Original Tekken to be included in Tekken 5?

The original Tekken will be included as a bonus item in the console version of Namco's Tekken 5, according to numerous reports citing sources at Japanese retailers.

Apparently the classic beat-'em-up will be included to commemorate the game's 10th anniversary, and will be accessible through an arcade history section. The same reports also suggest that Namco is considering the inclusion of Tekken 2 and even Tekken 3 in the same package.

In the absence of any confirmation from Namco it'd be easy to dismiss the rumours as wildly apocryphal, but the suggestion is that retail literature rather than over-the-counter gossip is responsible, which makes it all sound a bit more credible.

There's no guarantee that the American or European versions of the PS2 beat-'em-up would include the same bonus content, but Namco has been good about that sort of thing in the past, so we're hopeful.

In related news, Namco has confirmed that Tekken 5 will be available from 31st March in Japan, while Sony - who will distribute the game in Europe - aim to have it available on these shores sometime this summer.