The Tekken 5 Impressions Thread.

No, I don't actually have any, but I know there must be some of you out there (particularly those in Japan) who have played this in the arcades and can give some ideas. How is it? What previous Tekken title is it most like? I've seen some videos and it looks pretty sweet, although I was horribly disappointed by Tekken 4. Any info you guys have would be welcome.

I may end up buying this on February 22nd no matter what, since I'll have no other avenue for trying it out. Hope the music and backgrounds are cool, the one I saw at night in a field of lillies seemed pretty cool.

I really liked it. It felt very similar to Tekken 4 but the new backgrounds were really nice and graphically the game looks gorgeous.

How popular is Tekken in Japan? i think that the game is much popular in the U.S. here.

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and guess that it felt like 4, which felt like 3, which felt like 2, which sorta felt like the original Tekken.

Luckily for the series, the original Tekken was a pretty good game, so the series has managed to survive on graphics and hype without many substantive changes to the gameplay.

The Tekken series is like the Madden series of the fighting game world. I know that they basically both suck, but the neurotic bastard in me just doesn't feel like he has a complete collection without them.

galfordo said:

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and guess that it felt like 4, which felt like 3, which felt like 2, which sorta felt like the original Tekken...The Tekken series is like the Madden series of the fighting game world. I know that they basically both suck,

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You're right, you were only guessing. If you don't know about it, please shut up.

it has somewhat of the tag feel to me. its easy as hell to air juggle. new moves and the return of some "lost " characters keep the game fresh. i also like the mix of infinite and closed stages. graphics look good and beating the crap out of players with your ps2 controller is priceless. i keep hearing that the home verison comes out around feb./ march. and that their will be more characters, costumes, and modes to play. maybe old man heihachi will be in the home systems

Played it yesterday (for any interested folks near Philly, University Pinball near the corner of 40th and Spruce has two T5 cabs set up). I'm not a big Tekken fan, and really haven't been playing the series much since 2, around the same time I got into VF.

I only played one round and got my ass handed to me. Stood around and watched for a while before going back to the Neo cab and playing some SS2.

Graphics are absolutely stunning. The environments are beautiful, perfectly rendered, and a lot better designed than those in 4. It feels fairly similar to 4 in gameplay terms, but I didn't get a good feel for changes since I'm a complete Tekken scrub now.

If you chance by an arcade that's got it, it's at least worth staring at for a while - really mindblowing graphically.

and devil jin is a nice touch too. since they keep hinting about it. and a boss who can hold his own. jinpachi is a tough semi cheap bastard but still makes a decent challenge.

galfordo said:

I'm going to go out on a limb here, and guess that it felt like 4, which felt like 3, which felt like 2, which sorta felt like the original Tekken.

Luckily for the series, the original Tekken was a pretty good game, so the series has managed to survive on graphics and hype without many substantive changes to the gameplay.

The Tekken series is like the Madden series of the fighting game world. I know that they basically both suck, but the neurotic bastard in me just doesn't feel like he has a complete collection without them.

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Galfordo, I know you're only here for the +1, but come on, man.
T2 had a load of massive changes from T1, and T3 was the first Tekken game with fully 3D BGs, and probably had the best roster. Then Tag came along, and many loved it, although I was a little burned on it by then.

Even Tekken hardcore folks will admit T4 sucked.
The only game it might be better than? The original Tekken, which is damn near unplayable by modern standards. Few characters, very few moves, and some really ugly gen-one PS graphics. Only the music from this game is tolerable anymore.

The original Tekken was pretty sad, even then I only played it because I was a starving import PlayStation owner in need of a new game. Tekken 2 and 3 were the games that really made the series a massive hit. If this is as much a return to 'roots' as VF4 represented for Virtua Fighter, than it should be a blast.

Tekken Tag > Tekken 5

My only gripe about the game is the damage setting. Most arcades have their have the damage handicap up. 2 Deathfirsts from Paul in each round on CH = insert $.50. Everyone has at least 50-60% damaging juggle, except Lei Wulong. Other than that, it's a great game.

Prince James said:

How popular is Tekken in Japan? i think that the game is much popular in the U.S. here.

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get bent, dick burger.

I've been playing it for about a month and a half in the arcade. As for the game, it brings back the old Tekken feel that the developers had promise to bring back after the disappointment that was Tekken 4. Fluid animations, good soundtrack, and a refined fighting system makes the game very enjoyable. Not to mention the graphics just look ridiculously good, i'm not even sure if Namco can pull off an arcade perfect port of the game to the PS2. They probably have to cut down on the detail in the backgrounds to make it run smooth. But like Kim said, the damage is a bit high for the game so you can't do too many mistakes, although it can be adjusted.

I've also gotten the T5 card that lets you record your stats on it and also points, which you can use to buy different color clothes or new items on your character. I got Lei Wulong as my character and I named it to Super Cop. My second favorite Tekken right behind TTT.

I only got to play it a few times but it seemed more like T3 for some reason. I can't really explain it. I mean, it's Tekken, you probably know exactly what to expect. Not that it's a bad thing, I like Tekken. I wish T5 was going to be online.

