Tekken has been around for awhile. This iconic fighting game has had its ups and downs, that’s for sure. Luckily, we have you covered if you’re wondering which ones are the ups and which ones are the downs. Here are the best Tekken games, all 15 of them ranked from worst to best. Please note that this list does not include Tekken Resolute, or the 1999 title Tekken Card Challenge, as they only released in Japan. Once you’re done reading this list, though, let us know down below which one is your favorite!
Best Tekken Games (Worst to Best)
15. Tekken Card Tournament
Tekken got transformed into a turn-based card game back in 2013, resulting in Tekken Card Tournament, which also had its own set of physical cards which could be scanned into the game. Each player has a deck of 15 cards and these must be used in order to either Strike your opponent or Block their incoming card attacks. It sounds way more complicated than it really is, but there’s a level of strategy here which was actually pretty darn fun.
The problem is, however, that Card Tournament is a free-to-play game and its microtransactions make getting properly engrossed in the game far more difficult than the overall payout is worth. Add in connection problems and you’ve got a nice idea that lacked the required execution.
Best Tekken Games (Worst to Best)
14. Tekken 3D Prime Edition
Largely considered the weakest Tekken game to date, 3D Prime Edition was supposed to bring the classic fighting action to the Nintendo 3DS back in 2012. While it certainly looked great, it lacked depth when it came to modes and content. Sure, playing against your friends was fun, but single-player content was lacking, making it difficult to recommend to lone players.
Fortunately, 3D Prime Edition’s fighting was solid, and the action ran at a pretty impressive 60fps on the 3DS. Had there been enough content to keep solo players coming back, 3D Prime Edition could have been the definitive handheld experience.
Best Tekken Games (Worst to Best)
13. Tekken Hybrid
Tekken Hybrid for the PS3 was a bit of an odd collection, bringing an HD remake of Tag Tournament, a 3D feature-length movie, and a demo in the form of Tekken Tag Tournament 2 Prologue. Really, it only appealed to huge Tekken fans or those who wanted to experience the excellent fighting to be found in the original Tag Tournament.
Unfortunately, the Prologue demo was pretty barebones and only die-hard fans of the series would really consider the movie to be of interest. While Tag Tournament is certainly a worthy fighter, even by today’s standards, the price tag for an HD remake may have been a little too steep for many.
Best Tekken Games (Worst to Best)
12. Tekken Advance
Tekken Advance opted to take the King of Iron Fist Tournament on the go, releasing on the Game Boy Advance back in 2002. With a fairly hefty roster, an excellent soundtrack, and its fighting feeling just as good as in any other entry, Advance was a great portable release for the series.
Unfortunately, its visuals haven’t quite stood the test of time and the experience as a whole certainly feels a little too dated. Due to the limited space on the cartridges, only 10 fighters managed to make the cut and only Arcade, Vs., and Team Battle modes made it across. It’s a fun fighter, especially when you’ve got someone to play against, but it lacks the replayability of other entries in the series.
Best Tekken Games (Worst to Best)
11. Tekken Revolution
Tekken Revolution was a free-to-play PS3 title that stripped away much of the more intricate mechanics of the series in favor of making it more accessible. Players would have to use Arcade Coins and Battle Pennies in order to play the Arcade and Online modes of the game, just like many FTP mobile games work today.
While a free Tekken game may seem alluring at first, its FTP system means that those marathon sessions you found yourself in with other titles in the series are largely nonexistent. While its roster was slowly built upon over time, its initial offerings were pretty slim, too. It’s shut down now, but Tekken Revolution will forever go down as a solid attempt at a free-to-play Tekken, albeit needing a little refinement and extra content from the outset.
Best Tekken Games (Worst to Best)
10. Tekken
The original PS1 classic that released over 20 years ago was where players first met the likes of King, Law, Kazuya, and Nina, as well as the now-classic fighting action. The game’s controls were just as tight and impressive as they are considered now, and its varied and balanced roster of characters ensured Vs. battles always felt fair and fun.
In comparison to many of the titles that have followed, the original title feels a little primitive now with only ten characters, and few game modes to keep solo players going. Still, as the foundation of the entire series, the original is a solid fighter and was one of the strongest of its time.
9. Tekken 4
Tekken 4’s arrival on the PS2 back in 2002 was the first for the series on the system and made excellent use of the extra power. Visuals received a fairly noticeable upgrade, the roster was expanded upon once more, and the popular Tekken Force game mode from Tekken 3 also featured once more with a few tweaks and improvements.
While this all seems great, the game did feel a little overly familiar in comparison to its predecessor. Sure, the presentation had been given an overhaul, but the fighting mechanics – the heart of any Tekken title – felt largely unchanged from Tekken 3. That certainly speaks volumes about 3’s gameplay, but fans had hope for 4’s gameplay to feel just as updated, refined, and fresh as its presentation.
8. Tekken 6
Tekken 6 marked another huge step forward for the series as it brought about the HD era for the fighter. On top of that, its Scenario Campaign mode was set to expand upon the success of Tekken 4’s Force mode, providing beat ’em up gameplay to go alongside the more serious Arcade mode. It also boasted the series’ largest character roster to date, providing plenty of options for those intense Vs. sessions against friends and family.
