Namco Launches Tekken 4

Namco Launches Tekken 4

Namco Europe has announced the launch of Tekken 4, the eagerly awaited latest instalment of the Tekken fighting series.

Tekken 4, which will make its European debut at Namco's Open House on 10/11/12 July, features 19 characters, although nine are not accessible straight away. The initial 10 available to players are a mixture of favourites who have featured in the previous incarnations of the game and bright newcomers with new moves and styles, a blend that has been created to appeal to both new and existing players.

However, the later characters are only released for play after a pre-set period of time, courtesy of the Tekken time release system. This serves to extend the lifetime of the game with players returning to discover if any new characters are playable. As always, Namco has developed a reason for each character's attendance at the Iron Fist Tournament 4, with the storylines helping to link the games to previous products.

Gary Newman, Namco Europe's sales director, said: "Tekken commands a brand loyalty amongst gamers which is unrivalled in the market. This latest offering with its exceptional graphics and compelling gameplay will, I believe, take the Tekken brand to new heights of popularity."

For the first time in the series, Tekken 4 gameplay incorporates surrounding walls, allowing characters to bounce back into action by unleashing combination attacks. From a buyer's perspective, one of the key commercial features of Tekken 4 is the fact that each PCB can be formatted as a two player game, thereby majoring on the competitive nature of the product.

Tekken 4 is available in high- and medium-resolution in both standard and deluxe format. The long release window until Tekken 4 appears on home consoles, will serve to extend the arcade life of what promises to be one of the hit products of the year.