the new century of fighting games

*CW/ Frightening Images
08:23 - 08:40
11:39 - 12:00
T4 shaped me childhood vibes. Played a big part in my enjoyment in fighting games and it's truly unique amongst the rest of the series it resides in. The game owns. I love it and its music. Paws up for T4 gamerats, cheers!

[@ThisIsFinalRound]

Tekken 4 was way ahead of its time, kinda the MGS2 of the Tekken series. here's hoping that Harada and Co. realize that for Tekken 9

[@1handzen]

@@ThisIsFinalRound I like that comparison

[@dojojoe2861]

T4 had it all • Story that kept the audience interested🤔 • The music was great 🖤🎶 • Characters stories actually related towards ppl in difficulties 💔 • Stages where you can explore and were Spacious (Tekken force) • Characters outfits & Artwork • System Mechanics were honest and Fair

[@KlassicScorpion-]

@@dojojoe2861the downside was the gameplay being catered to more casual audience

[@Dimchek970]

The reason is because Tekken 4 had like 20 characters in total. Sadly these days people would reviewbomb thw game if it didn't have a million characters, even if as a result every other aspect of the game gets more attention, like personal stages, story mode integration etc.

[@KlassicScorpion-]

@@Dimchek970 oh of course, Tekken 4 always had the best story and atmosphere in my opinion it’s in my top 2 tekken’s

[@TjazzSyn]

The thing I love about tekken 4 is how almost every stage feels connected, like it's very possible that the airport, mall, beach, parking garage etc, could just be the part of one single city, Normally it'd be boring having most stages take place in one city, but tekken 4 stands out because 90 percent of fighting games take the street fighter 2 route and have stages all over the world This makes the game feel personal (My headcanon is that the rooftop, mall and parking garage stages are just different floors of the same building)

[@josueramirez7247]

I definitely felt that the Statue stage (first unlocked in Steve Fox’s story mode fight against Nina) was the first floor of the Building stage.

[@hcohic9884]

i agree with everything in this video and unironically too.

[@BobbyCarillo]

Tekken Tag, Tekken 4 and Tekken 5 are my faves, I just love that Y2K aesthetic of these games

[@1handzen]

loved T5 as well, never played Tag but damn that soundtrack is godly

[@ighost4580]

tekken 5 wasnt y2k tho, it was more so mid 2000s

[@njtheradical]

I wouldn't consider Tekken 5 as Y2K, but definitely Tag

[@chillyman7340]

The ps2 era of Tekken games really was the peak of the Tekken Franchise, even though Tekken 6 was a great game but it lost a lot of what the older games had, that made them special, really enjoyed this, great video man :)

[@betrapvideos]

Tekken 4 on a cloudy day in 2002

[@FrankLeeYoung]

Tekken 4 is peak Y2K vibes. That chill, retro future tech feel cannot be topped. In a way, liminal. Nowadays, Tekken is hype beat drops which is cool but more of the same that we come to expect.

[@1handzen]

@@FrankLeeYoung and I like those vibes too. I go wild for it. but yeah Tekken 4 was working with secret sauce

[@peepsbates]

I miss early 2000's aesthetic/tone of 'excited yet scared' of the new, digital millennium, that games like this, MGS2 and to a more light hearted (With oddly dark moments) extent, Megaman Battle Network had. I was a happy kid when this was on my PS2 demo disc that came with the console. The Tekken 4 soundtrack stays ON during T8 ranked sessions. (Can't wait to put Kitsch on the beach stage when Lidia comes out. Also shoutout to Violet's costumes in this game. Lee's got drip I had to recreate in T8.)

