This year's release of titles like “Street Fighter IV” and “BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger” has situated 2009 to be remembered as the year of the fighting game. The home console release of “Tekken 6” keeps the year steadily on track toward that title.

The saga of the devil-possessed Mishima family continues in the sixth edition of the long-running fighting franchise. The youngest Mishima, Jin Kazama, severs ties between the Mishima Zaibatsu corporation now under his control and all the world's nations in an act of war. Jin's father, Kazuya Mishima, dispatches his own corporate military force to stop his son and commence with his own plans for world domination. In response, Jin sets up the sixth King of the Iron Fist Tournament to lure his father in and eliminate him.

Joining the two Mishimas are 40 additional fighters in “Tekken 6,” ranging in discipline from the judo expert Paul Phoenix to the professional wrestler King. Like previous “Tekken” games, the sixth iteration balances its cast well even as its size balloons. Their arsenals of moves can be mastered with some patience, but the game's core fighting mechanics are accessible enough to make it fun for first-time players.

The centerpiece mode of “Tekken 6” is its single-player campaign, which weaves players into the game's narrative as a young soldier named Lars Alexandersson. The protagonist leads the heavily armored Tekken Force against both the Zaibatsu and Kazuya Mishima's G Corporation, but he suffers amnesia in battle and accompanies an android he discovers, Alisa Bosconovitch, as they both seek out their identity.

The campaign plays similar to a beat-'em-up, with wave after wave of enemies the player can plow through with a couple blows before a mini-boss fight. It's as mindless as any second-rate entry in the genre, but the slow load times between cutscenes and the needlessly complex controls make the campaign little fun. Just maneuvering between two foes and directing Alexandersson's attacks toward each one can be a consistent source of frustration.

Where “Tekken 6” earns its spot along its predecessors is its classic fighting modes. Online matchmaking is easy to navigate and allows players to choose between ranked matches - which determine their progress along a worldwide leaderboard - and unranked ones that provide a forum for practice. Arranging matches consumes little time, and lag was seldom a problem.

For players who'd rather talk trash in their living rooms, local multiplayer remains “Tekken's” bread and butter in “6.” As much as online multiplayer has recreated the competitive arcade atmosphere in players' homes, the fun of squaring off with the friend sharing the couch will never fade as long as fighters as solid as “Tekken 6” remain.

David Wilcox

253-5311 ext. 245

david.wilcox@lee.net

If you play.

Game: "Tekken 6"

Score: A-

Parental rating: Teen for alcohol reference, crude humor, mild language, suggestive themes and violence

Publisher: Namco Bandai Games

Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360

Price: $54.99

Play: Single, local and online multiplayer

The final boss: The robust mechanics and deep roster of "Tekken 6" make matches with friends or strangers a fun fighting game experience.

Win one

To win a free new copy of “Tekken 6” for Xbox 360, contact David Wilcox at david.wilcox@lee.net, 253-5311 ext. 245 or 25 Dill St., Auburn, NY 13021.