Tekken 5

Written by Chris Reiter  on February 14, 2005

Final Glimpse: Beating husbands, wives, children, grampas and grannies all over the place -- and playing them in Tekken 5 too.

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The fighting genre just isn't the same as it once was, that much is certain. It used to be that there was once a time when companies pumped out new releases left and right using all sorts of innovations that hadn't been cranked out yet. Millions of gamers went crazy over these concepts over the years, teaming up to compete against one another in arcades and at home. But new ideas are hard to find when so many have been spent already in about a decade's time. The fighting genre was reduced to a baser form with the advent of online gaming. Arcades have slowly been eroding here in the States. Why go out when you can just stay at home and play a game with hundreds of others over the net, minus the additional cost of inserting pockets full of quarters? Well, there is the lack of that certain satisfaction you get when meeting your opponent face to face. Besides, arcades have whole rows of games, food, and prizes that just aren't the same like when you're at home. But, let's get back on topic here. Fighting games, like the arcades that made them immensely popular, are slowly going extinct...in a way at least. They aren't dead yet. And some companies, like Namco, still have the right of passage to dish out another serving from a proven franchise that's in need of a good workout since its fourth and what many thought to be a disappointing entry. Retooled, redefined, and on its way to the PlayStation 2 later this month, soon enough Tekken fans can get a hold of Tekken 5.

Some Tekken 4 players complained about the game's slower natured fights, as well as its uneven battlegrounds. Previously, Namco had the idea up their sleeve to base fights around matches that would give more advantage to the players standing on rising parts of the ground or not. I guess some people didn't go for it. With Tekken 5 now, Namco's looking to change all of that by designing their next game in the likeness of Virtua Fighter 4. Evened out arenas will be the idea here, such as one staged inside Heihachi's burning mansion. Bouts will also be sped up, as to make the process of thinking on your feet go a lot quicker. Other new makeovers to the series not only include three new combatants, but also a set of new system features. What'll be new for the game's fighting engine is players will be able to both input moves while simultaneously perfomring a prior command in a new buffer mechanic, in addition to allow for customization of characters with different accessories and costumes (very much like in Virtua Fighter 4). As for the new fighters to step into the ring, their names are Raven, Asuka Kazama, and Feng Wei. A master of karate, Raven is to be a Wesley Snipes/Blade duplicate. Obviously, Asuka is related to the series' largest family, the Kazama family. Sporting a similar fighting style to Jun before her, Asuka is suspected of being the family's daughter. Lastly, Feng Wei is a big guy with the art of kung fu at his side. Characters from the previous Tekken entries will return too, with oldies and newbies alike, from Paul, Christie, Hwaorang, Jin (my favorite), and a bigger, better Yoshimitsu. Each character will brandish some new maneuvers, and in total there'll be 20 different fighters to choose from at the start, and plenty of more to unlock from there.

As one of the first franchises to be embraced by the PlayStation 2 community from its launch, Tekken Tag Tournament was an amazing example of how far technology has come in building three characters with buff muscles and moves to show off. It's a little more than four years down the line now, and in the PlayStation 2's fifth year Tekken 5 is being set to dazzle gamers with a new set of graphical touches. Particularly what's being touched on is the way in which characters will be able to interact with the environments. When say one character gets knocked into a pile of gold or into a roaring wall of flame, you'll see that money bounce up and you'll see debris fall down with the beaten character. Not to mention there'll also come all sorts of sweet looking touches added to every little animation the fighters in the game will possess.