Author: Ian "iantothemax" Walker

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You’ll Soon Be Able to Recreate Film’s Greatest Handshake in Mortal Kombat X

About a week ago, we reported on a pretty cool Easter egg NetherRealm Studios included in Mortal Kombat X’s upcoming Predator release, but it appears as if there’s at least one more homage to the classic movie we missed. While the previous nod to source material is easy to miss, this one is pretty brazen and only relies on selecting specific outfits for Jax Briggs and Johnny Cage.

See, in addition to the new character, the next Mortal Kombat X update will include a group of costumes inspired by the original film, two of which dress the aforementioned teammates up like protagonists George Dillon (Carl Weathers) and Alan “Dutch” Schaefer (Arnold Schwarzenegger), respectively. Over the course of the movie, these two characters share a rather…interesting handshake that’s come to be known as one of the defining moments of a film that’s filled with them.

By choosing these outfits, Jax and Johnny recreate this scene before their fight, mirroring the camaraderie they share throughout the Mortal Kombat story.

Sure, this is a pretty small detail in the grand scheme of things, but it proves yet again the dedication NetherRealm has to making each release special. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Mortal Kombat X will be officially updated with this content tomorrow, July 7, for Kombat Pack owners. Those who did not purchase the season pass will be able to purchase it separately on July 14.

Source: Joel Santana

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Grab Killer Instinct’s Largest Bundle at a 50% Discount

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Due to the nature of the game’s development, Killer Instinct is a title with a ton of content that players may not have gotten their hands on yet. With multiple seasons, staggered character releases, and a ton of accessories and color palettes, keeping up with Killer Instinct numerous additions requires constant attention. Fortunately, Microsoft offers a rather substantial bundle that includes all previously released content, and the final form of that package is now available at a greatly reduced price.

Killer Instinct’s Complete Collection includes all sixteen characters that have launched thus far, every costume, every accessory, and classic rereleases for both Killer Instinct and Killer Instinct 2. While normally $79.99, it’s currently being offered at half that price, meaning you can pick up all the aforementioned content for only $40.

At this point in time, this sale is only available to Xbox Live Gold subscribers. If you happen to have an active account, be sure to give the bundle a look-over by following the link below and see if it’s something you want to take advantage of.

Source: Xbox Live via Killer Instinct Central

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Tekken Crash Preliminary Qualifier Streaming Live

After a revival saw Tekken Crash return to South Korean television earlier this year, the program is back with another full season. Tonight, the organizers will be holding qualifiers for the Tekken 7 competition to decide which players will take part in the main event.

If you want to check this out but don’t happen to live in Korea, you’re in luck, because a live simulcast is currently being broadcast on Twitch. Tune in to see some of the best Tekken competitors show what they’e learned in the latest installment.

Watch live video from TekkenCrash_EN on www.twitch.tv

Source: Tekken Crash via Runitblack

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Undefeated of the Southwest Vol. 2 Streaming Live from Phoenix, Arizona

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Today, the Arizona-based tournament Undefeated of the Southwest returns for a second installment, this time with an added emphasis on Marvel competition. With all the talk of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 falling off as a tournament draw, the event’s lead organizer, Armando “Angelic” Mejia of BROKENTIER, is set to bridge Community Effort Orlando’s hype and the intense competition of Evolution with their regional.

Undefeated of the Southwest Vol. 2 will see players like Kumite in Tennessee’s Cloud, Meija’s BROKENTIER teammate Clockwork, Kane Blueriver of The Black Eye, and many more converge on Phoenix to participate in both singles and group competition. There will also be a number of notable Street Fighter enthusiasts in attendance as well.

In an effort to up the hype even further, the folks over at r/MvC3 have accumulated funds for a pot bonus. While they quickly reached their $200 goal, donations continued to pour in, allowing the campaign to hit $450. Furthermore, HitBox Arcade is providing a multi-console version of their popular arcade stick to the first-place finisher.

You’ll find the stream and a rough schedule below, so be sure to tune in below or on Twitch to show your support. Brackets are available through Challonge.

Watch live video from Angelicfg on www.twitch.tv

Sources: Facebook, Angelic

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James Xie and Ho-chan Break Down the Persona Talent Coming to Evo 2015 from Japan

In order to educate folks in the fighting game community who might be out of the loop, James Xie and Ho-chan (also known as Stunedge) are currently streaming a special program on the massive amount of Persona talent visiting Evo 2015 from Japan.