Spike Spiegel said:

You're right, you were only guessing. If you don't know about it, please shut up.

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Please suck me from the back, Mr. wannabe Picasso. I am entitled to make inferences on this website, as it is not exactly a scientific journal.

Loopz said:

Galfordo, I know you're only here for the +1, but come on, man.
T2 had a load of massive changes from T1, and T3 was the first Tekken game with fully 3D BGs, and probably had the best roster. Then Tag came along, and many loved it, although I was a little burned on it by then.

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T2 had a lot of changes, true, but I really didn't see significant advances in the gameplay. And yes, T3 had 3D backgrounds, which are pretty and all, but don't really do much for the gameplay. At any rate, Tekken sets a very poor standard as far as innovation goes. I still say it's the Madden of the fighting game world.

galfordo said:

I still say it's the Madden of the fighting game world.

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And that is why your opinion means nothing in this discussion. You're an idiot to compare the two. From each game, the feel has changed big time. You're just assuming, and not basing it on many more facts than "backgrounds are 3D".

Just save it, already.

K_Dash said:

I've been playing it for about a month and a half in the arcade. As for the game, it brings back the old Tekken feel that the developers had promise to bring back after the disappointment that was Tekken 4. Fluid animations, good soundtrack, and a refined fighting system makes the game very enjoyable. Not to mention the graphics just look ridiculously good, i'm not even sure if Namco can pull off an arcade perfect port of the game to the PS2. They probably have to cut down on the detail in the backgrounds to make it run smooth. But like Kim said, the damage is a bit high for the game so you can't do too many mistakes, although it can be adjusted.

I've also gotten the T5 card that lets you record your stats on it and also points, which you can use to buy different color clothes or new items on your character. I got Lei Wulong as my character and I named it to Super Cop. My second favorite Tekken right behind TTT.

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That's the kind of observation I've been hoping for.
Super Cop Lei sounds awesome.

The Madden/Tekken comparison is still hella weak.
Since Tekken debuted in 1994, there's been a total of 6 titles including T5.
There's been ELEVEN versions of Madden in that time. Namco hasn't whored this series out anywhere near the way EA would have it. I mean, if anything, KoF would be much more the Madden equivalent in terms of fighting games, with one every year since '94 (present year aside).

Being a major Tekken fan since Tekken 2 and a hardcore player of Tekken 3 and Tag I can tell you T5 is much more like T3 than the forth installment of the series. Frankly, I thought 4 was a pile of broken crap, the walls were too close and in some levels like the parking garage just too many, the jab was way too overpowered, and I prefer the single sidestep to the z-axis scroll like in SC games.
Here are some things you can expect in Tekken 5 that I noticed straight out of the gate playing it for about 4 hrs one day: First off, there are 2 basic throws again making King a potential wrestler again since now its a bit of a guessing game as to which punch to hit to counter the throw instead of 80% of them being outdone with a single punch and the command throws coming out so slow that a jab will beat them 90% of the time. Something else I noticed with King is the change of his f, f 2 gut punch that cripples to a dragon punch 2. That threw me off horrendously since it was a move I used to use with some frequency. Jin is the same change up style as he was in T4, Asuka is basically Jun, Feng is kind of an Akira (VF4) style character who seems best used by those who can anticipate the incoming strikes of an opponent and dodge/parry and counterattack, and Raven is different. I only played Raven once, but he seems a speedy character like a Kunimitsu with actual power and toughness, but I can see if he gets a pop up or combo blocked he could easily get punished.
As for information on the game in general, the characters seem animated better than Tekken 4, but for the most part look like a similar graphics engine. One ability you have is to dress your character with an assortment of items and save your record to a data card (these are $5). If you are the leading player of a character sometimes people will fight against a CPU simulated version of you when they play against the arcade. The backgrounds no longer have structures that get in your way like the parking garage's cars and support pillars and all the levels seem to be more open to movement so walls can play a part in the beating, but you aren't clostriphobic. Speaking of the backgrounds, they are beautiful.
The game also seems more prone to juggling fun than Tekken 4 did, but that can be a negative as much as a positive. It brings the fighting system more in tune with T3 and Tag which most people who played the series competitively liked more, but you can also very easily drop an opponent 65% after one pop up. Where I played the game's damage system was set to normal and the game was 50c a play with best of 5 matches on vs play, but I have heard of places charging 1 buck a shot with best of 3 AND increasing the damage ratios on top of that so that could lend to the arguments that moves are too powerful. All in all, the hits in Samurai Shodown are much more destructive.
One other thing people are complaining about is the controller set up. They opted for japanese style controls this time around with the ball top stick and convex buttons. I have heard a good deal of griping over that decision, but they also have PS2 ports for controllers on the official T5 cabs. No place to set a MAS stick mind you, but if where you play has tables or anything for drinks maybe you can steal one of those. How anyone can play this game with a PS2 pad is well beyong me. I can't imagine doing a King or Nina multi-throw on those things without my fingers twisting like a pretzel and snapping off at the 2nd knuckle.
I plan to go back and play some this weekend after giving the second, and maybe 3rd wave of hidden characters a chance to unlock. All that was open when I went was Anna, Roger Jr, and Baek. None of which I am inclined to play. The 2nd group however, includes Wang and Bruce both of which I like. Oh, and Heihachi may be dead, but Jinpachi is his clone with purple flames and weird teeth in his gut.

