Released: 20001026 Publisher: Namco Developer: Namco Genre: Fighting

Review by: King_Mightystud

Over the years Namco has brought us many, many great fighting games. Whether for the PSX (Tekken 1,2, 3 and Soul Blade), the DC (Soul Calibur) or the Arcade (Soul Edge), Namco has and continues to be on the cutting edge of this genre. Tekken Tag Tournament for the PS2 continues this tradition, with another excellent all around game. TTT is rated T (for teens).



I believe it was around the launch of Tekken 1 (PSX) that Namco took the crown of best developer in this genre from Capcom and their Street Fighter series. No other fighting games have matched their quality since (I'm sure fans of other great fighting game series, such as DOA, SF, Virtua Fighter etc, will disagree). With this game out, and Soul Calibur 2 in the works (which is looking sweeeeet by the way), Namco doesn't seem to be giving up the crown any time soon. It’s the Tekken 3 fighting engine (same engine, only upgraded) and all of the Tekken characters wrapped up in a nice pretty new coat. If you like the Tekken games you’ll love it.



If there is one flaw of TTT (and I repeat "if") it is the fact that there really isn't that much improvement over Tekken 3. Sure there is the new Tag option, which allows you to instantly switch your fighter in mid battle, and some other really cool features like a WIDE selection of characters and moves. Everyone, and I do mean everyone, from the Tekken series makes an appearance here. Only about half of them are accessible from the outset. You have to unlock the rest in classic Namco fashion. As you play through the game with more and more characters, new fighters will be released and new game modes will appear. All of this pretty much requires a memory card (as if you didn't have one already). Losing a save with a completely unlocked game is enough to send even the most passive of players into a real-life frenzy. Also there are the usual graphical improvements and such that I have come to expect from Sony's new platform.



Most impressive is the game's use of lighting effects to simulate real-life materials. In one level, light reflects off the wooden panels of a dojo floor in a way that allows you to see the warped surface of each individual panel. Then, as the fight makes its way to the other side of the room, sunlight from the outside completely covers the floor, creating a scene so real it is nothing short of disturbing.



TTT is dual shock compatible. I use a third party controller for this game, though I usually use Sony's analog for other games.



Tekken Tag Tournament has basically no plot whatsoever. Realize this now before your brain goes into overdrive wondering how all of the characters can be in the game and fighting each other at the same time. The game is nothing more than a fighter pure and simple. Namco has taken the Tekken series, distilled it down to its core elements and the result is Tekken Tag Tournament. If you’ve never liked the Tekken style of fighting then don’t even bother with this one — go get Dead or Alive 2: Hardcore instead. For the Tekken faithful (I place my self strongly into this category) though, this is the game you’ve been wanting.



But I don't know. Maybe Namco has spoiled me by constantly pushing the envelope with increasingly better and better games, until there was little room for improvement. I had my expectations set very high for this game, and while I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't blown away by it either. Nonetheless TTT is a must have for every fighting game fan with a PS2. When you get it, expect to see a beefed up version of Tekken 3 with the tag ability (which is also found in other games).



This tag ability is probably the biggest improvement in the series (from which TTT gets its title). While it is a simple change, it has a big effect on the way the game is approached. You now choose two characters for each fight, and you can switch between them at any time during the match. There are also a number of tag combo attacks available, including many special combos that only occur when certain characters are paired together.



As with most of today's fighting games, Tekken Tag Tournament's single player modes aren't really too useful for anything other than practicing moves and opening up the game's secrets. But where the game shines is its multiplayer modes that include standard arcade, versus, team and one-on-one versus modes. While some may claim that Tekken is nothing more than a button masher, and it is in many ways, it would be wrong to dismiss it as nothing more than that. In the hands of a skilled player, the game is a thing of beauty. However, it is entirely true that in the hands of average gamer, most battles will turn into nothing but mindless button mashing and mindless fun.



Being the all around great game it is, Tag Tournament has great sound, as is customary for Namco. Where the audio really shines is with the game's wonderful sound effects that help add a bit to the overall appeal of the game. There are different sound effects for when characters step or fall on different surface types and the sounds associated with punches and kicks help bring the player into the fight more than what you get in most other fighting games.



Though I may be a little biased, as I am a huge fan of Namco I'd say this game is tied with Soul Calibur (DC, also by Namco) for the best all around fighting game of all time. When your friends see you with this game, you wont be able to beat them off with a kendo stick. I highly recommend it (the game, not beating your friends).

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