Author: Sam "Trilby" Foxall

Posted on

Offering another potential way to play Super Smash Bros., Alt Lab Controllers show off the Smash Stick

While a battle has been raging between the Smash Box and the B0XX to be the true next evolution in controllers for competitive Smash, a third controller has quietly slipped into view. Choosing to eschew the HitBox-esque buttons for controlling a character’s movement, this new controller uses a traditional arcade-stick to move characters about in a way more players understand at a glance.

Aptly named the Smash Stick, this prototype controller looks more like a traditional fight stick, with a joystick and five button ‘homerow’ to move your character around. Unlike the Smash Box or the B0XX, the joystick is completely analog, with buttons for X, Z and the C-Stick being placed outside of the homerow. There is a toggle on the back of the stick to switch the C-Stick buttons to the D-Pad and vice versa.

While the stick may not offer the surgical precision that the Smash Box or the B0XX provide, it is an ergonomic design with a button layout which requires minimal flexion or extension of the fingers while playing. From first glance, it seems to sidestep many of the problems that has plagued both the Smash Box and B0XX in terms of giving players a distant advantage in game, while also being a suitable ergonomic alternative to the traditional GameCube controller.

The Smash Stick is still in active development so expect aspects of its button layout and overall design to change as more people test this extra control alternative.

Source: TheBlackHombre

Posted on

The KVO team release its schedule and games lineup for this year’s KVO x TSB

Acting as one of Japan’s major fighting game events, the TO team behind KVO x TSB have finally released the game lineup and schedule for this year’s event. Taking place in Cho-ku, Osaka from May 4th-6th, this three-day event will host a selection of both singles and teams events over 11 games, ranging from big name titles like Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 and Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, to smaller titles like Chaos Code: New Sign of Catastrophe and Koihime Enbu.

KVO x TSB 2017

Thursday will consist of:

  • Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (128 entrant cap)
  • Super Smash Bros. Melee (64 entrant cap)
  • Pokkén Tournament (96 entrant cap)
  • Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 singles (192 entrants, up to Top 8)

Friday will consist of:

  • Top 8 of Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 singles
  • Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 3v3 teams (72 team cap)
  • King of Fighters XIV singles (96 entrant cap)
  • Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 singles (96 entrant cap)
  • Street Fighter V 3v3 teams (32 team cap)

Finally, Saturday will finish off proceedings with:

  • Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3v3 teams (32 team cap)
  • Koihime Enbu (64 entrant cap)
  • Fate/unlimited codes 2v2 teams (32 team cap)
  • Chaos Code: New Sign of Catastrophe (64 entrant cap)
  • BlazBlue: Central Fiction (128 entrant cap)
  • King of Fighters XIV group battle (64 entrant cap)

If you are planning to attend KVO x TSB 2017, registration is now available on their official website. No details on the stream just yet, but seeing as TeamSpooky provided English commentary last year, expect news on a possible English side-stream as we get closer to the event.

Source: KVO x TSB

Posted on

Prepare your wardrobe for a summer full of tournaments with Musterbrand’s new Street Fighter V collection

Adding to UDON’s recently announced 30th anniversary Street Fighter t-shirts, Musterbrand have now revealed their new Street Fighter V clothing line. With varsity jackets and beachwear on offer, you can prepare your wardrobe for a summer packed with tournaments.

The varsity jackets display either Ryu or M. Bison, with each jacket lined with the character’s promotional art from Street Fighter V, along with a character-specific print on the back. The M. Bison jacket shows off the Shadaloo logo, while the Ryu jacket sports the kanji seen on his now-signature gloves. These jackets will cost you a fair chunk of Fight Money, going for €99.00 (approx. $105.00 USD).

If you’re looking to take a trip to Kanzuki Beach this summer, Musterbrand also has both men’s and women’s beachwear, based around Street Fighter V. With M. Bison and Ryu designs on the swim trunks–alongside Shadaloo and Chun-Li themed bikinis–these items all go for €49.00 (approx. $52.00 USD).

Sources: Street Fighter; Musterbrand

Posted on

A special anniversary Tatsunoko vs. Capcom exhibition is being held in Odaiba, Tokyo from April 21 to May 7

To celebrate the 55th anniversary of Tatsunoko and the 30th anniversary of the Street Fighter series, both Capcom and Tatsunoko are coming together once again for a special exhibition to be held at the Aqua City Mall in Odaiba, Tokyo. Running from April 21st to May 7th, this exhibition will show off art from Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, as well as offering various Capcom and Tatsunoko-themed activities like giant Monster Hunter balloons, stamp rallies, and panels where you can take your picture with your favorite fighter.

