Video games is basically the escape from realism. It's like having that time when you play through the silly physics of Super Mario Bros. and fighting games aren't an exception. Tekken was a game that was influenced by Virtua Fighter and even became more popular as it evolved. I may have issues with Tekken 7 BUT that's not going to stop me from praising previous titles that made the game popular. Now, it would be fun to nitpick a lot of stuff that just don't make sense about Tekken yet it becomes so enjoyable for those reasons.
A lot of random weird characters get thrown into the bunch
Tekken is a game known for its unique weird cast of characters. The first game was already an indicator of how the whole franchise is built on weird plots. The weird cast of characters can go as far as with the unlockable rival fights. How could Paul Phoenix develop such a grudge against the first Kuma? Both Kumas are bears raised by Heihachi Mishima himself. Yet these bears seem to have no problem following orders from Heihachi. You also have the Jack Robot and the Prototype Jack Robot too - both ROBOTS. But the weirdness continues on and on in future games.
Not satisfied with having a playable bear - talk about the other playable characters were added into the roster. Not satisfied with a robot and a bear? Why not add Alex and Roger who are genetically engineered animal fighters in Tekken 2. We would also have Devil and Angel in the second game. Also, Devil fires a laser and seriously that would kill ANY normal person. Yet, it only causes some significant damage instead of internal organs damage. Yet, that's what helps make the game fun, right? Later, we ended up having more weird characters like Mokujin (a block of wood) and Alisa (another android) to fill in the crazy cast.
Devil's addition caused the roster to become crazier with the bosses too. Tekken 3 brought us Ogre the legendary fighting god of war. TBH, I think Kotal Kahn in Mortal Kombat X and 11 has had more development. Ogre's origins are unknown but assumed to be an ALIEN. Tekken 5 brought us Jinpachi Mishima (the Mishima patriarch and father of Heihachi) who is possessed by an angry ghost and was supposedly dead for decades. Tekken 6 brought us Azazel who was supposedly the origin of the hated Devil Gene.
Then again hasn't fighting games been enjoyable for a weird cast of characters? Sure, there will be some black sheep (such as how Mortal Kombat has Hsu Hao) but it's all about proper implementation. I don't think Tekken will be Tekken if it wasn't for the weird cast.
Family feuds here can get pretty exaggerated
Whether it's the rivalry of the Mishima descendants or that of the Williams siblings is something. The Williams sisters are pretty much unexplained for most of its run. Meanwhile, the Mishimas are pretty much like the Greek gods - Zeus killed his father Cronus and Cronus killed his old man Uranus. It's a family trait, right?
Though the exaggerations of the battles can be one thing. Heihachi throws Kazuya off the cliff then it backfires at him. Heihachi later throws Kazuya into a volcano yet the latter brought back to life in Tekken 4. It would also be very interesting at how Heihachi tends to fear his own descendants such as when he ended up shooting Jin Kazama in the third game. The feud gets rather entertaining as to how it seems to be a Mishima family tradition. Fortunately, Lars Alexanderson wasn't raised alongside them.
Though the exaggerations of the battles can be one thing. Heihachi throws Kazuya off the cliff then it backfires at him. Heihachi later throws Kazuya into a volcano yet the latter brought back to life in Tekken 4. It would also be very interesting at how Heihachi tends to fear his own descendants such as when he ended up shooting Jin Kazama in the third game. The feud gets rather entertaining as to how it seems to be a Mishima family tradition. Fortunately, Lars Alexanderson wasn't raised alongside them.
Tekken's weird (but mostly well-timed) fight physics
If video games operated based on real-life physics then expect a game over for every wrong move. Who can ever forget that notorious NES game called Spelunker? Tekken may be a game that revolves around realistic fighting BUT the game is anything but realistic. Sure, motion capture has been used and real life martial artists are used to do the motion capture. However, the game is never spared from ridiculous physics that the gamers do to add to the fun.
I was thinking about several attacks that could have KILLED you. The ten-hit combos may actually land anyone in the hospital with broken ribs. Yoshimitsu's dashing sword should kill ANYONE caught by it. King's wrestling moves and throws are considerably fatal and somewhat exaggerated. Devil's laser beam (which is hard to aim due to its bad start-up) should've punched a hole in the opponent's chest. Yet, many times, these attacks are totally making it look like "It's just a flesh wound." after taking the hits. It's like how often I got thrown by King off the screen yet I'm able to fight back at him eventually.
Later, the series added some item-based moves after Tekken 5. For example, Lei Wulong can fire a gun with a customization. Like Kurstis Stryker's pistol in Mortal Kombat - it's really questionable how someone can take a shot and still be able to fight. I can remember having fun getting hit by Lei Wulong and Stryker and saying, "I'm gone if that were real!" These item-based moves are meant to be ridiculous, right?
A lot of character endings just can be very weird or downright silly
It's no secret that one of the franchise's appeals are the animated endings. Electronic Gaming Monthly kept naming the franchise to have the best endings. Sadly, the Mortal Kombat franchise didn't continue the trend after they attempted it in the lackluster Mortal Kombat 4. These are animated endings and you want to beat the game with everyone to get the endings.
Some endings may not make sense at all but are fun for that reason. Some endings are good such as Jun's ending in Tekken 2. However, some endings end up downright silly. One of my favorite silly endings involves Marshall Law whenever he screws up after a non-canon victory. Paul getting a ticket in the third game is a weird way to give a character ending. Heihachi ends up having some rather silly endings especially in the fifth game, sixth game, and the second tag game. Ganryu tends to be treated as a butt monkey of sorts too. Asuka and Lili tend to have really weird endings against each other.
I think one of the reasons why people unlock the ending isn't just to see them all. Some of them have that high entertainment value. It's way better than what other fighting games had to offer with simply pictures and texts, right? The weird scenarios add a charm too.
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