The Retro Bit: Tekken 2 (PSX)

In an age of new generation consoles, interactive motion control sensors and mind-blowing high definition graphics, it’s all too easy to become engrossed in the modern gaming era and forget its beautiful roots. Though the power of the PS3 and the elegance of the Xbox provide platforms of detail and character never before seen in computer gaming, it doesn’t hurt to gaze back through nostalgia tinted specs at the games that once dominated the gaming world. I can’t help but feel the upcoming generation will be playing these new generation games, with little thought for the gaming history preceding it, probably in the same way our predecessors felt we missed out on the Atari. However Atari to me is merely the first attempt, whereas we grew up in the golden age of gaming, epitomised by Namco’s 1996 fighting arcade game Tekken 2.

Admittedly Tekken itself was a good game, displaying the Tekken-esque characteristics that we now know and love. Hit the necessary buttons and unleash hell. Tekken 2 however is different on a whole new level. Before Tekken 2, gamers battled away with little care for the characters themselves, intent only on beating their friend in various stages purely for bragging rights. Yet Tekken 2 brought in the emotion, the passion, the elegance of character familiarisation and the desire to be ‘King of the Iron Fist Tournament’. Now we had individuals with different stories, different lives and different experiences, summed up in possibly the most brilliant gaming introduction of note. An enchanting soundtrack fits perfectly with a montage of the characters, from the glowing sunset cascading through the gym windows of the awesome ‘Law’ to the mean futuristic streets inhabited by ‘Jack2’. As a kid growing up this game was the most addictive thing since the dib-dab, a masterful working of the action genre that made the Playstation world for me, come to life.

The game itself is predominantly arcade based, and so has its flaws. The simple one-on-one game play is unchanged from that of the first Tekken, leading to often repetitive outcomes, particularly if a player had picked either the ‘Devil’ or ‘Angel’. These characters were great for the look and offered something different that an old pro like ‘King’ couldn’t offer, however their special moves involving lasers, were sadly too good for the game. Once downed by these random specials it soon became impossible to stand up, especially if one was unfortunate enough to be the lumbering master ‘Heihatchi Mishima’. The devil and Angel were great additions; however with friends they were best avoided.

The real gems came from the likes of ‘Paul’, ‘King’, ‘Yoshimitsu’ and ‘Law’, characters with the kind of moves Bruce Lee could only dream of. Admittedly the majority of players succumbed to the temptation of the age old sin known as ‘button bashing’ yet if a player took the time to read the move set, there could be serious pain unleashed. After a few accidental punches and a random jump over the top of an opponent, move sets were in general easy to get the hang of. Well, as long as it involved nothing more than 3 buttons in its combination, and sadly it became apparent to most players, that ‘button bashing’ more often than not, will win you the match.

The main mode offered is the challenge option, where by completing a number of stages a player could defeat the boss, (Devil) and unlock a new character. This often lead to dismay, as unlocking characters such as a giant lizard ‘Alex’ and ‘Bruce Irvin’ offered no sense of reward, only annoyance that these characters even dared to think themselves on the same level as the Tekken originals. Nonetheless, bashing a lizard or a panda in the face added to the fun, and as a kid I didn’t want to waste my time doing anything else.

Though Tekken 2’s graphics look dismal compared to the high definition detail of today’s consoles, for its time the backdrops were really something special. The beautifully illustrated scenes of the different stages added an artistically entrancing feel to the game and did much to add to the emotion that made Tekken 2 stand out. Of course the fights were often too intense to notice the backdrop, although the scenic surroundings gave some light relief when your character found themselves spaced out on the floor after being blindsided by the Devil.

After spending hour upon hour fighting away on Tekken 2, I look back with no regrets. Admittedly the game had the potential to be repetitive, (the one-on-one combat style was only to be altered in later Tekkens) it never for a moment became monotonous. The outcomes of the fights were never certain, even if the life bar was almost undetectable. Tekken 2 even includes a team battle mode, allowing a particularly gallant character to battle through as many opponents as possible with a single life bar, only to be hilariously chopped down by a poke. The game itself was terrific in its day, voted best Arcade game of 1995 and also featured in the top 100 games of all time in 2001. The emotion, raw passion and non-stop action offered exhilarating game play until the very end, when I tearfully (and regrettably) traded it in for Tekken 3. Though Namco have released various new editions of Tekken over the years, each one apparently more brilliant than the last, I still can’t help but revert back to the Tekken 2 as the shining light of the Tekken series. Tekken 2 possessed almost everything you could ask for in a game, it’s just a shame that ‘Paul’ can’t do us all one final favour, and punch the likes of ‘SoulCalibur’ off the face of the earth.