Preview: Tekken 3D Prime Edition - A Prime Example of Tekken the Mickey?

I've gone out of my way time and time again to make it clear that I'm a huge Tekken fan numerous times here on the blog, even in pieces of writing you wouldn't expect to feature references to a relatively obscure beat 'em up series (see the Skyward Sword preview I did a few months back). Even though I'm anything but a expert at the actual fighting system engraved into every installment in the long-running polygonal fighting saga that has followed countless characters and their epic duke-outs across numerous consoles and handhelds, I can without a shadow of a doubt admit the fact that I prefer Tekken over every other series of beat 'em ups, with no exceptions. Naturally, then, you'd be thinking upon discovery of my Tekken love that I'd be looking forward to Tekken 3D Prime Edition, the latest game in the series due out on 3DS in a few days here in the UK; and I am. A number of reviews of the game have already zoomed through the pipeline into the internet, describing the gameplay of this handheld title as pretty much identical to Tekken 6, not to mention that the visuals are nearly as impressive as the last major Tekken release, on top of this. So, with all this talk of lovely praise on the game's behalf, what's with the title of this post? I'll tell you, avid reader of atrociously bad puns; It's because while Tekken's 3DS debut may be heavy on the contact, it's ridiculously light on another thing beginning with the letter 'C' - content. And this frustrating case of absent features will be the core subject matter of the next few paragraphs...

What is clearly a near-perfect port of the astonishing Tekken 6's fighting could be oh-so much better, and anyone can tell that from reading up on what 3D Prime Edition has to offer. Quite simply, a miniscule amount on top of the core experience. With this game, we're left with a plate full of chicken (I'm referencing Tekken Force's health power-ups rather badly here) with nothing to compliment its deliciousness; The game can't be described as anything other than awesome, albeit surprisingly and disappointingly bare-bones. Had enough of my complaining and want to know what's wrong with this release? Fair enough, I'll list all the negatives right now. First off, the side-dishes in the form of extra game modes of past titles, such as Tekken Force, Bowl and Tag Team features, have been replaced by a rather rubbish-looking StreetPass feature in which you collect pieces of concept art for no particular reason but to gaze at them for a few seconds. The fruity customisation features found in every Tekken game since 5 are also frustratingly gone in Prime Edition, which is ridiculous considering the 3DS' predecessor's rival, the less beefy PSP, featured Tekken releases full of character personalisation. The biggest let-down in 3D Prime edition is the main offender - There isn't even an Arcade mode. Uh-huh, you read that right, and to make sure that you don't think I made a mistake, I'll say it again: the arcade mode found in every single Tekken game, complete with character plot-points and CGI endings ranging from comedic to epic, can not be found on the 3DS. Surely it wouldn't have taken much effort for the developers to simply port over the cutscenes and intro sequences of Tekken 6, seeing as they've gone as far as porting over the core gameplay of that release? If I could get Namco-Bandai on the phone, I'd undoubtedly be having words with them...

In the supposedly compulsory Arcade Mode's place is Quick Play, a simple set of bouts against ten opponents. No story, no bosses, just the core fighting. It's not to say that the mode itself is bad, it's the fact that this replaces what should have been included in 3D Prime Edition without a second thought. Alongside the simplistic Quick Play are Survival and Training modes, which are self-explanatory and definitely welcome, but it's not like they offer much different to the main option found on this bare-bones release's bare-bones menu. The main source of replay value to be found in the game is the online mode, which is basically the only reason I'll be getting my mitts around the game. Finally, the Prime Edition package also includes the 90 minute feature-length movie, Tekken: Blood Vengeance, in full 3D. While the inclusion of this film on the exact same cartridge as the actual game is wholly impressive, I can't help but feel that I would've preferred the developers to ditch this inclusion in favour of building upon the core game found in the package. The movie itself hasn't exactly been described as stellar, either - Apparently it's one of those 'watch it once then don't really bother with it again' deals. With Tekken 3D Prime Edition, it looks like the developers aren't even trying to compete with the likes of Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition, Dead or Alive: Dimensions, BlazBlue: Continuum Shift 2 and other such 3DS fighters, which can't be described as anything other than disgusting. However great the gameplay itself is, the lack of effort and lack of content put into this release can't be ignored. I'll most probably be purchasing it when the price drops down, so you can definitely expect a review, and if you don't have a PS3 or Xbox 360, I'd still recommend this game from what I've read about it. This post has been extremely negative, but have a read of reviews and the like and you'll find that, despite its disgraceful mishaps and let-downs, Tekken 3D Prime Edition is still a brilliant game.