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General: Tekken... One of the best, and in many opinions, the most fun hand-to-hand 3D fighting game there is. And in Summer 2006, the first true handheld version of Tekken is released, and luckily (to us 'Tekken Fanatics'), it just so happens to be the latest version Tekken, recently released in American arcades as Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection.
   Namco tossed the "5" out of the title for the handheld version, most likely to distinguish the two versions, and dubs it Tekken: Dark Resurrection. PSP's first rock solid 3D fighter includes every character from Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, and kicks your ass with a presentation you would only expect from our beloved Namco. Tekken + 5 + DR + PSP = A new psp exclusive intro, all the general modes from previous Tekken installments, a new "Tekken Dojo" mode, more customization items and options than before, probably the best Tekken soundtrack to date, downloadable ghost fighters from human players all over the world, a theater mode, and extra mini games like Gold Rush and Tekken Bowling (back from Tekken Tag).
   Tekken: DR easily wins the title of "the best handheld fighting game" ever; and is definitely one of the best 3D fighters you can currently play on any system. Tekken: DR is also one of the best looking games on PSP... Geez Namco, quit making me brag about your damn games. Shit. I can't help it. Just take a glance at Resurrection. Best PSP graphics ever? Character models "shine," and really do look almost as good as Tekken 5 PS2 counterparts, only lacking a few minor details and polygons. And to praise this stupid silly game just a bit more, the character's faces seem to have translated perfectly from the arcade version and not to forget the nifty facial expressions. All the stages are also incredible eye candy (especially for a handheld), although the textures are a bit less defined than in the arcade version; but that's to be expected. However, how Tekken really looks to the human eye, as always, depends on who's playing...
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   You see kids, when two random button mashers start playing Tekken: DR, you'll usually be subject to witness a lot of silly looking jumping, awkward crouching jabs, ugly looking ground punches and ground kicks (from the likes of Tekken 1 or Tekken 2), and besides a few cool moves that are easy to pull off, all together, you'll see really pathetic "linear" action... Don't forget, some folk haven't even learned the sidestep yet... But don't worry, Namco has you covered if you're a scrub.
   Just for the Non-Tekken experts, Namco gives you a "Tekken for dummies Tutorial mode" which explains basic 'Tekken' movement, commands, aaand... take a deep breath Tekken newbies..... "It teaches you how to block." Namco is your new Tekken Guru, or something to that effect. Even the computer AI characters combo you "correctly" (for the first time ever) which is also a good way to learn combos / AKA... How to play the game. Thanks Namco, this may help minimize the button mashers of the world. The Tekken 5 series as a whole also made it easy for beginners to pull of some decent and cool looking moves quite simply by moderately button mashing, since Namco is constantly adjusting the move commands in Tekken to feel more natural and comfortable when playing the character, AKA easier. (You gotta notice that type of stuff).
   After watching even mediocre players playing Tekken, it would be easy for someone to say "Tekken always looks the same." Little do they know, they migt draw a completely different opinion if they watched two highly skilled players go at it. There's just no comparison when it comes to the action, and makes for a totally different visual experience. Thus, Tekken is what you make it, like most quality fighting games... And Namco's famed 3D fighter has always been a step ahead of the game. And obviously still is.
   The controls are arcade perfect. Of course using an arcade stick or ps2 controller is definitely easier than psp... it takes some adjusting even for Tekken Experts / Lords / Masters / Whatever floats your boat... But with a little practice and patience, you'll find those sometimes hard to get diagonals, and you'll hopefully find a sitting position comfortable for you to play it. You see, most good Tekken players use their fingers for the attack buttons, not their thumb. Hitting two buttons at once is simplified that way. I usually put my feet up somewhere and brace the psp against my leg, it works well... I'd suggest it if you're struggling to "control" this game. Because if you didn' know, this game can be controlled. Tekken rewards skilled players with victory, and scrubs with humiliation. What more could you want out of a good fighting game?
   Ahh back to the control... Diagonals are hard to find on some psps, but if you picked up Namco's "alternate d-pad" that fits on top of the default PSP d-pad, diagonals should no longer give you any trouble! If you ever thought PSP's d-pad was stiff in general, I definitely recommend the alternate d-pad... Sure, I won't be completely conceited, some moves are much more hard to pull of on psp than a ps2 controller or arcade stick. Bah, no big deal... There's PLENTY of other moves you can get off regularly.
   Once you step over the learning curve of the psp's general feel, it plays perfectly. All the moves and combos from the arcade version are present. Sure, there are a few small glitches with VS mode and certain (small) things different from the arcade version, but it's pretty damn close, and close enough for sure. This game is it's own entity, but it will also make you better if you're still one of those types to go to the arcade and rack up a win streak. I'm one of those types...  Still, the same "gameplay experience" you'd get on the arcade version, you can now get on psp.... Just a little smaller, unless you have one of those PSP-to-tv thingies. 
