Tekken, i think, reminds everybody of the PS1. Even though Sega's Virtua Fighter was the very first 3D fighting game it was limited by the platforms it was available on (the arcades, the 32X, the Saturn). So when people think of 3D fighters in the 90's, they tend to think of Tekken on the Playstation.

I must confess, i was a fan of Tekken and its sequel, Tekken 2, back in the 90's. In fact 3D fighting for me back then was almost exclusively Namco. Tekken, then Soul Blade and eventually Soul Calibur. But, and i feel its worth mentioning in the context of this review, before picking up Tekken 6 i had drifted away from the series. Other than a few brief bouts on Tekken 3 and 4, i had barely played the series post-Tekken 2.

But, i like fighting games. In fact, i really like fighting games. And so i finally decided to put my Tekken prejudice to one side and try to embrace Tekken 6, the latest in the popular franchise. And the first to in the series to appear on multiple platforms.

First things first, Tekken 6 is big. Big on content, big on options and big on characters. The roster is large, even intimidating at first... Of course you'll instantly go for old faves like Paul Pheonix, Kazuya Mishima, Marhsall Law or Yoshimitsu. And its a nice touch (similar to Virtua Fighter) that the characters age and change with each installment, rather than looking exactly like they did back in the first game (hello 2D fighting games). The character models in Tekken 6 are very impressive, bulky and solid, with nice animations (as per usual) and an array of bizzare costumes. Kazuya even has one without skin (he's a robot these days apparently). So, even though its all abit overwhelming at first, the basic spine, the memory you remember from the PS1 days, is still intact. Yes, you can still spam with Marshall Law you cheap bastard.

Anyway, the other point i wanted to make about the roster is in regard to the newer, post-Tekken 2 characters. Some of them are very cool; Asuka Kazama, a cute aikido wielding girl, or Leo, who might look like a reject from Final Fantasy but his rush game is very strong (and useful) and the weird, robot maid/otaku fetish girl Alisa, has a nice variety of juggles and counters. Blows are nice and hard, it feels like your are actually hitting your opponent, and the martial arts are generally accurately portrayed (love Asuka's joint locks, very nicely done!)

However, like any fighting game with a large roster, there are a number of bland and kinda useless characters. Bob follows a new trend in fighting games, a heavy guy who moves really fast (see Rufus in Capcom's Street Fighter IV), but you'll find using him is a pain, then you have the usual cliches, Wang the old Chinese master, Marduk who looks like a UFC/MMA guy and Miguel, the Spanish character is obviously a bull fighter. Using each character is a personal preference but in my opinion, some of them are uninspired.

And now the content itself... You get the standards, arcade, time attack, survival, versus, but Tekken 6 does its main bussiness differently from most other fighting games. The central hub of the single player experience is the large and at times, hilariously inept Sceanario Mode. New items, characters, gallery unlocks and endings are all unlocked via Scearanio Mode, and this is where people start getting twitchy.

Its hard to deny that the Sceanario isn't a poorly designed mess. Its essentially a sub par version of Fighting Force (yeah, i just said Fighting Force), with Tekken characters. But worse. You walk in a straight line, with an AI partner, clumsily hitting hoardes of brainless enemies. Its frustrating and at times, laugh out loud funny. Because during all this the 'story' unfolds via tons of in engine cut scenes. Japanese fighting games do alot of great things, but one thing they consistantly do is a convoluted story. And even though Tekken 6 certainly has a quirky side and even a sense of humour, the poe faced, hammy way they handle the Sceanario's laughable plot will make you think of Ninja Gaiden as a masterclass of video game storytelling.

However, there is at least some purpose in playing through it. At the centre of the Sceanario is the Arena, and by completing the Sceanario levels you'll unlock characters to use in it. Its essentially a mini arcade mode where you can unlock the often entertaining CG ending cinemas. Its worth doing in my opinion, if you really like Tekken.

So finally, how does Tekken 6 play as an online competitive fighter? Overall, pretty solid. Previous installments have a reputation for being n00b friendly and unbalanced, and while Tekken 6 isn't quite the fine art of AM2's masterful Virtua Fighter 5, its arguably more fun. Combos are fluid, it has depth, its very flexible in how you can construct juggles/combos and throws/counters work well, meaning its easier to control a button mashing, cheap opponent than in previous games.

Online, well at first i was extremely impressed, i was playing some people from my friend list with absolutely no lag. But just as i was about to praise Namco for what seemed like the best netcode in a 3D fighter so far, the yin and yang effect kicked in and like 90% of online games, its not always perfect and you will suffer from latency and all the usual problems from time to time. However, compared to say, SNK Playmore's The King Of Fighters XII, the netcode and general online package presented in Tekken 6 is impressive.

Tekken 6, like alot of fighting games, is preaching to the converted. If you didn't like it before you won't like it now. However, if you are a fan of the series its got everything you want, and if you are like me, a fence sitter, it might just have something for you too.