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Good: Graphics, fighting engine, amount of characters, brief load times

Bad: Some moves are difficult to pull off with the PSP controls

MIA: the farting orange dinosaur (but we still have the bear and kangaroo)

A fighting juggernaut in the days of the PSX, the lauded Tekken series has been somewhat overshadowed in recent years by other fighters (Soul Calibur, Virtua Fighter, Dead Or Alive). Tekken 4 and 5 were certainly solid fighters in their own right, but didn't do too much in terms of anything new. With Tekken: Dark Resurrection, the latest entry has become bigger and better (even while moving to a smaller system).

With all the sub-par PSP ports of console games, it's amazing to see such a full gameplay experience brought to the portable system. Other games (Midnight Club, Smackdown vs RAW, etc) have featured huge amounts of content, but with the downside of some ridiculously long load times. Tekken: Dark Resurrection manages to give gamers the biggest entry of the series while simultaneously featuring very manageable load times.

One look at the character select screen should give you a great idea of the amount of content here. It features everyone from series veterans (Paul, Nina, Law, King) to unfamiliar faces Dragunov, Lili). Going through the Story Mode with each character will reward gamers with trademark CG endings and bonus modes (Tekken Bowling returns!).

This would be a fantastic title even if it only featured Story Mode, but Namco apparently found the space on the UMD to include significantly more. Tekken Dojo mode seems to be somewhat inspired by Virtua Fighter 4's Kumite mode. You'll fight tons of customized characters, each having their own ranking. Fight long enough, and you'll get opportunities to get promotions and advance in the dojos.

The fighting engine is more solid than ever before, and moves are generally performed with quick and easy-to-remember button combinations. Basic throws are still performed with either Square + X or Triangle + O. Each of the many characters features their own distinct fighting style, and it's fun to try them all out to see who works best for you. My only complaint is that the engine still doesn't feature the remarkable "flow" that Soul Calibur has. This is good for the hardcore crowd, but series newcomers won't be able to pick up Tekken and play it with as much immediate satisfaction of SC. Despite this, it's still more accessible than the ultra-hardcore Virtua Fighter 4.

Lili is my favorite out of the newer characters, and features some lightning-quick kicks and special attacks. Dragunov, the other newcomer, features a much more stiff and calculated style, but it's still somewhat effective.

Graphically, Tekken: Dark Resurrection has impressed me more than any other PSP title. It's easily of the same quality as its console brothers, and without a hint of slowdown. Backgrounds are detailed and vivid, and the well-designed characters are as visually striking as ever. Series fans can expect more of the same in terms of sound effects and music, as these aspects are as strong as ever.

Tekken: Dark Resurrection straddles the line well between accessibility and complexity. Longtime fans of the series will be thrilled to have such a full experience in portable form, and newcomers will reap the rewards of a decade's worth of enhancements and additions to the original game. If you have a friend that also owns a PSP, Ad Hoc mode certainly adds to the replay value significantly. It's easily one of the best games on the PSP (it could be argued that it is the best, and any fighting game fan owes it to themselves to check this one out.

Graphics: 9.0

Sound: 8.5

First Play: 8.5

Replay Value: 8.5

Gameplay: 8.9

Overall: 8.9