You might think when a series kills off its resident senior citizen, it's a sign of moving forward and leaving its roots behind. But despite the death of Heihachi Mishima in the game's intro, the rest of Tekken 5, if nothing else, is taking a step back to its past.
But as a wise fortune cookie once told me, "Sometimes a step back is merely a step forward in another direction." And mmmm, was it good ... and right.
The Tekken series is sticking to its strengths: memorable characters who can effortlessly string together combos that often keep an opponent receiving punishment in the air for so long, you'd think he was a masochistic bird. Experiments from Tekken 4, like uneven landscapes and style-switching, have been wisely done away with. And the first three Tekkens have been included, to show just how much prettier the series has gotten while its addictive gameplay has remained the same.
MLB 2006 (E) (4 stars)
Sony Computer Entertainment
PlayStation 2
MLB has stolen another base on the way to absolute realism. The mannerisms of each player have been captured in fluid animations, and atypical camera angles give the impression you're actually on the field rather than watching the game on TV. To make you feel any more a part of the game, MLB 2006 would have to come with steroids.
Rave Master (T) (3 stars)
Konami
GameCube
According to this anime-inspired title, a battle involving rave stones and shadow stones reduced a tenth of the world to a smoldering crater. OK ... seems like a good enough reason to fight frantic, four-player brawls. The simple combat can be fun but the inaccessibly lame plotlines won't win any new fans for the TV show.
Twisted Metal: Head On (T) (4 stars)
Sony Computer Entertainment
PlayStation Portable
I never would have guessed that Twisted Metal's brand of automotive carnage was a good candidate for portable play, but its short arena battles are a blast in this format. It's ideal for long road trips, when you can relinquish the wheel during your friend's turn to drive and release your pent-up urges for vehicular manslaughter.
Matthew Scott Hunter has been known to mumble, "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, start" in his sleep. E-mail him at
[email protected].