Arcade Finder launched

One of the things I've been planning on doing over the next year is working on a Wiki that helps gamers in the US find and locate active arcades/arcade games based on user submissions. Though there have been sites in the past that have tried to do this, most have been limited by infrequent updates and a difficult user submission process. I thought that the open nature of a Wiki would help solve that problem and perhaps offer a great resource for those wanting to find arcades in the US.

Even though my Wiki idea is still a little ways off, another site has launched a new user-based online arcade game locater aptly called Arcade Finder. The site currently is being updated by individuals in charge of specific regions. Included in the listings is the ability to search by game, location, or even manufacturer. It's a little empty now, but it shows a lot of promise and should be a great bookmark for arcade fans. I've went ahead and added it to my link list, and will keep it bookmarked myself for future reference. Hopefully it will begin to be able to make some segue-ways where other similar sites have failed.

Global VR readies the Need for Speed Carbon Upgrade kit

Global VR announced yesterday that the company will begin shipping the Need for Speed Carbon Upgrade kits beginning in mid-June. The upgrade kit will convert any previous Global VR Need for Speed (Need for Speed, Need for Speed GT, or Need for Speed Underground) game into the latest version of the popular console/arcade franchise.

According to the company's website, Need for Speed Carbon will feature 7 tracks with support of 4 player linked racing featuring a selection of up to 40 unique vehicles. More information on Need for Speed Carbon can be found at the game's official website and yesterday's news release. The game hasn't popped up on the website of the Global VR distributor in this area yet, but it sounds like we should be seeing it any time now... I do have a couple of e-mails out there though to find out what the cost on the kit will end up being.


In other racing news, Arcade Heroes got their hands on some exclusive Sega Rally 3 (arcade) images. There will also be more images and a video coming soon based on the comments being posted on the news update. From my understanding, the game is being developed by a European studio on a specially designed PC-based arcade board. Hopefully with the new information being posted there are a few more details about the developers behind the game and the hardware it's being run off of...

Japan's arcade industry at a cross roads - Yoichi Wada

A few months ago, Reuters was arguing that the Japanese arcade industry has been put into a reactionary position based on underperforming arcades and downsized revisions to earnings statements.

Most of the blame for these trends, according to Reuters, was put on the lack of innovation from arcade developers as well as the industry not differentiating themselves enough from their console counterparts to drive gamers to arcades with systems like the Wii delivering an 'arcade-lite' experience at home. Yesterday, Reuters once again revisited the topic with a longer investigation into what they claim is going on with the arcade industry in Japan and the supposed 'shrinking market' (I find it funny that two very similar articles by the same author were posted by Reuters in such a short period of time - 3 months).

After reading both of these pieces and looking over some of the statements made by the industry insider's interviewed, there does seem to be a bit of an attitude enfused black cloud brewing for Japan's market. It should be noted however, that like the article states (almost as a 'footnote') the industry usually does have a bit of a slump when the height of the current generation of consoles hit their stride.

With the Wii, PS3, and Xbox 360 all carving out their share of the market despite a downturn in some economic trends, this current generation of consoles should be sitting near the cusp of sales before a new round of price cuts begin a-new. How much of an effect this cusping will have on on the arcade industy (which is seeing 'negative' news from some of their largest players) will be interesting to watch.

[Update] - Kevin Williams of the Stinger Report has decided to post a response to the Reuters article as well as its coverage on various gaming and tech blogs over on Arcade Heroes. Well worth a read through if you are feeling like the Reuters article left a bad taste in your mouth...

My recent purchase... Tekken 5

I realized that with my last post I haven't mentioned my recent purchase late last month. I was out bowling with my wife and a few friends, and since I'm not much of a bowler, I spent pretty much all of my time sinking quarters into the small arcade area since they had a few new games that I hadn't seen before (2Spicy for example - which I was mildly impressed with).

There was a Tekken 5 dedicated cabinet in the corner of the arcade with the screen turned off and a small for sale sign posted in the corner that had the words "Broken" underneath it. Being mildly curious, I asked the bowling alley manager what was wrong with the machine and how much he wanted it for it. He stated that the joystick and buttons weren't responding and he didn't have time to mess with the machine. He said that he was simply wanting to get rid of the machine because it was in his mind too much of a hassle for not enough return.

