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{{short description|2001 video game}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox video game
| title = Tekken 4
| image = Tekken 4 Coverart.png
| developer = [[Namco]]
| publisher = Namco<br>'''PlayStation 2'''{{vgrelease|NA|[[Namco Hometek]]|EU|[[Sony Computer Entertainment]]}}
| director = [[Katsuhiro Harada]]<br />Masahiro Kimoto<br />Yuichi Yonemori
| producer = Hajime Nakatani
| programmer = Yoshihito Saito <br /> Junichi Sakai <br /> Kenji Ozaki
| artist = Yoshinari Mizushima <br /> Takuji Kawano <br />
| writer = Kazuaki Fujimoto <br /> Yoshinari Mizushima <br /> [[Shinsuke Sato]]
| composer = Akitaka Tohyama<br />[[Yuu Miyake]]<br />[[Satoru Kōsaki]]<br />[[Hiroshi Okubo]]<br />Keiki Kobayashi
| series = ''[[Tekken]]''
| released = '''Arcade'''{{vgrelease|JP|August 1, 2001<ref>{{Cite web |last=Ahmed |first=Shahed |date=July 31, 2001 |title=''Tekken 4'' release nears |url=http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2800260,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20011211032615/http://gamespot.com:80/gamespot/stories/news/0,10870,2800260,00.html |archive-date=December 11, 2001 |access-date=May 17, 2024 |website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref>|NA|August 2001<ref>{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/ArcadeGameList1971-2005/page/n127|title=
アーケードTVゲームリスト国内•海外編(1971-2005)|author=Masumi Akagi|date=
2005}}</ref>}}'''PlayStation 2'''<br />{{Video game release|JP|March 28, 2002|EU|September 13, 2002|NA|September 23, 2002}}
| genre = [[Fighting game|Fighting]], [[beat 'em up]]
| modes = [[Single-player video game|Single-player]], [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]]
| arcade system = [[Namco System 246]]
| platforms = [[Arcade game|Arcade]], [[PlayStation 2]]
}}
{{nihongo|'''''Tekken 4'''''|鉄拳4}} is a 2001 [[fighting game]] developed and published by [[Namco]] for [[Arcade video game|arcades]]. Initially released for Namco's [[Namco System 246|System 246]] hardware, it was then ported to the [[PlayStation 2]] home console in 2002. As the fourth main installment in the ''[[Tekken]]'' series following ''[[Tekken 3]]'' (1997), and the fifth overall following the non-canon title ''[[Tekken Tag Tournament]]'' (1999), the game harbored many gameplay revisions, such as the series-unique ability for the player to move about before the round begins and the introduction of walled stages.

There are up to twenty-two playable characters, five of which are newcomers and one alter-ego palette swap.{{sfn|Hurwitch|2019|p=59}} Placing distinction on the plot in the console version, the tone of ''Tekken 4'' was noticeably darker than other installments in the series.<ref>{{cite web |date=19 February 2021 |title=The Grounded, Dark Tone of Tekken 4 |url=https://goombastomp.com/the-grounded-dark-tone-of-tekken-4/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322231843/https://goombastomp.com/the-grounded-dark-tone-of-tekken-4/ |archive-date=22 March 2023 |access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref> The game notably features the [[Canon (fiction)|canonical]] return of [[Kazuya Mishima]], whose story reveals that he was revived following [[Tekken 2|his death 20 years prior]] and has entered the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4 to take back the Mishima Zaibatsu from his father Heihachi Mishima and seek out his son Jin Kazama.

''Tekken 4'' received generally favorable reviews. The reception from established veteran players in the gaming community was initially mixed, with such competitive players pointing out to its traditional gameplay replaced by realism through uneven floors and walls in actual vicinities, as well as more lateral 3D movement replacing aerial combat and juggling. There was also more aggression and poking, akin to boxing or fencing. However, there has been a revival in its reception becoming more positive for its innovative art design and sound.{{sfn|Barton|2002|p=47}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Looking Back at Tekken 4 and The Leap to a New Generation of Consoles|url=https://sea.ign.com/tekken-7/176980/news/looking-back-at-tekken-4-and-the-leap-to-a-new-generation-of-consoles|date=September 27, 2021}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Zheng|first=Wei|title=Tekken 4 Arcade Machine: A Classic Fighting Game Review|url=https://www.sourcifychina.com/tekken-4-arcade-machine/|date=2025-04-14}}</ref> Meanwhile, critics and publications including ''[[IGN]]'' have rated it as one of the best games in the series.{{sfn|Hunt|2003|pp=165}}<ref>{{Cite web|last=Biju|first=Rahul|title=All 11 Tekken Games Ranked Worst to Best|url=https://fandomwire.com/all-tekken-games-ranked-worst-to-best/|date=2025-05-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Tekken Games Ranked|url=https://www.ign.com/playlist/spaceghost1994/lists/tekken-games-ranked|date=2024-02-02|access-date=2025-05-21}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Why Tekken 4 Still Shines: A 24-Year-Old Masterpiece|url=https://www.zleague.gg/theportal/why-tekken-4-still-shines-a-24-year-old-masterpiece/|date=2025-02-15}}</ref> A sequel, ''[[Tekken 5]]'', was released in 2004.

