Author: USD

Street Fighter is popular across the globe, and the Middle East is certainly no exception. Last month, video game convention GAMES14 hosted the 4th Capcom Gulf Championships in the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai. If you missed out on the tournament, Frametrap recently put together a playlist of the top eight matches, which featured some great play from their talented local players.

And if you’re craving more Ultra Street Fighter IV action from the UAE, check out this first-to-ten footage from the capital city of Abu Dhabi that pits Latfi’s C. Viper against Guy master Big Bird of Falcon Arena. The match begins at 1:36:30, but you can find other casuals footage before and after.

Watch live video from TheMajlis on Twitch

Sources: Frametrap, TheMajlis

BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Ver.2.0 is now just a day away! Yesterday, Arc System Works and Famitsu revealed a few major changes for half of the cast, and now we have a look at how the other half will change in tomorrow’s update.

In addition to primary adjustments for the existing cast, you’ll also find a break down of a new guard cancel Overdrive system and basic guides for newcomers Lambda-11 and Celica A. Mercury, all with helpful video demonstrations.

There’s a ton of information to digest here, so feel free to get started and let us know what you think of BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Ver.2.0 so far.

Change List Introduction Part 4 (Makoto, Valkenhayn, Platinum, Relius)

Makoto

• D Attacks Lv2 and LvG now special cancellable.
• When Jump 2+C hits, Makoto bounces upward.
• Space Counter (Parrying) properties changed, now a strike with a guard point attached.

Valkenhayn

• König Wolf and Eisen Wolf now have a C version.
• Himmel Wolf is now special cancellable on a successful throw, as normal throws are.
• While in wolf form, König Wolf is now usable.

Platinum

• Magical Cat and Magical Frying Pan are now cancellable.
• 3+C to D Attacks Revolver Action route added, floats the opponent higher on hit making it easier to follow
• During Overdrive, Miracle Jeanne’s NEXT item will also be a powered up item.

Relius

• New move Id Sign added.
• Ignis can now be used in pincer attack mix-ups.
• During Overdrive, all of Ignis’s special moves are now strengthened.

Change List Introduction Part 5 (Amane, Bullet, Azrael, Nu, Mu, Izayoi)

Amane

• Spiral Gauge Lv1 and Lv2’s decrease speed is now slower, Lv3’s decrease speed is now faster.
• D Attacks are now special cancellable on guard as well.
• Ninpu Sengeki: “Hariken” properties changed, when placing the Drill Amane’s foot section now has an attack hitbox.

Bullet

• D Attacks are now special cancellable.
• Can now brake during Miquelet Capture.
• Charged Flint Shooter now works with the Heat Up levels.

Azrael

• The latter half of 6+B is now jump and special cancellable.
• When absorbing a projectile with Growler Field, can cancel into Phalanx Cannon.
• Valiant Charge now works with more moves.
• Leopard Launcher hit effect changed.

Nu-13-

• D Attacks are now projectile Lv2 immediately after the summon.
• D Attacks can now be followed-up freely up to four times (three times when airborne).
• Projectile special moves now have D charge versions in addition to the C follow-ups.
• During Gravity Seed, can cancel with normal attacks and special moves; certain special attacks can be cancelled with Gravity Seed on hit.

Mu-12-

• 6+B sped up, first hit can be blocked crouching.
• D attack projectile fire timing is slower, projectile travel distance is shorter.
• Cancel timing when setting D attacks is earlier, can cancel with C attacks when setting.
• During Overdrive, bits no longer automatically fire, when Overdrive ends set bits remain.

Izayoi

• Aegis Blade now invincible.
• Strike Fall can now be followed up with Mirage Thruster and Valkyrie Astrea.
• Slaver Trans-AM can now be used with 1 Zero-Type Gauge stock, the greater the amount consumed the longer it continues.

Change List Introduction Part 6 (Kagura, Terumi, Kokonoe)

Kagura

• B Ryubakusen (Dragon Spirit) properties changed, the farther the distance the greater the number of hits.
• Ryujinshou (Dragon’s Ascent) now has two types, a B version and a C versions.
• Stance-only special moves can now be cancelled into Crush Trigger, Overdrive and Ryuha Gakuenjin (Supreme Dragon’s Inferno).

Terumi

• Jump D → Jump 2+D Revolver Action route added.
• Jakyou Messenga (Gleaming Fang) hit effect changed.
• Jagaku’s (Snakebite) recovery on whiff shortened.

