(PS3, Xbox 360)

In production since 2005, Tekken 6 is now days away from being unleashed.  The question you should probably ask yourself is: “Just how ready am I?”

If you ask almost any competitive fighting gamer to name a solid 3D fighter, images of Tekken’s bone crunching 10-hit juggle combos and neck snapping throws certainly come to mind.  As the latest installment of the series’ 15 year run, the sixth King of Iron Fist Tournament definitely has a lot of expectations to live up to, and Namco Bandai Games Inc. cracks its knuckles and stands ready to exceed anticipations of fans worldwide.

Panda and Ling Xiaoyu

“The development team, myself included, have poured heart and soul into the series for 15 years so it is with great excitement that we await the release of the game and seeing it in the hands of the fans,” said Katsuhiro Harada, Tekken project director, in a press release. “We are also pleasantly surprised at the overwhelming attention the title has received from the media and fans alike. Tekken 6 is the pinnacle of the series and we look forward to the reaction from gamers worldwide once they’ve had a chance to play it.”

The Tekken series debuted in the mid-1990s, which some consider to be the golden age of console gaming.  The sun was setting on gaming cartridges and 2D graphics, while 3D polygons and CDs began to emerge.  Tekken first hit arcades in 1994, and then fought its way onto the Playstation in 1995.  It directly competed with Sega’s Virtua Fighter, but the similarities between the two games stopped at their 3D visuals.  Tekken utilized a unique four-button layout, each one corresponding to a limb (left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg), compared to Virtua Fighter’s three-button (punch, kick, guard) layout.  Tekken’s unique characters, graphics, realistic fighting set it apart from other fighters of the time and reeled in critics and gamers alike. Thus, the powerhouse 3D fighter franchise was born.

original Tekken box art for the Playstation

Namco Bandai continued to build on the successes of its fighter, adding more unique features with each successive installment: moving from 30 frames per second (fps) to a blazing 60fps, more characters, numerous fighting styles, juggle combos, sidestepping, tech rolling, throw escape animations, and walled-in stages were just some aspects that kept the series fresh and exciting.  Now, with the latest chapter about to be added to the Tekken legacy, violence seems destined to transcend beauty once again.

Crisp graphics and Tekken go together like chocolate and peanut butter and the bar has been raised even higher in Tekken 6. Any player prone to motion sickness may want to check with their doctor before playing, as each of the 40 playable characters unleashes a beautiful flurry of motion-blurred attacks.  Players will be able to challenge their opponents around the game’s various multi-tiered stages, ranging from a battle-torn highway to snow-covered canyons.  Don’t like your favorite character’s original design?  Tekken 6 will allow players to customize their characters from hair styles to footwear, and more.  Plans are also set to release more costume pieces as well as other downloadable content and updates this winter.

As I mentioned in my 2009 holiday games lineup article, Harada stressed that Namco Bandai has put a lot of focus on the online aspect of Tekken 6.  Aside from the standard fare of online ranked and player matches, Tekken fans can also create and upload customizable ghost characters, which accurately replicates their fighting style.  These ghosts can then be uploaded by any player worldwide.  So you could be dominating your friend down the street or a total stranger in Tokyo even after you’re passed out from cracking skulls for 10 hours straight.  The game will also sport a feature to record and upload your most palm-sweating matches online to impress your friends and intimidate your opponents.

Hwoarang and Bryan Fury

If you feel compelled to take a small break from Tekken 6’s chain throws and rib-cracking kicks the game will also feature online co-op beat ‘em up Streets of Rage style minigame similar to the Tekken Force mode introduced in Tekken 3.  Not interested?  You can always prove to yourself that you have what it takes to punch and kick your way up the online and offline ranking ladder from beginner to Tekken God, and prove it to the world at the next big tournament.  You can surely expect to see Tekken 6 at DEVASTATION ’10.

I’m definitely going to be snatching up my copy of Tekken 6 and sliding it into my PS3 the second I get home.  When I first heard the crunch of Paul’s shoulder pop throw and saw the crack of Nina’s arm bar in Tekken 2, I was hooked like a guppy.  Namco Bandai hasn’t failed to amaze me yet, and each installment continues to raise the bar by introducing new characters, fighting styles, game mechanics, features, graphics and sound upgrades.  I’ll happily hand over my $59.99+tax on Oct. 27.

Some facts about Tekken you may not know:

- In Tekken 3, Ling Xiayou had a secret schoolgirl uniform, but in Tekken 4, this would spawn an entirely new character, named Miharu.

- Originally, Tekken was going to be called “Rave War”…thank the greater powers that this did not come to pass.

- Although Jin makes an appearance in Tekken 5, it’s not part of the series’ canon. Devil Jin is supposedly the real version of Jin in the game, while Jin was put in there to appease long-time fans.

- Steve Fox’s original name was Dean Earwicker, which was promptly changed.  I don’t know how Namco Bandai came up with that.

- Tekken and Soul Calibur are two titles that uses a Time Release system, which unlocks characters based on how long the machine has been running.

- In Tekken 3 and Tekken Tag Tournament, if you performed a chicken (to reverse a reversal), the announcer would sometimes yell out “chicken!”