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.

Lee Abrahams over at Xbox 360 Achievements wrote up a great Tekken Tag Tournament 2 preview from Gamescom 2012. In this article Abrahams recaps a presentation given by Tekken director Katsuhiro Harada at the event and provides details on such topics as the Tekken Tunes feature, World Tekken Federation, Fight Lab and more.

Below is a bit from the article.


Each time you clear certain stages in the Fight Lab you will be assigned a ranking, which in turn will unlock new moves to purchase and also mean that you have a bevy of points to spend on said moves. The idea being that players can constantly challenge themselves and always have a new goal, or series of unlocks, to strive for. “So it’s not like you can just play through once and be done with it,” Harada states, “As there is a lot on offer here so you can continue to play through this mode to unlock all of the content.” It’s clear that the focus is on creating an array of modes and content to keep hardcore players happy while also appealing to relative newcomers.

He also mentioned the new Tekken Tunes feature which lets players chop and change the in-game music as they see fit, or even introduce their own music to play over the menus, stages and so on. He immediately brandished a Red Hot Chili Peppers CD with a grin and popped it into the console to import 'Give it Away' over the action. It’s a neat feature and an example of the level of interaction Harada hopes players will come to enjoy. “You can also put your own music and soundtracks in there,” Harada continues, with a glint in his eye, “Or as a parent, you can leave messages to your kids to tell them to stop playing games and do their homework instead. So that when they clear the final stage they get yelled at for playing the game.” A novel approach to selling your game to be sure, but it shows the sense of humour on offer and that Harada is prepared to embrace a variety of ideas to make the game as unique as possible.

Well, this is an interesting turn of events. Over on the Shoryuken forums, a well established community site for fighting games, it was revealed that Street Fighter X Tekken would not be making an appearance at the Evolution fighting game tournament in 2013.

Evolution, otherwise known as EVO, is quite possibly the largest fighting game tournament in the world, spanning many games over the course of three days in Las Vegas. A user by the name of “Mr. Wizard”, who is one of the organizers for EVO, announced with very little fanfare in a forum post that the game wouldn’t be making a return appearance, saying only that “SFxT will not be back in 2013.”

No explanation has been provided, only the message that Street Fighter X Tekken will not be back. Mr. Wizard has been very vocal on his negative thoughts pertaining to the game, and considering he has yet to make any other posts since the one in question, many people are waiting on an explanation or more information.

We have reached out to the people behind the Evolution tournament series for an explanation and more formal confirmation of this information, and this story will be updated as we learn more about the situation.

Fans of the King Of Iron Fist Tournament are looking forward to next month, when the long-awaited console release of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 makes its way to the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3!  

The game was originally released in arcades last September 2011, and it’s been a year-long wait for the second installment of this tag team series —and now it’s finally upon us, with more material and updates to please long-time followers. 
 
Based on the engine of the updated arcade port Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Unlimited, the console version of TTT2 will be packed with more extras and additional characters. Among the extras included are new stages and items for customization, as well as returning characters from the Tekkenverse not seen for a while, such as Tiger Jackson, Kunimitsu, Ogre, and Angel. A new Practice Mode called “Fighting Lab” will also be added to satiate the hunger of those looking to test their might and combo skills. 
 
To give players a taste of things to come, Namco Bandai has released the official cinematic intro to Tekken Tag Tournament 2 online: 
 
LINK TO VIDEO

The opening CG sequence shows a regular cab driver listening in to the announcement of the new King Of Iron Fist tag team tournament, while a silent and powerful Jinpachi Mishima broods behind in the passenger’s seat. Later, the action shifts into the tournament arena, where fighters old and new converge to take part in the greatest battle of them all. The ninjitsu tag team duo of Raven and Kunimitsu enter the ring, while sibling rivals Anna and Nina Williams reluctantly join forces to face them. 
 
In the midst of the battle, True Ogre suddenly appears, and to combat the menacing threat is none other than Angel. The opening mixes up the excellent electronic intro music with fantastic visual highlights, setting the stage for the big tag battle to come!
 
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 smashes its way into Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles this September 11. — TJD, GMA News

This article is about 3 days old, I know, it's old. I missed this article, so I might as well post it on a slow news day like today.

THE designer of Tekken, one of the world's most popular video game blockbusters, says that console makers can no longer control the way people game


Harada San, game director and chief producer of fighting game franchise, Tekken, told news.com.au that Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo should use their powers for good instead of evil, by joining forces.

