First videos of Balrog/Boxer and Sagat in Street Fighter IV

The first YouTube videos of this weekend's Street Fighter IV location test at Hey Akihabara have officially confirmed the presence of Balrog/Boxer and Sagat in the game. Though neither video is very clear, they do at least offer the first glimpse of the characters in action. According to the videos, Sagat is currently the final boss of the build at the location test. After defeating him, a message pops up thanking the gamer for playing.





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Distance Lab debuts "life-size" fighting game - Remote Impact

The BBC News website put up a brief report earlier this evening about a Distance Lab project called "Remote Impact", a life sized fighting game. The prototype will be on display at e-Day, an event focused on online tools and communications technology. From the BBC report, Remote Impact allows for players to compete against a silhouette of an opponent who could be an entire world away. The silhouette is projected on a mattress-like device that is able to register the strength of impacts. A sensor is also able to detect movement and player positions in order to determine hits, misses, and the points awarded for connected blows.

In a lot of ways, this sounds like the natural evolution of the motion and position sensing technology that has been utilized in arcades with Konami's popular arcade titles such as Police 911 and Mocap Boxing as well as TrioTech's UFO Stomper. It also draws some obvious parallels to the Playstation's Eyetoy and Wii Remote.

While Distance Lab specifically mentions the potential business use to improve fitness and help community building, there is also a lot of proven potential and historical precedence for this sort of technology in the arcade industry. It is projects with this sort of scope that can provide arcade and amusement centers a greater edge and a unique experience that could not be found at home without a substantial investment.

Distance Lab's official website for Remote Impact has a few more details about the project, including a video showing off the prototype in action. While it is pretty basic now, the prototype does show a lot of promise for the device. It'll be interesting to see what sort of reports come out of the e-Day event March 7th and 8th.

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Zangief and fish heads now a part of Street Fighter Online Mouse Generation

4gamer.net announced sign ups for a new closed beta for Street Fighter Online mouse generation. The sign ups are through March 3rd for a random shot at being invited to take part in the preliminary testing for the game. Unfortunately, from the form that I glanced over, it does look like they are limiting the testing to Japanese PC gamers only. For more information about the beta test, head over to the Street Fighter Online beta page by Daletto.

In other news from Street Fighter Online Mouse Generation, 4Gamer.net posted a series of screenshots as well from the latest build of the game. Everyone's favorite Russian bear wrestler Zangief has been officially announced as part of the game, but this takes second rank to the fact that you are now able to equip your fighter with a realistic looking fish head. I'm not exactly sure why you would necessarily want to do this to Ryu or any of the other fighters, but hey, at least Street Fighter Online Mouse Generation is giving you the option to, right?

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Two empty boxes sell for over $400

When I was browsing through a few of my bookmarks today, I came across a post over on Sazanami.net linking to a Yahoo Japan auction that had just ended. Imagine my surprise when I checked out the link and found that two empty PCB interior shipping boxes had just sold for over $400 (44,500 yen to be exact).

While the games in question are popular (Guwange and Dodonpachi), I can't even begin to imagine spending that kind of money on what amounts to 4 sides of cardboard to hold a couple of Cave arcade shooting games. Yes, the price of the original PCBs always increase if you have the boxes in good condition, but for the boxes themselves to go for that kind of money is a bit crazy in my mind. I wonder if this is more of a testament to the ferocity of Cave fans or of the resale market on Cave games?

It really does go to show that there is a market for everything out there, so it's probably in your best interest never to throw away anything. You never know when you might be able to turn around something that looks like trash and sell it for a few hundred dollars...

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Wii Freeloader on its way...

Max Console is currently reporting that the Wii Freeloader is about to be set to available on popular mod-chip retailer Divineo. Though the exact date the disc will be able to be purchased isn't clear, Max Console reports they were told that we should see it within the next "10 days" on the Divineo website. The Wii Freeloader will allow gamers to play Wii import titles from all over the world and will work on PAL, NTSC-U, and NTSC-J consoles.

Unfortunately, considering Nintendo's past history of periodic firmware updates that have prevented the use of the Gamecube Action Replay/Freeloader on the Wii, it's a bit hard to say whether or not the Wii Freeloader will be subject to the same scrutiny from the company. This may end up being a buyer beware purchase, especially if there are no guarantees from Datel that the Wii Freeloader is "future-proofed" against action by Nintendo.

Code Junkies, a US retailer already posting information on the Wii Freeloader, has a few more details about the product available on the link. The Wii Freeloader will be compatible with both Gamecube and Wii import titles and will retail for $19.99.

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Trigger Heart Exelica on Xbox Live Arcade

Warashi's NAOMI and Dreamcast shooter Trigger Heart Exelica has been offered for download on Xbox Live Arcade starting today. At 800 Live points, it is a fairly good steal for anyone who may have missed out on the original. The Xbox Live version features new music and online leaderboards for high score competition as well as a TATE mode and support for high definition resolutions. While Trigger Heart Exelica may fall firmly in the second tier of NAOMI shooters, it does offer some fairly unique mechanics and is well worth a look (with at least a demo download) for fans of the genre...



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Space Invaders Extreme - Nintendo DS Review

As a preface to this review, I did have a series of images and movies that I wanted to post alongside it that I personally captured, but I was overall dissatisfied with the quality via my digital camera and camcorder. If anyone has any suggestions at the best way to capture screenshots and videos of DS games in action, I would love to hear it for future reviews.

