is a
fighting video game
A fighting game, also known as a versus fighting game, is a genre of video game that involves combat between two or more players. Fighting game combat often features mechanics such as blocking, grappling, counter-attacking, and chaining attac ...
developed and published by
Namco
was a Japanese multinational corporation, multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Na ...
as the fourth main and fifth installment in the ''
Tekken
is a Japanese Media mix, media franchise centered on a series of fighting game, fighting video and arcade games developed and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment (formerly Namco). The franchise also includes film and print adaptations.
The ...
'' series, following the release of the non-canon crossover titled ''
Tekken Tag Tournament
is a spin-off of Namco's ''Tekken'' fighting game series. It is the fourth installment in the ''Tekken'' fighting game series.
''Tekken Tag Tournament'' was released as an arcade game in 1999, before becoming a North American and European launch ...
'' in 1999. It was released as an
arcade game
An arcade game or coin-op game is a coin-operated entertainment machine typically installed in public businesses such as restaurants, bars and amusement arcades. Most arcade games are presented as primarily games of skill and include arcade v ...
in 2001, and on the
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October 2000, in Europe on 24 November 2000, and in Australia on 3 ...
in 2002.
Placing distinction on the plot in the console version, the tone of ''Tekken 4'' was noticeably darker than other installments of the series. The game also harbored many gameplay revisions, such as the series-unique ability for the player to move about before the round begins and the introduction of walled stages. There are up to twenty-three characters to choose from, including six newcomers. The game's story reveals that
Kazuya has been revived following his death 20 years prior and enters the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4 to take back the Mishima Zaibatsu. Its sequel, ''
Tekken 5
is a fighting game developed and published by Namco for the arcades in 2004, and for the PlayStation 2 in 2005. It is the fifth main and sixth installment, in the '' Tekken'' series, marking the tenth anniversary of the series. The game is set ...
'', was released in 2004.
Gameplay
''Tekken 4'' introduced significant new gameplay changes from the previous games in the series.
[''Edge'' magazine issue E111, June 2004.] For the first time, it allowed players to maneuver around an arena interacting with walls and other obstacles for extra damage. These "environmental hazards" in turn allowed players to juggle opponents for consecutive combos and allowed the designers to implement a "switch maneuver", which let players escape from cornering and throw the tide in their favor. The game engine had been tweaked to be more focused on the environment, causing the characters to move more slowly and fluidly than in ''
Tekken Tag Tournament
is a spin-off of Namco's ''Tekken'' fighting game series. It is the fourth installment in the ''Tekken'' fighting game series.
''Tekken Tag Tournament'' was released as an arcade game in 1999, before becoming a North American and European launch ...
''. Finally, the game introduced a brand new graphics system, that featured increased lighting, dynamic physics, and smoother surfaces.
The console version of ''Tekken 4'' includes a
beat 'em up
The beat 'em up (also known as brawler and, in some markets, beat 'em all) is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, ...
minigame
A minigame (also spelled mini game and mini-game, sometimes called a subgame or microgame) is a short game often contained within another video game. A minigame contains different gameplay elements, and is often smaller or more simplistic, than th ...
available from the outset, called ''Tekken Force''. Similar to the previous minigame found in ''
Tekken 3
is a fighting game, the third entry in the ''Tekken'' series. It was released to the arcades in 1997, before being ported for the PlayStation in 1998. The arcade version of the game was released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 as part of ''Tekke ...
'', it presents the player with an over-the-shoulder perspective as they fight wave upon wave of Heihachi's ''Tekken Force'' through four stages, eventually facing Heihachi himself. The player can pick up health and power-ups while fighting waves of enemies. In the minigame it is discovered that the Tekken Force possesses different ranks in the organization, evident in different amounts of stamina, strength, and skill. A new Story mode in the home version unlocks cutscenes when played, in contrast to previous installments in which such cutscenes were unlocked from playing the Arcade mode. ''Tekken 4'' received generally favorable reviews. Community reception was generally negative, with competitive players pointing out its balancing and gameplay issues. However in recent years, ''Tekken 4'' has been widely praised for its innovation, atmosphere and attention to detail.
