Today, the very word is synonymous with the beat ‘em up genre. It boasts six canonical instalments, numerous spin-offs, and three movie adaptations, all carried out in the space of just over a decade. Not to mention the numerous world records including The Best Selling Fighting Game for Playstation Consoles and the First Playstation Game to Sell Over One Million Units. So that said, it doesn’t look like the TEKKEN franchise is running out of steam anytime soon. With all the anticipation surrounding the upcoming release of Tekken Tag Tournament 2, which boasts the biggest ever roster of characters old and new, what better time to dust off the consoles, take a step back, and explore the history of TEKKEN.

TEKKEN

TEKKEN first hit the arcades back in 1994 one month after SEGA’s flagship beat ‘em up Virtua Fighter 2. Although the latter franchise was, and is, unquestionably popular – it was obvious, even in those early days, which way things were going.

Even at face value, TEKKEN was a breath of fresh air for the fighting genre. Virtua Fighter 2 continued a trend which is so common a sight throughout the history of fighting games – having the archetypal ‘Ryu’ style protagonist complete with Karate uniform and headband, which even in 1994 must have had gamers stifling yawns between round after cumbersome round. TEKKEN went all out with its creative endeavours, debuting some of the most memorable beat ‘em up characters ever to grace arcade screens. It is undoubtedly this motley crew of fighters that are the driving force behind TEKKEN’s success, and why some of the most significant deserve showcasing in their own right…

TEKKEN 1 – IN THE SPOTLIGHT:

Kazuya Mishima:

The star of this show is the morally ambiguous anti-hero himself, Kazuya Mishima. This guy is a welcome break from the beat ‘em up protagonist mould, with the studded gloves, scarred chest and crazy haircut all exhibiting a wonderful design accomplishment by Namco. The extent of his ruthlessness is not really touched upon in the first game and it is only his desire for revenge against Heihachi and the unlockable palette swap with his Devil self that suggest what future instalments may hold. Nonetheless, Kazuya is an intense and complex character and a perfect face for the franchise in its early years. Although his significance has been somewhat diluted by Jin’s debut (effectively replacing him in the third instalment), and the muddling development of the Mishima storyline, his looks and playability have only improved, making him among the best to use in each new instalment to this day.

 

Paul Phoenix:

If Kazuya’s the most important character in the first game, then Paul Phoenix is a sure contender for most interesting.

This guy is far more than just a haircut. Paul debuted in the first game and went on to become one of the most popular and enduring TEKKEN characters of all time. As one of only four characters to appear in every instalment, this first TEKKEN game offers Paul up as a potential rival to Kazuya. It was not to be so however, as this cocky young tough-as-nails American went on to become the comic relief character in every subsequent game – having showdowns with the giant bear Kuma instead. Despite taking a backseat to the Mishima power feud and being rendered a ridiculously voice-acted meathead, Paul still packs a serious punch in his old age, and maintains a reputation as a die-hard fan favourite.

 

Finishing Touches:

On top of this fantastic cast of characters, the TEKKEN series has always been revered for its faithfulness in portraying actual fighting styles in a unique and realistic way. The character move sets, though limited in 1994, still exhibit identifiable fighting traits such as King’s lucha libre wrestling moves, and Kazuya’s ‘Mishima’ style Karate. The button configuration was also innovative and broke convention with other games in the beat ‘em up genre. Where each button would usually correspond to the strength of an attack, for example, strong punch, weak kick, the TEKKEN buttons correspond to each limb of your fighter allowing freedom with combos and tactical manoeuvres. Rounds were also shorter as unique attacks and grappling moves took away much more health than in later instalments, meaning the game was consistently challenging and always intense, right up to the nigh-on impossible last boss, Heihachi Mishima.

The icing on the cake is TEKKEN’s range of scenic locations, from Fiji to the Antarctic, which are barren and open-plan stages unhindered by walls and obstacles found in later games. The open terrains, each featuring their own excellent soundtrack, allow the player to focus on fighting and their proficiency in combat as opposed to cornering their opponent or trying to utilise an interactive background for the win. Though, this has more to do with technological challenges than actual design.

The diverse soundtrack complements the respective stages such as the upbeat Fiji soundtrack or the haunting ancient Greek Acropolis. Despite hardware limitations and video games still very much skirting the mainstream back in 1994 (no Snoop Dogg TEKKEN endorsements back then), TEKKEN still boasts some exceptionally high quality arrangements that are just as engaging as the latter soundtracks in the series.

That about covers the bases for the first groundbreaking instalment of the TEKKEN series. A fantastic game that, though dated, is still remarkably playable and wonderfully nostalgic to this day.

Stay tuned for TEKKEN 2….

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