14 DAY TRIAL // 
Tekken is the kind of game that makes a fan of PC-based titles buy a console and forget the upgrades that he needs in order to play the latest RPG or strategy game. This happened when the first Tekken surfaced and continued as the Playstation evolved. The series is far from reaching its end, but the potential seems to be increasing as time goes by. Dark Resurrection can be considered the upgraded version of Tekken 5, the hit title on the PS2 console. A game of this caliber doesn't need awards and reviews to point out who's the boss of the fighting game genre, mostly because the sales figures speak for themselves. We're dealing with a title that sold 1 million units and all I can say is that millions of gamers are extremely lucky right now, having played the game. Can this be the best PSP title so far? It sure gets my vote for the crown and in case you're a fan too, but you're stuck while playing the game, be sure to check out the cheats section.
Story Tekken: Dark Resurrection features the same 30+ roster of characters, each with their individual storylines, told through animations and with the aid of a narrator. Like in the previous installments, you'll have to complete a fighter's story mode in order to unlock his or her ending FMV and it's well worth the effort, because those cinematics can even rival those we've drooled upon in Final Fantasy games. Back to the main storyline, the ending of the Tekken 4 saw Heihaci Mishina being defeated by Kazuya Mishima.
However, it seems that the diabolical Jinpachi Mishima was awakened from his slumber due to the explosion that ended the final battle of the tournament. In this installment, although everyone thought that Heihachi was dead, he seems to be alive and ready to participate in the fifth Iron Fist tournament, this time organized by a mystery man. Can it be Jinpachi? This storyline is not much, however one should not expect the depth of a Lord of the Rings title in a fighting game. After all, it's all muscle and less thought...
Concept You'll start the game by watching a fabulous cutscene, getting ready for some serious virtual punching and kicking. In case you're a noob, you should try the practice mode, not forgetting to adjust the difficulty mode of your opponents, both in training and standard combat. Never hesitate to toy with the options, choosing the ones that suit your style better. Play 1 to 5 rounds or pure combat and make the rounds last 30 seconds or an infinity, choose your starting position and disable/enable the guard damage. After you're done with the setup you'll probably want to enter the customization mode to give your character a unique look. You can customize your fighter's face, upper body, lower body or aura (the rank of the player sets this attribute). What's neat is that you can create your very own tweaked fighter and upload him as a ghost available for other players as well. Tekken: Dark Ressurection offers you the chance to try all the characters from the start, without having to unlock them like in the original title.
Two new characters have joined the cast, Sergei Dragunov, a Russian operative and Lili, a spoiled rich girl. Also, the fans of the series will be pleased to find out that Armor King is once again available, aside from the standard King. The game's main currency is the G, used to buy all sorts of items, like clothing or head gear, that give your character a fancy trademark look. Once you're in the main menu, there are lots of playable modes to access, increasing the lifespan of the title considerably. The Attack Mode comprises the Time Attack sub-mode, which is pretty easy to figure out, if you've played a Tekken game before and the Survival mode, another pleasant reminder that we're playing the best fighting game ever created. If you want to simulate that you're playing a RPG or adventure game, there's the Tekken dojo that gives you access to a world map, where fighters will test their skills in free battles or league matches.
I know a mode from the main menu that won't need any presentation: the Arcade mode. Practically, this is the reason that makes people buy Tekken: it offers a great fighting experience, similar to the one provided by the old arcade rooms that made us happy back when we were kids. Aside from the famous arcade mode, there's the Story Mode that lets you choose a fighter and follow his plot as he heads to the last round of the fifth Iron Fist Tournament. In case you can't stand playing with an average character, earning cash quickly for the customization mode is a ball thanks to the Gold Rush. The task is pretty basic in this game mode: fight for the precious G-s.
Of course, the fighter in you will want to take a break every once in a while, enjoying the famous Tekken Bowl and Command Attack minigames. Dark Resurrection features 35 stages, most of them remade versions of those present in Tekken 5 or Tekken 3. But who can tell, with all the combat and button mashing you'll have to do? It's probably the only time I used "button mashing" as a compliment, instead of an insult, as it's the perfect way to create combos that look good and bring the much needed victory. Wondering about the AI, the controls and the cool moves? Keep on reading, as Tekken: Dark Ressurection is a vast land to explore...
Gameplay Tekken: Dark Resurrection must be handled with care, as it's a bundle of joy that will sometimes make you forget that you have a girlfriend, mother, son, classes to attend or social life. It's both a concert and a movie, it's both a fight and a friendly brawl and it's become a fact that we're dealing with the best PSP title. The controls from the PS2 title were kept almost intact, but the gamers that used the L and R buttons a lot while playing Tekken 5 will feel the lack of R2 and L2 while playing the PSP version. Also, the use of the D-pad can be a tad annoying and your fingers will hurt after hours of playing Tekken.
