Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Announced for AOU 2011!

Playable! Not Playable! Playable! Not Playable!

Okay, we all know THAT, thanks to numerous leaky tweets from the Ultimate Tekken Mole, Katsuhiro Harada (who’s fairly in deep with anything that’s involved with this game). However, it’s only recently that Namco-Bandai itself has acknowledged this, on their new AOU site, which lists all their to-be-featured games including Tekken Tag 2 (of course, who cares about some stoopid Dragonball games…). Anyway, the entry for TTT2 mentions some intriguing features:

• Best-ever 3-D fighting character lineup!
• New Tag Gameplay!
• Redesigned Card System!
• Live monitor system to connect the world!

Wow! Harada didn’t mention any of those things. Well, at least not in those big-sounding words. This probably means that if Tag 2 is playable at the expo, we’ll be seeing, hopefully, the new Tag-Team Gameplay, how the arcade system will handle Cards and keeping all your player records and customizations all saved up, plus a hint of the online mechanics. Oh, and hopefully we’ll also have a look at the game’s roster- the biggest in a Tekken game yet.

Awesome-sounding stuff, but sadly, still about a week and a half away on Feb. 18-19. Till then, one can always re-watch the last TTT2 trailer another couple thousand times…

Tekken Tweets: New Tekken Tag 2 Screens!

Paul and Law give newcomer Jaycee a Welcoming Tag Throw.

Fresh from his latest slugfest with Ono, Tekken Boss Katsuhiro Harada has just posted a few choice screenshots from the upcoming Tekken Tag Tournament 2. This comes on the heels of the recent appearance online of a magazine scan from the latest issue of Arcadia Magazine, showing off several returning characters’ new artworks and some screenshots. Check out the new images in full-size over at Harada’s Twipple.

Lars and his now-young old man get to have a rematch.

So far the game looks pretty gorgeous, but I’m sure all of us are wanting to see it in motion. Just a couple more weeks, dudes- AOU 2011 should be here before we know it. Till then, let’s hope Harada-san doles out some more screens and art.

Devil Jin is back and looks freakin’ awesome.

Musing About Tekken Tag 2: Returning Fighters Predictions, Updated

Regular readers will probably remember that I already touched upon the subject of returning MIA’s to the Tekken arena. Since then though, things have happened (basically the confirmation of Jinpachi Mishima as the first returnee), and I think my list is due for a slight revision. Let’s see if I call out any guess correctly or if my original list was still for the better. Well then, here’s my new list of Wanted Returning Characters for Tekken Tag Tournament 2. It’s a shorter list, but I’ve thought them out more.

I want the costume she’s wearing to be one of her alts…

Kunimitsu. Still want this hot ninja babe to appear, although the recent introduction of Jaycee means there will be two masked babes in the game if she does appear, which does not bode well. Still, the possibility of her fighting style being very cool and new (a cross between Yoshi and Raven, maybe?) is too tantalizing to ignore for me.

Jun will be back. I think.

Jun Kazama. Yep, I still hold fast that despite everything, despite Katsuhiro Harada’s seeming resistance to her returning, there’s been too much clamor for the original Kazama-ryu style fighter to make an appearance in TTT2. I’m hoping Jun will be significantly different from Asuka, and at least with some nice customizations and costumes. I’m of two minds as to how she will be portrayed- in canon she’s probably in her thirties, so she’s older than most of the female roster but should still be a beauty to behold. But the team may play with timelines a bit in this non-canon game and just show her in her young prime appearance. I am okay with either.
In any case, if she does appear, I expect she may be the last one revealed just to keep all the Jun fans in suspense… that is, if Harada has a nasty streak in him. Heheh…

If she does return, hopefully sans Wolf Demon…

Unknown. Heck, Why NOT, since they brought back Jinpachi? She was the boss in the first Tekken Tag Tournament, so she’s got a history with this particular franchise. How would she look and what would her customizations or costumes be? I hope the wolf spirit won’t reappear, though I’d love for her to be back in her old black goo or ragged dress outfits. Her fight style would be as before- switching from fighter to fighter at random in-game (instead of Mokujin who changes only per round), which would make her a true Tekken expert’s choice of player.