==Gameplay==
[[File:Tekken 4 gameplay.png|left|thumb|Gameplay screenshot depicting Nina ''vs.'' Paul]]
''Tekken 4'' introduced significant new gameplay changes from the previous games in the series, finally going for realism and a leap into full 3D immersion.{{sfn|Barton|2002|p=89}}<ref name="edge">''Edge'' magazine issue E111, June 2004.</ref> It added significantly more gameplay features and modes than its predecessor, ''Tekken Tag Tournament''. For the first time, it allowed players to maneuver around an arena interacting with walls and other obstacles for extra damage.{{sfn|Hurwitch|2019|p=49}} These "environmental hazards" in turn allowed players to juggle opponents for consecutive combos and allowed the designers to implement a "switch maneuver", which let players escape from cornering and turn the tide in their favor.{{sfn|Barton|2002|p=98}} The game engine had been tweaked to be more focused on the environment, causing the characters to move more slowly and fluidly than in ''[[Tekken Tag Tournament]]''. The balance was also better in ''Tekken 4'' than in ''Tekken Tag Tournament''.{{sfn|Barton|2002|p=129}} Finally, the game introduced a brand new graphics system, that featured increased lighting, dynamic physics, and smoother surfaces.{{sfn|Barton|2002|p=101}}

The console version of ''Tekken 4'' includes a [[beat 'em up]] [[minigame]] available from the outset, called ''Tekken Force''. Similar to the previous minigame found in ''[[Tekken 3]]'', it presents the player with an over-the-shoulder perspective as they fight wave upon wave of Heihachi's ''Tekken Force'' through four stages, facing Combot, then Kuma, then Kazuya, and eventually facing Heihachi himself, with his clothing changing if Heihachi is selected to fight himself.{{sfn|Barton|2002|p=103}} The player can pick up health and power-ups while fighting waves of enemies.{{sfn|Barton|2002|p=101}} In the minigame, it is discovered that the Tekken Force possesses different ranks in the organization, evident in different amounts of stamina, strength, and skill. A new Story mode in the home version unlocks cutscenes when played, in contrast to previous installments in which such cutscenes were unlocked from playing the Arcade mode.{{sfn|Barton|2002|p=89}} The modern practice mode also developed in ''Tekken 4'', with life bars as well as the near full move list now available in practice.{{sfn|Barton|2002|p=128}} There were also new modes such as pure defensive training to diversify the practice mode and make it more accessible to newcomers.{{sfn|Barton|2002|p=81}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=This is the first Tekken made for the Playstation 2 and it is also the only one I think that is multiplatfrom|url=https://www.gamespot.com/tekken-4/user-reviews/2200-293701/|date=2010-06-06}}</ref> The game also features the usual combos and hack tips to unlock certain win pose animations, which were completely different and have not been changed since the [[Tekken (video game)|first game]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tekken 4 Cheats and Tips|url=https://www.supercheats.com/playstation2/tekken4.htm|date=2024-06-15}}</ref>{{sfn|Barton|2002|p=99}}

==Characters==
{{see also|Characters of the Tekken series}}
The arcade version features a total of 20 characters, consisting of 16 returning and 4 new ones, including the Irish-English boxer Steve Fox who is revealed to be the son of [[Nina Williams]].{{sfn|Hurwitch|2019|p=59}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=STEVE FOX|date=January 23, 2025 |url=https://en.bandainamcoent.eu/tekken/tekken-8/characters/steve-fox}}</ref> The returning characters include some who did not make the cut in the 19-year time skip between ''[[Tekken 2]]'' and ''[[Tekken 3]]''. The console version adds two characters (one returning and one new) making 22 characters in all, given that both additions are palette swaps of existing ones. Ten characters are available by default, with the rest being unlocked by clearing Story Mode multiple times.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Will there be Tekken 4|url=https://www.namria.gov.ph/Kiosk/88186418.html}}</ref>

