ike a stubborn boxing veteran who insists that his trusty left hook can knock out any opponent no matter how nimble or mighty they may be, Tekken is sticking with the techniques that made it a fan favorite years ago. The series may not be evolving very quickly – especially when you stack it up against what Namco has done with Soul Calibur recently – but this is still a fighter that you’ll want in your corner.

You may know the series’ four-limb approach to combat about as well as you do the back of your hand, but the swiftness of play and ease of linking together combos may still grant novices a fighting chance through button flailing. Rest assured, however, that this iteration of the King of Iron Fist Tournament has an extra coat of polish and is much tighter than previous offerings. Most of the balancing issues that plagued Tekken 4 have been addressed. Uneven terrain is nowhere to be found (thank the makers!), and although the arenas are still walled, Namco has put greater thought into the strategies that come from knocking an opponent into a wall. The combos that you can create from this aspect are truly staggering.

Flashing back to what made this series so powerful back in the heyday of the arcades, this is once again a game that pushes players to concoct lengthy combo strings, read their opponents’ tactics, and learn the art of juggling. Namco has done a tremendous job balancing each character on the roster. Familiar moves have been tweaked and new tactics have been added to even the playing field. All three of the new characters blend perfectly with the existing cast and are a blast to get to know. Sadly, any Tekken fan can run down the list of secret characters that can be unlocked. While I do enjoy seeing Roger, Kuma, and Mokujin again, they feel like a joke that ran its course years ago. The thrill of unlocking new characters just isn’t there anymore without new faces. The last boss is also a bit of a letdown. His appearance is awe-inspiring and I like how he ties into the story, but his attacks are just way too cheap.

As always, Tekken is overflowing with modes that players can hone their skills in. In addition to the wildly bizarre and entirely confusing CG movies that accompany Story mode, Namco has taken a tip from Virtua Fighter 4’s Kumite mode and transformed Arcade mode into a place where players can gain ranks and earn cash that can be used to purchase items for their characters to wear. This mode isn’t as deep as Kumite, and the selection of items you can unlock is fairly small, but it does add great longevity to the single player experience. This entry’s action game, Devil Within, follows Jin through five stages of horribly executed brawling and environment navigation. I applaud Namco for trying something different again, but if the end result is something this painful to play, I would rather see the company pull it and focus its efforts elsewhere, such as getting this series online.

While the collision between the characters is still completely ignored at times, the new graphics engine does produce nicer looking models and better lighting. HDTV users will also be happy to hear that the game supports 16:9 widescreen, progressive scan, and the option to select a soft or sharp scan. As you can imagine, the resolution looks too good to be true in high definition. 

The series may feel a little dated, but once you start your training and chain together a massive 10-hit combo that sends your opponent reeling, it’s still a tough game to put down.