Space Invaders Extreme - Nintendo DS, 2008

The synthesizing of music and in game effects is no longer a wholly novel concept. While the most famous example that is always cited in regards to this design has been Tetsuya Mizuguchi's Rez, it is by no means the first. Over the last few decades several games have used these tools to create subtleties that are not always fully appreciated with a casual viewing (or listening). What makes Space Invaders Extreme different, is not necessarily the use of Rez-like qualities of bullets and invaders creating different sounds that 'beat' alongside the music, but rather the history the franchise has had previously in using its soundtrack to elicit feelings in a player.

The first Space Invaders is one of the earliest examples that I know of where sound didn't play a solely ambient role. The 'bleeps' of the invaders as they began their downward descent that increased in rate and voracity as they moved closer to the bottom of the screen was done for several reasons. Not only did it create a basic anxiety within the player, but it also inspired the player to move and play more frantically as the impression of the board seemed to narrow through the affects the sound had on the game and on the player's psychological state. It was a fairly simple use at the time, but one that has since been copied over from everything from Super Mario Brothers to Tetris. The effectiveness of the original Space Invaders can still remind gamers today (who played the original) of the feelings it inspired in arcades.

Space Invaders Extreme touches base with its origins and once again looks to the use of sound and music to elicit reactions from the player. While nothing within Space Invaders Extreme is as memorable as the original invaders 'theme', there are quite a few moments in the game where the shift from the cathartic pace of an old school shooter is altered with a hurried frenzy that forces players to react quickly so as not to be seemingly overwhelmed by the music. It's an odd reaction that I have with the game, but despite my best efforts to the contrary, I can't help but have my playing style changed by the beats created by destroying the invaders and the ship's shots.

Unfortunately, for fans of Zuntata, due to the nature of Space Invaders Extreme, the actual soundtrack itself may end up being a bit disappointing. While strengthening the ties of game and music in a lot of ways improves the overall aesthetics of the sound, the traditional background music is lost a bit as gamers are given more apparent control over what they are hearing. This may be part of the genius of Zuntata though, as they have created a series of tracks and sound effects that can flow so well together that none seem out of place through out the course of the game. Like other games that use similar concepts, the original work is only one part of a greater picture. There are some individual pieces that are fairly strong (which can be sampled from Zuntata's official website), but overall there isn't any specifics that stand out in the way the Darius theme does for example.

The DS's sound quality is obviously a step below the PSP's. With the focus of Space Invaders Extreme so dependent on the use of sound to enhance the experience, I wish I could give a full statement on which of the two games is better due to this issue. However, since my only play time with the PSP version has been with a demo that was released, the best I can state is that between the demo of the PSP and of the full game of the DS, while the sound is noticeably cleaner in the PSP version, the DS version is competent enough so long as you are playing the game through a set of headphones. The music in the two games however are not the same tracks, which leads me to believe that both versions had their music built from the ground up and designed for the platform rather than trying to force the PSP's sound into the DS.

The basic system behind Space Invaders Extreme is instantly familiar. Left and right on the d-pad moves the ship left and right on a single plane (no backwards or forwards movement) and the A and the B button fires. It is also possible to cancel enemy bullets with shots if the ship is lined up correctly. If 4 invaders of the same color other than white are shot in a row, the player is rewarded with a special item that is put on a timer for use. These include multiple shot upgrades, laser upgrades, shield upgrades, and explosive upgrades that will clear a small section of invaders with a single shot. When the item upgrade's timer reaches zero, it causes the current upgrade to drop off and reset to the normal one shot laser. It is possible however that by holding down the left or right shoulder buttons the current weapon strength can be held. While holding the shoulder buttons down, the player's weapon resets to the normal shot until the button is released. When the button is released whatever weapon the player was using once again becomes active and the timer resumes.

The beauty of the game comes in with its unique scoring system that offers several avenues of approach for optimal scoring. While the root of the game for most people will simply boil down to shoot the invaders before you get shot, the elimination of cities to hide behind and the introduction of this scoring system creates a tribute to the first game that reminds me of Pac-Man Championship Edition and its revitalization of the Pac-Man formula for a new generation. Yes, it's still Space Invaders at its core, but Taito has done everything it can to provide the best game for the series' 30th anniversary.

There are two goals that should be kept in mind in Space Invaders Extreme – unlock the hidden scoring mechanics and maximize the level chain. Like a lot of modern shooters that most fans of the genre will recognize (such as Dodonpachi), Space Invaders Extreme has a front end chain system that is solely time based. When an invader or UFO is destroyed, a chain countdown begins. If a second enemy or invader is destroyed before the countdown expires, the chain level will go up and the countdown will reset again until the player lets the countdown finish or hits a new target. At the end of the level, the player is rewarded points based on the max chain (the highest level the chain hit) throughout the course of the stage.

The Rate meter in the game acts as the score multiplier. When the Rate meter hits 5x, a Break bonus is rewarded and the multiplier jumps to 10x for a short period of time. Being able to extend a Break bonus with the 10x multiplier is the best chance for drastically increasing the score in a short amount of time. The level system in the game is the determining factor for the ship's weapon strength. As your score increases in a level, the more powerful the basic weapons and items become. Both rate and level reset when a player's ship is destroyed.

