Sean Akizuki's Fantasy Critic

Having a Tekken game without Heihachi Mishima probably feels inconceivable. I bet Namco wasn't willing to repeat the SAME MISTAKE with Tekken 3 when fan-favorite Kazuya Mishima was completely absent. I feel Kazuya was probably one of the best bad guys in Tekken . Heihachi was supposedly killed in Tekken 7 . However, it's no surprise that Heihachi returned and was rescued before he could fall into the lava. I can't decide if it's a good thing or a bad thing. Heihachi is a fan favorite. I was surprised to learn that "The Dark Awakens" is actually FREE . Yes, free, in contrast to Mortal Kombat 11's Aftermath expansion (which I wanted to buy UNTIL I saw how it unfolded) or Mortal Kombat 1's utterly chaotic "Khaos Reigns" expansion. I feel the story mode expansion has been nothing more than fanservice. It's probably as fanservice-y as Mortal Kombat 11 bringing back Shao Kahn as a prepaid character. Later, the Aftermath expansion brought in Sha...

Heihachi will probably be those villains that will always be "too popular" in the eyes of the fans. Heihachi would be in the rank of the likes of fighting game villains like Shao Kahn from the  Mortal Kombat series, General Bison (General Vega in Japan) from the  Street Fighter series, and Geese Howard from the Fatal Fury series. They're all too iconic. Now, the new character Reina has the gossip flying over that she's secretly Heihachi's illegitimate daughter. However, she looks very young which may suggest that there's a significant time gap here and there. Tekken 6 reveals that Heihachi sired a half-breed son in Lars Alexanderson. Lars has the appearance of a man not so much younger than Kazuya. If Heihachi Mishima was 76 in Tekken 7 then I think he probably messed around with a much younger woman at some point. Maybe, Heihachi may have had a child of his old age. Maybe, Heihachi wanted to prove once and for all that the Devil Gene wasn't from his linea...

It's no secret that the Mortal Kombat franchise didn't only copy from Tekken but also from Marvel vs. Capcom series . I may enjoy playing Tekken Tag Tournament 2 over Mortal Kombat (2011) . However, I'n not going to shy away from trying to defend MK (2011)'s Tag Team mode and say that it may not be as broken as some people think. Yes, it's broken and sometimes, finding the right partner can make one an offensive but how broken was it? I'm going to do a review of some older games to make a comparison. Until now, I'm upset that Capcom didn't make arcade-perfect releases of the previous entries such as X-Men vs. Street Fighter up to Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes . Those were great times then I thought about using them as analysis. A lot of games were really broken in the 90s. Who can remember how broken Mortal Kombat Trilogy is for the PSX and the Sega Saturn? I could remember easing the game using the boss monsters, especially MOTARO. It was fun...

My gaming vibes are GOOD AS SUNK. So far, I only enjoy playing mostly old-school games while embracing new technology. I guess the generation gap really happens like I'm more interested in replaying Super Mario World than any of the newer Super Mario Bros. games. That's why I haven't had a Nintendo system and I'm outdated on it too. I Googled for " Tekken 8 Arcade " and found this out from Hardcore Gamer: There are changes with Tekken 8 that are worth noting and it starts at the core. For the first time, the game will not be released as an arcade cabinet prior to release. This game will be no arcade port, but rather built from the ground up on the Unreal 5 Engine for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series and PC. This is showed off in the visuals as environmental lighting and textures look to be miles above any other game in the series, and overall potentially some of the best visuals period. The battle concept and the direction of battle are the other main driving force ...

I guess one of the most underrated or underappreciated characters is Jun Kazama. Canonically, she has only appeared in Tekken 2 . The Tekken Tag Tournament games are NOT canon. I may have no plans yet to get a PS5, I also feel that Tekken 7 gives me a good reason t set a lower bar for Tekken 8 . I really just hated how Tekken 7 had good gameplay but the Story Mode was plain disappointing IMHO (and the robotic narrator really ticks me off), there was lack of Single Player content, and there could've been a lot of cool stuff that would've made the wait worth it. Personally, if only the PS4 and PS5 have backward compatibilities!  I wrote about how Jun is more important than you think . Sure, I'm liking Asuka Kazama as a next-generation character. I'd still dare say that my admiration for both Jun and Asuka is just like how I can like both Kenshi and his son Takeda in Mortal Kombat X . I think Asuka trying to stop Jin was a fun plot. However, I think Jun was sorely missing ...

