Tekken Tag Tournament

Download Tekken Tag Tournament and unleash your inner fighter in this legendary 3D fighting game! Choose your tag team, master incredible combos, and prove your skills in the ultimate battle royale. The fight is on – play now!
a game by Namco Ltd.
Genre: Fighting Games
Platforms: Playstation 2, Arcade
Editor Rating: 8.2/10, based on 3 reviews, 4 reviews are shown
User Rating: 7.6/10 - 109 votes
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See also: Fighting Games, Tekken Games
Tekken Tag Tournament
Tekken Tag Tournament
Tekken Tag Tournament

Tekken is back (as if you ever really thought it was gone) and better than ever. Just released in Japan on March 30, roughly a month after the release of the PlayStation 2, Tekken Tag Tournament (along with Ridge Racer V) is arguably the most anticipated title in the PS2's first-generation salvo of software. Much like Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast, Tekken Tag Tournament was originally developed on Namco's PlayStation-based System-12 hardware. What this has enabled Namco to do is hone the gameplay on the technologically dated arcade hardware, then subsequently jack up the graphics "to eleven" on the PS2's infinitely more powerful hardware.

So what does that mean for Johnny Gamer? For starters, just about every character that's ever appeared in a Tekken game (a total of 38 if you include "body-doubles" like Kuma/Panda and Alex/Roger) is assembled here. Kazuya is back from the bottomless chasm that Heihachi dumped him in at the end of Tekken 2, but novelty manga-character Gon the dinosaur has been jack-booted to the great unknown. Doctor Boskonovitch is also on hiatus, presumably lying down on his back somewhere.

As the title indicates, this is Tekken, with the ability to tag a partner in and out of action at the press of a button. This makes for some interesting strategies and intriguing match-ups. Combine power and speed? A defensive expert with an offensive powerhouse? TTT offers a multitude of possibilities, but it's all up to you to decide. It's not a fight to the finish as in games like Marvel vs. Capcom; instead, the match is decided by the first player to knock out any one of his opponent's characters.

As you'd expect, the graphics in TTT take a huge leap over what the PlayStation is capable of. While the arcade setup had loads of RAM to store the four characters, the original PlayStation could never handle this much data. The PS2 obviously is a different matter. Higher polygon-count character models, 3D backgrounds (no 2D wrap-arounds like the PS version of T3) and hi-res, 60FPS graphics are all part of the basic package. In addition to the usual versus, survival and training modes, there is also a "secret" mode called Tekken Bowl, which lets you take to the lanes with your favorite Tekken characters. Expect this to be a launch title when the PS2 arrives in the U.S. this fall.

Download Tekken Tag Tournament

Playstation 2

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP
Arcade

System requirements:

  • PC compatible
  • Operating systems: Windows 10/Windows 8/Windows 7/2000/Vista/WinXP

Game Reviews

When the PlayStation 2 launched it was Tekken Tag Tournament that I was most excited to get. I love the Tekken series and feel that having tag team action was a great idea and one that Namco pulled off very well. It is a game that is very accessible to pretty much all players, but there is an extra layer of depth here for those that really want to master it.

The King of the Iron Fist!

One thing I have to say that Tekken has done very well is craft a lore. It has become much more in-depth with the more recent games and Tekken Tag Tournament is not really offering anything new to the Tekken lore. What we have here is a kind of “greatest hits” thing going on with the first three Tekken games. Each character has their own ending which is fun and makes you want to see what happens with each character.

Better Than Arcade Perfect

When people see the arcade version of Tekken Tag Tournament, they are often surprised at how much better the PlayStation 2 version of the game looks. This was one of the best-looking launch games for the console and while the newer Tekken games, even those on the PS2 blew this out of the water in terms of the visuals. I always feel that this game holds up pretty well in the visual department. Tekken also has a rocking and kick-ass soundtrack that fits the game perfectly. The game has many of the awesome tunes that you know and love from the original Tekken trilogy.

Four Buttons To Hit You With Dearie

It is the gameplay that has kept me coming back to the series time and time again. Tekken is a fighting game where you have four buttons, one for each limb. It is a game where you can button mash your way through it. Or you can take your time to learn special moves and devastating combos. The thing is, Tekken Tag Tournament is the kind of game that is fun no matter the way you play it. Each character feels unique and the roster in this game is stacked!

The tag mechanic is awesome and adds to the fun and also to the strategy as well. The tagging aspect of the game makes playing with a friend even more fun as well. I will say that the game is a bit lighter on game modes in comparison to Tekken 3 and 4, but I am actually willing to give it a slide for that.

It may not be the best Tekken game, but Tekken Tag Tournament is a game that I spent many hours with when I got it on Christmas of 2000. It is a game that is always a fun time and even more so when you have a friend to play with. I do wish that the kept all of the extra game modes from Tekken 3, but I feel I may be a bit harsh there.

8.5

Final Score

Pros:

  • It has a massive roster
  • It feels like the greatest hits of the original Tekken trilogy
  • The tag mechanic is fun and does not feel tacked on
  • You want to beat the game with all of the characters
  • The presentation is even better than the arcade

Cons:

  • It is not as stacked with game modes as Tekken 3 or 4
  • As great as it is the sequel is even better

Namco's first PlayStation title, due out on launch day in Japan (March 4, 2000), is none other than Tekken Tag Tournament. But this is no ordinary arcade port. If you thought Soul Calibur got a nice upgrade when it made the jump from arcade to DC, then get a load of this baby. The in-game graphics look nearly as good as the CG intros from the arcade TTT, and the backgrounds have all been completely redone. Needless to say, everything looks absolutely incredible and it all moves effortlessly at a brisk 60 fps. No word yet on any new modes or options, but we've got plenty of screens to keep you satisfied while we wait for new info to surface. (And for those of you who are doubting--yes, these pics are all real-time direct from the game.)

What's the deal?

Everyone who likes a fighting game almost always likes Tekken. Like Soul Calibur for the Dreamcast, Tekken Tag Tournament for the PS2 is a conversion of a System-12 arcade game. Also like Soul Calibur, the graphics have taken a light-year leap over the original arcade version. Running at 6ofps, in razor-sharp hi resolutions, Tekken Tag Tournament also features 2-on-2 gameplay so powerful it'll make you pee your pants!

So why is it a must-get game?

Well, the fact that just about every character that's ever been in a Tekken game (minus that useless dinosaur Gon) is being compiled into one lump sum may have something to do with it. The fact that Namco adds that tasty four-character action a la Marvel vs. Capcom is also a yummy temptation. While Tekken plays second fiddle to Virtua Fighter in Japan, it's always been mega-popular here, and will most likely sell by the truckload when it lands on our fair shores. It's not much more, gameplay-wise, than Tekken 3, but boy does it look swell!

Snapshots and Media

Arcade Screenshots

Playstation 2 Screenshots

See Also

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