Top Street Fighter YouTube channel YogaFlame24 has created a new weekly series for “The Home of Fighting Entertainment.” This new “Top 5 Plays of the Week” series will count down what they feel are the five best SFV plays each week, based off of clips of online matches sent in by viewers to Twitter, as well as taken from various streams of top players.
The first episode features the controversial Wolfkrone making a V-Trigger comeback with Laura after being perfected the previous round, and Realistic’s crazy bomb shenanigans with Ibuki. There’s an absolutely breathtaking Critical Art escape from HORI|Sako, LI Joe taking an unsuspecting Zangief on a trip to Mixup City, and Chris Hu showing he’s more than just a commentator with a hype comeback at a recent Next Level Battle Circuit. (You might not want want to watch that last moment with headphones on.) You can catch the full video below to experience the hype for yourself.
YogaFlame24’s looking to make this a new weekly feature on the channel, so feel free to provide feedback in the comments and send him some clips of your own to YTYogaFlame24 on Twitter.
With less than a month to go until the release of NetherRealm Studios’ latest fighter–Injustice 2–news has been plentiful over the past few months. We recently got a gameplay trailer for Poison Ivy, and we’ve also learned about the new single-player Multiverse Mode. The final part of Shattered Alliances featuring new antagonist Brainiac has been revealed, and the next–and probably final–character reveal is scheduled for April 28th.
Among all this activity however, some big news snuck in without fanfare. NRS Creative Director Ed Boon changed his Twitter account’s icon and background yesterday, now featuring a black version of the Injustice 2 logo set against a solid gold background. This seems to imply that the title has gone gold–meaning that all content for the initial launch version of the game has been fully completed, and the discs are now ready to be pressed for release. The team is likely now focusing on the upcoming nine DLC characters, and other forms of post-release content. Boon did something similar during the lead-up to Mortal Kombat X’s release, specifically around a month before it was released–the exact time frame we’re currently in for Injustice 2.
There is also an even greater level of significance to the date of this change, as April 19th officially marked the six-year anniversary since the release of Mortal Kombat 9, the first fighting game title released under the banner of NetherRealm Studios–a fact Boon referenced on Twitter in a reply to community member Mr. Mileena, which you can see below.
As the release date draws ever closer, how do you feel about this news? What are you looking forward to most about the upcoming game? Sound off in the comments section below!
Injustice 2 will be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on May 16th.
After taking a break from creating Tekken content, Level Up Your Game’s MYK returns with a breakdown and analysis video focusing on Tekken 7‘s pre-order DLC character, Eliza! Though the narcoleptic vampire first appeared in Tekken Revolution (which Bandai Namco Entertainment ended support for in March), she will be making a proper comeback to the series in its latest installment. Since these two Tekken titles play very differently–and she was created to be a gateway for fans of 2D fighters to try out the series–MYK has taken what we know about her so far and begun to speculate on how she will play, in comparison to her previous appearance.
After introducing the character and speaking about her sleeping mechanics–which allowed her to partially heal back lost health in Revolution, in exchange for being unable to block while she is asleep–MYK moves on to her moveset differences. Noting that she now has a normal jump, some type of command jump or divekick, additional specials (some of which are cancelable), and a meter gauge, similar to Akuma’s. Her “Blood Gauge” sports a unique design and contains a maximum of two stocks, giving her access to EX moves and what appears to be an additional super, separate from her Rage Art–it likely replaces her Rage Drive, as is the case with Akuma.
Next, MYK covers what look to be some new combo strings, such as a new extension off of her d/f2, that he believes is possibly a launch-punishable d/f23 natural-combo launcher. Eliza’s F1+2, which was a homing move in Revolution, is now her Power Crush, likely without its former counter hit properties. She also has a pair of new moves coming out of her F4; her unique forward dash, Moon Glide, provides her with new mixup opportunities. She also appears to have a fake-out version of her Dark Wave projectile, to further discourage evasive foes. Eliza can even special cancel her normals like Akuma, going into a Shoryuken-style uppercut from her S1, as well as a seemingly-new B4.
