Month: January 2017

Welcome to the Rollback: a frame-by-frame look back at our past week’s most notable news–and our favorite SRK articles–from January 6 to January 12, 2017!

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Zavian “mushin_Z” Sildra, Editor-in-Chief:

Frame 1:
Relive All the Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Hype with the Top 8 Footage from Cooperation Cup 15

It was a blast to see the high-level competition unfold in this iconic entry in Street Fighter’s history; let this game be never declared dead–if that’s even possible with the attention it still draws!

Frame 2:
Dissidia Final Fantasy Arcade’s Newest Character is Kuja from Final Fantasy IX

The cast of Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy fighter keeps growing… I’m really hoping to hear about a console release date soon; I’m eager to try this game out!

Frame 3:
Battle K-Road: A Game That Deliberately Ignores the Idea of Wake-Ups

An interesting look at fighting game design gone both right and wrong at the same time–and a reminder that mechanics we might take for granted are open to reinterpretation–or removal.

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Sam “Trilby” Foxall, Assistant Editor:

Frame 1:
Immortals Gains Major Investment from Lionsgate, While the Miami HEAT Partners with Misfits

Big news from the world of esports, as Immortals and Misfits are the next teams to snag investment from companies with household names. With both teams having Super Smash Bros. Melee representation, expect them follow Echo Fox’s lead into the FGC soon.

Frame 2:
Are We Fully Considering the Impact an Esports Mentality Has on the Fighting Game Community?

As a suitable counterpoint, SRK writer Zidiane questions if the esports juggernaut is necessarily good for the FGC, as it may cause older games with niche communities to be swept away in favor of the big money.

Frame 3:
PR Balrog Encounters Glitch that Lets Him Play Season 1 Version of Balrog Online in Street Fighter V

Balrog seems to be moonlighting as a time traveler, as a recent glitch allowed PR Balrog to play as the Season 1 version of the boxer in Ranked matches. I wonder if this glitch is explored enough, you could revert the game all the way back to Super Street Fighter II…

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Keegan “Interrobang!?” Spindler, Features Editor:

Frame 1:
ARMS Launches onto the Nintendo Switch This Spring

Alright, bear with me on this one. It might not look like the most hardcore fighting game we’ve ever seen, but with promises that there is plenty of depth to be plumbed, I think this has potential. Just imagine what might happen if Nintendo really goes all in on it as an esport–could we have divisions, belts and weigh-ins in our future? I wouldn’t be complaining.

Frame 2:
Ed Boon Reveals Injustice 2’s Release Date

We knew it was coming but finally, finally, we know when. It’s still a few months away, but with so much of the roster still to be revealed, we should be in for an action-packed wait. 

Frame 3:
James “Duck” Ma Leaves Denial Esports; Cites Lack of Pay

This might not seem like the biggest news at first–James “Duck” Ma isn’t the biggest name in the FGC, after all. Here’s the thing though; he wasn’t paid for his time with the team, and with so many young esports teams out on the prowl, this suggests that it might be best to be safe rather than sorry. With all the musing we at SRK have been doing about whether esports is healthy for the scene, Duck’s departure is a warning sign that we can’t just ignore–especially since it’s not the first departure due to a lack of pay in recent times.

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Extra Frame:
Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers–featuring Evil Ryu & Violent Ken–Coming to Nintendo Switch

Viewers expected some kind of fighting game-related news from Nintendo’s Switch reveal event–but this was not expected. It’s an interesting, strange, and welcome announcement, and it could really help give this classic game some extra attention from new players!

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Editor’s note: The views expressed in this article and the selected posts are solely those of the writers, and do not reflect Shoryuken.com as a whole.