The second goal in Space Invaders Extreme should be focused on unlocking the hidden scoring mechanics. Most of these mechanics are based around the Feature meter. The feature meter is broken into two halves which can be filled by destroying invaders in a certain order. To maximize the meter, a player can do a multitude of things – either focus on destroying invaders of specific colors or destroying invaders of specific types. By destroying 4 invaders of one color in a row and then 4 invaders of another color in a row, the meter fills to the top and unlocks a special Rainbow UFO (more on that in a moment). With the second option (2 groups of 4 invaders of specific types in a row), the reward will switch all of the invaders to one color providing bonuses for then destroying multiple invaders of the same color. There is also an award for destroying 8 invaders all of the same type in a row, which will switch the playfield to all UFOs (and will provide the player with additional item drops).

This sort of methodical shooting through the waves of invaders forces a play style similar to Ikaruga. All shots and waves and invaders need to be analyzed to not only maximize the level chain, but also to build up the Feature meter throughout the game. If an invader is hit that won't continue the Feature meter in any of these manners, the meter resets back with the last shot enemy. As an interesting note, white invaders do not reset the Feature meter nor do they build it up. Only red, black, green, and blue invaders have the ability to build or reset the meter.

From the plays I have went through so far with Space Invaders Extreme, my experience dictates that the primary efforts should be unlocking the Rainbow UFO. Once the Rainbow UFO is unlocked and sent across the screen, if it is then destroyed, the game unlocks a bonus round (dependant on the colors used to build up the meter) that tasks the player with a specific objective. These objectives may vary between destroying a certain number of UFOs, breaking up a series of invader formations, or simply destroying a certain number of invaders. If these are able to be successfully met before the bonus round timer ends, the game unlocks Fever time that offers higher bonus potential through Jackpot and Super Jackpot UFOs. There is also a huge stage end bonus if the player is able to complete the last wave of a level while still in Fever time.

There are a few other scoring objectives in place that will reward gamers with gold UFOs (which opens a special roulette game that will reward bonus points or extra lives) and colored UFOs. Players will be rewarded in the game for shooting invaders in a column or row (so long as they are 4 deep or 4 wide) that can be multiplied be repeating the same task for a higher point value. A perfect shot scoring bonus is rewarded by not having a single missed shot against any given invader wave. An end stage bonus is also rewarded for not losing a ship through the course of an entire level.

Overall, the sheer amount of scoring options in Space Invaders Extreme may be a bit overwhelming to some at first. Considering that nearly every time I've picked up the game I've uncovered a new 'option' means that despite playing the game pretty religiously this past weekend, I'm still learning more and more about the game's system. Furthermore, all of the scoring options stack, meaning that even if its possible to find the best path through the level to maximize the score through Fever time, it may then be possible to further maximize it by adding in some of the other chaining options to increase the scoring potential. The depth to the game from an analytical point of view is pretty amazing and I believe that while a 'perfect' path through every wave and every level is possible, it will take a lot of practice and memorization to find it.

Graphically speaking Space Invaders Extreme on the DS is acceptable but by no means the highlight to the game. The backgrounds are more muted compared to its PSP brethren, but otherwise, the two games are almost identical in detail (based once again on the PSP demo). The biggest difference between the two titles is the use of the dual screen on the DS vs. the single screen on the PSP. While I would normally rate the DS version a little lower due to how unnatural the break feels, Taito has offered a solution for gamers who may be put off trying to track “hidden” bullets. In the option menu, it is possible to adjust the distance between the virtual field between the two screens until an acceptable solution is found that works for the gamer.

It isn't perfect, but its well appreciated, especially since a lot of DS games do not offers such an option even if they are using both screens in an action setting. I will be picking up the PSP version if it comes stateside (as has been rumored from Gamestop), so I'll have to wait to make those full comparisons graphically then.

All of the iconic invaders are back in Space Invaders Extreme with their simple designs maintained with a few new twists. Some invaders will suicide with an attack that will destroy the player's ship no matter where the ship is at on the screen, some invaders will shoot large lasers (or even a trifecta of lasers), some will have shields, while others still will warp and twist and move in ways that are tied to the music of the game. With the popularity of the invaders for marketing purposes, this is probably a wise idea keeping everything simple. The number of times I've seen Space Invaders related merchandise on clothes, towels, and accessories are far too many to name...

There are quite a few extra modes in Space Invaders Extreme for the Nintendo DS. There is an off-line ranking mode that puts a gamer up against his or her personal high scores on a single credit (2 lives). There is a online ranking mode via WiFi and a head to head vs. mode (both ad hoc wireless and WiFi). The VS mode also allows for a practice round without an actual opponent (something more multiplayer games should have on the DS). While this is a poor substitute for a human player, it does at least provide an option to test out the multiplayer without having to go online. The normal arcade mode offers a series of branching levels so even the game's basic 5 stages (yes sorry Space Invaders fans, this game technically ends) can be extended a little further based on a gamer's skill set. Not to spoil anything, but there are a few unlockables that are found through the single player game encouraging more than one playthrough of the arcade mode for those who aren't as score obsessed as myself.

The paddle controller that was packed in with Arkanoid DS is usable with Space Invaders Extreme. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this set up though, as I found that personally the paddle seemed rather awkward compared to the “tighter” feel that it had with Arkanoid DS. I feel that the d-pad offers the idea set up for the game, but this may be a results may vary sort of thing. Based on the floaty nature the paddle provides with Space Invaders Extreme, I found myself having to over compensate when using it in the game. I would not suggest picking it up only for for Space Invaders Extreme, but if it's purchased alongside Arkanoid DS (the only other game that currently supports it), gamers may find more value in it than I did.


