to proeminence lately in many fields of society.

The school's motto is "A chance for everyone to a better future".


 * Sakura Kasugano: She is a Japanese girl with an intense fixation on Ryu, having copied and learned many of his techniques, and chasing him around the world to prove herself to him. In many aspects, Sakura is very tomboyish, outgoing, and respectful in personality, as she is most of the time happy, energetic, cheerful, positive, hard-working and focused in combat.
 * Karin Kanzuki: She is the elitist rival of Sakura, and head of the Kanzuki Zaibatsu. While she typically remains snobbish and haughty as per the standard, other aspects of her personality can vary wildly. Karin usually refers to other people as "commoners", or inferiors.
 * Kei Chitose: While Kei is the typical average schoolgirl who is into boys and clothes, she also reluctantly accompanies Sakura on her quest to become the greatest street fighter. Her grades in school are mostly average, but she possesses a phenomenal memory, never forgeting the face and name of a person she has met. As a hobby, she likes to collect merchandise related to octopus-like aliens.
 * Yuta Homura: Yuta is a member of the Glade of Ninjas. He is a hot-blooded and gets emotional quite easily. He is good at taijutsu, but his ninjutsu is extremely weak. He is also very good at beat 'em up games, being apparently able to clear a game with Mack the Knife with a single coin.
 * Yang: He is an introverted inline skater from Hong Kong, skilled in the art of Chinese Kung Fu. Yang has a cool, quiet, and self-carrying personality. However, he can also be condescending and a bit mouthy, and exhibits an eagerness to prove himself. He came to Japan mainly in order to prove himself smarter and stronger than his brother, with better education and new challenges.
 * Shaomei: A Hong-Kong student, docile and helpful. She has a crush on Yang, but is afraid to admit it. She is quiet and shy, in contrast to her sister.

Nominations and Awards

 * Best Sequel of the Year (GIWA 2022, nominated).

Trivia

 * Rival Schools 3 was made to propose development to the young students in the Rival Schools universe. With time passing between the adventures, they grow older, wiser and start considering careers in life.
 * Graduation Year makes tight bonds between the Street Fighter and the Rival Schools universes, with new characters in the roster and interconnection with already established ones.
 * This is the first appearance as playable characters for eight new characters.
 * This is the first appearance of Shin outside of Street Fighter Online: Mouse Generation (ストリートファイター オンライン マウスジェネレーション Sutorīto Faitā Onrain Mausu Jenerēshon), and the second with another Street Fighter Universe characters.
 * Sanane and Area are two guest characters from the STREET FIGHTER EX Series, developed by Arika.
 * Shiba Shintaro is originally a character from the multi-directional shooter game Cannon Spike. He is one of the eight playable characters and one of the two "original" characters in the game.