WithTekken 8planning to release some time in 2023, Bandai Namco Entertainment has been releasing character gameplay trailers over the past month to generate hype. So far, the trailers have only been showing off new designs and fighting moves for returning characters such as Jin Kazama, Nina Williams, and Marshall Law. Seeing favorites return from the previous games is nice, butTekken 8will have to follow its predecessors and introduce new characters as well.
TheTekkenseries has never been afraid of adding new fighters into its roster, asTekken7introduced a total of 16 new playable characters, with 10 of them included in the base game and the other 6 as part of DLC. One of the new characters introduced in the base game was Akuma from theStreet Fighterseries, which was a pleasant surprise guest appearance from another fighting game. It’s a possibility thatTekken 8could introduce another guest character prior to release, and they could be one of Nintendo’s characters. After all,Nintendo featured Kazuya Mishima inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimate, soTekkenshould return the favor.
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Tekken’s Willingness for Guest Characters
Adding a Nintendo character into theTekkenseries wouldn’t be the first timeTekkenfeatured crossover appearances from other franchises. The first guest character appearance was fromTekken 2, which had the dinosaur Gon from the manga of the same name. InTekken 7, aside from Akuma, there are three other guest characters who joined the roster as DLC characters: Geese Howard (Fatal Fury), Noctis Lucius Caelum (Final Fantasy 15), and Negan Smith (The Walking Dead).
It’s understandable for Akuma and Geese Howard to join theTekkenroster, since they’re fighting game characters already. However, Noctis and Negan were strange additions to the game, as Noctis comes from an RPG and Negan comes from a TV show/comic book series. But those odd additions to the game help the case that Nintendo deserve a featured character inTekken 8. A Nintendo character should grab the attention of not onlyTekkenplayers, but fighting game fans in general. After all, fighting games gain more popularity whenever they add characters from unexpected franchises, asSmash Bros.andMortal Kombathave demonstrated.
It would be questionable to add a Nintendo character into the base game though, as the base game characters usually make an appearance in the game’s story. Akuma acted as an adversary toHeihachi Mishima and Kazuya, sent to kill them by the late Kazumi Mishima. Akuma’s appearance only really worked since he’s already a mysterious character in theStreet Fighterseries, and he’s a martial artist and part-demon, fitting the narrative of theTekkenseries. It’d be hard to imagine a narrative that would allow a Nintendo character to fit into the story, so it’s more likely Nintendo’s fighter arrives in DLC.
The Nintendo Candidates for the King of Iron Fist Tournament
Although there’s no defined limits or qualifications for getting into theTekkenroster, some Nintendo characters would be more appropriate than others.MostTekkencharacters utilize some kind of martial artsin their fighting arsenal, so hand-to-hand combat specialists such as Mario, Captain Falcon, Little Mac, and even Incineroar would make sense to add intoTekken’s duels. Some characters amongTekken’s roster utilize weaponry, such as Yoshimitsu and Master Raven with their swords, but it’s most likely thatTekkenwouldn’t add Nintendo characters who primarily use weapons, since the game focuses more on hand-to-hand combat.
IfTekkenwere to add a Nintendo character, it would have to be among Nintendo’s more popular characters. Transferring a character fromSmash UltimatetoTekkenwould be a lot of work, considering developers have to translate theSuper Smash Bros.movesets and animations into a whole different type of fighting game. It can be done, as Kazuya’s complicated moveset fromTekkenwas somehow converted intoSmash Bros. Ultimate, so the guest Nintendo character would have an even more complex kit in theirTekkenappearance. Fans cannot wait to see whatnew thingsTekken 8brings to the table, and DLC characters are just one of the anticipated features.
Tekken 8is currently in development for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.
