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The first time that I’ve ever played a Tekken game was during the mid 90s, just months before the release of the first PlayStation. I remembered that the graphics were awesome and the gameplay was just as good. Later, I would play the home version and was amazed at how close it was to the arcade. It was a dream come true. A few years later, I picked up Tekken 2 and was blown away at the graphics, storylines and detailed CGI.
However, when Tekken 3 came out, I was slightly disappointed in it due to the fact that it didn’t offer the same technical jump. Over the years, I made my peace with the Tekken series and still love the world that it inhabits. Now, we have a brand new Tekken for a brand new system, and this could be my favorite one of them all.
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 for the Nintendo Wii U is the very first Tekken game on a Nintendo home console. Yes, we have had a few Tekken games on the Nintendo portable systems, but now Nintendo fans can step into a larger world. TTT2 is the follow up to the first Tekken Tag Tournament found on the PS2 and in arcades. The sheer amount of depth, strategy, modes, customization and unlockables in this game is unprecedented.
The basic game play of TTT2 is to pick two fighters from a selection of over 50 characters and fight another team, till of you is knocked out. Unlike some of your other tag team fighting games, if one your characters is put down, then your whole team has lost. The basic control layout is that of two punch buttons, two kick buttons, and a tag button. Most of the characters have a set of generic moves that are universal and a set of special moves. This is a part of the fun of the Tekken series: discovering new moves and new combos in battle.
The presentation in TTT2 is awesome, from the visuals to the music; everything about this game is top notch. Also, one of the main side-attractions has always been the CGI cut-scenes, and TTT2 has them in mass quantities. Every character has his or her own ending that uncovers the crazy and insane world of Tekken.
The amount of modes this game offers is impressive. First off, we have the return of Tekken Ball, which is a neat little side distraction for players just looking for something to mix it up with. Mushroom Battle is a Nintendo exclusive mode, which has players fighting while traditional Mario Bros. pickups appear on screen. These modes give a little extra charm to a game that is already bursting at the seams with it. The training mode is also a welcome addition that adds a neat story to it due to a cool training robot. There is also the ability to customize each character. This mode alone can make you lose many hours due to all of the outfits and items that you can get.
Some of the other features on the Wii U version, besides Mushroom Battle, are the advantages that the Wii U Gamepad offers. First off, you can play TTT2 without the use of a TV, which is always a good thing if you have children, roommates or spouses. The other major use for the Gamepad is that the touchscreen can be used to activate special moves. This makes performing advanced attacks as easy a just pressing the screen. I know a lot of gamers would call this cheating, however it can allow veterans and newcomers to meet on equal footing. Sharing the gaming love is good thing. Also exclusive to the Wii U version are Nintendo themed outfits for all of the characters in the game.I It is awesome to see P-Jack as Luigi fighting a female fighter dressed a Princess Peach.
In conclusion, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 for the Wii U is a fantastic fighting game, and a must buy for the new Nintendo system. This game has so much to offer, and it adds a hard-core competitive element to Nintendo gamers that have been lacking for a long time.
If you want to check out our full review of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 on PS3 and 360, click here.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
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