Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Blog Post: Tekken Tag Tournament 2: A Crazy Good Battle Royale

Tim Gruver — Sun, 06 Jan 2013 23:50:00 GMT

While it may seem late to the party after the release of its other console counterparts, Tekken: Tag Tournament 2 is no less of a fighting game juggernaut on the new Wii U system this year. With a huge roster of 60 characters and tons of free DLC included on disc, Tekken has yet another share of good times with its first Nintendo entry. It’s one of the most undeniably fun multi-player fighting game experiences and shines as a good-natured testament to the Wii U’s future of 3rd party developers.

Premise:

Unlike the original Tekken Tag Tournament, Tekken Tag Tournament 2 features a storyline although not remaining true to series canon. Like last time, it is more of a "dream match", giving fans the opportunity to play as nearly every character in the series up to that point, including some of those that had apparently been missing in the main Tekken storyline, in addition to the character roster of Tekken 6. In “Fight Lab,” Violet is working on a new version of Combot. As soon as Combot is complete, Violet begins its simulation test. After the simulation test, the Combot explodes and destroys the lab. Violet decides to use the other functioning Combot to complete the tests. After Combot completes five tests, Violet kidnaps Jin, Kazuya and Heihachi for Combot's in preparation for its final test and showdown.

Presentation:

The most prominent win for Tekken this time around is its enormous amount of character variety with a huge roster of fighters. They include plenty of old favorites such as Heihachi, King, Puma, Nina, Paul Phoenix, the Law family, and the Jack cyborgs, all of which are subtitled from their Japanese voice-work. Animals are also in it to win it, meaning you’ll be facing pandas, kangaroos, raptors, and bears to complete the tone of comedic insanity featured in the cast. Not entirely without an on-line mode, newcomers can be familiarized to controls with the “Fight Lab” on-line tutorial mode with the (duly named) robot instructor “Combot.” The following modes allow you to freely customize your fighters as will and can produce some awesome results.

Besides its fighters, Tag Tournament 2 delivers a great package of beautifully rendered arenas. The game’s story takes you across the world, going everywhere from the jungles of South America, the nightlife of Indonesia, and the French riverside. Though you may wonder why you are beating the crap out of opponents in a Japanese schoolyard or an ogre’s basement (yes, that’s right!), you’ll probably not care with the sheer detail and breadth of the gorgeous backdrops. Numbering over 60 in all, the fighters are just as well captured, being wacky, colorful, and wonderfully animated down to the female characters’ fine lady, errmm, “outfits.”

Gameplay:

Tekken’s gameplay on the Wii U is just as impressive, being cleverly inventive and action-packed. Characters vary in abilities and handling, but nearly all of them feel equal in power with the exceptions of a few cheap moves from the android characters. Most importantly, the Wii U edition fully realizes the Wii U’s control pad and providing easy to use controls for any of the Wii’s controllers. The touch screen is easy to use and effective for quick punches and kicks and though relying on a mere 4 buttons for the original Wii controller, there are a plentiful number of combinations for a large amount of interesting combos and special moves. Even better is the ability for co-op partners to join in for combo attacks or defense in the middle of fights and switch out at any time on command.

DLC Content:

To top it all off, the Wii U Edition specifically is a great bargain, featuring exclusive content such as the game mode of using power-ups from Nintendo's Super Mario series including Mega Mushrooms and Poison Mushrooms. Other DLC include the return of the minigame "Tekken Ball" from Tekken 3, an optional touch-based control scheme that fully seems to fully exploit the Wii U gamepad controller and character costumes based on Super Mario, Metroid, Star Fox, F-Zero, and The Legend of Zelda. These Nintendo themed costumes are 100% hilarious and make for great laughs, especially when seeing the outrageous result of little old martial artists in Mario and Luigi costumes getting taken out by Pandas dressed in Princess Peach costumes. In addition, the DLC characters, outfits, and stages from the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions are also included from the start in the Wii U Edition. Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Wii U Edition is also amongst the first 3rd-party Wii U games that is available in both retail and as a downloadable format for the Nintendo E Shop.

Final Call:

Tekken: Tag Tournament 2 is not only a great fighter in its own right, but is absolutely a terrific enhancement that the Tekken series has not had in years. It’s most likely smoked the competition offered by Dead or Alive 5 for the 2012 season and is a fun ride not usually seen for its genre. If you’re having doubts about what version to get, the Wii U edition is the best bargain you can get for this entry with its loads of free content you can’t find anywhere else. It’s a blast for any play-through with family or friends and should be loved by many a fan of the franchise.