I offered him about $200 cash to take the game off his hands if he could turn it own for me and let me inspect it. He agreed and after making sure the only damage that I could find was the joysticks and buttons (which were going to be a fairly simple fix), I went ahead and agreed to purchase the game for that amount. The next day I went back and loaded up the game in my friend's truck and hauled it home.

I currently have the replacement parts on order so hopefully I should be getting them fairly soon. In the meantime, I have a really crappy cell phone picture to show off my latest 'wares'. Since I already own Dark Resurrection online on my PS3, I'm not quite sure if I'm going to keep the cabinet a dedicated Tekken cabinet or if I'm going to end up doing something a bit creative with it. If I do decide to gut the thing, I'll keep everyone updated on the process since I'm sure people enjoy that sort of thing.

All in all, this is probably one of the better arcade buys that I've picked up over the years for cost and value. It just amazes me that people would be so quick to just dump a game that probably ran them $5-6,000 (or at least someone that much at one time). But I guess if someone doesn't want to be hassled, they don't want to be hassled.

As I mentioned in my previous post though, this pick up ended up putting me on a no more arcade games moratorium for the time being. That is until I can convince my wife I really do need another one...

[Discuss on Forums]

What I missed while I was on vacation, part 1

Sega Amusements USA updates their website - Adds manuals for Primeval Hunt and Sega Race TV

Capcom's Street Fighter IV arcade Japanese pricing leaked - $22,000 for four standard kits or $40,000 for four linkable deluxe cabinets... Wow? In other Street Fighter IV news, the game is currently breaking test site records...

Street Fighter IV's latest 'New Challenger' revealed from the Capcom Unity blogs... Fans of Mexican Lucha Libre wrestlers should be happy - El Fuerte looks to carry the torch and mask of Capcom's Slammaster series.

Super Street Fighter II Turbo HD Remix State of the Union Address - Rey Jiminez gives us the skinny on the latest updates for Capcom's Super Turbo revival - also includes some slightly updates sprites (for better or worse depending on how you felt about the originals).

IGN's first look at 1942 Joint Strike force (XBLA/PSN)

Ketsui and Dondonpachi Daioujou Black Label will both be coming to the Xbox 360 courtesy of 5pb. Famitsu articles can be found here and here. I feel that somewhere Mihara is shedding a single tear over this one...

Initial D Extreme Stage coming to the PS3

Aksys is bringing Guilty Gear II Overture to the US with additional content - plans for a third quarter 2008 release are in the works

Gamercafe reveals the latest Soul Calibur IV character via Famitsu scans

SNK-Capcom reports on a recent North American Samurai Spirits Sen/King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match location test. Includes a ton of videos and a special 'announcement' of a King of Fighters XII US location test at Family Fun Arcade. The date is yet to be determined, but rumors are circulating for a mid-summer target...

New official trailer for Guilty Gear Accent Core Plus via Neo-Arcadia

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SD-Tekken reports Tekken 6 will not receive a US release in arcades

There has been a bit of speculation over the last couple of weeks as to when exactly distributors in the US would receive Tekken 6 cabinets. As has been pointed out previously, the game has failed to show up on the 'usual suspects' lists of companies that often times handle the distribution of Namco Bandai arcade games here in America. While no official sources were named, over at SD Tekken, one of the largest US based Tekken fansites, it is being reported that Tekken 6 will not be receiving a release in the US via official channels.

Of course, this won't limit arcade operators and distributors who choose to import the game, but as was pointed out in the article posted by SD Tekken, those wanting to get their hands on a cabinet will be facing some increasingly hefty price hikes. There are a few cabinets that can be found here and there, but it seems that for anyone who was expecting to see Tekken 6 meeting the same market penetration in the US as Tekken 5/Dark Resurrection will end up being disappointed.

As a side note, Kevin Williams of the Stinger Report posted a comment over at Arcade Heroes, where he states (prior to the latest revelation from SD Tekken) that he was going to be asking some tough questions in regards to this situation and how it relates to the US/UK distribution of the title to the Namco Bandai CEO at ASI in late March. It'll be interesting to see the response from an 'official source'.

