Tekken Advance

"A solid portable fighter, just what I expected from the Tekken series."

One of the most recognizable words in video gaming today is Tekken- the word that makes a fighting game instantly popular and usually a stunning success. Some people doubt the system that Namco has implemented in this series of games, but it can be easily said that no game in this series is a disappointment.

I am an avid player of Tekken 3 and Tag at home, Tekken 4 in the arcades, and now, Tekken Advance on the road. With only 10 characters to choose from (NO EDDY, YES!), Tekken Advance does not disappoint at all, sporting the usual things that all Tekken games sport- solid AI, smooth graphics, tons of special moves and combos for each character, and a plethora of modes.

Let's talk about the modes- Arcade, Vs, Time Attack, Survival, Team Battle, Tag Battle, Practice. What a wide variety! Due to some of these, you can tack on another month or 2 of solid replay from your game. I don't know about you, but trying to beat my high scores on Time Attack and Survival was always a kick.

The graphics that this game sports are solid. Each character has their distinct body differences, and the frame rate on a portable system like this one is just uncanny. While not toppling Mario Kart in the frame rate department, Tekken flows nicely and the response is gratifying. Background music is also a plus, although most of the themes are rehashed versions of other previous Tekken themes. You might hear a little Deja Vu with this game.

Tekken Advance does not sport any story, nor does it sport any FMV's that tell a little event after you complete Arcade Mode. Heihachi serves as the boss of 9 stages of Arcade-style fighting, no Ogre this time around. Heihachi eventually becomes a playable character, when you beat Arcade Mode with the other 9 characters. This doesn't take long if you have a lot of free time, but if you can't use one of the characters too well, then you're SOL. The 9 standard characters are Xaioyu, Yoshimitsu, Nina, Law, King, Paul, Hwoarang, Jin, and Gun Jack.

Now it's time for the age-old question- borrow or buy? This game is definitely a buy, if you like fighters. Even if you don't, borrow it sometime and you might start to like fighters- Tekken does that to people, trust me. Tekken games have solid replay value, and you will not be disappointed if you buy this game.

9/10

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/20/02, Updated 05/20/02