December 2004

Friday, December 24, 2004

Merry Christmas!
Posted by White_Pointer at 23:50:26 CST
Well it's that time of year again, and since this is typically a slow time of year for news anyway, we'll be taking a short break from the daily news. But don't worry, we'll be back on January 2nd next year, giving you the best fighting game coverage on the Internet! Everyone have a Merry Christmas and a safe new year!

The Blood-Sports.net team.
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The Fighting Games of 2004
Posted by White_Pointer at 17:58:55 CST
Well, 2004 has been a steller year for fighting game fans, with plenty of new games released, and already promises for a few new titles next year. So let's recap on the year we've just had...here's the list of fighting games that were released this year, in no particular order:

Mortal Kombat: Deception
Dead or Alive Ultimate
Guilty Gear X2 #Reload
Guilty Gear Isuka
Street Fighter Anniversary Collection
King of Fighters: Maximum Impact
Capcom Fighting Evolution
Godzilla: Save the Earth
Fight Club
Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3
Dragon Ball Z: Supersonic Warriors
SNK vs Capcom: SVC Chaos (XBox Live version)

There's surely something out of those titles that should appeal to you! But wait, there's a few more that have been released this year but only in Japan or Arcade with the console versions due out sometime next year. These are:

The Rumblefish
Tekken 5
King of Fighters: Neowave

That's all of them...now we can look forward to a great 2005 and even more great fighting games!
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Next set of Tekken 5 TRC's revealed
Posted by White_Pointer at 05:24:45 CST
The next set of time release characters for Tekken 5 emerged about a week ago. Joining Baek Doo San, Anna Williams and Roger Jr. are Bruce Irvin, Kuma and Wang Jinrey. By the way the pattern is developing, it could be possible that we'll see the next set of TRC's being unlocked sometime near the end of the month or beginning of the next. We'll keep you updated.
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Goro and Shao Kahn to feature in GC version of MK: Deception
Posted by White_Pointer at 03:54:44 CST
The February issue of Nintendo Power magazine will give us some insights on the Gamecube version of Mortal Kombat: Deception, which is due out early next year. They have interviewed Ed Boon himself about what might be expected in the GC version. The biggest bit of news is the unveiling of two GC exclusive characters...Goro and Shao Kahn! This is huge news to MK fans and GC owners in particular, and these two guys are in the game to make up for the lack of online play that's available in the XBox and PS2 version. How they are going to fit these characters into the story however (considering they are both supposed to be dead) remains a mystery at the moment.

A quote from the article:

NP: What led to the inclusion of Goro and Shao Kahn as exclusive characters?
EB: Since the Nintendo GameCube version is coming out after the other versions, we wanted to add something exclusive and special to set it apart. People have always wanted to control the boss characters in MK, and now we are giving them the chance to control two of the biggest, baddest bosses from any MK game!

Gamespot's best and worst of 2004
Posted by White_Pointer at 15:01:05 CST
Well, Gamespot have done up there annual best and worst games of 2004 feature for this year, and fighting games feature in the award winners. Which ones you ask?

Fight Club won the award for "Worst Use of a Good License". Obviously this was in their "dubious awards" category.

Mortal Kombat: Deception won "Best Fighting Game". DOA Ultimate, DBZ: Budokai 3, DF: Fight for NY and GG Isuka were also nominated for this award.

The only awards left are the game of the year (which no fighting games have been nominated) and reader's choice awards...where the voting begins on December 23rd and the winners announced in January next year.

To read the entire feature click here.
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New affiliate
Posted by White_Pointer at 15:00:05 CST
We've partnered up with a new affiliate site, 1Emulation. As you might expect these guys specialise in the emulator scene, providing regular news on the latest developments and offering emulator downloads (no roms) as well as an active forum community. They've been around for about as long as we have so they are well established. Check them out when you get the chance!
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New History of Fighters article
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:41:41 CST
Pube has wrtten up another History of Fighters article, this time on the 1989 NES game The Adventures of Bayou Billy. Check it out as always in our History of Fighters section, or to go straight to the article click here.
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SNK changes its name
Posted by White_Pointer at 05:00:25 CST
Not as big a piece of news as you might think...SNK has had a name change. SNK NEOGEO USA CONSUMER CORPORATION have changed their name to SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION, probably to mark the fact that they will no longer be producing games for the aged NeoGeo arcade board.

"The name may have changed, but the business model remains the same," said Ben Herman, president of SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION. "SNK is and always will be about bringing great games to the marketplace."

New play mode revealed for Tekken 5
Posted by White_Pointer at 03:43:57 CST
Namco have announced that there will be a new play mode exclusive to the PS2 version of Tekken 5! This will be in the form of a kind of action game and will follow the side story of Jin Kazama. Namco says players can enjoy unique actions not allowed in the main game, including the ability to move freely throughout stages, destroy columns and walls, jump to the second floor, double jump to obtain out-of-reach items and hang from walls. The bonus mode will also contain a number of strategic elements to challenge players as they advance further along in stages.

