Tekken facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Tekken
New series logo first used by Tekken 8
Genres	Fighting
Developers	Bandai Namco Studios Namco
Publishers	Bandai Namco Entertainment Namco Sony Computer Entertainment
Creators	Seiichi Ishii
Platforms	Android Arcade Game Boy Advance iOS Microsoft Windows Nintendo 3DS PlayStation PlayStation 2 PlayStation 3 PlayStation 4 PlayStation 5 PlayStation Portable Wii U Xbox 360 Xbox One Xbox Series X/S
First release	Tekken September 21, 1994 (1994-09-21)
Latest release	Tekken 8 January 26, 2024 (2024-01-26)

Tekken (Japanese: 鉄拳（てつけん）, meaning "Iron Fist") is a popular Japanese video game series. It's all about fighting games made by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Besides games, there are also movies and books based on Tekken.

The main games in the series are about a big fighting competition called the King of Iron Fist Tournament. A powerful company, the Mishima Zaibatsu, hosts this tournament. Players pick from many different characters to win the tournament and take control of the company. A big part of the story focuses on the fights and drama within the Mishima family. Other characters also have their own reasons for wanting to control the Zaibatsu.

The gameplay is all about hand-to-hand combat. You can block attacks, throw your opponent, escape from holds, and fight on the ground. Later games added cool combos and special moves. Tekken was one of the first fighting games to use 3D graphics, which was a big deal when it first came out.

Namco started the series in 1994 with the first game, also called Tekken. Since then, there have been many main games and spin-off games. There are also three movies and other media. Tekken 2 and Tekken 3 are seen as very important games in the series. They were praised for their fun gameplay and exciting experience. Later games have followed this success. In 2015, the Guinness Book of World Records said Tekken had the longest story in video games without starting over. The story of the Mishima family, which covers the first ten games up to Tekken 8, is about a family trying to destroy each other.

The Tekken series is very popular and has sold over 57 million copies by 2024. This makes it the third best-selling fighting game series ever! Critics and game magazines often say that Tekken has set high standards for fighting games. They love its gameplay and how much fun it is to play again and again.

Games in the Series

Most main Tekken games first came out in arcades. The arcade machines often used parts similar to PlayStation consoles. After their arcade release, the games usually came out for PlayStation consoles at home.

The First Games: 1994–1997

Tekken (1994)

The very first Tekken game came out in 1994 in arcades. It then came to the PlayStation in 1995. This game had eight characters you could play as. The PlayStation version added more characters and cool cutscenes when you finished the game. In the main story, Kazuya gets revenge on his father, Heihachi Mishima, by beating him and throwing him off a cliff.

Tekken 2 (1995)

Tekken 2 was released in arcades in 1995 and for PlayStation in 1996. It had more characters, with a total of twenty-five. The home version added new game modes like Survival and Team Battle. In the main story, Heihachi survives his fall and defeats Kazuya in the next tournament. He then throws Kazuya into a volcano and takes back his company. During this time, Kazuya and Jun Kazama also met.

Tekken 3 (1997)

Tekken 3 arcade cabinet

Tekken 3 came out in arcades in 1997 and on PlayStation in 1998. This game takes place 19 years after Tekken 2, so it has many new characters. This includes Jin Kazama, the son of Kazuya and Jun, and other popular characters like Ling Xiaoyu and Hwoarang. The home version had fun bonus modes like Tekken Force and Tekken Ball. In the main story, Paul Phoenix defeats Ogre. Then, Jin Kazama defeats a stronger version of Ogre, avenging his mother. Jin's grandfather, Heihachi, tries to kill him, but Jin survives because of the Devil Gene he got from his father.

Team Battles and New Stories: 1999–2004

Tekken Tag Tournament (1999)

Tekken Tag Tournament came out in arcades in 1999 and was a launch game for the PlayStation 2 in 2000. This game let you fight in tag teams and included almost all the characters from previous Tekken games. It looked much better on PlayStation 2. The home version also had a fun Tekken Bowl mode. A special remastered version of this game was part of the Tekken Hybrid collection in 2011.

