Rate the Game: Week 156

[M-A-G]

Good morning and Happy Halloween, boys and girls! Hopefully your day is memorable and great, even if you're not someone who's down with participating in the holiday. You can always participate in this party we've got going on over here! We're set to party for the 156th time here on Rate the Game and opening festivities sees us having to place last week's Halo 3 somewhere on the leaderboard. The Halo franchise thus far hasn't really rocked the elite, but perhaps the third entry can shake things up. Let's have a looksie...


<select><option selected="">Rate the Game Results

<option>1. Super Mario World (4.81)
<option>2. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City (4.8)</option>
<option>3. The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (4.8)</option>
<option>4. Hitman: Codename 47 (4.75)</option>
<option>5. Mass Effect (4.75)</option>
<option>6. Goldeneye 007 (4.72)</option>
<option>7. Super Mario Bros. 3 (4.7)</option>
<option>8. Silent Hill 2 (4.66)</option>
<option>9. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (4.61)</option>
<option>10. Super Mario Bros. 2 (4.5)</option>
<option>11. Portal (4.5)</option>
<option>12. Red Dead Redemption (4.5)</option>
<option>13. Chrono Trigger (4.5)</option>
<option>14. Final Fantasy 3 (4.5)</option>
<option>15. Silent Hill 3 (4.5)</option>
<option>16. Mega Man 2 (4.44)</option>
<option>17. Donkey Kong Country (4.44)</option>
<option>18. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (4.44)</option>
<option>19. Super Mario Bros. (4.41)</option>
<option>20. God of War (4.4)</option>
<option>21. Mega Man X (4.36)</option>
<option>22. Metal Gear Solid (4.33)</option>
<option>23. BioShock (4.33)</option>
<option>24. Ōkami (4.33)</option>
<option>25. Perfect Dark (4.3)</option>
<option>26. Shadow of the Colossus (4.28)</option>
<option>27. The Last of Us (4.28)</option>
<option>28. Super Castlevania 4 (4.16)</option>
<option>29. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves (4.16)</option>
<option>30. Super Street Fighter 2 (4.15)</option>
<option>31. Sonic the Hedgehog (4.14)</option>
<option>32. Resident Evil 2 (4.14)</option>
<option>33. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (4.125)</option>
<option>34. Super Mario 64 (4.07)</option>
<option>35. Grand Theft Auto 3 (4.06)</option>
<option>36. The Legend of Zelda (4.06)</option>
<option>37. NBA Jam (4.05)</option>
<option>38. Super Mario Kart (4.0)</option>
<option>39. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (4.0)</option>
<option>40. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 (4.0)</option>
<option>41. Super Smash Bros. (4.0)</option>
<option>42. Super Metroid (4.0)</option>
<option>43. Star Fox 64 (4.0)</option>
<option>44. The Simpsons (4.0)</option>
<option>45. Resident Evil 4 (4.0)</option>
<option>46. EarthBound (4.0)</option>
<option>47. Fallout 3 (4.0)</option>
<option>48. Mirror's Edge (4.0)</option>
<option>49. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (4.0)</option>
<option>50. Donkey Kong Country 2 (4.0)</option>
<option>51. X-Men Legends (4.0)</option>
<option>52. Banjo-Kazooie (4.0)</option>
<option>53. Dishonored (4.0)</option>
<option>54. Final Fantasy 7 (3.94)</option>
<option>55. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (3.92)</option>
<option>56. Mega Man (3.89)</option>
<option>57. Castlevania (3.86)</option>
<option>58. Contra (3.86)</option>
<option>59. Devil May Cry (3.86)</option>
<option>60. Half-Life 2 (3.85)</option>
<option>61. Half-Life (3.83)
<option>62. Final Fantasy 8 (3.83)</option>
<option>63. Infamous (3.83)</option>
<option>64. SimCity 2000 (3.8)</option>
<option>65. Final Fight (3.8)</option>
<option>66. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (3.77)</option>
<option>67. Batman: Arkham Asylum (3.76)</option>
<option>68. Double Dragon (3.75)</option>
<option>69. Tomb Raider (2013) (3.75)</option>
