Pang! 3

Pang! 3, known in Japan as Pang! 3: Kaitou tachi no karei na gogo, is an arcade action game developed by Mitchell Corporation in May 1995, running on Capcom's CP System hardware. It is the third installment in the acclaimed Pang series. Instead of traveling the world, players are locked inside an art museum and must survive by popping bouncing balloons of various sizes, most of which split when hit. The game offers three difficulty modes: Tour Mode (stage-based progression), Panic Mode (continuous balloons), and Beginner Mode. A new roster of four playable characters with unique harpoon abilities, including the double harpoon of Don Tacos and diagonal shots of Sheila, adds strategic depth. The game features an art gallery setting with digitized backgrounds of masterpieces from Van Gogh, Munch, and Hokusai, while enemies like birds can temporarily paralyze the player.

Arcade

Released on May 4, 1995, in Japan and the following day in Europe and North America, Pang! 3 runs on CPS-1 hardware derivative with a vertical orientation of 384x240 resolution. The cabinet supports two players with an 8-way joystick and a single button each for firing the harpoon. The game was produced under the supervision of Kihaji Okamoto, with planners including Da., Futoshi Kuwahara, and S. Obata, programmers Cat, Yoshinobu Inada, and T. Misawa, and character designers Imo and Tom-Pang. The soundtrack was composed by Isao Abe with sound design by Toshio Kajino and Hiroaki Kondo. The game introduced quality-of-life improvements over its predecessors, including faster gameplay and more precise controls. Critics praised the famous art backdrops and distinct character dances, with many considering it the best title in the series.