Author: Sam "Trilby" Foxall

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Capcom Fighters talks to Problem X about his CPT win streak, going pro, and succeeding with Bison

Europe’s last Premier event before its Regional Finals — EGX 2017 — saw Mousesports’ Problem X defending the house from both continental and global threats. Capcom’s Matt Edwards was able to catch up with arguably world’s best Bison both before and after his third consecutive CPT win, to talk all things Street Fighter V.

Problem X recently quit his day job to pursue Street Fighter full-time, and that extra practice looks to be paying off. It certainly needed when you play a character like Bison, who requires considerable “mental strength” to play properly, according to Problem X. He is determined to rock out with solo Bison going forward, hoping that continued exposure to bad match-ups will cause him to improve. Cammy is the only character that he would consider swapping off Bison for, but that’s a last resort.

As for what he wants for Bison in a potential third season of Street Fighter V, Problem X would like to see Psycho Crusher return as a special move — only accessible when the dictator is in V-Trigger.

Problem X is guaranteed a spot in Capcom Cup 2017 after his EGX win, and he is currently ranked eighth with 1132 points. With Milan Games Week this weekend, he has the potential to gain even better seeding within the final 32-player bracket.

Source: Capcom Fighters

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Pokkén Tournament DX beats out Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite on the UK sales chart

Despite many in the FGC changing their opinion once they got their hands on it, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite looks to have been a big flop on its first week of sales — at least in the UK. According to data from the UK sales charts, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite didn’t manage to break the top ten, while Pokkén Tournament DX came in at fifth during its launch week.

pokken pikachu libre happyThis placing for Pokkén is nothing short of amazing, when you consider that the original launched on a dying console and was largely ignored by the mainstream gaming audience. Keep in mind that Pokken Tournament DX was only released on the Switch, yet it managed to get fifth on the all-format chart. MvC:I launched on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, and it only came in at 12th. If you want some more grim reading, Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite came in at 16th on the PS4 format chart, while the Xbox One version didn’t even break the top 40.

mvci internal title card esportsTo add insult to injury, Ultra Street Fighter II had a better debut than Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, with it coming in at 10th during its first week of sale. The combination of no Switch port, bad publicity around its art style, and arguably lackluster launch roster — alongside resentment from the troubled Street Fighter V launch — has seemingly come together to bite Capcom. While the majority of the FGC may have had their minds changed by MvC:I’s stellar combat system, it’s essentially bombed with the general public in the UK.

Sources: Metro via GamesIndustry.biz; Christopher Dring

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Claim the Soul Stone by signing up for Milan Games Week’s Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite tournament

The Battle for the Stones is now underway, following Splyce|Filipino Champ’s victory at SoCal Regionals over the weekend. As FChamp has technically already qualified for the final Battle for the Stones bracket, his spot and Space Stone will instead go to the fantastically named Professor Coxwette, the runner-up from SCR 2017. I can’t wait for some poor Disney executives to read his tag.

For those who aren’t aware, each Infinity Stone has a usage outside of the game, allowing players to bend the rules for their benefit. In the first Stone reveal, the Space Stone will grant the user the power to swap positions with another player in the bracket of equal placing. So if your round one match is looking a little dicey, simply pop the Space Stone and change your opponent!

The next Infinity Stone tournament will be this weekend at Milan Games Week, with the Soul Stone being up for grabs. With Milan Games Week also being the Regional Finals for the European leg of the Capcom Pro Tour, expect stiff competition from Europe’s Marvel collective. Sign-ups are currently available over on Challonge, so get going if you want a chance at winning a trip to California to compete in the Battle for the Stones.

Sources: CapcomFighters; FACEIT

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Oki concepts, team combos and one touch kills: it’s time for your weekend Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite round-up

It’s the first weekend of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite and the tech train shows no signs of stopping. With players starting to discover one touch kills and potential counters to prevalent tactics, we’re beginning to get into the real meat of MvC:I. This weekend round-up has a pretty broad selection of tech, so let’s get started:

First off, xero18 outlines the changes that have been made to Spider-Man’s Ultimate Web Throw, compared to Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3.