Tekken 4 (2001)

Tekken 4 was released in arcades in 2001 and for PlayStation 2 in 2002. It added a new Story mode where you could unlock cutscenes. The gameplay changed, allowing players to move around more freely before a round started. Stages also had walls and uneven ground for the first time. There were 23 characters to choose from. The story reveals that Kazuya survived being thrown into the volcano 20 years earlier. He enters the tournament to get his company back. In the main story, Jin defeats both Kazuya and Heihachi. Jin almost gives in to his Devil form but sees a vision of his mother, Jun, and stops himself from killing Heihachi.

Tekken 5 (2004)

Tekken 5 came out in arcades in 2004 and for PlayStation 2 in 2005. It had 32 characters, including new ones like Devil Jin and Asuka Kazama. Many characters who were missing from Tekken 3 returned. The home version included a mode called Devil Within. In the main story, Jin Kazama defeats his great-grandfather Jinpachi Mishima and takes over the Mishima Zaibatsu.

New Features and More Games: 2005–Present

Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection (2005)

Tekken 5 got a big update called Dark Resurrection in 2005. This updated version was released for the PlayStation Portable in 2006 and added two new characters: Emilie "Lili" De Rochefort and Sergei Dragunov. It also brought back Armor King. The game added a ranking system. Later, it came to PlayStation 3 in 2007 in full HD. This PlayStation 3 version, called Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection ONLINE, was the first Tekken game to have online play.

Tekken 6 (2007)

Tekken 6 first came out in arcades in 2007, with an updated version called Tekken 6: Bloodline Rebellion in 2008. The home version, based on Bloodline Rebellion, was released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. This was the first time a main Tekken game was available on more than one console. It had a Scenario Campaign mode, which you could play online. In the story, Jin Kazama causes chaos in the world to make a powerful being called Azazel appear. Jin believes defeating Azazel will remove the Devil Gene from his body. After the battle, Jin is found, but the Devil Gene is still there.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (2011)

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 was released in Japanese arcades in 2011. The console version came out the next year and was based on an updated arcade version. The Wii U version had a revised Tekken Ball mode and special Nintendo costumes. Like the first Tag Tournament, this game included almost every character from the series. It also featured famous rapper Snoop Dogg with his own stage and song.

Tekken 7 (2015)

Promotion at Nexon Arena in 2015

Tekken 7 was released in Japanese and Korean arcades in 2015. It was the first Tekken game to use the Unreal Engine. An update called Fated Retribution added guest characters like Akuma from Street Fighter and Noctis Lucis Caelum from Final Fantasy. The PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Microsoft Windows versions came out in June 2017. The PlayStation 4 version also had virtual reality support. In the main story, which finishes the Mishima family saga, Heihachi and Kazuya have their final battle. Kazuya defeats and kills Heihachi. Jin, who has recovered, declares he must kill Kazuya to end the Mishima bloodline. It was also revealed that Heihachi killed his wife Kazumi because she had the Devil Gene.

Tekken 8 (2024)

Tekken 8 was officially announced in September 2022 and released on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC on January 26, 2024. This game continues the story from Tekken 7 and focuses on the final fight between Kazuya and Jin. Tekken 8 uses the newer Unreal Engine 5, making it the first fighting game to do so.

Spin-off and Crossover Games

Many other Tekken games have been released over the years. Tekken Advance came out for the Game Boy Advance in 2001. Tekken 3D: Prime Edition was for the Nintendo 3DS in 2012. There was also a free-to-play Tekken game called Tekken Revolution for PlayStation Network in 2013.