30 years later, Taito has washed away a lot of bad memories of Space Invaders games over the last few decades with Space Invaders Extreme. There were a few gems here and there in the franchise, but overall, most of the titles all suffered from an uninspired sequel-itis that Space Invaders Extreme strives to separate itself from. There are a few quirks to the game and the rather methodical scoring system may turn off some gamers who wish to have more traditional scoring requirements that are not as strict nor based on pattern or wave recognition, but for anyone looking for a capable and enjoyable re-invisioning of the Space Invaders franchise, they should be satisfied with either the PSP or DS version of the game.

Space Invaders Extreme may not be filled with entirely novel concepts with Everyday Shooter, Audiosurf, and Rez fresh on everyone's minds, but fortunately for Taito, this is not something they have attempted to gloss over. Instead, Taito has created a game with a solid backing that provides enough of a punch in a little package to surprise even me, a rather jaded shooting fan. It may not seem original in the grand scheme of things, but it's the little things that Space Invaders Extreme does right and does so well. This is one of the best games I have played on the DS in recent years, and while I would've loved to see a 30th anniversary Space Invaders arcade release, Space Invaders Extreme really is nearly perfect as an alternative.

Score: - 4/5

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Balrog/Boxer and Sagat spotted in Street Fighter IV?

Based on some reports I'm reading over on Insert Credit's forums and on the SRK forums, Balrog/Boxer and Sagat have both been spotted at this past weekend's location tests in Japan for Street Fighter IV. Unfortunately, I haven't seen any videos or images pop up of the two characters yet (is Capcom still trying to enforce a no image policy after the second day of AOU?), but if anyone out there has seen the two characters on another link or has taken footage themselves and would like to share either, please let me know. I'm eager to see whether or not this information pans true, but based on the "authority" of at least one of the two sources it seems likely that it's legitimate.

It's interesting to note however, that the official developer's blog for the game had a small write up from this past weekend's test and did not mention the presence of either character... Odd to say the least.

When Famitsu revealed the news that all of the original World Warriors would be returning to the cast of fighters, they also mentioned that they had a few other characters that they were shown that they could not reveal yet. I find it hard to believe that if Balrog and Sagat made the cut that Vega/Claw wouldn't as well to finish off the trifecta of sub-bosses from Street Fighter 2. Part of the reason for the lack of an announcement from the two characters is that Famitsu magazine should be coming out today or tomorrow in Japan. Capcom may be holding off officially revealing the two characters for the magazine.

On another note, Capcom has announced a new location test for Street Fighter IV in Japan at the Hey Akihabara Taito Game Center for this coming weekend. With the official announcement that Capcom is looking for a distribution partner in the US for Street Fighter IV, I wonder if they are going to be putting one or two location tests stateside (most likely on the west coast) for a US location test. I would definitely argue that it would be a great show of support for Capcom USA if they tried to work out those arrangements prior to the Japanese arcade release of the game.

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Ketsui DS - more information revealed

This past weekend, Cave and Arika held a Ketsui meet-up at the Tokyo Food Theatre 5+1, Gamer's Lounge. Ketsui DS had its latest build shown off at the event. Since the last exhibition, Ketsui DS has gone threw a number of changes, including the expansion of the game past the basic boss rush mode which it began as earlier last year. Over at the Cave-STG forums, EOJ has done a good job at archiving and updating all of the new information from Mihara from his blog in regards to the project.

I've missed out on a number of past posts since December or so, so there is one update that was important to note before I move onto the event information. According to Mihara, Ketsui DS will be shipping with an all new Ketsui arcade superplay DVD. This was based on a survey that was posted asking gamers if they would have preferred a soundtrack or superplay DVD with the release of the DS game (still no firm release window).

Also linked to from the Cave-STG forums was a post over on Sazanami.net, which features a few images and more details about what gamers can expect from Ketsui DS. Sazanami.net mentions a few new modes of play that were being described at the event by Mihara and Ikeda.

The first mode of play was a "Novice" mode which will "Ketsui-lite" in a way - a bit tamer without as many bullets - so that the game can be appreciated by anyone. The second mode is a head to head (via ad hoc wireless) VS. mode that puts two players against each other in an attempt to collect boxes through out stage 5 (which, as was pointed out by EOJ, confirms the presence of at least one full stage in the DS game - even if it is altered from the arcade original to "fit" the DS).

As for the downloadable trial that was available for gamers who brought their DS to the event, once again, the Doom boss battle was the primary feature. However, this time around, when a gamer would clear Doom, the game would offer a second and third loop which increased the difficulty level. This is an interesting take and all, but aside from the novelty of a handheld Cave shooter, I'm not sure if this is going to satisfy many of the fans wanting a capable Ketsui port.

The event was put up on UStream, but it has since been limited to friends of the uploader. At the tail end of the live stream, there was a new video of Ketsui DS shown off that featured all of the bosses and mid-bosses from the arcade game in DS form. Still, despite this highlight, there is a lot of speculation about what Ketsui DS is really going to be like in its final build though the common consensus is still a basic boss rush mode with a handful of "extras" (including the aforementioned head to head vs. mode).

For those interested in keeping up with all the latest Ketsui DS updates, I recommend bookmarking this thread on Cave-STG. EOJ and the rest of the forum members have done a great job at keeping everyone informed about the progress the game is making.

