If you enjoyed the last Tekken Tag, you're sure to enjoy this PlayStation2 game as well. Like other versions of the game, it focuses on game-play, but there is a story behind it. Heihachi is the ultimate bad guy in this game and his opponent is his son, Kazuya. Heihachi has announced "The King of the Iron Fist Tournament 4" with his empire as the top prize. From there the competition begins.
As in previous versions, there are several different game modes: Story Battle, where you fight and play out each different character's personal story; Arcade, where you play either against the game or an opponent to try and win all eight levels in the least time; VS Battle, where two players fight one another; Team Battle, where a team of up to eight characters battles against another team; Survival, where you try and beat as many game characters as you can before your health runs out; Practice, where you can learn the techniques specific to each character; Training, where you can learn the moves specific to each character; and Tekken Force, where you try and beat the "force troops" and face a boss character at the end of each level. I personally enjoyed the Arcade mode. Each time you win with a character, new characters that were not available at the beginning of the game are unlocked. Throughout each of these modes, the attention to background detail is tremendous.
I was a little disappointed that the developers didn't introduce more new characters. While some characters may appear new at first, you'll soon notice that they bear a more than passing resemblance to the fighting styles of characters from the previous Tekken Tag. Changing a character's gender, name, or physical appearance doesn't mean folks won't recognize the characters once they start playing.
That being said, Tekken Tag is still a great game. I also believe it's good for the whole family, from the serious player who will train until they know every move for a specific player, to the more casual player who just presses buttons (I recommend Christie (a.k.a. Eddy for anyone who's played the old version). It's always fun to play against the game and even more fun to play against a friend. Tekken Tag is one of those staple games that every game system owner should have.
