| Tekken Tag Tournament | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Developer(s) | Namco |
| Publisher(s) | Namco |
| Director(s) | Masahiro Kimoto Katsuhiro Harada Yuichi Yonemori |
| Producer(s) | Yasuhiro Noguchi |
| Composer(s) | Akitaka Tohyama Yuu Miyake Nobuyoshi Sano Keiichi Okabe |
| Series | Tekken |
| Platform(s) | Arcade, PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 |
| Release | Arcade July 1, 1999[1] PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 |
| Genre(s) | Fighting |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
| Cabinet | Upright |
| Arcade system | Namco System 12 |
| Display | Raster, horizontal orientation |
Tekken Tag Tournament (鉄拳タッグトーナメント, Tekken Taggu Tōnamento) is the fourth main installment in Namco's Tekken fighting game series.
Tekken Tag Tournament was released as an arcade game in 1999 before becoming a North American and European launch title for the PlayStation 2 in 2000. The arcade version operated similarly, but ran on a 32-bit graphics engine like Tekken 3. It received upgraded graphics when it was ported to the PlayStation 2. Its sequel Tekken Tag Tournament 2 was released in 2011. A remastered version of the game titled Tekken Tag Tournament HD was released for the PlayStation 3 in November 2011, as part of Tekken Hybrid.
Gameplay[]
Continuing the fighting mechanics from Tekken 3, Tekken Tag Tournament sees players battling in teams of two characters. At any point in the match, the player can hit a tag button to swap out with their other fighter, allowing the resting fighter to recover some lost health. The tag can be implemented in many ways, such as in between combos or utilizing special throws. At times when a resting fighter's lifebar is flashing, that character can be tagged in to be given a temporary boost in strength. Unlike other tag games such as Capcom's Vs. series, players are defeated when only one of their fighters lose all of their health, requiring players to be strategic about tagging their fighters. In the event of a timeout, the team with the most accumulative health remaining wins the round.
The game features over 35 characters that previously appeared in Tekken 2 and Tekken 3. In addition, there is a boss character, Unknown, who is similar to Tekken 3's Mokujin in that she can randomly imitate any character's fighting style, albeit she is able to change her style any time during the fight. The PlayStation 2 version added enhanced graphics and various modes, including 1-on-1 mode, in which players only choose one fighter each, and Team Battle, where players choose up to eight battles and play with the tag rules, with each new character replacing the one that was defeated (the remaining fighter must fight on his/her own). Also featured is the "Tekken Bowl" mode, a bowling minigame where each character has different attributes.
The arcade and console versions of Tekken Tag Tournament differ slightly. The arcade version ran on a 32-bit engine, utilizing the graphics engine of Tekken 3. These graphics ran using the Tekken 3 PCB board, based on the PlayStation hardware. The console version ran on a highly updated engine, utilizing the PlayStation 2's graphics processor. The game does not run on a 32-bit engine, yet on a new and updated engine highly similar to that found on Tekken 4. The background designs and BGMs differed too, as the console version has new updated tracks, while the arcade version was based on MIDI tracks with an instrumental backing. Unknown is not playable on the arcade version, yet the character is on the PlayStation 2 version. The arcade version also allows players to only select the alternative colors that have been added to the costumes at first, while the normally colored ones are unlocked when the bonus characters are. There are also crucial differences concerning the playability of the characters, as some moves or attacks are much more efficient in the arcade version than in the console version and vice versa.
Characters[]
As the game was made to be a compilation of previous games, the game include nearly every character from the original Tekken up to Tekken 3, including those who were canonically missing in the current canonical game Tekken 3. All of them have improved appearance and movesets to make them on par with the Tekken 3 characters.
Additionally, the game adds two new characters, both of them being mimic characters: Tetsujin, a metallic version of Mokujin, and Unknown, a mysterious woman who is controlled by the "Forest Demon" and also serves as the final boss of the game. Both characters seldom appear in future games, with Unknown resuming her role as final boss in the sequel Tekken Tag Tournament 2, while Tetsujin is featured as a boss in the free-to-play Tekken Revolution.
The only absent characters in the game that were playable in previous entries of the series are the original Jack, the first King, the first Kuma, Marshall Law, Dr. Bosconovitch, and Gon. Dr. Bosconovitch, however, makes a cameo appearance in the Tekken Bowl mode as a spectator.