Kokonoe

• Graviton changed from a gauge to stocks, when setting one stock is consumed.
• Using Activate consumes one Graviton stock, Activate can now be charged.
• Armament No02 “Broken Bunker Assault Ver2.21″ first hit now Rapid Cancellable on hit.
• Armament No01 “Super Dreadnought Exterminator Golden Tager” chargeable time extended.

Guard Cancel Overdrive Activation

In BlazBlue: Chronophantasma Ver.2.0, you can activate Overdrive while blocking. The activation motion is quite long, but the invincibility continues until the end of the motion. The Overdrive length is half of a normal Overdrive. Characters with improved Overdrives might see some effectiveness from even random activations, but if you want to master this technique, you’ll need to know your character match-ups. It’s certainly a system with some depth, so look for counterattack points and best your rival!

Punish Examples Using Guard Cancel Activation Overdrive

With Tager: Interrupt Ragna’s Stand B → Stand C with Overdrive → Genesic Emerald Tager Buster

Punishing by activating Overdrive immediately before a large attack, using Ragna’s Stand C as an example. You can also punish with normal attacks with fast start-up times.

With Litchi: Interrupt Kokonoe’s Armament No03 “Absolute Zero Ver4.32″ with Overdrive → All Terminals

Activating Overdrive on guard against attacks with long overall motions, like multiple hit attacks. By releasing an invincible move immediately after the Overdrive activation motion ends, you can interrupt multi-hit attacks. However, if the opponent has 50% Heat Gauge, they can follow with a Rapid Cancel in reaction to the Overdrive activation, so be cautious.

With Hazama: Interrupt Rachel’s Stand C, C → Tempest Dahlia with Overdrive → Eternal Coils of the Dragon Serpent

Placing risk on continuing offense with projectiles. Activate Overdrive and aim for a punish at points where you would be forced into a continuous blockstring. When Rachel is low on Silpheed Gauge, she uses Tempest Dahlia to attempt to regenerate her gauge. However, because the projectiles can’t be Rapid Cancelled if on whiff, you can punish with an invincible move with long range.

Λ -No.11- (Lambda-11) Basic Guide

Lambda can fight from both long and close range, using D attacks to limit the opponent’s movements from long range and using her forward charging Act Parcer Zwei in combos. She has placement projectiles, and can close distance by creating them in safe situations. Her Drive ability Sword Summoner Kai summons projectiles with the D Button. Combining direction inputs with the D button changes the attack direction. If a D attack hits, a second hit of Sword Summoner is automatically summoned, making hit confirms simple. In addition, each D attack can only be used once in a single Revolver Action. Stand D → 6D → Stand D is an impossible attack, but if you use a jump cancel for example to break the Revolver Action, you can use the same D attack in a single combo.

Principal Moves

Lambda’s foundation is long range fighting. Using all of her D attacks, to keep the opponent from simply cornering her. Use her projectiles based on the opponent’s movements and score damage.

Sword Summoner Kai

Stand D is a forward attack and is the main poke. 6D attacks at a slight diagonally upward angle and prevents jumps. Crouch D is an anti-air attack with a sharp vertical aim. 4D is an overhead attack from behind and over the opponent’s head. For Sword Summoner Kai’s jump versions, Jump D attacks diagonally upward, Jump 6D attacks long range and diagonally downward and Jump 2D attacks sharply downward. If you use her air D attacks after a backdash and before landing, her attacks will have little recovery, convenient for creating space.

6A

An anti-air attack with invincible around the head area. The untechable time is long, making it useful in combos.

6B

An overhead attack that floats the opponent. Used together with her Crouch B low attack, this is her primary weapon for penetrating the opponent’s guard at close range. On hit, follow with Crouch D.

Act Parcer Zwei: Blade

Used as a mid-screen ground combo ender and for continuing combos in the corner. It’s also valuable for beating the opponent’s abare after they block a D attack.

Sickle Storm

A projectile the constrains the opponent for a long time on block. If you make them block the attack you can dash and then break their guard. Use the move after a D attacks is blocked, stopping the opponent’s feet.

Combos

Crouch A → Crouch B → 3C → Act Parcer Zwei: Blade

A combo starting from an A attack. It creates distance and downs the opponent, allowing Lambda to return to long range.

