Author: Ian "iantothemax" Walker

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Key Fighting Game Designer Leaves Capcom for SNK Playmore

Hidetoshi Ishizawa, better known by the handle Neo_G, has announced his departure from Capcom for a position at competitor SNK Playmore. The name may not be as familiar to newcomers, but Ishizawa’s lengthy resume includes work on beloved titles like Street Fighter Alpha 2, Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike, Marvel vs. Capcom 2, and Capcom vs. SNK 2.

This news has been confirmed by Arika vice president Ichiro Mihara, dispelling a common theory that it was perhaps a poor April Fools’ Day joke.

Due to Ishizawa’s prominent position at Capcom, this could be seen as something of a bad omen for the company and fans of their releases, especially when combined with what appears to be a lack of fighting game planning beyond Street Fighter V. SNK Playmore, on the other hand, is deep in development on King of Fighters XIV, with Samurai Shodown and possibly even a Garou: Mark of the Wolves sequel on the horizon, and one could attribute Ishizawa’s move as a way to continue his work in the genre.

According to a recent Facebook update, Ishizawa resigned from Capcom back in January, and it’s possible he’s already had a hand in King of Fighters XIV development. We’ll have more details on this news as they become available.

Source: Neo_G via Gatoray, MMCafe, NeoGAF

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Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- Supports Legacy Controllers

Reports have been flooding in all morning that Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- supports older peripherals, as made evident by the pre-order demo that recently dropped in Japan.

One of the major points of contention within the fighting game community as titles shift to modern platforms is legacy controller support. While purchasing new consoles can be an expensive endeavor, the total cost when having to grab an updated arcade stick as well has the potential to prohibit participation entirely.

Fortunately, a driver created by the fine folks at Lab Zero Games has made it easier than ever for developers to add this functionality to their releases. That said, not all developers utilize it correctly, often still requiring a DualShock 4 be connected for every legacy controller in use.

We can’t be sure if this development is a result of Lab Zero’s driver, but this is great news for everyone looking to jump into the next Guilty Gear Xrd release on PlayStation 4. Best of all, it’s just plug-and-play; pressing START at the title screen with a PlayStation 3 stick or pad will ensure the controller is capable of navigating menus.

Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- launches for PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 on May 26 in Japan, June 7 in North America, and June 10 in Europe. The aforementioned demo will be available outside Japan on April 5.

Sources: keeponrockin, LordSpectre, Zankoku, tip via HT|Bosch

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Churning the Butter #69 feat. Street Fighter V Streaming Live from San Francisco, California

The folks behind Churning the Butter have just gone live with another installment of their weekly tournament series, taking over Folsom Street Foundry in San Francisco, California to host Street Fighter V for local players.

Tonight’s event will focus on doubles competition, eschewing the tournament’s traditional singles format. If you’re interested in seeing what the NorCal cats have up their sleeves, be sure to check out the stream below and show your support. You can also head on over to Twitch if you prefer to chat.

Watch live video from showdowngg on www.twitch.tv

Want to check these tournaments out for yourself? Well, you’re in luck, because even if you missed out this week, Churning the Butter is held every Thursday at 8:00 PM PDT during ShowDown’s game night at Folsom Street Foundry.

Source: ShowDown

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PlayStation Explores the Symbiotic Relationship Between Fighting Game Creators, Players

It’s no secret that fighting game players often turn their favorite titles into completely different beasts than what shipped. Sure, creators have a vision for how their games will develop over time, but their potential isn’t truly discovered until they’re put through the rigors of competitive play.

It’s this relationship that’s explored in PlayStation’s latest episode of Makers & Gamers. Red Bull’s Darryl “Snake Eyez” Lewis, fresh off a fifth-place finish at Capcom Cup 2015, ventures to San Francisco, California to meet Yoshinori Ono, whose name has become synonymous with Street Fighter over the past few years. Their conversation is an insightful look into the world of fighting games, the people who create them, and the players that help them evolve.

Source: PlayStation Blog

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Capcom Highlights the Combos, Upsets, and Copious Karin Laughter of NorCal Regionals 2016

With NorCal Regionals now behind us, it’s time to take a look back at the craziness that filled one weekend in Sacramento, California. If you missed out on watching this event live, Capcom has got you covered with their five favorite highlights from this Capcom Pro Tour premier event.

