Tekken Tag Tournament (1997)

Using the characters from Tekken 2 and 3, the Tag spinoff takes the best from Tekken 3 and amps it up. The only thing missing for me is the traditional melodramatic plot, but the gameplay makes up for it.

Tekken Tag adds new moves for Tekken 2 characters (or, you know, only the Tekken 3 characters would be the go-to), and of course, used the tag system. You can switch out your characters mid-fight, allowing you to use two different fighting styles per match. But so can your opponent!

Namco’s game is a bit smarter than some other tag games. Despite being able to switch characters, if even one of them is defeated, your side loses. This pushes you to be strategic… or to lose a lot.