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The Tekken series always places plenty of effort to create content-rich games. This inventiveness has paved the way for some of our favorite Tekken minigames, like Tekken Bowl and Tekken Ball. However, while anyone can pick up and play a minigame as user-friendly as Tekken Bowl, Tekken Ball is a different story. One game of Tekken Ball inTekken 8will demonstrate how vital fighting mechanics are to this breezy beach minigame.
Tekken Ball is a game we classify as “easy to learn but tough to master.” You don’t have to be a King Of The Iron Fist to win a Tekken Ball match. However, a strong understanding of Tekken fundamentals will give you a competitive edge. We’ll show you where Tekken the fighting game and Tekken Ball overlap. Then, you can take this knowledge online to rake in the wins!
Timing Is Everything In Tekken Ball
The first learning curve in Tekken Ball is knowing when tohitthe Tekken Ball. This minigame encourages precision. When an attack ball heads your way, hitting a scosh too late will lead to damage. The same can be said for early timing, which can cause you to miss the ball entirely.
So, when practicing Tekken Ball, it’s a good idea tofocus on your deflection timing and how it affects your character. We found thattiming your hits on the earlier side gets more successful results. Remember not to start an attack too early, or the ball will hit you during your move’s recovery.
Studying your character’s move set, specifically each move’s animation, is one helpful way to cinch up your timing. Moves with a slow start-up animation are not the best deterrent for fast-moving balls. Conversely, if an attack ball is leisurely gliding toward you, you’re able to easily hit it with the slower, heavy-hitting attack.
Your ‘Recommended Moves’ List Is A Great Guide
Mastering a character’s move list in Tekken can take a long time. So, what can you do to jump into Tekken Ball matches quickly while you’re still learning your character? Fortunately, Tekken 8’s game modes include a’Recommended Moves' List that you’re able to display on-screen during a match.
In Tekken Ball, your ‘Recommended Moves’ List will contain four essential moves:
You can display your ‘Recommended Moves’ during a match via the Pause menu. Follow the steps below:
With your ‘Recommended Moves’ available, you’ll have the perfect beginner’s toolkit for playing Tekken Ball.
Know Each Devilish Hit Property
If you’ve skimmed through the Tekken 8 achievement list, you’ve seen the term"Devilish Hit.“But what is a Devilish Hit, and how do you execute one? A Devilish Hit isan attack ball imbued with exceptional properties. you’re able to perform a Devilish Hit by successfully attacking a ball with one of the following moves.
Rage Art
Random
Devilish Hits are a helpful mechanic because they make your attack ball deadlier and will keep your opponent guessing. We recommend mixing up different Devilish Hits so they become more challenging to anticipate and react to.
Combos Are Not Important In Tekken Ball
Tekken 8’s tutorials heavily emphasize executing Launchers into Air Combos. Air combos are vital to a solid offensive strategy in a traditional Tekken match. However, they don’t make much of an impact in Tekken Ball.
The fighters you’ll launch in a Tekken match have more weight. So, when you launch them, they’ll stay close enough in range to execute a damaging combo. Tekken Balls are much lighter. Once you hit one with a strong enough attack, a Tekken Ball will move out of range on its journey to the other side of the field.
When you think about it, this detail is a necessary check. After all, if landing an air combo on a Tekken Ball was possible, you could juggle a ball ad nauseam to heighten its damage, then lob it to your opponent’s side. That doesn’t contribute to any fun volleys, making a boring match.
To win Tekken Ball,skip the fancy air combos and master reliable moves that deflect attacks and deal heavy damage. If there is a move you love to spam, go for it. Just remember not to make your actions too predictable. Otherwise, your foe will punish your attack ball with an equally damaging deflection.
Practice The Basics Before Attempting Ball Tosses
You have several options when an attack ball heads toward you. First, you could send the attack ball back by hitting it with a strong attack. Second, you could block the attack ball at the cost of some damage to your health. Lastly, you couldstop the attack ball in its tracks with a toss.
You mustsuccessfully execute a throw on an incoming attack ball to perform a toss. Then, you’re able to hit the ball back with a random Devilish Hit Effect, increased speed, and heightened damage.
This sounds too good to be true! What’s the catch? The catch is that successful toss timing is more precise than a standard Tekken Ball hit. Think of Tosses like the"Perfect Parries” of Tekken Ball. They are high-risk/high-reward maneuvers.
We recommend getting a solid handle on the Tekken Ball basics before attempting tosses. Then, when you’re ready to try them, practice tosses against a CPU opponent or during a training session with a friend. This will give you the confidence and muscle memory to incorporate tosses into online Tekken Ball matches.