Characters
The arcade version features a total of 23 characters, consisting of 16 returning and 6 new ones. The returning characters include a couple ones who did not make the cut in the 19-year time skip between ''
Tekken 2
is a fighting game, the second entry in the ''Tekken'' series. It was released in arcades in 1995, and for the PlayStation in 1996. The original arcade version of the game was released in ''Tekken 5''s Arcade History mode for the PlayStation 2, ...
'' and ''
Tekken 3
is a fighting game, the third entry in the ''Tekken'' series. It was released to the arcades in 1997, before being ported for the PlayStation in 1998. The arcade version of the game was released in 2005 for the PlayStation 2 as part of ''Tekke ...
''. The console version adds two characters, both palette swaps of existing ones. 10 characters are available by default, with the rest being unlocked by clearing Story Mode multiple times.
New characters
*
Christie Monteiro
is a fictional character in the ''Tekken'' video game series of 3D fighting games. A fighter of Afro-Brazilian nationality, Christie uses the Brazilian fighting style of capoeira.
She is the granddaughter of a legendary capoeira master who taug ...
: A
Capoeira
Capoeira () is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, music and spirituality. Born of the melting pot of enslaved Africans, Indigenous Brazilians and Portuguese influences at the beginning of the 16th century ...
student in search for her friend and teacher, Eddy Gordo.
*
Combot
The following is a list of characters from the fighting game series '' Tekken''. Characters are chronologically listed in order of the game in which they debuted.
Characters
Players can choose from a diverse cast that hails from a variety of ...
: A general purpose robot created by the Violet Systems who is able to mimic other characters' fighting styles.
*
Craig Marduk
is a fictional character from the ''Tekken'' fighting game series released by Namco Bandai Games. Marduk was introduced in ''Tekken 4'', and he has returned for all subsequent releases, though he is only available in ''Tekken 7'' as a DLC charac ...
: An undefeated
Vale Tudo
Vale Tudo (; en, Everything Goes/Everything Allowed), also known No Holds Barred (NHB) in the United States, is an unarmed, full-contact combat sport with relatively few rules. It became popular in Brazil during the 20th century and would event ...
fighter who had killed
Armor King
The following is a list of characters from the fighting game series '' Tekken''. Characters are chronologically listed in order of the game in which they debuted.
Characters
Players can choose from a diverse cast that hails from a variety of ...
and is joining the tournament under the lure of Armor King's student King II
*
Miharu Hirano : The best friend of Ling Xiaoyu.
*
Steve Fox: A young
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...
champion who seeks to find out about his past.
*
Violet
Violet may refer to:
Common meanings
* Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue
* One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly:
** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
Places United States
* Viol ...
: The alter-ego of Lee Chaolan.
Returning characters
*
Bryan Fury
is a player character from the ''Tekken'' fighting game franchise by Namco Bandai Games, and has been a mainstay in the series since his debut in '' Tekken 3'' (1997). A power-hungry kickboxer, Bryan was once an Interpol officer until he was kill ...
*
Eddy Gordo
is a video game character from the ''Tekken'' series by Namco Bandai Games. The character is a Brazilian capoeira fighter. Introduced in ''Tekken 3'' in 1997, Eddy has since appeared in every game thereafter (albeit he is not a participant in th ...
*
Heihachi Mishima
is a Character (arts), fictional character of Bandai Namco Studios, Bandai Namco's ''Tekken'' fighting game series, serving as its main antagonist. Introduced as the boss character from the first ''Tekken (video game), Tekken'' video game from 1 ...
*
Hwoarang
is a fictional character from the ''Tekken'' fighting game series released by Namco Bandai Games. Hwoarang first appeared in ''Tekken 3'' and he has returned in all subsequent games. He is the Taekwondo student of Baek Doo San, and entered the th ...
*
Jin Kazama
is a fictional character of the ''Tekken'' fighting game series created by Bandai Namco Entertainment. He was introduced as the protagonist in the 1997 game ''Tekken 3'' and has been the central character of the series from that game onwards. T ...
*
Julia Chang
is a fictional character in the ''Tekken'' series of fighting games by Namco, where she was introduced in '' Tekken 3'' in 1997. She is the adopted daughter of part- Native American and part-Chinese fighter Michelle Chang, and her storyline typ ...
*
Kazuya Mishima
is a fictional character in Bandai Namco's ''Tekken'' fighting game series, first featured as the protagonist in the original 1994 game and later became one of the major antagonists and antihero of the series. The son of worldwide conglomerate ...
