Summary
- Tekken devs Harada and Murray agree a retro game collection may not work due to the aging graphics of older Tekken titles.
- The differences between 2D and 3D graphics in Tekken games may make a retro collection less appealing to fans and developers.
- Focusing on new titles like Tekken 8, Bandai Namco is unlikely to release a retro games collection for Tekken anytime soon.
Veteran Tekken devs Katsuhiro Harada and Michael Murray don't think releasing a collection of retro Tekken games would work due to the differences between 2D and 3D graphics. Some of the most well-received entries in the Tekken series are 90s retro titles, such as Tekken 3.
From the time of arcades to the era of home consoles, Tekken has been a constant for fans of the fighting game genre. Throughout its three decades of existence, Bandai Namco's franchise has garnered praise for the developer's commendable work with each entry, whether it be Tekken Tag Tournament 2 or Tekken 8. While fellow Japanese studio Capcom is repackaging its retro fighting games and porting them to modern systems, Bandai Namco has so far strayed away from using this tactic with Tekken. And, it appears that this may remain the case for the foreseeable future based on recent statements by veteran series devs.
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In an interview with TheGamer, Tekken 8 co-producer Harada shared that he doesn't think a retro game compilation would work for Tekken as its earliest games use 3D graphics, unlike the 2D graphics used by Capcom's retro fighting titles. He explained that those who play 3D fighting games "tend to play the latest installment" and seeing the earliest Tekken games' polygon character models wouldn't look "nearly as impressive" as they did before. The Tekken executive producer continues that 2D fighting games, being "just sprite characters and stuff," don't face this issue as they "don't seem to age graphically that much."
Tekken's Chances of Getting a Retro Fighting Game Collection Seem Low
On the other hand, Murray, who was translating for Harada, also gave his own opinion on the matter. Similar to Harada, he feels that 3D fighting games tend to age worse than those with 2D graphics. However, he acknowledged that if the gameplay offered something "drastically different," as in the case of Tekken Tag 2 versus Tekken 7, he might be tempted to give a fighting game with outdated 3D graphics a try "for a little bit." Harada recently suggested that long-serving Tekken devs may depart after the next game, which would leave the question of a Tekken retro games compilation open for new devs to consider.
With both longtime Tekken collaborators not excited by the idea of a retro games compilation, it is more or less settled that the series' fans shouldn't expect anything along the lines of Capcom Fighting Collection coming for Bandai Namco's fighting game IP. As a result, there currently seems to be little hope for anyone wanting to play classics like the original Tekken natively on modern consoles. However, that doesn't mean there's no demand for retro Tekken titles among players today. Collections like Marvel vs Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics are often bought out of a sense of nostalgia, which is catered to by modern ports of retro games. In case Tekken also receives its own retro games collection some years down the line, it would offer fans a more convenient way to play the classics.
Tekken 8
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 90 /100 Critics Rec: 99%
- Released
- January 26, 2024
- ESRB
- t
- Developer(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment, Arika
- Publisher(s)
- Bandai Namco Entertainment
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer
- Cross-Platform Play
- PC, PS5 & Xbox Series X|S
WHERE TO PLAY
Tekken 8 brings the fight to the latest generation of consoles, powered by Unreal Engine 5. Feel the power of every hit in Tekken 8, the latest entry in the legendary fighting game franchise from Bandai Namco. Utilising the power and realism of Unreal Engine 5, Tekken 8 pushes the envelope for fighting games by taking full advantage of the power of the latest generation of consoles. Ground-breaking new features, breathtakingly detailed character models and dramatic environments make this one of the most visually stunning and immersive titles in the genre yet. Tekken 8 picks up after the gruesome battle that ended in Heihachi Mishima’s defeat in Tekken 7, focusing on a new rivalry, pitting father against son as Jin Kazama stands in defiance against Kazuya Mishima in a city-shattering face-to-face showdown.
- Franchise
- Tekken
- Platform(s)
- PC, PS5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- Genre(s)
- Fighting
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
