April 2005

Friday, April 29, 2005

New Samurai Shodown coming
Posted by White_Pointer at 22:15:02 CST
KOF isn't the only series SNK are currently working on. A new game in their Samurai Shodown series, titled Samurai Spirits: Tenka Ichi Kenkaku-den is the first Samurai Shodown game to use the Atomiswave platform instead of the NeoGeo. The game is apparently fairly close to completion as well...SNK will be beta testing the new game at selected Japanese arcades this weekend.

SNK have opened up their official web site for this game, as well as the other games in the series. When it's complete it will have characters profiles, a download section, and links to fan sites of all the titles in the series to date. Currently the site is Japanese-only, but an English version is on its way.

EDIT: The literal translation of Samurai Spirits: Tenka Ichi Kenkaku-den is, more or less, "Samurai Spirits: The Story of the Stronger Swordman". Thanks to Black Mage for providing us with that translation!
Post or view comments

More KOF titles are going Live
Posted by White_Pointer at 22:05:18 CST
SNK have recently revealed that their recently announced King of Fighters: Maximum Impact - Maniax isn't the only Live-enabled KOF game to be hitting the XBox this year. Also announced are King of Fighters: Neowave, King of Fighters '94 Re-bout and the King of Fighters 2002/2003 combo pack. The first two of these will be online tournament enabled, just like KOF: MI - Maniax, and SNK will even be holding official online tournaments with prizes.

"Xbox Live is the premiere online gaming network for fans of fighting games." said Ben Herman, SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION President. "We're going to bring our very best titles to the network, and support them with national tournaments where the contestants can score valuable SNK prizes."

New fighting game from Namco
Posted by White_Pointer at 22:06:45 CST
Turns out SCIII isn't the only 3D fighter Namco are currently working on. It's been revealed that much of the teams behind Tekken and SC are behind a new 3D, bare-knuckle street fighting game called Urban Ring. No platform has been announced yet, but it is expected to be released this year, meaning it will likely be on this generation of consoles. This also appears to be a brawler of sorts, as by the look of it, up to 4 players can be playing simultaneously to battle it out. Reportedly, you'll have a selection of over 60 characters to choose from, and be able to perform moves like wall-runs and wall-jumps. The names of four characters have been revealed so far: Lee Shun Ying, Brad Hawk, Dwayne, and Glen.

We'll bring you more coverage on this title when we can get our hands on some more information.
Post or view comments

Capcom's new game
Posted by White_Pointer at 04:03:09 CST
Well, before the weekend we reported that Capcom had opened up a teaser site for an upcoming unannounced game. Over the weekend, the site was fully opened, and by the looks of things, this isn't a new fighting game like we had hoped, but another entry in their popular Onimusha series, named "Shin Onimusha: Dawn of Dreams".

Fighting game fans can still take some good out of this though...Capcom actually announced a while ago that Onimusha 3 would be the last title in the series...yet here we are with a new title in the works. Going by this, it's still possible we'll see a new Street Fighter game, or perhaps a brand new fighting franchise sometime in the near future...keep your fingers crossed!
Post or view comments

SNK officially announces KOF: MI - Maniax
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:09:37 CST
A couple of days ago you might have noticed something in our list of fighting games that are going to be shown at E3...King of Fighters: Maximum Impact - Maniax on the XBox. Well, SNK have officially announced it now, and in case you haven't figured it out, this is the XBox port of KOF: MI that was released on the PS2 last year. However - the slight name change is warranted, as there will be several XBox exclusive features in it. In addition to XBox Live support, these include a stop-action camera, which allow you to pause the game mid-fight and take your own screenshots from any angle, Profile mode, which allows you to review your character's special moves and hear their in-game voices, and by popular demand you will be able to select between English or Japanese language for each battle.

"SNK has been inundated with letters and emails to bring THE KING OF FIGHTERS series to the Xbox." said Ben Herman, SNK PLAYMORE USA CORPORATION President. "KOF: MAXIMUM IMPACT-MANIAX will be the first of several big Xbox titles from SNK in 2005."

Sega on board for next XBox
Posted by White_Pointer at 04:44:47 CST
Sega - the guys responsible for the Virtua Fighter series, have announced that they are yet another large Japanese publisher to support the next Microsoft console, and have several games already in development for it. The fact that it has been definately announced as multiple titles, means we could very well be seeing a VF on the new XBox console. We'll keep you updated.
Post or view comments

Fighting games announced for E3
Posted by White_Pointer at 22:19:40 CST
Well, E3 is less than a month away now, and the majority of the big guys have released lists of games they will be showcasing at the event. Which are the fighting games that are going to be on show, you ask? Here they are (remember, these are only the ones that have been announced so far to be there):

Capcom
Beat Down: Fists of Vengeance (PS2, Xbox)

Midway
Mortal Kombat: Shaolin Monks (PS2, Xbox)

Namco
Soul Calibur III (PS2)

SNK Playmore
King of Fighters '94 Re-Bout (Xbox)
King of Fighters 02/03 (Xbox)
King of Fighters: Maximum Impact - Maniax (Xbox)
Samurai Shodown V (Xbox)
Post or view comments