If you’re running a Spider-Man/Iron Man team, ecksyz has got some interesting oki concepts to keep your opponent locked in the corner.

It’s only five days since launch and I think everyone is already sick of Dormammu’s Thorn carpet. TDG Oso has been in the lab and has discovered a few ways to escape from Dormmamu’s clutches.

If you’re new to Marvel, rooflemonger has made a thorough guide which covers several vital concepts which weren’t covered in the tutorial.

For those looking to run Dante and Jedah, sitvergold has compiled a decent number of combos for this demonic team.

Want to play Dante but can’t quite get to grips with him? Erased Citizens has a fantastic beginner’s guide for those wishing to learn the charismatic demon hunter.

Straight from Clockw0rk’s stream, he shows how Ghost Rider’s bike super can get him caught in a spot of bother.

I Really Dunno has found a touch of death combo with Team Street Fighter that kills every character in the game. The execution looks really tight and it requires Ryu to be at 25% health, but it sure looks cool.

And to finish off this round-up, combo wizard desk has set his sights on newcomer Captain Marvel for his latest showcase.

Sources: xero18; ecksyz; TDG Oso; rooflemonger; SitverGold; Erased Citizens; mvcclockw0rk; I Really Dunno; desk

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Weapons authorized: Goomy pushes Samus to the limit in this Super Smash Bros. Melee combo video

Famous for his mastery of the incredibly difficult to perform aerial super wavedash, the hyper-technical Samus main Goomy has brought out a brand new Melee combo video. From aerial super wavedashes, uses of Samus’ extended grapple beam and some insane off-stage sequences, Goomy make Samus look nigh-on unstoppable.

At one point, Goomy is able to super wavedash to one side of Fountain of Dreams, forward tilt his opponent into a bomb on the other side of the stage and then finish them off with a Charge Shot. The sheer skill to pull off that sequence would make you think Samus herself was behind the controls. He then manages to use Samus’ grapple to phase through Pokemon Stadium and kill someone by coming up through the bottom of the stage.

Goomy is set to be at GT-X next weekend, so let’s hope he can show off his awe-inspiring Samus on stream.

Source: Goomy Smash

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MySmashCorner examines character archetypes within the Super Smash Bros. series

If you’ve played a lot of fighting games or RPGs, you will have come across the idea of character archetypes. Used by both players and designers, they act as a form of short-hand when you are describing the attributes of a certain character. The glass cannon is probably the most cited character archetype — someone who can deal massive amounts of damage, but is super fragile.

To give players tangible examples, MySmashCorner has made a helpful video which attempts to map common character archetypes onto fighters from across the Super Smash Bros. series. MySmashCorner is keen to point out that characters will often fit multiple archetypes at once, in order to make them more appealing to play. Smash also has its own archetypes along with these generic ones, like the space animal and the fastfaller.

Having multiple archetypes makes a game’s roster interesting, and it’s fun to see when designers deliberately play with an archetype to create something new. Hopefully, future Smash games will continue to experiment and make new twists on old formulae.

Source: MySmashCorner

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Yamcha and Tien join the fight in these new Dragon FighterZ trailers from Tokyo Games Show

As part of the special Dragon Ball FighterZ presentation at Tokyo Games Show, we finally got a glimpse of Yamcha and Tien in action via two short trailers. Joining Krillin as the human representatives on the DBFZ roster, these veteran Z-Fighters look like they can hold their own against Saiyans, galactic emperors and bio-mechanical cicada monsters.

Yamcha looks to be the first real rushdown character in DBFZ, using variations of Wolf Fang Fist to overwhelm his opponent. His Spirit Ball is his Level 1 Super, with Yamcha directly controlling the energy sphere to bludgeon his foe. The Neo Wolf Fang Fist is his Level 3 Super and looks to be a decent corner carry.

