After their debut at Genesis 3, the Super Smash Sisters series will be traveling to Sweden’s Beast 6 next month for another go-around.
For those out of the loop, Super Smash Sisters was established as an experiment, focused on all-women crew battles, to test community reaction. Their goal was to provide a welcoming space for female Smashers of various skill levels to participate in competition, learn from their peers, and encourage new players to experience Super Smash Bros. Melee.
This next iteration will be hosted by a whole new group of ladies, but is set to feature the same exciting crew battle format of its predecessor. Registration instructions have been detailed here, and feel free to also check out the original announcement if you’re interested in taking part.
Beast 6 is scheduled for February 19-21 in Gothenburg, Sweden. More info can be found on their official website.
Nintendo’s next gaming platform, codenamed Nintendo NX, may have a number of Bandai Namco Entertainment-developed products available at launch, including Super Smash Bros.
Bandai Namco worked closely with Nintendo on Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, assigning Soulcalibur art and sound director Tetsuya Akatsuka and the entirety of the Tekken team to the project to assist Sora Ltd. and director Masahiro Sakurai.
These details come courtesy of Kantan Games CEO Serkan Toto, who has previously offered up early details on other Nintendo titles. He later clarified that he wasn’t sure if it was an entirely new Smash installment, opening up the possibility that Bandai Namco may instead be developing a port of the most recent release on Wii U.
As with all things related to the Nintendo NX, this news is merely a rumor and should be taken with a grain of salt. We’ll keep you updated as more information becomes available.
UltraChen TV returns tonight with a special Wednesday installment of their community talk show. This time, however, they’ll be focusing on Killer Instinct with special guest Stephen “Sajam” Lyon.
The broadcast tonight will be all about this weekend’s Killer Instinct World Cup. If you plan on watching but don’t know much about the Killer Instinct scene, this will be a perfect opportunity to learn about the game, the players, the storylines, and more heading into this exciting event.
The stream will be live in this article, but you can also visit Twitch to join the chat.
Today marks the release of BlazBlue: Central Fiction’s ‘Act2’ update, which, among other things, adds series antagonist Hades Izanami to the playable cast. As they are often wont to do, developer Arc System Works recently hosted a special broadcast to highlight what this new character brings to the table.
During the exhibition, ArcSys staffers were broken up into two teams, one focused entirely on Izanami and the other open to use any character they liked. While official archives have yet to be made available, a YouTube user by the name of Shado Onikkusu has provided a playlist of the matches they streamed.
As we previously reported, Izanami utilizes a unique float mechanic (replacing a double jump) to overcome foes. By activating her “Yasakani no Magatama,” she gains access to more attacks but loses the ability to block.
This is the first Izanami gameplay footage we’ve received outside of the reveal trailer, so check it out and let us know what you think.
And for an added bit of spookiness, here’s her Astral Finish.
The upcoming arrival of Street Fighter V heralds a brand new era in the fighting game community. A new game means new champions, and one of the strongest early contenders is Pandora House’s Long “LPN” Nguyen.
Although the game has yet to officially launch, Nguyen sits among a very select group of players who can say they’ve won a Street Fighter V tournament. Mad Catz V Cup saw the Northern California competitor clean house, first with a win in an eight-player invitational and then later on in the open bracket. Of course, winning is a surefire way to garner both good and bad attention, and he was quickly targeted for his performance.
To learn more, we caught up with Nguyen to talk about his early success in Street Fighter V, his recent comments comparing the game to Street Figher x Tekken, transitioning from Street Fighter IV, and more.
First off, give me a some background on how you got into competitive fighting games.
LPN: I got into competitive fighting games at the beginning of the Street Fighter IV era, when it was first released in arcades a couple years back. Living in the South Bay during that time really exposed me to what and how tournaments were like, and coming from a competitive martial arts background of muay thai, judo, and jiujitsu, it really gave me a drive to compete in the game.
How does it feel placing first at one of the earliest Street Fighter V tournaments?
