Are you a Smash player that’s been on the fence about Hit Box‘s new Smash Box controller? The company has put a new demonstration video just for you:
Featuring programmable variables for tilt values and angles, the Smash Box’s functionality is centered largely around “modifier” buttons. As demonstrated in this out-of-the-box beginner’s guide, the modifier button allows you to toggle between full and half-held presses — this gives you control that is more difficult to achieve with an analog stick.
Released in arcades in 1998 and on the Sega Dreamcast in 2000, Plasma Sword: Nightmare of Bilstein is the sequel to the 3D sci-fi fighter Star Gladiator that Capcom can only seem to occasionally remember they made. It’s a shame, too, and not just because the 3D sub-genre is having something of a resurgence right now: as NewChallenger.net demonstrates, this personality-filled game had some galactic-sized combo potential.
Links, loops, juggles, supers, and a new character-specific power up mechanic called “Plasma Field” allowed for a wide variety of sometimes absurd, but always interesting, combos. Combine this with an out-of-this world roster, unique game-play, and an absolute bangin’ OST, and one really has to wonder why Capcom never revisited this series in the modern era.
There has been a sudden uptick of countless 3rd-person perspective arena fighting games, from Pokkén Tournament to My Hero One’s Justice. You could fill an article on its own just counting the titles appearing in this sub-genre in the past two years, but rest assured: there are a lot of them.
Most of these games come from major developer/publisher Bandai Namco, and most of those have been for preexisting major franchises. Indie developer The Balance Inc. is attempting to move in on this market with its newly announced original IP Override: Mech City Brawl.
This new mech fighter boasts some incredible Saturday-Morning-Cartoon level designs (you have got to be dead inside to not appreciate a wrestler mech with a building-sized steel chair) and, in its own words, “competitive” multiplayer. Taking a gander at the official website‘s about page, we can also see there’s some interesting customization options, as well as a 4-player co-op mode:
About
Pilot a diverse roster of epic mechs, each with their own play style, special moves, and finishers. Tower over your opponents and lay waste to entire cities underfoot in local and online versus, co-op, and more.
Key Features
Supercharged Mechs – Pilot 12 outrageous mechs of epic, skyscraper-sized proportions, each with diverse fighting styles and unique skills.
Real World Locations – Destroy 3D arenas modeled after actual cities and countries, including Tokyo, Egypt, San Francisco, and Mexico.
Party Co-Op – Gather two to four friends to engage in party co-op where each player is responsible for one part of a towering mech.
The Garage – Customize your mechs in the Garage, changing their accessories and skins to create your own unique style.
Multiple Game Modes – Challenge other players in local and online Versus and Co-Op modes and experience Override’s story in a single-player campaign.
Override: Mech City Brawl goes into open beta August 10th-12th (which you can sign up for here) and launches on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on December 4th.
Yesterday we learned about the practical swing timing of Cody’s V-Trigger 2 special moves. But if you’re pulling out the pipe, you won’t jut be reflecting projectiles and landing command grabs all day — you’ve gotta make your combos hurt.
That’s where AXETB‘s latest video comes in: slick editing, useful information, and absurd flashiness come together to demonstrate Cody’s damage and stun potential. There’s a lot of useful tidbits in here too, such as Cody’s ability to reflect projectile V-Triggers and an amusing glitch vs. Dhalsim’s fireball.
Street Fighter Carnival 11 is Mikado Arcade’s currently-ongoing, month-long, multi-game tournament series for a wide variety of classic (and sometimes, obscure) arcade titles. This series is well under way, so start from the beginning if you want to catch up!
Today we start with SNK’s Samurai Shodown VI:
The ‘Spirits’ system makes up the core of this game’s design — each player can choose one of six ‘Spirits’, which gives access to different offensive/defensive capabilities during play. Each of the ‘Spirits’ are based around a different entry in the SamSho series- so if you have a preference for any previous SamSho game, there’s a sub-system waiting for you!
Up next is a little game called Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. Maybe you’ve heard of it, readers of shoryuken.com?
You can follow the action of SFC11 by subscribing to Mikado’s official YouTube channel. For the night owls in the US, you can even try to catch them when they livestream.
There’s not a ton of info out just yet for the August 4th tournament, outside of its 64-man cap and open registration. MvC3 pro Angelic, whom is running the tournament, promises more information in the near future: so keep an eye on his twitter!
In Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Cody’s V-Trigger 2 — the questionably named “Dirty Coach” — gives him additional range and the ability to reflect projectiles. That’s all well and good, but GLHFtv would like to bring special focus to two new special moves he gains from this new weapon:
The new command grab and projectile given to Cody via VT2 are powerful, but only if you’ve got your eye on the ball — er, rock. Timing your swing after both of these moves gives you access to absurdly powerful stun and damage options, so check out the video above to learn the proper timing for your swings!
If zoning in fighting games doesn’t interest you unless it’s as complicated as possible, then Pokkén Tournament DX‘s Darkrai might be a character you want to look into.
On the surface, Darkrai struggles with other zoners — and anyone else if they can get in. But, if you learn the ins-and-outs of its move-list and focus on its core win condition — Nightmare mode — you’ll find the opposition will be cowering in fear in no time.
Safe pressure, powerful command grabs, insanely good reversal tools, and more await you in Darkrai’s nightmare. Check out BadIntent‘s guide above to end your opponent’s dreams fast!
Surprise! Seemingly out of nowhere, the official Japanese Pokkén Tournament DX website has announced a new update for Pokkén Tournament DX. It’s set to arrive on Wednesday, July 11, and features balance changes for all 23 fighters (and several supports).
