The best thing about Tekken is the no-nonsense fighting system. Defending yourself is as easy as hitting the right button at the right time, leaving you more grey cells to concentrate on timing and improving your fighting style. One unique thing that has always stood with the franchise is the fact that different buttons are assigned to ~each~ limb for punches and kicks rather than the simple “punch” or “kick”. This gives you a lot of room for cooking up your own creative sequence of moves.
| Rating :9/10 Developer : Namco Publisher : Sony Price : Rs 2499 Distributor : Milestone Interactive Web : www.milestoneinteractive.com |
For the newbie, the game’s learning curve is near-perfect. Combat gets progressively tougher at roughly the same pace that you’d get better. The game’s brilliant for all kinds of fighters – the safe, defensive fighter will emerge victorious with some well-timed kicks, and the aggressive button-masher will get his dues with some wild and brutal combos.
The only let-down about this game is the platform that it’s on-the PSP isn’t what one might call conducive for this kind of game. The fighting system was designed with the digital pad in mind, but combos that involve making diagonal movement will take a while to get used to. And we pray for you if you use the analog stick-not only does it hamper control, its rough top will blister you faster than you can say “hai-yaaa”.
Ultimately, I don’t know whether my sore thumb is because of the PSP itself, or the fact that I’ve played this game so much-the point is, it was worth it. What are doctors for, anyway?
Irreverent, in-your-face and in your pocket
Everything that was good and beautiful about the ~Burnout~ series on the PS2 has now found its way into the PSP-the fast cars, the glorified violence and the ego-boosting kudos for each time you destroy a rival.
For those alien to the series, Burnout Legends is the pure-blood racer’s nightmare. To win races, you need to come first, of course, but your path to that position involves the destruction of your opponents in the most creative and violent manner possible. It’s been criticised for its tongue-in-cheek nod to violence on the road, but nobody can deny it’s all a load of fun. What we love about Burnout Legends is its vastness-you have 89 cars to unlock and literally hundreds of events to participate in.
| Rating : 8/10 Developer : Criterion Games Publisher : Electronic Arts Price : Rs 1999 Distributor : Milestone Interactive Web : www.milestoneinteractive.com |
The Road Rage mode is undoubtedly the most entertaining-you just need to take down any car you see, with special points for esoteric takedowns like having one of them get nervous and hit the wall.
Unfortunately, the PSP doesn’t really lend itself to prolonged enjoyment of this game. Staying aware of your complex, constantly-whizzing-by environment is quite difficult on the PSP’s small screen. Loading times are exasperatingly long, and there were quite a few instances (especially in crowded Road Rage events) when the graphics would start crawling for a bit. Even so, this shouldn’t be too much of a bother for the determined car-crasher, and the game’s amazing replay value makes you overlook any such flaws.