Fans of retro fighting games can expect a real surprise this week.
The original arcade version of Tekken is coming to modern consoles as part of the Arcade Archives 2 collection developed by Hamster Corporation, a studio specialized in preserving and re-releasing classic arcade titles.
Arcade Archives 2: Tekken will be released on June 25 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2.
The original Tekken debuted in arcades in late 1994, while the PlayStation version arrived a few months later. This is the game that laid the foundation for one of the most successful fighting franchises in history. Interestingly, Tekken was the first title developed for Namco System 11, arcade hardware based on early prototypes of the first PlayStation. That's why the arcade and home versions looked almost identical, which was a true technological marvel at the time.
Although the PlayStation release has been re-released multiple times over the years, the original arcade version was hardly available outside Japan. The last time it could be officially played was as bonus content in Tekken 5 on PlayStation 2. The arrival of the first Tekken in Arcade Archives 2 could open the door for other Namco classics. Since this is the first game based on System 11 hardware in this collection, many hope that Tekken 2, Soul Edge, and other cult titles from that era will follow soon.
Like other Arcade Archives releases, Tekken will feature Original Mode, High Score Mode, and Caravan Mode, while Arcade Archives 2 also brings several new features such as Time Attack mode and support for VRR for a more faithful reproduction of the original arcade experience. Unlike some other Arcade Archives 2 titles, Tekken will not support online multiplayer, but players will be able to play exclusively local two-player matches, just like in the original arcade version.
For many players, this will be an opportunity to experience Tekken for the first time as it was originally intended for arcade machines over 30 years ago. In an era of remakes and remasters, it’s nice to see that publishers are not forgetting the preservation of original versions of games that have marked the history of the industry.