Finally, MYK spotlights her jump-in normals, which are very reminiscent of 2D air control, as well as what seems to be a projectile super that will be tied to her meter. From MYK:
My final thoughts on this character is that she seems a lot more interesting now, compared to her Tekken Revolution counterpart. She’s definitely a cool take on a Tekken character that’s been evolved in a way that makes her like a Street Fighter hybrid. I’m pretty excited for this new iteration of Eliza, and I can’t wait to try her out.
You can catch the full video below, and we’d love to hear your thoughts on Eliza in the comments!
Tekken 7 will be released for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam on June 2nd.
Yahoo! Esports’ Michael Martin has returned with the latest episode of his “I Got Next” series. This episode, he questions if perhaps Street Fighter V, in its second Season, has possibly left Team Razer’s Infiltration behind.
The Korean Evo champion’s struggles following his victory (and famous “Download Complete” moment) have been well-documented, both as players began adapting to his self-proclaimed “run-and-gun style” of tactics with Nash, in addition to the meta dramatically shifting following his 25th place finish at Capcom Cup 2016, with the arrival of Season 2. In fact, his last taste of victory on a major scale following the Evo crown was at the Capcom Pro Tour Asia Last Chance Qualifier during Season 1, where he marched through losers bracket with Nash, Rashid, Balrog, and Vega, before resetting the bracket on Red Bull’s Bonchan for the victory. Most recently, he announced the cancellation of his flight to Norcal Regionals 2017, stating that he’s simply not ready to attend Capcom Pro Tour events at this point in time.
After he declared Nash “dead” in Season 2, Martin questions Infiltration’s desire to switch around from these many different characters–particularly Juri, who despite her buffs in Season 2, has only taken him to a victory at the Aninori Tournament in Korea, and a 4th place finish in Group A of ELEAGUE (alongside Rashid). Feeling he should perhaps simply return to a stronger character, like Balrog, especially since he is only getting a slight health nerf in the upcoming patch, he questions if the Korean warrior is still finding his footing in the game. “It’s surprising to say that, because he was so dominant, with Nash, early in Season 1, but when everyone adapted to him, and to Nash, I’m not sure he adapted to everyone else, if he adapted to the meta.”
Martin next brings attention to Red Bull Bonchan’s 4th-place finish at Northern California Regionals this past weekend, showing that the Paradoxical Avenger may be more “alive” then some first thought. Martin wonders if he’s simply in a different place in life now, with his upcoming wedding on June 3rd, as well as the “pro gamer lifestyle of branding himself and earning these endorsements” perhaps getting to him–or maybe Infiltration feels he simply needs a break before coming back stronger later in the season, following the upcoming balance update? You can see the full video below and decide for yourself.
Earlier this month, the New York University Game Center in Brooklyn held its eighth-annual Spring Fighter event, featuring fierce local competition in The King Of Fighters XIV, Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- and, of course, Street Fighter V. This event would mark one of the first times we would see KOF XIV’s new DLC characters in action, following their introduction in the game’s recent version 2.00 update. And the victor in SFV gets an all-expenses-paid trip to Evolution 2017, courtesy of the NYU Game Center–just as DaFeetLee won last year.
Though the dust may have recently settled on the event, Arturo Sanchez has you covered–as he has begun uploading all of the streamed matches onto the Team Spooky YouTube Channel for your viewing pleasure. Today, we bring you the top 4 of KOF XIV and Xrd -REVELATOR-, in addition to the top 8 of SFV—along with some assorted matches from Pools.
With talent such as Team Stickbug’s Mynus and Blaze, DrunkenChicken, Wong Nation’s OG Shine, Chris Hu, Flipside Tactic’s Alucard and Glitch, Arcade Dream’s Sanford Kelly, Dieminion, OG MasterMike, Chris Hu, returning SFV champion DaFeetLee, PachuKOF, and Arturo himself, these are some sets you simply can’t miss!
