Tekken: Dark Resurrection (PSP)

If you ask me, no PlayStation game line-up or collection is complete without a Tekken game in it. It’s like owning a Nintendo console without a Mario game in your collection — it’s just not done. With the PSP desperately in need of a ‘killer app’ since its release; Namco couldn’t have released Tekken: Dark Resurrection at a needier time.

Originally Tekken: Dark Resurrection was an arcade-only enhancement to PS2’s hit fighting game Tekken 5. Dark Resurrection added in a couple of new fighters to the line-up, more levels to fight in, bonus customization content and new game modes. The good news is that the handheld port of the game offers everything included in the arcade version and more.

For starters, Tekken: Dark Resurrection on the PSP makes all the characters playable right from the start, instead of you having to unlock them one-by-one in story mode. This is a great thing, as you don’t really have to go through a ton of character storylines just so you can finally get access to the fighter that you really want to play as.

If you’ve played Tekken 5 on the PS2, then Tekken: Dark Resurrection will immediately put you in familiar territory. The characters have the familiar Tekken Left Hand, Right Hand, Left Leg, Right Leg control system and all the moves that make Tekken so universally loved. The best part about Tekken is that whether you’re a fighting game fan or not, it has something for everybody. Beginners can button-mash their way to victory, and veteran fighters can make moves flow like poetry in motion. It’s equally gratifying for everyone.

It would definitely take a while before you get bored of this game, primarily because there is so much to do. There are multiple modes to play through like the Story Mode, where you play through a series of battles as a single character, unlocking his/her/it’s story along the way. Playing through this mode rewards you with an awesome pre-rendered clip, bonus game modes (for the first few times) and money that you can use to customize the look of the game’s characters. The game also offers you modes like Arcade, Tekken DoJo, Gold Rush, etc. for you to play through.

The Practice mode is a great place for N00bs to learn the basics of the game’s fighting scheme, and also a great place for veteran fighters to hone their skills on the new platform.

Back from the dead is Tekken Bowling, which, just as the name suggests is a bowling game you play with Tekken characters. It was last seen in Tekken Tag Tournament (the first Tekken game on the PlayStation 2), and now it makes it’s comeback exclusively on the PSP.