With around a dozen incarnations and reincarnations since the original in 1994, Tekken has arguably become the benchmark for the 3D fighting game genre.
Having spawned a comic book, an animated mini-series and a host of merchandising tie-ins, Tekken is now making its way to the big screen in 2010 with pop legend Luke Goss set to star in a principal role.
And now, courtesy of Namco Bandai, it's coming to a little screen near you, too.
Dimension ConventionFeaturing eight characters from the original series, Tekken Mobile initially grants you access to just two of these: Jin and Xiaoyu. Typically of Tekken, the remaining pugilists - amongst other features including new outfits and game modes - are available only as unlockable rewards for your successes in Story mode.
Although this bodes well for the longevity of the game, a wider selection of starting fighters would have been welcome.
Fans of the franchise may be a little disappointed to learn that we've lost a dimension in deference to the limitations of mobile phones. Thankfully this doesn't detract greatly from the gameplay, and Namco Bandai has done an excellent job of rendering the tiny 2D versions of each fighter.
Fighting TalkOne of the staples of any Tekken game is the ten hit combos, and this version is no exception. It's entirely possible to learn some spectacular combinations of kicks and punches for each fighter, although the cramped nature of the keys on a mobile make this difficult to pull off at first.
Fun as it is, chaining kicks and punches together isn't really necessary as you can easily best most opponents by repeatedly jabbing the keypad.
Despite featuring a progressive level of difficulty, such a strategy will be successful in 90 per cent of bouts. Sadly, Tekken Mobile can at times devolve into a tedious button-bashing affair as you labour to unlock each new character or play mode.
ConnectingThe true measure of a fighting game is to be found in the multiplayer experience, and Tekken Mobile deserves no small praise for including the option to take on a human opponent via Bluetooth.
Replacing the predictable AI with a slightly less predictable human nemesis is a welcome distraction from the single-player experience. Surprisingly, NBGI has also managed to include 'Force Mode', a sideways scroller in the vein of Double Dragon which is rather nifty.
Tekken Mobile, then, is as much a challenge of stamina as of dexterity. Underneath the sharp presentation, the myriad options and tricky combos lies a very good, albeit slightly too easy, fighter.Tekken Mobile
Tekken Mobile's huge range of features and unlockable content is marred only slightly by an underwhelming difficulty level
Wayne Turton
Wayne's childhood ambition was to become a superhero. However, having been told that running round in tights is improper adult behaviour he now spends his days playing video games and watching cartoons instead. Millions of citizens sleep more soundly in the knowledge that he isn't watching over them.