Tekken Tag Tournament

STORY: In terms of plot, Tekken Tag Tournament does not have a storyline and was developed as a "dream match" with characters from all previous installments of Tekken.
 

  
REVIEW:  Tekken Tag Tournament reunited every character in the series to date, making for an extravagant roster of 39 fighters. Most importantly, this installment introduced intense 2-VS-2 tag team battles and featured the fastest gameplay of the series to date. With Tekken 3's gameplay engine as the foundation, Tekken Tag presented a finely tuned and more balanced 3D fighting game than its popular predecessor. Overall, TTT's gameplay is more combo friendly over Tekken 3's and also enabled tons of flashy tag-team combos & special throws. The sidestep mechanic was also improved upon, allowing players to skillfully dodge their opponent's attacks left or right in 3D - like any proper "3D fighting game" should.

 

 

Many animations were tweaked from Tekken 3 to Tekken Tag, offering a smoother visual (and gameplay) experience for players of all levels. On that note, Tekken Tag's gameplay is intuitive enough for beginner players to enjoy, but only lives up to it's true potential when two skilled players are in the ring. Returning fighters were updated generously with a handful of new moves, throws, and combo possibilities. Over-powered moves & characters from Tekken 3 were rightfully toned down as well. Rage Mode was also introduced in Tekken Tag, allowing teammates on the sidelines to become more powerful for a period of time after being tagged in. Since you lose a round even if one of your characters are KO'd, Tekken Tag offered incredibly strategic, unique and exciting battles that hardcore players enjoyed for years on end.

 

 

The arcade version of Tekken Tag didn't look much different from Tekken 3 and somewhat failed to impress visually. However, the graphics for the Playstation 2 version were completely re-done and were truly "next-gen" at the time. The texture quality, lighting effects, and character models were simply amazing for a console fighting game in the year 2000.


With a shiny new paint job, Tekken Tag Tournament was definitely one of the star launch titles for the PS2. Also remixed for the home version was the soundtrack, which flows eloquently with the frantic pace of the game. The presentation wasn't quite as extravagant as what we saw in the console version of Tekken 3, but as usual, the gameplay is the real star of the show.

 

 

Tekken has changed quite a lot from the early days. Now with more authentic fighters and martial arts styles, a connoisseur of martial arts will surely appreciate the authentic and well-executed martial arts techniques featured in this game. The fighters of Tekken are no doubt the most authentic martial artists of any fighting game to date. Aside from the authenticity and fluidity of the animation, the characters of Tekken are still among the hardest-hitting around... so many moves in this game never fail to make you cringe your teeth with joy.  


What Tekken does right cosmetically, it also does technically... and it's easily one of the most responsive fighting games to date. Tekken's control system was originally designed to feel natural and it has only gotten better with age. After a player inputs a command on their controller, the technique is executed in the next frame. In "one frame" after the input on your controller, you see the results displayed on screen. This fact alone gives Tekken Tag an ultra-responsive feel, and puts many other 3D fighting games to shame. After the amazing Tekken 3, Tekken Tag Tournament gave many hardcore fighting game players a place to call "home". 
 

Page Updated: February 21st, 2024 Developer(s): Namco Publisher(s): Namco Designer(s): Masahiro Kimoto        Director Katsuhiro Harada        Director Yuichi Yonemori           Director Yasuhiro Noguchi        Producer Platform(s): Arcade, PS2, PS3 Release Date(s): Summer 1999                Arcade Mar. 30th, 2000             PS2 Oct. 25th, 2000              PS2 Nov. 24th, 2000             PS2 Nov. 22nd, 2011            PS3 - in Tekken Hybrid Nov. 25th, 2011             PS3 - in Tekken Hybrid Dec. 1st, 2011                PS3 - in Tekken Hybrid Characters:  Jin Kazama, Kazuya Mishima, Heihachi Mishima, Marshall Law, Hwoarang, Eddy Gordo, Jack-2, Lei Wulong, Jun Kazama, Ling Xiaoyu, King, Nina Williams, Michelle Chang, Julia Chang, Gun Jack, Bryan Fury, Paul Phoenix, Yoshimitsu, Lee Chaolan, Armor King, Wang Jinrey, Anna Williams, Kuma, Panda, Bruce Irvin, Baek Doo San, Kunimitsu, P. Jack, Ganryu, Devil, Angel, Roger, Alex, Tiger, Ogre, True Ogre, Unknown, Mokujin, Tetsujin Featured Video: Related Games: TEKKEN Tag Tournament 2, TEKKEN 3, TEKKEN Advance, TEKKEN, TEKKEN 2, TEKKEN 4, TEKKEN 5, TEKKEN 5: Dark Resurrection, TEKKEN 5: Dark Resurrection Online, TEKKEN: Dark Resurrection, TEKKEN 6, TEKKEN 6: Bloodline Rebellion, TEKKEN 7, TEKKEN 7: Fated Retribution, TEKKEN 8, TEKKEN Hybrid, TEKKEN 3D: Prime Edition, TEKKEN Revolution    Gameplay Engine  10 / 10 Story / Theme  9.0 / 10 Overall Graphics  9.5 / 10 Animation  9.0 / 10 Music / Sound Effects  10 / 10 Innovation  9.5 / 10 Art Direction  8.0 / 10 Customization  8.5 / 10 Options / Extras  9.0 / 10 Intro / Presentation  9.5 / 10 Replayability / Fun  10 / 10 "Ouch" Factor  9.5 / 10 Characters  9.0 / 10 BOTTOM LINE  9.5 / 10  Review based on PS2 version        Final Words: Tekken Tag Tournament was an extremely popular and successful fighting game both in arcades and on PlayStation 2 due to it's stellar, skill-demanding gameplay. The tag-team element worked exceptionally well with Tekken's tried-and-true 3D engine and presented a very unique and satisfying experience for hardcore and casual players alike. I must've put many 100's of hours into TTT1 with my best friends back in the day! This game was so addicting (and the soundtrack was great too). The variety of teams add a ton of replay value and allow for practically endless combo possibilities. If the frantic gameplay wasn't enough for you, the ultra-polished PS2 version was packed with improved graphics and a variety of modes, including: 4-player Pair Play Mode and Tekken Bowl! While TTT lacked an actual story and the FMV endings of past console versions, the real-time character endings are halfway entertaining at least... even if they have zero dialogue. Tekken Tag was (and still is) a very fun game for serious and casual players alike, but the solid gameplay and brutal high-damage combos (some very cheap) really separated the noobs from the pros. In any case, button mashers and beginners have very little chance of winning against a seasoned player. Hence, Tekken Tag 1 was a very rewarding fighting game in its heyday and definitely worth putting time into. While TTT's gameplay was revolutionary for its time, the game was succeeded by stellar sequels that added far more gameplay depth, vibrant new animations, and exciting new characters. 12 years after the release of TTT1, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 was released (and made this game seem incredibly simple).  No really, TTT2 is a much more insane, much faster, and much deeper game. That doesn't take anything away from TTT1's aesthetic, sick music, and impact at the time of its PS2 debut. ~TFG Webmaster | @Fighters_Gen         Click Here for all Posters / Box Artwork! Click Here for all Screenshots! FOLLOW    ON:                             TFG NEWS CHARACTERS GAMES