T. Hawk Update on Capcom Digital

Another update on Capcom Digital. Rey Jimenez went through another step by step explanation on how a design is transferred into the "new" game with its updated HD graphics. This time he used the God of Muay Thai, Sagat, and displayed how the frame blocking works so that the artists at Udon (and whichever side development studio they are using) are able to make sure that the frames match between the two pieces of art. Unfortunately, at the end of it, we didn't get a full colored image of Sagat and instead get a simple line drawing that is the start of the artists coloring.

Disappointing yes, but at least we have a rough idea on how Sagat will apear in the final game.

The second part of the post had Rey answering questions posed by Brian Dunn on behalf of regulars on the Capcom BBS. I went ahead and copied them over here for those interested. It seems as though the guys are spending as much time defending the work so far on behalf of the artists as it seems they do posting new information about the game for us to soak in...

Now, let’s see if I can get to some questions/comments. Again, sorry if I don’t get to yours, but I’m looking at a lot of places for these questions.

– Chun-Li from last week was, as stated, a work in progress. Her animation has been tweaked to make it look like she’s not smelling her hand, as some of you have commented.

– My send off from last week of SF4EVER meant SF For Ever. Some people read a little too much into that.

– The game will display in a 4:3 aspect ratio as the original version did. I’ve been reading some interesting ideas to make it 16:9 on the Capcom BBS. I’m not going to say that it’s impossible to do, but right now, it’s not something we have planned.

– Right now, we have not announced any official sticks coming out for the game. It’s something we may be considering, but there’s no announcement about it at the moment.

– There will be no tech/parrying in the game. This is Super Turbo and we’re not trying to change what’s already a great game. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

– We plan to keep Akuma as someone that you have to get using a code. We also plan to make it an option on whether he can be selected for online play. For those of you that don’t know, Akuma is extremely strong in Super Turbo (by design), and all things being equal, he’s not exactly fair to fight against. That’s why he’s banned practically all tournaments of Super Turbo.


– The custom win quote is pretty interesting, but I think it’s something that would just be abused way too much. We’re already planning to have voice chat support and think that’s enough exposure to the ahem- interesting dialog that goes on.

I know that before I go I have to show you guys a new rendered sprite. So this week it’s T. Hawk. I really like how he came out. I have the old sprite there are reference also. Just so you know, we tried keeping to the original proportions and he looked like a giant troll. That’s why the head was moved up and made a little smaller. Not to say that the old sprite isn’t awesome because it is, but in the new style and in better resolution, it just didn’t look right.

Also, I know you guys are dying for full game screens and such, but we’re just not ready to show you that just yet. I hope that these teasers will suffice until then. That’s all for now and thanks for checking in on the blog.

—Rey

I'm personally hoping we'll see a background or two in a little bit... With all the character art being shown, I'm getting excited about seeing the arenas we are going to be fighting in come later this year. Some of the stages (including Dhalsim's for instance) are going to look outstanding in HD if done appropriately. But alas, this week's "big" reveal was the first look of T. Hawk alongside a before picture showing the original sprite. This is something that a lot of people (including myself) have been doing after the fact, so its great to see it posted this way on the digital blog... It saves everyone a bit of work doing comparisons.



You can check out the full blog posting over at Capcom-Unity.

1UP.com Exclusive "First Look" at Contra 4 DS

Everything so far about Contra 4 on the DS seems to feel so right. From the sprite work to the traditional vertical alignment, this game seems to be capturing the heart and soul of the series down to a T. Could Wayforward Tech really be the "right" choice for Contra? I wasn't too sure myself, but after viewing the 1up.com exclusive first look at the game (which is below), I'm pretty convinced now that whatever concern I may have had about the game has been addressed. The only "real" question I have left is when can I have it in my hands?

Majesco confirms Tumiki Fighters (Wii)

When is a freeware game not a freeware game? Answer: When it’s ported by Majesco to the Nintendo Wii and renamed Blast Works.

Okay… Maybe that’s a bit harsh.

Majesco announced yesterday that the Nintendo Wii would be receiving an updated version of the freeware PC shooter/collect ‘em up (is that even a genre?) Tumiki Fighters by Kenta Cho and ABA Games under the name Blast Works. The game has a simple enough premise – shoot things and collect their “sticky” remains to increase the size of your ship and improve your multiplier to score more points.

A lot of people have previously described the game as a bizarre hybrid of a traditional shooter and Katamari Damacy, and honestly, I can agree with that assessment due to its heavily stylized graphics and mutated bloated mass that your ship becomes by the end of the level. If you’ve ever wanted to play as one of those “bullet hell” bosses spewing out hundreds of bullets and having to be shot through multi-segmented parts, this game is for you.

