Namco’s Tekken series is making the leap to the Wii U. The fighting game favourite is one of the first big games slotted for the console. But does it pack enough punch on the Wii U?

To cater to Wii U players, Nintendo and Namco have tailed the Wii U edition with loads of platform specific goodies, such as clothing and Nintendo music.

New to the Tekken series and only on the Wii U is the “Mushroom Battle” mode, in which players can gobble up various mushrooms as power-ups: the Red Mushroom makes you grow one size larger, the Yellow Mushroom makes you grow to “mega size”, and the Purple Mushroom shrinks you.

The Mushroom Battle opens up new gameplay dynamics. According to Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada, the mode isn’t balanced any differently if you don’t use the mushrooms; however, if you do use them, it opens up a new style of play.

The Mushroom Battle mode is a new spin on Tekken. When you grow larger, it makes high kicks often meaningless against smaller players. It looks, and perhaps sounds, gimmicky. It’s not, as it was surprisingly enjoyable to play, mixing up elements of strategy, technique, and just dumb luck.

In a roundtable discussion, Harada said that the mode wasn’t originally inspired by Nintendo. While developing Tekken Tag 2, developers were messing around with a slider, making some characters smaller and other characters huge. They thought it was interesting, but it wasn’t until they started working on the Wii U version that the idea hit to use the mechanic with Mario’s iconic mushrooms.

Whether or not there’s an online version of the Mushroom Battle is still TBA. Harada stressed that the game’s online would be comparable to the Xbox 360 and PS3 regarding lag or the lack thereof.

While demoing Tekken Tag Tournament 2 for the Wii U, Harada used the Wii U GamePad, saying that he found it comfortable. During my hands on, I used both the Wii U GamePad and the Pro Controller, preferring the Wii U GamePad — even though, the thing is very, very wide. There are shortcuts for attacks on the Wii U GamePad, and use them in succession to unleash combos. These shortcuts are aimed at players new to Tekken.

During my hands on, the Pro Controller didn’t feel very responsive; it’s too light; what’s more, the buttons are mushy. The controls didn’t feel tight, and that felt more like a hardware issue. Harada, however, said they are in talks to bring a fight stick out for the game, which should please hardcore fighting game fans. Namco’s hoping that the Tekken Tag 2 on the Wii U will, too.
 
The Tokyo Game Show has been going on the last few days and news has been slowly coming out about some of the upcoming games on the Nintendo Wii U, and one announced today was "Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition".

Originally "Tekken Tag Tournament 2" launched for both the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 a few days ago, but now Nintendo Wii U buyers have something to look forward to when the console launches in November.

Of course, 'Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition" will take advantage of the Wii U Gamepad, allowing for touchscreen controls. The Gamepad will let players map out custom shortcuts to whatever abilities they want, allowing those buttons be used to perform fighters combos.

Along with the custom Gamepad controls, the Nintendo version of the game will have a "Mushroom Battle" mode. The mode will take power ups from many classic Nintendo games and throw them into the battlefield. Posion Mushrooms, Starmen, and Mushrooms will be available for players to use, and as you can imagine, they do to the fighters what they did for the original characters that used them.

Grab a mushroom from "Super Mario Bros." and your fighter will grow in size, increasing his attack ability. Starmen will make you invincible for a few second, posion mushrooms will hurt your opponents, you get the idea. When asked if there was a balance concern when putting these power ups into the game, series producer Katsuhiro Harada said the power ups that change the game are what makes the mode entertaining.

We know the "Mushroom Battle" mode will be available locally for multiplayer, but there's no word on if it will be included with online functionality.

"Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition" will launch in November when the Nintendo Wii U launches.

 
(PRWEB UK) 18 September 2012
Its a dog-eat-dog world, but Bio-Synergy and Tekken are offering anyone the chance to toughen up their bite.
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Whats more, Bio-Synergy and Tekken will give one lucky winner the royal treatment for their gaming experience so theyll develop the hand and eye skills of a Master Warrior. One winner will take home a 46 LED flatscreen TV, a PS3 Slim Console with 160GB HDD, 2 sumptuous gaming chairs, and a mini-fridge. With such a decked-out temple of training, developing the elite moves of a master warrior will be a cinch.
Aspiring kung-fu masters need only head to the Bio-Synergy Facebook Page to enter the competition and begin the first step of their journey to bringing their mind and body to elite levels of performance. Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will be released on Sept. 14th on both PS3 and Xbox360 and follows up the popular original release of the title in 1999.
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Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition will be available on 30th November in the UK, developer Namco has confirmed. That's Wii U release day.

