Beat-'em-ups are soooooo last century. Truth is, Tekken hasn't been a must-play series since the glory days of PSOne. On PS2 it's even been humiliatingly eclipsed by its more attractive sister, the devastatingly cool Soul Calibur II. Much of the problems have been caused by half-assed attempts at reinvention. The ideas in each new version - from Tag Tournament's switching system to Tekken 4's uneven surfaces and strategic wall damage - felt like gimmicks designed to grab attention. Meanwhile, gamers just shrugged and went back to icing mooks in GTA. So with all this in mind, how come Tekken 5 rocks so hard?

Largely because of its back to basics, no-bullshit attitude - which reminds us why Tekken was such a massive hit in the first place. There are no tags, no slopes, no cack-handed position-change moves, just fantastic characters unleashing super-flashy combos in stunning arenas. And although there's nothing really new here - what more can you do with two people repeatedly hitting each other? - the mix of lightning-fast action, superb graphics and deep options works better than it has since Tekken 3, if you can remember back that far.

The big hitters are all back for the fifth King Of Iron Fist Tournament (see Bagsy Not Being The Bear). The Mishima family saga is again the tournament's main thread, with Heihachi, Kazuya and Jin trying to pulp each other's faces for reasons so convoluted even they seem confused. However, the real interest comes in the form of three new characters. Raven is a mysterious ninja who looks and fights exactly like Wesley Snipes in the Blade films; Feng Wei is a Chinese bad boy with the sideburns and lethal kicks to prove it; but the best newbie, immediately joining the pantheon of Tekken greats, is the cuter-than-a-bag-of-koalas Asuka Kazama. Out to avenge an attack on her father, Asuka has a wonderfully elegant fighting style - her fluid spins, jumps and twists setting up some devastating kicking flurries that will floor your opponent in seconds.

It's characters like Asuka that make Tekken 5 stand out from the ailing beat-'em-up hordes. While Tekken experts can stroll through the game unleashing scintillating combos with even the duff fighters (stand up Julia Chang and Roger Jnr), newcomers are going to be a tad put off if they get their heads kicked in before they can hit a button. That's why Asuka, the Capoeira-kicking Brazilian hottie Christie Monteiro, Tae Kwon Do expert Hwoarang and old favourite Marshall Law are so important. These combatants enable you to pull off dazzling linked combos and powerful one-press moves within seconds of starting the game and highlight Tekken 5's greatest strength - it's deep enough to satisfy even the most hardcore fight fans, but also has an immediacy that can seduce gamers who have never played this kind of game before.

Adding to the appeal are the leagues of cracking modes and options. The main thrust is the story mode which follows each character's route through the tournament. As ever, complete a fighter's story and you'll unlock a new character. Arcade mode has been souped-up with a cool new ranking system with opposition AI based on players of the Japanese Tekken 5 arcade machine. You can also set up a personal profile to find out just how good you are and earn money by moving up through the ranks - cash that can be spent on a range of customisation options (see Dress For Success, below).

Time Attack, Vs, Team Battle and Survival round off the usual suspects, but Namco has increased the love with a couple of ace bonus features. Devil Within is a scrolling beat-'em-up adventure that has Jin Kazama smashing up robot enemies, running through corridors and jumping across platforms on a quest to rid himself of the devil gene. And retro heads will be delighted at the ultra-generous inclusion of arcade-perfect versions of Tekken's 1, 2 and 3.

So there we have it. There's nothing revolutionary and it's not going to save the beat-'em-up genre single-handedly, but Tekken 5 is a fantastic return to form for the series. Ravishing to look at, amazing to play and boasting a perfectly pitched dynamic that appeals to gamers of all standards, Soul Calibur 3 will probably chop its limbs off, but no other fighter out there could go toe-to-toe with this ass-kicker and survive.

One of Tekken 5's best new options is the ability to earn money with your scrapping success and splash out on character customisations. Here are three of our fave 'for sale' items:

1. Nina Williams: Nurse Cap As if the minx isn't kinky enough already, not only can you equip her with a whip, you can also deck Nina out in a saucy nurse's hat. Open wide, love.

2. Asuka Kazama: Schoolgirl Uniform Japan's favourite fetish showing no sign of getting less popular any time soon.

3. Christie Monteiro Eddy Gordo By purchasing the 'extra costume' for Christie you'll actually unlock her tutor, Tekken 3 favourite and original Capoeira champ, Eddy Gordo.

Graphics 90%
One of the PS2's best lookers and movers.

Sound 80%
Smashing effects and voice acting.

Gameplay 80%
Ultra-fast, super-slick beat-'em-uppage.

Lifespan 80%
Options galore, plus loads to unlock.

Overall 80%
The Tekken series soars again by returning to the formula that triumphed back in the day. A damn good fisting.