===New characters===
* [[Christie Monteiro]]: A [[Capoeira]] student in search for her friend and teacher, Eddy Gordo.
* [[List of Tekken characters#Combot/Super Combot DX|Combot]] {{ref|a|a}}: A general purpose robot created by the Violet Systems who is able to mimic other characters' fighting styles.
* [[Craig Marduk]]: An undefeated [[Vale Tudo]] fighter who had killed [[List of Tekken characters#Armor King I/II|Armor King]] and is joining the tournament under the lure of Armor King's student King II
* [[List of Tekken characters#Miharu Hirano|Miharu Hirano]] {{ref|a|a}} {{ref|b|b}} {{ref|c|c}}: The best friend of Ling Xiaoyu.
* [[Steve Fox (Tekken)|Steve Fox]]: A young [[boxing]] champion who seeks to find out about his past.
* [[Lee Chaolan#Violet|Violet]] {{ref|a|a}} {{ref|c|c}} {{ref|d|d}}: The alter-ego of Lee Chaolan. Although introduced as a mysterious new fighter, Violet shares the same ending revealing himself as Lee before facing Combot as the final boss, and is essentially considered as one character and not a distinct character.

===Returning characters===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
* [[Bryan Fury]] {{ref|a|a}}
* [[Eddy Gordo]] {{ref|a|a}} {{ref|b|b}} {{ref|c|c}}
* [[Heihachi Mishima]] {{ref|a|a}}
* [[Hwoarang]]
* [[Jin Kazama]] {{ref|a|a}}
* [[Julia Chang]] {{ref|a|a}}
{{col-break}}
* [[Kazuya Mishima]]
* [[King (Tekken)|King II]]
* [[List of Tekken characters#Kuma I/II|Kuma II]] {{ref|a|a}}
* [[Lee Chaolan]] {{ref|a|a}}
* [[Lei Wulong]]  {{ref|a|a}}
* [[Ling Xiaoyu]]
{{col-break}}
* [[Marshall Law]]
* [[Nina Williams]] {{ref|a|a}}
* [[List of Tekken characters#Panda|Panda]] {{ref|a|a}} {{ref|c|c}}
* [[Paul Phoenix (Tekken)|Paul Phoenix]]
* [[Characters of the Tekken series#Yoshimitsu|Yoshimitsu]]
{{col-end}}

<small>{{note|a|a}} Unlockable character</small><br />
<small>{{note|b|b}} Only playable in console version (makes a cameo appearances in arcade version)</small><br />
<small>{{note|c|c}} Skin/palette swap</small><br />
<small>{{note|d|d}} Skin/palette swap when Lee Chaolan unlocked</small>

==Plot==
Two years after the [[Tekken 3|King of Iron Fist Tournament 3]], [[Heihachi Mishima]] and his scientists have captured samples of [[Ogre (Tekken)|Ogre]]'s blood and tissue to splice with Heihachi's genome, to make him [[immortality|immortal]]. The experiment fails since Heihachi lacks the necessary Devil gene. His grandson, [[Jin Kazama]], possesses the Devil gene but has been missing since the previous tournament. Meanwhile, Heihachi learns that the body of his son, [[Kazuya Mishima]], who also had the Devil gene and whom Heihachi killed by throwing into a volcano 21 years ago, is in storage in the labs of the G Corporation, a cutting-edge biotech firm and the Mishima Zaibatsu's sole corporate rival. Heihachi sends his Tekken Forces to raid the G Corporation facility to retrieve Kazuya's body. Still, the mission fails when the forces are wiped out by Kazuya himself, who was secretly restored to life a few days after his death and kept hidden from the world since. Unknown to Heihachi, Jin has been in a self-imposed training exile in [[Brisbane]], to unlearn the Mishima [[karate]] style and master traditional karate, loathing anything to do with his bloodline since Heihachi's betrayal.{{sfn|Hurwitch|2019|p=88}}

To lure Kazuya and Jin out, Heihachi announces the King of Iron Fist Tournament 4, with the ownership of the Mishima Zaibatsu being the top prize. At the 7th stage, where Kazuya and Jin are poised to fight one another, Jin fails to appear, having been ambushed and captured by the Tekken Forces, and Kazuya is declared the winner by default, though he suspects his son has been abducted. He faces Heihachi in the final round and defeats him, but then goes with Heihachi to the ancient Mishima temple Hon-Maru, where Jin has been chained to the ceiling. The Devil awakens inside Kazuya, knocks Heihachi out of the room, and awakens Jin, intending to absorb Jin's Devil gene and complete himself. Jin overpowers and defeats Kazuya as Heihachi awakens and challenges his grandson. Though weary, Jin also defeats Heihachi and prepares to kill him, but he is stopped by a vision of his mother [[Jun Kazama]]. Subtly warning Heihachi that this will be the final time he is shown mercy, Jin flies through the roof of Hon-Maru into the night.

