Tekken 4 (sorry 4 the lousy title, it's been a while)

Gameplay:

The Playstation 2 has pretty much been in a drought when it comes to 3D fighters. With the exception of Virtua Fighter 4, nothing has really got me excited, well, until now. Tekken 4 is Namco’s latest creation and it seems to deliver the fighting goods.

First things first, Tekken 4 has pretty much kept all the standard modes. The Story Battle allows you to select a character, view a brief introduction to that person’s story, and once you beat the game you’re rewarded with a cool little video. Other modes include survival, team battle, vs. battle, time attack, Tekken force, training, and practice. For the most part, there’s always something to keep you busy.

By default you have ten characters at your disposal. Additional characters can be acquired by beating the story mode. T4 brings back many familiar faces to the King of Iron Fist Tournament. Old timers like Paul, Law, Yoshimitsu, Jin, and King are back in full form, while third generation fighters like Hwoarang and Xiaoyu are present. There are also several newcomers. Christie Monteiro is a carbon copy of Eddy, using his Brazilian Capoeira as her fighting style. Steve Fox is an interesting character, possessing great boxing skills and powerful punches. Craig Marduk is also a fresh face. His gigantic build and wrestling moves are reminiscent to that of King.

Gameplay has been tweaked in several areas. The most notable change is the role of environments. Previous games confined players into certain areas and allowed very little freedom. The new element of using your surroundings is subtle, but ultimately it’s an effective improvement. The new arenas now allow fighters to get interactive with objects that get in the way. For example, players can now trap opponents in a corner of a stage, and use it as an advantage. You can kick opponents into pillars, throw them into statues, and punch them into walls. This isn’t for show either, since hitting a wall will inflict additional damage to the fighter. Arena size is also a nice facet to the fighting engine. Bigger levels allow you to use run and attack tactics, while smaller venues require you to be efficient with block techniques.

Tekken’s biggest strength lies in its simplistic control layout, composing of left and right punch and kick attacks. However, it’s a bit more complex than smashing four buttons. In order to unload tremendous combos, players must precisely tap the correct buttons in order and in quick succession. Toss in some unblockable attacks, dash maneuvers, bone shattering throws and submissions, and you’re left with a strategic fighting affair.

Newbies will find that the training and practice modes are vital to success, and it’s also a great place for vets to test out new characters. Practice allows you to freestyle fight with a computer dummy, work on your defensive skills against an active attacking opponent, or you can simply go one-on-one with the computer. The training mode is perfect for dishing out new moves and combos. Once in this mode, players must complete a series of commands that appear on the screen. Your goal here is to complete 20 assigned moves in the shortest amount of time possible.

The Tekken Force mode has undergone some distinct changes. For those that are unfamiliar, Force is a level based mode that plays something like Final Fight or Streets of Rage. The most apparent change is the game’s perspective. The original Force played like a 2D side scroller. This version gives you a third person like point of view. There’s a bit more freedom when going around levels, but movements can get a bit confusing when you have a tricky camera angle. The implementation of a lock on target system has its moments, although it can lead to some misses and cheap computer shots. By no means is it perfect, but I really enjoyed the chaos and challenge that the force mode offered.

Graphics:

Visually, T4 shines in every area. The solid framerate provides fluid navigation through levels and most importantly a smooth pace for matches. Animations are right on; the throws have a cinematic feel, while fancier maneuvers will leave you awe-struck. Level design is both a hit and miss. Several levels could have used better enhancements, but there are a few enticing arenas that show great creativity. For example, there’s one level that takes place on top of a skyscraper. There are various statues in the way, a helicopter can be seen in the backdrop, and cool glass windows make up part of the roof.

Sound:

The music is a bit too jazzy considering what Tekken is all about. There’s horns, electric guitars, and what not sprinkled throughout the soundtrack. Most of the material is forgettable, and to be honest I expected something edgier and appropriate for the game’s content. The sound effects work well; punches and kicks are powerful, and grunts and crunches are solid. The narration for the stories should have been better, but the character voice-overs do an acceptable job.

Overall:

Tekken has slowly evolved over the past years. This year’s version isn’t anything revolutionary, but it does karate kick the series up a notch. T4’s delicate changes and slight improvements warrant a purchase for long time Tekkeners and fans of the fighting genre. Anyone else looking for a good fight should also give the game a spin.