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One-on-one fighters may not be as huge as they used to be. The genre made so popular by Street Fighter II and the original head-ripping gore fest, Mortal Kombat, has for the most part come and gone. Still, every once in a while, a solid no-weapons head-to-head fighting game comes along. Street Fighter fans have a lot to be excited about with the recent release of Super Street Fighter II HD Remix and the upcoming Street Fighter IV, but let's take a look at what is probably one of the more under-hyped games due for a console release in the near future, Tekken 6.
Tekken 6 has been around for just over a year in Japanese arcades, and aside from some imports, the game may never see an arcade release in the States. Luckily for the fans, Namco Bandai officially announced that the game will be making its way to PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in the fall of 2009, making Tekken 6 the first multiplatform game in the series' 14-year history.
As with most games jumping to a next-gen console, Tekken 6 features the biggest graphical overhaul the series has seen in a long time. Every returning character's moves and animations have been completely reanimated to get the most updated HD visuals. The game is built from the ground up on a PlayStation3-based arcade engine, so the process of moving it to the Sony console should be relatively painless. The 360-version may be a bit tougher. Katsuhiro Harada, game director for the Tekken series, said in a recent TGS interview with GameSpot that while he is confident that his team can deliver a well-done port to the Xbox 360, it will provide a unique set of challenges.
Fans will be glad to know that Harada plans to keep all the elements that worked well in Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection--with a few tweaks, of course. The first thing players may notice is the extended life bars that have been added in to balance out the addition of some stronger moves. The new Bounce System, for example, will mean that when a player is slammed onto the ground or into a wall, they will bounce and be unable to tech roll, giving the aggressor a chance to chain another combo.
On the bright side, if you are the one getting beat to a pulp, you now have the Rage System at your side. Once your health goes down to about 5 percent or less, your character will glow red and your life bar will begin flashing. While in rage mode your character will do more damage, and a good player can completely turn the fight around with the right juggle. While it may seem cheap at first, keep in mind that at 5 percent health, a single punch can take down the enemy, so only the most skilled players will be able to string together the attacks that will win them the round.
Stages in Tekken 6 will also be bigger than in the previous games, and feature more interactivity with the backgrounds. Some stages will feature day and night transitions, while others will feature breakable walls which actually connect the game's stages. A Tekken master can kick another player through a wall and continue their merciless attack right into the next area. For those who don't like traveling to stages the fast way, the series' popular infinite stages will still be in the game, a plus for the ol' skool Tekken fans who aren‘t fond of the breakable walls and confined arenas.
Players will also have more character customization options than ever. In addition to the alternate costumes, players can switch out tops and bottoms. There are also a few character exclusive items like hats and sunglasses. Some of the items even give the player some new moves in battle, for example, one character can pull out his shotgun and shoot the opponent. Others carry items such as swords that can likely be used for quick, one hit attacks (Don‘t worry, they are not turning the game into Soul Calibur, player‘s will not be able to rely on their weapons for the win).
Tekken 6 kicks the roster up a notch with a total of 42 characters, everyone from Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection and two new players from Bloodline Rebellion. At this point, we know of eight new characters, one is a new boss named Azazel, and four are regular characters who have been confirmed as playable--Miguel, Bob, Zafina and Leo. Each of the new combatants will have their own background story and fighting style.
In addition to having some new characters to choose from, players can take the fight online. Those who get tired of beating down their friends locally, or think that the computer opponents have become too easy, can take on their Xbox LIVE or PlayStation Network buddies. While this is not the first Tekken game to allow players to go online, (Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection Online) this is the first time the game is on systems that place so much emphasis on online play.
After fighting fans have had their fill of Street Fighter IV, a new champ will enter the ring. Tekken 6 will take the series into the hi-def realm, and be the biggest revamp the game has seen in years. The hardest part will be the wait for fall 2009.
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