Xbox 360
The Tekken series is probably one of the most popular and respectable virtual fighters in the world, neck and neck along with the Streetfighter iterations. Korea has its own show dedicated to it named Tekken Crash!, where skilled competitors battle it out for prizes and personal glory, and the rest of the Far East are not far behind in terms of coverage and rabidly dedicated fanbases. The internet is a treasure trove of information about each and every character, with its own terminology used to describe moves and a lot of emphasis on 'Frame Data' (how long each moves takes to perform) and stratagems to beat any possible opponent. Simply put, Tekken is big business.
Since the release of Tekken 6, NamcoBandai have been pushing to officially establish Tekken as a gaming sport in western territories with regional tours across the UK and various finals worldwide culminating in the PAL territories finals, held last week at the Proud Galleries in Camden. NamcoBandai went all out in both presentation and prizes, with the Proud Galleries converted into a full arcade complete with multiple booths (both console and newly released PSP version) and statues and memorabilia galore. That's not to mention several ladies in Tekken garb handing out all kinds of Tekken related chuff, from art books and calendars to shirts and even copies of the full game!
The prizes for the fighters were not too shabby either. £2500 smackers, a Sony Bravia TV and an all expenses paid trip to Japan for the Global Championships was the First Place reward, with the Second finalist bagging a cool £1000 and the same paid trip to Japan. A Third place competitor would walk away with £500 quid, a worthy consolation prize. With this, the competitors were announced, a special message played from legendary Tekken Project Leader Katsuhiro Harada wishing all participants the best of luck, and then straight onto the action!
All of the participants were clearly of the highest caliber, with most matches going to the last round, with the odd double knock-out and occasional perfect thrown in to spice things up. The assembled audience cheered not for specific players, but for skills shown during fights. Boris Cueto Ortiz (the Third place finisher) was a particularly talented competitor, using the hulking robot Jack-6 he managed to get some cheeky combos and power moves in to the delight of the crowd. Local talent Ryan 'The Prodigal Son' Hart was also in attendance, and put in a solid performance before being pipped to the post in a nail-biting match against the eventual winner, Norman 'GenN1us' Chatrier. Norman was on form throughout the tournament, and was clearly delighted when he overcame Alessandro 'Steve88' Ajello for the Heihachi-shaped Regional Finals trophy.
The prizes were handed out, hands were shook and pictures taken, and a great time was had by all thanks to the talent and dedication shown by the participants, and the care and attention put into the event by the hosts, NamcoBandai. So when the Tekken bus next rolls into your neighbourhood, grab yourself a pad/stick and fight...you never know where it may get you! Maybe a few thousand pounds richer, or maybe on your way to Japan...or perhaps both!
A quick video of the event can be found at the link below, if all these words were not good enough for you!
Tekken 6 Pal Territories Official Coverage