I can't help but feel despite the obvious lack of faith in the US arcade industry by some companies, this may end up being a big missed opportunity due to the rabid fan base of the series. The only thing that I can see this really doing for the US base is drawing more fans away from arcades to begin with... Especially with the heels of an impending console release of Tekken 6 being planned late 2008.

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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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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...

[Discuss on Forums]

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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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 would be forgotten altogether.

Both companies are hoping to draw from the Sengoku Basara fanbase to drive sales and appeal for this game, but I can't help but wonder if that's going to be enough in light of recent announcements...

The game uses a similar system to BlazBlue on a superficial level. It features 3 attack buttons and a special button (in this case the Engun button) which will call on an assist character to perform a certain action based on when it's pressed. The longer you wait to press the assist, the higher your assists character's level will be and thusly so, the more damage you'll do. I've already covered Sengoku Basara X briefly here, so if you are interested, I would recommend checking out that link as well as the link to the official website above.

Tokyo Game Show promo - Sengoku Basara X

Street Fighter IV
Hardware - Taito Type X2
Developers - Capcom
Previous Games - Street Fighter III Third Strike, Marvel vs. Capcom 2
Release Date - 07/2008
Official Website - http://www.capcom.co.jp/sf4/
While my own hype for Street Fighter IV has decidedly cooled since AOU, I do understand that when most people think of fighting games in 2008 this will be the game that comes to their mind. I'm currently working through some notes that I was sent in regards to the game and the AOU 2008 build, so when I get through those I'll be sure to post them along with what information we have. Until then, this is the one game on the list that I feel has been covered more often than any other (due to its console port implications), so I don't feel its necessary to go into full details until I get the AOU post up on the site. I will say this much though, even though a lot of people tend to be rather negative when I mention EX around Street Fighter IV, certain parallels between the two can be made despite objections to the contrary. I'm holding off final judgments until I can sit down with a cabinet, but in my opinion, Capcom has a ways to go if they wish to win the hearts and minds of the hardcore fighting fans especially with the spectre of BlazBlue and King of Fighters XII looming over them... Could bringing back former Street Fighter fans be a possible thorn for Capcom's attempts to appeal to what should be their core demographic?

AOU 2008 Trailer - Street Fighter IV

Virtua Fighter 5 R
Hardware - Lindbergh
Developers - Sega, AM2
Previous Games - Virtua Fighter 5, Fighting Vipers
Release Date - 2008
Official Website - http://www.virtuafighter.jp/index.html
There's unfortunately not much information circulating about Virtua Fighter 5 R at this point in time. Though there was the AOU 2008 trailer which showcased a new character and a possible returning character (Taka-Arashi), the only other information we have is that the game will feature new stages and new modes of play unique to Virtua Fighter 5 R. Sega has made it clear that this isn't some basic update with some balance changes and goofy new pirate costumes... This is set to be the next "big" Virtua Fighter update that will shift the focus of the competitive scene off the current builds and onto something they hope is even more rewarding.

AOU 2008 Trailer - Virtua Fighter 5 R

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No cameras? No problem! (Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu)

Every year at both the AOU show and at the AM show, staff from the different companies have been claiming that they were going to be cutting back on unauthorized videos being released of the work in progress builds of their various games. As I mentioned a couple of days ago, this year was no different. The early reports that I was receiving were all mentioning the fact that there was supposed to be a crackdown on videos being taken of the different games on the show floor.

However, like every year, this didn't stop a steady stream of videos from being released over the course of the event. But there were a few casualties to mention due to the no filming policy some companies posted. Gaijin Punch over at Gamengai for example was stopped from filming Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu twice from two different Cave booth workers. The total recording he was able to complete for his stealth-like efforts? 1 second. Because of this, I found this video by sakiwe (one of the best sources for arcade expo videos from Japan) to be rather humorous in an odd sort of way (the big no filming sign caused me to chuckle). What's even more amusing is that the player in the video seems to be the very same Gaijin Punch who was having such a difficult time getting video footage of the game from the Cave booth workers as was pointed out by Icycalm on his forums. Small world, eh?