Death by Degrees was an action-adventure game released in 2005, starring the character Nina Williams. Mobile games like Tekken Resolute and Tekken Bowl (a bowling mini-game) came out in 2011. Other mobile games include Tekken Card Tournament and Tekken Arena in 2013. In 2015, a special Galaga: Tekken 20th Anniversary Edition mobile game was released.

Namco and Capcom also worked together on crossover games. Street Fighter X Tekken was released in 2012, mixing Tekken characters with Street Fighter gameplay.

Pokkén Tournament was announced in 2014. It's a spin-off that combines Tekken fighting with characters from the Pokémon world. It first came out in arcades in Japan, then on Wii U in 2016, and later on Nintendo Switch.

Tekken Mobile, another spin-off, was released in 2018. It was very popular, getting over a million downloads.

How Tekken Was Made

Producer Katsuhiro Harada

Tekken wasn't planned to be a fighting game at first. It started as a way for Namco to test out making 3D character models. It used cool texture mapping technology, similar to Namco's racing game Ridge Racer. The game was led by Seiichi Ishii, who also designed Virtua Fighter. Tekken aimed to be similar but with more detailed characters and smoother animation. It was the first 3D fighting game to run at 60 frames per second, which made it look very fluid.

Gameplay Basics

An example of a fight in Tekken 5 which uses the series' common 3D design

In Tekken, players pick a character and fight an opponent up close. Unlike many fighting games that use buttons for punch strength, Tekken uses a button for each of the four limbs: left punch, right punch, left kick, and right kick. The game lets you block, throw opponents, escape from throws, and fight on the ground.

In the first Tekken, you had to block manually. But from Tekken 2 onwards, characters automatically block high and middle attacks if you're not moving. This is called "neutral guard." If you crouch, you'll duck high attacks and block low ones. You can also press back to use an "active guard" that blocks stronger attacks. Some characters even have special parries and reversals.

Tekken 3 added important new moves, like being able to sidestep into the background or foreground. It also made it faster to get up after being knocked down. Tekken 4 made movement even more free with truly 3D stages that had uneven ground, obstacles, and walls. This allowed for cool side and back throws if you outsmarted your opponent.

Tekken 4 got mixed reviews, and some even thought it was the weakest game. This led to big changes in Tekken 5. Tekken 5 brought back a mix of walled and open arenas. Tekken 6 kept many of Tekken 5's ideas but added a "Rage" mode. This mode makes your character do more damage when their health is low. It also added "Bound" hits, which let you keep a combo going by slamming an airborne opponent to the ground. Tekken 6 also had destructible floors and walls that fighters could break through.

Tekken Tag Tournament 2 kept these features and added "balcony breaks," where you could smash an opponent through a wall and fall to a lower level. It also had "Tag Assaults" (team combos) and "Tag Crashes" (emergency tags).

Tekken 7 introduced new moves like "Power Crushes," which can't be stopped by normal attacks once they start. It also added "Rage Arts," which are powerful super moves you can use when your character is in Rage mode. Tekken 7 also brought in "Aerial Tailspin" effects, which send opponents spinning backward for more combo opportunities. Later updates added "Rage Drive" and "Wall Bound" mechanics, which bounce opponents off walls for more hits.

Characters in Tekken

The conflict between the Mishima family serves as the main focus of the series' plot. As seen from left to right: Jinpachi Mishima, Heihachi Mishima, Kazuya Mishima and Jin Kazama.

Tekken has a wide variety of characters from different backgrounds and with unique fighting styles. Some characters have special powers, like Devil, Alisa Bosconovitch, Angel, Mokujin, Ogre, and Azazel. There are also animal characters like Kuma (a bear), Panda, the Roger family (kangaroos), and Alex (a dinosaur), who add some humor. In the game's story, each character usually has their own reason for joining the tournament.

The main hero of the series changes between games. Kazuya Mishima was the hero in the first game and Tekken 7. His father, Heihachi Mishima, was the hero of Tekken 2. Jin Kazama has been a main character since he first appeared in Tekken 3. The main conflict in the series, especially the Mishima saga, is the struggle between the Mishima family members trying to destroy each other. Other characters like Lars Alexandersson are also important, even if they aren't directly related to the Mishima family.