LPN: It definitely felt invigorating during the tournament and after as well. I was so into the game, it was over before I knew it (laughs).
There’s been some discussion as to how you won Mad Catz V Cup. We won’t go into specifics, but do you have anything to say in relation to that?
LPN: Some people (I don’t think I need to name because we all know who they are) jumped to the excuse that I have a “retail copy” of Street Fighter V and that it gave me the unfair advantage against the other players. I can 100% confirm to everyone that I do not own a retail copy of Street Fighter V because I do not work at Capcom (laughs). No one has a physical copy of the game when it’s weeks away from release.
Like Peter “Combofiend” Rosas and others at Capcom have mentioned before, the game will be quite different from the beta versions we’ve been playing when it’s released, so don’t get too attached. Come to think of it, why would playing on a retail copy give anyone an edge in a beta version of a game like the build during the Mad Catz V Cup? It’s a pre-release tournament and it’s called that for a reason (laughs).
You really made a name for yourself in Street Fighter IV by using a ridiculous amount of characters in competition (our rankings say nine, but I’m sure it’s more than that). Was your use of both Birdie and M. Bison at Mad Catz V Cup a sign of things to come for Street Fighter V?
LPN: I’m capable of playing multiple characters at high level but it is difficult to maintain and distribute my skill to the entire cast when it came to Ultra Street Fighter IV. With Street Fighter V’s condensed cast, it definitely feels a lot easier for me to move around and learn the characters at a faster rate than previous games. I’ve been playing M. Bison and Birdie since day one and looking forward to shocking the competition with Laura and others in the future.
What about those two characters in particular drew you to them?
LPN: Bison has always been my favorite Street Fighter character of all time (and possibly favorite villain of any series) because he’s just a complete badass! His redesign in Street Fighter V, both aesthetically and gameplay-wise, made him 100x more appealing than he ever was. I would even go as far to say that this is his best iteration, or should I say “form” (laughs).
As for Birdie, I would have never imagined that I could like a character like that. I mean, just look at him. He’s vulgar, looks like a menace, makes funny sound effects, and is always eating! Perhaps that’s the reason why I didn’t want to give him a chance, as I always pick my character choices based off how they look before anything else. Once I got a chance to try him out and see how much damage he was packing and how goofy he was, it was a done deal! This character is very unique and I want to show the world why.
Hagejin also used Birdie to win a pre-release tournament in Japan. What are your thoughts on his place in the overall game as it stands now?
LPN: After watching Hagejin play and win, I guess the first thing in my head was, “He must be winning because he has a early access!” (laughs)
The way he played Birdie was impressive and abusive. He outspaced his opponents and positioned himself to where he was able to apply pressure while protecting himself at all times. That’s something that I picked up on awhile back and implemented into my own style. We both outplayed our opponents not because of having more time with Street Fighter V but because we have a faster understanding of the game than most people as of right now.
Oh and, of course, Birdie is definitely top six in my opinion. He’s a complete character package just like Chun-Li, M. Bison, and some others as well.
You recently sent out some interesting tweets comparing Street Fighter V to the fighting game community’s red-headed stepchild, Street Fighter x Tekken. What similarities have you noted?
LPN: The reason that I said Street Fighter V is the more acceptable version of Street Fighter x Tekken to the public is because both games give me the same sensation. I enjoy Street Fighter V very much at its current state and it can only get better.
As for comparisons between the two, how much damage can be converted in small instances, the impact of hits, and the mentality behind approaching your opponent are all very similar. I just feel like I’m playing Street Fighter x Tekken without the extra side of shame and complaints that it carried back then (laughs).
You said that Street Fighter V is a “more acceptable” version of Street Fighter x Tekken. Mind providing some more insight on that thought?
LPN: Street Fighter x Tekken could have been a great game, but the execution during release was what really launched it with a rough start. Along with that, paying for gems, which Capcom claimed was essential and later deemed not necessary for tournament standard, hurt the game even more. To top it off, Evo’s 2v2 tournament pretty much killed it.