<option>70. Max Payne (3.75)</option>
<option>71. Fallout 4 (3.75)</option>
<option>72. Tetris (3.69)</option>
<option>73. Mortal Kombat 2 (3.67)</option>
<option>74. The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask (3.66)</option>
<option>75. Star Wars: Shadows of the Empire (3.66)</option>
<option>76. Alan Wake (3.66)</option>
<option>77. Diablo (3.66)</option>
<option>78. Xenoblade Chronicles (3.66)</option>
<option>79. F.E.A.R. (3.66)</option>
<option>80. Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty (3.66)</option>
<option>81. Mortal Kombat (3.65)</option>
<option>82. Doom (3.625)</option>
<option>83. StarFox (3.61)</option>
<option>84. X-Men (3.6)</option>
<option>85. Resident Evil (3.58)</option>
<option>86. Kirby's Adventure (3.57)</option>
<option>87. Daytona USA (3.5)</option>
<option>88. Ninja Gaiden (3.5)</option>
<option>89. Burnout Paradise (3.5)</option>
<option>90. Thief: The Dark Project (3.5)</option>
<option>91. Dark Souls (3.5)</option>
<option>92. Shinobi (3.5)</option>
<option>93. Unreal Tournament (3.5)</option>
<option>94. Battletoads (3.42)</option>
<option>95. Dead Space (3.4)</option>
<option>96. Tony Hawk's Pro Skater (3.39)</option>
<option>97. Resident Evil: Nemesis (3.38)</option>
<option>98. Crash Bandicoot (3.33)</option>
<option>99. Mortal Kombat (2011) (3.33)</option>
<option>100. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (3.33)</option>
<option>101. Wolfenstein 3D (3.33)</option>
<option>102. Dead Island (3.33)</option>
<option>103. Left 4 Dead (3.33)</option>
<option>104. Nights Into Dreams (3.33)</option>
<option>105. Condemned: Criminal Origins (3.33)</option>
<option>106. Gauntlet Legends (3.28)
<option>107. Gears of War (3.27)</option>
<option>108. Borderlands (3.22)</option>
<option>109. Uncharted: Drake's Fortune (3.22)</option>
<option>110. Duke Nukem 3D (3.2)</option>
<option>111. Darkstalkers (3.2)</option>
<option>112. Quake (3.2)</option>
<option>113. Halo 3 (3.16)</option>
<option>114. SoulCalibur (3.16)</option>
<option>115. Pac-Man (3.125)</option>
<option>116. Killer Instinct (3.11)</option>
<option>117. Virtua Fighter (3.09)</option>
<option>118. Rock Band (3.09)</option>
<option>119. Earthworm Jim (3.0)</option>
<option>120. Metroid (3.0)</option>
<option>121. Time Crisis (3.0)</option>
<option>122. Tekken (3.0)</option>
<option>123. Halo 2 (3.0)</option>
<option>124. Syphon Filter (3.0)</option>
<option>125. Gex (3.0)</option>
<option>126. Destiny (3.0)</option>
<option>127. The Secret of Monkey Island (3.0)</option>
<option>128. Army of Two (3.0)</option>
<option>129. Sonic Adventure (3.0)</option>
<option>130. Shenmue (3.0)</option>
<option>131. Guitar Hero (2.875)</option>
<option>132. Ecco the Dolphin (2.85)</option>
<option>133. Streets of Rage (2.84)</option>
<option>134. Altered Beast (2.8)</option>
<option>135. Bayonetta (2.75)</option>
<option>136. Command & Conquer (2.75)</option>
<option>137. ToeJam & Earl (2.75)</option>
<option>138. Jet Set Radio (2.75)</option>
<option>139. Assassin's Creed (2.71)</option>
<option>140. Gauntlet (2.71)</option>
<option>141. Street Fighter Alpha (2.71)</option>
<option>142. Dead Rising (2.71)</option>
<option>143. Bionic Commando (2.66)</option>
<option>144. Saints Row (2.66)</option>
<option>145. The Sims (2.6)</option>
<option>146. Killer Instinct 2 (2.6)</option>
<option>147. Silent Hill (2.6)</option>
<option>148. Tomb Raider (2.55)</option>
<option>149. Halo: Combat Evolved (2.5)</option>
<option>150. Twisted Metal (2.42)</option
<option>151. Crackdown (2.42)</option>
<option>152. Golden Axe (2.33)</option>
<option>153. Gran Turismo (2.3)</option>
<option>154. The Secret of Mana (2.2)</option>
<option>155. Ghosts n' Goblins (2.14)</option></select>


Well, Halo 3 does end up being the highest rated Halo game so far, but with an overall score of 3.16, it's not reaching the top of the leaderboard anytime soon and has to be content with spot number 113 for now.