==Development and release==
At [[E3]] 2001, Namco showed a teaser for ''Tekken 4''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/videos/tekken-4-playstation-2-trailer-2001-05-19|title=Tekken 4 PlayStation 2 Trailer|author=IGN Staff|date=May 19, 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/05/19/e3-2001-tekken-4-trailer-screens-and-video|title=E3 2001: Tekken 4 Trailer Screens and Video|author=IGN Staff|date=May 19, 2001}}</ref> In a June 2001 investor meeting in Tokyo, Namco mentioned ''Tekken 4'' as being one of the games central to its PlayStation 2 strategy.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/06/01/namco-talks-tekken-4-and-online-play|title=Namco Talks Tekken 4 and Online Play|author=Namco|date=June 1, 2001}}</ref> A playable arcade demo was shown at a Tokyo event the same month, with eight of the ten announced characters playable.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/06/20/namco-displays-tekken-4-in-japan|title=Namco Displays Tekken 4 In Japan|author=Namco|date=June 20, 2001}}</ref> On August 21, 2001, Namco shared its first American locations for the arcade version.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2001/08/21/tekken-4-location-finder|title=Tekken 4 Location Finder|author=Namco|date=August 21, 2001}}</ref> The Korean PlayStation 2 version, which predated the American and European versions by two months,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playstation.co.kr/scek/scek6_View.asp?BbsDiv=4&RegNo=13&PG=2&WH=|title=철권4 특별 한정판 Pre Order 실시|author=SCEK|date=June 18, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030428212923/http://www.playstation.co.kr/scek/scek6_View.asp?BbsDiv=4&RegNo=13&PG=2&WH= |archive-date=April 28, 2003 }}</ref> introduced Korean voice lines for Hwoarang that were also used in those versions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playstation.co.kr/scek/scek6_View.asp?BbsDiv=4&RegNo=7&PG=5&WH=|title=한글 철권4 곧 나온다!! 조금만 기다리자!!|author=SCEK|date=March 26, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040306004337/http://www.playstation.co.kr/scek/scek6_View.asp?BbsDiv=4&RegNo=7&PG=5&WH= |archive-date=March 6, 2004 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.playstation.co.kr/scek/scek6_View.asp?BbsDiv=4&RegNo=9&PG=4&WH=|title=철권(TEKKEN)4의 한국인 캐릭터 [화랑]의 한국어 음성 공개|author=SCEK|date=April 9, 2002|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040115011409/http://www.playstation.co.kr/scek/scek6_View.asp?BbsDiv=4&RegNo=9&PG=4&WH= |archive-date=January 15, 2004 }}</ref>

==Reception==
{{Video game reviews
| GR = 81%<ref name="GR">{{cite web |url=https://www.gamerankings.com/ps2/518042-tekken-4/index.html|title=Tekken 4 for PlayStation 2|date=2013-06-27 |archive-date=2019-12-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191209013004/https://www.gamerankings.com/ps2/518042-tekken-4/index.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

