Author: Luke "Woocash" Siuty

The hype for Combo Breaker is slowly reaching a critical level, and tons of Guilty Gear Xrd players are prepping this week for the announced brackets. But one event that’s sure to be a memorable appetizer for fans of this airdasher is the Guilty Gear Xrd Battle Summit, a 5v5 exhibition that showcases the best players from their respective regions.

Let’s take a look at each team’s lineup and analyze what they bring to the table.

Team Chicago

1. FF|ElvenShadow (Faust)
2. Sym (Millia)
3. BlackSNAKE (Venom)
4. ChosenNinja (Millia)
5. Kizzercrate (Ky)

This team practically screams “OG.” The trio of scene veterans–and I mean veterans to the truest degree–Elven Shadow, Sym, and BlackSNAKE have an incredible weight of experience behind them. It’s going to be very tough to break them. BlackSNAKE is the type of player who calculates and mercilessly grinds nearly every situation imaginable. He’s one of the only two Venoms in all of the teams. Oddly enough, this team has two Millias, which could turn out to be a weakness or a strength. While both Sym and ChosenNinja have strong mastery over the setplay character, this is the matchup that a lot of the top players will have figured out by now. A strong Elphelt or Johnny could be trouble for this team.

Team Michigan

1. CORN|AxisTheBeast (Johnny)
2. ShinSin (Chipp)
3. SRM|Leonil Requiem (Ramlethal)
4. YASE|Mr. U Suk (Sin)
5. Gekioh (Axl)

What’s strong about the composition of this team is a combination of powerful characters with a few unconventional ones. This is the only team to feature a Ramlethal and Axl. Ramlethal has been hurt by a patch from the -SIGN- era, but her setplay can get intense if she gets you cornered. Similarly, Axl Low can throw off anyone who hasn’t practiced against this somewhat niche character. As for the rest, Johnny, Chipp, and Sin are all quite scary in the right hands.

Team Nebraska

1. Cue (Zato)
2. Dekline (Sin)
3. YooYoung (Sol)
4. JaMarvelous (Leo)
5. TS|NerdJosh (Elphelt)

A pretty straightforward team, and what’s bizarre, YooYoung is the only Sol in the team exhibition. Dekline is a very solid Sin player, and that character has emerged as one of the stronger ones in Xrd. The real ace is going to be NerdJosh, as Elphelt is a universally feared combatant. He reached 3rd place recently at the West Coast Warzone tournament, losing to Kizzie Kay’s Sin. This team might be very troublesome for those who don’t have an Elphelt on their lineup. Most of these matchups are also advantageous to Sin, so hopefully for them, they’re not matched against Team South.

Stardust Crusaders

1. AKA (Zato)
2. KBnova (Bedman)
3. Mr. K (Leo)
4. Zinac (Faust)
5. Grant (Slayer)

This Midwest team also has some niche characters on its roster: Bedman and Slayer. That’s definitely going to be an advantage, especially for those opponents who haven’t specifically faced KBnova or Grant. Grant, a younger Chicago-based player, enjoys developing off-the-wall tech for Slayer. As for the rest, they are experienced Guilty Gear players who may be a little weak to the top-tier choices. But still, any of them have the potential to pull through and beat the popular characters.

Team South

1. TXrd|FaultyDefense (Sin)
2. Doren2k (Jam)
3. Shinobi! (Ky)
4. Hotashi (Elphelt)
5. Ryan Hunter (Venom)

This team has a well-rounded cast. There’s an all-out zoner, Venom, and both Ky and Elpehlt have some zoning capabilities. FaultyDefense terrorized the recent Texas Showdown, beating out the competition, especially Oso’s Elphelt, in grueling finals. However, the rest of the squad has also frequently placed in top 8s, making this one of the scarier compositions for Combo Breaker.

Team West

1. Beautifuldude (Zato)
2. Bears (Chipp)
3. Foo (Johnny)
4. Shtkn (Ky)
5. AS|Tasty Steve (Leo)

The West Coast has a strong Anime scene, and this team’s roster is filled with experienced players. It’s hard to say whether Foo can utilize Johnny as well as the other teammates, since it’s a character new to -REVELATOR-, but he undoubtedly could be an asset. By now, there’s a lot of Johnny tech posted on Twitter and YouTube. There are only two Chipp players in the Battle Summit, and both are a force to be reckoned with.

Team East

1. PG|MarlinePie (Zato)
2. D-Link|Lord Knight (Millia)
3. Lost Soul (Elphelt)
4. LoCal|Sway (Faust)
5. Flux (Jack-O’)

MarlinPie recently triumphed at Toryuken, while Lord Knight placed fourth. While they’re both incredibly solid players, Lost Soul recently beat out one of the top Japanese players, Dogura, at Final Round. This pushed the Japanese playerbase to declare Lost Soul as the top American Elphelt player; whether he is or not doesn’t matter as much as his actual talent. I can see how facing this team can be terrifying for the other players, and they definitely have a lot of potential to win the exhibition. It’s also nice to see a Jack-O’ in the tournament, and the new character may catch people off-guard.

