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Jin Kazama in ‘Tekken 8’ sparks nostalgia for the ’90s gamer kid in me
Reminiscing about 'Tekken 3', its legacy, and what Jin Kazama meant to an entire generation of 90s gamer kids.
Jin Kazama in Tekken 3 (left) and Tekken 8 (right). Photos: Bandai Namco Entertainment
I was just as excited as the next fan when I saw the trailer at PlayStation’s September 2022 State Play (the one about Jin Kazama and Tekken 8) and I briefly reminisced about Tekken 3 at the time.
The nostalgia, however, didn’t truly set in until today, 5 March, in this year of our Lord, when a trailer of the bad boy in action popped up on my Twitter feed.
Tekken 3’s legacy
Fellow gamer, watch the trailer below and tell me you’re not buzzing with excitement. I dare you.
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If not, you aren’t worthy of PlayStation’s fifth best-selling game.
Which, by the way, I’ll have you know has officially been cited as one of the greatest video games of all time.
Of. all. time.
Along with other marvels such as Space Invaders, Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Mario, Zelda, Prince of Persia, Final Fantasy, and more.
As a child of the ’90s (yes I’m aware I’m giving away my age here), nothing brought me more joy than coming home from school, grabbing a snack, and playing Tekken 3.
Being a gamer kid in the nineties was wild. Video games were not as widely available and gaming was still considered a fringe hobby.
Most kids didn’t even have access to a console or PC powerful enough to run a game (ah, the days of Commander Keen and MS-DOS…)
My cousin was the only kid in our family with a console, but thank goodness he lived next door. We would spend hours playing Street Fighter or Need for Speed 2.
And of course, Tekken 3.
A cast worth remembering
I loved Jin Kazama, Nina Williams, and Eddy Gordo the most, and I spent countless hours mastering their moves and perfecting my gameplay.
Remember those wild combinations! What was Namco thinking?
It’s the 90s definition of remembering a password in 2023 with 13 characters including capital letters, numbers, and punctuation.
But I digress.
Julia, Law, and Lei made for a strong supporting case, and I’d be lying if I say I didn’t dabble with Gon, Mokujin and Bosconovitch too.
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The graphics may seem dated by today’s standards.
Trust me, I know, I still play Tekken 3 on PS1 every once in a while…
But pixels and 32-bit arcade graphics aside, it’s still a true classic and Tekken has withstood the test of time.
Jin, the legend
He was introduced as a teenager seeking revenge against Ogre and his popularity endured throughout the franchise.
And yes, Jin is still my favourite character today.
He represented a new era of video game characters, with more complex backstories and motivations, and his legacy continues to resonate with gamers today.
Being a headstrong and angry teen added a level of depth not known in the world of gaming at the time.
Even angry teenage Cheryl could realise that.
It was refreshing to see a realistic character with everyday struggles and hardships.
As I look back on Tekken 3, it’s hard not to feel a sense of nostalgia.
Tekken 8 is coming
Tekken 8 is breaking into a new era and trust me when I say I’m all for a more mature Jin ushering us into this new age.
Jokes and reminiscing aside, Tekken 8 promises to bring us state-of-the-art graphics and powerful new rivalries.
But please, for the love of all that is good and pixelated, let’s remember where it all started and how Tekken morphed into the beloved franchise we know today.
Tekken 3 shaped and entire generation and its legacy will always hold a special place in our hearts.
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