Ian “iantothemax” Walker – Page 156

February 27, 2015

Killer Instinct’s Ranked Leagues Provide a New Way to Let Everyone Know You’re the Best

Along with a new playable character and various balance changes, tomorrow’s Killer Instinct update will also add ranked leagues to the game’s netplay.

Upon starting up this mode, your first ten matches will determine if you are graded as bronze, silver, or gold. After your tier placement is decided, you will be matched up with players of the same skill level, allowing you to test yourself against equals and gain points towards the next rank. Players will also find themselves placed in sets against opponents outside of their tier on occasion for a chance to earn more points.

However, there’s one more rank above gold where only the best of the best will reside. Killer tier matches will play out with different rules, sticking to the best-of-three format of tournament matches while restricting counterpicks. At the end of the month, the top 32 players will be awarded Pro status and forever immortalized in the leaderboards.

These ladders will be the perfect way to track your progress as you level up your Killer Instinct skills, and give those in the upper echelons even more incentive to keep playing.

The ranked league beta begins tomorrow once Killer Instinct is patched to ver.2.4, so be sure to jump in and go for the gold.

Source: Xbox via NeoGAF

February 27, 2015

Get Hype for Northwest Majors 7’s Massive Lineup, Japanese Guests, and More

In just two months’ time, Northwest Majors will be returning to Washington for its seventh installment. As the region’s largest tournament, it continually draws a ton of local and international talent, and this year the brackets will be bolstered by visiting Japanese masters Ogawa, KoujiKOG, and Dogura.

But that’s not all. Northwest Majors 7 will also feature an absolutely immense list of competitive titles, including tournament mainstays like Ultra Street Fighter IV and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, newcomer Mortal Kombat X, and even Vampire Savior for a nice old-school twist.

For a full look at what this event will offer, check out their latest trailer below.

Northwest Majors 7 is scheduled for April 24-26 in Des Moines, Washington. More details and registration info can be found through their official website.

Source: Khaos Gaming

February 26, 2015

NetherRealm Studios Revealing Mortal Kombat X’s Brutalities

UPDATE – The folks behind Mortal Kombat X highlighted a lot of good stuff today, starting with a look at Cassie Cage’s variations.

First off, she will have access to things like her grounded gunshot, flip kick, up kick (complete with meter burn divekick addition), and shadow kick across all of her variations. According to the developers, she is one of the title’s more run-based characters, as most of her pop-ups happen at longer ranges and force her to approach opponents with a quicker pace.

Taking a cue from her father, Cassie gains more ranged attacks in her Hollywood variation, gaining air gunshots that can be meter burned for an bonus attack on the ground. She also gains the ever-popular groin punch with this variation.

Spec Ops Cassie, on the other hand, uses a drone for her projectile that can land at different locations in the stage depending on which button she uses. The meter burn version homes in on the opponent, granting a pretty reliable pop-up for combo extensions. This version also includes a useless but completely awesome salute taunt.

And finally, Cassies goes UFC in the Brawler variation, gaining a number of grapples including a rather brutal air throw.

As for brutalities, they will be a bit different than what folks have seen in the past. Instead of being a series of inputs, certain conditions will have to be met before they are activated, such as ending a match with a throw.

The developers wanted to make sure they were more accessible than they were in previous installments, but some will have some very strict requirements to pull off correctly.

Discovering the conditions for activating a brutality appears to be a big part of their draw, and with over 100 already in the game, it’s definitely going to take some time. But never fear: brutalities won’t affect gameplay at all and won’t deal out extra damage.

The original article follows below.

With promotion for Mortal Kombat X ramping up it’s April release, the developers at NetherRealm Studios have been showing us more and more of what the title will have in store for the community. Today, they are going live with yet another Kombat Kast, and this time around they are prepared to highlight the return of brutalities to the long-running franchise.

To catch it all live, be sure to tune in below or head on over to Twitch. (Editor’s note: It appears as if Twitch is having some issues, so it may take a few tries for the stream to load properly.)

Watch live video from NetherRealm on www.twitch.tv

Source: NetherRealm Studios

February 26, 2015

BT|MarlinPie Makes Dominant Return to Guilty Gear at Winter Brawl 9

If you’re a recent transplant to the fighting game community, odds are you know BROKENTIER’s Kyohei “MarlinPie” Lehr as a world-class Marvel vs. Capcom 3 player, but earlier in his career he was known for his skills in a much different series: Guilty Gear.

With the release of Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, numerous veterans have been making their way out of the woodwork to return to the beloved Arc System Works franchise, and Winter Brawl 9 saw quite a few fill spots in the top placings, Lehr included. His run through top sixteen saw only three dropped games in four matches thanks to his dominant use of Zato-1’s pressure and setup tools. He would eventually take home the gold.

