It seems fairly fitting that the anniversary of the first Tekken game's launch would come the day after the Tekken World Tour Finals, and there's plenty to celebrate for the special occasion.

The original Tekken released in Japanese arcades on December 9, 1994 which means that the franchise as a whole is 25 years old — though it shows no signs of stopping or slowing down anytime soon.

We've gotten seven mainline titles, two Tag games, expanded releases, ports, crossovers with other big fighting games and so much more as part of its legacy that has kept it special and in the hearts of the fighting game community for over two decades now.

It's also been quite profitable for Namco and then Bandai Namco as well considering the series as a whole has sold over 40 million copies worldwide and Tekken 7 by itself has sold over 4 million units, producing at least three seasons of additional content.

Tomorrow will serve as a great birthday present for the fans hopefully since Leroy Smith and Ganryu will be joining the ranks of Tekken 7 though it appears as though some players are getting their hands on them early in the PC version.

The original Tekken Tag Tournament was my first experience with the series and I believe the first fighting game I ever played growing up, so that game and everything that followed will always hold a special place in my heart — especially trying to take down Unknown with my friends.

I've included the game intros for all of the Tekken games up to this point for a good shot of nostalgia and sense at how the series has evolved over these 25 years. Here's to many more seasons of good ass Tekken!

Video source: Cycu1