You can find the original PC game as well as other ABA titles here. My personal recommendations for games to check out would be Tumiki Fighters, rRootage, Noiz2sa, Torus Trooper, and Mu-Cade.

I'm a bit concerned however that the original source of the game is being lost to a lot of the gaming press. Sure there are some places like Siliconera and GamerCafe that recognize the freeware source of the original game, but then there are others such as these two, here and here, that don't even recognize the name Kenta Cho, ABA Games, or Tumiki Fighters.

Is this the fault of Majesco attempting to "bury" the original source of the game or is it the fault of the gaming press for failing to get the whole story? Either way it just worries me a bit when Budcat Creations seems to be getting full credit for the production. I'm sure they are a talented studio, but to fail to give any credit to the creator of the game seems to be a little misguided to me.

The press release is below for those interested.

"Sticky" Shooter With Retro Styling Features Multiple Editors For Maximum Creativity

A frenetic geometric battle is heading to the Wii home video game system as Majesco Entertainment Company, an innovative provider of video games and digital entertainment products for the mass market, today announced Blast Works: Build, Fuse & Destroy. Developed by Budcat Creations and scheduled for a fall release, Blast Works is a side-scrolling shooter that lets players craft the game to their liking by building their own levels, ships and enemy ships. In addition, players can "absorb" the pieces and weapons of destroyed enemy ships to bolster their own defenses during battle.

"Gamers can literally build their own shooter experience via Blast Works' easy-to-use, multiple in-game editors," said Ken Gold, vice president of Marketing, Majesco. "This exceptional customization combined with the unique "stickiness" of enemy debris and bright geometric graphics delivers a standout game that never plays the same way twice."

Across more than 15 different land, air and sea missions, the goal of Blast Works is to destroy enemy ships while continually growing your own into a massive craft by absorbing their fragments. The larger a "fused ship" is, the easier it is to protect from the growing onslaught of enemy firepower. Players can also upgrade their ship in the Hangar by customizing weapons, propulsion systems and armor. Creative types will further enjoy building a ship from scratch with the Ship Editor and then testing it out in combat on a custom level they've built with the Level Editor. To defend the Hangar, players must use the Wii Remote like an anti-aircraft turret to shoot down enemies attacking from all angles. Finally, the game's 2-player cooperative mode lets players work together to blast enemies, fuse debris to grow their ships and finish the mission as a team.

Blast Works: Build, Fuse & Destroy will be available this fall. For additional information on the game, please visit

I guess when it comes down to it, so long as Kenta Cho is paid and we get an addictive shooter on a console, everything is good. I know a lot of people will be calling for this as a perfect example of a game that should've been a downloadable title, but I think that we should wait and see what Majesco and Budcat Creations does with its source material before we make a full judgment on its "value" as a retail release. With this, Karous, and Shin Chuka Taisen, the Wii seems to have the makings of a 2D shooter's haven among the three next gen consoles.

It will be interesting to see if that trend continues.

Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 DS Now With Online Play

I think we can officially say now that any company no longer implementing an online engine in their fighting games is being left behind (here's looking at you Sega). Sure, the net code is probably not perfect and it probably isn't a silky smooth 60fps experience, but if the DS can do it, there's no reason why the PS3 and the Xbox 360 couldn't do it either (and better).

IGN revealed in a recent interview with Ed Boon that the latest installment of the arcade fighting game Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 for the Nintendo DS will feature a full online multiplayer mode that allows for match finding via Nintendo's Wifi service.

Sure, the game is not as refiend over-all as the Guilty Gear series and isn't as technical as Third Strike, but what Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3 lacks against some other top tier fighting games it makes up for in sheer chaos. Let's be blunt for a moment though. The number of times the Mortal Kombat 3 engine has been ported from its host arcade are more times than I can even begin to count. Every console from the SNES to the Xbox 360 has seen this game in some iteration, even if it may have lacked the "Ultimate" label.

I'm trying to come up with a way that I would be convinced to put another $30.00 into this franchise when its available as a digital download for 1/3 the price on the 360, and despite portability being a huge factor, I have a hard time with whether or not that is enough of a variable to justify the extra cost in my mind. The added bonus of Puzzle Kombat (the Midway answer to Super Puzzle Fighter) is definitely great, but I'm hoping that there is something more to the game outside of a straight arcade port.

