An Iron Fist Package: A Review of Tekken Hybrid and Tekken: Blood Vengeance

It's been a long while since I've dug my hands into a fresh Tekken game, and I've been eagerly anticipating the release of the newest installment of the series, Tekken Tag Tournament 2, at my local arcade. That's not to say that I haven't been getting my fighting game fix, as other big name video game companies like Capcom and SNK Playmore have released their own new titles, namely Ultimate Marvel Vs Capcom 3 and The King of Fighters XIII. I have played both (and even reviewed the former), and while that'll satisfy hungry beat 'em up buffs out there, Namco Bandai also has a special treat release for their loyal fanbase. Suffice to say, it was quite the birthday treat for me, which I just had to play and review.


Tekken Hybrid Trailer Ver. 2

Released just yesterday, "Tekken Hybrid" is what you call the "Ultimate Fanservice Pack" for series loyalists and players. It's a combination of three different packages all rolled up into one Blu-Ray disc. Highlighting the bunch is the full-length 3D Compatible CG feature film "Tekken: Blood Vengeance", which is a story that takes place within the Tekken universe and serves as a possible prequel of sorts to the non-canon Tekken Tag Tournament 2.

Speaking of that game, a demo version called "Tekken Tag Tournament 2: Prologue" is also bundled in, also serving as another big treat for those anxious to test out the new game. It only features 4 characters (Xiaoyu, Alisa Bosconovitch, Devil Jin, and Devil Kazuya) and stages to play around with however, but that's more than enough to get a taste of things to come. If a demo doesn't quite cut it for you, fret not, for Namco actually included a classic in the form of the original "Tekken Tag Tournament" once released for the PS2... And it's been remastered and rereleased in glorious HD as "Tekken Tag Tournament HD"! As releases for the PS3, both games offer trophy support, and will surely make veterans of the series more than willing to pick this baby up. After all, it has a big CG movie packed along (and which I reviewed below), so you can't go wrong with this pack.

Rating - 5/5


Tekken: Blood Vengeance

Produced by Digital Frontier, which is the same production studio that worked on Capcom's CG movie "Resident Evil: Degeneration", Tekken: Blood Vengeance pretty much delivers what a Tekken fan wants - intense fighting game like action, awesome graphics, and a plot that closely ties itself to the mythos of the series. Unfortunately, this can also act as a double edge sword, as there's no clear way to tell a story based on a fighting game series without compromising the origins and segmenting arcs of the numerous fighters featured in them. To work around this, Blood Vengeance focuses on the main recurring themes of the series, namely the Mishima Bloodline feud and the legacy of Devil Gene. That of course involves primary characters Jin Kazama, Kazuya Mishima, and Heihachi Mishima, but they are merely catalysts for the big plot of this movie.




Tekken: Blood Vengeance Trailer

The main characters for Blood Vengeance are Tekken females Ling Xiaoyu and Alisa Bosconovitch, both fan favorites themselves in the Tekkenverse. Both are made into agents for G Corporation and the Mishima Zaibatsu, which are handled by Kazuya and Jin respectively, and the girls are sent to a school in Kyoto to investigate and spy on a boy named Shin Kamiya, a new character exclusive to the film and who's past is somehow connected to all of them. Through the course of the movie, Xiaoyu and Alisa fight but eventually team up, and the schoolgirl and robot find themselves caught in a web of deception, betrayal, and tragedy, ultimately culminating in a battle between three generations of a family that will decide the fate of the Mishima Bloodline.

After seeing the movie for myself, it's safe to say that Tekken: Blood Vengeance delivers well in terms of its presentation. Much like RE: Degeneration before it, this Digital Frontier presentation will certainly appeal to longtime fans clamoring for something to watch instead of playing for a change, but do expect so unavoidable conflicts with how things fall into place in the grander scheme of the series' history. Personally, I don't know whether or not it takes place before or during the events of Tekken 6, but it's certainly set in that universe, and it could be a possible prequel to TTT2 as I mentioned earlier.
With a screenplay written by Dai Sato (who also worked on the anime Cowboy Bebop and Samurai Champloo), this tale was a pretty solid, though the latter part actually reminded me of Devilman, and clearly had references to several other popculture stuff out there. Despite some loose ends, this film is solid and clearly set on Tekken world, and there are even cameo appearances by other fan favorites keen Iron Fist fans will spot immediately.

Overall, I'd give this movie a big "Excellent" thumbs up. Having met the Tekken producer himself a couple of years back, Katsuhiro Harada-san should definitely make more of these films. It'll be fun to see more feature length films with the other characters in it.;)

Rating - 4/5