| MC = 79/100<ref name="MC">{{cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/tekken-4/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2 |title=Tekken 4 for PlayStation 2 Reviews|website=[[Metacritic]] |date=2013-06-27 |archive-date=2023-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231109224138/https://www.metacritic.com/game/tekken-4/critic-reviews/?platform=playstation-2 |url-status=live }}</ref>
| Edge = 6/10<ref name=edge/>
| Fam = 36/40<ref name=Famitsu>''プレイステーション2 - 鉄拳4''. Weekly Famitsu. No.915 Pt.2. Pg.74. 30 June 2006.</ref>
| GamePro = 4.5/5<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/26347.shtml |title=Review: Tekken 4 for PS2 on GamePro.com |publisher=GamePro.com |date=2002-09-23 |access-date=2013-06-27 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080521230446/http://www.gamepro.com/sony/ps2/games/reviews/26347.shtml |archive-date=May 21, 2008 }}</ref>
| GSpot = 8.4/10<ref name=GS>{{cite web |last=Kasavin|first=Greg |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/tekken4/review.html|title=Tekken 4 Review |publisher=GameSpot.com |date=2002-09-23 |access-date=2013-06-27 |archive-date=2011-10-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111024144027/http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/tekken4/review.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
| GSpy = 71/100<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.planetps2.com/features/reviews/2002/tekken4/ |title=PlanetPS2 - A Member of The GameSpy Network |publisher=GameSpy.com |access-date=2013-06-27 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060529220852/http://www.planetps2.com/features/reviews/2002/tekken4/ |archive-date=May 29, 2006 }}</ref>
| IGN = 9/10<ref name=IGN>{{cite web |url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2002/09/24/tekken-4 |title=Tekken 4 - IGN |date=24 September 2002 |publisher=Ps2.ign.com |access-date=2013-06-27 |archive-date=2022-10-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221017132024/https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/09/24/tekken-4 |url-status=live }}</ref>
<!-- Awards -->
| award1Pub = [[Game Critics Awards]]
| award1 = Best Fighting Game of [[E3]] 2002
| award2Pub = [[Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences]] ([[6th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards|2003]])
| award2 = [[D.I.C.E. Award for Fighting Game of the Year|Console Fighting Game of the Year]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://interactive.org/awards/2003_6th_awards.asp |title=2003 Interactive Achievement Awards |publisher=interactive.org |date=2013-09-21 |archive-date=2023-09-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230925175328/https://www.interactive.org/awards/2003_6th_awards.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}

In Japan, ''Game Machine'' listed ''Tekken 4'' on their September 1, 2001 issue as the most successful arcade game of the month and was the top-selling fighting game that year.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Game Machine's Best Hit Games 25 - TVゲーム機ーソフトウェア (Video Game Software)|magazine=Game Machine|issue=641|publisher=Amusement Press, Inc.|date=1 September 2001|page=17|lang=ja}}</ref> It also received positive reviews overall and attracted the game to many newcomers, but only received mixed feedback from veteran players in the international gaming community at the time of its initial release. Although the game was still successful at the [[Evo 2004|Evolution Championships 2004]] and at the Arcadia Tournament, the top fighting game tournament in Japan in the 2000s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=ComicList Previews: TEKKEN #4|url=https://gocollect.com/blog/comiclist-previews-tekken-4|date=2017-09-10}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|zrmfZ7dBSls|Tekken 4 SBO Super Battle Opera Tougeki 2004 Tournament Full DVD}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Zotomayor|first=Carlos|title=Tekken producer Katsuhiro Harada opens up about the severe side effects of stress he experienced while developing Tekken 4|url=https://automaton-media.com/en/news/tekken-producer-katsuhiro-harada-opens-up-about-the-severe-side-effects-of-stress-he-experienced-while-developing-tekken-4/|date=2025-03-25}}</ref> In tournaments, the top echelon of professional players were unaffected and still played in ''Tekken 4'' tournaments, and at the [[EVO 2004|2004 EVO]] tournament, the same players who dominated the top 8 of Tekken Tag Tournament also placed in the top 8 of ''Tekken 4''. For example, players such as [[Ryan Hart]], who won in ''Tekken Tag Tournament'', competed and was in the top five in ''Tekken 4'', while Jackie Tran and Joshua "JinKid" Molinaro, who were the finalists in ''Tekken 4'', also enjoyed top 8 finishes in ''Tekken Tag Tournament'' in the EVO tournaments.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tournament Results - EVOLUTION|url=https://www.kuroppi.com/tournamentresults/evo/#2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110092150/https://www.kuroppi.com/tournamentresults/evo/#2004|archive-date=January 10, 2012|date=August 1, 2004|access-date=2025-08-02|publisher=Kuroppi|url-status=dead}}</ref> The game even sold more in Japan than ''Tekken 5'' and ''[[Tekken 6]]'', though it sold less copies worldwide.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Japanese total sales from 04 March 2000 to 02 November 2008|url=http://www.japan-gamecharts.com/ps2.php|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081216104658/http://www.japan-gamecharts.com/ps2.php|url-status=usurped|archive-date=2008-12-16|date=2008-03-21}}</ref> However, the lower sales had less to do with the game and its serious tone, but actually in retrospective reviews had more to do with the decline in fighting game popularity in general, which coincided with the decline in arcade popularity in the early to mid 2000s when it developed into a niche market outside Japan, where it remained very mainstream until the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Minkley|first=Johnny|title=Studio boss talks up fighting "revolution".|website=[[Eurogamer]] |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/rare-may-do-new-killer-instinct|date=November 28, 2008}}</ref>

