Well, I got the thing today, but had only a little time to give it a spin.
Needless to say, initial impressions are definitely positive. This definitely proves that 3D fighters can be done on a handheld. It's not perfect, of course, but it's decent enough. Initially, it looks impressive, but don't expect to see the same kind of framerate as what's become the law of Tekken/VF/DOA for all home releases, these days. It's no 60fps, all the time, but it works and is consistantly high enough for good gameplay.
I've given Miss. Kazama a spin and bearing the adjustment you need to make for the PSP D-pad; she seems just as responsive and ready to move, combo, do reversals, tackle as she used to. The small screen really helps to hide any possible reductions they made to make it perform well on the PSP, so there's nothing really to complain about. Even the backgrounds, while taking a hit, certainly didn't drop too much. It does appear to show PS2 level graphics including foliage, when it needs to. But gameplay, so far, feels surprisingly as close to spot on as possible. I'll have to play a lot more if I were to find true discrepancies; but considering how many portable fighting games where the difference is felt almost immediately, this is still a major step. The fact, I even have to say I have to play more to find out, is a good sign.
Characters like Marduk look big mean, and not cut back. He still towers over my girl. Making the start of fights against him, look daunting.
Still, I think what will be the main draw, for Tekken players, is that unlike the comparison of DVD to UMD, they didn't cut back on extras or content. The Tekken Dojo might be where most people will spend most of their time. It's immediately fun, you can play in spurts and come back; and there's a lot of unlocking and achievements to grab along the way. Having this stuff on a portable just makes it that much sweeter. It's like how the extras, Olympic mode, and mini-games in Match of the Millenium (NGPC) were just the kind of things a fighter on a handheld needs. They do it here, as any portable game that offers a range of arcade goodness, for quick thrills, always increases the value of the purchase. It's precisely why it seems those extras have more significance on the PSP than on the PS2.
Promised downloadable content is another nice little bonus. I'm sure this year's Otakon, is going to have the DS multiplayer sessions joined with PSP Tekken sessions. I guess I should get Asuka ready.
P.S.(observation) - Is it just me or is Namco going through a *Blonde rich girl* phase? First Soul Calibur, now this.