Tekken 6 didn’t make huge changes to the fighting style seen in its predecessor, though adjustments to the combo system put a larger emphasis on precision timing and allowed for longer juggles when stringing moves together.
Unfortunately, 6’s Scenario Campaign mode didn’t quite live up to expectations, with many of its stages and enemies feeling like carbon copies and lengthy slogs. On top of that, the game’s online modes were plagued with connectivity issues which, while fixed further down the line, damaged the game’s community early on.
7. Tekken Tag Tournament 2
Tag Tournament 2 sought to capture the success of its predecessor by bringing the tag-team fighting action to the next generation. Tag Throws and Tag Assault Combos kept the gameplay feeling fresh, while the massive roster allowed for endless hours of experimenting to find the perfect fighting duo. Accompanying it was an extensive roster of characters from the series’ history, alongside a plethora of varied modes ranging from the all-new Fight Lab to classics like Survival and Arcade.
With plenty of content and a huge roster to try it all out with, Tag Tournament 2 was a solid fighter. It didn’t overhaul the series’ format or mechanics, but it’s certainly got enough going for it to keep fans coming back for months on end.
6. Tekken: Dark Resurrection
Dark Resurrection remains the best way to play the classic fighting series on the go. Releasing on the PSP back in 2006, Dark Resurrection added in new characters such as Lili and Dragunov to the cast of fan favorites like Jin, King, and Law to make for a roster of over 30 fighters.
With gameplay that endorsed player skill and strategy over button mashing, players were encouraged to pick their favorite fighters and learn their ins and outs until they were masters. Throw in the game’s smart Ghost feature – allowing players to upload their own fighting data and download and face-off against others – meant that the game’s lack of an actual online mode could largely be forgiven.
5. Tekken 2
Tekken 2 took the beloved fighting mechanics of its predecessor, added in a bunch of new characters – boosting the roster to over 20 once you unlocked them all – introduced Tournament and Survival modes, and a threw in a practice mode to help you perfect your combos. Wrap all that up in even better visuals than its predecessor and this one stands as one of the strongest entries in the series.
Of course, by today’s standards, the game modes are a little underwhelming, and the fighting has come on leaps and bounds since then. Regardless, if you’re looking for a classic fighter, you could do much worse than Tekken 2.
4. Tekken 7
Tekken 7 stands as one of the finest fighters currently out there on the market. Utilizing Unreal Engine 4, the game’s fighting mechanics feel as strong and tight as ever, with character models looking nothing short of fantastic. While its roster of 36 characters is certainly impressive, it’s the inclusion of Street Fighter’s Akuma that will be most appealing to fighting fans.
Alongside this hefty roster of characters is the series’ strongest story mode to date, major changes to the fighting action in the form of Rage Arts and Rage Drive – allowing you to pull off incredibly powerful moves to turn the tide of battle – and a whole host of modes to keep players coming back.
Unfortunately, the game isn’t perfect. Currently, its online matchmaking seems to be failing many players, and raising the AI difficulty just results in cheap, repeated attacks.
3. Tekken 5
Tekken 5 continued to expand upon the series’ foundations both in terms of its roster and new features. Three newcomers were added to the King of Iron Fist Tournament, and interactive, destructible environments provided yet another way to inflict huge amounts of damage on your opponent.
With a range of customization options including secret items, too, players had a reason to grind their way through countless AI opponents to spruce up their characters as they desired.
However, it was the Dark Resurrection version that really made this one of the high points of the series. Balancing issues were rectified, new stages and extra characters were added, and a number of smaller additions and fixes were also implemented to make Dark Resurrection a serious contender for the top spot.
2. Tekken Tag Tournament
Just missing the top spot is Tekken Tag Tournament (TTT). Despite having a successor, if you want some of the finest fighting in the series, you’ve just got to go with the original. Introducing the tag-team fighting to the series, TTT had one heck of a roster, including nearly every character from previous titles.
Working out which duo worked best for your fighting style became a mission in itself, and if you wanted some simple 1 vs. 1 action, you could easily do so, too.
Top that off with a vast selection of game modes, including Tekken Bowl (yes, an actual bowling minigame), and you have one of the most enjoyable titles in the series and one that you just won’t be able to put down. Had it come with a Story mode, it may well have been the very best in the series.
1. Tekken 3
Tekken 3 may not have the cutting-edge visuals of 7, but its gameplay is what really sets it apart from the rest of the series. This one took the juggle-based fighting mechanics and transformed them into a far more satisfying and comprehensive mix of throws, grabs, takedowns, and heavy hits.
In fact, each and every one of the game’s 23 characters had over 100 moves each, ensuring that players could juggle, counter, and chain combos to their heart’s content.
With near-perfect fighting gameplay, a hefty roster, and a variety of excellent game modes (Story mode most definitely included), Tekken 3 is the ultimate title in the series and one that all fighting fans must check out for themselves.
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