Pressing the D-pad buttons diagonally should result in a jump forward or backward, but it's pretty tough to press the buttons correctly, so let's consider this a flaw, but still not a major one. The exquisite gameplay will surely make up for the small control problems and everything seems to fit the PSP perfectly. Every fighter moves with ease, the combos are all here, plus a few new moves and the game has a feature that I have rarely seen in any PS2, PSX or PSP game: you can change the difficulty level during the fight. I may have a bad memory, but there are very few games that include this feature, which gives you a chance to adjust the enemy's skill to your own, as the battle progresses. Even if you're playing on the easy difficulty level, the AI is a tough nut to crack, but a fan of the series will surely get past the first few fighters without losing once. The numerous fighters will allow you to try out hundreds, if not thousands of combos, so you'll be wasting days and nights trying to get a supermove right.
Usually, such tasks and preparations are made, before fighting a human opponent and we all know the pleasure of showing a fellow player the combo you've just learned. The Tekken recipe was kept and you'll be able to throw punches at your enemy, kick him, grab him, parry his strikes and counter attack. All of the grabbing sequences that made us "wow!" throughout Tekken titles are here to make us give this installment a standing ovation. This being a fighting game, such a title is made famous or broken by its atmosphere and fluid gameplay. Both are top class in Dark Resurrection, with characters perfectly fitting each area and mildly interacting with the environments, while performing deadly combos. Since many fighters are featured and this is a PSP, you'd probably expect to see fewer combos than in the original Tekken 5.
Well, it seems that you're wrong and I may be exaggerating, but this installment's combos seem easier to perform and more numerous than in the original game. The fighters have the same weaknesses and secret moves that are the cause of massive frustration in multiplayer sessions. So, if you've been beaten to a pulp by Asuka in the original Tekken, while playing with Raven, it will happen again, and again and again, unless you kick the real player in the face. Basically, this Tekken title is the latest PS2 version, retouched and delicately wrapped in a package that fits in your back pocket. You'd probably expect huge loading times from a game that fills the UMD with its great content... This is not the case and like all the title's qualities weren't enough, the lag's also something you won't be seeing too soon in Dark Resurrection.
Video Tekken: Dark Ressurection runs at 60fps during matches and this can be compared to equipping a Mini Cooper with a Lamborghini's engine. While the engineering trick mentioned before has been done, this gaming experience has never been provided with such high graphic level of details. It wouldn't be impressive on a normal console, but when you see such graphics on a PSP, it makes the portable thingie worth every penny. The game's backgrounds are stunning and Dark Resurrection will allow you to fight in retouched version of the original Tekken 5 or Tekken 3 arenas. From burning battlegrounds to cute rooms filled with pink hearts, this Tekken will take you to the ideal locations for hardcore combats.
Performing combos is a delight, with each move being perfectly rendered exactly like on the PS2, if not better. The lengthy grabbing sequences never cease to stun and frustrate me, specially when they're chained with a series of punches and kicks. Cutscenes are worth watching, if you have enough time and patience to contain yourself from rushing to play a Quick battle. Each FMV can easily rival the latest animation or motion picture putting the PSP back on top where it belongs (if it was ever discriminated for poor graphics).
Sound
Dark Resurrection's atmosphere is generated by the beautiful graphics and brilliant soundtrack, made out of rock and techno tunes that suit each arena and fighter. Lots of beats per minute will surely generate lots of beatings per minute and, like in the case of the Need for Speed games, the music will give you that extra push needed to get past a tougher opponent or get in the groove and kick a real opponent's virtual behind. The screams, laments, taunts and diabolical laughs are all here to make the fight spicier and give you the feeling that a virtual fighter can really feel pain while he's being strangled or pinned to the floor.
Multiplayer One Tekken: Dark Resurrection UMD will not only make you happy, but also your friends, thanks to the fact that the titles supports game sharing and you can play it on two consoles through the Ad-hoc mode. What's best, this game mode is lag-free, even if you're fighting your next-door neighbor. The game loads the content from the host PSP and brings it on the other console thanks to the Wi-Fi connection, enabling both players to share the joy of playing the best fighting game ever created. Of course, the gameplay's the same as the one in the fights against the CPU, with some extra challenge from the other player's skills and the satisfaction of playing a two-player game with a single UMD.
I must mention that if your fellow Tekken fans are not enough, there's always the option of downloading ghosts on your PSP. The "ghost" players are the equivalents of real custom characters, created by Tekken fans around the globe, uploaded and available as opponents. Each ghost has a certain ranking and its own unique looks and gear, so you'll recognize a famous player or the worst noob of the hood.
Conclusion I feel like I've wronged this title before playing by calling Daxter "the best PSP game ever"... My apologies to the producers and their beautiful title, for not knowing what I was about to experience. Tekken: Dark Resurrection manages to resurrect the Tekken series, in case it ever died, instead of being as glorious as ever. Those of you that never played a fighting game will be blown away by the experience, while the arcade fans will be sucked in Tekken's world so much that they'll start throwing high kicks in real life, while walking on the street. The perfect game, the perfect fighting game. We demand an encore, Namco!
