Tekken Revolution Nina

Tekken Revolutionuses the core gameplay system from Tekken TagTournament 2 (minus tagging). While Namco stayed safe and didn't alter too much from the TTT2engine, there are some very notable changes. You'd be wrong to think TekkenRevolution's gameplay is a simple cut & paste job from TTT2. The tweaks made tomany attack & hit properties are comparable to the likes of Capcom'snumerous SF4updates - meaning there are new combo possibilities to learn, and a fewdifferent strategies to adapt to. Some 'lesser known' moves are evenmore effective in Revolution than they are in TTT2.
Returning TTT2 players will immediately notice that 'bound' combos aren't present in Revolution.The removal of bound shortens the length of combos, generally making them lessdamaging (with default stats, that is). If you're familiar with the style of combos from the Tekken 5 era, you'll feel right athome. (Infact, many T5: DR combos still work beautifully!) Even though the Tekken experience has been streamlined in Revolution,it isn't necessarily a bad thing. Revolutionhas a 'traditional Tekken' feel about it, which may appealto players intimidated by TTT2's advanced, combo-heavy mechanics. Even as atournament TTT2player, I can definitely still enjoy a fundamental 1-vs-1, more straight forward game of Tekken any day of the week. I also really enjoy the longer K.O. replays (TTT2'swere too short)!
The returning characters contain their vastmovelists from TTT2. However, each fighter now has 4 'Critical Arts,'which are typically among their most signature moves. Critical Arts supply increased damagewhen critical hits occur, and present new visual elements like trails andblurring effects. Fighters also haveone 'Special Art' technique, which gives them a period of invulnerabilityduring the move. (Interesting side note:Similar 'invincible moves' were also present in Namco's Urban Reignback in 2005). The addition of these'easy' and effective specialattacks doesn't necessarily change how Tekken is played, but they dooffer new strategies and will also appeal to new players.
Along with the new visual effects on attacks, other graphical updates were addedas well. All returning stages from TTT2 show off new filters andlighting effects. While a refreshing change, I think some of the 'coloring' filters on a few of the stagesare slightly overdone, but the new lighting and more intense shadows look great.Character models are also outlined by a subtle black line,giving the game a unique, slightly 'comic-esk' appearance. A few character modelswere also updated, including new facial renders for all of the females in thegame (the ladies look cuter, that's for sure)! In addition,a new 'back walking' animation was added along with a new tech roll& wall break character animation. Overall, Tekken Revolution's graphics areslightly sharper and more vibrant than TTT2's!

Strangely, Revolution is strictlyan online game, meaning you must be online in order to play. Online modes includeRanked Match & Player Match with various matchmaking options. ContinuingNamco's track record with their most recent fighting games, the netcode in TekkenRevolution is top notch (an obvious necessity). Tekken Revolution is a great example of how far netcode has comein recent years.. it's incredibly smooth online (99% of the time for me). Some offline modes, include: Arcade Battle, Character Enhancement,Optionsand Playstation Store. In Character Enhancement, players can increase theircharacters' in-game stats, such as: Strength, Endurance & Vigor. I thinkNamco introduced the stats system to 'charm' beginners and casualplayers. It's sort of a fun novelty to 'level up' your favorite Tekkencharacters.. but personally, I think the stats system is unnecessary and causesimbalance. Characters with a maxed-out power meter can do ridiculous damage withonly few hits and basic combos. *Scoff* In fairness, Namco has 'toned down' the stats system in the most recent patches,which made things a little more fair overall.
Tekken Revolution has a fairly bare bones set-up, and for a free game meant to'replicate the arcade experience,' it actually makes sense. I found it interesting thatTR didn't contain a Practice Modewhen it first launched, which also replicated a through-and-through arcadefighter. (Y'know kiddies,back in the day.. we didn't get a 'practice mode' when a new game cameout at the arcade. You put yourquarter up and waited your turn to fight - possibly against someone already VERYgoodat the game.. and that WAS your practice mode). In a few ways, Revolution almost gives methat nostalgia from the arcade days. Anyhow, Namco did eventually release anupdate, adding in a very user-friendly Practice Mode. However, there'sstill no local VS Mode, which sucks if you have local friends who enjoy a propergameof Tekken. Like everyone else, I'm hoping Namco adds VS Mode at a later date..