The game sold over 2,000,000 copies at the standard PS2 price a year later.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tekken 4 - PlayStation 2|website=Amazon |url=https://www.amazon.com/Tekken-4-PlayStation-2/dp/B0000664JF}}</ref> As of 2024, director [[Katsuhiro Harada]] revealed that ''Tekken 4'' has fully grown in stature and has already sold over 4,350,000 copies, the same amount as its predecessor ''[[Tekken Tag Tournament]]'', despite when the games were only sold in PS2 copies and were not available in other platforms. This success also occurred when fighting game sales reached a brief nadir at the turn of the century.<ref name="Moonslayer">{{YouTube|feYvGQ1CzO4}}</ref> Harada himself was impressed at the outcome of the sales returns, and said that the commercial success was also found in arcades in the sense that arcade operators still purchased the machines for their franchises.<ref>{{YouTube|5OY6XB5YU0c|[public] Tokido talks about his retirement}}</ref><ref name=scullion>{{Cite web|last=Scullion|first=Chris|title='I didn't have a single ally': Tekken boss Harada says he left Namco for a year after Tekken 4 was 'bombarded with criticism'|url=https://www.videogameschronicle.com/news/i-didnt-have-a-single-ally-tekken-boss-harada-says-he-left-namco-for-a-year-after-tekken-4-was-bombarded-with-criticism/|date=2025-03-25}}</ref><ref name="namcointerview">{{Cite web|title=[Tekken 30th Anniversary] Katsuhiro Harada and Kohei Ikeda Talk Tekken! Behind the Scenes on Developing Tekken 8 and the Mindset Needed of a Developer (Part 2)|url=https://www.bandainamcostudios.com/en/creator-interviews/2851|date=2025-05-18}}</ref> ''Tekken 4'' has received an averaged score of 81.35% at [[GameRankings]] with almost 60 reviews<ref name="GR" /> and 79/100 at [[Metacritic]].<ref name="MC" /> ''[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]]'', a video game magazine at the time, gave it a mediocre review, highlighting the game's experimental and pretty nature, and that overall it is a more solid and thoughtful proposition than its predecessor, but concluded that the game feels "over-familiar and curiously uninspired."<ref name=edge/> On the other hand, ''[[GameSpot]]''{{'}}s [[Greg Kasavin]] referred to it as "one of the better fighting games in years" and "an extremely solid, long-lasting, accessible, and fun-to-play fighting game that comes from one of the world's best developers of the genre."<ref name=GS/> ''GameSpot'' named ''Tekken 4'' the best PS2 game of September 2002,<ref name=gotm>{{cite web | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030918115811/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/gotm/100502/index.html | url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/gotm/100502/index.html | title=''GameSpot''{{'}}s Game of the Month, September 2002 | author=((The Editors of ''GameSpot'')) | work=[[GameSpot]] | date=October 5, 2002 | archive-date=September 18, 2003 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and nominated it for the publication's "Best Fighting Game of 2002" award.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/ps212.html |title=GameSpot Presents: The Best and Worst of 2002 - GameSpot |website=www.gamespot.com |access-date=12 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050410060839/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/bestof2002/ps212.html |archive-date=10 April 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref>''[[IGN]]''{{'}}s Jeremy Dunham noted the walls and confined spaces as "probably Namco's wisest decision," and called the game "a solid fighter in every sense of the word."<ref name=IGN/>
<ref>The Best Fighting Game for Playstation 2 Reviewed by Jejakterkini {{Cite web|title=Tekken 4 PS2|date=January 28, 2023 |url=https://www.jejakterkini.com/2023/01/game-tekken-4-ps2.html|access-date=2023-01-28|language=en|archive-date=2023-01-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128025045/https://www.jejakterkini.com/2023/01/game-tekken-4-ps2.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A lot of these features and interactive environments remained and have influenced future fighting games,{{sfn|Hurwitch|2019|p=48}} especially in ''[[Tekken 8]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Review: Tekken 4|url=https://www.oldgamehermit.com/2021/09/review-tekken-4/|date=2022-06-12}}</ref> It was the first ''Tekken'' game to win the prestigious [[D.I.C.E. Award for Fighting Game of the Year]]. Pursuant to its critical acclaim, it was nominated for a BAFTA award.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tekken 4 Awards|website=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0339767/|date=2024-01-10}}</ref>

