Tekken a walk, love

Japanese owners of i-Mode phones will soon be able to enjoy single or multiplayer Namco games while on the bullet or negotiating the seething Tokyo masses, it was revealed today. This service is just one demonstration of how advanced Japanese mobile phone culture has become. Over here we're giggling like schoolgirls over the introduction of digital mobiles; all the while these phones have been available in Japan for years. i-Mode phones boast full colour displays and unrivalled reception coverage, unlike their Western competitors, and this latest service from Namco merely extends their boundaries. The first of the i-Mode games, Tekken Command Battle, will be for one or two players, and features three commands (attack, parry or throw). Instead of mashing the phone's controls recklessly, patrons will be asked to type quickly and meticulously; the first person to type a certain pre-selected word will get the move in first, and the faster the typing the more powerful the attack. Other games on the Namco roster scheduled for introduction to i-Mode phones are chomping spectacular Pac-Man and all-time classic Galaxian. Hopefully we'll have more to say about these in the near future. So, if you live in Japan, own an i-Mode phone and fancy playing Tekken on the bus or flying car or whatever you have out there, you can do so by logging on to Namco's EZWeb service and stumping up some cash. The charge for the gaming service is apparently 300 yen (about £1.70) per month. Beats the pants of Snakes, I can tell you. Speaking of Tekken, the fourth release in the long-running beat 'em up series is scheduled for arcade release in the UK this July.

Source - C&VG