Wiki: Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Guides

Anonymous — Thu, 08 Nov 2012 03:14:00 GMT

Guides for Tekken Tag Tournament 2

Blog Post: Nintendo Invades Tekken Tag Tournament 2 For Wii U

Ben Reeves — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 13:56:00 GMT

Namco has already developed a solid fighting game, but a host of Nintendo-specific features make Tekken Tag Tournament 2 an interesting prospect for upcoming Wii U owner. [Excerpt]

We got a quick rundown of Tekken Tag Tournament 2’s new Wii U features while touring TGS. Series producer Katsuhiro Harada joked that he wanted kids to be able to hide their gaming from their parents, so he worked hard to make sure that people could play the entire game on the Wii U’s controller screen, and the game does play well on Nintendo’s tiny screen, and features very little lag to boot.

Those who are able to use their TV for gaming, however, will find a host of other features connected to their Wii U screen. Programmable move lists almost make playing this game on the Wii U feel like cheating. Players can also pull up a list of fighting moves for their character on the Wii U’s screen and tap the move listed onscreen to perform it.

Some of the Wii U’s coolest features are some of the Nintendo-specific features. Characters in the game now have access to a variety of Mario, Zelda, and Bowser-themed costumes and certain levels feature remixed Mario music. We particularly enjoyed the new mode that players fighting in a field of Super Mario Bros. power-ups. Stars give fighters a temporary shot of invulnerability while mushrooms enlarge the size of their fighter and poison mushrooms take a chunk out of their health bar. We imagine fighters will constantly be vying for the best position on the battlefield while playing this Nintendo-themed mode.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 releases on the Wii U on November 18. Check out our review of the earlier console releases here.

Blog: Tekken Tag Tournament 2 - Wii U

Anonymous — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Blog Post: Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Review: Hitting all the Right Moves

skeletronn — Thu, 13 Sep 2012 10:47:00 GMT

After years of waiting, the sequel to the acclaimed Tekken Tag Tournament is finally available. I'm a big Tekken fan. I've been playing Tekken since Tekken 3 came out back in the day and through the years Harada-san has been finding new ways to keep the player engaged. And with that let's talk about the latest in the Tekken series, Tekken Tag Tournament 2.{Excerpt}

At first, I was confused about what to do when I got into practice mode. I was trying to do all those flashy 10-hit combos that I see on the internet with all the tag switches and whatnot. Instead, I decided to go to Fight Lab first, a new mode where you can learn the basics of TTT2. Here, there are challenges for you to complete so you can master everything. You can even customize your own Combot with mixed moves and combos from the Tekken cast.

Speaking of the Tekken cast, this game has the largest roster ever in a Tekken game with over 50 characters. Each fighter is varied and can suit anyone's playstyle. Miguel is a slow but hard-hitting character. Bob is quick despite his appearance and some are a little in between like Kazuya or Jin. There's something here for everybody. If you are a fan of the Tekken series, this is a must buy.

Blog Post: Tony Hawk HD, the Arcade Download

Coachscorner00 — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 14:31:00 GMT

As close to perfect as an arcade game can be. I downloaded it last night and it was just as good as I had hoped. I was a little nervous I wouldn't be able to use a created character but the game makes your avatar available right away for use. I went ahead a 100% the first level, warehouse right then and there. Then I started on the school. I was shocked to see the upgrade from the old games graphics. You can buy stats to improve your skater which I did right away. I like having some vert skills so I spent all the money I found on that. I will post some more once I get a crack at the game tonight but those are just a few things I found interesting.

Blog Post: Best Tag Game By Far

KingpinLarry — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 02:51:00 GMT

If you are someone who played Tekken 6 and think that Tekken Tag 2 is that plus a tag mechanic, stop right there. This game is much more than that. From what I've played the controls are tight, graphics have been kicked up about thirty percent, and the online mode makes Tekken 6's online look like a Hummer with the word "Porsche" painted on the side. However, I did get a lttle lag; not enough to stop the match, but just enough to slow down button commands. The sever did seem to quickly solve the problem between and during matches.

The Fight Labs mode puts you in the shoes of Combot (Tekken 4). It is people who either haven't played Tekken and want to learn some quick techniques, or people who just want the whole TTT2 experience. It is a short mode, but the story is pretty funny and the better you are, the more fighting styles you can unlock for your Combot.