Capcom counts down to...?
Posted by White_Pointer at 04:38:04 CST
Capcom have recently put up a countdown clock on their Japanese website, with some Japanese text that translates to "countdown to the descent of Yousei", where Yousei means "suspicious planet". What exactly it is relating to is unknown at this stage. We shouldn't need to wait long before we find out though - the countdown timer should end this coming Saturday. It's then that we expect Capcom will announce some new project. Will it be a fighting game?
Post or view comments

Another DBZ fighting game on its way
Posted by White_Pointer at 04:26:18 CST
Bandai, the publishers of the recent Dragon Ball Z games (not including the Budokai series) have recently announced another fighting game based on the popular anime is on its way. Named Dragon Ball Z Sparking! (which has got to be one of the dumbest sounding names for a fighting game we've ever heard), this game will actually be in full 3D, and takes a different perspective than what would be considered the norm, as you will be viewing your character from a behind-the-shoulder view. How this will work in multiplayer is as of yet unknown. Bandai says the game will feature more than 40 characters from the show and the full length movies, and at this point at least is Playstation 2 exclusive. It has only been announced for the Japanese market at the moment however, but we'll let you know if they decide to bring it to the rest of the world.
Post or view comments

Namco's Namstore stocking Tekken 5 merchandise
Posted by White_Pointer at 04:18:38 CST
Want to grab your own Tekken 5 stuff such as t-shirts and posters? Well, Namco have restocked their Namstore with more of these goodies. T-Shirts start at $15 and posters are $10. There's also card holders to hold the character cards for $10 each, or as part of a special deal you can get all three of these items together in a bundle for $25. Some of this stuff is limited edition and once they sold out you don't get another chance. Visit the Namstore to check the stuff out.
Post or view comments

World Cyber Games registrations open
Posted by White_Pointer at 14:14:28 CST
Registrations for the preliminary rounds of this year's World Cyber Games have opened up, where the winners of each of these rounds go on to take on the rest of the world. Fighting games are represented in this year's lineup in the form of Dead or Alive Ultimate.

"Last year, World CyberGames was promoted widely in the US West Coast through the WCG Grand Final event in San Francisco," said Hank Jeong, CEO of International Cyber Marketing. "This year, we expect to boost WCG's reputation by attracting even more gamers and also the general public to the East Coast-based National Final event in New York."

SF creator developing 6 new titles
Posted by White_Pointer at 03:10:55 CST
You might remember that some time ago we reported that Yoshiki Okamoto, the guy who created Street Fighter, left Capcom after 19 years and formed his own company, Game Republic. It has recently been revealed in Japanese Gaming Magazine Famitsu that Game Republic, with it's current 143 employees, are working on 6 new titles. Their first game, Genji (a 3D fighting game), will be released on the PS2 towards the end of this year in Japan. We also know that GR is developing at least 2 games for Microsoft's next console (one of which will have Live compatibility) so that's still 3 games that are as of yet unannounced. Expect to hear some more news on this when E3 rolls around.
Post or view comments

SCIII release scheduled for the fall
Posted by White_Pointer at 01:01:14 CST
Today, Namco unveiled a list of the expected release dates of their games that are currently announced to be under development. Soul Calibur III is on the list of course, and according to Namco is currently scheduled for a release in the fall (Autumn) of this year. We can probably expect to get some more solid information during E3 next month, but at least this is decent news for SC fans for the time being.

The full list of Namco games and expected release dates is as follows:

April 2005:
Dead to Rights II (PS2, Xbox)
HUGO: The Evil Mirror (GBA)
Mr. Driller 2 (GBA)
Pac-Man Pinball Arcade (GBA)
Popeye: Rush for Spinach (GBA)

June 2005:
Arc the Lad: End of Darkness (PS2)
Sigma Star Saga (GBA)

August 2005:
Gumby vs. the Astrobots (GBA)
Rebelstar: Tactical Command (GBA)
HUGO Bukkazoom! (GBA)

Fall 2005:
Pac-Man World 3 (PS2, Xbox, GCN, PSP)
Soul Calibur III (PS2)
Shogun Warriors: The Lost Army (NDS)
Post or view comments

Fighting Game special on G4TV
Posted by White_Pointer at 04:04:47 CST
The episode of G4TV "Attack of the Show" that will air on the 14th of April will have a special on fighting games, looking at games from yesteryear and comparing them to the fighting games available in this day and age. Strangely, they list the original Mortal Kombat as the best ever fighting game...something I'm sure the majority of the fighting game community would disagree with. Regardless, if you want to see some more details on the upcoming show visit G4TV's website. Thanks to MKCage for this news.
Post or view comments

Fighting Game publishers on board for XBox 2
Posted by White_Pointer at 03:09:12 CST
Today, Microsoft issued a press release that listed all of the confirmed publishers that were on board for their new console. The list is quite impressive, with several fighting game publishers (bolded) named in there:

2KGames
Activision Inc.
Atari Inc.
Bandai Co. Ltd.
Bethesda Softworks LLC
Buena Vista Games Inc.
Capcom Co. Ltd.
Codemasters Software Company Ltd.
Eidos Inc.
Electronic Arts Inc.
FromSoftware Inc.
InterServ International
KOEI Co. Ltd.
Konami Corp.
LucasArts
Majesco Entertainment
Midway Games Inc.
Namco Ltd.
Phantagram Co. Ltd.
Rockstar Games
SCi Games Ltd.
SEGA
Tecmo Ltd.
THQ Inc.
TWP Corp.
Ubisoft Entertainment
Vivendi Universal Games Inc.