The video shown off is from 2007, not the most recent Ketsui meet-up



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Arcana Heart 2 trailer

In a post-AOU 2008 report, +D games posted a direct feed version of the AOU trailer for Examu's Arcana Heart 2 and also announced a new location test scheduled for this weekend, February 22nd - February 24th. I still haven't seen any specs on the EX-Board powering the game, but hopefully that information will be available soon.



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AOU 2008 final attendance numbers

While a few early preliminary reports in regards to estimated AOU 2008 attendance numbers have been positive, it wasn't until day that we learned how positive they really were. AM-net and the official AOU expo website posted the final attendance figures for the show and included the year to year numbers showing a dramatic increase in attendees at this year's AOU expo. These numbers follow a similar trend of increase that was seen with the 45th AM Show back in September.

I'm eager to see if these numbers begin to reflect a stronger 2008 for the amusement industry since while 2007 wasn't necessarily a bad year, some negative press in the Q3 financial reporting for several companies has skewed most of the attention away from the early gains that were made. With as strong of line up as we are seeing for 2008, including a handful of games that should really drive up demand in the arcade amusement industry, this may be a sign of even more positive things to come.

The final numbers for AOU 2008 are below (the number in parenthesis is the amount gained over the 2007 show):
2/15 (Friday) - 21,249 (+4,519 visitors)
2/16(Saturday) - 17,193 (+6,010 visitors)
Total - 38,442 (+10,529 visitors)

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First Wii Neo Geo Stick 2 image

NCSX opened up pre-orders for the Wii NEO GEO Stick 2 and included the first image of the stick I've seen online. Surprisingly, instead of following Hori's route with the Apple-esque color scheme of the Wii, SNK Playmore has elected to keep the iconic black color scheme of the Neo Geo in tact for the Wii version of the arcade stick. The Neo Geo Stick 2 will ship on April 10th and has a listed price of around $60 at most import stores. Whether or not SNK Playmore USA will be marketing the stick here is yet to be seen, but with the number of NEO GEO classics coming out for the Wii this year it would be a crying shame if they didn't.

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Street Fighter IV GDC Videos

I haven't seen any new information in regards to Street Fighter IV from GDC popping up online, but IGN and Gametrailers has been kind enough to post a series of videos taken from the GDC floor.

IGN features four matches with Ken vs. C. Viper, Ryu vs. Abel, Abel vs. Chun Li, and Blanka vs. Abel. The videos are off screen cam videos, so don't expect the best quality, but they are notably better than some of the recent shots we have been receiving from Street Fighter IV (and with no YouTube compression issues). From the background sounds of it, a portion (if not all) of these videos are being played by one of Capcom's staff explaining aspects about the game to IGN. Because of this, there are a few tricks that are shown off we haven't seen before in regards to the saving system.

The Gametrailers video (embedded below) features C. Viper and Blanka. Neither player seems too comfortable with their characters in the Gametrailers videos, but new media is new media.


If any more videos of Street Fighter IV come out of GDC, I'll be sure to post them on this link. It's interesting to see an actual arcade cabinet at the Game Developer's Conference... It's a bit of a rare site for a such a console focused US show.

GDC Street Fighter IV videos
Guile vs. Abel
Guile vs. Blanka
C. Viper vs. Blanka
Ryu vs. Ken
Guile vs. Dhalsim - is this the first Dhalsim video we've seen? I'm having a hard time remember him in any others...
Ryu vs. C. Viper
Guile vs. E. Honda
Guile vs. C. Viper

Gamespot First Look videos
Dhalsim
E. Honda
Chun Li
Ryu
Guile
Zangief
Blanka

Joystiq Street Fighter IV interview

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GDC SNK Playmore USA News

Over at SNK-Capcom, some early coverage of SNK Playmore USA's GDC line-up has been showcased by the website. Though we already knew about 99% of the games, there were a couple of surprises including the fact that King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match will be coming to the US for the PS2 late in 2008. I'm glad to see we finally get confirmation of a US release for the game, since I was a little worried we may have ended up missing out on it...

In addition to King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match, several other games made it from SNK Playmore USA to GDC. The Samurai Shodown Collection for the PS2, PSP, and Nintendo Wii had its game list revealed and fans should be ecstatic about the breakdown which includes Samurai Shodown 1 - 5 and Tenka. The King of Fighters Collection for the PS2, PSP, and Nintendo Wii was also shown off at the event and will include (in the US version) King of Fighters '94 through King of Fighters '98. SNK Arcade Classics Volume 1, Fatal Fury Battle Archives vol 2, and World Heroes Anthology were also on display.

Despite this stellar line-up of games in the two collections, SNK Playmore USA did have a bit of bad news for Wii owners. Both the Samurai Shodown Collection and the King of Fighters Collection will be delayed a bit in order to offer the Virtual Console releases of their NEO GEO games an opportunity to sell ahead of the collection releases. The PS2 and PSP games are scheduled for a Q2 2008 release while the Wii versions are all listing Q4 2008.

Metal Slug 7 (Nintendo DS) was made playable at GDC and SNK-Capcom was also able to capture a quick video of that game in action as well. The link can be found here. Though Trieu seemed optimistic about the game, I'm not sold on it personally. As mentioned before, the sprites in the game all seem a bit squashed like SNK Playmore is scaling them. This is probably just an effect of the DS development, but maybe I was just expecting more from a new Metal Slug. I'm still a little surprised at the hardware choice (I guess it makes sense from a financial standpoint), but I'm getting over it now... Hopefully the game will end up being able to deliver a high quality Metal Slug experience in the end.