There is also going to be a special character poll, where fans can vote for their favorite character from the Tatsunoko vs. Capcom roster. By the looks of it, it’s probably nothing more than a popularity contest, but it could be the sign of something in the future. With dedicated fans keeping the game alive via the TvC Discord, and Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite coming out this year, there is certainly a raised interest in the Versus series as of late.

If anything does get announced, it will most likely be an HD remaster of Tatsunoko vs. Capcom–but even so, it would probably be Japan-only due to the previous difficulties in securing all the Tatsunoko character licenses for a Western audience. Even then, the question remains if it would be exclusive to the Nintendo Switch–like the original being exclusive to the Wii–or whether a potential remaster would come to other consoles and PC. This is all speculation at present, but keep an eye for any news coming out of this TvC exhibition when it opens a week from today.

Source: Famitsu

Posted on

Nintendo announces a new fighter and a June 16 release date for ARMS

In today’s Nintendo Direct, Nintendo finally announced a release date for stretchy-armed arena fighter ARMS. Alongside a special neon-yellow JoyCon and a special battery life extender, ARMS will launch worldwide on June 16th. Besides the main release date reveal, this Direct revealed a ton of new information, including a new fighter, a special 2v2 mode and how players unlock additional Arms to use in battle.

The actual Arms are split between several categories, ranging from the standard Glove-type to:

  • Multi-shot Arms which fire off multiple projectiles
  • Curve Arms which can hit behind an enemy’s block
  • Heavy Arms which have a huge surface area
  • Whip Arms which have a super fast drawback animation

Alongside these types, each Arm can be associated with an attribute like ice, fire, wind, lightning and so on. These attributes become active when your Arm is allowed to charge for a second, giving players access to all sorts of elemental punches. As for unlocking new Arms, players can head to the Arms Getter–a special shooting gallery when you can punch special reward boxes to gain new armaments.

Joining the likes of Spring Man, Ribbon Girl and Ninjara, this Nintendo Direct introduced Min Min to the ARMS roster. Nicknamed “The Ramen Bomber,” this culinary contender uses arms made of ramen noodles to strike at her opponents. Min Min is also a trained martial artist, with her air dash allowing her to kick away incoming punches.  She can also charge up her special Dragon Arm for an extended period, unleashing a large beam attack to blast opponents.

Source: Nintendo

Posted on

Continue your onslaught against crouching opponents: More Juri combos from JusticeSoulTuna for Street Fighter V

Just when you think she has run out of new tricks, Season 2 Juri seems to be the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to combo potential. Following up on a previous video showing how Juri could connect new combos on crouching opponents using her fireball, JusticeSoulTuna has found more combo links that work on opponents ducking low to the ground. There are also a handful of new counter-hit combos using Juri’s standing heavy punch, standing medium punch and medium kick Fuharenkyaku (MK Fuha).

Standing medium punch is the real star of the show, as it acts as a combo link on crouching opponents following a MK Fuha. This link can allow Juri to convert into decent meterless damage, or she can leave herself at +2 if she ends the combo with a light punch DP. It’s then possible to sneak in a jab or go for a grab to secure some easy damage.

However, JusticeSoulTuna points out that the real potential of this combo link is the ability to charge another MK Fuha. When done in the corner, this puts Juri in the perfect position to plan for her opponent’s wakeup. There are no doubt more bits of Juri tech that are still to be discovered, so watch out for more from JusticeSoulTuna in the near future.

Source: JusticeSoulTuna

Posted on

Phoenix1 continues its Super Smash Bros. expansion by signing James “Duck” Ma

After signing top Cloud and DK main Gavin “Tweek” Dempsey for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U earlier this year, Phoenix1 have now thrown their hat into the Melee ring by signing world’s best Samus and MIOM Rank #15, James “Duck” Ma. It seems that birds of a feather flock together, even in esports.

Rated as the best player in Michigan, Duck has been a consistent presence at the top levels of many Melee events, with a second place at Full Bloom 3, seventh at Smash Summit 3, ninth at Shine, Evo, and Canada Cup 2016. With wins over players like CLG|SFAT, IMT|Shroomed, MSF|The Moon, G2|Westballz, and a current 3-1 positive record over TSM|Leffen, he has the potential to raise his MIOM ranking even higher in 2017.