Playable characters[]
- Anna Williams
- Armor King I
- Baek Doo San
- Bruce Irvin b
- Bryan Fury
- Devil b / Angel b d
- Eddy Gordo / Tiger Jackson d
- Forest Law
- Ganryu
- Gun Jack
- Heihachi Mishima
- Hwoarang
- Jack-2 b
- Julia Chang
- Jin Kazama
- Jun Kazama
- Kazuya Mishima b
- King II
- Kuma II b / Panda b d
- Kunimitsu b
- Lee Chaolan b
- Lei Wulong
- Ling Xiaoyu
- Michelle Chang
- Nina Williams
- Ogre b
- Paul Phoenix
- Prototype Jack b
- Roger b / Alex b d
- Tetsujin a b / Mokujin b d
- True Ogre b
- Unknown a b c
- Wang Jinrei b
- Yoshimitsu
^a New character
^b Unlockable
^c Unplayable in arcade-version
^d Costume/palette swap
Remaster[]
Tekken Tag Tournament HD is a remastered version of Tekken Tag Tournament, released in November 2011 for the PlayStation 3. The game comes on the same Blu-ray Disc as the 3D movie Tekken: Blood Vengeance and is accessible if the disc is loaded on a PlayStation 3 (the entire package is referred to as Tekken Hybrid which also includes Tekken: Blood Vengeance and a demo version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2). It is based on the PlayStation 2 version and features updated HD visuals and Trophy support. A limited edition version of Tekken Hybrid was released alongside the standard version, which included an art book, selected soundtracks of both Tag Tournament and Tag Tournament 2, and PlayStation Home content.[2]
Reception[]
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| GameRankings | 86%[3] |
| Metacritic | 85/100[4] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| AllGame |   [5] |
| Famitsu | 38/40[6] |
| GameSpot | 9.6/10[7] |
| IGN | 8.7/10[8] |
By July 2006, Tekken Tag Tournament had sold 1.4 million copies and earned $48 million in the United States. Next Generation ranked it as the 35th highest-selling game launched for the PlayStation 2, Xbox or GameCube between January 2000 and July 2006 in that country. Combined sales of Tekken games released in the 2000s reached 3 million units in the United States by July 2006.[9] It received a "Platinum" sales award from the Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association (ELSPA),[10] indicating sales of at least 300,000 copies in the United Kingdom.[11]
Tekken Tag Tournament received highly positive reviews from critics. It has an aggregate score of 85/100 on Metacritic,[4] and a score of 86% at GameRankings.[3] Jeff Gerstmann of GameSpot gave it a 9.6 out of 10 described it as "delivering the same solid gameplay that Tekken fans crave in large doses" but added "wait for Tekken 4 to find that out".[12] IGN gave it an 8.7 out of 10, praising its graphics and character moves.[8] Prince Paul of GamePro praised Tekken Tag Tournament for its visuals "where you could see individual blades of grass!"[13] In Japan, Famitsu scored the PlayStation 2 version of the game a 38 out of 40.[14]
The game was added to the list of Sony Greatest Hits games on March 1, 2002. In 2007, IGN listed Tekken Tag Tournament as the 23rd best game on the PlayStation 2.[15] In 2008, PSM stated "Tekken Tag is regarded as the best installment in the series".[citation needed]
Legacy[]
A sequel for Tekken Tag Tournament, titled Tekken Tag Tournament 2, was announced at the Tokyo Game Show 2010 on September 18, 2010. The game expanded on the original's tag mechanics, allowing for more flowing tag combos and combined moves, inherited some gameplay mechanics from Tekken 6, and featured characters from more recent Tekken games. It was released as an arcade cabinet in Japan on September 14, 2011, with an "unlimited" revision following on March 27, 2012. PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in all territories in the week of September 11, 2012, and a Wii-U port followed in November 2012. A free Tekken Bowl app based on the original Tekken Tag's bonus mode was released on iOS on July 23, 2011.[16]
References[]
- ↑ "Tekken Official". Tekken-official.jp. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ McWhertor, Michael. "Tekken Hybrid Bulks Up Even More With Limited Edition Goodies". Kotaku. Retrieved 22 May 2017.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Tekken Tag Tournament for PlayStation 2". GameRankings. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Tekken Tag Tournament for PlayStation 2 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Tekken Tag Tournament PS2 Review
- ↑ プレイステーション2 - 鉄拳 TAG TOURNAMENT. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.56. 30 June 2006.
- ↑ Tekken Tag Tournament PS2 Review
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Tekken Tag Tournament PS2 Review
- ↑ Campbell, Colin; Keiser, Joe (July 29, 2006). "The Top 100 Games of the 21st Century". Next Generation. Archived from the original on October 28, 2007.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurlCS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ↑ "ELSPA Sales Awards: Platinum". Entertainment and Leisure Software Publishers Association. Archived from the original on May 15, 2009.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ Caoili, Eric (November 26, 2008). "ELSPA: Wii Fit, Mario Kart Reach Diamond Status In UK". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on September 18, 2017.
{{cite web}}: ; deadurl - ↑ Jeff Gerstmann (April 26, 2000). "Tekken Tag Tournament Review". Retrieved January 19, 2014.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Paul, Prince (2000-11-24). "Playstation 2: A System for the Millennium? (Page 2)". GamePro. p. 2. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2009-12-12.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ プレイステーション2 - 鉄拳 TAG TOURNAMENT. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.56. 30 June 2006.
- ↑ "IGN: The Top 25 PS2 Games of All Time". IGN. Archived from the original on 2007-03-16. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
{{cite web}}: - ↑ Contact Michael McWhertor: Comment (2011-07-23). "Tekken Bowl Strikes iPhone and iPad Today (For Free)". Kotaku.com. Retrieved 2012-06-23.
{{cite web}}:
External links[]
- Official website Invalid language code.