In other news from SNK-Capcom.com, Trieu was able to film a better quality video of Samurai Spirits Sen/Samurai Shodown Edge of Destiny and King of Fighters XII for viewing. The download is available at the link and is one of the best quality versions of the video I've seen online so far (this has changed now - see the update below). I'm probably going to repeat this a million times, but King of Fighters XII looks as amazing as ever (maybe even more so with a better quality viewing).


And Samurai Shodown Edge of Destiny? Wow... This is a warning for the squeamish - the video linked to from SNK-Capcom shows more blood flowing in the game than I have seen in any of the Japanese location tests. Limbs get severed, heads are removed, and a whole body is cut in half.

Anyone complaining about the lack of blood in the Samurai Spirits Sen location tests should be appeased. Unfortunately, this doesn't change my opinion overall though that the game seems fairly mediocre right now... We'll see if that changes.



[UPDATE] - So after browing some other GDC information, I've found that Gametrailers has posted a link to a HD version of the King of Fighters XII trailer that has just taken the cake for the best quality version of the trailer around. I hope you enjoy (do yourself a favor and watch the HD version of it). The Samurai Shodown Edge of Destiny trailer can also be found on Gametrailers here.


[Update #2] - Gamespot has an interview with Mark Rudolph, SNK Playmore USA's director of marketing. The video goes through the SNK Playmore USA line-up, but unfortunately there isn't anything new to hear about King of Fighters XII since Mark Rudolph doesn't seem to know much about the details of the game. The rest of the information is mostly repeated from above, but it does show a few videos of the games on the show floor for those interested.

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Tekken casting news - Cung Le is Marshall Law

I missed out on the announcement earlier this month that Luke Goss would be playing Steve Fox in the new Tekken movie, but I won't miss out on this one...

Based on a tip I was sent via e-mail, Mixed Martial Artist Cung Le has taken on the role of Marshall Law in the new Tekken movie. This information was revealed in an interview he gave with MMAJacked.com.

Check out the interview below (about a minute-forty in) to hear him mention his role in passing while speaking about some of his other recent Hollywood projects. For those who are unfamiliar with Cung Le, I would recommend doing a search on YouTube for his name or visiting his wesbite. Several of his fights are posted on online and his website gives a good breakdown of his career history (including images) and film projects. According to the Strikeforce official website (the MMA company Cung Le is currently involved with), he also has an upcoming fight against Frank Shamrock on March 29th.

I'm not sure if he necessarily looks the part of Marshall Law, but considering what little we know about the Tekken movie, I'm willing to hold off final judgments until we get a bit more information.


With Tekken and Street Fighter both set for a theatrical release in late 2008/2009, I'm curious if either one will end up satisfying their rabid fan-bases. I know i've been a bit critical of both, but we'll see what happens when we get our first trailers. I think that's probably going to be the tell-all about the direction the two films are heading.

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Shooting Love 2007/Exzeal announced for Xbox 360

I've finally had a chance to start digging through some of the older Soutu House blog posts for Rakuten, and came across an interesting tidbit that I missed in the build up to AOU 2008.

According to a post from February 13th, Triangle Service has plans to bring the arcade shooter, Shooting Love 2007 (consisting of the SHMUP skills test and Exzeal), to the Xbox 360. No word on a release date yet or whether or not the game is being planned as an Xbox Live Arcade release or retail release, but I'll be sure to keep an eye on this one to see if anything else is announced in regards to the title. Since the game is not available for pre-order on Rakuten or Play-Asia, I'm suspecting that it is going to be an Xbox Live Arcade release.

The premise behind the SHMUP Skill Test is to provide a combination of solo play and head-to-head "mini-games" that will test your shooter skills. The game isn't the most impressive shooter in the world, but as an effort in developing a competitive shooting game environment, in may prove to be worth the cost for fans of the genre depending on the price point. As for Exzeal, fans of Triangle Service's previous efforts will enjoy it, though for those who passed on XII Stag or Trizeal, there probably isn't enough here to warrant a purchase.



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More Street Fighter casting news

Variety has reported earlier today that three more faces have signed on to star in the upcoming Hyde Park live-action Street Fighter movie (featuring Kristin Kreuk as Chun-li). According to the report, Michael Clarke Duncan, Chris Klein, and Rick Yune have all put their names to paper as Balrog, Nash, and Gen (respectively). As optimistic as Michael Clarke Duncan as Balrog sounds (he just has that imposing build Balrog needs), does anyone else get the feeling that this is quickly becoming a train wreck just waiting to happen?

On a side note, Variety also reports that Dion Lam (The Matrix series) will be handling the fight sequences, so at the very least even if the rest of the movie is a train wreck, at least we will have lots of flips and fists breaking concrete pillars. That should at least help off set the cost of the movie ticket some...

Variety also mentions that Moon Bloodgood, Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas, Edmund Chen, and Cheng Pei Pei, have also been signed on for as of yet unrevealed roles. More information on these roles should be coming soon.

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Arcade Fighting games in 2008 - Revival? Revolution? Renaissance?

There have been a lot of posts about the number of quality arcade fighters coming out in 2008 on the internet this last week. Though other people have already taken the time to cover most of the console counterparts, I've decided to take a moment to talk a little bit about what's coming up for arcades. This is only going to be a quick overview list... I have plans to go a bit more in depth with each of these games in the coming months, but until then, this is just a cross-selection with a few bits of information on each of the titles.

