When Namco's 1992 racing arcade game Final Lap 3 is in its attract mode, the explanatory text "UP TO 2/4/6/8 (the number depends on how many two-player cabinets are linked together; however, if you are using MAME to play the game, the number will still be 1 given that the emulator does not support link-up plays) PLAYERS CAN RACE SIMULTANEOUSLY. RACE AGAINST THE CLOCK WHEN OTHERS ARE ON THE TRACK OR RACE HEAD-TO-HEAD BY STARTING SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH OTHER PLAYERS. THE COURSE WITH THE MOST VOTES WILL BE CHOSEN." shall scroll past at the top of the screen during the gameplay demonstrations while it points out "MY CAR", "OTHER PLAYERS" and "CPU (GREEN CAR)" to you - and the main player's car will then race off into the distance and the sky will darken in colour as the gameplay demonstration morphs into the game's title screen.
Once you have inserted your coin into the cabinet, the text "STEP ON A PEDAL TO START" will flash up on the screen as a buzzing sound begins to be heard from the C140; once you have done so, the buzzing sound will stop and you will proceed to the track selection screen as the track selection theme starts to be heard from the Yamaha YM-2151. You will then have seventeen seconds to select one of the game's four tracks with the steering wheel (but if you are using MAME to play the game, you will have to hold "9" and press "F2" to calibrate the virtual wheel), as the text "SELECT COURSE. SELECT WITH STEERING WHEEL. CONFIRM BY PUSHING THE PEDAL. THE COURSE WITH THE MOST VOTES WILL BE CHOSEN." appears at the top of the screen - and that text "STEP ON THE PEDAL." appears at the bottom of it. Once all of the players have selected a course, the one that has received the most votes will move into the centre of the screen as a result of it being chosen as the other three move off the sides of it, then move up to the top of the screen, as it becomes the overhead map of the track (and as with the first two games, the starting position of your car will be indicated on it in red); a swimsuit-wearing woman (who, like the ones from that second game in the series, is holding a blue-and-yellow umbrella) will then run off the track to the right side of the screen as that seven-note jingle from the start of the first two games is heard from the Yamaha YM-2151. Also as in the first two games, a counter will appear in the centre of the screen and count down from "03" to "00" - and once it has disappeared, the race on the chosen track will begin.