As for Tien, he doesn’t fight alone. Similar to Android 18 calling upon her brother, Tien summons his life-long friend Chiaotzu for many of his attacks. Chiaotzu can use his telekinetic powers to briefly stun opponents, allowing Tien to start a combo or escape from a tricky situation. Along with techniques like the Machine Gun Punch and Volleyball Attack, Tien’s Supers having him using his trademark Kikoho. His Level 1 Super is the normal Kikoho, while his Level 3 is the devastating Shin Kikoho. Tien can use the Shin Kikoho multiple times in a row, but it drains his health on repeat uses — like it does in the anime.

If you want to watch the whole Dragon Ball FighterZ presentation, you can check out the VOD below. Along with the trailers for Tien and Yamcha, there is a brief snippet from DBFZ’s Story Mode, showing a cutscene of Android 21 talking to Krillin and Goku.

Sources: 876TV via Izuniy

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Yakuza Kiwami 2 will feature fully playable versions of Virtua Fighter 2 and VIRTUAL-ON

If you cast your minds back to 2016, you may remember that we reported that Yakuza 6 will allow players to play an emulated version of Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown within its in-game arcades. Well, with the recent announcement of Yakuza Kiwami 2, you’ll be able to go further back into Sega’s history.

Located within one of Kiwami 2’s Club Sega arcades, wannabe gangsters can play a few rounds of either Virtua Fighter 2 or VIRTUAL-ON. From on the little footage we’ve seen, it’s not currently known if these emulations are based on the original arcade games, or their Sega Saturn ports.

For those who never played these classics — or simply want a trip down memory lane in between beating up street thugs — keep a look out for Yakuza Kiwami 2 when it comes to the West in 2018. The Yakuza development team are also working on a Fist of the North Star-themed Yakuza game, so we may even see a port of Hokuto no Ken making it into that dream crossover!

Sources: Kira A; Destructoid [via tip from Paul]

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ESPN polls Street Fighter V pros on who they think is the world’s best player

During Brooklyn Beatdown Round 2 last weekend, ESPN Esports was on hand to chat to many of the top players attending this high-stakes tournament. With several pros jockeying for the top spot, they asked all their interviewees the same question — who is the best Street Fighter V player at the moment?

Based on the feature image above, you can hazard a guess as to who many players think is the best. Despite him coming second at Evo and not being able to conquer the Raging Demon Tokido, the majority of players said that Punk was the current best in the world. According to Daigo Umehara, Punk’s performances are just on “another level” compared to everyone else.

With his Karin busting everyone up, many of the players that ESPN talked to said that they were picking up a grappler just to deal with Karin. NuckleDu is working on his Birdie, Alucard was planning to counterpick Abigail, while Justin Wong noted that one of Punk’s bad habits is that he takes too many grabs. The overwhelming consensus is that grapplers may be the silver bullet to put down Punk. Even then, Smug noted that while he can beat Punk’s Karin with Balrog, he’ll just “switch to another character” to find a solution.

While Punk was the main person that people pointed to as the best, Tokido was in close second. With Capcom Cup 2017 fast approaching, we’ll soon have the answer.

Source: ESPN Esports

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ARIKA are holding a “Pro vs. Pro” exhibition at Tokyo Games Show for their mystery fighting game

Following up from their new trailer earlier this week, ARIKA have announced that they will be commandeering the Twitch stage at Tokyo Games Show to hold a special exhibition for their mysterious fighting game. As a special treat for those interested in this project, ARIKA will be pitting AW|Nemo against GRAPHT|Fuudo in a high-stakes exhibition.

Along with Nemo and Fuudo, ARIKA founder and legendary game director Akira Nishitani will feature as a special guest. According to ARIKA’s Facebook page, this whole exhibition is to show off the Gougi system and how “dangerous” it can be when two pros are going at it.

The exhibition will begin tonight at 9:30pm PT, with it being streamed on Twitch’s main channel, alongside Twitch Japan and BeasTV. Expect plenty of gameplay of new character Allen Snider, along with a better look at other characters like Darun Mister and Skullomania.

Source: ARIKA EX