Below, you’ll witness moments like LAMERBOI’s insane Rashid setup against Qanba’s Xiaohai, Marn’s absolute tear through the pool of death, and, yes, the crowd’s enthusiastic portrayal of Karin’s haughty laughter. Check out the video, and let us know your favorite NorCal Regionals moments in the comments.

Source: Capcom Fighters

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Guilty Gear 2: Overture Appears on Steam Out of Nowhere

Surprise! Guilty Gear 2: Overture is now available on Steam.

Guilty Gear 2: Overture first appeared on Xbox 360 in 2007, acting as the first numbered sequel in Arc System Works’ marquee franchise. Despite bearing the Guilty Gear name, however, the gameplay was a mixture of the action and real time strategy genres, introducing characters like Sin Kiske and Raven who would later become playable in Guilty Gear Xrd.

If you’re interested in trying out this unique installment of the Guilty Gear series, Overture is currently available for $11.99. This price will rise to $19.99 in a week, so don’t delay.

Source: Arc System Works

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Geese Howard, Ryo Sakazaki, and Joe Higashi Return in King of Fighters XIV

It seems like we get a new King of Fighters XIV trailer every week! Earlier this morning, PlayStation dropped yet another teaser for the upcoming title, revealing three returning characters.

While much of the trailer is spent showcasing Geese Howard’s counter ability, there’s also a good deal of Ryo Sakazaki gameplay for those of you curious how the Art of Fighting protagonist has transitioned to the new game. Oh, and, don’t blink or you’ll miss Joe Higashi, though he doesn’t do much here apart from getting blown away by Geese.

King of Fighters XIV launches on PlayStation 4 later this year.

Source: PlayStation via NeoGAF

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Wednesday Night Fights 2016 1.7 feat. Street Fighter V, Mortal Kombat X, and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Streaming Live

Wednesday Night Fights returns to the eSports Arena in Santa Ana, California tonight for another installment of their 2016 season, and Street Fighter V, Mortal Kombat X, and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U will act as the main competitive titles.

But that doesn’t mean those are the only games they’ll be featuring. Attendees can also expect community-driven efforts for Pokkén Tournament, Super Smash Bros. Melee, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Killer Instinct, Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, BlazBlue: Chronophantasma EXTEND, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, and Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late.

You can catch all the action by tuning into the live streams below or heading on over to their respective Twitch channels.

Watch live video from leveluplive on www.twitch.tv
Watch live video from NickTanella on www.twitch.tv
Watch live video from 2GGaming on www.twitch.tv
Watch live video from ennyMura on www.twitch.tv
Watch live video from Kevin_Ha on www.twitch.tv

Sources: Level|Up Series, Level|Up Live, Nick Tanella, 2G Gaming, Kevin Ha

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Ken Traverses the Marvel Series in FightersEvo’s Latest Retrospective Combo Video

Over the past few months, FightersEvo has been hard at work on a series of combo videos chronicling the one and only Ken Masters.

As one of Street Fighter’s key representatives, Ken has been featured in a number of games throughout the years, even those outside his core franchise. It’s these games that this third outing focuses on, highlighting Ken’s appearances in X-Men vs. Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Street Fighter, Marvel vs. Capcom Origins, and Marvel vs. Capcom 2.

If you missed FightersEvo’s previous installments, be sure to go back and check them out.

Source: FightersEvo 

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Melty Blood Actress Again Current Code Heading to Steam on April 19

Melty Blood Actress Again Current Code will be available on Steam starting April 19, according to new details provided by Arc System Works this afternoon. Much like Guilty Gear Xrd’s arrival in February, this release is part of the developer’s ongoing campaign to expand the presence of their fighting games on the platform.

Melty Blood Actress Again Current Code has been available on PC since December 2011, but its arrival on Steam will allow a new crop of players to enjoy what it brings to the genre. The title’s store listing states that it will include both online and local multiplayer, meaning folks won’t have to rely on unofficial workarounds for netplay.

While pricing has yet to announced, other details can be found here, and be sure to visit the Mizuumi wiki for more gameplay information. You don’t want to be left out of the parking lot finals at your next major!

Source: Arc System Works