GAMING ONE FOR MEMORY BANK

King of Iron Fist Tournament is back! Tekken has always been a staple of my gaming memories.

The first time I ever played was in the ’ 90s at a kid’s party at the local video game arcade. Jumping on a 10- person Sega rally game was epic, but competing one on one at Tekken while your friends crowded around was truly memorable.

As a kid growing up, I never felt more out of place than at my parents’ friends’ frequent parties, as one of few kids surrounded by adults. One night while I spent waiting for Macarena to repeat for the hundredth time, my ears pricked to the classic sound of a PlayStation powering up. A bunch of guys were posturing about their great skills at Tekken. I was surprised and excited to see it outside the arcade.

I was happy enough to sit on the fringes watching the players, but I was thrilled to have one of Dad’s friends wave a controller my way.

It was in this moment, ripping out combos and those annoying low kicks, that this Coke- bottle glasses youngster schooled a room full of adults of varying stages of inebriation. Fast forward 20 years and I’m not nearly as good as I was that night.

released last week on PS4 and PC.

With a massive character list, the replayability is a major drawcard.

Half the fun is enjoying every ending sequence. After so many years, Tekken remains one of the greatest fighters around.