Here are the changes for the Battle Pokémon:
Blastoise
Aura Sphere (Upward): can now fire aura spheres upward after water gun
Burst Mode: now improves Blastoise’s move speed universally.
jX (Field): Can now input bjX to track opponents
Dark Pulse: no longer interacts with opposing projectiles
Decidueye
Soaring > Forward dash: reduced landing recovery
8X: increased block stun
6XX: reduced recovery, but also reduced hitstun
CA: Reduced active armor frames to match other grounded CAs.
5X: increased combo scaling
Empoleon
nY: Can now ice skate right out of nY by holding down the button.
5YX: New move. Hold the button down to go into ice skating.
Movement: Empoleon move speed has increased universally.
jX (Field): Increased active frames of the hitbox while descending. Can change the direction of the move with 7/8/9
5X: increased the hitbox of the second hit
2X: When inputting 1X, you won’t spin as far.
4X: More blockstun.
Skating -> Jump (Duel): Input forward to go even further when jumping.
2X: Increased hitstun. Combo scaling increased.
Skating -> Jump: fixed a problem where your controls would get locked if you were hit with a certain timing out of this move.
Skating (duel) -> Y: can no longer use duel phase moves after phase changing with this move
Back Skating -> Y (duel): fixed an issue where phase changing with this move would cause the camera to get weird
Scizor
Bug Bite: Can now be activated from ]A[
Swords Dance – Shots: Can now forward dash right out of this move with R.
2X: More block stun. Increases pushback from the wall if you wall splat with this move to better position Scizor for combos.
Homing 1: reduced recovery, reduced hitstun
Hover Turn: fixed a bug where inputting hover turn would cause you to use u-turn in certain situations
Croagunk
8[Y]: new move
j8X: On whiff, the move’s random effect has been altered.
bY – Avoids some high projectiles. Just frame increases synergy.
Gunk Shot (Self Destruct): can now guard break opponents
Darkrai
6Y: On hit, causes a down state. On just frame, grants more synergy.
4Y: Just frames give synergy now. Also causes a down state.
2Y: Reduced recovery. However also does reduced blockstun.
Shadow Claw (slice derivation, held): more phase shift points
Air Teleport (Nightmare mode): increased recovery if you air teleport
Shadow Mewtwo
Psywave Projectile (Max Charge) – now eats other projectiles more easily (higher priority)
Miracle Eye – reduced HP cost
Teleport: reduced recovery time
6Y: When the second hit hits an opponent above ground, increased stun
5X: increased the window to cancel into 5XX
Psywave Vortex: reduced HP cost, but also reduces synergy gain to match reduced HP cost
6Y (Burst): when burst ends, the pillar disappears too
Mewtwo
6YX: new just frame added. Just frame adds more damage and synergy gain on success.
Psystrike: Just frames add synergy.
2X: Just frames add synergy.
BA: removes any supports you have out on activation (IE gets rid of rotom if you try to Rotom + BA)
Braixen
j8Y – new move
Flame Charge – when crossing opponents up with this move, you will move a shorter distance
Flame Charge EX – fixed a problem where after performing this move, you would auto correct into the wrong direction
Garchomp
Dig – On crit, OR in burst, now allows you to combo afterward. Made it easier to combo opponents who were hit out of the air. Now avoids projectiles while doing the uppercut portion as well. Nose Dive – now is cancellable into pokemon moves
4X – Can now avoid certain low projectiles.
[Sand tomb] – fixed a problem where the animation wouldn’t play on hit
Sceptile
6Y: Can cancel into vine hang after the move.
Detect (Success): increased chip
CA – On critical hit, the opponent is now downed. (not sure if hard knockdown or if crumple) On hitting an aerial opponent, hitstun increased.
5[Y] on hit, causes a down (not sure if hard knockdown or crumple)
6Y: on start up, this move can avoid lows. The last change is “fixed a bug where jump forward after using vine hang would cause your inputs to get stuffed afterward”
Chandelure
Will-o-Wisp: deals more damage to shield (duel phase only)
4y: more base damage
WoW: reduced knockback against blocking opponents
jY (Field): reduced the range Chandelure can move while performing jump laser
Pikachu Libre
sY – when enhanced, hold the button to do a magnetic hop (I forget what the actual name of her special jump thing is, her wall jump IIRC)
sY – higher base damage
jX – has reduced range when crossing over opponents
Gengar
6YX – Press R to permeate
sY – can cancel into pokemon moves
Sludge Bomb – attack debuff lasts for less time if an opponent walks over the trap
BA – on activation, removes any supports you have out
Mid Air Jump – fixed a bug where you couldn’t properly use astonish after jumping back and permeating
Blaziken
Air Dash – changed the trajectory of his air dash.
EX Heat Wave – Reduced combo scaling
jY – Can now cancel into Pokemon moves. Increased hitstun, reduced knockback.
Weavile
6Y – new move
Burst – lasts longer
Icicle Crash (Slam) – increased chip damage
8X – Weavile can now combo if this move hits opponents out of the air
One of the most popular characters in The King of Fighters series, Leona Heidern is a execution-heavy, rewarding character with few major weaknesses in her versatile move-set — provided, of course, you have the trained skill of an Ikari Warrior.
Persona Entertainment clearly does, and he’s here today to show what The King of Fighters XIV‘s Leona can do with proper charging and C+D wall crumples. These are a critical part of your post activation combo filler so that you can set up those sweet, sweet juggle loops.