This year is going to be a rather defining year for the future of the fighting genre in my opinion. While the number of games is impressive, what's more important is the impact these games will have based on the history of the titles and pedigrees that follow them.

I've brought up this point earlier based on a concern that was listed by Amusement Journal, but I'll repeat it here - with the market for fighting games rather stagnant over the last year or so, can the new entries finally make the impact to shake up the most widely played arcade games in Japan? Is the market strong enough in light of recent issues reported by both Sega Sammy and Bandai Namco to support the number of fighting games that it is being asked to support by the developers?

It'll be interesting to watch where these games fall when the smoke clears...

Akatsuki Blitzkampf Ausf. Achse
Hardware - NAOMI
Developers - Subtle Style
Previous games - Akatsuki Blitzkampf (PC)/Akatsuki Shisei Ichigo (PC)
Release Date - Late 02/2008
Official Website - http://subtlestyle.net/akatsukiaa/

First announced in Arcadia Magazine, Akatsuki Blitzkampf will be Subtle Style's attempt to bring their doujin PC fighting game to an arcade market. The game features an old school sentimentality in combination with an eye on attracting an audience through extremely clean and stylized sprites. The basic game system relies on a 3 button control scheme, focusing on light, medium, and heavy attacks, with basic combo strings branching uniquely between each of the game's fighters. The game also features a fairly simple "parry" system (known as the reflector) that is performed by pressing the medium and heavy attacks at the same time, almost immediately before an attack animation connects with your character. Timing is fairly strict, but slightly easier to pull off than Third Strikes parries. As part of the "special update" for arcades, some moves will also be able to be performed with multiple button inputs rather than their traditional motion. What affect this may end up having on game balance is still to be determined...

Location test video - Akatsuki Blitzkampf Ausf. Achse

Arcana Heart 2
Hardware - EX-Board (Specially designed cart system from Examu)
Developers - Examu
Previous Games - Arcana Heart
Release Date - 03/2008
Official Website - http://www.examu.co.jp/arcanaheart2/

Arcana Heart 2 is the sequel to Examu's popular all-female fighting game, Arcana Heart. The game is set to feature six new characters and several new Arcana to strengthen the roster to 17 characters (and hundreds of possible character/arcana combinations). The game will also feature three new systems, Arcana Blast, Critical Heart, and Arcana Homing. The custom board that Arcana Heart 2 will use is part of a new PC-based hardware solution for Examu. Based on the information provided by Game Watch, the EX-Board will be using a Windows XP embedded OS with 2 VGA, S-Video, Composite, and Jamma video output. No word on the strength of the hardware yet, but future releases on the system will be using specially designed ROM cartridges for games.

AOU 2008 Video - Arcana Heart 2

BlazBlue
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - Arc System Works
Previous Games - Guilty Gear, Hokuto No Ken
Release Date - 2008
Official Website - http://blazblue.jp/

Arc System Works second foray into high definition arcade fighters, BlazBlue isn't trying to reinvent the wheel for the company, but rather prove why they remain one of the most popular fighting game developers in Japan. The game also marks Arc System Works second release on Taito's Type X2 platform, meaning that the previous experience that went into designing Battle Fantasia should serve them well despite the differing styles the two games have. Despite a similar look, BlazBlue is not a continuance of the Guilty Gear story arc, but rather an original game created by the original Guilty Gear team minus Daisuke Ishiwatari's creative hand for design. Daisuke Ishiwatari, however, will still provide the original score to the game.

System wise, BlazBlue will use a 4 button control scheme featuring 3 attacks buttons and one special button known as the "Drive" button that will offer unique effects based on the selected character. While it has been said that Arc System Works has wanted to create a game that focuses more on ground-based combat, from the videos at the AOU 2008 show, the game will still contain the notable "flair" that Guilty Gear is known for. The recovery time on knockdowns is a bit reminiscent of Hokuto no Ken though, which means that if you don't roll or tech out of an attack that sends you to the ground, your response time to wake up is delayed quite a bit. I didn't see any real abuse of this from AOU, but it is probably only a matter of time before this system gets put through the gauntlet at location tests, since AOU was the first hands on time anyone had with the game. BlazBlue's sprites are rendered at 720p resolutions, making them almost double the size of the Accent Core sprites. Don't let anyone tell you that this game isn't "true HD"...

AOU 2008 Trailer - BlazBlue

Fate Unlimited Codes
Hardware - System 246
Developers - 8ing/Cavia
Previous Games - Bloody Roar
Release Date - 06/2008
Official Website - http://www.capcom.co.jp/fate_uc/
The latest in a series of fighting games based on the Fate Stay/Night series, Fate: Unlimited Codes is being developed by 8ing with assistance from Cavia. Capcom is set to handle the publishing of the game. While the game is built with 3D characters and does feature some minor 3D side-stepping, the primary focus of the developers has been to create the feel of a 2D fighter while providing a slightly more cinematic experience through 3D camera cuts, angles, and movement. A lot of people have expressed concerns that this game reminds them a bit of the doujin fan project Fatal Fake, and while the game does seem to have some striking similarities, Capcom and 8ing are hoping to offer enough differences to encourage fans to spend some time in arcades with the new game.