GRIPES: It's kind ofeasy for experienced Tekken players to hate Revolution sometimes, mostly due to havingto fight against 'spammers' with ridiculously powered-up characters,who dishonorably abuse those cheap, invincible moves. I have to admit.. I got kinda mad a fewtimes after losing for stupid reasons. The truth is, after learning the quirksof invincible moves and learning how to predict players who spam (in additionto powering up my Endurance stats a bit).. I stopped losing for stupid reasons. Yup. Now, if I lose to a player.. it's usually because they played smartin one way or another (or because I made some mistakes). Hey, just my 2cents.. I guess it's just my way of not taking the game too seriously.
Other random gripes I have: After all these years, why is the CPU AIof Tekken still horrible? Even on Very Hard, the CPU stupidly 'walksforward' at times, doesn't combo properly, and still falls for stupidtactics (the same stupid tactics you could use to abuse the AI in Tekken 3!). Themain reason this bothers me is because the CPU doesn't give new players a sense of how to playthe game properly. Is it too much to ask for a CPUAI that strategically dashes, wavedashes, sidewalks, uses fakes, and maybe combos properly sometimes?! The same goes for thestats system - it doesn't teach the noobs the 'right way' to dothings. Thanks to stats, many newbs will just think: 'DERPYDERP, I JUST NEED MOAR POWAH STATS!!!'.. instead of 'Hmm,maybe I should learn my character and experiment in Practice Modesometimes.' Hopefully, we'll see more of the latter (wishful thinking, I know).
Finally, my thoughts on unlocking characters in Tekken Revolution: I'm sure some players may feelconstricted or limited since they can't immediately pick their favoritecharacter(s) from the start (or perhaps they're missing entirely, at themoment). In the long run, I think Namco's design plan with the'stripped down' character roster is pretty smart. Why? Well..the initial small roster may promote new players to step out of their comfort zonefor a while and try out some new fighters. (Or, maybe they'll justresort to picking Kazuya and spam the same 3 moves over and over - and in turn, get their asses kicked byproper Tekken players). ..As usual, Tekken is what you make of it. Whether casual players realize itor not, the smaller roster also enables them to better understand how to fightagainst these characters specifically. (Instead of having to learn how tobe defensive against 59 different fighters at once, like in TTT2.) TekkenRevolution can be a great learning tool for beginner / casual players.. if theywant it to be, that is.
What could be improved in TR? It wouldn't be a terrible idea to limit the use of thoseinvincible moves.. not because they're really that overpowered, butbecause it'll promote better gameplay habits out of the beginner players (andthose helpless, mindless spammers). Namco never tried any sort of meter management ina Tekken before, so it could've been halfway interesting in a game like this. I'd also love to see some 'classic'environments from the likes of Tekken 5: DR or Tekken 6 make a comeback(instead of only TTT2 stages). But as long as Namco continues tweaking the game,Revolution will continue to improve and become an even better title. With3.5 million downloads and tons of skilled players online (nearly 24 hours), Namco is obviously doing something right.

