Tekken

Tekken from 1994 established Namco as a full-fledged player in the fighting game genre and, as one of the first titles, used the possibilities of full 3D graphics for fights taking place in a genuinely three-dimensional space, even though character movement was still limited to a single axis. Players control one of sixteen characters, from the karateka Kazuya Mishima through the wrestler Nina Williams to a bear named Kuma, using a scheme where each arm and leg corresponds to a separate button, enabling elaborate combinations of strikes, kicks, and grabs distinct from the two-dimensional fighting games of the time.

On Namco System 11 arcade hardware, the game looked very modern and technically advanced thanks to its polygonal character models, even though the animations were still somewhat mechanical and angular compared to later entries in the series. The arena backgrounds and accompanying music gave each fight its own atmosphere, from Tokyo streets to exotic locations in the jungle or on the beach, and the story of the King of Iron Fist tournament tied the characters together through family and personal bonds, above all the conflict between Kazuya and his father Heihachi.

Tekken became a commercially successful and critically acclaimed title that founded one of the longest-running and most successful fighting game series of all time. Its four-limb control system influenced the direction of 3D fighting games for years to come and distinguished the series from the competing Virtua Fighter through its emphasis on flashier, faster combinations. Even today, the first Tekken is valued as the historically important foundation of the brand and the introduction of its key story, even though later entries in the series significantly surpassed it in gameplay and depth. Characters like Kazuya, Nina, and Paul Phoenix became series mainstays for decades to come, and many of their traits and signature moves remain recognizable today. The home port to the original PlayStation also helped the game reach players beyond arcade halls and expanded awareness of the brand far beyond Japan's borders.

Why play it: For fans of 3D fighting games, this is the historical foundation of one of the most successful series of all time, even though later entries significantly surpassed it in controls and depth.