Outside of those extra and unnecessary ideas, the game itself was great and could have been something…but now we have Street Fighter V.
Your performance at Mad Catz V Cup has likely placed a target on your back as one of the stronger Street Fighter V players at this point in time, but it’s only seemed to motivate you. How important do you think the game will be to your competitive life moving forward?
LPN: I’ve always had a target on my back (for whatever reason) ever since I entered the fighting game community and tournament circuits, whether it’s for my style of play, a loss at a tournament, or a small success.
I always stay motivated to keep climbing until I’m satisfied. I plan on making an impact in this community and transcending beyond that with my goals and message. This year will be extremely important, with Street Fighter V being my main focus as I am not interested in anything else. To obtain the goal that I have set for myself, I can’t let any small distractions that I have no control over effect my performance and focus.
What other players are on your radar as we head into the era of Street Fighter V?
LPN: I look forward to seeing and competing against international players such as Infiltration, Momochi, and many more. Back here in America, there’s only one person on my radar and it’s the legend himself, Graham Wolfe.
The latest round of PlayStation Plus perks will see Persona 4 Arena Ultimax become free to download for the month of February.
While many have gravitated towards other Arc System Works franchises like Guilty Gear and BlazBlue, their Persona collaboration with Atlus has seen a fair bit of play since its surprising reveal, with appearances at both Evo 2013 and 2015. Unfortunately, various issues have kept competitors from getting their hands on the latest arcade revision, but that doesn’t mean you can’t check it out, especially when it’s free.
Folks can expect to grab Persona 4 Arena Ultimax for PlayStation 3 after PlayStation Network updates on February 2.
The Pokémon Company has long supported competition in both their video game and trading card releases, and that is about to extend to the upcoming Pokkén Tournament.
Starting with the title’s appearance at Evo 2016, the Pokkén Tournament Championship Series will give players the opportunity to compete for prizes and travel to the world championships in San Francisco, California this August. Pokémon also plans to include the title in their national festivities.
This decision follows Pokkén’s warm reception at last year’s world championships, which included an exhibition event featuring players like Evil Geniuses’ Justin Wong, Tempo Storm’s RIP, and HugS.
Pokkén Tournament is scheduled for a worldwide Wii U release on March 18.
Famitsu is reporting that PlayStation unveiled Benimaru Nikaido as the latest King of Fighters XIV character during their closed presentation at Taipei Game Show.
A longtime veteran to the series, Benimaru joins the likes of Kyo Kusanagi, Iori Yagami, Leona Heidern, Kula Diamond, and more in the upcoming title. Little information has been conveyed apart from the initial reveal, but it’s likely Benimaru will follow in the footsteps of his fellow cast members and retain much of the same moveset he had in King of Fighters XIII.
Taipei Game Show opens to the public starting January 28, and the event’s official Twitch stream has a King of Fighters showing scheduled for the next day, so stay tuned for more information.
King of Fighters XIV is scheduled to launch on PlayStation 4 sometime this year.
UltraChen TV is back with the another episode of their weekly community talk show.
Tonight, UltraDavid and James Chen will be discussing a number of topics, the most notable of which is the official Evo 2016 lineup. Be sure to tune in live to hear all their thoughts on this year’s installment of the largest fighting game tournament in the world.
The stream will be live in this article, but you can also visit Twitch to join the chat.
As many of you have likely heard, event organizer Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cuellar visited the Red Bull eSports studios tonight to announce the entire Evo 2016 lineup. We’ve seen obvious choices and surprising wild cards, but how did the tournament runners come to these decisions?
We recently had the chance to speak to Cuellar about the games they’ve picked for Evo 2016, picking his brain about inclusions, exclusions, logistics, and more. Check it out below.
Street Fighter V is set to make its debut at Evo 2016. What factors prompted the replacement of Ultra Street Fighter IV?
Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cuellar: Street Fighter V is a brand new game and a vast majority of people are playing it. The success of their beta tests confirms this. Street Fighter IV has had an incredible run of seven years, and we hope people continue to play this game, but for this year Evo will be running Street Fighter V only (puts on Guile shades).
Do you think Street Fighter V will have as big an impact on the tournament as Street Fighter IV did in its first appearance?
Mr. Wizard: I think it will be much bigger. There are 30 million PlayStation 4s out there as well as countless PCs. Everyone has access to this game from the getgo this time around, so a lot of people will be fiending on it this year!
You’ve chosen to include both major Smash games again. Why is that?
Mr. Wizard: The Smash community has proven time and time again that they are here to stay, and with the diverse number of crossover players, it was very clear that each game has their own following. It so amazing that a fifteen year old game can get record numbers, and so we decided to bring them both back.
Will Marvel vs. Capcom 3 ever die?
Mr. Wizard: I don’t think it will ever die. Marvel vs. Capcom 2 is still being played every so often, so I think it still has many years left. Marvel has provided many incredible moments at Evo, and is still incredible to watch, and our fans still love the game, so it has returned this year. I don’t know if it will get the prime time slot anymore, but it deserves to be in the lineup nonetheless.
What do you expect to see from Mortal Kombat X in its sophomore effort?
Mr. Wizard: With the announcement of Mortal Kombat XL and their revamped efforts on netcode, I think a lot of people will be playing this game again. I also imagine that with this release will come a big balance patch as well. NetherRealm Studios did an excellent job of balancing Mortal Kombat 9 a few years after the game came out, and I will expect nothing less from them this time around. Look forward to seeing this game on the big stage at Evo this year!
Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- will have only been available in North America for a few weeks by the time Evo 2016 rolls around. In your mind, is keeping up to date more important than familiarity in these situations?
Mr. Wizard: The core mechanics of Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- will remain the same, so we can assure that players will have enough time to check out the new characters and changes and get ready for the big event. Developers keeping the game fresh is exactly what Evo thrives on, and when someone brings new tech to Evo, it is always a crowd pleaser. We were confident that the players would want to use this new version, so we have included it in this year’s lineup.
Killer Instinct has enjoyed an incredible couple of years. What is it about the franchise that keeps Evo interested?
Mr. Wizard: Iron Galaxy Studios willingness to keep the game updated and fresh keeps us interested. Three years after the game came out, they are still updating it. This year we will see new characters, more balancing, and a PC port, which is sure to influence some people to check out their game. Last year’s top eight also had all different characters, so anytime that a game is relatively balanced, fun ensues.
It’s likely that Tekken 7 Fated Retribution will still be exclusive to arcades this summer, meaning cabinets will be necessary instead of consoles. Give us some insight into how that changes things from a logistics standpoint.
Mr. Wizard: With Bandai Namco being a good partner, we are able to bring Tekken 7 Fated Retribution to the fans. This game also has Akuma, which is a huge attempt to steal Street Fighter players to come check out Tekken. As you have heard earlier today, we have ample space this year, so having cabinets there won’t be a problem at all. Also seeing how it worked last year, we are more than confident that we can bring this game to the fans and let them compete in its first global tournament.
Pokkén Tournament is definitely a wild card, as games of its style have never really caught on in the larger fighting game community or been featured at Evo. What did this title in particular catch your eye?
Mr. Wizard: Every so often, we like to take a chance on a game, and Pokémon is such a huge brand, we decided to take a chance on Pokkén Tournament. Having Bandai Namco work on the game works well, as they are familiar with how fighting games work and balancing, so it should be interesting. This game is also on the Wii U instead of a handheld, so players can actually use controllers instead of using a handheld system to play. It will be exciting to see how this plays out.
Any parting words for the fighting game players out there?
Mr. Wizard: We hope you have enjoyed this broadcast, and we have much more exciting news to share in the near future! We hope you will join us in Vegas this year for the hypest event on the planet!
Evo 2016 is scheduled for July 15-17 in Las Vegas, Nevada. More details can be found here.