After recently unveiling gameplay trailers for Poison Ivy and Catwoman, NetherRealm Studios’ Community Specialist Tyler Lansdown promised during last week’s Injustice Watchtower livestream that the next installment would also be a triple header; the devs would break down the other two-thirds of the Gotham City Sirens, and a then-unknown third character.
We now know that they will be joined for a demonstration by the Suicide Squad’s Deadshot this Thursday, April 20th at 3:00 PM CST (1:00 PM PDT) on https://www.twitch.tv/netherrealm. Additionally, the final part of the Shattered Alliances trailer–featuring Brainiac–will also be released that day. You can see the confirmation tweet below.
Are you excited to see footage of these characters? Which one of the three are you most excited to try out when the game releases? Give us your insight in the comments section below!
Injustice 2 will be released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on May 16th.
Earlier this month we brought you the first two vlogs in The Fighters Generation webmaster’s countdown of his top 10 fighting games (in no particular order), covering Samurai Shodown II and Street Fighter Alpha 3. Now Frank Yagami is back to provide us with the #8 entry on his list: the SNK classic, Garou: Mark of the Wolves!
After speaking a bit about some of his favorite RPGs–as the intro to Persona 5 plays in the background–Yagami moves on to discussing Garou‘s limited release, as it was a very rare game following its initial release in Japanese arcades in 1999. From then on, it would only receive a port to the NEO GEO in North America and Japan in February 2000, before getting ported to the Dreamcast and PlayStation 2 in Japan, in 2001 and 2005, respectively. It also received a few mobile and online ports, but with its recent PlayStation 4 and Vita re-release last December, a whole new generation of fans can experience what Frank notes, “immediately became one of the new measuring sticks of 2D fighters upon its arrival. Right along with Capcom’s 1996 Street Fighter III, which of course had some popular sequels.”
Stating that he first heard about the game right here at Shoryuken’s own forums–where he’s been a proud member since around 2001–when he laid eyes on a forum member’s avatar: a .gif of Rock Howard’s Garou victory pose, during which he immediately wondered where the character originated, as his animations “were way to good for him to be from King of Fighters!”
Next, Yagami points out a staggering amount of similarities between Garou and SFIII, from both the near-complete roster overhaul (Terry Bogard is the only returning character from Fatal Fury, just like Ryu and Ken were the only vets in SFIII:NG), to the innovative and technical gameplay mechanics.
After mourning the character sprites of the Garou sequel that never was (at least for now), Yagami closes the video by praising the title’s presentation, to some of its unique mechanics, such as Just Defend (that later became part of Capcom vs. SNK 2’s K-Groove), feint moves, break moves, guard crush, and the game’s signature Tactical Offense Position (T.O.P.) system, which provided new moves and power-ups to each character at varying life totals. You can catch the full video below.
Yagami also notes that he will be making other vlogs before finishing his countdown, but will also continue it to the very end. Do you have any fond memories of Garou? Or is it something you’ve never heard of, but may try for the first time? Feel free to tell us in the comments section!
With the release of Killer Instinct’s Ultimates Ultra Pack a mere two weeks away–on May 2nd–Iron Galaxy has continued their weekly previews of the new Ultimates that will be free to all players. After displaying the finishers of Fulgore, Sadira, and Kilgore, this week’s spotlight shines on Riptor.
Beginning by knocking her opponent upwards with her tail, she then torches them with her flame breath before settling in for a well-deserved victory nap. You can see the full Ultimate in all its glory below. Check back next week for the unveiling of the Pack’s final Ultimate: ARIA’s!
Are you Riptor players happy with your character’s Ultimate? Do you have a favorite from the ones shown so far? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
We’re a mere 28 days away from the release of Injustice 2, so NetherRealm Studios’ hype train is continuing at full speed ahead. While we’ve recently seen the official gameplay trailer for the Society’s Poison Ivy–who will be the recipient of a full character breakdown alongside Catwoman and a third yet-to-be-named character, on the next Watchtower livestream sometime this week–we do have a concrete release date on the next piece of content: specifically the next Shattered Alliances story trailer.
