QJ.NET previews Tekken 6 the Arcade

QJ.NET previews Tekken 6 the Arcade - Image 1Who says you have to travel far to grab a preview of Namco’s Tekken 6 for the PlayStation 3? We’ve managed to pick up a correspondent’s experience playing this game’s arcade release, which you can view over in the full article!

QJ.NET previews Tekken 6 the Arcade - Image 1

If you visited the Tekken Zaibatsu site lately, you’ll probably come across their press wire announcing the “International” release of Namco Bandai‘s Tekken 6 arcade port. International’s probably an overstatement – the machine’s out just in the territories of Hong Kong (the original test site), Korea, Australia, and the Philippines, which means our chances of grabbing a sneak preview for this much awaited PS3 fighter are slim.

That is, if we don’t count on our intrepid correspondents – you guys probably remember their recent QJ-sponsored escapade to Frii Spirit. We grabbed one of these chaps (black bags, plastic cuffs, the whole shebang) for our next assignment, which was to give us a situation report of how the game’s arcade port handles. And from what we’re gathering from our Manila correspondent’s long narration, Tekken 6‘s stunning visuals are just the proverbial tip of the iceberg.

QJ.NET: How was the reception for the game?

T6 Correspondent :

Intense. Smalls crowds were gathering in the two malls I visited with Tekken 6 machines. They weren’t rowdy or anything, though – they were just there to watch anybody gutsy enough to challenge the arcade vets, or test the new characters.

QJ.NET: Care to give us a 411 on the new characters?

T6 Correspondent:
I haven’t really tested them out – I’d get my ass kicked by the regulars – but I can give you a teaser of how they handle. Let’s start with Bob: The man’s freakishly fast for someone who looks like he’s had one (dozen) too many burgers. Not sure how he’d handle against speedsters Lee or Xiaoyu, but it looks like he can keep up with Anna.

QJ.NET previews Tekken 6 the Arcade - Image 1


Based on what I read at the zaibatsu, he can at least rush as well as the Mishimas. He’s also got some crazy-looking kick combos – Namco probably based him on Sammo Hung. He’s the only other fatso I know who’s that nimble.

As for Zafina, she’s a spider. She’s got a lot of odd-looking stances that bear a resemblance to Soul Calibur’s Voldo, minus the katars and those very disturbing pelvic thrusts. Her ground game looks nasty. Then there’s Miguel. It’s hard to figure this man out for now, though he kinda reminds me of a bigger version of Tekken 5’s Dragunov. He’s slow and a bit predictable, but he hits like a truck. I haven’t seen anybody use Leo yet unfortunately, so I can’t say how she handles.

The funny thing is that in one of the arcades, every time a player tries one of the new guys on a vacant machine, nobody – not even the veterans – want to challenge them. It looks like the even the seasoned players are just as excited to see what sort of new tricks these characters bring into the game.

QJ.NET: Moving on, let’s talk about any highlights about Tekken 6 that literally caught your eye: How are the visuals?

T6 Correspondent:
They’re beautiful – the colors are more defined, and the detailing’s even more crisp than in Dark Resurrection. Heck, even the detailing on my character’s face as he cringes from a punch looks good. I’m not too sure about when it hits the PS3 though – it might look a little more pixelated on the consoles.

What probably grabbed my attention the most is the new character animation. Tekken 5’s animation looked pretty stiff by comparison here, with the character’s movements looking even more natural. Sure, they’re exaggerated martial arts tricks, but they’re now as fluid as water. This doesn’t just mean that the characters look more human – it also means it’ll be harder to track what move they’ll follow up with since the move sets interlink seamlessly.

There’s also those new speed line the devs added on certain hits. It’s a little hard to catch, but those blurred line effects added a nice touch to make the fights look intense.

QJ.NET previews Tekken 6 the Arcade - Image 1


And while it’s not combat-related, the backgrounds are also worth looking at. I remember at least one fight where the player stopped the match just to see a pig run across the field. It doesn’t really affect your gameplay, but it’s funny to watch. Especially when the guy you’re fighting does the same thing.

QJ.NET: How about the combat? How different is Tekken 6‘s new fight physics from its predecessors?

T6 Correspondent:
Generally speaking, everybody got a speed boost, so even traditionally slow characters like Armor King can pull some surprisingly fast (and damaging) shots on you if you’re not careful. The frame-rate for the arcade’s also pretty smooth – I didn’t spot any slowdown for the duration of the matches I watched. Lee fights are a good example – his moves tended to slow down the game in DR, though I didn’t see any lag this time around.

Another feature that looks interesting was the rage mode, which kicked in every time your character hits critical HP. Pretty handy when you’re between a rock and a hard place, and it keeps the fight exciting just when you thought you’ve won. I’ve seen a lot of players turn the fight around mid-bout thanks to this.

There was a very noticeable change in damage as well. Juggles and combos don’t hurt as much as they used to, and while this is seen as bad by some of the guys, I personally like it. It means that the fights tend to last longer, and gives the game more bang for the buck. That, and it means I’ve got better chances at getting my revenge after a long drawn-out chain.

As for moves, it’s a little hard to pin down anything exact right now given that the machines are pretty new here.

QJ.NET: Okay, we’ll make it easier – who do you use?

QJ.NET previews Tekken 6 the Arcade - Image 1

T6 Correspondent:Lei Wulong, the drunken master.

QJ.NET: Wasn’t he bottom-tier back in Tekken 5? Why Lei?

T6 Correspondent:
Well, Lei’s Tekken 6 incarnation has gotten some serious upgrading since his bottom-tier days in Tekken 5 and Dark Resurrection. He’s gotten a speed boost like everybody else, and got revamped with some new tricks that are just hilarious to watch. For one, a lot of his old moves can now transition into his other fighting stances, and are even tailored to look very clumsy.

Here’s an example: On one of his new kick combos, if the player holds forward on the second kick, Lei looks like he fumbles the attack, slips, and transitions into a stance. The move also steps back, meaning it also functions as a dodge.

If I were to say, Lei’s upgrade to a respectably-tiered fighter by 6 is an example of the trouble Namco’s gone through to balance the game out. Not that guys like Steve are any weaker – he gets new moves too – but it just means that the matches won’t seem as one-sided as before. Oh yeah – methinks Devil Jin is still one broken SoB.

QJ.NET: You sound like quite the formidable fight yourself. How’s your kill record?

T6 Correspondent:I’d rather not talk about it…

While this just coverage of the arcade release, we’re hoping this little Q&A session we picked up should give you guys an idea of what’ll come when the game makes it to the console this year. There’s so much more the console will stand to receive, such as a proper closure to the game’s ongoing story.

That, and we also miss those funny animated endings for Xiaoyu. Until then, here’s to hoping Namco decides to share their latest blessing of fists and fury to the rest of the world, preferably North America and Europe.

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