  Tekken is a video game franchise that launched itself into popularity. The first game Tekken enjoyed success only to have been directly overshadowed by its successor Tekken 2 . For some reason, Namco (before we had Bandai-Namco ) decided to do a 20-year time jump. The Mortal Kombat X comic book series REALLY made me wish Tekken did the same . I guess it was an oversight by Namco back then. So, we had next-generation characters which happened - for better or for worse. Several characters from the first two games were written off either due to unpopularity or to make room for better characters. Now, it's time to think of the characters... Jin Kazama automatically becomes the ongoing protagonist for most of the game series' run What do you get when Tekken characters actually get banging? IMHO, I'm still inclined to think that Kazuya Mishima RAPED Jun Kazama. Watching Tekken Bloodline on Netflix made me think about it that Jun NEVER wanted to mention Kazuya to her son Jin. Wa...

Right now, I ask myself, "Did I waste money with my Tekken 7 purchase?" I felt I asked myself why I even bought the game. The game had potential but it was wasted . I felt Namco was about to redeem itself or outdo itself. However, it seems that Tekken 6 (a game I felt brought Mortal Kombat Armageddon another foot down the ground beyond six feet) and Tekken Tag Tournament 2 are tough acts to follow. Right now, I feel one of the biggest reasons why it sucks is the addition of AKUMA. At first, I found it cool but later, it just feels like it jumps the shark. Sure, Namco had some projects with Capcom become such as Namco x Capcom or Street Fighter x Tekken . However, this is the Tekken universe we're talking about so why is AKUMA SUDDENLY HERE? I feel Capcom and Namco have a lot to answer for even if there's no copyright infringement. I feel everything here is just too sudden. Sure, Akuma has been depowered (to a certain extent) to make him a little more balanced. Yet, on...

  Tekken is a game known for mixing several ideas. The idea of a 3D fighting game was from Virtua Fighter . Nina is obviously a clone of Sarah. Wang Jinrei is obviously based on Shun Di. Meanwhile, other fighters are obviously based on several pop culture materials. I don't think Mortal Kombat is the only game that got inspired by Enter the Dragon . Maybe, you might find these in common... I think Roper and Lee are the templates for Paul and Law It's no secret that Paul Phoenix and Marshall Law are BFF. Sure, one can argue Paul is inspired by Ken. However, one may want to look at the rather old 1970s hit film (which was only released AFTER Bruce Lee left us so soon) where Lee's best friend was a white guy named Roper. The late John Saxon (who died last 2020) played the said character. Both Lee and Roper are nearly inseparable. That may remind us... In Tekken , Law and Paul are also almost inseparable. I guess Tekken 3 may have gotten some flak when Forrest Law came into the...

It's usually an unfair comparison to compare Mortal Kombat to Tekken . One game is geared toward an older audience while Tekken is geared toward a younger audience. Tekken became a major influence in the fighting game industry while copying ideas from other games into itself. I mean, it doesn't take a genius to see that Kazuya is based on Vegeta, Heihachi is based on Dr. Wily, Nina Williams is based on Sarah Bryant, Law is based on Fei Long, Paul Phoenix is based on Ken Masters, and the list can go on and on. I decided to think about the similarities between the two franchises. Their first games were a hit but hardly aged well Tekken 1 was released with only eight playable characters while the home version unlocked the bosses without endings. Mortal Kombat 1 released its game with only seven playable characters. Both of them had stiff controls, really unfair artificial intelligence, and a crazy old man running the tournament. That may be the reason why Cary Hiroyuki-Tagawa beca...

  It's no secret that my favorite Tekken game is Tekken Tag Tournament 2 . I wasn't such a fan of the first game with some issues such as the rather sluggish side stepping (one reason why I still spit at Mortal Kombat 4 also) and the character endings are anything to be desired. However, these are but minor shortcomings since Tekken Tag Tournament should be viewed as an important experimental game that won several awards, was an important game for the sales of the Playstation 2 (which this game was probably the selling point like how Super Mario World was to the Super NES back then) and it was praised by longtime fans of the game. The game in itself is NOT canon so don't try to fit it into the regular timeline. Instead, it was a spin off that returned some characters. Some fans weren't too happy with the loss of Kazuya and were probably more than happy to have him back - even in non-canon. The game featured over 35 characters to make some nostalgic games. Though, please...

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 ...

It's so secret that Tekken and Mortal Kombat have the habit of mixing ideas from other games. They both have had good entries, bad entries, some notorious broken AI during the earlier days, and some similar characters. Both series have a wasted plotential (which is a term I borrowed from 4th Snake) or wasted plot potential from these two characters. Kunimitsu appeared in the first two Tekken games. Tekken was where she was Yoshimitsu's sub-boss but she never got an ending until the second game. The aim of Kunimitsu is to take over the Manji Clan. However, she was never mentioned again. Instead, Yoshimitsu gained a new and more dangerous rival in Bryan Fury. Kunimitsu's only later appearances were in the Tekken Tag Tournament games which are NOT canon. Mortal Kombat Deadly Alliance wanted to be a competitor to Tekken . However, I'd say boo hoo to it and it's good that the arcade machine that's used to kill someone in Mortal Kombat 11 is the MKDA arcade machi...