High-level competitors will be visiting in-person and on netplay to discuss their plans for the largest fighting game tournament in the world and participate in various Persona 4 Arena Ultimax exhibitions to show what they are made of. Some of the players you can expect to see include Souji, Mui, and Tahichi.

If you want to learn a bit more about the Persona scene, be sure to tune in below or head on over to Twitch to join the chat.

Watch live video from Xiei on www.twitch.tv

Source: Xiei

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Artsy Omni Grants Your Wish, Imagines Shantae in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U

Artsy Omni is back with another great episode of Smashified, his series dedicated to showing off what popular video game characters would look like if they were to join the cast of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. This new installment focuses on Shantae, the half-genie hero (wink wink) from WayForward’s platforming series of the same name.

While previous projects came with their own unique complications, like the Inklings’ complicated ink reserves or Banjo’s fur, Omni had a relatively easy time with Shantae. That being said, the quality of his work is just as high as you’d expect, and the resulting artwork does a great job of peering into a possible future for the dancing heroine.

For a closer look at the finished piece, be sure to visit Smashified’s official website. Previous episodes can be found here.

Source: Artsy Omni

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Evo 2015’s Killer Instinct Champion Will Walk Away at Least $26,000 Richer

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Among the numerous pot bonuses being throw at the games in Evo 2015’s official lineup, one of the largest has been provided to Killer Instinct courtesy of Microsoft Studios, Iron Galaxy Studios, and the highly successful community fund. Apart from its normal payouts, the prize pool will divvy up a staggering $50,000 to the players who prove themselves strongest over the course of the weekend, and we now have an idea of how far into the standings that money will go.

According to new details provided to us by Evo organizer Joey Cuellar, the top 32 placers can look forward to receiving a slice of that pie, with over half going straight into the champion’s pocket. For a complete look at how the money will be divided, check out the table below.

Place Payout Percentage
1st $26,000 52%
2nd $10,000 20%
3rd $5,000 10%
4th $2,000 4%
5th $1,000 2%
7th $500 1%
9th $350 0.7%
13th $200 0.4%
17th $125 0.25%
25th $100 0.20%

Who do you think will walk away with the cash? Feel free to let us know below and get ready for Evo 2015 later this month on July 17-19.

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Competitor, Teacher, Legend; Upcoming Fighting Game Community Documentary Shares Segment on Alex Valle

It’s probably safe to say Alex “Calipower” Valle is one of the hardest working individuals in the fighting game community. From his early years of going toe-to-toe with fellow legends like Daigo Umehara to bringing up a fresh crop of competitors in Southern California, this pillar of our scene has worn just about every hat available and even created some himself.

That’s why, if you’re making a film about fighting games, you’ll definitely want to have a Valle segment. Fortunately, Shankar Tablada has done just that with his upcoming documentary “The Fighting Game Community.” He recently released a portion of the project that includes some commentary on Valle’s importance to the scene, with footage from a variety of events and interviews with EG|Justin Wong, PG|Filipino Champ, and more.

Check out the preview below and let us know what you think.

Source: Nicabia Productions

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Nintendo’s Bill Trinen Competing in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U at Evo 2015

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Over the years, the Evolution Championship Series has managed to garner the attention of a number of interesting personalities, from American Idol champion Taylor Hicks in 2013 to rumors of Jamie Lee Curtis and her son attending the event this year. These stories generally get some play and fizzle out, but a recent announcement by a notable Nintendo executive is sure to turn some heads.

According to a tweet sent out earlier this morning, Nintendo senior product marketing manager Bill Trinen will be making the trip to Las Vegas to compete at Evo 2015. And not in just any game either, but one he’s likely intimately familiar with: Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. He’s currently seeded into Pool D46 and conveniently has a bye in the first round.

Many of you may recognize Trinen (picture above) as the regular translator for Shigeru Miyamoto, but he also works at the Nintendo Treehouse on important localization projects and acts as a regular presenter during Nintendo Direct presentations.

But this isn’t the first time a foward-facing Nintendo figure has stepped up to publicly throw down in Smash. During the company’s World Championships event at E3 2015, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé answered the challenge of Liquid’s Juan “Hungrybox” Debiedma and participated in a special exhibition that saw the professional competitor walk away the victor.

Will Trinen have more success than Fils-Aimé? It obviously wouldn’t take much, but it should still be great to follow along and see how he fares at the largest fighting game tournament in the world.

Evo 2015 is scheduled for July 17-19 in Las Vegas, Nevada. More details can be found through the event’s official website.

Source: Bill Trinen via Nintendo Enthusiast