The story of ''Tekken 4'' was also heavily praised.{{sfn|Hurwitch|2019|p=29}} The game hired new voice actors to portray actual cutscenes rather than a silent storytelling style as in previous games, which was a first in fighting game history.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tekken 4 literally had the best story out of all the games.|url=https://www.resetera.com/threads/tekken-4-literally-had-the-best-story-out-of-all-the-games.524628/|date=2021-12-07}}</ref> It was considered the most serious and one of the darkest tales in the Mishima Saga, without completely abandoning some comical relief characters such as Kuma and Marshall Law.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Was Tekken 4 Really That Bad?|url=https://www.cbr.com/why-tekken-4-bad/|date=2022-03-13}}</ref> Together with this was the tone and atmosphere, which features known classic songs such as the jazz track ‘’Bit Crusher’’ at the actual [[Shinjuku]] crossing stage, airplane mixed electronic song ‘’Touch and Go’’ at the [[Philadelphia]] airport stage, and piano-grunge themed ‘’Authentic Sky’’ at the [[Tokyo]] building rooftop, among others, that added a strong atmospheric feel to the game that has never been explored in an artistic manner before.{{sfn|Hurwitch|2019|p=12}}<ref name="bashir"/> Harada aimed for such feel for the game, in order to increase its modernity in line with the new 21st century. The music has been praised for its unified direction setting the serious but relaxed atmosphere. One gamer commented that it has been even deliberately made to imitate the PS2 startup introduction music, such as in the ambient character select ''Jet'', made to subtly go unnoticed allowing the user to focus on choosing his next fighter. The game also built on the popularity of its [[Tekken Tag Tournament|predecessor]], by exploring the story of the series’s main protagonist [[Kazuya Mishima]], and his recent activity during the time-skip in the story. His appearance was also changed, but did not reflect his age, as he stayed young and was only made to be more heavily scarred. It accentuated his hairline and his red iris, to emphasize the character's development toward choosing evil and embracing revenge.{{sfn|Hurwitch|2019|p=37}}<ref>{{Cite web|last=Foster|first=George|title=Tekken 8 Reveals Whether Kazuya Is Truly Evil Or Controlled By The Devil Gene|url=https://www.thegamer.com/tekken-8-ending-campaign-character-episode-reveals-whether-kazuya-mishima-is-evil-or-controlled-by-devil-gene/|date=January 28, 2024}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=So What Happened To Tekken 4?|url=https://aminoapps.com/c/video-games/page/blog/so-what-happened-to-tekken-4/wdSo_uBwBNG50nmB0Q4Yq5Brda5qjk|date=2018-08-21}}</ref> The artwork and the grunge theme, mixed with electronic-jazz music and gritty tones helped improve the visual aspect of the game design as well.{{sfn|Hurwitch|2019|p=16}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tekken 4 TFG Review|url=https://gocollect.com/blog/comiclist-previews-tekken-4|date=May 11, 2024}}</ref>

