First Look: Tekken 5

Namco dropped a wicked one-two combo on fighting gamers today, releasing both screenshots of and footage from Tekken 5. The game, whose existence was only revealed last week, will be on display at E3 this week.

But for those who can't make it down to the Los Angeles Convention Center (or are turned away by the layers of security when they get there), the pictures and trailer reveal some details about the upcoming beat-'em-up.

Besides the revamped graphics and tweaked fighting mechanics, which look as though they might be based on a new engine, the screens and trailers showed which Tekken characters would be returning to fight another day. Kazuya, King, Marshall Law, Ling Xiaoyu, Julia Chang, Steve Fox, Nina Williams, Lei Wulong, Paul Phoenix, and Hwoarang will join three new characters--Raven, Feng Wei, and Kazama Asuka--in the ring when the game is released. Double-click the video window for a full-screen view.

Given the paucity of factual information Namco has released about Tekken 5, which was only given one line in the company's E3 press release, it’s likely more information will be revealed soon.