Tekken 6 Console Item Moves Video

These moves can change the course of the game… not.

Youtube user Byakokoko just posted this cool video showing off most of the Item Moves in Tekken 6 (give or take one or two). In case you didn’t know, Item Moves are ‘unlocked’ by equipping certain items on a character. Some of them are pretty cool and are actually viable attacks, some are less so, while some are quite useless aside from being chuckle-worthy. Thankfully, Usable Items aren’t that expensive so it shouldn’t be hard to get the ones for your particular fighter and have some fun. So check out the vid and start buying those items!

IGN posts Tekken Movie Trailer Review

No, it’s not a review of the actual movie- just the trailer. Still, it beats no review of anything at all, plus the word seems pretty positive. I still can’t get over the apparent fact that a Tekken movie EXISTS yet is as yet still not generally out. It seems so low profile, like it’s an afterthought to the whole Tekken marketing blitz. Oh well… in any case, we all have to take into account that trailers are often better than the actual movie, but who knows- for some reason, I am feeling quite a bit of hope for the Iron Fist film. I’m definitely looking out for this fighting game adaptation. More as I get it. For the IGN trailer review, check here.

Starting My Life in Ferelden

I started playing Dragon Age: Origins (Xbox360) last night. Scratch that- I played it this morning, at about 4 AM, after my usual nightly Tekken 6 play session. I started off the Human Noble campaign, playing as a dashing young nobleman- handsome, landed and blessed with a loving family and a castle full of men-at-arms and servants. Walked around, flirted with a comely Elven lady-in-waiting and even got her to spend the night in my room. Unfortunately it all soon went to hell as I woke up to find the castle invaded by treacherous enemies, most of the people slain or fled, and my family ravaged. My short origin done, I was now looking to the future, as a member of the mysterious Grey Wardens. Aside from finding this new path and taking on the impending invasion by a threat known as The Blight, I of course have revenge for my family on the mind, so I’ve got a lot of fighting, questing, dialogue-choosing and flirting to do.

So far my impressions- the game doesn’t look impressive- at least, not as nice as Oblivion did a few years ago. However, the RPG-vibe that came with Bioware games like KOTOR or even the older Baldur’s Gate games feels quite strong here, albeit this is more of an action game rather than the tactical RPG this game is on the PC thanks to the closer view. I don’t know how much time I’ll be able to devote to this, but I’ll give it a good right try.

Super Streetfighter IV Modes Detailed

The Bonus Round is back, cars all over the world tremble.

The upcoming Super Streetfighter IV looks to be a real fan service title so far. Aside from expected fan favorites making their 2.5D debut, Bonus Rounds have been confirmed to return. So SF fans who missed the ability to smash cars and falling barrels will probably be in a tizzy. Also revealed are some online modes- Endless Battle, Team Battle, Replay Channel and Tournament mode.
The SSFIV official Japanese site was also updated with a bunch of SFIV fighters’ bios, and a new bit on each fighter’s entry lets you hear a voice sample- Juri, the new Eeh-vil female TKD fighter, definitely sounds more provocative than the usual… I like. Heheh…

This new trailer shows off what modes players can expect in SSFIV.

You can check out a detailed report here at Andriasang.com.

Super Streetfighter IV is set for release on consoles in early 2010.

Tekken 6 Online Update On the Way

In order to address the many, many complaints of laggy online play being experienced by many gamers (me included), Namco-Bandai has announced that they are working on a patch to improve this rather big issue. The patch will come separate and before the already-announced update that will add Online Co-op in the Scenario Campaign mode. The patch will be made available as soon as possible.

This can’t come soon enough. Really, if the lag can be improved I’d probably play more online to get my rank up and build my skills. Unfortunately it’s pretty bad on my end- yeah, my connection isn’t stellar, but any bit helps. More on this as we get it.

Tekken Movie: Poster and Premiere

Here’s a look at the poster for the live-action Tekken movie. Coming up on the tail end of the Tekken 6 marketing efforts, the film premieres today, Nov. 5, in Sta. Monica, CA. Luke Goss (Hellboy 2, Blade 2), who plays Steve Fox, will be present at this red carpet event along with some of the other actors.

