With Street Fighter 6 selling well and Mortal Kombat 1 getting fans hyped for its upcoming release, this has been a great year for 2D fighting games. But what about 3D? Where are the 3D fighting games? While it doesn't have a solid release date, Tekken 8 appears to be the next big fighting game to hit store shelves. And that got me wondering what Electronic Gaming Monthly thought of the franchise. And not just Tekken, but also Namco's other long-running 3D fighter – SoulCalibur.
In case you're curious EGM reviewed fifteen games in the Tekken and SoulCalibur franchises between 1995 and 2008. That includes not only the spin-offs and portable entries, but also the titles directly tied to those series, like WeaponLord and Soul Blade. While the magazine managed to hit pretty much all of the games in these two franchises, there is one big omission – the very first Tekken game. They also missed out on every game released after 2008, so don't expect Tekken 6 and 7 or SoulCalibur V and VI. What we're going to do today is count down the best and worst Tekken and SoulCalibur games using Electronic Gaming Monthly's own words and scores. There's no editorializing here, we're going to focus on what the critics said back when these games first came out. So, go and let everybody know that the soul still burns because this is Electronic Gaming Monthly's Top 15 Tekken and SoulCalibur Games.
Tekken's Nina Williams in: Death by Degrees (PlayStation 2)
#15
“Don't hate Nina because she's beautiful; hate her for taking part in an unpolished game. All of Death by Degrees' good points – impressive graphics, entertaining sniper scenes, solid upgrade and combo system, unorthodox analog fighting that actually works well – are offset by poor enemy A.I. and one of the most user-unfriendly camera systems I've encountered in a long time. If only Namco had spent as much time perfecting the minutiae as it did perfecting Nina's body.” (5.3 out of 10)
WeaponLord (Genesis)
#14
“Weapon Lord is loaded with cool concepts and neat characters. The graphics are appealing, and the voices are the best the Genesis can do. Now comes the bad part. The game play is really choppy, as is the animation. Even knowing the moves and the combos, the computer can tear you apart, because it isn't slowed down by poor control. The animation is as most three-frames. I expected more from Namco. The concepts are there, but the game just isn't.” (5.6 out of 10)
SoulCalibur Legends (Wii)
#13
“Legends succeeds solely as fan service, delivering a hefty chunk of backstory for its characters. As a standalone action-adventure game, it's an absolute mess. These Calibur stars deserve better than wandering through countless crudely designed levels dispatching throngs of mindless foes. Imagine Tekken's Force mode, but expanded to an undeservedly epic scale, rife with dullness and repetition. As for the haphazard motion controls ‘actually working,' I had just as much success randomly flailing my arms around.” (5.8 out of 10)
Tekken Advance (Game Boy Advance)
#12
“Once in a while, I run into a game that I really don't care for, but have to give credit for its technical prowess. While I'm not the biggest Tekken fan, that Namco was able to make Tekken's mock-3D gameplay work on the Game Boy Advance this solidly is impressive. Tekken 3 players should definitely look into the GBA version; it's got a lot of the same characters and gameplay mechanics. The only problem is that Tekken's fighting engine is so reliant on subtle punch and kick variations, scaling it down doesn't work so well. Many of these subtleties have either been cut out or obscured on the small screen, so the game feels a lot drier than it should.” (5.8 out of 10)
Tekken 4 (PlayStation 2)
#11
“I wanted to like Tekken 4 (really). The problem here is that, at the most basic level, Tekken 4's gameplay is simply broken. Punches have no reach, the collision detection is questionable, and sidesteps/parries are practically useless. Some characters have been neutered beyond belief (sorry, Bryan), while others are still trading on the same cheap moves they've had since the first Tekken (yes you, King). The pretty 3D backgrounds are only occasionally relevant since you rarely visit any interactive bits. Most people will still be able to enjoy this game, but it's time for the series to get a serious overhaul.” (7 out of 10)
Tekken Tag Tournament (PlayStation 2)
#10
“Congratulations to Namco for making a really gorgeous fighter that visually dominates the genre. Shame on them for not revisiting the same choppy, restrictive gameplay that has plagued Tekken from the start. If Dead of Alive and SoulCalibur have taught us nothing, they've shown that 3D fighters can be as quick, smooth and open to different playing styles as 2D games. Tekken must have been sick that day. Its giant bank of characters and lifelike backgrounds are nice, but that only goes so far. You'll adore this title if you're a Tekken fan, ‘cause it's the best of the series. Leprechaun 2 is the best film of its series, but that doesn't mean you should buy it.” (7.7 out of 10)