Page Updated: February 5th, 2020 Developer(s): Namco Bandai Publisher(s): Namco Bandai Designer(s): Katsuhiro Harada Producer Yuichi Yonemori Director Platform(s): PlayStation 3 Release Date(s): June 11th, 2013 June 12th, 2013 / Mar. 21st, 2017End of Service Characters: Kazuya Mishima, Lars Alexandersson, Asuka Kazama,Bryan Fury, Lili Rochefort, Leo Kliesen, Steve Fox, Paul Phoenix, MarshallLaw, King,Jack-6, Alisa Boskonovitch, JinKazama, Ling Xiaoyu, Hwoarang, Sergei Dragunov, DevilJin, Kunimitsu, FengWei, Nina Williams, Miguel,Kuma, LeeChaolan, Christie Monteiro, ArmorKing, Jun Kazama, Bob,Jaycee, Heihachi Mishima, Jinpachi Mishima, True Ogre, Mokujin,Tetsujin, Kinjin,Eliza Featured Video: Related Games: Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Tekken Tag Tournament, Tekken,Tekken 2, Tekken 3, Tekken 4, Tekken5, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, Tekken 5: DarkResurrection Online, Tekken:Dark Resurrection, Tekken 6, Tekken6: Bloodline Rebellion, Tekken 7, TekkenAdvance, Tekken Hybrid, Tekken 3D: Prime Edition, Urban Reign, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle, Dead or Alive 5: Ultimate, Soul Calibur 2 HD Online, Killer Instinct (2013) Gameplay Engine 8.5 / 10 Story / Theme 6.5 / 10 Overall Graphics 8.5 / 10 Animation 9.0 / 10 Music / Sound Effects 8.5 / 10 Innovation 8.0 / 10 Art Direction 6.5 / 10 Customization 6.5 / 10 Options / Extras 8.0 / 10 Intro / Presentation 6.0 / 10 Replayability / Fun 8.0 / 10 'Ouch' Factor 9.5 / 10 Characters 8.0 / 10 BOTTOM LINE 8.0/ 10 Final Words: Tekken Revolution was an innovative 'experimental'title. While it isn't perfect (and what 'free' gameis?), what you end up getting for free is worth theprice of admission. Namco should've called the game Tekken Evolution..because the game has progressively changed quite a bit since launch (and for thebetter). Sadly, out of nowhere, Bandai Namco stopped updating the game.. whichis a shame, because they had a good thing going for a while. I have to admit.. Tekken Revolution made me put down TTT2 forquite a few months. Surprisingly, I consistently played TR since launch forover a year, and founda certain addiction in both multiplayer and single-player modes. In thebeginning there was some1-player 'grinding' involved in order to unlock the characters thatI actually wanted (kinda fun in itself). At the least, I have to give Namco credit foractually making me want to play 1P modes in a fighting game for any extended period oftime. I found the standard Arcade Mode fun, especially with bonuses.. and theoccasional Mokujin Rush (withTurbo Mode enabled) is ridiculously entertaining, especially if you're a fan of Tekken'stried-and-true combo system. Early on, I scoffed at the stats system and invincible moves, but as I continuedto play (and after Namco nerfed the power stats), these things bothered me less and less. Along with finding newways to exterminate the shameless spammers & stat-abusers, I've relearned thatI still love the classic 1-VS-1 aspect of Tekken. As much as Ilove TTT2 combos, sometimes I find'stand-up' Tekken more fun. There's a certain 'magic' and certain awesome things thatcan be done more frequently in 1-on-1 matches (more risk, more reward). I've also come to appreciate the most basicnew aesthetics that TR has to offer: Longer / 'close-up' K.O. replays (over TTT2's), updatedgraphics, remixed stages, excellent new BGMs, and the general 'new' and'festive' theme of the game. Plus it's niceto come back to a game months later and hear a badass new music track on a new stage.I mean.. the SF4 series couldn't update stages or BGMs in the span of 5 years, soit's nice to see that Namco still cares about such things. With various events and new available bonuses posted on the main menu each week, it makes you feellike Namco actually wants you to have fun and continue playing the game. Thesemi-frequent 'major' updates and new character releases have also effectively kept the game fresh.Again, it's a pretty exciting time to be a Tekken fan. Instead ofcomplaining about random things, Tekken 'fans' shouldappreciate the fact that Namco at least has something going on during thepotentially lengthy 'waitingperiod' before Tekken 7 and Tekken X Street Fighter. While the prices for Premium Effects are steep and paying for alt.costumes (many borrowed from TTT2) rubs me the wrong way.. thereality is, I've gotten a lot of enjoyment out of the game and paid verylittle in return. In many ways, Tekken Revolution has an 'arcadevibe' about it.. which I like. It's nice to know that everyone plays thegame with credits, and has 'limited options' to do certain things. Even thoughTTT2 is clearly the (much) more polished, complete package, Tekken Revolutionoffers a more straight-forward and 'beginner friendly' game of Tekken that appeals to newand casual players (and also appeals to players who are tired of getting combo'd to hell in TTT2). And when I use the term 'beginner friendly,' I don't mean the mechanics aredumbed down, per se. While stats & invincible moves do give aconsiderable leeway in the casual player's favor.. most of the time, smart Tekken fundamentalswill usually prevail (when the connection is good). Even so, it must be stated. 