The final chapter, focusing on Brainiac, will be released this Thursday according to the Injsutice Twitter account. While we’ve seen a few in-game screenshots of the character, after he was unveiled as the narrator of “The Lines Redrawn” trailer, in addition to being the game’s new lead antagonist (and likely final boss), we haven’t seen any form of gameplay from the Collector of Worlds. This trailer will hopefully provide us with a taste, along with a larger look at his role within the game’s Story Mode, as the battle for power between the Insurgency, Regime and Society rages on. You can see the official tweet below, along with a new piece of artwork for Brainiac.
The last chapter of Shattered Alliances revealed… Braniac has arrived. Check back for the final part of the series this Thursday! pic.twitter.com/MahY5LLiGN
If you’re craving more information, check out Heat Vision’s interview with Tom Taylor about the Injustice 2 comic book here, the Multiverse Mode that was revealed at the Insomnia Gaming Festival, and don’t forget that the next character will be revealed on April 28th! You can also catch the other parts of Shattered Alliances at the links below:
This past weekend, the Insomnia Gaming Festival was held in Birmingham, England. In addition to a variety of gaming tournaments to celebrate the Festival’s 60th “Lanniversary”–including an appearance by the upcoming Tekken 7–the event included a playable build of Injustice 2.
While there were a series of scheduled exhibition matches between some of the U.K.’s top NRS talent, there was also a significant reveal: the existence of the new single-player Multiverse Mode. Most recently teased on the latest Injustice 2 Watchtower live stream by NetherRealm’s Community Specialist Tyler Lansdown as being “kind of like [MKX’s] Living Towers, but not really,” this seems to serve as the equivalent to Towers, and should be a great way for players to farm for Gear, without journeying to online battlegrounds.
In addition to the campaign, online, and fighting game standard arcade modes, Injustice 2 also introduces the new Multiverse mode. Similar to Mortal Kombat X’s Towers, the Multiverse allows players to travel to an ever-changing series of parallel worlds in the DC Universe and battle alternate versions of the heroes and villains with various handicaps, stipulations, and goals. Completing the gauntlet, you’ll gain access to various tiers of Motherboxes, which yield new Gear, items, and shaders for your characters.
Six of the seven planets available in the screenshot below are named, “The Rage,” “Blown Away,” “Overthrown,” “The Grave,” “Bad Odds” and the “Fifth Dimension,” with many of these titles no doubt being references to events within the DC lore, (as well as a quick jab at Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe’s defining mechanic). Each planet has between one and three objectives for players to complete, and are all set to expire in varying amounts of time, mirroring Mortal Kombat XL’s hourly, daily and Premiere Towers, which changed weekly. There are also five squares on each planet, with “The Grave” having three lit up, perhaps indicating that each world will have five “Levels” to battle through?
NRS content creator Super has posted a pair of videos to further explain what little we know about this new gameplay mode right now.
Finally, someone was also able to snap a screenshot of Deadshot’s Trait from the in-game move list, as we haven’t seen much of the Suicide Squad member since his reveal back at Gamescom in August. We can see that he has three types of ammo available, that will likely have various effects on his attacks. Simply pressing the Trait button will load up his “Incendiary Ammo.” Pressing Trait while holding forward provides him with “Explosive Ammo,” which has 1 frame of startup and will make his Wrist Cannon special moves do more damage, along with an additional buff. Using Trait while holding back gives Deadshot “Poison Ammo,” which will no doubt inflict Damage-Over-Time (DOT) to his opponents, similar to Venomous D’Vorah and Acidic Alien.
What do you think of this new game mode? Were you a fan of MKXL’s Towers, and if so, is this something you’ll be playing regularly to acquire your Gear and shaders? Or do you prefer to earn your items through combat? Give us a hint in the comments below!