[@minoru8391]

Xiaoyu's thousand yard stare really kills me 😂

[@mauricebeltcher8764]

Tekken 4 is still one of my favorite Tekken games it was good and it's the reason I got back into the series when I was a teenager

[@nightmarearcade2663]

Something I've noticed about Tekken 4 was how it's basically like street fighter 3 in both tone and current day reception but in the opposite way. SF3 had the Streets vibe but in a more upbeat way, jazz and rap music, graffiti, this more relaxed and americana like vibe especially in the New York city stage. Tekken 4 however went for a far more Darker tone, the music was more intense, A lot of stages really give off the vibe of danger just look at the parking lot stage that's the kind of place you expect a mugging to happen. A lot of character designs exemplify this even more, just look at the designs for, Paul and, Marduk, they look like they would be right at home in a Def Jam game. And when it comes to reception both games were basically hated by most fans at launch but over the years their respective communities look at them more favorably, Street fighter 3 being seen as one if not the biggest game in the FGC while Tekken 4 is seen more so as a fun casual title that you pop in to play with your friends.

[@BankkeyAoshi]

Damn, you’re on point. I’ve never looked at in that way until your comment. Well said.💪🏾💙

[@EarnDoggtheLion]

Tekken 4 was one of the best !

[@TheTaleOfRex]

Welcome to the King of STEVE

[@MoeChiller]

Oh damn, I played the shit out of this game as a child and teen. It was the Entrance Game what made me love the Tekken Franchise so much. It was pure vibing with my sisters.

[@locjake7230]

TEKKEN 4 will always be my fav I think, the music I put most of in recent TEKKEN jukebox, but I have fond memories of T3, TAG1 T4 & T5 gets in there too… I think TEKKEN 4 suffers from a few things, like has been mentioned But in a perfect world a big character roster would of added more to the game, because the story mode tone of TEKKEN 4 will always be my favourite I really wanted TEKKEN 8 to have that serious tone of TEKKEN 4 but I still enjoy Ps: TOUCH AND GO is probably #1 top 10 songs of TEKKEN

[@1handzen]

@@locjake7230 touch and go actively improves my life while it's on

[@projectxepsilon]

this is great, finally someone who understands why T4 was goated and isn't a hater

[@peepsbates]

@5715scooter Mechanically it was busted as fuck. Just look at some of the infinites you can do from wallcarry or glitching someone into the corner of the car park stage. It was still fucking kino, though.

[@MattTheHuman9]

Tekken 4 was one of those games I never owned myself, but would always play at my cousins house. I owned Tekken 5 at the time so it was cool to feel the differences from tone to gameplay when I went over there and honestly it makes both of them stand on their own, which is good.

[@MakeItAme]

I love your style. T4 is so much about the music, but instead of showing 30 secs of the song you find a great, rarely found balance. I subbed.

[@miahthepisces3813]

I’d love a video like this on DOA 3 since it came out the same year and also has that y2k turn of the century feel

[@1handzen]

@@miahthepisces3813 never played DOA but I am a pursuir of vibes and want to explore more big moods fighting games, thanks for recc

[@jahopokemonleaf]

I grew up as a late 90s early 2000s kid, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED THIS GAME. EDIT: Okay, you and I really like edgy boys. understandable 😊 Also FELLOW T4 JIN OUTFIT ENJOYER YESSS HE'S GOT HELLA DRIP BRO :D

[@mado4395]

FINALLY someone speaks about how GOOD is this game !!!

[@josueramirez7247]

I remember seeing Tekken 4 in an arcade. The dark aesthetics were so cool.

[@1handzen]

@@josueramirez7247 need more arcade vibes in my life

[@CapSodaPop]

I'd bring Tekken 4 to casual events anytime.

[@1handzen]

seems like the perfect fighting game for it

[@tonware]

I’ve seen more retrospective videos on this game more than any other Tekken. It’s great to see people appreciate it all these years later.

[@nyawnyawmiaw6444]

I Love to hear Touch n Go also inner shrine sounds

[@andrescastanon6234]

dude wow i thought you were like a 2. something million channel this was great man so funny so cool so nuanced takes just subscribed dude you were hilarious keep it up my man !!!

[@beenxavier4321]

You did this game justice with this video

[@Shaunquirk89]

I loved Tekken 4! I don’t think I’ve loved a game as much since.