===Legacy===
Many critics from author Nick Hurwitch, to gamer Justin Wong and ''IGN'', have noted the innovations introduced in ''Tekken 4'',<ref name=justin/><ref name="bashir">{{Cite web|last=Bashir|first=Dale|title=Looking Back at Tekken 4 and The Leap to a New Generation of Consoles|url=https://sea.ign.com/tekken-7/176980/news/looking-back-at-tekken-4-and-the-leap-to-a-new-generation-of-consoles|date=2021-09-07}}</ref> such as interactive environments in stages and the first full-use of voice acting and win pose animations in fighting games.{{sfn|Hurwitch|2019|p=80}} These environments, where columns are broken and the crowds play a part, were brought back in ''[[Tekken 8]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tekken 8 stages – all wall, floor, and balcony breaks|url=https://www.videogamer.com/guides/tekken-8-stages/}}</ref> Other gamers have commented ''Tekken 4'' was so far ahead, as the last leap ''Tekken'' has made in new ideas, to the point of calling it the best in the series.{{sfn|Hurwitch|2019|p=101}}<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tekken 4: The Weird One
|url=https://medium.com/@TheGoldenCartridge/tekken-4-the-weird-one-a-playerpandemonium-review-48f44385877e|date=May 7, 2023}}</ref> Swedish [[Twitch (service)|Twitch]] Streamer Adrian Levander, or "The Main Man Swede" called it the best ''Tekken'' game due to its story, stages, and character expressions and graphics.<ref>{{YouTube|BnfHGNdBXTU|Everyone Hates TEKKEN 4, Still The Best Tekken Game}}</ref><ref>{{YouTube|j8pifDZ3xtk|TMM Reviews The Tekken 4 Endings}}</ref> The praise for the story, music, atmosphere, and character development, as well as having the rawest and most serious tone in the series, has gone on to grow significantly in acclaim over the ensuing decades.<ref>{{Cite web|title=How Tekken 4 is underrated, 20 years on|url=https://stealthoptional.com/retro/how-tekken-4-is-underrated-20-years-on/|date=November 10, 2020}}</ref> The game was also the first exploration into an aggressive gameplay where backdashing or the habit of running backward was minimized for aggressive poking, such aggressiveness which was not explored again until ''Tekken 8''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tekken 4 (Game)|url=https://www.giantbomb.com/tekken-4/3030-14684/}}</ref> The game itself also lessened the number of fantasy characters to opt for a more humanist stance to the story.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Tekken 4 (PS2) Gameplay|url=https://archive.org/details/tekken-4-1|date=2020-05-15}}</ref> The game still maintained some of the ludicrous elements and humor that connected with past audiences, as well as a bit of the older [[electronic dance music]], but not to the extent of later games. The development of the characters and the struggle between the devil gene or good and evil was also fully explored for the first time in the game.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Brady|first=Michael|title=Tekken 4 PS2 Staff Review|url=https://psx2central.com/reviews/psx2tekken4.htm|date=2001-08-08}}</ref> ''Tekken 4'' also beyond its realism and immersive experience worked to eliminate juggling, and considerably lengthened the cutscenes than in previous games, which were around ten seconds long before ''Tekken 4''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Pinheiro|first=Daniel|title=FEATURES-The Grounded, Dark Tone of Tekken 4|url=https://goombastomp.com/the-grounded-dark-tone-of-tekken-4/|date=2021-02-19}}</ref> Harada has gone on to call ''Tekken 4'' the best game in the series weeks after the [[Evolution Championship Series|2024 Evolution Championship Series]], in an interview with commentator and former champion [[Justin Wong]].<ref name="justin">{{YouTube|title=WHO IS THE BEST TEKKEN PLAYER OF ALL TIME|LL_SsjBKiDQ}}</ref> The innovation in expanding the 3D gameplay with sidewalking and removing jumping mechanics to make lateral movement easy was scaled back to traditional 2D movement in Tekken 5.<ref name="justin"/>

In 2008, the newly merged [[Bandai Namco]] released a fighting collection of classic games under its original Namco brand: namely, ''Tekken 4'', ''Tekken Tag Tournament'', and '''[[SoulCalibur II]]'', with ''Tekken 4'' as the chosen front cover of the game due to its record sales. The title was called the ''Namco Classic Fighter Collection'' on the PlayStation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Namco Classic Fighter Collection (2008)|url=https://www.gog.com/dreamlist/game/namco-classic-fighter-collection-2008|date=2008-06-21}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Sources==
* {{cite book|last = Barton |first = Jeff|year = 2002|title = Tekken 4: Prima's Official Strategy Guide|pages = 143 |edition = Original|publisher = Prima Games|isbn = 978-0-761-53940-7}}
* {{Cite book|last=Hunt|first=Leon|title=Kung fu cult masters : from Bruce Lee to Crouching tiger|ISBN=978-1-903-36463-5|publisher=Wallflower|year=2003}}
* {{cite book|last = Hurwitch |first = Nick|year = 2019|title = The Art of Tekken: A Complete Visual History|pages = 256 |edition = Original|publisher = Dynamite Entertainment|isbn = 978-1-524-11308-7}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|https://www.bandainamcoent.co.jp/cs/list/tekken4/index.php}} (PS2) {{in lang|ja}}
* {{Official website|https://web.archive.org/web/20090423040345/http://www.bandainamcogames.co.jp/am/vg/tekken4/}} (arcade) {{in lang|ja}} (archived)
* {{moby game|id/tekken-4}}
{{Tekken series}}

[[Category:2001 video games]]
[[Category:3D fighting games]]
[[Category:Arcade video games]]
[[Category:Multiplayer and single-player video games]]
[[Category:Namco arcade games]]
[[Category:Namco beat 'em ups]]
[[Category:PlayStation 2 games]]
[[Category:Tekken games]]
[[Category:Sequel video games]]
[[Category:Video games developed in Japan]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Satoru Kōsaki]]
[[Category:Video games scored by Yuu Miyake]]
[[Category:Video games set in Tokyo]]
[[Category:Video games set in Brazil]]
[[Category:Video games set in the United States]]
[[Category:Video games set in Philadelphia]]
[[Category:Video games set in Japan]]
[[Category:Sony Interactive Entertainment games]]