As of the time of this writing, Tekken Tag Tournament (TTT) is a bit old. Next to SSX, it was the PS2 launch title to have, partially because it displays some intense visuals and because it's the latest in the famed Tekken series of 3-D fighters.
But don't be fooled; you've played this game before. It was variously called Tekken 2 or Tekken 3, depending on where you picked up the series. In fact, this game gets very old very quick because there really isn't much that's new and fresh, and it's namesake Tag feature is the only thing that keeps it's head above water.
The gameplay is the same old hat. Four well-laid out buttons, left punch, right punch, left kick, and right kick, along with the directionals, control your character's actions. There is no block button; blocking is achieved by holding back on the controller (or rarely keeping it neutral), or sidestepping out of the way. This engine has been around in this basic form since the first Tekken, and is rock solid, allowing novices to jump in because of the intuitiveness of the control, while experts will enjoy pulling off insane combos, juggles, and throw chains.
Two new aspects help to liven up the game, however. First, the addition of 'recoverable damage', something used in 2-D fighters for several years now. When you get hit, you lose some permanent damage, and some 'recoverable damage'. You can regenerate this 'recoverable damage' as long as you don't get hit again. An interesting addition, but in the heat of battle nobody really pays too much attention to it.
The most important difference is the Tag battle. When you start, you choose two characters. You may then freely swap which character is fighting. The one who isn't fighting will recoup some damage, so when to bring in who is vitally important. It also heightens the 'rock paper scissors' gameplay of pitting fighters with different strengths and weaknesses against each other. You can balance your slow strong fighter with an agile, quick one. Or, just use two slow, strong characters and try to pummel your opponent into submission.
While this tag feature is interesting, it is hardly new. 2-D fighters have been doing it for quite some time, and it doesn't really help to liven up the game that much. Even though you can tag in and out, you're still just playing Tekken. The addition of special tag combos with certain specific character combinations is interesting, but again not that much of an improvement.
There are many more characters in TTT than the last incarnation, Tekken 3. However, none of them are new (aside from the end character, Unknown, who simply takes on the aspects of other characters). Namco has simply taken all the fighters from Tekken 3 and added the missing ones from Tekken 2, so you essentially have the ultimate Tekken roster. Again, nice, but not enough to spice up what's becoming old hat.
One beef I have always had with Tekken is that Sony's controllers just don't work. The recessed directional pad makes diagonals and rolls difficult, and the layout of the action buttons is difficult to master. I highly reccomend an arcade stick for those who really want to enjoy this game, as this will allow you not only to pull off the trickier commands, but will also help you beef up your playing for the arcade.
The graphics are an impressive display of what the PS2 can accomplish. The characters are smooth, with very little flaw around seams, and animations are fluid. Backgrounds are multi-layered and full of action. However, the game plays exactly the same as Tekken 3 did, so these graphics aren't really neccessary. Also, in the heat of battle, who pays attention to the backgrounds? Yes, better graphics are nice, but they don't make the game worth it if the gameplay doesn't.
The sound is the same old thing, lots of techno and house music. The best tracks are in the character endings, which are otherwise pretty lame. Multiplayer, however, is very exciting, with up to 4 players being able to control characters in tag battle. However, you will need the multitap, as the PS2 doesn't have 4 controller ports. For those looking for 4-player tag action, I would reccomend Dead or Alive 2 on the Dreamcast over TTT; it has equally pretty graphics, a more interesting engine in my opinion, and the DC already has 4 ports.
Really, TTT doesn't deliver anything new, though it does deliver a decent game. If you're a fan of the Tekken series, you should buy it, and fighter fans will like it as well. For the average gamer looking for some party excitement, I'd go with the latest Dead or Alive, either DoA2 on the DC, as mentioned above, or DoA:Hardcore on the PS2. It's a bit more interesting, and there isn't as much of a learning curve as Tekken.
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