*
King II
*
Kuma II
*
Lee Chaolan
Lee Chaolan (Chinese language, Chinese: 李 超狼; pinyin: ''Lǐ Chāoláng''; Japanese language, Japanese: リー・チャオラン; Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ''Rī Chaoran'') is a player character from the ''Tekken'' fighting game franch ...
*
Lei Wulong
is a fictional character from the '' Tekken'' fighting game franchise by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Added to the ''Tekken'' series as a tribute to Jackie Chan, Lei's role is that of a police officer who investigates the Mishima Zaibatsu corpor ...
*
Ling Xiaoyu
Ling Xiaoyu (; ja, リン・シャオユウ, translit=Rin Shaoyū) is a fictional character from the ''Tekken'' franchise by Bandai Namco Entertainment. Following her debut in '' Tekken 3'' (1997), she has appeared in every subsequent game in t ...
*
Marshall Law
''Marshall Law'' is an Australian television series, which aired on the Seven Network in 2002, starring Lisa McCune and Alison Whyte as lawyers and sisters.
History
The show was originally conceived as a legal drama mixed with '' Ally McBea ...
*
Nina Williams
is a fictional character from Namco's ''Tekken'' fighting game series. A cold-blooded Irish professional assassin, Nina made her first appearance in ''Tekken'', the original game in the series. She also starred in her own spin-off game, '' Dea ...
*
Panda
The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes use ...
*
Paul Phoenix
*
Yoshimitsu
is a name used by three different characters who appear in the ''Tekken'' and ''Soulcalibur'' series of fighting games by Namco.
The first version of Yoshimitsu made his debut in the original ''Tekken (video game), Tekken'' in 1994. The second ...
Unlockable character
Only playble in console version (make a cameo appearances in arcade version)
Skin/palette swap
Skin/palette swap when Lee Chaolan unlocked
Plot
Two years after the
King of Iron Fist Tournament 3,
Heihachi Mishima
is a Character (arts), fictional character of Bandai Namco Studios, Bandai Namco's ''Tekken'' fighting game series, serving as its main antagonist. Introduced as the boss character from the first ''Tekken (video game), Tekken'' video game from 1 ...
and his scientists have captured samples of
Ogre
An ogre ( feminine: ogress) is a legendary monster depicted as a large, hideous, man-like being that eats ordinary human beings, especially infants and children. Ogres frequently feature in mythology, folklore, and fiction throughout the wor ...
's blood and tissue to splice with Heihachi's genome, in order to make him immortal. The experiment fails since Heihachi lacks the Devil gene. His grandson,
Jin Kazama
is a fictional character of the ''Tekken'' fighting game series created by Bandai Namco Entertainment. He was introduced as the protagonist in the 1997 game ''Tekken 3'' and has been the central character of the series from that game onwards. T ...
, possesses the Devil gene but has been missing since the previous tournament. Meanwhile, Heihachi learns that the body of his son,
Kazuya Mishima
is a fictional character in Bandai Namco's ''Tekken'' fighting game series, first featured as the protagonist in the original 1994 game and later became one of the major antagonists and antihero of the series. The son of worldwide conglomerate ...
, who also had the Devil gene and whom Heihachi killed by throwing into a volcano twenty years ago, is stored in the labs of the G Corporation, a cutting edge biotech firm making revolutionary advances in the field of biogenetics research. Heihachi sends his Tekken Forces to raid G Corporation facility in order to retrieve Kazuya's remains. However, the mission fails when the Tekken Force is wiped out by none other than Kazuya himself, who has been revived by G Corporation a few days after his apparent death. Unknown to Heihachi, Jin has been in a self-imposed training exile in
Brisbane
Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...
, to unlearn the Mishima
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ) is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tii'' in Okinawan) under the ...
style and master traditional karate, loathing anything to do with his bloodline since Heihachi's betrayal.
In an attempt to lure Kazuya and Jin out, Heihachi announces the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, with the ownership of the Mishima Zaibatsu being the top prize. After Jin won his match against
Hwoarang
is a fictional character from the ''Tekken'' fighting game series released by Namco Bandai Games. Hwoarang first appeared in ''Tekken 3'' and he has returned in all subsequent games. He is the Taekwondo student of Baek Doo San, and entered the th ...
by default when the South Korean Army took him into custody and Kazuya defeated
Violet
Violet may refer to:
Common meanings
* Violet (color), a spectral color with wavelengths shorter than blue
* One of a list of plants known as violet, particularly:
** ''Viola'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
Places United States
* Viol ...