Since I got the game on pre-order I did get the DLC characters early, and if you are worried about spending money on them when they become fully available on XBLA/PSN do not worry; every character will be free to download. I'm not certain if the same will go for any extra stages or customizable items, but we can only dream , right?

The game in general is great for people who love fighting games or are getting into the genre.

Blog Post: The Prolific Fighter Returns Better Than Ever

Dan Ryckert — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:01:00 GMT

Fighting franchises are more sequel-prone than other genres, but they also present a unique challenge to developers – how do you release new installments that offer more than new fighters, stages, and moves? Attempts at features outside of the standard arcade ladder/ghost battle/survival mode have been a mixed bag, with the Tekken series being particularly notable for lackluster single-player modes that stray from the core fighting engine. With Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Namco Bandai is more focused on a pure fighting experience than with extraneous modes. [Excerpt]

Tag Tournament 2 isn’t entirely without an offline single-player component, as the Fight Lab mode tasks you with tuning a combat robot (named Combot, naturally) to your liking. Essentially a tutorial with a narrative, this mode does an admirable job of teaching you the ropes of the tag system. Progressing through the stages earns you customization points, allowing you to assign your favorite moves to Combot. At the end of the Fight Lab stages, you have a custom-built fighter tweaked to your specifications. Considering it functions simultaneously as a tutorial and create-a-fighter of sorts, it’s a fantastic way to get accustomed with the mechanics.

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While your Fight Lab currency is spent on Combot, you’re free to spend the gold rewards from standard matches on any of the 50-plus fighters. Through the customization feature, you can make stylistic changes to your favorite character’s attire and appearance, or you can abandon style altogether in favor of monkey hats and pineapple grenades.

No amount of tweaking matters if the core gameplay isn’t up to par. Thankfully, this entry retains the series’ signature responsive controls and massive roster of fighters. Teaming up with a partner offers new combat opportunities, whether it’s character-specific tag throws or devastating tag assault combos. Online matches are fast-paced and intense thanks to the relatively lag-free experience, even if the bouts are limited to the basic ranked and player variety.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 doesn’t overhaul the franchise’s format, instead opting to retain the series’ already-solid gameplay and avoid extraneous modes that detract from the core fighting focus. Even with a somewhat bare-bones online offering, it’s still one of the most refined fighters on the market.

Blog Post: The Prolific Fighter Returns Better Than Ever

Dan Ryckert — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 16:01:00 GMT

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Blog Post: Enter The Ring In New Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Fight Lab Trailer

Jeff Cork — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:10:00 GMT

With Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Namco Bandai wanted to give players the benefits of having played through a tutorial while making it considerably less dry. The result is Fight Lab, which can be seen in action via this new trailer.[Excerpt]

Fight Lab is reminiscent of Soul Calibur's Mission Mode or Mortal Kombat's Challenge Tower, only you'll be building your own Combot character instead of merely unlocking concept art. The customizable bot can be upgraded and then used in matches outside of Fight Lab. As you can see below, the mode has plenty of room for crazy. Highlights include battles against eagles and chickens, a match where strikes remove a character's clothing, and the always popular fights where punches and kicks unleash showers of coins.

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Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is set for a September release on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with a Wii U version to follow.

Blog Post: Enter The Ring In New Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Fight Lab Trailer

Jeff Cork — Tue, 31 Jul 2012 14:10:00 GMT

[view:1763467601001]

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is set for a September release on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, with a Wii U version to follow.

Blog Post: New Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Screens And Trailer Focus More on Combat

Kyle Hilliard — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 01:27:00 GMT

You may have already seen the other recent Tekken Tag Tournament 2 trailer which spent a lot of time on cosplayers instead of gameplay. At least this time we get more gameplay.[Excerpt]

The focus is still more on what the ladies are wearing as opposed to how their fighting. This trailer is definitely more diverse than the last, though, with a few men making an appearance to model their own swimwear. To get access to all the bonus bathing suits all you have to do is reserve the game before it release on September 10.

[view:1740169431001]

Blog Post: New Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Screens And Trailer Focus More on Combat

Kyle Hilliard — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 00:31:00 GMT

You may have already seen the other recent Tekken Tag Tournament 2 trailer which spent a lot of time on cosplayers instead of gameplay. At least this time we get more gameplay.[Excerpt]

[view:1740169431001]

File: Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Comic Con