Though the mockups released by the company are great for showing their vision of the game, I'm not sure if I can stand staring at the UMK3 logo the whole time I'm fighting... Ideally, I would love to see specially built DS stages that allows for fighting between levels (reachable by certain moves). Something designed similarly to the classic Pit stages from the series.

The game already has breakable ceilings on some of its areanas, so I'm crossing my fingers that these stages would be displayed by having the "break through" arena on the top screen and the starting arena on the bottom. Personally, if they designed all the stages with this sort of "extra look" (even when a break through isn't possible), it would be much better than the current logo display.

Either way, I'm sure I'll probably pick the game up when its released simply because there is a serious lack of traditional fighting games on the Nintendo DS. Plus, even after all these years I can still remember my Fatalities like the back of my hand.

Hori Fighting Stick for the Wii Revealed

Seems that Play-Asia has let the cat out of the bag finally. The first arcade stick for the Nintendo Wii has been revealed by Hori. The stick has been rumored for the past couple of months, but this is the first time that we've seen both the images and the first details of the latest Nintendo Wii accessory.

Hori plans on releasing the Fighting Stick (Wii) in August for a retail of around $52.90, according to its Play-Asia listing. This puts its release pretty much right after Guilty Gear Accent Core on the Wii which hits shelves in Japan in late July (Accent Core Wii will be released in America in the Fall). Considering that Neo Geo games were promised to be on the Virtual Console sometime this summer as well, the nice 4 button/2 row layout of this fighting stick would be a great addition to any Wii owner's library. Especially if they plan to accent the current stock of Virtual Console games with a healthy selection of Neo Geo arcade games.

I've already put in my pre-order for the stick, so once I get it in I'll be sure to post up a review of it. Until then, you can find more information about the stick and place your own pre-order at Play-Asia.com.

Soul Calibur IV Online!

All fighting game fans can now work themselves up into a frenzy. It seems that Namco is going where Sega refused to go not only with Tekken Dark Resurrection Online, but also with their upcoming Soul Calibur IV for the PS3 and Xbox 360. According to reports by 1up.com and it's print magazine EGM, Namco Bandai has officially announced that Soul Calibur IV will feature a fully functional online component. After previously stating that they would not go online until they felt that the systems would truly be able to support a full fighting game experience, Namco Bandai must have some wizardry up their sleeves for their latest installment of the weapons based fighting game.

"What's changed this time round is that the next-gen platforms have network infrastructure already in place," says Soulcalibur IV Director Katsutoshi Sasaki. "We've heard from fans that they really want the game to be online, so we figured that, with the current environment, we really couldn't make SC4 without online play."

"We definitely want to allow users to fight with their customized characters during online play. But we're unsure whether or not you'll be able to trade characters with friends."

Probably one of my favorite things about Soul Calibur II at the arcades (...which is a surprise since a lot of people seemed ignorant that there WAS a Soul Calibur II at the arcades) was the conquest mode that allowed you to wage a campaign as one of several factions against AI controlled opponents that were taught their basic actions by another player. Each time you fought your character would level up and end up gaining experience and lands for your faction. Your character would then be developed based on how you played. If you performed a series of moves over and over again your character's AI would learn those moves and so when your character came up while another player was playing, it would mimic your fighting style.

Sure it was a bit rough around the edges and sometimes the player character AI's you fought were to put it bluntly... dumb, but it provided a rather interesting mode that kept me coming back for more. By the end of the day you would have a character to defend your faction while you were away from the arcade that fought and played like you did. If Namco Bandai loved its fans, they would introduce this mode online into Soul Calibur IV where instead of fighting AI controlled characters you would be fighting for your factions lands against other real players online in real time. If they did that I would probably never leave the comfort of my couch...

I'm looking forward to getting a hold of this month's EGM (I usually don't buy periodicals) so I can check out the 14 page feature. Until then, I'll keep a look out for any additional info I may be able to drag up from the nether realms of the internet.

King of Fighters Maximum Impact 2.5 (Xbox 360) Delayed

With the PS2 release of King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A on the horizon, it comes as no surprise that the Xbox 360 rework of King of Fighters Maximum Impact 2.5 by SNK Playmore seems to have been pushed back until September 30th if the recent update on Amazon is to be believed. I'm beginning to question whether or not this game is actually ever going to come out, because outside of the Amazon listing the game seems to be disappearing from a lot of SNK Playmore communications. I'm crossing my fingers that this game isn't turning into vaporware...

