Hand-to-hand fun

Tekken 5 PS2

Judo chop: Tekken 5, the latest in the Tekken saga.

The game: As The King of Iron Fist Tournament 4 drew to a close, Jin Kazama defeated his father Kazuya and grandfather Heihachi in a fierce battle at the Mishima Zaibatsu headquarters in Honmaru.

Soon after Jin’s departure, a swarm of Jacks arrive at Honmaru, and begin to attack Heihachi and Kazuya. In order to escape, Kazuya thrusts Heihachi into the swarm of Jacks. A great explosion destroys Honmaru, and a man watching from afar reports “Heihachi Mishima is dead”.

The play: For all but the die-hard Tekken fans, the above description means absolutely nothing, but that’s the beauty of the game. After playing it for only a short time you will not only be familiar with the storyline but consumed with furious anger in an attempt to defeat all of those who stand in your way.

As far as single fighting titles go, this is the best hand-to-hand combat title on the market, with superb flowing graphics and a variety of deadly techniques, including holds and throws. Returning characters are not forgotten, as there is also a new range of moves and combinations.

Tekken 5 brings back the popular cast of characters from the previous games along with three new characters for a total of 20 default characters to start with and even more to unlock as you progress in the game.

The standard Tekken fight modes are back, including the equivalent of last man standing (my favourite) and there is now the ability to play the arcade versions of Tekken 1-3, as well as a unique 3D side story, which includes puzzles to add to the longevity of this version.

The terrain: All of the environments are quite detailed and also interactive. It pays to know your battleground, as certain areas will cause more pain to your opponents when thrown against or into, giving you more time to plan your next assault.

The game also allows you to customise your fighter using money earned during the tournament to allow you to accessorise – making you look cool before you open up a big can on your unworthy opponent.

The experience: If you’re a fan of the Tekken series, then this title is easily the best to date. If you’re a fan of pure hand-to-hand fighting titles, then this is the game for you. It’s only one-to-two players, so not only is it brutal, it’s personal.

- Squadron Leader Nick Hogan

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