TheTekkenseries is renowned across the world, andTekken Tag Tournamentis one of the most memorable titles in the series.
Why is it so special? Well, you’re able to switch characters mid-combo, giving the 3D fighting formula a nice kick in the pants; but funnily enough, it only took Namco two months to develop the game (according toTekkensteward Katsuhiro Harada).
At the time, TEKKEN3 was finished and I was working on a prototype of “4” on a phantom board called System15 when management ordered me to release 3.5 within six months. I said it as a joke at that moment, and the project was TAG. The project took 5 minutes to plan and only 2…https://t.co/egSBDsyQdn
“The project took 5 minutes to plan and only 2 months to develop (arcade version),” saidHaradarecently on social media. Harada says the game “made a considerable profit” because the cost was low. To add more context,Tekken 3was completed, and then management at Namco “ordered [Harada] to release” a 3.5 version “within six months.” At the time, the team was working on a prototype forTekken 4,which was eventually released on the PS2.
Haradais now the Chief Producer of fighters at the company, and the General Manager of the Original IP games projects at Bandai Namco.
The PS2 development ofTekken Tag Tournamentgot weird
As for the PS2 version, Harada notes: “The port to the console version had to be done in time for the launch of the PS2 due to the lack of memory on the [PS1,]” Harada said. “The PS2’s specs at the time had too much room for drawing processing, and the 3D modelers were baffled by the number of polygons, which was even more than enough to place many mobs in the battle stages, so they elaborately created even the teeth in the characters’ mouths.”
Tekken Tag Tournament,as a result, had characters rarely opening their mouths because of a resolution problem. The PS2 fighting game is now 23 years old and released to glowing reviews. According toMetacritic, GameSpot gave a 96/100 score. “Graphically, the game has taken a very large leap, and the arcade version of the game looks downright ugly by comparison,” said the reviewer.
Looking forward, Bandai Namco will be releasingTekken 8early next year. It’s the beginning of a new era without Heihachi in the picture. It will also include a new Arcade Quest mode.
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