Cammy Super Street Fighter II Figures

Like many other gamers, I'm an action figure collector as well. Though I don't quite have the collection that some people have, I do pride myself (if I can really call it pride...) on trying to keep up with all the latest Street Fighter II action figures coming out of Japan.

Sure my wife will never understand why I have so many "toys" sitting on my desktop work space, but we all have our vices, right? With that said, a new Cammy action figure is available for pre-order now from Japan. Out of all the Street Fighter characters, if there is one that is under-represented in the action figure market it has to be Cammy above all else. Sure she may have a few good pieces out there, but after looking at this newest build I'm not quite sure if she has anywhere close to enough.

Rakuten has the "vital stats" on the figure, which should please everyone to note comes in two colors - pink and blue. The Cammy figure is part of the Street Fighter Alpha 3 line-up and is set to be available sometime in August. After looking at the pictures I truly believe that it is everyone's responsibility to own one of these 1/6th scale Cammy figures.

For those wishing to pre-order it, you may want to look out at your import retailers online. With Rakuten starting their pre-orders up, it shouldn't be long till we start to see this all over. Rakuten has the manufacturer's suggested retail for around $60.00. Here's the links to their site for those who are interested: Blue Cammy and Pink Cammy.

The Best Online Street Fighter Alpha 2 Experience?

We all know how hard it is to get a good netcode in place for online fighting games. It's just one of those things that seem to be difficult even for companies like Capcom and Namco to grasp successfully. While Capcom is struggling with their online Gaming Center (which really hasn't been seen since December), a group of innovative individuals from the Shoryuken forums has taken matters in their own hands and are branching out to find a superior alternative to the current emulated Kaillera scene.

The project is known as GGPO (Good Game, Peace Out) and offers support for Street Fighter Alpha 2 at this stage. You can find the public alpha test online at their blog here. As I have said before, I'm not the biggest fan of emulation unless someone owns the game already and has given their support to the developers, but for those that do this is the perfect way right now to get your rocks off online against other SFA2 players. Other games are being looked at for future support, however the development team wants to focus on one game first while the finalize all of the nuances of the netcode.



Personally I am pleased so far with the results. There is no input lag that I can noticeably see, and for a game that becomes spastic during some of the massive blue screen maneuvers, that's a good thing. It is also incredibly easy to find a match so far, as the matchmaking chat and connection screen is top notch. If you do happen to try out the alpha test though, be sure you keep in mind that so far with it being only its first public build their may be a few issues that the team is going to have to work through such as drops or disconnects. The beta build should be finalized once enough testing has gone through the GGPO system.

Be sure to put your feedback about the project up on the Shoryuken forums. The team are regulars there and will at least look at everything said. There's no better time to influence a program than in its early stages so if something bothers you horribly, now's your chance to do something about it.

Kinnikuman Muscle Grand Prix 2 Stages

Kinnikuman Muscle Grand Prix 2 should have been hitting arcades across Japan this past week, and though I haven't really heard much on the quality of the title one way or another, I have a little morbid fascination with how it turns out. After seeing the video of the game in action over at Arcade Heroes, the game was put on my "will watch" list for any interesting updates that I may find online.

Well, for those who can't get enough images of games that will probably never make it out of Japan, have I got an update for you!

Banpresto and Impress Watch released images of all the wrestling arenas that you will fight in the game. Forget about your standard WWE style ring, it seems that Kinnikuman Muscle Grand Prix 2 is going to be taking you to the ends of the Earth including an arena that looks vaguely like a clogged artery! I've put all the images in a flash gallery for you above, but I would definitely mention that the Impress Watch site is worth checking out for their updates on the game.

I'm trying to get into contact with someone over in Japan so that they can provide some first hand impressions of the game, but the people I've spoke to so far has said the game has been kind of hard to find. That's understandable since the wrestling genre as a whole has become even more niche than the fighting genre, despite the popularity of whatever "license" the game may be released under.

Classic Baseball Series Coming to the Nintendo DS

Everyone remembers RBI Baseball right? ...The Tengen black cart release on the NES. I know I do at least. During the early days of the system's life in the US, RBI Baseball was the definitive baseball game in the United States. Sure the game didn't have the MLB license, but it did have real players (under the MLBPA) from 8 major league cities and two all star teams. The series later saw releases on several other platforms including the Mega Drive, Nintendo 64, Amiga, and Playstation 2.

Well good news baseball fans. Namco Bandai has recently announced an updated game in the Famistar series (which is RBI Baseball's Japanese name) for the Nintendo DS. Though there isn't any word on whether or not we will be receiving a release here stateside, the simple arcade gameplay and addictive depth means that importers should have a great title to look forward to when it is released in September in Japan. Famitsu has recently revealed some information on the game on their online website here.

