MY VIEW
Games: 'Tekken 5'

By Jeffrey Davis
Special to The Advertiser

The Verdict: THE RATINGS 5 — Outstanding: Add it to your collection now. A must-have. 4 — Great: Buy it or rent it — definitely play it. 3 — Good: Worth playing despite some flaws. 2 — Fair: Unless you're a fan of the license or series, don't bother. 1 — Poor: You'd have more fun playing Pong.

Console: Playstation 2

Developer/publisher: Namco

Genre: Fighting

Number of players: Two

ESRB: Teen (for violence) including mature subject matter, adult humor and themes

The premise: Planning for the Mishima Corporation's annual King of Iron Fist Tournament turns to chaos when Heihachi Mishima is murdered. The tournament features fighters from all schools of martial arts competing for the cash and the chance to run the Mishima Corporation. The mystery is who killed Mishima.

Gameplay: What separates "Tekken" from other fighting games is the concentration on different styles involving straight-up, hand-to-hand combat. Gone are the two-punch button throwing system and cramped stages of "Tekken 4." Additions to "Tekken 5" are customizable characters, breakable environments and floors that crack when you fall or land.

As always, the pause menu provides easy-move lists, which is helpful because each character has an average of 100 moves. A practice mode is available to get to know your character better.

A few other console features have been added. "The Devil Within" is a third-person action game telling the back story between "Tekken 4" and "5." This mode is another way besides Arcade mode to find money for customizing your character. "Tekken 5" also includes the arcade versions of the first three "Tekken" games. The spaceshooter "Starblade" is also playable and the first level is the opening load screen.

The good/bad: The fast characters are faster and the strong characters are stronger compared with "Tekken 4." The ability to change the difficulty in-round reduces irritation from some of the smarter foes. Certain characters speak in different languages — like a foreign action movie complete with subtitles — adding to the game's cinema feel.

On the downside, the final boss should be a challenge, not an irritation that belongs in a different series. The boss uses stun attacks and rapid energy blasts that are moves from "Soul Caliber" and the "Street Fighter" series.

The rapid stun move is also new to the series. When stunned, your character can't move or block. If the boss catches you with an energy blast, half your energy is gone.

Tips: Do not attack the final boss from the front. Sidestepping gives you an opening. Hit the boss as fast as possible with combos you know well. Double pressing the up button may make your character jump, so sidestep by pressing down twice toward the screen. If all else fails, use Law. Do quick-charging moves, including back flips. You can also set the battle to "easy" and/or use your best character.

My take: It is great to see another sequel offering better game play without sacrificing the story. The boss adds an irritation factor that lowered my assessment, but beating him makes beating the game more satisfying. If you like fighting games, this is worth the investment.

Jeffrey Davis, of Honolulu, is a video game enthusiast. Have a game or CD you want to review? Reach Island Life deputy editor Dave Dondoneau at ddondoneau@honoluluadvertiser.com.