Characters who are connected in the story often share similar fighting styles or moves. For example, Heihachi and Kazuya Mishima, being father and son and learning the same fighting style, have very similar moves. When Jin Kazama first appeared, he also used the Mishima fighting style, mixed with his mother's style. But in Tekken 4, he changed to a completely different style, and his old moves were given to his demonic form, Devil Jin.

Some characters were originally very similar to others but later got their own unique moves. Examples include Lee Chaolan (who was like Marshall Law) and Anna Williams (who was like her sister, Nina). There are also characters who replaced older ones, especially in Tekken 3 because of the time jump. For instance, Julia Chang replaced her adoptive mother, Michelle.

Some Tekken characters have appeared in other video games as guest characters. These include games like Soulcalibur II, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Street Fighter X Tekken.

Movies and Shows Based on Tekken

Anime Series

Tekken: Bloodline, an anime series, was announced by Netflix in March 2022. It tells a story similar to Tekken 3 and was released on August 18, 2022.

Animated Films

Tekken: The Motion Picture, a two-part anime movie, came out in Japan in 1998. It follows Kazuya Mishima's revenge against his father Heihachi in the King of Iron Fist Tournament.

Tekken: Blood Vengeance, a full-length computer-animated film, premiered in the United States in 2011. It tells a different story that happens between the events of Tekken 5 and Tekken 6. It was also part of the Tekken Hybrid collection in Japan.

Live-Action Films

Tekken is a live-action movie directed by Dwight Little. It was released in 2009 and focuses on Jin Kazama entering the King of Iron Fist Tournament after his mother dies. Katsuhiro Harada, the director of the Tekken video games, has said he didn't like this movie.

A movie that happens before the 2009 film, called Tekken 2: Kazuya's Revenge, was released directly to DVD in 2014.

Other Media

There have been five comic books based on Tekken. Knightstone Comics published Tekken Saga and Tekken 2 in the late 1990s. Tekken Forever was a comic from Image Comics in 2001. There are also manga (Japanese comics) like Tekken: Tatakai no Kanatani and Tekken Comic. In 2016, Titan Comics announced a new Tekken comic book series that takes place between Tekken 6 and 7.

Characters from Tekken also appear in card games like Universal Fighting System and Epic Battles.

Tekken's Impact

The Tekken series has a long history of being closely connected to PlayStation consoles. This is because the arcade machines often used PlayStation hardware. Katsuhiro Harada, the game's producer, has said that PlayStation is still the main platform for Tekken development.

The first Tekken game was the first PlayStation game to sell over a million copies. This earned it a Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition award in 2008. It also won awards for being the "First Fighting Game To Feature Simulated 3D" and "The Best Selling Fighting Series for PlayStation Consoles." Tekken Tag Tournament was one of the most popular games when the PlayStation 2 first came out.

Another game by Namco, Soulcalibur II, included Heihachi Mishima as an exclusive character for the PlayStation 2 version. Heihachi has been in all Tekken games and is Harada's favorite character.

The announcement trailer for Tekken 7 on PlayStation 4 celebrated "20 Years of Tekken". The PlayStation 4 version of the game included special content from older games, like character costumes and music. This version was the best-selling version of the game. Tekken 3 was also included in the PlayStation Classic console.

Astro's Playroom, a game released for the PlayStation 5 in 2020, included a tribute to the Tekken series. Harada himself helped supervise this. Also, early tests for Tekken 8 were first available only on PlayStation 5.

In May 2012, Namco Bandai opened the Tekken Museum in Osaka, Japan. The museum shows off Tekken toys, artwork, and life-size statues of characters. The items change regularly, so there's always something new to see.

See also

In Spanish: Tekken (serie) para niños