Tekken 5 (PlayStation 2)
#9
“While not in the same league as deep, technical fighters such as SoulCalibur and Virtua Fighter, Tekken 5 stands proudly as the best brawler for regular people. And the game offers so much quality gameplay that even hardcore frame-counters shouldn't write it off due to its scrubby combo system. Hell, it's fun to go slumming in the button-mashing ghetto once in a while. Plus, it's hard to hate a game that looks this pretty. Add ample unlockables, the moderately enjoyable Devil Within mode, three classic Tekkens and arcade mode's sweet character customization system, and this is a worthy buy.” (8.2 out of 10)
Tekken: Dark Resurrection (PlayStation Portable)
#8
“I traditionally begin my Tekken reviews by reminding readers that both Virtua Fighter and SoulCalibur handily outclass Tekken in every way – but hell, neither of those franchises has made the leap to the PSP. Until they do, you won't find finer 3D fighting on any handheld – this port successfully puts the latest arcade revision of Tekken 5 in your pants. You'll notice a nasty visual downgrade, especially with the character models, but everything else survives the trip unscathed.” (8.2 out of 10)
Soul Blade (PlayStation)
#7
“I'm a sucker for a good, clean fighting game. What I mean is that it's always fun to sit down and play a fighter that lends itself to two-player fighting. The graphics in Soul Blade are incredible. I'm not one to drool over awesome intros, but Soul Blade has one of the best intros in the history of video gaming. But let's get back into the game. What's nice is that once you play the one-player mode, you can move onto the two-player portion. The moves are simple, but cool-looking – I like that. Soul Blade is a really fun fighter, worth the price.” (8.25 out of 10)
Tekken 2 (PlayStation)
#6
“If I'm playing a fighting game, I usually prefer something flashier, like games with fireballs and crazy combos. Tekken 2 does not have the former, but definitely has the latter. This game is deep – so many combos to learn with so little time. That's what gives this title its value: The long-term play. You might get bored playing it in the beginning, but if you stick with it long enough, you might just get hooked.” (8.5 out of 10)
SoulCalibur IV (Xbox 360 & PlayStation 3)
#5
“I can't say whether SoulCalibur IV is balanced, but I can say this: It's a step up from the grossly overrated SoulCalibur III. Like that game, SoulCalibur IV is an incremental upgrade, more in line with the myriad of Street Fighter II revisions than bona fide sequels. But unlike SoulCalibur III, this game is a graphical improvement over its predecessor, it isn't subject to glaring slowdown problems or untenable load times. It's SoulCalibur in high-def – if you loved it then, you'll love it now, and you won't get quite so annoyed with it.” (B+ out of A+)
SoulCalibur III (PlayStation 2)
#4
“SoulCalibur III makes a valiant effort to hook fighting-game nonfans with its collection of distractions, but I'm afraid there's not a lot here to keep ‘em hooked for long. What, me worry? Fighting games should be made for the hardcore, and thankfully, SoulCalibur III has plenty to offer returning fans. Changes to the basic fighting system are negligible – the real changes come in new move sets and character balance. I won't whine about the lack of online support, but let's just say I anxiously await SoulCalibur IV.” (9 out of 10)
SoulCalibur II (PlayStation 2, Xbox & GameCube)
#3
“Sure, Virtua Fighter 4 may have the superior single-player mode, but SoulCalibur 2 still beats most fighting games in the solo-play department. It doesn't really matter anyway, SoulCalibur 2 can stand on its Versus game alone – it's that good. It's beautiful, it's deep and it offers many characters that play so differently from each other.” [...] “If there's a sharper-looking console game than SoulCalibur 2, I haven't seen it. Although the new arenas lack the ambitious scale of, say, Dead or Alive 3, they're anything but flawed. Small stages keep tactical players sharp and the larger levels give newbies a needed break. What's wrong with that?” (9.7 out of 10)
Tekken 3 (PlayStation)
#2
“There have been some classics in the past year, but Tekken 3 just oozes quality from every beautifully-crafted pore. The graphics are exquisite, the character design better than ever, the moves graceful while fearsome, and the control system is near-perfect. Add the wonderful secret bits and you have a thoroughly rewarding experience. Worth buying just to see Eddy perform – the most graceful thing in PlayStation history.” (9.75 out of 10)
SoulCalibur (Dreamcast)
#1
“There is no better 3D fighting game on the market right now, period. The controls are unparalleled. The game is very balanced, no matter which characters you pick. The fighting engine is unbelievably deep, yet intuitive (and leagues better than Soul Blade's). The hidden goods are well worth opening up and much more rewarding than a Force or Ball Mode. And to think, this is first-generation software. Buy this game. It's absolutely amazing.” (10 out of 10)