     Tekken 5's bugs and balance issues have been taken care of, and new combos and moves are waiting to be learned. The game runs at a perfect 60 fps, with cutscenes running at 30 fps (and still looking quite good). Replays are still 60 fps, and bring the pain, looking as good as you'd expect. The only gripe I have is that the camera angle during the cutscenes in between rounds (where both characters are usually seen), has been somewhat altered so that you can only see the losing character... and maybe almost half of the winner (if you're lucky). Kind of a shame, since characters have been given new animations for winning the round in Tekken 5: DR. But since those cut-scenes are usually skipped during an intense battle anyway, it's a gripe that I'll soon forget about. The only other things that are "imperfect" are that characters don't open and close their hands as smoothly as they used to, and when looking at a character model really close, you can see some strange black dots appear between the polygons. Bah! No big deal at all...
   Well, enough of my ranting about skill deprived people and my nitpicking on camera angles... Tekken finally made it to a portable system with amazing success. No, Tekken Advance doesn't count. This is 60 frames per second fighting action that you can take with you anywhere. The theory of boredom itself is being questioned to "Tekken fanatics"... Will we ever truly be "bored" anywhere ever again? To some of us, Tekken is a game that NEVER gets boring. I still haven't put it down, and don't plan to anytime this millenium.
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      Let's see, OTHER things that make the game great!? Well for one, the computer AI has improved MUCH over Tekken 5, and many of the "later" ghost characters will actually combo you quite well, and even low parry you... Which is something Tekken 5's AI left out, as if combos and low parries aren't even in the game. But the computer AI still isn't perfect, which means the ghosts you and your friends create will also suffer from "getting up too fast" and "doing easy to read get-up kicks" among other things highly skilled players can see to easily destroy the AI.
     Tekken was never easier to practice... So now there's no excuse to be a button masher. The command list will now stay on screen DURING your command training... Which is a more practical and easier way of learning the new stuff, since it takes less time to go through the "basic" movelist. And I must say the soundtrack to practice mode is quite catchy... As is the entire soundtrack.
   Namco even went the extra mile and brings us portable "ghost creation" where players train characters that pretty much mimic your combos, (but certainly don't substitute a human player). So yes, you can fight yourself, or have any of your friends fight against your ghost. Your ghost will use the combos you use, but depending on it's rank and the difficulty setting, it will have super good defense (probably better than yours), but it will still have lousy get-up tactics... In any case, the ghost system is still entertaining. Tekken: DR is a big step in the revolution of the fighting genre, and that's not the first time for a Namco fighting game.
    Portable Tekken is easy and fun. The menus are slick, the diversity of the modes can keep you busy for a while, it seems Namco gives you every reason to want to play this game. So... Learn the system! It'll keep you busy for hours, days, months, years, whatever you prefer. PSP kicks ass in a lot of ways, and now kicks ass approximately 1250 times more to me. That's right... 1250 times more. It's that badass. Even IGN said it's badass, so you know it's badass *sarcasm*. Ha HA.
Manufacturer: Namco
Platforms: PSP
Year: July 25, 2006
Characters: Devil Jin, Asuka Kazama, Feng Wei, Raven, Kuma, Panda, Bruce, Anna, Jin Kazama, Eddy, Lee Chaolan, Ling Xiaoyu, Bryan Fury, Nina Williams, Paul Phoenix, Yoshimitsu, Steve Fox, Craig Marduk, Christie Monteiro, Hwoarang, Kazuya Mishima, King, Marshall Law, Julia Chang, Jack, Lei Wulong, Armor King, Roger Jr., Wang, Ganryu, Mokujin, Heihachi, Jinpachi, Dragunov, LiLi
Comment: Whoa ho ho.. Even mainstream reviewing sites are saying it's the best fighting game on psp!? Well duh, Tekken wins that easily... How about "best fighting game"? Yeah, it's up there for sure. Tekken the techical gameplay, the diverse, deep, and entertaining characters, and so much more to appreciate.

"Keep in mind, that Resurrection's inherent extras aren't necessarily what allows it to stand out. First and foremost, it's the engine and its mechanics which promote player skill, strategy, and fast reflexes -- that's what makes the game what it is."
~IGN

Damn right bitttches, finally you're right about something! Are you kidding me? The fact is... If you're a newbie to Tekken, or even a "casual" Tekken player, you truly don't stand a chance against a Tekken Lord / Master / Virtuoso / Whatever you prefer. And that's what makes a good fighting game... The gap between skill-deprived people with bad reaction time, and "Lords" of the game who can catch a fly with a chopstick. Err, well okay I'm exaggerating a little bit.

Cool people play Tekken, and now Tekken fits into your fist? Yes, it's one of my favorite fighting games, if not my current #1 favorite, so of course it's naturally a 10. I can now put aside Tekken 5 on my worn PS2, and wear in my new psps... Yes psps's; you should also get two... so you always have an extra controller and such... And you'll only need 1 copy of the game to play. America, get ready for the best looking virtual violence that you can take with you anywhere... Hell yes.
Rating: 10