Oh and no, Namco will not pull off an arcade perfect translation for the PS2. They didn't even manage that on SC2 and it was on lesser hardware and had lower graphics quality. I remember reading T5 has hardware developed for it. Still a good translation, but not arcade perfect. During certain pop ups on some backgrounds in SC2 you will notice some slowdown that isn't there on the XB and arcade. Don't know about the GC version as I only played that once back when it was first released in Japan. Just my opinion though, will have to wait until Feb 23 for the results.

I may need to see how Tekken 5 looks for myself. I was waiting for the home version as I don't have time for the arcade. It looks good to me. I definitely can't wait to try out the new characters. Jun is my fav and Asuka looks like a good replacement.

Spike Spiegel said:

And that is why your opinion means nothing in this discussion. You're an idiot to compare the two. From each game, the feel has changed big time. You're just assuming, and not basing it on many more facts than "backgrounds are 3D".

Just save it, already.

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Yeah, Tekken Tag was just an enormous change from Tekken 3, right? Take your head out of your fucking ignorant ass, please. thnx.

Tekken is a fun game, but the substance of the changes made from one incarnation to the next are minor at best. This is why the series has lost much of its popularity.

I tried Tekken 5 when I was in Las Vegas. It felt like 4, which felt like ass. Unfortunately not well-toned, shapely female ass, but more like what one would imagine Michael Moore's ass feels like.

As far as I am concerned, the Tekken series ended at Tag Tournament, though I would hesitate to place that in with the first three.

It looked O.K., but I don't give a fuck when the gameplay sucks.

orochi_lubu said:

it has somewhat of the tag feel to me. its easy as hell to air juggle. new moves and the return of some "lost " characters...

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Two words: Anna Williams. Glad to see her back. Oh, and Nina has the sluttiest outfits in the history of Tekken.

As for the game, it's okay, but the AI is cheap. Once I hit the third stage, the AI suddenly goes Mortal Kombat 3 on me and makes me want to rip the damn joystick out in anger. Still, T5 makes me regret selling my PS2: I'm really interested in Jin Kazama's side story mode. Perhaps I'll get it back...

ferrarimanf355 said:

Two words: Anna Williams. Glad to see her back. Oh, and Nina has the sluttiest outfits in the history of Tekken. ...

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Namco should give school girl outfit to all gals in home version of T5.

More PS2 pics from official T5 site

Here are more PS2 T5 pics added from the official T5 website.http://www.tekken-official.jp/tekkenps2/screenshot/

Whoa!! check out this pic of Nina in action. http://www.tekken-official.jp/tekkenps2/screenshot/popup/img/0121_14_b.jpg

Played the hell out of it today. It's Tekken 4/Tag style gameplay. Sidewalking is still possible as in 4, backdashing has been increased as in Tag but characters now have long range throws to counter attack this.

Flaws The tag juggle system returns. Whilst 60% combos seem to be the most damaging, walls ruin the game. Tekken 4 at least had a wall tech roll. Tekken 5 does not. Hence a combo leading into a wall can cause up to 80% damage. On top of that when a character lands from being comboed into a wall he/she is open to a free ground hit from the opposition which can only be just frame tech rolled. Expect 90% combos by those who know how to use the wall. Pro's will begin a juggle in the middle of the stage then jab, dash, jab, dash, jab, dash until they reach the wall then finish you off. Remember this is the whacked Tekken 3/Tag style juggle system, Julia can easily sneak in 6 elbows from the 1 juggle. The only advantage is that you can select the level. Don't pick one with walls unless you yourself know how to abuse it.

Walls aside, I think the game is fairly balanced. King and Marduk have been upgraded with the ability to perform catch throws or air throws, a Tekken first. This leads into some very satisfying and flashy juggles, my current King juggle is simple u/f+4, 1, f+2,2 f,hcf+1. King performs a hopkick (which is the juggle starter), jabs once, performs 2 powerful right jabs, then catches his opponent in mid-air with a running powerbomb. King has 5 catch throws at this stage.

Previous character animations have changed as well, don't expect Julia's 1,2... strings to look the same, or Kazuya's 1,1,2. Many old attack strings not only look better, but some have improved properties and some have many more options.

Throws can now be escaped very late in the animation, sometimes the character whose throw is escaped is left in vulnerable posistions such as the back turned position. A Tekken first.

VF's customisation system is available. I've seen some pretty sweet customisations. A Kazuya player with a totally different hairstyle, with red hair, sunglasses, red samurai shoulder pads and red pants. A Kuma player with star sunglasses and a fisherman's hat. Roger Jr with a snorkel in it's mouth and flippers on his feet.

If I remember more, I'll post it later, but that's all for now.