Duck was previously signed to Denial Esports, but agreed to a mutual separation in August after issues with player payments–these issues have since been resolved. The Midwestern bounty hunter will be sporting his brand new orange and black jersey at CEO Dreamland this weekend.

Source: Phoenix1

Posted on

GameBattles reopens its famous Super Smash Bros. online ladder, now for Smash 4

Alongside the now defunct All Is Brawl, GameBattles was one of the best places to train during the days of Super Smash Bros. Brawl. It helped birth many of the talents we now see dominating the top levels of Smash 4, with its playoffs and online ladder acting as major battlegrounds during Brawl’s lifespan. While Japan still has an active and fiercely competitive online ladder, nothing in the West has really captured the original spirit of All Is Brawl and GameBattles.

However, in a matter of minutes earlier this week after a suggestion by IMT|ANTi on Twitter, GameBattles has set up a new online ladder specifically for Smash 4. Top players like ANTi, TSM|ZeRo and CaptainZack have already signed up to the service, with there currently being over 380 players registered since the ladder’s announcement yesterday evening. You can expect more players to start filtering in over the next week, with MLG hopefully setting up incentives, premium tournaments and playoffs as interest increases.

This announcement has certainly garnered a lot of interest among both Brawl veterans and new-school wifi warriors, so there should be plenty of matches going if you are looking to level up your Smash skills.

Source: GameBattles

Posted on

Esports Arena partners with MGM Resorts and Allied Esports to open new venue at Luxor Hotel and Casino

In a strategic partnership between Allied Esports and the MGM Resorts group, Esports Arena is planning to open a new venue inside the Luxor Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas strip. Taking over a 30,000 square foot nightclub within the hotel, Esports Arena Las Vegas is set to open in early 2018 and become Las Vegas’ first dedicated esports venue.

According to a press release announcing this joint venture, Esports Arena Las Vegas will come equipped with “a competition stage, LED video wall, telescopic seating, daily gaming stations, a robust food and beverage offering, and state-of-the-art streaming and television-quality production studios.” This arena will also pave the way for Esports Arena and Allied Esports’ expansion across America, with Esports Arena planning to open between 10-15 new locations across North America in the next few years. Two venues in Oakland, California and Shenzhen, China are planned to open during 2017, with a touring gaming truck starting its journey across mainland Europe.

“Esports Arena Las Vegas will be the ultimate esports environment that people from around the world will strive to experience first-hand,” said co-founder and COO of Esports Arena, Tyler Endres. “The operation and programming will be unique, as the rest of our locations are very much driven to engage and support local communities, while here in Las Vegas we are developing an approach that will also create excitement for the millions of visitors who come to the city every year.”

The Esports Arena in Santa Ana has proved to be a welcome boon to the FGC, hosting regular events like Wednesday Night Fights and Mega Smash Mondays, alongside larger events like SoCal Regionals and 2GG’s Sagas. Hopefully, this grand expansion across the USA means that more tournament organizers and players can make use of its stellar facilities to continue the growth of local scenes.

Source: Esports Arena

Posted on

2GGC: Gekkouga Saga comes to the Esports Arena on May 20th

Decided after Ranai’s Greninja took first place at the special round robin at 2GGC: Civil War, this next Saga will be dedicated to the amphibian shinobi, Greninja. However, as many of the world’s best Greninjas–like iStudying and Some–could not make an event in April, 2GGaming have rescheduled the newly-named Gekkouga Saga (Greninja is called “Gekkouga” in Japanese) for May 20th at the Esports Arena in Santa Ana, California.

As with all 2GGC Sagas, there will be both singles and doubles events for players to try and earn those precious 2GGC Ranking Points, along with a special combo contest dedicated to the ninja frog. Greninja players are infamous for posting incredibly stylish and intricate combos on Twitter, so this event will finally pit them against each other for the title of greatest amphibian. Based on a tweet from 2GGaming, it looks like they will be flying in international Greninja mains like Elexiao, Waveguider, DarkAura, Eddy, Serge, Oisiitofu, Some, and more to compete at the event.

Signups are available over on smash.gg, and expect more details on this Saga as we approach May. 2GG are promising to host another tournament to make up for them missing an event in April, so don’t worry about losing a weekend of top Smash 4 action. Hopefully, it may be the rumored Pokémon Saga.

Source: 2GGaming