The Tekken series has always been the staple fighting franchise for Sony platforms since it made its debut on the PSOne years ago. Having recently hit another stride with Tekken 5 on the Playstation 2, the series is keeping up the pace with its first apperance on the PSP. Tekken Dark Ressurection is the first fighting game on the portable platform that makes the console worthwhile for fans of the genre. A few new characters, modes and an arguably perfect translation of the series' trademark gameplay highlight Dark Ressurection which manages to be one of the best PSP games to date because of it. Normally it would be proper to briefly explain the plot and conflict of the game, but frankly, there are over thirty different characters each with their own stories and some have nothing to do with the other. So firstly, don't expect shakespeare out of the game in terms of its narrative, but don't expect to be dead bored either, because the artwork and cut scenes presented are quite impressive.



The gameplay is where its at for anyone who plans on picking this game up and Tekken is no slouch in this department. Each of the thirty different characters included in the game control differently and have the potential to be your personal favorite. If you stick to it, its possible to become proficient with all of the characters or just one if you wish to be associated with a single fighter as you pummel your friends. Two new additions were made to the Tekken roster in the form of Dragunov and Lili. Dragunov isn't exactly a brisk character, but he makes up for that by being quite the heavy hitter. Lili is quite fast and will probably be a favorite among the people who enjoy basically slamming the buttons on their PSP (and you actually might win with her). Other than that, the best of the best from previous Tekken games have returned and some are excellent fighters, while some are definitely lacking (still). Usually in no time though, you should be able to find at least one fighter that you enjoy and its probably best to stick with one initially so you can learn as many of its moves as possible.Control wise Tekken isn't exactly as comfortable as you might hope. The d-pad isn't what arcade veterans or hardcore fans of the series will be used to and diagonals especially can be a pain when you first start playing. You should be able to get used to the different (though inherently limiting) feel of the d-pad eventually, but its still something that may aggravate even the most skilled players. Luckily in Tekken's defense,  this is in no way the game's fault as it is more a problem with the PSP's design itself. Otherwise, the face button input is just fine and precise. As for the moves themselves, there are too many to count or mention so there really is no point, just expect to be learning attacks and techniques for awhile if its your intention to master them, because Tekken can suck you in if you let it.



Tekken features a variety of modes that will keep the typical single player gamer happy for quite awhile. The Arcade and Story modes have you fighting opponent after opponent until you reach the final battle. The AI in both modes progressively increase after matches and the only clear difference between the two is that one has a narrative (I dare you to guess which). Quick battle is a nice addition to the game which allows you to get in the game and fight quickly and then leave if you want. Its for people who treat the PSP as a portable system (yes, we are looking at you, couch farts who sit with the PSP hooked into the wall). Then there are the Dojo and Fight Money modes. The Dojo has you fighting in league competitions that you achieve ranks in. As you fight more and rise in rank, newer Dojos are opened that are more difficult than the previous ones. Lastly, Fight Money is a mode that has you fighting for (who would have known?) money, which in turn lets you purchase new accessories and items for your characters. There are actually a few smaller bonus game modes you can try out. Most noteably you can unlock the returning Tekken Bowl mini game. They don't add much to the game, but they are fairly simple and fun to mess around with if you get tired of the same old punching and kicking.In terms of multiplayer, Tekken: Dark Ressurection unfortunately lacks the ability to be played online which is probably a bummer to some fans. The good news is that you can thankfully play against your friends whether it be by sharing one UMD or by each having your own copy. The connections are fairly fast with slight lag being noticed in some matches, but overall the experience should be smooth for most people. The best way to see if your skills hold up is to fight against a friend because there is only so much the standard computer AI can teach you (well, more like punish you at the higher difficulties). The game isn't completely devoid of online features though. Both online leaderboards and downloadable ghosts are avaliable and many fighting game fans will be content with this. Having the ability to upload your ghost for someone else to fight is quite the ego booster (if your ghost happens to be any good).

Most of the early press surrounding the game focused on how drop dead beautiful that Tekken looked on the PSP and after finally having seen it in motion, the early praise was spot on. Tekken is one of the best looking PSP games to date (ranking up high with Syphon Filter and Daxter). The textures, animations, backgrounds and particle effects are excellently rendered and the graphics (while not as sharp) definitely stand up to the Playstation 2 versions quite well. The load times are quite fast for a PSP game and the framerate stays fairly consistent through each match. The only irritiating issue to mention is that there are a few games where screen ghosting is noticeable on the PSP and unfortunately Tekken is one of them. This is mostly against dark backgrounds and doesn't really do anything to hamper the game's overall smooth and detailed looks. If you want a game to show off to your friends the power of the PSP, Tekken is clearly one of them. The background tracks included in the game along with the voices are all sharp and well produced. They won't win awards but they do add more to the already excellent presentation.Tekken: Dark Ressurection is one of the few true PSP gems that has been released for the system so far. More will undoubtedly arrive as time goes by, but Tekken is definitely one that will be remembered by fans of the series and fighting game pursists in general. Its not going to convert you if you absolutely hate fighting games, so don't bother. Namco knows its audience and it caters to them in ways they know will be appreciated. It doesn't include online play, but thats not enough of a dissapointment to truly matter when the game is looked at on a whole. If you want a game that is the best of its genre on the PSP and has the ability to enslave you into a fighting game addiction, then Tekken: Dark Ressurection is definitely a game that should be on your shopping list.