Tekken 8’s Arcade Quest mode acts as an instructional guide for new players that also entertains with a simple story. However, it would appear that one of the locations found in Arcade Quest is a reference that longtime Tekken fans should be able to recognize.
A fan asked Katsuhiro Harada directly if the Final Round area in Arcade Quest was inspired or recreated based on the Underground stage in Tekken 4. In that stage, the two players are surrounded by a group of spectators during an underground brawling event.
Harada responds by confirming that this is indeed the case. The Final Round location is based on the Underground stage from Tekken 4
It’s noted that, while Harada himself originally came up with the Underground area in Tekken 4, it was actually the younger generation of developers that decided to recreate this arena within Tekken 8’s Arcade Quest.
Unfortunately, the arena itself doesn’t return for actual gameplay. It might’ve been interesting using spectators as a makeshift wall for combos just like in Tekken 4.
Check it all out below:
It was of course inspired by TEKKEN 4’s Underground stage. However, while TEKKEN 4’s Underground was my idea at the time (in hindsight, there were mistakes in the shape and design of the stage), it was the younger generation of developers who had the idea to reprint it in Arcade… https://t.co/a0bMtQQQgr
— Katsuhiro Harada (@Harada_TEKKEN) February 10, 2024
Does anyone recall that you could actually knock down the spectators on the side of the stage pic.twitter.com/XpbAsRfF7Z
— SainT IFB (@SA1NT___) February 10, 2024