I understand a company's reluctance to allow early builds of their games to be shown off (anyone remember the disastrous YouTube videos from the grand Type X unveiling by Taito?), but you would think that they would be willing to release more of their own media on their own terms if they wouldn't allow attendees to film the games themselves. As was pointed out on the Shmups forums, sometimes these games go 6 months after their release before proper media is ever posted by the developer/publisher.

I guess this is just one of those grand mysterious of the Japanese arcade amusement scene...

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Melty Blood Actress Again no-show?

I've been trying to keep track of all the links and videos that I've been posting and while finally sorting some heads and tails of it all, I realized that Melty Blood Actress Again has not been in any of the preview coverage I've seen. This is despite the game being listed by Sega as being scheduled for an appearance prior to the build up to the event's opening.

As I looked into it a bit further, I came across this AOU 2008 write-up by the Akihabara Channel and I finally "get" why the game was a no show. Sega posted a sign during the business and public day that the planned Melty Blood Actress Again presentation had been canceled because it still needs time in development. A little bit of a disappointment for fans of the series (and also the prospects that the game will make Tougeki this year), but with the high quality fighting games already on a release schedule and being shown off at AOU 2008, a no showing is probably better than a poor, early showing.

The rest of the show preview from Akihabara Channel is mostly just a walkthrough of the event with some final pictures of the flyers and bonus items they received throughout the day. However, they do also have a few pictures posted of Konami's and Banpresto's prize items that I haven't seen elsewhere... Anyone interested in Beatmania or Otomedius figures may get a kick out of them.

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Amusement Journal AOU 2008 Day 2 Breakdown

The second day results from Amusement Journal's AOU 2008 polling have been posted on the Amusement Journal website. The top game should not come to anyone's surprise (Street Fighter IV), however it is interesting to note that there was quite a bit of movement among some of the other titles. Based on the results, it seems that most of the fightings game faired better on the public day than on the business day, as Basara X, BlazBlue, and King of Fighters '98 all moved up in the rankings. The polling breakdown among the top 5 games also had a much closer spread than day 1 where the deviation had a bit of a decline.

Top 10 Arcade games of AOU 2008
(Full list for day 2 is available on the link above)
1. Street Fighter IV (Capcom - Type X2)
2. Gundam vs. Gundam (Banpresto - System 256)
3. Lord of Vermilion (Square Enix - Type X2)
4. Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu (Cave - AMI)
5. BlazBlue (Arc System Works/AMI - Type X2)
6. Quiz and Magic Academy 5 (Konami)
7. Taiko Drum Master 11 (Bandai Namco)
8. Fate Unlimited Codes (Capcom - Type X2)
9. Action Deka (Konami)
10. Sengoku Basara X (Capcom/Arc System Works)

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Gemgemmania AOU 2008 Show report

One more set of links I found that I felt had enough to them to seperate it from the other link list. This comes from Gemgemmania and consists of a good break down of footage and information from the show floor. I haven't had a chance to digest it all yet, but there are some new videos to show off that give you a different perspective of the event.

Gemgemmania: Taito/SNK Playmore video presentations
Gemgemmania: Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu
Gemgemmania: Street Fighter IV information and videos
Gemgemmania: Jubeat/Konami

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Akihabara News round-up

Akihabara News has started posting their complete coverage of the AOU show. Like Gigazine.net, I was planning on simply giving the site some links over on the link list, but after looking through the coverage I decided to give it its own post for emphasis.

Akihabara News - Street Fighter IV coverage

Akihabara News - Space Invaders Extreme DS and PSP hands-on covereage - Though it's not a new Space Invaders arcade game, since it is the series' 30th anniversary, I can forgive Taito for bringing handhelds to an arcade show...

Akihabara News - Action Deka preview

Akihabara News - Konami telescope Simulator Byon Byon

Byon Byon action arcade video game by Konami
by AkihabaraNews

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Gigazine.net's AOU 2008 show reports

I started linking to these write ups and videos over in my general AOU 2008 show links page, but the more I did, the more I realized that Gigazine.net's coverage really needs to be pointed out for its unique takes on the booths, hand-outs, and videos going around the AOU show floor.

