With Season 2 now in full swing and the Tekken World Tour just about to begin, 2025 is swiftly shaping up to be an exciting year for enthusiasts of Bandai Namco’s iconic Tekken series. As one of the pioneering fighting games on the original PlayStation, Tekken has a special connection with the console, evolving its gameplay and its tales in tandem with the hardware. Let’s delve into the turbulent Mishima family saga and the chaos they’ve introduced to PlayStation fans over the years.
In early 1995 in Japan, and later that fall elsewhere, the original Tekken emerged as one of the first fighting games on the PlayStation. Introducing the malevolent Mishima family and setting many foundational mechanics with its four-button attack scheme, Tekken established a new benchmark for home ports. Before this, players had seen home ports of arcade games scale down visuals and sound to accommodate weaker hardware. But Tekken, thanks to its original arcade hardware being similar to the PlayStation, boasted a perfect arcade port. Namco even went further by adding new features like ending movies, playable sub-bosses, and a hidden character who’d become crucial in later games. Uncovering this character involved conquering Galaga while the game loaded.
In late 1995, Tekken 2 arrived in arcades, capturing attention by spotlighting former villain and patriarch Heihachi Mishima. It also introduced fresh faces like Jun and Lei, plus various characters that unlocked over time, encouraging players to return and explore. Upon its PlayStation release in 1996, Tekken 2 not only kept its arcade authenticity but significantly enhanced it with exclusive CG intros and endings, securing the series’ reputation for high-quality cinematics. A variety of modes like Team Battle, Time Attack, Survival Mode, and Practice Mode were also added, enriching the gameplay experience.
For many fans, Tekken 3 was their gateway into the series. Hugely popular in arcades and breaking sales records worldwide when it hit PlayStation in 1998, Tekken 3 advanced the story to two decades later and shifted focus to Jin Kazama, Kazuya and Jun’s son. Familiar faces returned with changes, and successors stepped in where they didn’t. New fan-favorites like Hwoarang, Bryan, Eddy, and Xiaoyu made their debut. Emphasizing the 3D arenas, sidestep dodges were added for all characters. The PlayStation version boasted new modes, including Tekken Force, a side-scrolling beat-’em-up, and Tekken Ball, alongside extra characters like Anna Williams, Dr. Bosconovich, and the series’ first guest character, the small dinosaur Gon.
When the PlayStation 2 launched, having a Tekken game seemed inevitable. In 2000, Tekken Tag Tournament arrived on PS2, offering vastly superior visuals compared to its arcade predecessor. TTT switched up the gameplay by allowing players to pick a duo to fight, introducing team dynamics in battles. The game incorporated a wide range of characters, blending pre-story-timeskip figures, complemented by the quirky Tekken Bowl mini-game.
Tekken 4, appearing slightly over a year after TTT’s debut, reintroduced Kazuya into the narrative and stirred gameplay innovation. Prior Tekken stages had infinite boundaries, but Tekken 4 introduced stages with walls and uneven floors, enhancing damage and combo potential when opponents smashed into these features. Movement strategies from T3 and TTT were refined, bringing change to match tactics. The game elevated its storytelling, with a full Story Mode and an expanded Tekken Force sub-game in its console editions.
It took a while, but Tekken 5 finally made its way to the arena. Picking up where Tekken 4 left off, with Heihachi presumed dead and Jin embracing his devil persona, Tekken 5 turned into a fan favorite by adjusting player feedback on movement and stage design from its predecessor. Newcomers Asuka, Feng, and Raven entered the scene, as well as character customization options through cosmetic items. The PS2 version of Tekken 5 saw an inclusion of a playable Jinpachi and revisited Jin Kazama’s experiences in the narrative-driven Devil Within mode, alongside arcade versions of Tekken 1, 2, and 3.
A 2006 arcade revision, Tekken 5: Dark Resurrection, expanded the roster with Lili and Dragunov, refreshed visuals, and fine-tuned gameplay. It wasn’t long before the game landed on the PSP, introducing Tekken Dojo mode, which allowed players to exchange AI-controlled gameplay “ghosts” online. Although successful on PSP, the game’s fanbase yearned for a console edition, leading to its release on the PlayStation Network months later, complete with online match capabilities. T5DR remains a beloved gem among Tekken titles.
Tekken 6’s arcade release introduced new names like Bob, Zafina, Leo, and Miguel, further stirring the Mishima family chaos, as Jin and Kazuya’s corporate warfare raged on, leaving Heihachi missing. Bloodline Rebellion in late 2008 intensified the family feud by adding Heihachi’s son Lars and mecha-maiden Alisa, alongside fresh gameplay elements, such as the Rage mechanic—offering increased damage at low life—and the combo-extending Bound system within destructible arenas.
In 2009, the PS3 welcomed Tekken 6, largely built on Bloodline Rebellion, presenting its vastest story mode to date with Scenario Campaign. This mode followed Lars and Alisa, as they spearheaded a rebellion against the Tekken Force and the Mishima Zaibatsu. While the PSP version lacked this campaign mode, it still delivered stunning visuals and ad-hoc multiplayer experiences.
In anticipation of Tekken’s next step, Bandai Namco rolled out Tekken Hybrid in 2011, featuring an HD remaster of Tekken Tag Tournament, the original CG film, Tekken: Blood Vengeance, and a demo of Tekken Tag Tournament 2. TTT2 revived tag-team battles, expanding the selection roster. The PS3 iteration, launching in late 2012, added legacy characters, a Snoop Dogg stage and music track, CG endings for every character, and a host of character variants.
Following TTT2, Tekken Revolution delivered a unique twist on the franchise, adopting a free-to-play model focused on online competition. Players could earn in-game currencies to unlock new faces and improve character attributes with Skill Points. Regular updates enriched the game with new additions, maintaining player engagement until its service ended in 2017.
Finally, Tekken 7 arrived on PlayStation 4 in 2017, following its 2015 arcade debut. During this time, arcade versions received updates like Fated Retribution, famously integrating Street Fighter’s Akuma. Alongside him came new characters like Lucky Chloe, Josie, Katarina, Claudio, and Shaheen, plus numerous new stages and system alterations. Influenced by feedback on Tekken Revolution, Tekken 7 adjusted bound mechanics and introduced screw combo starters. The Rage system advanced with new skills like Rage Drive and Rage Art, available when health was low, offering strategic depth at a price.
The PS4 release of Tekken 7 presented an exclusive, lengthy story mode and received extensive post-launch updates, continuing to tweak character abilities and expand the game with new stages, music, and characters over time. Besides welcoming back old favorites, Tekken 7’s DLC introduced fresh faces like Leroy and Lidia, along with memorable guest appearances by Geese Howard from Fatal Fury, Noctis from Final Fantasy XV, and Neegan from The Walking Dead.
As Tekken 8 celebrated its first anniversary on PS5 this past January, anticipation builds for what lies ahead. The promise of a second Season of DLC hints at the arrival of cherished or unexpected characters, and the most recent story update concludes with a suspenseful cliffhanger, ensuring the Mishima family’s dramatic saga will enthrall fans for years to come.
