Month: August 2017

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Earth Romancer shows off its anime/platform fighter inspirations in new gameplay trailer

Teased earlier this year, Lunar Hare Studios are back with a brand new trailer for their new platform fighter, Earth Romancer. Taking clear inspiration from both anime fighters like BlazBlue and Melty Blood, along with games like Super Smash Bros. Melee, Earth Romancer promises to be “the next evolution in platform fighters”.

Just from the trailer, you can clearly see how Earth Romancer is mixing mechanics from both genres to create something new. On top of wavelands, wavedashes and reverse aerial rushes, you’ve got air dashes and air parries to deal with both aerial and grounded pressure. The combat system uses standard fighting game conventions like high/low attacks, guard crushes and chain combos, and then combines it with the smooth movement and aerial-centric combo system you see in your standard platform fighter. Layer in a universal stance-switch — where all characters can switch between two different combat styles — and Earth Romancer looks to be a tech-skill and lab monster’s dream.

We also got a glimpse of new character Keagan, a wolf martial artist who must have studied at both the Masters and McCloud schools of karate. He’s got moves like Fox’s neutral air and Falco’s down air, as well as Jin Saotome-esque attacks where he summons a giant hand to punch or shoot fireballs, along with the ability to fire flaming projectiles from his feet.

With anime and platform fighters being cut from the same cloth when it comes to movement, fluid combos and super-unique character designs, it’s amazing that no-one has blended the two genres before. The indie game Wishmere experimented with a Roman cancel-esque mechanic, but Earth Romancer is going lock, stock and barrel in melding anime and platform fighter mechanics together to create something brand new. Personally, Earth Romancer‘s trailer is what Icons‘ should have been — by unveiling all the cool new elements it is bringing to the table, rather than retreading old ground with characters which looked too familiar to platform fighter veterans. The market is starting to get fierce, and Earth Romancer looks like it has all the tools to go toe-to-toe with its competitors.

Planned for release on both console and PC, Lunar Hare Studios are gearing up for a Earth Romancer Kickstarter in the near future, so keep your eyes peeled for more information.

Source: Lunar Hare Studios

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Final Fantasy XIV – Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood Game Sweepstakes

MMORPG.com has 15 total prizes for PC version of Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood to give away to our community. Prizes include 10 copies of the Complete Edition which features the core game and the Heavensward and Stormblood expansions and 5 copies of the Stormblood expansion. This sweepstakes will run from August 19 @ 4:30PM EDT to August 26 @ 4:30PM EDT. The more days you login to MMORPG.com during the sweepstakes the better your odds of winning!

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Wham-O lets you play Windjammers for real with their officially-licensed “Flying Power Disc” Frisbee

Show your love for Windjammers at the park or beach with Wham-O’s commemorative Frisbee!

If you’re hyped for the upcoming arrival of FGC fan-favorite Windjammers on PlayStation 4 and PS Vita — coming August 29th — and want to take your jamming out into actual sunshine, Wham-O has got just the thing. They’ve revealed a commemorative Frisbee toy — a “real” Flying Power Disc — to mark the re-release of the game from Data East and DotEmu.

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Windjammers Frisbee

The limited-edition toy will be sold exclusively via Fangamer.com; as of this writing the price and release date are still not known, but you can sign up at Fangamer to be notified when this disc will be unleashed.

As for the game itself, hopefully the reported bugs in the closed beta will be squished as promised before it hits our consoles at the end of August.

Sources: press release; Fangamer

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Shoryuken review: 8Bitdo NES30 Arcade Stick for Nintendo Switch

The Switch’s fighting game selection is rather meager at the moment, with Ultra Street Fighter II and ports of old NEO GEO arcade games acting as the only places for Switch owners to throw down. With Pokkén Tournament DX on the horizon and the potential for ports of upcoming titles like Dragon Ball FighterZ, fighting game fans may be looking for a Switch-compatible arcade stick in the future. HORI’S RAP V is an expensive stick to start with, so 8Bitdo have stepped in with a budget option: the NES30 Arcade Stick. Priced at $79.99, is this retro-inspired stick a worthwhile purchase?

Let’s start off with the panel artwork, which is the most striking thing about the NES30. The stick sports a black, grey, and red color scheme, meant to evoke the NES and its original controller. While eye-catching and great for retro fans, the NES design means that players are restricted when it comes to modding this stick. Unless you spray paint the panel, you’re stuck to using red buttons if you wanted to swap out the buttons — and trust me, you’ll want to swap out the buttons.

Based off a Mayflash F300 shell, the NES30 uses their own stock parts, resulting in a stick that doesn’t have a premier feel. The lever is loose, the buttons are made of low-grade plastic and the panel has a grainy texture which feels fairly unpleasant on your hands. Everything has an unnerving click to it, as if the stick could fall apart at any moment. It is easy to take off the back and put in your own parts in — as it is built from a Mayflash case — but that runs the risk of meddling with the NES30’s unique look. Don’t get me wrong, everything works, but the NES30 really feels like a budget stick.

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When it comes to function, the NES30 is a pain to set up, but works well once you’re over that hurdle. It is designed to be paired to your PC, phone or Switch via Bluetooth, meaning you’ll have to spend a decent amount of time actually getting it to work. Setting it up with my PC took no time at all, while linking it to my Switch took way too long. God forbid you go to a tournament with this stick, as the TO will no doubt disqualify you in the time it takes to connect your stick. There is a firmware update coming soon which allows the NES30 to be paired to a Switch via its USB-C charging cable, which will make things much simpler. If you want the NES30 to work with other consoles, you will have to go into the guts and install a new PCB, as it is currently not compatible with either the PS4 or Xbox One.

With no other amenities like a headphone jack, it is clear that the NES30 isn’t really designed for hardcore fighting game players. It’s more for retro gaming fans who want to have a stick to play on to emulate that feel of the arcade. For those who already have a fight stick they want to use on the Switch, you’re better off buying the recently announced Switch Brook converters or modding your stick to work with the system. Otherwise, you best look at HORI’s RAP V if you want a proper fight stick for the Switch. Even then, you’re better off waiting for more than one new fighting game before you going buying a stick for this new console.

Pros:

  • Easy to customize
  • Eye-catching design

Cons:

  • Only works with the Switch via Bluetooth [currently]
  • Isn’t compatible with PlayStation 4 or Xbox One
  • Low-grade plastic buttons and loose lever