[@chris5064]

Loved T4 when it came out. Still love it til this day.

[@stevemarston]

Tekken 4 aesthetics are beyond insane.

[@RDD756]

babe wake up another tekken 4 retrospective just dropped (based)

[@betrapvideos]

To me tekken 4 is tekken 2s encore just as Tekken 5 is tekken 3s encore

[@Maxibo234]

Great video - I found it hard to put into words before exactly why I loved this game, and you've done it perfectly!

[@1handzen]

glad you felt that I found good words for it 🩷

[@adill5160]

Oh recent? I recognize Tekken 4 as one of my critical development checkpoints. Me on my ps2 shared with my older brother, The Experimental themes and tones, art, soundtrack, the endings, the stages, the character’s outfit & the announcer’s voice/tone with however it was FX altered. I’ve spoken my friend’s ear off about tekken and how it’s influenced me and when it did, I’ve played Tekken 4, Tag Tournament 2, and Tekken 8. Just 3 titles but I played the shit out of them with my older brother Not to mention they’re ones with so much personality.

[@BeastPriest-]

Tekken 4 is my number 1 then 3 tag etc

[@ematthew25]

Tekken 4 was ahead of its time

[@Lexartm]

Your channel gives me a lot of ThorHighHeels vibes, love it

[@1handzen]

i love thor, big compilment, working on finding my voice and style :)

[@Xtwthjk]

Tekken 4 is such a vibe

[@LAZY-RUBY]

Also the sentiment at the end of the video is beautiful and I wholeheartedly agree.

[@miss_madz09]

Tekken 4 is just so luxe!

[@Flungz_99]

4 >>>>>> 7

[@capedshinobi]

I play it daily, its just so better in atmosphere than 5 and all the others. Im going crazy to find out if the Mall stage is a real location and where the fuck it is.

[@icekage1680]

favorite tekken game

[@rayfalll]

Custom robo music? A tekken 4 video? you have gained my utmost respect. +1 sub

[@1handzen]

oh when i make my Custom Robo video im going to make sure it goes so fuggin hard believe me

[@shvy100]

Runescape in a tekken video is always welcomed

[@Tojozomi]

10:40 the thorhighheels inspiration came through maybe a bit *too* hard here but awesome video otherwise - and the music does slap

[@1handzen]

haha think so? they're certainly one of my favs so I'm flattered. but I just been experimenting to find my voice and style

[@Tojozomi]

@@1handzen The content itself was super unique and enjoyable so don't worry about that at all, just the spoken-word style 20 words in a row to describe a simple concept in that voice was very reminiscent haha

[@1handzen]

@@Tojozomi no worries at all! appreciate your time and comments

[@LAZY-RUBY]

I'm so glad these aesthetic focused retrospectives of Tekken 4 are getting more and more popular. The game was unfairly hated at the time because of tourney heads that hated the mechanics, so Namco had to scramble to go back to basics with 5. I'll never understand how one can only want mechanics and an excuse for coating to dress it up in. When I was a kid I'd heard Virtua Fighter 4 being lauded as "the greatest fighting game ever made", so much so that Tekken 4 was completely drowned out in the public eye. It had to be a rich, intricate game full of life and personality right? Well I eventually played it and it was...intricate I guess. It has a deep and mechanically complex fighting system, perfect to lab endlessly in pursuit of skill. Y'know what it doesn't have? A story. Character endings. Things to actually do outside some blase AI trainer. The fighting, despite it's depth, is _boring_ because you have no reason to care about any of these characters! You can't sell a game on mechanics alone. You need something to draw people from all walks of life in, not just the FGC. Tekken, for as weird and off-putting and Mishima-focused it's story has gotten, has always committed to dressing up it's fighting engine with style! Every character has a story! Every entry has a wacky mini-game! Every game has something to complement the fighting instead of just the fighting itself! And look at the world now; Tekken is on it's 8th (technically 10th) entry, where as Virtua Fighter tried to stay relevant with 5, died for 10+ years, then tried a desperate comeback by...re-releasing 5, which was close to 15 years old at that point. VINDICATION FOR TEKKEN 4