Other possibilities for returning are Michelle Chang– as a probable replacement for Julia in case she turns out to have had an identity change. Devil (and thus Angel) might not appear in a normal sense, as Harada has repeatedly said ‘they are doing something new with him’. Doctor Boskonovitch doesn’t seem to be on Harada’s mind at all. Alex, P-Jack, Tetsujin and Combot are just alt skins. Then there are the Ogres- Ogre and True Ogre– whom I really don’t like but admit have a good chance of being included.

I guess for now, the three babes above are my guesses in this little game. Hopefully at least one or even two of them turn up in the roster soon. With as yet only 42 fighters so far playable (including Jaycee and Jinpachi), I think that it’s perhaps safe to say that there may be up to four slots more for any additional fighters, whether returning or all-new. We’ll just have to wait and see then, eh? What are your thoughts, dudes and dudettes?

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is slated for arcade release in Japan this Summer 2011.

SSFIV AE: Evil Ryu/Oni Endings, Evil Ryu’s Chest Wound Explained

UPDATE: A copyright claim by Capcom just took out the Youtube videos of Evil Ryu and Oni’s endings. I guess if you missed ’em, just wait for someone else to upload them or just wait a bit till the video embargo on them is lifted and they become available online again.

Meanwhile, the reason for Evil Ryu’s hole-in-the-chest is explained. The design is in reference to the manga Ryu Final (considered by many as the true telling of the story of SFIII), wherein he gets himself punched right THROUGH by Akuma in their final battle. It’s pretty intense, and if you wanna see the whole thing, get the translated manga by Udon. Every SF fan should have a copy.

Ouch.

Anyways, don’t worry about Ryu- though the manga goes out of its way to make it seem that Ryu went to the ol’ Dojo in the sky, going as far as showing off what appears to be his grave, the ending reveals otherwise.

Hey there, Ryu… RYU?!

It’s at this point where Alex should start running. Come on- the guy survived a freakin’ punch THROUGH the chest. What chance do you have, dude? Heheh…

Anyways, the manga is the work of artist Masahiko Nakahira, from whom the character of Evil Ryu actually first came to light (as well as character Karin Kanzuki, created in the Sakura Ganbaru manga, also made by Nakahira). Credit goes to Hadoken.net for this info.

Tekken Tag 2 HD Screen and Wallpaper

Jaycee strikes a pose!

Ah, the micro-updates. Gotta love them. As I predicted, as we go our merry, excruciating way to AOU 2011 and a look at Tekken Tag Tournament 2 in video form, small updates are being doled out in the meantime. This weekend, we’ve gotten a couple of visuals. One is an HD version of a Jaycee screenshot we’ve already seen before in the Famitsu article. The other is a 1080p TTT2 Character Wallpaper of Spanish brawler, Miguel Caballero Rojo. Check both out at Harada-san’s Twipple.

Miguel’s spoiling for another shot at Jin.

Incidentally, once can see that written on Miguel’s visible garter of his trunks or briefs is the word ‘Luchador’, which may or may not mean a connection between him and Jaycee, who is obviously a Luchadora… Nah, it’s probably nothing. Or IS it..? The Plot Thickens!

SSFIV Arcade: Evil Ryu and Oni Gameplay (UPDATED)

Back into the Shadows… for now.

UPDATE: Capcom just threw down the hammer of the gods on some of the Youtube videos showing off Evil Ryu and Oni gameplay in Super Streetfighter IV Arcade Edition– apparently Yoshinori Ono wasn’t totally joking around when he said that he was going to be chewed out by his bosses by the apparent leakage of the two additional SSFIVAE fighters. So, did someone hack the arcade units? How did that happen? Anyways, the vids are being taken down all over the place. I won’t be posting any more links till the banning frenzy is over so my site won’t become a way for the Capcom Ban Police to find more stuff to clamp down on.