Currently, there are previews up for Street Fighter IV, Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu, Gundam vs. Gundam, BlazBlue, Trouble Witches, Jubeat, and Action Deka. Considering the regularity of the updates, I presume that there will probably be quite a few more throughout the weekend. Though there isn't a lot of information about the games in the different posts, there are quite a few videos, images, and eye candy to go along with them to make up for it.

[Update] - New links:
Gigazine: Atlus show report

Gigazine: Arcana Heart 2 report

Gigazine: AMI/Cave's Stage show featuring pirates, maids, and school girls - also features some new Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu images

Gigazine: AOU 2008 show overview

Gigazine: Monster AC - Thanks to Gamercafe.cl for the heads up on this one. I missed the link on Gigazine earlier today.



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AOU 2008 Videos (Day 1/2)

(Feel free to keep a link to this page if you wish... I'll be updating videos as I find them from the first day here. Second day videos will begin to be posted as they come in.)

Action Deka
Gameplay video 1
Gameplay video 2
Gameplay video 3
Gameplay video 1 - HQ

AMI Cos-play Stage show (Pirates, Maids, and More)- Cave related

Video 2
Video 3
Video 4
Video 5

AOU 2008 Opening Ceremony
Video

Arcana Heart 2
Booth shots
Booth Shots 2
Booth Shots 3
Booth Shots 4
Booth shots 5
Cos-players posing
Gameplay video 1
Gameplay video 2
Gameplay video 3
Gameplay video 4
Gameplay video 5 (Nicovideo) - requires registration
Gameplay video 6 (Nicovideo) - requires registration
Video 7
Video 8

Atlus videos
Video 1
Super Big Baseball (1)
Super Big Baseball (2)
Atlus stage demo

BlazBlue
Game Trailer - High Quality
Gameplay video 1
Gameplay video 2
Gameplay video 3
Gamespot Japan Blaz Blue video interview
Gameplay video 4
Gameplay video 5

Byon Byon

Byon Byon action arcade video game by Konami
by AkihabaraNews

D1GP Racing
Gameplay video 1

Dodonpachi Daifukkatsu
Video 1 - Cave Promo
(Next 2 Videos courtesy of Gigazine.net)
Gameplay Video 2
Gameplay Video 3
Gameplay Video 4
Gameplay Video 5
Gameplay Video 6
Gameplay Video 7
Gameplay Video 8
AmebaVision video 1
AmebaVision video 2
Gameplay video 9 - 5 minutes of footage, and rather funny due to the lovely no cameras sign being posted... Oh, Cave, if only you were willing to post more of your own media people wouldn't have to resort going Guerrilla on you.

Eternal Wheel
Video 1

Fate Unlimited Codes
Promo video
Video 1
Video 2
Video 3

Famitsu Wave TV
Famitsu Show coverage (video)

Gundam vs. Gundam
Video 1
Gundam vs Gundam video interview (Gamespot Japan)
Video 2

Half Life Survivor ver. 2.0


Illmatic Envelope/Illvelo
Gameplay Video 1

Jubeat
Gameplay video 1
Gameplay video 2
AmebaVision video 1
AmebaVision video 2

King of Fighters '98 Ultimate Match
Gamespot Japan interview
Video 1
Video 2

King of Fighters XII
I had my doubts, but it looks like SNK Playmore is going to pull it off... This really does look amazing in the shaky-hand cam sort of way.

Non-Youtube version of the trailer
Torrent and Direct Download of higher quality version - Thanks to Postback for the link.

Monster AC
Monster AC - courtesy of Gigazine.net

Prize Collection
Video 1

Quiz Magic Academy V
Konami QMA V stage presentation

Samurai Spirits Sen
Samurai Spirits Sen trailer
Samurai Spirits Sen trailer 2
Hoahmaru vs. Galford
Galford vs. Rimururu
Galford vs. Wanfu

Sengoku Basara X
Video 1
Video 2

Space Invaders Extreme - PSP/DS
Gameplay video 1 - HQ

Street Fighter IV
(1st Video courtesy of Gigazine.net)

Video 2 - Promo video
Crimson Viper Vs. Abel Gameplay video
Ryu Vs. Honda Gameplay Video
Chun Li and Crimson Viper Cos-players getting into the action
Chun Li vs. Ken (1)
Chun Li vs. Ken (2)
Guile vs. Zangief
(Next video is courtesy of