One move that I didn't notice was in Tekken Tag Tournament 2 was Miharu's hidden selfie move. Granted, I'm no Miharu player so it's no surprise that I missed it, right? The move involves her doing a selfie before her opponent falls down. I was thinking that considering Mortal Kombat has been copying ideas from the Tekken franchise (such as Onaga being obviously a nod to True Ogre) - the reboot then took the idea of one button per limb. MKX would later even create an obvious Ancient Ogre knockoff (though he ended up in the side of good most of the time and was no villain) called Kotal Kahn.  As if making the rebooted version of Sonya Blade look more like Nina Williams from Tekken wasn't enough - I think to give her daughter Cassie a bloodier version of Miharu's selfie was something. Only this time - Cassie only does it as fatality while Miharu did it as a special move. I still can't help but laugh at how Cassie bloodily ripped off Miharu's selfie ...

It's no doubt that Tekken couldn't have become better if it wasn't for the second entry called Tekken 2. It's nearly the same phenomenon that launched a couple of games in the 90s to early 2000s via their second entries. It reminds me of how the first Mortal Kombat game gets underappreciated eventually because of the second entry. It reminds me of how Street Fighter's first game gets ignored in favor of the superior Street Fighter II series. Tekken is no different and the second game is what gave Tekken the definition of what it means to be in the King of Iron Fist Tournament, right? Well, I thought of the reasons why I haven't been playing some retro games. Playing Mortal Kombat II? The most retro Mortal Kombat game I'd be playing today is the reboot which gets recognized as Mortal Kombat 9 by the fans! Playing Street Fighter II series? Street Fighter IV series for the win! I feel the same with Tekken 2. Tekken 2 maybe that fan-favorite game but like Morta...

Some games really just got more popular during the second round, right? I think that's one of the many things Tekken has in common with Mortal Kombat and Street Fighter . All those games took better launch with the second game than the first. The first Tekken game was pretty much just an introduction. It was just an experimental game. If it succeeds then we're going forward. If not, we're not moving forward. It felt that way. The first Tekken game succeeded and sold a lot of copies. Then just like Mortal Kombat - they decided that just one year after the first game would mean another game. The second game now started with newer, more interesting characters and a new plot. The first game had Kazuya beat his own father Heihachi. However, the Faustian pact he made as a child corrupted his soul. This causes a new level of conflict as Heihachi must try to look like a hero after his own son's true nature (if ever) got revealed. Jun enters into the conflict that would birth...

It's no secret that Tekken 6 in the late 2000s (2007) while Mortal Kombat's reboot came out in 2011. I would want to really think about how Mortal Kombat (2011) could have taken a few more notes from Tekken 6. Okay, I admit I do still think MK (2011) or MK9  has the better Story Mode and I'm not such a fan of the scenario campaign in Tekken 6 . I also am complaining at how I had to play through Arena Mode to get the character endings -- something I usually skip after playing through the regular Arcade Mode way back in  Tekken 5. Now, I'd like to toss a bit of nostalgia and nitpicking just for fun. Gameplay Tekken 6 is what I'd call to be near perfection if it wasn't for the need to play through the extremely short Arena Mode to unlock character endings. But, there's still the Arcade Mode which brings the game home into your house complete with the caption "Insert Coin". So, what do I really like about the gameplay of Tekken 6 over MK (2011) ...

I remembered writing about my mixed reaction towards Tekken 7's Devil Gene revelation that the curse was with the Hachijo (Kazumi's family) than with the Mishima family. So, I decided to come up with my own creative way of how the Devil Gene could've been revealed. I thought about a couple of stuff while replaying Tekken 5 to rinse myself of Tekken 7's lackluster outcome (and I had very HIGH expectations for said game) -- I thought about the one person that was Jinpachi Mishima. Jinpachi was the first originally unplayable Tekken character. He was also an interesting point because he is the Mishima patriarch though nothing is known yet about his wife (Heihachi's mother) and the only matriarch who was revealed is Kazumi. I thought that if Katsuhiro Harada wanted to make it look like Heihachi was evil at his own free will -- why not make the Mishima as the SOURCE of the Devil Gene and made it skip Heihachi like a black sheep or something like that? I simply have m...