5 Games in 2005 #4: Tekken 5

Tuesday, February 7, 2006 » gaming list thought

I have this theory that fighting games are the epitome of competetive gaming. Sure, they have televised StarCraft matches in Korea and Counter-Strike tournaments in every dorm in America, but games like Street Fighter II take the layers of strategy required by the former and crank them up to require the latter's breakneck decision-making and button-clicking. It's an exhilarating combination, if you can keep up.

With that in mind, Tekken 5 offers some of the deepest and most complex strategic options of any fighting game I've played, and also requires lightning-fast execution. It's extremely technical and has a steep learning curve, but it's ultimately very rewarding and satisfying when you get to a point where matches turn into you and your opponent both guessing each other's next moves and trying to psyche each other out.

Beyond just the gameplay, Tekken 5 is a pretty substantial offering. You've got something like 20 characters who each (for the most part) have their own fighting style, many based on real martial arts. You want to see an old-school karate fighter go against a muay thai kickboxer? Done. How about Jackie Chan vs. Bruce Lee? Heck, how about Jackie Chan vs. a giant panda? Then there's a load of accessories so you can customize your characters (if you're into that (like me)), and Namco was feeling so generous as to include the first three Tekken arcade games, which are playable right from the start. Yes, there are actually four complete Tekken games on this one disc. There's even a stupid 3D brawler/platformer if you decide you don't like fighting games at all.

You're probably just frustrated with the learning curve, though. Don't worry, the sooner you get over it, the sooner you can crush all your friends with your amazing Wesley Snipes kung fu!