TEKKEN 4 PS2 (RESTART)

The costumes have been ordered, and all the invitations have been sent out - Heihachi is hosting a new Iron Fist Tournament! This seemingly immortal villain, who should be retired by now, has hatched a truly bizarre plan to collect the DNA of his son, Kazuya, and use it to fuse his own DNA with that of his nemesis, Ogre. Unfortunately for our ancient hero, getting this close to Kazuya is no easy feat, thanks to an argument that culminated with the father throwing his son into a volcano in the original Tekken. The only solution is to host another tournament, knowing that Kazuya won't be able to resist the opportunity to humiliate his father in public.

And so, once again we find ourselves faced with a host of familiar faces (and a few newcomers) engaged in visually spectacular hand-to-hand combat, set in truly beautiful locations. The gameplay will be familiar to veterans of Tekken , but clever changes have been made to the gameplay mechanics that make the fights feel more fluid. Add in the new Tekken Force side-scrolling mode, arenas that let you use the stage to your advantage, and a splash of next-gen graphical wizardry, and you have the makings of a fighting game classic. Round 4.... FIGHT!

The experts of Tekken will be pleased to learn that 3 new characters have been introduced to the Iron Fist arena. There's Craig Marduk, a mysterious Vale Tudo fighter, Christie Monteiro, a Capoeria expert, and Steve Fox, an English boxer. Together they're a force to be reckoned with, joining familiar names like Yoshimitsu, Jin Kazama, Paul Phoenix, and Nina Williams (among others) for an impressive roster of 19 playable fighters.

Fighting is still done using the four basic buttons, each corresponding to a limb of the fighter in use. However, significant changes have been made to the way certain characters respond to commands, meaning even seasoned players will have to start over and learn many skills. The game now also places an emphasis on indoor areas, with some levels set in arenas surrounded by walls. New dodging and maneuvering moves have been added to help you maneuver better in close quarters, which, if used correctly, can have devastating effects in battle.

Another welcome addition is the Tekken Force mode, an enhanced version of the side-scrolling mode seen in Tekken 3... Choose your character and enter the arena full of enemies, to then get to the battle with one of the main characters. Although not very spectacular to look at, this mode is a lot of fun and is a great training ground for honing your fighting skills. Something that can also be achieved by trying your hand at the training mode, which can be adapted to a myriad of different styles to suit your needs. The other game modes are - Story, Arcade/Time Attack, Team Battle, Survival, Practice and Theatre, which allows you to view movies related to all the characters.

Tekken 4 is quite remarkable. With new characters, revamped graphics, new game modes, and gameplay that has been meticulously improved over the past seven years, the result is a well-rounded product that is both superb to look at and a blast to play. The new, claustrophobic approach to arena construction adds a new strategic dimension to the gameplay, but there are plenty of large, open-air arenas if the new style isn't your thing. No matter how much you enjoy fighting, there's a fighter to suit you, and through the practice and training modes, there's always an opportunity to master the myriad of special moves they feature. All in all, it's the perfect evolution of Tekken - at least until the release of Tekken 5 .

Characteristics:

• 19 selectable characters, including old favorites and new faces.
• Fight multiple enemies at once in the side-scrolling Tekken Force mode.
• Stunning new scenarios add a new tactical dimension to combat.