Trailer - Fate Unlimited Codes

King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match
Hardware - Taito Type X
Developers - SNK Playmore Japan
Previous Games - King of Fighters XI, King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A
Release Date - 03/2008
Official Website - http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/kof98um/
SNK Playmore's re-release of King of Fighters '98, Ultimate match is set to feature slightly upgraded graphics (including new 3D backgrounds), a new, playable boss team, and several gameplay tweaks set to re-balance the game for a new round of tournament fighting. The new Ultimate style is a mix and match between the features of the Advanced and Extra styles (such as dash hopping, roll escaping, and charging), to allow for a third choice of options to find the perfect match for a team. At first I was honestly a bit surprised that King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match didn't look any better than it currently does visually being that it was originally set to be a "higher definition remake", but after seeing King of Fighters XII, I can understand why. Though Ultimate Match is still technically a remake, King of Fighters XII is currently getting the primary focus from SNK Playmore Japan's artistic talents...

Location test video - King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match

King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A2
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - SNK Playmore Japan
Previous Games - King of Fighters XI, King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A
Release Date - Summer 2008
Official Website - http://www.snkplaymore.jp
I'm going to hold off on saying anything too much about Regulation A2, because for right now outside of a teaser and some promotional artwork, we haven't seen anything from the game that has separated itself from the first Regulation A. I'll be watching out for any additional information as it comes up...

King of Fighters XII
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - SNK Playmore Japan
Previous Games - King of Fighters XI, King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A
Release Date - Late 2008
Official Website - http://www.snkplaymore.jp
Though I've covered most of what I know about King of Fighters XII here, I will reiterate that SNK Playmore's drive and desire may be finally paying off. I don't say this often, but in the small 30 seconds of shaky cam videos, I can already tell that SNK Playmore Japan has something special on their hands with King of Fighters XII. The ball's in their court now... Let's see if they can drive this one home.

AOU 2008 Trailer - King of Fighters XII

Melty Blood Actress Again
Hardware - NAOMI
Developers - Ecole/Type-Moon
Previous Games - Melty Blood Act Cadenza ver B
Release Date - 05/2008
Official Website - http://e56.info/mbaa/
Despite no showing AOU for development reasons, Melty Blood Actress Again is listed as still being on track for a May 2008 release date. From what we know about the game so far, Ecole is introducing two new characters (Riesbyfe and Roa) to the fighting game series (the two characters are not original and are featured in the original source material for the game) and will also be implementing a new system that will allow players to choose between different characteristics for their fighter which will affect the speed, power, and abilities the fighter has. The first style is the Crescent Moon Style which will allow for an emphasis on mobility and combos. This is the style that is closest to the current Melty Blood engine. The second style is the Full Moon style which emphasizes power at the cost of speed and combo-ability. The final style is the half moon style which is essentially an "Easy" mode for beginners. It lacks options, so you will be more limited in what you can and can't do in the system. Though this is speculation - balancing these modes may be in part what has caused the delay in showing the public Melty Blood Actress Again. Ecole and Type-Moon have not been very punctual at keeping deadlines for the series in the past, so I would probably expect the current release date to slip slightly.

Monster Ancient Cline
Hardware - EX-Board
Developers - 8105 Graphics
Previous Games - Monster (PC)
Release Date - 2008
Official Website - http://members.jcom.home.ne.jp/8105/
This is sort of a pipe dream coming true in a way. The doujin studio responsible for Monster (PC) has hooked up with Examu to bring the PC fighting game to arcades with higher resolution sprites and a new character (maybe more) to add to the mix of fighters. Though I haven't been able to play the game too much (to be honest, I've only booted it up once or twice), I know that it has a rather devoted fan following. Some people were turned off a bit by the game's choice of character roster (lots of beasts - wolf men, dog men, bear men, tiger men, etc...), but from what I hear there is a rewarding system underneath it for those who can look past it and get to the meat beyond the bones.

Samurai Spirits Sen
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - SNK Playmore Japan
Previous Games - King of Fighters Maximum Impact Regulation A2
Release Date - 04/2008
Official Website - http://game.snkplaymore.co.jp/official/samurai_sen/
While Samurai Spirits Sen has made some improvements over the last few months, most location test previews still have the game being described as Soul Calibur's little brother. This isn't necessarily a fair comparison, but considering the return to a 3D weapons based combat system for the game, SNK Playmore Japan should probably have been preparing and expecting for this. Unfortunately, graphically speaking the game loses something in the transition and after seeing King of Fighters XII and what could've been, it makes the 3D elements of this game that much tougher to swallow. But there's hope still. The damage output of the attacks has been increased quite a bit, leading the game to have a very deadly feel where the tide of the battle can shift rather quickly. Whether or not SNK Playmore Japan will be able to continue to improve till its release later this spring has yet to be seen, but I'm eagerly hoping that it can at least step out of the shadows a bit and find an audience all its own.

Location test video - Samurai Spirits Sen


Sengoku Basara X
Hardware - System 246/256
Developers - Arc System Works
Previous Games - Guilty Gear, Hokuto No Ken
Release Date - 04/2008
Official Website - http://www.capcom.co.jp/basara-x/
Speaking of lost in the shadows - if there is one game that I had to pick that has really found itself in the backgrounds over the last couple of months in the arcade fighting scene, Sengoku Basara X would be that game. With higher profile releases coming from Capcom (Street Fighter IV) and Arc System Works (BlazBlue), it is hard to believe that Sengoku Basara X is still on the radar. The game is running on the PS2-based System 246/256 hardware meaning that at this stage it is already decidedly dated in a way (when compared to the current offerings just around the corner). In addition to this, with a few lackluster location tests behind them, I was wondering whether or not Sengoku Basara X wou