'Tekken': Tourneys Without Gurneys

By AARON CURTISS

May 18, 1998 12 AM PT

Most fighting games are decidedly Hobbesian in that they are nasty, brutish and short. Virtually alone among digital fighters, Namco’s “Tekken” series defies that stereotype with an elegant, technical martial arts tournament that is tight, sweet and long.

No one gets disemboweled.

No one gets decapitated.

There’s not even any blood.

The “Tekken” series has always offered what most guts-and-gore games lack: a strong story and lightning action that never leaves players feeling the need to take a shower afterward.

“Tekken 3” for Sony PlayStation carries that tradition to new levels with its third “king of iron fist” tournament. This time, business baron Heihachi Mishima sponsors the global martial arts competition with the hope of luring the mysterious Ogre into the open. His goal: to harness Ogre’s power and expand the reach of his financial empire.

Some semblance of story distinguishes the “Tekken” franchise from competitors. Fighters come to the tournament with their own motivations, and rendered mini-movies at the end of each competition reveal how things turn out. One fights for the money to open an amusement park, another to help keep an orphanage open. These are fighters with hearts.

No, it’s not Dickens, but it’s better than most video games.

Play, though, is where “Tekken 3” excels. Control is dead on, allowing even novice players to cut some pretty tricky moves within a few minutes. A practice mode enables beginners to experiment with new moves.

In addition to the standard arcade mode, which pits players either against a buddy or computerized opponents, “Tekken 3” offers a story mode in which players fight through a side-scrolling environment. Hidden in the game are a number of new characters and even a few new modes of play, including ball mode--a volleyball-inspired competition in which fighters punch each other while trying to keep a beach ball aloft.

It’s kooky, but surprisingly fun.

Graphically, the game has no peer. No console game--whether for PlayStation, Sega Saturn or even Nintendo 64--comes close to matching the smooth movement and speed of “Tekken 3.” From wrinkles in blue jeans to flowing robes, the graphics rock. And not just in the rendered movies. Even during play, characters move like real people.

And most players won’t be offended by the violence of “Tekken 3.” It’s the kind of game parents can let their kids play and feel, well maybe not good about it, but at least not bad about it either.

Outwars: Here’s the deal: 200 years from now, Earth is so polluted and generally junked up that humans start colonizing planets outside the solar system. It doesn’t take too much brain power to figure out what happens next in “Outwars,” a predictable shooter that still manages to be pretty fun.

Players assume the role of either the “brash and confident” Sgt. Judd Kilgore or the “independent and assertive” Sgt. Jett Becker of the CDF Marine Jump Corps. Mission: Save humanity from an alien onslaught.

With a third-person perspective that looks and moves a lot like Shiny Entertainment’s MDK, Microsoft’s “Outwars” puts players through some hard-core training missions before allowing them into real combat. That’s good because some of the controls can be a little tricky.

For instance, players are equipped with jet packs that can only operate on full for a few seconds before recharging. That means short, controlled leaps. Easy enough when just hopping from spot to spot, but try it with a few dozen aliens blasting away at you.

The jet pack adds a whole new dimension to play, though, and makes “Outwars” a less ordinary shooter.

The game requires a Pentium 133 with at least 16MB of RAM. The best graphics, however, show themselves only on faster machines equipped with an accelerator card.

Test Drive 4: Although “Test Drive 4” hit stores before Christmas, a number of readers have asked about the game. Available for PlayStation and the PC, Accolade’s racer puts players behind the wheel of 10 cars--from the Jaguar XJ 220 to the Shelby Cobra 427.

The tracks are long and the physics of the various cars seem pretty good. I’ve never driven a real Shelby Cobra, but on the digital version I had trouble getting traction as I floored the accelerator from a dead stop on a rain-slicked road.

In all, the game delivers competent play. It’s not the best I’ve seen. But it’s certainly not the worst.

Times staff writer Aaron Curtiss reviews video games every Monday in The Cutting Edge. To comment on a column or to suggest games for review, send e-mail to aaron.curtiss@latimes.com.

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ESSENTIALS

“Tekken 3”

Platform: Sony PlayStation

Publisher: Namco

ESRB Rating: Teen

Price: $44.95

Bottom Line: A kick in the pants

“Outwars”

Platform: PC CD-ROM

Publisher: Microsoft

ESRB Rating: Teen