Outside of a ton of screenshots (which show the game is maintaining its simplistic style), Famitsu also reveals that the game is going to have several game modes to play through including a Famistar mode, Dream League, and Multiplayer. Famistar is essentially going to be a single game or play off series. Dream League is going to be a general manager-esque mode where you can create your own team including your logos, team name, players, uniforms, and more. The multiplayer mode will allow for either local network play (with 1 cartridge) or Internet play via Nintendo's WiFi service. The game also has the official NPB baseball license which is the Japanese equivalent of the MLB.

Considering my history with the series, I personally can't wait until the game hits stateside. Until then, I may just have to boot up the NES and start playing some RBI Baseball 3. Roger Clemens still has a nasty curve ball even after 20 years... 1.

Guilty Gear Accent Core Tournament Announcement

The Aksys crew was only getting started with their announcement of a US translation of Guilty Gear Accent Core earlier today. Not only did they also state that they were going to be addressing some of the bugs in the Japanese Playstation 2 version of the game, but they have also thrown in their support of the competitive Guilty Gear fighting game scene.

Aksys Games is officially sponsoring a Guilty Gear Accent Core tournament (using the Japanese version of the game) to be held on July 1st at the Anime Expo in Long Beach California. Full details are below, but first I thought you'd all like to see the official flyer for the tournament that was posted on the Aksys forums.

Registration: Friday and Saturday, June 29-30, 2007
Entry Fee: None
Tournament Date: Sunday, July 1, 2007 (1 PM – 5 PM)

Format:
Depending on the number of registrants, it will likely be one of the following:

* Singles, Double Elimination, 3/5 Rounds, 1 Match
* Singles, Double Elimination, 2/3 Rounds, 1 Match
* Singles, Single Elimination, 3/5 Rounds, 1 Match
* Singles, Single Elimination, 2/3 Rounds, 1 Match


Rules:

* Game version: Japanese PlayStation®2
* Use of GG, GGX, EX, Gold and Shadow characters are not allowed in tournament play.
* Each player in the tournament must stick with their character of choice for the entire duration of the tournament.
* At the beginning of a match, the winner of a dice roll chooses which side they want to play on (P1 or P2).
* All macros available via the in-game controller configuration menu are allowed.
* Hardware macros, rapid-fire or other hardware assisted mechanisms are strictly forbidden.
* Accidentally pausing the game at any time during the fight may force you to forfeit the round (solely at your opponent’s discretion).
* PS2 controllers are provided, but you may bring your own, including sticks and converters. You are responsible for your own equipment.
* Wireless controllers are strictly forbidden.

Prizes:
We don't have a complete list, but I will say that the Top 3 in this tournament will get some very nice prizes.

I wish I had the opportunity to make it over to California next week, but alas work is going to be preventing me from doing so. You win some and lose some I guess...

Some additional information about the game has also been revealed on the Aksys forums (outside of what we already know). Though no official release date has been provided yet, the Playstation 2 version will be available for $29.99. No pricing has been announced for the Wii version as of yet (I assume they are waiting for the Japanese release to determine the Wii pricing on the game).

Being Beat Up Never Looked this Good...

I said at the beginning when the Capcom Digital blog was announced that based on Brian Dunn's past with the Lost Planet blog we should be expecting regular updates on the HD2D projects. The blog hasn't disappointed either, as just today there has been another update regarding the Digital line up by Capcom.

This weeks "visual update" is the Continue screen from Chun Li. I'm pretty sure this isn't exactly the artwork that people were expecting when they were asking for Chun Li, but it is the first animated piece that we have received from Rey Jimenez and his Udon crew. Personally I think it looks great, but it's animation quality seems a bit off (mostly due to the fact that it's a simple animated gif at this stage). I also need to see it colored in before I make any final determinations...

For your benefit, I also posted the original Continue screen Chun Li art from the world version of Super Street Fighter II Turbo immediately below the new art. Same inspiration it seems, different results with the detail.



The second part of the update this week had to do with Rey Jimenez answering some questions from the Capcom forums as well as dealing with a bit of criticism about the Guile art. (As a side not here, I personally thought the Guile art was amazing, but there's always detractors, right? Judge for yourself from the images I posted on the Guile art here.)

As always, I've thought it best to let someone talk in their own words, so I'm just going to copy and paste what Rey Jimenez told to Brian Dunn on the Capcom Digital blog.