With that out of the way, it's trick-or-treat time! I've got a bowl here, and while it's not filled with candy, I might be pulling out something sweet anyway. Let's see what's in store for us as we close out the month of October...


<iframe src="https://giphy.com/embed/5teKwuwierdS6x6Oup" width="480" height="270" frameBorder="0" class="giphy-embed" allowFullScreen></iframe><p><a href="https://giphy.com/gifs/5teKwuwierdS6x6Oup">via GIPHY</a></p>


So after exploring through the goodies we've got ourselves a prize. Could it be a delicious Reese's Peanut Butter Cup? Or something really gross like black licorice or Mounds or a York Peppermint Patty? That's for you to decide. This week we go back to throwing hands in another game of fisticuffs with a franchise we haven't tackled since the original 50. Let's put Namco into the hot seat and rate their foray into 2-on-2 throwdowns. It's Tekken Tag Tournament! Obviously an off-shoot from the mainline Tekken series, this game surely still has some chops to it, right? Let's hear what you have to say about the matter. Do the rating thing and share your thoughts and we'll see you all next week to kick off November!

[drave]

Eh. It's Tekken.

[Big Vic]

I have played it just not enough to rate it.

[Lock Jaw]

I mean, maybe I played it? Who knows....

[weather vane]

I like Tekken.

[DAMN iNATOR]

I mean, maybe I played it? Who knows....

I assume if anyone knows that, it would be you.

Anyway, I played it on occasions back when arcades were still a thing. Wasn’t even the most novel thing then fighting games wise, as I believe others had done the characters tagging in/out before just maybe not as the main feature. I remember liking the cast, though, so since I can’t rate it 2½, I’ll give it a 3.

[Fignuts]

Easy 5

Tekken 3 was the first game in the series that felt really good to play. Tag smoothed out the edges, added a tag mechanic, and brought together all the characters in the series so far. Some even got new movesets, as characters like Kunimitsu and Lee were just reskins in their original appearance.

Spent enough quarters on this that the arcade staff just creditted me and we'd play matches.

[Emperor Smeat]

3 but would be more of a 3.5 if half points were allowed.

If I remember correctly, this was the first arcade game I played that wasn't from the NES/SNES/Genesis era and more of a coincidence since it happened from a long road trip I was on to go visit an uncle for his wedding at the time in Virgina. During the trip, the van everyone was in stopped by a rest stop in Delaware or Maryland that had an arcade section and that was the arcade game I picked for a couple of matches before we had to leave to continue the trip.

Didn't get around to buying the PS2 version of the game until a few years ago.

The tag feature felt really cool at the time since the only notable fighting games I had played up to that point was Street Fighter II and Killer Instinct.

[M-A-G]

I want to say this was the last Tekken game I played. I know that I played the third one on Playstation at a friend's house. This one was essentially a way to tide people over until Tekken 4 could get cranked out, whenever that was. I kind of didn't pay attention to fighting game franchises around this time. This one did look hella cool, though.

[Fignuts]

Should be noted that theres a HUGE difference between Tekken Tag in arcade and on PS2.

Arcade version runs on tekken 3's graphics engine while the home version was completely remade for the ps2's vastly superior hardware. The music is better, as again, the ps2 hardware surpassed the arcade's MIDI tracks. Lots of rebalancing which was a big deal in the prepatch era. FMV character endings, and several added game modes.

3 is a fair rating for the arcade release, but feel the ps2 port deserves better. This was the game whose home port convinced me arcades had no future. It was that much better.

[M-A-G]

Home versions of fighting games are definitely preferrable as the developers have an incentive to load it up with extra goodies that just aren't practical in an arcade release. It's just so strange how when I was a kid, the dream was to have arcade machines at home and now you can basically find anything you want to play in the comfort of your own abode, but now I miss the arcade.