(LAST UPDATE: 9/15/09)
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Developer(s): Namco
Publisher(s): Namco
Platform(s): Arcade,
Playstation 2
Release: Summer 1999 (Arcade), March 30th 2000 (JP PS2), October 25th
2000 (NA PS2), November 24th 2000 (EU PS2)
Characters:
Jin,
Kazuya, Heihachi,
Law,
Hwoarang,
Eddy,
Tiger,
Jack-2,
Lei,
Xiaoyu,
Jun,
King,
Nina,
Michelle,
Julia,
Gun
Jack, P. Jack, Bryan,
Paul,
Yoshimitsu,
Lee,
Armor
King, Wang,
Anna,
Kuma,
Panda,
Bruce,
Baek,
Kunimitsu,
Ganryu,
Devil,
Angel,
Roger,
Alex,
Ogre,
True
Ogre, Unknown, Mokujin,
Tetsujin
Related Games:
Tekken,
Tekken 2, Tekken 3,
Tekken
Advance, Tekken 4, Tekken
5, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, Tekken:
Dark Resurrection, Tekken 5: Dark
Resurrection Online, Tekken 6, Tekken
6: Bloodline Rebellion
Review: Tekken Tag Tournament reunited every character from every arcade installment in the Tekken franchise thus far, for an extravagant roster of 39 characters; and introduced brand new 2-on-2 tag team battles! The gameplay is most similar to Tekken 3's gameplay engine, but was also tweaked and finely tuned for the better. The gameplay was much more combo friendly, introducing cool tag team combos & throws, and the sidestep game was greatly improved which allowed players to skillfully dodge their opponents attacks left or right in 3D!
The addition of the tag-team element worked exceptionally well with Tekken's 3D gameplay. The 2-vs-2 gameplay allowed for some flashy and downright crazy combo possibilities, badass tag team throws, and a handful of new gameplay strategies. The gameplay has a lot to offer, but you'd only find that out by playing against another skilled player in Tekken; though the computer AI does a fairly decent job at making the game presentable. Many animations were also tweaked from Tekken 3 to Tekken Tag, offering a smoother visual experience as well as gameplay experience for players of all levels. Returning characters were updated nicely with a handful of new moves, throws, and combo possibilities. Over-powered moves & characters from Tekken 3 were rightfully toned down as well.
The arcade
version of Tekken Tag looked a lot like 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
& character models were amazing for a console fighting game at the time and the backgrounds
featured new
lighting effects and 3D elements. 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 music for this game, which flowed brilliantly with the frantic pace of the game. The
presentation wasn't quite as extravagant as what we saw in Tekken 3, but the
gameplay was the real show here.
Tekken has changed so much since it's early days, now with more
authentic fighters and martial arts techniques. As a real martial artist and
someone educated on a variety of styles, I can recognize many of the techniques
in this game as authentic and well executed... No doubt fellow martial artists
appreciate Tekken for it's authenticity as well as it's hard-hitting moves that
never fail to make you cringe your teeth with joy. 
Tekken is still one of the hardest hitting fighting games of all time,
but also one of the most responsive. The control system was designed to feel
natural, each attack button corresponding with a limb on the character's body.
Also, 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 a place for many of
us hardcore fighting game players to call "home".
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- Review is for PS2 version of Tekken Tag Tournament - |
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9.5 / 10 |
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Closing Comment:
Tekken Tag Tournament was a popular fighting game in both arcades and on
the PS2 due to it's stellar, skill-demanding gameplay... The variety of
teams you could use added a lot of replay value, and the combo possibilities
seemed endless. The PS2 version came packed with the staple modes, as well as
the clever Tekken Bowl Mode,
where players could take their favorite Tekken fighters and go bowling
for Heihachi style bowling pins... Hilarious! 
What the home version of Tag lacked was an actual story (it's a non-canon
game)
and FMV endings, but the real-time character endings were halfway entertaining
at least... Even though there wasn't any talking in any of them. 
Tekken Tag was (and still is) a very fun game for serious
and casual players alike, but the deep gameplay really separated the newbs from
the pros... Button mashers and beginners had absolutely no chance of winning
against a seasoned player, which made this an arcade game worth getting good at.
Those Tekken skills also came in handy later on when Tekken
4 came out in July of 2001. ~F.Yagami,
Webmaster
of TFG
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