In regards to Guile and Capcom's current position:

Well it was a pretty rough week for Guile. Reaction to his new artwork ranged pretty widely. Thanks for all the feedback. We are definitely listening. I won’t go into specifics, but we are considering revising some of his look based on the reactions I’ve been reading on the blog and many of the boards I keep up with. I do want to say that even if we did make every single change that was requested, no matter how hard we try, we still can’t please everyone. But rest assured, we will try our best. With that said, the game is coming along marvelously.

Last week I mentioned that the title had a pretty big milestone last week. The game is up and running so far, but the big thing is that this is the first “build” of the game where we’re starting to replace the old art in the game with the new art. So this was the first time we really saw the game with some of the sprites replaced. As you can imagine, I was a pretty happy camper. There were also some work-in-progress backgrounds in place too. You may be thinking, “Capcom’s only doing this now?” But don’t worry, we’re on track. We have a ton of frames already completed. This build basically proved that the tech being used to replace the art is working great. The game is pretty complicated in the way that the code calls out for the art, so its not as simple as just changing the content of the art table. It is pretty exciting to see it all start to come together.

Answering questions from the Capcom-Unity forums:

-Guile’s flags tattoos are not backwards. Well technically they are, but it depends on which way the character is facing. Because the old code flips the character art depending on which way the character is facing, it was like this before but just not as noticeable. And since, as you probably know already, we are using the same code as the original, the same art is used for facing both ways. It’s just that now that everything is more detailed, these things stand out much more.

-There are some questions on how the bigger characters will look. For instance, will Sagat have more of the SFII look, or the beefed up SF Alpha look? You will have to wait and see exactly what he and the other large characters will look like, but it will be more in line with the SFII look.

-The change in resolution will not have an effect on the hit detection of the game. Everything will remain as it should but there are things that inevitability get lost in the mix. Part of the test process will be with some people that know more than humanly possible about Super Turbo to ensure that every move hits exactly where it should.

-I realize that the Super Turbo voices are a bit high pitched compared to the older version of SFII and we are looking into adjusting that.

-The color palette available for the sprites is being increased to 128 colors. The original was only 16.

-There have been many comments on why were not doing SFIII instead. This is the first time were doing something like this and we wanted to give a graphical improvement to the oldest, but best title. And thats Super Turbo in our opinion. Also, theres just a huge amount of frames in SFIII, much more so that Super Turbo. Trying to take that on for our first project such as this would be like jumping into the deep end of a pool when you're just learning to swim.

Over all, a good update I think... As a side note as well, I missed posting up the character select screen form Zangief about a week ago when it was originally posted. I have a little bitterness towards Zangief in Super Street Fighter II Turbo due to the fact that he always seemed to give me the most problems in the game on the highest difficulty levels due to his spinning pile driver.

However, in the benefit of fairness in reporting, I've decided to go ahead and post the before and after shots of Zangief as well. This is another good example about the level of detail Udon is putting into the new artwork for the different screens of the game. Once again, I'll hold off final judgment until colored, but until then, I'll at least say that I'm impressed... The big guy has never been better.

Aksys Confirms a Bug Fix For Accent Core

Hot on the heels of their press release earlier today, Aksys has officially confirmed that the bugs found in the original Japanese Playstation 2 version of Guilty Gear Accent Core will be addressed for its US release this fall on the PS2 and Nintendo Wii. You can find the original post by the Aksys team member on their forums discussing this issue here.

I guess I was being a bit too cynical earlier when I said I wouldn't hold my breath for a big fix, but this is definitely good news. Now we can just cross our fingers and hope that an arcade perfect port of Accent Core isn't just a fan dream...

Incredibly Small First Pics of Contra IV

Nintendo Power looks as though they have a special treat in store for Contra fans in its next issue. It seems that the official Nintendo magazine will be revealing some of the first screen shots of Contra IV for the Nintendo DS. The screen shot from the left is incredibly small since it had to be taken from the Nintendo Power preview page (which you can find here), but I think it does the job...

Couple of things to note. Firstly, it does appear that both screens are going to be used for simultaneous action. After Yoshi's Island DS, I'm not quite sure if I like this idea (since YIDS kind of made be a bit nauseated), but I'm definitely willing to give it a try especially if it means more frantic action. Secondly, the game's details definitely look a bit superior to the Super Nintendo Contra's and even Hard Corps'. Considering that the DS does have a bit of muscle behind its engine, that's a good thing to see the developers tapping into.

