Commonly seen as the top dog of 3D fighting games, the Tekken series has followed the events of the King of Iron Fist Tournament since 1994. After the first Tekken, each subsequent game built upon the strong foundations of previous ones, adding new characters, moves, and concepts to keep things fresh and competitive. However, that wasn't quite the case for one entry, which is still seen by fans as the most disappointing Tekken game.
Though Tekken 4 was not poorly received by any means, many still consider it the worst of the mainline games. A combination of roster and gameplay changes are to blame, and compared to other then-recent Tekken games, it's just generally not up to par. With the PlayStation 2 version of the game now turning 20 years old, here's a look at Tekken's "worst" game.
Why Tekken 4 Was Seen As A Disappointment
One of the biggest problems with Tekken 4 was its roster. Though it brought back several fan-favorite fighters, it also lacked quite a few that players had come to expect. These included the sultry Anna and the robotic Jack, the latter of which having been a consistent part of the series up until then. Likewise, a lot of returning fighters had controversial redesigns and costumes, with one of Heihachi Mishima's being a mere body wrap resembling a giant diaper. The game's 21-member roster (23 in the console version) was also rather paltry compared to the then-recent Tekken Tag Tournament, which had pretty much every Tekken character yet.
Another sticking point was the gameplay itself, with the fighting engine different in several dramatic ways. Tekken 4 changed the combo system around a bit, rendering it a lot weaker than in previous games. The gameplay plane transitioned from 2.5D to a true 3D, making the sidestep feature essentially useless while making crouching and jumping hard to pull off. Another weird element was the unevenness of the terrain on certain levels, which complicated making attacks even connect. Perhaps worst of all in terms of gameplay, characters who were able to send opponents flying into the air before striking them again were incredibly broken, with Jin in particular being nearly unbeatable in the right hands.
Was Tekken 4 Really That Bad?
All in all, Tekken 4 felt like either a rushed game or one where developer Namco halfheartedly tried to change the franchise's entire formula. Still, there were some things that the game definitely did well. It brought back many characters that had not been in Tekken 3. These included Jin Kazama's father Kazuya, who was then the franchise's equivalent to Street Fighter's Ryu. Tekken 4 also introduced several new characters who would become big-time fan favorites, including Christie Monteiro, Craig Marduk, and Steve Fox.
The console release included a new version of the Tekken Force minigame from Tekken 3, the update vastly improving the original. The story in Tekken 4 also felt darker, and many of the side characters got more focus and development than in previous games, or in most fighting games in general up to that point.
This made the game a unique experience in the franchise, even with its more questionable gameplay elements. Perhaps this is why, despite some of its failings, the now-classic Tekken 4 was still relatively well-received upon release by critics and fans alike. Though today, it's still something of a black sheep in the legendary fighting game franchise.