Welcome to 30 Ridiculous Retro Rumors, a brand new series that will run daily between November 26 and December 25, 2015. This is a series where we debunk some of the craziest rumors and predictions of all time. Today we're talking about the power of Tekken 3. Just how powerful was this Namco fighting game? So powerful that some believed the PlayStation would need new hardware just to run the game. Let Electronic Gaming Monthly explain it all in today's episode of 30 Ridiculous Retro Rumors.


This is a real rumor taken directly from the October 1996 issue of Electronic Gaming Monthly ...


Although Sony pushed Battle Arena Toshinden at launch, it was another year-one PlayStation game that won over fighting fanatics. Even without a busty dominatrix, Tekken clobbered the competition and quickly made Sony's 32-bitter the system to own.

By 1996, the success of Tekken had led to a pair of arcade sequels, one of which had just been ported to the PlayStation. But even with Tekken 2 tearing up the charts, Electronic Gaming Monthly couldn't wait to count to three. In a rush to be the first with Tekken 3 news, Quartermann suggests that a home conversion will require brand new hardware. The game is that powerful.

For his part, the gossip guru seems a little confused by the industry chatter. Why would Sony need an additional disc drive when their system is already CD? As it turns out, the PlayStation didn't require an upgrade. Thanks to developers getting the most out of the 32-bit hardware, many prefer the PlayStation version of Tekken 3. Sure, the limited RAM forced Namco to cut a few corners, but the robust package was hailed by both critics and fans.

Having already pushed the PlayStation to its limits, Namco focused their attention on Tekken Tag Tournament on PlayStation 2. This was followed by a series of popular sequels, as well as an ill-advised spin-off starring Nina Williams. Tekken 7 is heading home in 2016 and won't require brand new hardware, unless you have yet to upgrade to either Xbox One or PlayStation 4.