Team Spooky has provided a complete look at the top eight matches that took place last weekend, the finals of which have been included below. Make sure to check out the full playlist for more footage.

Complete results from Winter Brawl 9 can be found in our coverage hub.

Source: Team Spooky

February 26, 2015

NorCal Regionals Receives Another Excellent Promo

Over the years, NorCal Regionals has been promoted with some of the tournament circuit’s best video work, and this year is no different.

Following their excellent NBA Jam send-up from last year, lordofultima recently released a quick teaser for NorCal Regionals 2015 that celebrates the journey of the Street Fighter franchise with some beautiful transitions from game to game. While tournament competition and the strategies involved over the years have changed, some things never will.

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

NorCal Regional 2015 is scheduled for April 3-5 in Sacramento, California.

Source: lordofultima

February 26, 2015

Play as Ragna’s Dead Spike in New BlazBlue Rhythm Game

Spin-offs for fighting game franchises are becoming rather commonplace these days, but rarely do they put you in the shoes of a sentient special move.

Well, shoes don’t really apply here as the attack in question doesn’t have feet, but I digress.

Earlier today, Arc System Works released Eat Beat: Dead Spike-san for both iOS and Android mobile devices. Based on their popular BlazBlue universe, this rhythm game gives you control over Ragna’s titular attack as it seeks to gain strength by eating everything in its path.

As far as rhythm games go, Eat Beat is pretty basic, but still provides a fun bit of distraction for morning commutes, waiting room visits, or any other activity you feel like filling with remixed BlazBlue themes. It’s also completely free of charge, though you can spend money on things like bonus characters and songs if you’re so inclined.

If you’re interested (and haven’t already tried the original Japanese version), follow the links below and start munching!

Sources: iTunes, Google Play via Destuctoid

February 26, 2015

Wednesday Night Fights Online Edition 1.2 feat. Ultra Street Fighter IV Streaming Live

Level|Up Series returns to the world of tournaments tonight with another installment of Wednesday Night Fights Online Edition. Moving from the world of offline competition to netplay is sure to provide a look at players who don’t often get enough attention, so tune in below for some great Ultra Street Fighter IV action.

A full look at the bracket can be found here.

Watch live video from Level|Up Live on www.twitch.tv

Source: Level|Up Live

February 26, 2015

Next Level Battle Circuit #110 feat. Ultra Street Fighter IV Streaming Live

This week’s installment of Next Level Battle Circuit is now streaming live courtesy of Team Spooky. As always, the event is being broadcast from its namesake, Next Level Arcade, in New York City. Tonight, they’ll be running Ultra Street Fighter IV, featuring some of the best players on the east coast.

If you would like to check out these weekly tournaments, be sure to head on over to Next Level Arcade and take part every Wednesday. The address has been included below.

4013 8th Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11232

The stream is currently live below, but you can also visit Twitch to join the chat. Full brackets will be made available through Challonge.

Watch live video from TeamSp00ky on www.twitch.tv

Sources: Team Spooky

February 26, 2015

Smash @ Xanadu feat. Super Smash Bros. Melee Streaming Live

The folks over at VG Bootcamp recently went live with another installment of Smash @ Xanadu from Xanadu Games in Baltimore, Maryland. These weekly broadcasts provide a great look at the region’s Smash community, and tonight’s installment will feature competition in Super Smash Bros. Melee.

In addition to the regular action, Xanadu will also be playing host to some collegiate matchups tonight as part of The Smash Games tournament circuit.

If you’re interested in some Smash Bros. action, be sure to tune in. The stream is live below, but you can also head on over to Twitch to join the chat.

Watch live video from VGBootCamp on www.twitch.tv

Source: VG Bootcamp

February 25, 2015

Marvel at Charlie’s Monstrous Features, Gigantic Hands in These Street Fighter V Screenshots

Yesterday, Capcom officially revealed the return of Charlie Nash to the Street Fighter franchise. Originally thought to be dead after the events of Street Fighter Alpha, the pivotal figure in Guile’s overall storyline returns to wreck the competition in the series’ next installment.

He’s a little different than we remember, but that’s to be expected after squaring off with a fighter of M. Bison’s caliber. Where before Charlie was a relatively normal guy with a gigantic forelock, he’s reappeared with some rather grotesque new aesthetics that hearken back to Frankenstein’s monster. What could have necessitated the bodily reconstruction he appears to have gone through?

While we’ll likely have to wait awhile to learn the mysteries behind Charlie’s updated look, Capcom has provided a handful of high-resolution screenshots for us to study in the meantime. Check them out below, gawk at just how freaking huge Charlie’s hands are, and give us some of your feedback in the comments.