“For a long time, the game industry has been able to control the way people play games,” Mr San said, speaking through a translator.

“There was a platform that people used solely for their gaming needs, and the industry had control of the trends and such that occurred.”

However the video game designer said that with the development of mobile hone and internet gaming, games are now just a part of the basic package.

“People are able to not be tied down by consoles,” he said. “And it doesn’t stop with phones, we have browser gaming and all these different platforms.”

Mr San said Sony put itself ahead of the curve compared to its competitors by doing away with region locking on the PS3, making it easier for fans to access foreign games.
But the video game designer said that the opportunities for innovation would be endless if the three competitors joined forces.

“I think it would be interesting if Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo got together just to make one console,” he said. “It makes me very happy to think about all the possibilities that could occur because of that.”

So what about the new instalment of Tekken, Tekken Tag Tournament 2? Mr San said he tried to make it the most comprehensive incarnation of the game to date.

Mr San said he was influenced by many things, including his own martial arts training as well as Hollywood and Hong Kong action cinema, but that his most important inspiration comes from the feedback he receives from his fans.

“The game changes quite a bit depending on what everyone’s saying about the game.”

“Obviously when we made the first Tekken we didn’t have much to go on, but then throughout the series, we continually got different feedback from the fans,” says Mr San, “I analyse that and from there decide on the direction to take the game.”

Tekken is one of the oldest and longest running franchises in video game history. The fighting game series has legions of fans worldwide and its instalments are regularly used for competitive e-sports

The latest game in the series, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, was released in Japanese arcades in late 2011, and is set to land on consoles worldwide later this year. 

Darkstalkers should be huge in 2012. It’s the fighting game equivalent of the modern romance novel. There are sexy vampires, sexy succubi (succubuses?), tortured immortals, topless werewolves with abs, rock and roll zombies, and an Uzi-toting Little Red Riding Hood. The cast list alone would make a Hollywood executive salivate. It’s also a spectacular fighting game series. The third entry in the series, Vampire Savior, was the perfect balance between Street Fighter Alpha’s accessible strategy and Marvel vs. Capcom’s hyperactive insanity. That game came out 14 years ago though, and the series has been dormant since. What’s the hold up Capcom? Don’t you want some of that sweet Anita Blake/Twilight/Walking Dead money?

Maybe Capcom does know about the untapped gold mine of Darkstalkers. Yoshinori Ono, the face of Capcom’s reborn fighting game empire, has said in the years since Street Fighter IV’s release that his great hope is to make Darkstalkers 4. Convincing Capcom that there’s demand for a game about sexy vampires punching rock and roll zombies has been tricky though. At the 2011 San Diego Comic Con, Ono told fans at a Street Fighter panel to hold up $5 and $10 bills so he could photograph them and show Capcom execs that the fans are ready to buy the game.

This year? Ono told SDCC attendees that they don’t need to hold up money to show support for Darkstalkers 4. “This year, you don’t have to do that, and it’s not necessarily bad news!” The playful producer then said he couldn’t give details lest he get in trouble.

This is the second piece of promising news this year that Darkstalkers 4 is indeed in production. Venture Beat reported on Mar. 3 that the sequel is being made. Some were expecting the game to debut at either Capcom’s annual spring event Captivate or at E3 2012, but the game never materialized.

There were mitigating factors that may have delayed a 2012 debut for Darkstalkers 4 though. The first was Street Fighter X Tekken’s disappointing sales on the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, as well as the mass fan outcry over the inclusion of paid DLC content on the game disk. The second was Yoshinori Ono’s falling ill at the end of March. The producer collapsed while promoting Street Fighter X Tekken and needed to be hospitalized, putting the future of Capcom’s fighting game business in question. Ono’s back in the saddle though and Capcom’s said in multiple statements that it has reconsidered its DLC policies. Brings on the topless werewolves!



Read more: http://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/capcoms-ono-teased-darkstalkers-4-at-sdcc-2012/#ixzz20bhbdQCy

Who's excited about Capcom's  biggest showing ever? Who wouldn't be?! It is going to be so epic, Street Fighter X Tekken for PS Vita, Tekken Tag Tournament 2,Resident Evil 6 and others. Wow, Capcom has and will be releasing a wave of titles this year. The most awaited, in my opinion, is Tekken Tag Tournament 2. 
I just love the concept of Tekken Tag Tournament 2: no storyline. 

What's the most awaited game in your opinion? Comment below.