Three other Namco games will also make Nintendo's big launch, including Japanese blaster Tank! Tank! Tank! and cartoon tie-in Ben 10: Omniverse.

Then there's colon-challenged mini-game compilation Family Party: 30 Great Games: Obstacle Arcade.

The four supplement the seven retail titles Nintendo previously announced for the Wii U launch: Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, FIFA 13, Mass Effect 3: Special Edition, New Super Mario Bros. U, Nintendo Land, Rayman Legends and ZombiU.

Downloadable titles Trine 2: Director's Cut, Toki Tori 2 and Nano Assault Neo will also be available.

Namco recently revealed that you'll be able to dress as Mario and Zelda in Tekken Tag Tournament for Wii U.
 
The Tekken franchise has now accumulated over 40 million unit sales since its inception in 1994, Namco Bandai has revealed.

The milestone comes in light of the release of the latest entry in the beat-‘em-up franchise, Tekken Tournament 2, which hit U.S. stores Tuesday and arrives in European territories today.

The game boasts the most extensive line-up in the series’ history, offering over 50 fighters for the home console release. In addition to the return of the Tag component, Tekken Tag 2 also features the online service World Tekken Federation, as well as a completely rejigged online multiplayer experience. 

If that wasn’t enough, hip-hop star Snoop Dogg also shows up in the game via his own stage, and has also composed an original song for the game’s soundtrack, titled Knocc ‘em down. 

Tekken series producer, Katsuhiro Harada, commented: We are very excited for our fans in the western market to play TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2 and experience first-hand all of the improvements we made to the series, many of which were a result of their feedback to previous TEKKEN instalments.”

“The development team has gone to great lengths to ensure our fans have a completely new experience with TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2 by adding innovative new features like pair play, a vastly improved online experience, and the largest fighter roster ever. We hope that our fans enjoy the game as much as we have and are looking forward to watching the best fighters from around the world compete in the ultimate battle.”

Stay tuned to PSU.com for our full review of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 this weekend.
 
Players who pick up Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition will be able to dress up their characters as both Mario and Luigi, according to Eurogamer. In addition to these beloved heroes, fight game enthusiasts will be able to stuff their brawler into Bowser, Link, and Zelda costumes. Since these industry icons are exclusive to Nintendo’s consoles, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 owners probably shouldn’t hold their breaths.


CVG reports that the latest installment in the Tekken franchise will also feature Nintendo-oriented power-ups — keep an eye out for Mario’s magic mushrooms during showdowns — which are exclusive to this particular version of the game.

Although the idea of seeing your favorite Tekken characters dressed up as Mario and Luigi may sound appealing, early reviews of the mode haven’t been overwhelmingly positive. Shack News writer Andrew Yoon described his experience with the exclusive mode as follows:

“Perhaps my biggest gripe with Mushroom Battle Mode is that the fights are much too short. Given how absurdly powerful some of these characters can become, fights can be over as soon as they start. Also, there’s no tagging in this mode, meaning fights are (essentially) half as long as they could be.”

Of course, the Wii U isn’t the only console with exclusive content. According to Gamenguide, those who pre-ordered Tekken Tag Tournament 2 were given access to “The Snoop Dogg Stage” and “The Big Bikini Bundle”. As of this writing, these additions haven’t been announced for the Wii U. Then again, console owners are getting Mario and Luigi costumes, so, chances are, they’re not crying too much over missing out on Snoop Dogg’s arena.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Wii U Edition is scheduled to arrive for the console sometime after November 18. Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 owners, meanwhile, can pick up their copies of the fighter right now. The trailer for the title has been embedded below.
 
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is filled with more. More characters. More in-match participants. More button smashing.

More lunacy.

The sequel to 1999’s Tekken Tag Tournament is a noncanonical sidestep in the constant battle that is Namco Bandai’s bare-knuckle 3D fighting franchise. So this 55-combatant (not including downloadable entrants), storyline-cracking free-for-all is technically nothing but an illusive blip on an already convoluted Tekken timeline — and a figment of chief producer Katsuhiro Harada’s already insane imagination.