How this new play mode will turn out remains to be seen, but regardless it's good to see Namco trying new things.
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Tekken 5 report in PSM
Posted by White_Pointer at 04:40:29 CST
This month's PSM (Playstation Magazine) has given us their preliminary report on the PS2 version of Namco's long awaited Tekken 5. This is what they had to say:

TEKKEN 5
Less changes than a driving house beat

Fill in the blank: Dead or Alive is to Xbox as Tekken is to ____. If you answered PS2, then you win... nothing! But we will keep you in mind the next time we want to give away our precious gaming swag.
We all knew that it was coming, and now we've finally played it. Tekken 5, perhaps one of the most anticipated fighters on the PS2, is everything you expect from a Tekken game - but not much else. The gameplay features changes that will likely be transparent to the casual player, with the notable exception being the absence of any kind of tag battle mode.
Luckily, the game does feture three new characters (though unsurprisingly, they play similarly to other characters), sext new stages, and an action/adventure-type game to kill the time between the real battles. Also, taking a cue from Virtua Fighter 4, you can buy a plethora of clothing accessories for each character and dress them up like you would your very own Barbie (or is that Ken?) doll.
Fixing something that ain't broke (read: the fighting system) has never been a crime, and tweaking it is even better, but where's our long-overdue online play?

MK: Deception wins best fighting game at Spike TV awards
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:36:43 CST
Last week we reported that the annual Spike TV awards were to be held this week. Unlike last year's rather laclustre award ceremony, this year it was cranked up several notches and was convincingly better overall.

This year didn't seem much different to last year in regards to the best fighting game category though. Many games that should have been nominated for the best fighting game weren't, and there was some very dubious inclusions in the list of nominations to say the least, but thankfully, this year common sense prevailed and a real fighting game won the award...Mortal Kombat: Deception. Fighting games did not feature in any other award wins.

To see the full list of nominations and winners check out Spike TV's official site.
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New Review
Posted by White_Pointer at 03:52:43 CST
Our last review of the year, and this time we take a look at Midway's latest incarnation of the MK franchise, Mortal Kombat: Deception. Want to know what a dedicated fighting game fansite thinks of the game? Check the review out in our reviews section! Don't forget, there's plenty of room for discussion in our forums. Enjoy!
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Capcom seeking suggestions for their next PSP game
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:28:07 CST
With Vampire Chronicle already confirmed to be a release on the PSP, Capcom is asking their fans now what other franchises and what genres they would like to see on Sony's new handeld in their new web poll, although before you go clicking that link it IS in Japanese. Capcom have listed down just about all of their famous games in the poll:

1. Resident Evil
2. Onimusha
3. Devil May Cry
4. Viewtiful Joe
5. Gyakuten Saiban
6. Mega Man X
7. Mega Man Battle Network
8. Mega Man Zero
9. Other Mega Man Series
10. Monster Hunter
11. Street Fighter
12. Capcom Vs. SNK
13. Marvel Vs. Capcom
14. Rival Schools
15. Breath of Fire
16. Ghouls 'n' Ghosts

Will they extend this poll outside of Japan? Let's hope so, so they can get the input from the rest of the world as well. A new SF or Vs. game certainly wouldn't look out of place on the PSP.
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New Fan Art
Posted by White_Pointer at 03:20:34 CST
dA LiN kUeI mAsTa has sent us a new piece of artwork for our fan art section! He's drawn a cool picture of Jade from the MK games, so you can check it out in fan art gallery 5 in our fan art section. Don't forget if you have some fan art you would like to show to the whole world, click the "fan art" section of our menu under the "features" header and follow the simple submission instructions!
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NeoGeo Battle Coliseum media frenzy!
Posted by White_Pointer at 03:13:38 CST
Following the recent news of the new characters added to the game, we've updated our site now with heaps of new content for NeoGeo Battle Coliseum. We've opened up 2 image galleries with more than 50 screenshots, and updated the movie section with a new downloadable trailer! Check out the image galleries on our KOF images page and the new movie on our KOF movie page.
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Two new games from Sega to be shown at Jump Festa
Posted by White_Pointer at 04:05:03 CST
Sega has announced that they will be showing two of their unreleased games at this year's Jump Festa event, held on December 18 and 19 in Japan. One of them we reported on several months ago called Bleach, a fighting game based on the popular Japanese anime Shonen Jump. The other game we haven't heard of before...it will be called "Shinsengumi Gunrou-Den" and this will apparently be a Samurai game of sorts, although whether it is a fighting game or some kind of action adventure remains to be seen.
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New NeoGeo Battle Coliseum characters
Posted by White_Pointer at 04:03:30 CST
Two new characters have been revealed for SNK's upcoming game NeoGeo Battle Coliseum, currently in development for Sammy's Atomiswave arcade platform. Shiki from Samurai Showdown 64 has been added to the lineup, as well as Mudman from the World Heroes series.