Anyway, for the benefit of those who weren’t able to catch the (low quality) vids, Evil Ryu pretty much looks like he always has in the previous games, save now he has what appears to be a nasty wound or hole in his sternum or chest. Oni (previously known as Oni Akuma) appears like a more buffed-up, Super Saiyan-version of Akuma, sporting flaming white hair (and matching blue-white fiery aura) and a cool new raised-arm stance. Players have described Oni as playing more like Gouken than Akuma. Suffice to say, these two overpowered-looking Shotos look pretty impressive.

I guess now we’ll have to wait a bit till the embargo on the characters is lifted, although by now it’s pretty moot to keep them secret. Who knows what the fallout will be from this leakage, but heck- players have known about these fighters since that first artwork of them was shown months ago. What’s the big deal? Whatever… anyway… going back to monitoring Tekken Tag 2 on Twitter then…

“Prepare for the Next Battle!”

Whenever Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada posts this online (either on his Facebook or Twitter), I just get the feeling it’s a precursor to something. Something meaning, perhaps a new character reveal, impending info or updates or some other matter concerning the upcoming Tekken Tag Tournament 2. Well, he just posted it several hours ago, so now I’m expecting.

It’s still almost a month till AOU 2010, where Harada has said gameplay vids of TTT2 will surface. While I don’t expect a new trailer till then, perhaps we’ll see other media. Up to now, we’ve only seen two additional characters shown off, and several returning characters’ artworks and screens. That still leaves 30++ returning characters still to make their presence known, and only Harada-knows how many additional fighters still waiting to be uncovered. As AOU’s appearance of Tekken Tag may reveal stuff like a look at the Character Select screen and the general look of the roster, perhaps info building up to that may be leaked out. Perhaps we’ll see more stuff on the next issues of Famitsu Weekly, or other Japanese mags, or even some of the gaming sites like Gamespot which have proven to be still in the loop in terms of fighting games. But of course, most of all, perhaps Harada himself will post stuff on his Twitter account, just as he did with the most recent pics of the new Yoshimitsu.

Anyway, I’ll keep my eyes and browser peeled. More as I get it then! For now, back to playing then…

Tekken Tag 2’s Jaycee and Manila’s Volta: Separated at Birth?

Lucha Mask Ladies, Unite!

I guess I just had to get this off my chest. As hot as new masked wrestler Jaycee from Tekken Tag Tournament 2 is, I can’t help but be reminded of some other character when I see her. That character is none other than Volta, the titular superheroine of a local comedy movie that came out here in Manila, Philippines a few years back. The character was played by comedienne Ai Ai Delas Alas. What can I say? The shape of their masks, the bright color schemes… they’re pretty similar! Maybe the film producers used a lucha mask for Volta’s costume. Or maybe a Tekken team member was in Manila a few years ago. Maybe I just have a bit too much time on my hands. Moving on…

Tekken Tag 2: More New Yoshimitsu Images

Yoshimitsu’s new look for TTT2.

The recent Famitsu artlce on Tekken Tag Tournament 2 revealed some pics of what appeared to be Yoshimitsu, albeit with an all-new and even more intricate (read: Off-the-wall-weird) costume. Well, despite some speculations that this was the missing Kunimitsu, it has been since revealed that this was indeed the enigmatic space ninja. It has been noted by Famitsu that Yoshimitsu is unique in that he always appears with a new look in pretty much every game.

I come in peace…

The pics themselves are of a special figurine made from the character’s current design, made by figure artist/sculptor Takeya Takayuki. Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada has just confirmed that indeed, this will be how Yoshi will look in Tekken Tag 2. Harada has just posted several more pics of the figure from various angles on his Twitter photo account, which you can get to from here.

How good will this translate in-game? Count on it looking pretty badass.

Yoshimitsu is not a character that I use, but his new design is pretty awesome. I’m sure fans of the Manji Leader are happy with this new incarnation. More as we get it then.

What Would a Tekken Tag 2 Win Animation Look Like?

And you thought they couldn’t get any creepier…

As of right now we have no idea how Tekken Tag Tournament 2 will handle win animations. Every character has their own signature win poses, but how will tag teams mug it up for the cameras after a victory? Will we see familiar poses, new poses, remixed poses? Anyway, here’s a little doodle of what I think should be one of the win animations, melding together two of Tekken 6’s creepiest victory cutscenes. What do you guys think? Heheh…