But after stuffing myself with repeated trips to this buffet of brawls, I’m left wondering if Namco’s more friendly approach is the best direction for the series.



WHAT YOU’LL LIKE



Become the ultimate Don Armor King

In TT2’s fantasy world, you can put on the dream fights you’ve always wanted to see. You have a ridiculously dense (and in some cases, just plain ridiculous) roster of ruffians to rumble with, either solo or in tag teams. The franchise’s warring Mishima and Kazama clans are at your disposal, along with pretty much every other mainstay from Tekkens No. 1 through 6.

Gameplay is as tight as Nina Williams’ outfit

Tekken’s responsive and fast-paced controls are in full effect here. Fights are as frantic and fun as you would expect. The core mechanics introduced in the last Tekken release are back with a tag-team focused twist. Destructible, multitiered environments return, as well, making combat especially dynamic and dangerous.

Fight Lab is a useful, albeit bizarre new addition

Series newcomers and veterans alike can benefit from the Fight Lab. The all-new mode is a glorified tutorial, complete with a wacky storyline featuring Violet, the millionaire philanderer alter ego of playable pugilist Lee Chaolan. As you progress through the Lab’s brief campaign, you’ll help Violet program his prototype Combot. Each chapter highlights a specific gameplay mechanic, culminating with a boss battle.

By the end of the experience, you’ll have worked on offensive and defensive basics while learning essential tag-team techniques. And you’ll probably have scratched your head a few times at the completely random narrative interludes. As a bonus, you’ll be able to program the Combot for customized training sessions.

Flying sumo wrestlers are surprisingly charming
The King of Iron Fist Tournament has always had its quirky undertones, and the latest edition is no exception. After all, you can pair a boxing-glove wearing velociraptor with a living, breathing block of wood. And the goofiness doesn’t stop there. The aforementioned Fight Lab mode includes challenges that involve avoiding scud-missile-like flying clones of sumo wrestler Ganryu and defeating a giant, loincloth-wearing version of kung-fu fighter Feng Wei.

You’ll even see a few silly and not-so-subtle tributes to a certain 2D fighting series that I’ll refrain from naming. All of these lighthearted touches are quintessentially Tekken, and I’m glad to see the developers having so much fun with their work.

And who doesn’t love getting to fight in Santa’s Village?



WHAT YOU WON’T LIKE



New challengers might have trouble getting ready for their next battle
TTT 2 is for the hardcore Tekken fan. I’m talking about a person who’s debated the superiority of Japanese-style arcade sticks and scoured message boards for animation frame data to gain an edge. If you don’t have an opinion on such matters, then you might never end up playing Tekken Tag 2 at a high level because it requires that much dedication to master.


In traditional Tekken releases, you fight in a straightforward, 1-on-1 matchup. For most players, that’s hard enough. TTT 2 throws in the tagging mechanic, which adds an additional layer of complexity to the proceedings. Each fighter has specific launcher moves and bound hits that help extend combos and initiate tag-team focused salvos, which means a whole new set of timing-based maneuvers to memorize.

While most fighting-game fans love this type of depth, it leads to a somewhat steep learning curve for less experienced contenders.


You’ve probably played through most of this before
The sheer number of online and offline fighting modes — along with the brand new World Tekken Federation community-centered website — might seem intimidating at first, but after some hands-on experience, most of the options prove to be pedestrian and somewhat shallow endeavors. And many of them are familiar to fighting-game fanatics like the typical arcade and ghost battles, ranked and non-ranked online fights, time trials, and so forth.

Surprisingly enjoyable pursuits like the beat-em-up inspired Tekken Force are absent here, replaced with the less developed Fight Lab. And, unlike in previous years, you won’t find offbeat time killers like Tekken Bowling.


CONCLUSION

While Namco Bandai went out of its way to pack Tekken Tag Tournament 2 with an impressive number of characters and features, I came away from the game with a somewhat indifferent feeling. This is the Tekken I fell in love with, the Tekken that conditioned my thumbs as a teenager, and the Tekken that continues to put a smile on my face. But this is also the same Tekken I’ve played over and over again, even with the tag wrinkle taken into consideration.

I just feel the experience needs reinvention. And I’m not talking about more exclusive Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Lion) tracks and swimsuit costume packs.

Tekken doesn’t need more stuff. It needs more focus. Like the archetypical weathered warrior, the franchise needs to look within to find inspiration.

