Tekken

Tekken brought to PlayStation the revolution that Namco's arcade cabinet had unleashed in game halls a year earlier – three-dimensional fighting arithmetic built on four buttons corresponding to the fighter's individual limbs. Instead of classic 2D side-to-side movement, the game offered a full 3D field with the ability to sidestep into depth, which, combined with an elaborate combo system and a distinct moveset for each character, created the foundation the series still stands on today. The roster of fighters, from the karateka Kazuya Mishima to the wrestling bear Kuma, was unusually varied for its time, and each character had their own short but imaginatively told story arc, set within the Mishima family saga that the series continues to build on today. The fights were fast, direct, and rewarded players who mastered specific button combinations for individual characters, which created a lively competitive scene around the game even back in the arcades.

The PlayStation conversion was technically very well done and brought the game to a much wider audience than classic arcade cabinets could reach – the textures were slightly improved over the arcade version, and the game ran smoothly even during more demanding fights with more effects on screen. It also added exclusive content in the form of a training mode and a gallery, which made the home version a more complete experience than the arcade coin-ops. The atmosphere was rounded out by electronic music and digitized voice effects, a combination that was fairly unusual outside Japanese arcade halls at the time. The home version also let players practice combos in peace, without a queue at the machine.

Tekken became one of the console's launch trump cards and kicked off one of the most successful fighting game series in video game history. From today's perspective, the controls feel stiff and the character roster modest compared to later installments, but as a historical milestone and cornerstone of the entire series it holds an irreplaceable place in the original PlayStation's catalog. Without this first step, it would have been hard for the later installments to emerge, the ones that went on to define 3D fighting games for many years to come.

Why play: As a historical milestone and cornerstone of one of the most successful fighting game series in history, Tekken holds an irreplaceable place in the original PlayStation's catalog, even if the controls feel stiff today.