'Revolution is the first Tekken game in a long time where it's actuallynot uncommon for a casual / novice player to beat a skilled Tekken player from time to time.' (Example: Fighting against a player with powered-up characterwith 200+ points who 'effectively' spams invulnerable moves and can connect afew easy combos can actually be a pretty tough fight. Then there's the issue of'hackers' who somehow maxed out their stats and made winningimpossible against them.. and it definitely sucks if you ever encounter oneonline. So yes, 'losing happens'.. butyou shouldn't take Tekken Revolution that seriously. Namco didn't set outto make another tournament quality fighting game.. they were brave enough to try something different (yetsafe), which is admirable these days. If you find yourself taking a lot of losses, don't get discouraged. Learn how topunish spammers, learn your characters' combos and strategies, and tweak yourstats to make it a more fair fight (I recommend 'endurance' if youconsider yourself a skillful player). And if you're meeting nothing but scrubsonline, IMPROVE YOURRANK. Yes, you will eventually begin running intomuch higher skilledplayers in the upper ranks, as most of the gimmicky players and spammers become weeded out. I've demoted quite a few of those types, and it's quite satisfying. Another great thing about Tekken Revolution is that there is competition24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I usually play the game into the late hours ofthe night and still have no trouble at all finding opponents. What I also findvery interesting.. is that because Revolution has developed the'stigma' of attracting so many 'noobs & spammers'.. thelegit Tekken players active in Revolution tend to underestimate opponents by default (ifthey don't recognize your gamer tag, of course). So.. since 'everyoneunderestimates everyone,' it actually opens up the door for new mind gamesand strategies.. and damn, it's actually really fun playing with that mindset. However, I've fought tons of great matches in Revolution with highly skilledplayers. They're out there. Unfortunately, Bandai Namco stopped updating Revolution in early 2014.. whichis a shame, considering what the game could have been with moresignificant updates. Understandably, Namco shifted allof their efforts to Tekken 7, development. At least, Tekken Revolution served its purpose as an experimental free (major) online fighting game, as a stepping stone to Tekken 7(and Tekken X Street Fighter). Tekken Revolution ends service onMarch 21st, 2017. ~TFGWebmaster CHARACTER UNLOCKING SYSTEM Just to explain how unlocking new charactersworks: At the start of the game, players have access to 8 characters. Through playing the modes and leveling up, you earn 'GiftPoints' which will eventually unlock new playable characters at random (forfree) once you accumulate enough points. On the main menu, you'll also benotified of various online events from week to week. These 'live'events have a beginning & ending date, and generously award players with bonuses likebonus Gift Points, Gold (for leveling up characters) and EXP points. Under normal circumstances, it may take a while to unlock characters. However,if you stay in tune with events and play during times of 'Bonus GiftPoints' and/or Mokujin Festivals, you'll unlock characters at a much fasterrate! During a Mokujin Festival, with bonuses activated, you can pretty muchgo on a character unlocking spree if you have a few Premium Tickets available. There's also the option for players to simply 'buy' characters theyhaven't unlocked. The 'Character Unlock' Pass is also pretty steep as paidDLC ($5.99 each). In my experience so far, I've neverhad to buy a single character.. (I'm patient and I use a lot of differentcharacters, so it all works out). I also play both the North American and Japanese versions of TekkenRevolution (on my main profile), which actually increases the amount of GiftPoints earned if I play during events in either version. And finally, I use multiple PSN profiles for this game, which increases theodds for unlocking the characters I want (and also allows me to play online for longer if I feel like it).So there you go.. Some helpful tips for those of you who've read this far. ~TFGWebmaster