Of course, this could mean anything at this early stage, but going by this list, chances are we are going to see quite a number of new fighting games emerging on the next XBox console.
Post or view comments

New Poll
Posted by White_Pointer at 03:41:12 CST
Time for a change of pace with the polls.

We know many fighting games have storylines, even though when you think about it, they are the least likely of game genres to need one. They are usually filled with some science fiction or mystical gumbo, but they are almost always there.

So, in our new poll, we ask you the question, do storylines matter in fighting games? Vote now!
Post or view comments

Poll Results
Posted by White_Pointer at 03:37:18 CST
In our most popular poll to date, we asked you what you thought the best ever fighting game was. It was hotly contested with over 2,500 votes, but the final results are as follows:

11.2%- Super Smash Bros. Melee
11.1%- Street Fighter II
9.4%- Guilty Gear X2 #Reload
8.4%- Mortal Kombat II
6.6% - Other
6.2% - Street Fighter III: Third Strike
6% - Soul Calibur
5.9% - Marvel vs Capcom 2
5.4% - Tekken 3
5.4% - Killer Instinct
5.2% - Capcom vs SNK 2
4.8% - Tekken Tag Tournament
4.7% - King of Fighters '98
4% - Dead or Alive 3
3.2% - Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution
1% - Darkstalkers
0.8% - Powerstone

In a totally surprise result, SSBM has managed to pip SFII as the site visitor's number 1 fighting game!
Post or view comments

Gamepro Reader's Choice Awards announced
Posted by White_Pointer at 04:01:02 CST
You might remember we reported quite a while ago that Game Informer magazine was running their reader's choice awards for 2004. Well, after nearly 4 months of voting, it has come to a close. The winner of the fighting game category was Mortal Kombat: Deception, with Dead or Alive Ultimate coming in second and Dragon Ball z: Budokai 3 coming in a surprising third place.

To find out the rest of the award recipients, you'll need to buy this month's issue of Game Informer.
Post or view comments

More SCIII screens
Posted by White_Pointer at 04:09:17 CST
As expected the info on Soul Calibur III is flying in thick and fast, and we have some more new screenshots as a result! New additions to the gallery include new screens of the new characters Setsuka, Tira and Zasalamel in action, plus full 3D renders of these characters. Check them out in our Soul Calibur III Image Gallery!
Post or view comments

MK Deception comics revealed in Wizard Magazine
Posted by White_Pointer at 02:53:34 CST
The May 2005 issue of Wizard Magazine has revealed information about the Mortal Kombat: Deception comics that are due to be released this month. We know John Vogel, who was an integral part of the small team that made the original MK game way back in 1992 and has stayed on board throughout MK's many interations is involved in the comic books so that should be good news to MK fans. Issue one of the comics will be available in 3 different variants, 2 with different artwork on the front and a chrome version with the MK: Deception box art on it. The comics take place between MK: DA and MK: Deception so fans can find out what happens to each character in between the two games.

For more information about the comics, you'll need to grab a copy of the May issue of Wizard magazine from your newsagent.
Post or view comments

New Fan Art
Posted by White_Pointer at 03:34:59 CST
We've had a few new fan art submissions recently and we've finally put them onto the site so here they are. Rachael York has sent us another great hand-drawn picture of a group of characters from SF EX. Izzat Rusydi Ismail (aka Blues) has made his first fan art submission to the site by giving us a hand drawn sketch of Kyo from the KOF series. Finally, nikolag has sent us more images of his own fighting game characters. View all the new eye candy in Gallery 6 of our Fan Art section.
Post or view comments

More SCIII details
Posted by White_Pointer at 21:06:47 CST
More details are coming through on Namco's latest announced project, Soul Calibur III, coming from the game's official Japanese site.

We now know that for the first time in the series, the game is actually hitting the US and Europe BEFORE Japan. Although no date was announced for the US and Europe releases, the Japanese version is expected to be released in the Northern Hemisphere's Autumn (Fall) so expect it in the US and Europe before then.

We also now know that unlike SCII, SCIII will not feature any bonus guest characters, despite the fact that the development team have had numerous offers by third parties to have their guest characters included. This is probably largely due to the fact it will be exclusive to the PS2, but Hiroaki Yotoriyama (the game's producer) did mention that "they don't want to do the same thing twice".

Finally, it has been revealed by Yotoriyama that SCIII will NOT feature any online play.

"At the current time, the online infrastructure is extremely different between countries, and there's people that can't enjoy network gaming. We've decided to concentrate on improving the game's offline content and its characters so that people all over the world will be able to have fun."