. Jin and Kazuya were scheduled to fight at Stage 7, Jin is ambushed and captured by the Tekken Force and taken to Hon-Maru, a Mishima Dojo in the woods. By default Kazuya was declared the winner of Stage 7, Kazuya meets Heihachi at the final stage and questions him of Jin's disappearance. They clash and Heihachi emerges victorious. After the fight, instead of killing Kazuya outright, Heihachi leads him to Hon-Maru, where an unconscious Jin has been chained. Before Heihachi can enchain his son as well, Kazuya's body is suddenly taken over by Devil, who explains to Heihachi that 21 years ago, after throwing Kazuya into a volcano, half of its entity split from it and possessed Jin. Devil telekinetically knocks out Heihachi and then subconsciously taunts Jin, which causes him to wake up with his Devil powers activated. Breaking the chains, an enraged Jin fights Kazuya and defeats him. Heihachi regains consciousness and goes to fight against an exhausted Jin, but is also defeated. As he is about to finish Heihachi, a vision of his mother,
Jun Kazama
is a fictional character from the ''Tekken'' fighting game series, who made her debut in ''Tekken 2'', her first and only canonical appearance until the confirmation of her return in '' Tekken 8'' when she was revealed as a character during a ga ...
, causes him to spare Heihachi in her honor. Stretching his Devil wings, Jin takes flight, leaving the unconscious Kazuya and Heihachi in Hon-Maru.
Reception
In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Tekken 4'' on their September 1, 2001 issue as being the most-successful arcade game of the month.
''Tekken 4'' has received an averaged score of 81% at
GameRankings
GameRankings was a video gaming review aggregator that was founded in 1999 and owned by CBS Interactive. It indexed over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 video games. GameRankings was discontinued in December 2019, with its staff bei ...
and 79/100 at
Metacritic
Metacritic is a website that review aggregator, aggregates reviews of films, TV shows, music albums, video games and formerly, books. For each product, the scores from each review are averaged (a weighted arithmetic mean, weighted average). M ...
.
''
Edge
Edge or EDGE may refer to:
Technology Computing
* Edge computing, a network load-balancing system
* Edge device, an entry point to a computer network
* Adobe Edge, a graphical development application
* Microsoft Edge, a web browser developed by ...
'' gave it a mediocre review, highlighting the game's experimental and pretty nature, and that overall it is a more solid and thoughtful proposition than its predecessor, but concluded that the game feels "over-familiar and curiously uninspired."
[ On the other hand, ]GameSpot
''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
's Greg Kasavin
Gregory A. Kasavin (; born August 21, 1977) is an American writer and designer for Supergiant Games, and the former site director and executive editor at the gaming website ''GameSpot'' for over 10 years.
Early life and education
Kasavin atten ...
referred to it to "one of the better fighting games in years" and "an extremely solid, long-lasting, accessible, and fun-to-play fighting game that comes from one of the world's best developers of the genre."[ ''GameSpot'' named ''Tekken 4'' the best PlayStation 2 game of September 2002,] and nominated it for the publication's "Best Fighting Game of 2002" award. IGN
''IGN'' (formerly ''Imagine Games Network'') is an American video game and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa distri ...
's Jeremy Dunham noted the walls and confined spaces as "probably Namco's wisest decision," and called the game "a solid fighter in every sense of the word."[
]
References
External links
* (PS2)
* (arcade) (archived)
*
{{Tekken series
2001 video games
Arcade video games
Fighting games used at the Evolution Championship Series tournament
Fighting games used at the Super Battle Opera tournament
Interactive Achievement Award winners
Multiplayer and single-player video games
Namco arcade games
Namco beat 'em ups
PlayStation 2 games
Tekken games
Video game sequels
Video games developed in Japan
Video games scored by Satoru Kōsaki
Video games scored by Yuu Miyake
Video games set in Tokyo
Video games set in Brazil
Video games set in the United States
Video games set in Philadelphia
Video games set in Japan
D.I.C.E. Award for Fighting Game of the Year winners