I’m really not expecting much from this adaptation, given how burned I have been by fighting game-based flicks. Who knows, though… this may turn out to be entertaining. At least they seem to have made an effort to make the characters look like their in-game counterparts, as opposed to the horrid-looking King of Fighters movie that pretty much throws out all the character designs out the window. Still, if Lateef ‘Eddy Gordo’ Crowder himself apparently said to ‘not expect much’, how good can it be? Well, keep your expectations low so you don’t have too high a fall. I will definitely see this when I can, so I’ll leave this at that for now.

Penny Arcade’s Tekken 6 Comic Finished

Get into the mind of the world’s deadliest marsupials.

While we were all waiting for the release of Tekken 6, one of the more unusual bits of marketing for the game was the Roger-centric online comic from the makers of Penny Arcade. The art style was far more cartoony than you’d usually expect for the Iron Fist crew, and it didn’t help that the pages were few and far between. Well, it’s a bit late now but the whole thing’s done and the finished comic is a nice little footnote for Tekken fans, and the art has actually grown on me- this would have been even better as an animated short. I particularly like how they managed to slip in some of the other Tekken fighters (Nina is hot! Leo and Bob got their asses kicked by a Kangaroo!). It was brief but after all’s said, very much worth seeing. Good stuff! Check the whole comic out here.

Tekken 6 PSP Features, Release Date?

Japanese game site Rakuten just posted an intriguing entry for reservations on the PSP version of Tekken 6. If it is true, handheld gamers may be distressed to know that the mini-version of T6 is slated for a January 14, 2010 release.

On the bright side though, the entry lists some pretty cool new stuff.

For one, there is mention of an original PSP mode, “Gold Rush” (which was also in Tekken DR). This may replace the console versions’ Scenario Campaign mode, which we already know from past articles will not be making it into the PSP game. Perhaps this means earning fight money for all those customizations will be a lot easier… what, no Nightmare Train in PSP? Awww…

Another intriguing bit is what may be a new Story Mode, which we assume will be closer to the classic story battle of DR. Apparently Lars and Alisa will have new CG endings (or at least, pre-rendered CG epilogues in line with their resolutions in the console versions) in the portable T6.

Okay, for all we know, this may be true and accurate… or not. The PSP game is sure to have short cuts and graphical limitations, but it should be something to wait for particularly for fight fans who would love to have their Tekken 6 fix always at hand. Who knows- maybe the extra wait will entail some new stuff. More on this as we get it. For now, check out the original article (untranslated though) here.

Just Desserts: The Lone Gamer’s Top 10 Best Tekken Endings

Which Tekken endings best leave you with a satisfied smile?

As important as cinematic intros are as a tradition in the Tekken series, even more vital to the enjoyment of fans are the CG Character Endings. Tekken may not have started the trend of giving players a visual resolution as a reward for their struggles, but it has since become synonymous with pre-rendered cutscene epilogues since the original home version of the first game. Every console part has provided these usually brief but engaging bits of storytelling (or non-story, as many turned out to be), with each chapter progressively getting better and more expressive with improvements in graphics and animation.
There are literally dozens of character endings that have made us laugh, cry and go “WTF??!” in the course of the franchise’s 15-year career, and here are my choice picks that go beyond the rest among the endings in Tekken.

The Top 10 Best Tekken Endings Why are they the best? Mainly because I just love seeing them over and over. Maybe it’s animation. Maybe it’s the storytelling. Or something else. Whatever the reason, these endings rule in my book.

10. Paul Phoenix (Tekken 4) The epilogues for the American Bad-ass are, admittedly, usually stupid. Punching a Wall? Punching a Rockslide? Getting a Speeding Ticket? What the heck? Thankfully Paul’s bad ending streak ended in Tekken 4, with a poignant and ultimately satisfying finale. After winning the T4 tournament, Paul sinks to a depraved life of debauchery and parties. But one night, a chance look inside Marshall Law’s dojo and a glimpse of his former glory awakens the fire within the old fighter, bringing the true road warrior back into the world. Too bad since then, his endings once again sucked…

9. Gun Jack (Tekken 3) At first seemingly one of the most disturbing endings ever, this showed an older Jane finally reunited with her beloved robot and then walking off together to a happy future… before being blown to atoms by a satellite death ray from Doctor Abel (easily one of the biggest SOBs in Tekken). However, upon unlocking the true end, we see Jack and Jane alive and well, protected by the upgraded robot’s force field. The sigh of relief felt at that moment made this truly one memorable and satisfying finale.