[@BankkeyAoshi]

Much love and blessings💪🏾💙

[@piteu3411]

I literally bought Tekken 4 for my PS2 couple months ago just because of the cover art

[@TailsGaming1999]

Watching this video right now. This is my first video of yours but you have great editing skills and I like your voice alot! Also your rat/mouse oc is really cute (I love mice and ratties so :D), I agree with you strongly about tekken 4. Fantastic game and so unique. I really wish it got more respect back then but i'm glad it's getting the respect it desreves now. Everything about it is so good... The atmopshere, music, stages, story all of it is so good....

[@1handzen]

@@TailsGaming1999 thank you 🩷 I love rats so fricken much lol. first I've been complimented on voice and editing so I really appreciate it! it's a hard skill to work up!

[@TailsGaming1999]

@@1handzen Yay! I'm glad to know another rat lover haha. They so underappreciated and treated like shit. But yeah. Your editing is great! You have a great sense of humor too! I have alot of good memories with tekken 4 myself. It has such good vibes to it

[@camodeano3003]

Lmfao that intro was amazing

[@Lifter86]

People that think this was game was a bust for tournaments must have not been around then. Look up tekken in Texas 4

[@1handzen]

@@Lifter86 I certainly wasn't there, but I was referring to overall competitive consensus. I know it also almost ended the franchise so seemed the accurate observation to make. I'll defo checkout some of the local tourney tho

[@Trxpamvs]

Great vid man keep em coming

[@TailsGaming1999]

TOP SECRET LAB. LOL!

[@bingobangobongo425]

At 2:22 I believe you used the JPN version voiceline that hwoarang has

[@1handzen]

good ear lol, I wanted to add more of the roster's voices to the intro but ended up only adding hwoarang 😮

[@Proto017]

Tekken dr is underrated tho

[@NinjaIsLaw]

PLEASE DOES ANYONE KNOW THE BACKGROUND MUSIC AT 15:40 AND ALSO GREAT FUCKIN VIDEO THANK U!!

[@Gabriel-yz7kc]

"Your sunset" from Tekken tag tournament 2

[@AlphaZeroX96]

You didn't even talk about the gameplay and Tekken Force.

[@1handzen]

@@AlphaZeroX96 yeah I was light on gameplay for this vid and never played Tekken Force much, kept it just a vibes thing for what gave me the most nostalgia

[@EmreCoskun-wz4kk]

Bro i love you for that video. 😐❤️

[@1handzen]

@@EmreCoskun-wz4kk love wins!!!!!! 🎮🔥🩷

[@EmreCoskun-wz4kk]

@@1handzen 🫶🏻

[@dudeletsplay4792]

i deserve 99999 subs for this video alone bro do one for tag team bro pls i promise its worth it

[@1handzen]

@@dudeletsplay4792 I'll definitely play tag SOME DAY and maybe talk about it, soundtrack is too good

[@tqhr]

FreakhandZen

[@1handzen]

gotta increase my freak

[@internetfumo]

great job, just wondering where you editing your videos?

[@1handzen]

@@internetfumo I edit with Davinci Resolve

[@bingobangobongo425]

I think you’re mistaken during the gameplay segment. It’s not about the “weight” or anything like that. Tekken 4 is genuinely horribly balanced, forced offense by removing Korean Backdash, countless infinite combos, uneven elevation being wonky for range and spacing, it became an annoying poke fest and boring. Also, anybody but Jin was competitive suicide. Nobody means game feel completely. Though movement does feel muddy.

[@1handzen]

yeah the sluggish "game of pokes" and muddy kind of flow is defo what i was going for. obvs i don't know as much about the mechanics competitively, just knew it was a bust for the FGC

[@JohnSmithson999]

Pretentious video.

[@1handzen]

think so?