Score: 78/100 C
Good

 
We’ve just heard that the PlayStation 3 version of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (there’s some serious alliteration!) will require a 7.5GB install on your HDD. Get ready to clear some space if you like fighting games, as Tekken aims to own a good chunk of it! But it’s got a Panda in weird handcuffs? That makes it worth checking out.
 
It's been 10 years since the original Tekken Tag Tournament first saw the light of day, but the game has retained a cult following amongst fighting game fans. Namco Bandai now had a follow-up ready, with Tekken Tag Tournament 2 bringing the tag mechanics of the first game to the current generation of consoles. They also have some new tricks to roll out, namely in the form of some new online features.

Tekken Tag Tournament was mostly known for throwing the Tekken storyline out the window and the sequel is no different. This allows for the game to use the full roster of Tekken fighters. Players can welcome back characters like Prototype Jack (Tekken 2), Michelle Chang (Tekken 3), and Alex (everyone's favorite dinosaur with boxing gloves from Tekken 2) to join series favorites Heihachi, Kazuya, and Jin. Overall, the roster will launch with over 50 fighters.


Tekken Tag Tournament 2
The tag mechanics in TTT2 work the same way as their predecessor. Players select two fighters or two friends can play co-op with each selecting one fighter. Rounds end when one character is defeated with games typically played in a best-of-five format. While tagging out can be done at any time, skilled players will be able to use tags to perform double-team maneuvers and combos. I went into this preview as a Tekken novice, so I wasn't sure I'd see everything I was looking to see. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your perspective), I was playing against former tournament fighter Rich "Filthy Rich" Bantegui (sitting in via teleconference), who was more than happy to take me through a tour of the hard-hitting combos TTT2 had to offer.

Bantegui's team of King and Armor King started things off against my pitiful duo of Kazuya and Yoshimitsu. Bantegui tossed me around with Tekken's normal array of throws, juggles, and breaks. The show really began when he showed off combos that included Armor King tossing me over into a King powerbomb and a double DDT from the Kings. I also found myself getting juggled repeatedly between the two partners, as Bantegui demonstrated the ways that Tekken fighters can use the tag system to complete multi-hit combos.

TTT2 will contain unprecedented online features. Online play itself utilizes the net code from Soul Calibur 5. The preview build I tried out was connected through a Verizon MiFi hotspot and still proved to be a lag-free experience. In terms of supplemental content, every single online match will be recorded with players able to watch replays of their matches at any time through the Tekken Channel. Replays will prove informative, as well as entertaining. These replays will display details of how much damage certain combos dealt out and when certain counters were used. Players can either choose to study these replays for future reference or save particularly entertaining ones to re-watch later.

So did I learn anything else from my crushing defeat at the hands of Filthy Rich? With the new World Tekken Federation service, I can say that I did. Almost immediately after my humiliating loss, I was taken on a tour of the website that would house the WTF. The stats from my previous battle were already uploaded in full detail. I could then study Filthy Rich's profile to see his favorite teams, his number of throws used versus throws broken, moves and counters used, and other details that would help me better prepare for a rematch. Data from both the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions will be saved to the WTF and players can view the stats from each console version at any time. Players can also customize their WTF profiles to include dual-layered team emblems that will show up in the game. The WTF will launch alongside TTT2 as a free service.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 looks to retain everything that made the original so much fun while also including new online components that promise to innovate for both casual and tournament play. The battle begins September 11 on Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
 
Games aren't standalone products, folks. They're services. From Call of Duty Elite to Resident Evil.net, publishers are looking to expand game connectivity by offering online stat-tracking services. Namco Bandai is ready to jump into the fray with the World Tekken Federation, the first stat tracking service created for a fighting game.

Set to launch alongside Tekken Tag Tournament 2 for both Xbox 360 and PS3, the World Tekken Federation service will allow players to follow their own progress online with stats detailing wins, losses, percentages, characters used, etc. WTF stats will update in real-time, offering players an opportunity to analyze what teams work best for them. The WTF will also allow players to scout out the stats of other players all around the world, which promises to have ramifications for players of all skill levels. Tekken tournaments will be a little more interesting now that participants can study their opponents' teams and strategies at any time.

The World Tekken Federation will be free when Tekken Tag Tournament 2 launches on September 11 for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.


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