Killer Instinct 2.1 Update Now Live – Kan-Ra, Various Balance Changes, and More

If you haven’t been obsessively watching your Xbox One for signs of Killer Instinct’s latest update, here’s some great news: the patch that upgrades the game to ver.2.1 is now live, bringing with it a brand new character, balance changes for the rest of the cast, and more.

Kan-Ra, the trap grappler who brings a number of unique mechanics to Iron Galaxy Studios’ work on Killer Instinct’s second season, is perhaps the most visible piece of today’s update. While he’s the third fighter to be added to the playable cast this season, he’s the first newcomer since Sadira from the initial release, bringing some fresh new ideas to the popular reboot.

Fans should be prompted sometime today to download this update (these things happen in waves), but those who purchased the Combo Breaker pack will have to wait until this Sunday, November 30, to play with Kan-Ra.

A full list of changes included in ver.2.1 can be found here.

Source: Ultra-Combo

MCZ|Daigo Umehara and EG|Justin Wong Recreate Iconic Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Parry at Moment 37 Reloaded

This weekend, Super Arcade hosted Moment 37 Reloaded, a tournament honoring the ten year anniversary of Evo Moment 37, perhaps better known as the Daigo Parry. Everyone who has a background in fighting games can directly quote the commentary in that legendary clip which touches briefly on Daigo’s rare angry play and Justin’s turtle style. Even though the footage is old, the way that the crowd positively explodes when Daigo pulls off the maneuver still gets my blood pumping.

This is what fighting games are all about.

So when Mad Catz’ Daigo Umehara and Evil Genius’ Justin Wong sat down to their first-to-three exhibition in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike this weekend, it was understandable that everyone wanted to see that legendary moment a second time. The scene was set perfectly: Daigo locked in on Ken and Justin on Chun-Li and they hit the streets of New York City, the same stage in which the original event took place. Of course, James Chen and David “UltraDavid” Graham filled the microphones with their knowledge of the original commentary and the crowd’s energy was absolutely palpable every time Justin filled up a bar of Super meter.

Even though it seemed as though we were all ready, we were not. At around the five minute mark in their set when Daigo actually performed a full parry mid-match and converted it into the same massive punish as a decade prior, the microphones stopped picking up sound. The hype was too much to record.

If you missed the set, you can check out the full video below, but do yourself a favor and at least watch the parry portion. Even if you’ve already seen it. Even if you watched it live. Ten years ago this moment helped to keep the fighting genre alive during its darkest hours. I can only imagine the positive energy that this new moment will bring to the current generation of fighting fans.

For full tournament results as well as additional details surrounding the event, head over to our post covering Moment 37 Reloaded.

Source: Super Arcade

Taskmaster Throw Conversions, Frank West Solo Leveling, and More – Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 Roundup

Today, we’ve got a collection of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 tech that represents some of the most interesting stuff surrounding the title that has surfaced over the last couple of weeks.

To start things off, Honzo Gonzo’s provided a Taskmaster video that demonstrates a couple of ways to convert a corner throw into big damage. Under the right circumstances, this option tops out at over one million damage–pretty impressive for a throw opener.

This tech from BE|Kane Blueriver proves that Frank West can weather the battle with nothing but his trusty camera. The combo shown allows for the shutterbug to solo his way up to level 4–no DHC, THC, TAC, or assists required.

In this clip, Aonien puts Phoenix Wright to work on some solo damage numbers that are certain to turn a few heads. The combo makes use of a corner loop available in Turnabout Mode to produce a devastating series of objections to put down even the heartiest opponents.

Chun-Li has some of the flashiest ground-heavy combos in the game and this string from Eldon Moore is no exception. Through the use of only a single meter, the strongest woman in the world can dish out a whopping 830k damage before the feet stop flying.

Fans of big body characters from Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will enjoy this combo for Haggar, backed up by Sentinel and Hulk. As BE|Kane Blueriver shows off, this combo dishes out an insane one million damage for the low price of a single bar of meter, while itself building nearly two.

Sources: Honzo Gonzo, Kane Blueriver, Aonien, Eldon Moore

Runescape: Players Wipe Out Last Year’s Charity Giving

Players Wipe Out Last Year

With a week yet to go, RuneScape players have beaten last year’s in-game charity initiative called the Well of Goodwill. During 2013, players raised over $90,000. To date in 2014, the total Jagex is ready to donate to selected charities is over the $120,000 mark with seven more days of giving to go.