September will see the release of a major update for Namco's PlayStation3 exclusive free2play title Tekken Revolution, which will finally add Nina to the game's character roster. In the short trailer Namco released to highlight the update we get a good look at Nina's new face which received a substantial makeup makeover due to Namco's desire to prettify the female cast...
The last time we saw Nina with such heavy eye makeup must have been in Tekken 4 where she made good use of a thick black eyeliner. For Tekken Revolution Namco's character designers chose a very "Nina" shade somewhere between plum and maroon for both eyes and lips. It works pretty well! The result is reminiscent of Nina's design in Death by Degrees, with a bit of said Tekken 4 look mixed in for good measure. I do really like my Irish assassin au naturel, but after the more modest use of makeup on Nina's face since Tekken 5 this is a welcome change and a bit of a throwback to the earlier Tekken games. Just please don't go all Anna on her, Namco!
Aside from her looks, of course her move list has equally been overhauled for Tekken Revolution. Ivory Cutter (1+4), Reverse Ivory Cutter (b+1+4) and Blonde Bomb (f+1+2) so far seem to be her Critical Arts while her Geyser Cannon (db+3+4) launcher now functions as an Invincible/Special Art. You can look forward to putting her move list under the microscope once she's available. And let's not forget that, on top of all this, the update will apparently also add a function to the store that will let you purchase characters directly. If you're a Williams fan, let Namco know that there are plenty of us Nina diehards out there, and buy her instead of unlocking her through collecting gift points. If you have already unlocked her, go buy one of her outfit packs. Let's all give Namco a sign :-)
Aside from her looks, of course her move list has equally been overhauled for Tekken Revolution. Ivory Cutter (1+4), Reverse Ivory Cutter (b+1+4) and Blonde Bomb (f+1+2) so far seem to be her Critical Arts while her Geyser Cannon (db+3+4) launcher now functions as an Invincible/Special Art. You can look forward to putting her move list under the microscope once she's available. And let's not forget that, on top of all this, the update will apparently also add a function to the store that will let you purchase characters directly. If you're a Williams fan, let Namco know that there are plenty of us Nina diehards out there, and buy her instead of unlocking her through collecting gift points. If you have already unlocked her, go buy one of her outfit packs. Let's all give Namco a sign :-)
Tekken Revolution's new major update is already out in Japan and will be available on the 11th of September for US and EU territories. Download Tekken Revolution for free: https://store.sonyentertainmentnetwork.com/#!/fr-fr/cid=EP0700-NPEB01406_00-TEKKENREVOLUTION
Check out the new trailer to have a look at Nina Williams and Feng Wei in action: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUAhe51Kz0U
I knew you were gonna spot the Tekken 4 connection. :) This almost makes up for never getting that full-body T4 render...well, not really, I'm still sore about that, but whatever.
ReplyDeleteAnyways, yes, make-up. I've never had an issue with Nina ditching the stuff in recent games - especially when it accompanies the 'spacesuit'; if Nina's kitted out for proper combat she sensibly wouldn't spend hours in front of the mirror. But, change is nice and gets people talking, and the results look great in their own right and neatly homage Nina's past self(s). This does make me slightly bitter that TTT2's custom parts (which most of the TR outfits stem from) couldn't let you recreate, say, her Tekken 3 2P outfit with the leopard top, which would fit well here...but then, so would the DbD suit, which should make the cut.
So yes, let's all buy Nina, and her outfits, and her premium effects when they turn up. Speak with the ol' wallet and the Namco money types will hear, then get on Harada's case about it. :D
Yay, I was hoping you'd chime in and let me/us know what you think of her new look.
DeleteI was surprised at how much I liked it when I first saw it. After all, it's a pretty stark contrast to her face in the last few iterations of the Tekken franchise. It works extremely well with her TTT2 face model though. I've been reading some complaints that Nina wouldn't/shouldn't wear such heavy makeup, but people seem to be forgetting her bright red lips in Tekken2 or her dark lips+eyes in Tekken 3.
Ofcourse in all this talk about her new face I've also come across the usual complaints about her Tekken 6 face and how her recent look is like this huge improvement over it. That's something I feel like addressing in a seperate post, though. And since you've already mentioned it, the Tekken 4 full body render... That's still haunting me. I had a post prepared on this, but since it probably (and most sadly) never existed, I kind of let it slide. Oh well, now is as good a time as ever to finally get it out there. Thanks for the incentive.
Thanks for your comment! It's pretty awesome to hear you made out the connection to Tekken 4's aesthetics as well. :-D
Alright, the update was a day late for me, but it's here now, and I've bought up Nina. Random thoughts thus far:
Delete- Her Critical Arts are a safe enough bunch. In total, it's Blonde Bomb (only the tap-f one, not the hold-f variation), Ivory Cutter, Reverse Ivory Cutter and Wipe the Floor; that last one was a surprise to me but since it's a move I've come to rely on you won't hear a complaint.
- Her Special Art being Geyser Cannon, on the other hand...ehhh. Being an SA means it no longer works as a launcher, and was GC ever useful for anything else? (you can still use the Geyser Cannon Combo, db+4,3 or whatever it is, for launching)
- In all the fuss we were making about her face, I seem to have overlooked that her hair might've been tweaked too. It's a small thing, but her bangs seem to both 'arc' higher and trail down longer at the tips, which has more in common with Nina's DbD look than her usual Tekken 'do. I might be imagining things, though.
- Her P1 intro animation is also different. She still doesn't speak in it (as she didn't when starting a solo match in TTT2) but instead of the sort of nod-&-smile she acknowledged her opponent with before, now Nina sort of tilts her head back and looks down her nose at them. I prefer the new one, though it still irks me slightly that she doesn't speak in it. Do not deny me Mary McGlynn's sultry dulcet tones, Namco. (haven't actually fought against a Nina yet to see if her P2 intro is different)
- Nina's premium effects aren't available yet, nor is her swimsuit outfit (though the tab for them is already visible and selectable, which is odd). Her 1st outfit pack is the DbD suit, while the other is the China Dress/fingerless gloves combo + Butterfly mask. Both come in 3 colour schemes. Again, it might just be me but the dress seems to have a different pattern printed on it now.
Whoa, thanks for this huge chunk of info, Craig! I'd be posting impressions or a review by now, but in a sudden move that can only be described as the spiteful actions of a pampered malevolent electronic device my PS3 decided to die on me right in time for the update :-(
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