I tried blowing the picture up a bit so we could see if we get any more detail out of it, but unfortunately that just turned it into a muddied mess. The new issue should be out any time now, so when it does hit news stands we'll be sure to get a better scan.

Time Crisis 4 (PS3) Now on the Web

The Namco Bandai Time Crisis 4 website has been updated with the basic information about the Playstation 3 game. Nothing too spectacular yet, but it is the official home of Time Crisis 4 for the Playstation 3 on the web now. There are a few images that I may or may not have seen yet... I can't quite tell really since a lot of them I remember from when the previews for the Arcade game were hitting websites last August. You can find Time Crisis 4 on the web on the Namco Bandai game's channel here.

Guilty Gear Accent Core Coming to North America

This can be either a blessing or a curse... Guilty Gear Accent Core has been announced for a North American release by publishers Aksys. Of course, there are issues with the Japanese version of Accent Core, which makes me wonder if any of those are going to be touched up at all before it hits stateside. My internal meter says "no", but we can always hope...



GUILTY GEAR XX ACCENT CORE FIGHTS ITS WAY TO THE PLAYSTATION®2 COMPUTER ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM AND Wii™ THIS FALL

Torrance, CA (June 22, 2007) - The newest incarnation of the popular fighting game franchise, Guilty Gear XX Accent Core, comes to the PlayStation®2 and Wii, courtesy of Aksys Games, a publisher of interactive entertainment products. Developed by Arc System Works, this latest iteration returns with its trademark high-resolution graphics along with an entirely retuned fighting system, new stages, new characters, graphics, voices and the ability to create matches between old and new characters in the Generations Mode.

"Accent Core is definitely a game for the elite fighting game connoisseur, with its wickedly fast, technique oriented gameplay," said Michael Manzanares, Producer, Aksys Games. "Guilty Gear veterans will definitely enjoy finding out all the intricacies of their favorite characters and mastering all the new gameplay enhancements and systems."
Key Features:

• Over 20 deadly combatants to choose from, including 2 new characters! All of your favorite characters have returned with new moves and an alternate EX version of each. Accent Core also introduces 2 reinvented fighters, A.B.A and Order-Sol that have never been seen outside of Japan.
• Refined fighting game system with 3 new gameplay systems! Accent Core's Force Break, Throw Escape and Slash Back systems give all the fighters' new defensive and offensive capabilities.
• New sights and sounds! New backgrounds, character voices and an introductory animation have been added for a fresh Guilty Gear experience.
• Multiple modes of mayhem! Hone your fighting skills in 5 different modes: Arcade, Medal of Millionaire, Versus, Survival and Training.
• Waggle controls exclusive to the Wii! Gamers can test their fighting game prowess by mastering the new Wii Remote™ controls that lets you pull off the fighters' punches, kicks and special moves with simple gestures. For purists, GGXXAC will also support the Nintendo GameCube™ and Classic Controllers.

Contra 4 Officially Announced

After appearing in retail databases a few weeks ago, Contra 4 for the Nintendo DS has been officially announced by Konami...

Explosive Action Series Celebrates 20th Anniversary with Unique Dual Screen Presentation, New Gameplay Elements and Cooperative Multiplayer Mayhem

REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – June 20, 2007 – Konami Digital Entertainment, Inc., today announced Contra 4 (working title) for the Nintendo DS™. Marking the 20th anniversary of the quintessential action franchise, the game pushes 2D side-scrolling action in an all-new direction with gunplay that spans two full screens, original gameplay mechanics that grant players deadlier abilities than ever before, and frantic multiplayer functionality.

Contra 4 takes place two years after the events of Contra III: The Alien Wars. After saving earth from invasion by Red Falcon, Bill Rizer and Lance Bean are confronted with a new extraterrestrial menace: the terrifying Black Viper. Joined by hard-boiled mercenaries Mad Dog and Scorpion, the warriors must once again wage war against an entire army of invaders.

Refining the 2D side-scrolling genre the series established 20 years ago, Contra 4 delivers pure action at a fever pitch as players jump, shoot, and dodge oncoming hazards. Utilizing a new dual screen presentation, the action spans both screens of the Nintendo DS, giving players the opportunity to battle across expansive environments in which death can come from any direction. The use of both screens for the game’s core action also allows for massive boss battles as players try to seek and destroy the weak points of sky-high enemies. A first for the series, Contra 4 introduces a grappling hook accessory that lets players grab onto elements of the environment directly above them. Whether using it to avoid oncoming dangers or attack from a strategic vantage point, the grappling hook allows for new combat situations and dramatic set pieces that underscore the game’s adrenaline-soaked pedigree.