The full list of confirmed characters is now as follows:

Terry Bogard
Marco Rossi
Keiichiro Washizuka
Nakoruru
K'
Mai Shiranui
Geese Howard
Yuki
AI
Kim
Tung Fu Rue
Asura
Hanzo
Fuma
Kyo Kusanagi
Iori Yagami
Rock Howard
Kisarah Westfield
Haohmaru
Cyber Woo
Kaede
Akari Ichijo
Mr. Karate
Mr. Big
Shermie
Hotaru Futaba
Robert Garcia
Lee Pai Long
Moriya Minakata
Genjyuro Kibagami
Jin Chonrei
Jin Chonshu
Shiki
Mudman

That's quite a list, and there's still a few more left to be revealed! We've got some screenshots of the two new characters in action, so check them out too.
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Spike TV Video Game Awards
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:46:02 CST
As is the case every year, Spike TV are holding their annual video game awards. This year it will be on December 14th and hosted by Snoop Dog. Not surprisingly, we see fighting games featuring in some of the categories.

First of all, the nominees for best fighting game are:

Dead or Alive Ultimate
Def Jam: Fight for NY
Fight Night 2004
Mortal Kombat: Deception
WWE Smackdown vs Raw

Yeah, I know, half of those games shouldn't even be in that category because they aren't real fighting games, and where the hell is stuff like Guilty Gear Isuka and KOF: Maximum Imapct? One of the many reasons the Spike TV awards are a joke.

Tina Williams from DOA Ultimate is also nominated in the Category of "Cyber Vixen of the Year".

To caste your vote, head on over to SpikeTV.
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Free bonus disc with Capcom Fighting Jam
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:55:27 CST
Apparently, if you order a copy of Capcom Fighting Jam from Play-Asia, you'll also receive a bonus, seperately packaged DVD called the "Master's Disc". Although we don't know exactly what's on the DVD yet, we have been told it looks like a pretty good bonus feature, so if you have a Japanese converter for your PS2 it might be worth looking at.

Thanks to James Weber for the news.
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New wireless controllers for the Gamecube
Posted by White_Pointer at 04:01:03 CST
Nyko has shipped out some new wireless controllers for the Gamecube which should please fighting game fans. The controller is not only wireless (working to a distance of 50 feet) but also generates a constant flow of air onto the hands to prevent sweating. The best part for fighting game fans is that the d-pad actually comes with a detachable joystick, making your game of choice much easier to play. The Wireless Air Flo controller for the GameCube retails for $24.99.
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New Poll
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:36:59 CST
Well, we all like fighting games, or we wouldn't be visiting this site. However, do you actually study martial arts for real? The new poll asks you this, so vote now!
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Poll Results
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:32:44 CST
Time for a new poll, so here's the results of the last one:

What platform do you prefer fighting games to be on?

61.9% - Console
25.7% - Arcade
9.9% - PC
1.1% - Other
1.1% - Hand-Held

Overwhelmingly it seems most gamers prefer to play their fighting games on consoles. It certainly indicates that the arcade scene isn't as popular as it used to be.
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Tekken 5 Time Release Characters start showing up
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:08:56 CST
On Wednesday three...yes three Time Release Characters were revealed in Tekken 5 according to Tekken Zaibatsu, from the Korean release: Anna Williams, Baek Doo San and Roger Jr. This certainly is a surprise to those players expecting only one at a time over longer periods of time. We'll bring you more updates as they become available.
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Midway acquires Paradox Development
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:30:06 CST
Midway has acquired Paradox Development as a first party developer as they are working on the new MK spin-off game Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks, which is currently due out late next year for the PS2 and XBox.

"The Paradox teams' expertise in the fighting genre is an excellent fit with Midway's product strengths and will help us extend the Mortal Kombat franchise into the action-adventure genre and release a highly engaging title in the Mortal Kombat universe annually. Today's acquisition further strengthens our ability to expand on our current portfolio of games and produce new high quality, top-selling games for the future." said Midway CEO David Zucker.

New Fan Art
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:38:36 CST
More new fan art eye candy for your viewing pleasure! This time Robert DeJesus has sent us an awesome piece of artwork in the form of Cammy from the SF games. Check it out in our fan art section in gallery 5. Don't forget to also follow that link or the link in the menu if you want to submit your own fighting game fan art!
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MK: Deception high in sales charts
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:39:16 CST
The October sales charts have been released, and not surprisingly, Mortal Kombat: Deception is right up there. In fact it debuted as the Number 1 selling XBox game in October and the 3rd best selling PS2 game! Not a bad effort considering it was up against the likes of GTA: San Andreas and Tony Hawk's Underground 2. In fact when you factor in all of the sales from all of the consoles put together (including the GBA), The PS2 version ranked 3rd overall and the XBox version 6th. Quite an impressive feat to say the least.
To view the full sales charts click here.
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