Although SNK vs. Capcom on the Neo Geo Pocket and Street Fighter Alpha 3 on the Game Boy Advance proved that portable punch-ups weren't just the fever dream of a studio gone mental, it wasn't until Tekken: Dark Resurrection that handheld fighting games finally matched the ambition of their console brethren. Of course, this was partly down to the processing power of the PSP and its workable analogue slider - but not to sell Katsuhiro Harada and his team short, the game also benefited from the engaging Tekken Dojo mode and a wealth of character customisation options.

In comparison, Tekken 3D: Prime Edition for 3DS is a bare-bones port that's less about single-player content - something which every portable fighting game needs in spades - and more about pimping the Tekken 6 system out to a Nintendo audience. This is a shame, as after the success of Dark Resurrection and the equally accomplished SoulCalibur: Broken Destiny, Namco has become synonymous with full-featured fighting games that lose little in the handheld transition. But comparing Tekken 3D to last year's Dead or Alive: Dimensions, it's clear that Team Ninja offers more for the backpacking brawler.

The good news, however, is that Tekken 3D features all 40 characters from Tekken 6 in a mammoth roster that includes old staples like the katana-abusing Yoshimitsu with his kangaroo kicks and the leopard-loving King with his chainable throws, as well as more recent additions like gypsy assassin Zafina with her spidery stances and the gut-barging Bob with his surprisingly dexterous footwork. It also seems that the Mishima Zaibatsu have been making advances in stem cell research, as Heihachi looks a tad younger than he did during the first King of Iron Fist Tournament.

Read more…