8. Ganryu (Tekken 5) Though he also has one of the WORST endings in the series, Ganryu’s epilogue in T5 is memorable, slickly animated and hilariously tragic. With a grand harbor set with bright city lights, it almost seems like a scene out of some classic romance movie- that is, until you see the half-naked fat guy wearing a bow tie. Of course, we all know where this rendezvous will lead… an expression of utter and absolute dismay on the sumo’s face, which is both hilariously and tragically priceless.

7. Kazuya Mishima (Tekken 2) This non-canon What If ending portrays what would have happened if somehow, Kazuya resisted the Devil and fought back. As Kaz turns his back on the seemingly defeated foe, the Devil rises up and launches a deadly attack- only to be thwarted by a surprising sacrifice by Heihachi. Kaz’s stunned reaction of his father’s altruism soon gives way to a sly smile, and one human shield later, Kazuya wins the day with a final punch and a satisfied smirk. Nicely action-packed, sadistically funny and strangely satisfying, and once again keeping consistent Kazuya’s anti-hero bent.

6. Nina Williams (Tekken 2) The love-hate relationship between the Williams’ sisters is by now about as taken for granted as anything else in the series… but way back then, this emotional and poignant scene between the two warring sisters summed up everything perfectly. The music, the animation and emotion (even for such early, relatively simple CG) was perfect and truly memorable. Oh, and Nina going for a gun under her skirt was cool too…

5. Jin Kazama (Tekken 3) The shocking canon resolution to the 3rd King of Iron Fist Tournament is pretty awesome- there’s some hard-hitting violence in the form of an execution via firing squad and a pretty brutal head shot, some much-deserved payback and of course, the introduction of Devil Jin. The horror movie lighting and music as well contribute to a truly memorable and epic finale.

4. Ling Xiaoyu (Tekken 3) The first ending for the petite debutante in T3 was striking in that it was done mostly in anime-style instead of the usual pre-rendered CG. Showing a victorious Ling claiming her prize from Heihachi- her very own amusement park. Of course, Tekken’s Dick Dastardly can’t resist giving the prize his own twisted spin, and it merits him a pretty heavy beating (Ling beats him up so much, I kinda felt sorry for him though). Amusing and truly unique.

3. Jin Kazama (Tekken 5) Short and simple but impactful, this canon ending to T5 showed the once-embattled fugitive hero now taking his place at the head of the Mishima Zaibatsu- something once unheard of given Jin’s hatred of his bloodline. The dark grandeur of the moment- complete with a sinister throne room lined by armies of Agent Smith-like followers, coupled with Jin’s sinister smirk at the end was a portent of things to come. Great and terrible things…

2. Asuka Kazama (Tekken 5) The first CG ending for the new holy maiden was a refreshing change from previous epilogues involving Jin and the Devil Gene, which are usually dark, depressing and brooding. Seen from the perspective of a brash and clueless newcomer in Asuka, this unusually light-hearted skit is a breath of fresh air, particularly for Tekken’s emo pretty boy who actually gets to do a bit of comedy. Aside from all that, the ending is of adequate length to tell the story, wonderfully animated and just so damn cute. Let’s just disregard that it also started the rash of Asuka X Jin shipping nonsense…

1. Lars Alexandersson and Alisa Bosconovitch (Tekken 6) Yeah, this is probably the Best Ending yet seen in the series- the long, multi-staged finale to the Scenario Campaign mode in T6. No other ending is as long, detailed or emotional as the finale with these two got… hell, not bad for two newcomers to the series! One gets a dramatic death scene (kinda) while the other seems set as the next big protagonist of the series. THEN we get an intriguing epilogue that bodes lots of things for the next Tekken. Awesomeness! The events in Scenario Campaign are hopefully canon- if this is so, then I can’t wait to see what happens next in the Iron Fist Tournament.

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time Movie Trailer

From Jarhead to Swashbuckling Prince, Jake Gyllenhaal dives into videogame adaptation nation with this Bruckheimer-produced action-fantasy flick. Preconceived notions of yet another potential game-to-movie train wreck aside (and a Disney-made one at that), the trailer actually got me hopeful. The production design looks top notch, Gyllenhaal definitely looks the part, and there seems to be a lot of jumping, fighting and mystical sands in the film- all which seem right and proper for an Epic Prince of Persia movie. Color me intrigued and interested. It’s set to arrive in May 2010.