Who are your favorites to win the Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- Battle Summit? We can’t wait to find out, and Combo Breaker 2016 is shaping up to be an incredible event. Make sure to stay tuned to our coverage!

Source: Combo Breaker, SymzStudioz, TheSassageKing, Latigular FG, Khaos Gaming, theloafingone, FunkyP

For those who want to spruce up their purchase of the upcoming King of Figthers XIV, Atlus just announced the Premium Edition of the game, equipped with plenty of additional goodies.

Titled “Burn to Fight,” this version of the PlayStation 4 fighter comes with a 3-disc soundtrack and a large art book, all packaged in a collector’s edition box. This version of the game will set you back $79.99. Here are the full details:

• SteelBook – The game disc will be encased in a collectible SteelBook emblazoned with the series’ fiery mainstay, Kyo Kusanagi, literally burning to fight.
• Art book – This 144-page art book will be filled with original character/stage drawings from throughout the series.
• 3-Disc Soundtrack – Those looking for an audio fix will be able to enjoy a three-disc soundtrack (housed in a gorgeous Mai Shiranui illustrated case) comprised of 60+ electric songs worthy of the greatest fighting tournament in the world.
• Collector’s Box – All the above items will be packaged in a scorching box adorned with familiar characters.

If you’re looking to get your hands on The King of Fighters XIV before ordering a copy for yourself, there’s an opportunity to play a demo of the game at this weekend’s Combo Breaker. The King of Fighters XIV will be out in North America on August 23, Japan on August 25, and Europe on August 26.

Source: Atlus via Gematsu

Sword-based fighting game The Last Blade 2, originally published in 1998, has just arrived on the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation Vita platforms.

A sequel to the original The Last Blade, it features a cast of 18 characters rendered in old school pixel graphics. Each member can fight in one of three styles that emphasize either power, speed, or a combination of the two. Various types of repels allow players to turn the tide on their foe, and there are plenty of flashy techniques like “Super Secret Slash” to make short work of life bars.

The Last Blade 2 now features Cross Buy, Cross Play, and Cross Save between the PS4 and Vita systems. Check out the trailer below to see the game in action.

The Last Blade 2 is now available on PSN for $14.99 (with a discount for PS+ members).

Source: PlayStation Store, tip from Sahil J.

This weekend’s big event is Combo Breaker, a Chicago-land tourney with all the major games. But amidst killer pot bonuses and fierce competition, several indie games will also have a chance to get some time in the spotlight.

The indie lineup includes eight titles, most of them featuring fighting game aspects to some degree, though some obviously favor our genre of choice more than others.

Pocket Rumble, inspired by Neo Geo Pocket SNK fighters, adapts Street Fighter philosophy onto a mobile screen. By simplifying inputs and the entry barrier, Cardboard Robot Games wants players to focus on reading the opponent and coming up with strategies. Currently, the game is up on Steam Early Access.

Fearless Night by Shobu Games hearkens back to the legacy of fast-paced, arcade titles while adding in a forward-thinking mindset for today’s competitive standards. Features like hit box and frame data displays are already built-in, and the game takes advantage of a rollback netcode for responsive online play. The game is Greenlit on Steam, and the latest build is available to download from the Fearless Night website.

Super Combat Jr. II packs voxel-style graphics into a fast-paced, arena deathmatch game. The local multiplayer title pits 2-4 players armed with bombs, arrows, guns, and whatever else they can equip against one another. Before facing off, each fighter has an opportunity to customize their character with six armors and as many as 18 weapons. The game draws inspiration from Legend of Zelda, Hotline Miami, and Street Fighter. Super Combat Jr. II is purchasable on itch.io right now.

While it’s not as much of a fighting game as the other selections, behind this saucy title lies a delicious party game starring sports-driven animals. eight titles in their indie games lineup. Stay tuned to SRK for continued coverage of the event.

Source: Combo Breaker

Scene veterans Brett and St1ickBuG recently began a podcast dedicated to the airdasher subgenre. After their introductory episode, the duo’s latest tackles a recent blog post by Machaboo, a translated version of which you can find on Reddit. The post takes a beginner’s approach on having a mindset that’s applicable to growing as a fighting game player.

Brett and St1ckBug discuss at length player attitudes and common behaviors. They point out how pride can get in the way of one of the simpler ways to get better, which is asking everyone questions and accepting advice. Being open-minded is the basis for growing as a player, apart from hours of grinding in training mode.

Be sure to hit them up on Twitter and Twitch with questions as suggestions, as they’re open to shaping the podcast with some community involvement.

Sources: St1ckBuG, Brett