Continuing the multiplayer tradition of previous games in the series, Contra 4 lets two players battle together against Black Viper’s army of vile alien forces and reclaim Earth for mankind.

Developed by WayForward Technologies, Contra 4 is planned for release on the Nintendo DS in 2007. For more information on the game and the Contra franchise, please visit: www.konami.com.

Chimp Plays Ms. Pac-Man

I'm ashamed to admit it, but the chimp plays Ms. Pac-Man better than I do...

First Video of Final Fantasy Dissidia

Jeux-France posted the first videos of Final Fantasy Dissidia, Square-Enix's latest forray into the realm of action/fighting games. The game is set to span the full history of the Final Fantasy series and provide a fighting engine that is simple enough that even someone uncomfortable with action games should be able to pick it up and enjoy it.

For a company that has made it's name on RPGs, it is good to see them going back to some other genres for a change. Even if the game does appear to have a distinctive RPG-slants to it. This is going to be the company's first fighting game since Ehrgeiz (which also contained a large number of Final Fantasy characters), so it should be interesting to see if Square-Enix has learned anything since 1998 when it comes to developing outside of their comfortable genre zones. The video is posted below for your convenience. The game is slated to be released on the PSP.

"World's Greatest SHMUP Player" Crowned

Over at Shoot the Core, a small write up has been posted by Postman detailing his adventures at the Midwest Gaming Classic and the "The World's Greatest SHMUP Player" competition. The article breaks down the way the tournament was organized, and has a ton of great pictures to go along with the write up. When the smoke cleared, it seems that DJ Incompetent walked away the first place winner, and crowned the event's first ever champion.

I'm a bit disappointed that I wasn't able to make the trip up to Wisconsin this year, but after seeing the details of the event I'm already thinking about penciling in my calendar a trip to next year's MGC. They stated that had over 100 competitors for the SHMUP tournament, so any amount of healthy competition is always a good thing. Congratulations to this year's winners.

3 New Oriental Legend 2 Videos

I love a good beat em up. Though the old school genre hasn't been given much love lately in the way of releases, IGS seems to be wanting to change that with their release of Oriental Legend 2 on their new PGM2 arcade hardware. The original PGM system was created as an alternative to the NEO GEO in the late 90's, but has since grown into a rather niche corner hold of the market.

Though some of the most well known games on the system have been Cave shooters (such as Ketsui), there were also several good fighting games (Spectral VS) and beat em ups (the first Oriental Legend) to satisfy any gamers genre cravings. I haven't seen much in the way of new information on the PGM2 (picture below) when it comes to system specs, but I believe the system is supposed to be only a slightly reworked PGM, and not the introduction of a true next generation arcade machine.


The first Oriental Legend was a bit paint by numbers, but the history of the eastern folk tales that went into the game was interesting at least. I'm not expecting a revitalization of the genre because of Oriental Legend 2, but I'm expecting at least a few solid hours of great beat em up gameplay. The videos at least seem to show that the game should be able to fulfill that expectation. All of these videos were originally found on Daily Motion.

Oriental Legend 2 GTI (1)
Uploaded by B_Yoo

Oriental Legend 2 GTI (2)
Uploaded by B_Yoo

Oriental Legend 2 GTI (3)
Uploaded by B_Yoo

Tekken 6 Alternative Costumes

Famitsu updated their website with some new images of some alternative costumes for Tekken 6. I've created a simple flash album to view the new images in, but for the originals as well as some more images of Tekken 6, head over to Famitsu online to check them out. There's a small story bit as well, but most of it is information gathered via the flyers that were handed out.

Ghost Patents - A Look at How to Make Money with the US Copyright Offices

Gamasutra's Kyle Orland recently posted a rather interesting article detailing a bit of investigation into Midway's 'Ghost Racer' patent. Some astute gamers may have noticed a small bit of text on Namco's Ridge Racer 6 or Sega's Outrun 2006 Coast to Coast with the following phrase:

“US Patent Nos. 5,269,687; 5,354,202 and 5,577,913 used under license from Midway Games West Inc. All rights reserved.”

The question answered by the article is what exactly the patent is and whether or not this sort of "creative licensing" is good for the industry. To put it bluntly, the patent is nothing more than a ghost mode in a racing game. I completely understand trying to protect intellectual property and copyright laws, but I have my doubts on whether or not this is an issue that the original copyright laws were meant to protect when they were put into effect.

You can make up your own mind by heading over to Gamasutra and checking out the article.

Tekken 6 Updates