Tekken: Dark Resurrection

PSP gets its rightful King of Fighters.

	Version PSP	Developer Namco	Publisher Namco	Genre Fighting

By Dominick Hardy

When the original Tekken was released on the PlayStation way back in 1995, it helped herald in a new era for beat 'em ups in the home console arena. Tekken was neither the first, nor indeed the only 3D fighter around, but with its bone-crunching design, delicate character balance and complex combos, coupled with luscious fully 3D graphics, here at last was a true challenger to Sega's Virtua Fighter.

After several sequels on various consoles the original PS brawler is back again, this time on another piece of Sony branded hardware for which there is a dearth of 3D beat 'em ups let alone pretenders to the crown. And being yet again based on an older arcade sibling, can Tekken Dark Resurrection take its place as the king of fighters?

After booting up the UMD and watching the glorious intro the player has several game modes to choose from. For those eager to step into the ring, it's probably the quick-battle or the story mode where most will initially spend their time. The game is loosely hung together by what can only be described as an intentionally weak story-line. Each of the 34 characters (including all the old favourites and several newer characters) starts with their own brief 2D voiced-over intro, but Namco knows that finer plot points are not the order of the day here, and so propels you head first into the action.

After fighting your way through 8 different stages and then the final battle, you're rewarded with a character-specific and spectacular (if short-lived) CG outro, bringing some closure to the character's story and setting up the possibility of a continuation into the series' next inevitable iteration.

It's in the battle arenas that one truly appreciates the joy of Tekken, with its meaty blows and bone-crushing throws, grapples and smashes. As is usual for the series, each of the PSPs four buttons control a separate limb on the fighter, so experienced players will have no trouble picking up and playing, although it may take a while to become accustomed to the PSP's smaller form factor and trickier D-pad, which makes some of the more complicated special moves difficult to perfect. Newcomers on the other hand will - with a little perseverance - quickly come to appreciate the game's intricacies, and will undoubtedly find it enjoyable and challenging, even on easy mode.

Character development and balance has always been one of Tekken's strengths, both in terms of visuals and playability and this version is no different. From the hulkish brute Jack, to the balleric gymnast Lili and through all those in-between, each character is realized in great detail and perfectly balanced - there is even the option to customize each character's attire should you not like the default. With the wealth of characters on offer, you'd think Namco would have difficulty ensuring one was not too powerful or possessing a special move far in excess of the others, yet the game is all the greater for not suffering this potential pitfall.

Each character has their own strengths, weaknesses and special moves, facilitating to many tactics and strategies. Only after some time has been spent with a character, and after a few of their moves, reversals and blocks have been learnt, does Tekken truly comes into its own; transforming players from button mashers into a master players - if they're worthy.

Visually, there's enough finesse to match the brawn. The variety of backgrounds - glitzy, colourful, and animated, the little touches such as floating leaves and snow, birds and wolves, the ground breaking upon impact and the sparks that fly when a powerful blow is landed all indicate a high level of technical accomplishment and a mastery of the hardware that's expected from Namco. The camera is also assured, so much so that it is noticeable that it never becomes a problem by obscuring the fight.

In terms of AI, the CPU opponents are more than competent with even the easy mode presenting a challenge for beginner players. However, as smart as the AI is, it is playing against other humans which is the true test of a fighter's skill. This is catered for in Tekken via the Battle Lobby where online opponents can be sought. As all the characters are so well matched, any imbalance between players is chiefly down to differences in skill - and rightly so.

As comprehensive a beat 'em up as this already is, there are still many unlockable extras to be found, such as the bowling sub-game, or the theatre mode which provides access to all music and movies. Each win also brings with it credits which can be used to purchase other bonuses, such as unseen movies and attire for your favourite fighter. Add the extra training modes on offer (including the Dojo which is used to increase your rank) and there is enough here to keep even the most attention-deficient player happy for a long while.

Graphics Sound Gameplay Depth Presentation OVERALL 8.5 8.0 9.0 8.5 7.5 8.5

THE VERDICT: It's a fine line between pleasure and pain, and Tekken is it. Not even the terrible voice-acting can dampen what is a superior one-on-one beat 'em up. With several game modes, 34 characters and extra unlockables, the UMD (much like some of its more muscle-bound fighters) must be bursting at the seams.