6B → Crouch D → Jump Cancel → 2D → D → Double Jump → 2D → D → Calamity Sword

A combo starting from an overhead. After the Crouch D, based on the opponent’s height you can include 6D in the air D attacks, raising the damage.

Crouch B → 3C → Act Parcer Zwei: Blade → Crouch B → 6A → 6C → Act Parcer: Cavalier → Exiga Nail → Crouch D → Jump Cancel 2D → 6D → D → Crescent Saber

A corner combo starting from a low attack. In the corner you can follow your attack after 3C → Act Parcer Zwei: Blade. You switch out the “Crouch B → 3C” with the overhead starter “6B → delay Crouch B” as well.

Exiga Nail (Counter-hit) → Act Parcer Zwei: Cavalier → Stand C → 6C → Exiga Nail → Dash 6A → Stand C → Crouch D → Act Parcer Zwei: Blade.

A combo starting from an Exiga Nail counter-hit near the corner. If Exiga Nail lands as a counter-hit on a grounded opponent, you can combo into Act Parcer Zwei: Cavalier for a high return. If at mid-screen, you can follow the Cavalier with Dash 6A.

Lambda Fundamental Combos Video

Celica A. Mercury Basic Guide

Celica from the console version’s Story Mode now appears as a playable character! She’s her usual cheerful self even when fighting, with cute actions. She appears together with Ex Machina: Minerva, but since the two characters are not operated separately, she’s easy to use. She a full selection of special moves, including projectiles, invincible anti-air moves, forward charging attacks, overhead attacks and sudden air drop moves, making her an ideal character for players who want to play BlazBlue for the first time.

Celica’s unique Drive ability are combination attacks with Minerva using the D button and directional inputs. Stating from D, 6D, 2D or Jump D, she can use up to two follow-ups: a joining move and a finishing move. She can’t cancel the combinations into special moves, but she can use different joining moves and finishing moves by using directional inputs and no matter the order it will combo. Her finishing moves are 6D, which has high damage and invincibility; 6D, which in the corner you can follow for more damage; and 2D, an overhead that downs the opponent. If her D attack is blocked switch between stopping after the second hit and releasing the difficult to punish finishing move 6D.

Principal Moves

Celica doesn’t have any sort of placement projectiles, so her fundamental attack plan is attacking herself. Grasp her normal attack and special attack properties, watch the opponent, wait for an opening and strike.

Stand B

An attack with long reach, making it easier to connect with the opponent. If you buffer Stand B into 3C, on hit you can easily combo with her D attacks.

6B

An anti-air attack with invincibility around the head area. It slams the opponent downward on air hit, and if connect with Crouch C you can land a combo.

Lance Quiche

A forward charging move that’s difficult to punish on block. You can close distance with the opponent from long range in a single go.

Hache Rotil

An uppercut attack that has invincibility shortly after inputting the move. The move can be charged, and while holding the button the invincibility continues. Used as a poke, you can watch the opponent’s actions, determine your aim and attack.

Casque Veloute

A Distortion Drive with long invincibility time. It’s a forward charging move and is quite valuable as a counterattack.

Combos

Crouch A → Crouch B → 3C → 2D → 6D → 6D

A combo starting from an A Attack. If far from the opponent when 3D chits, change the 2D to 6D.

Throw → Lance Quiche (full charge) → Dash Stand B → 6B → Crouch C → Jump Cancel → B → C → Pic Confit

A combo starting from a throw to beat the opponent’s guard. The backfire portion of Lance Quiche has light damage proration, upping the damage.

Stand B → Crouch B → 5C (4 hits) → 3C → 2D → 6D → 6D → Stand B → Stand C (1 hit) → 3C → 2D → D → 2D

A corner combo. 3C → 2D is a vital combo part for transitioning into an air combo at both mid-screen and in the corner, so you want to be able to use it right away. The final 2D downs the opponent, so go for okizeme.

Crouch B → 3C → Overdrive → 3C → 2D → 6D → Lance Quiche (full charge) → D → D → 6D → Casque Veloute

A combo incorporating Overdrive. At 30% or below vitality you can complete the full combo. During Overdrive D attacks are special cancellable. Using the light proration Lance Quiche backfire and powered up Overdrive lets you land big damage.

Celica Fundamental Combos Video

Source: Famitsu (1, 2, 3, 4)

With BlazBlue Chronophantasma’s ver.2.0 update just a few days from hitting arcades in Japan, players will soon be able to get their hands on Celica A. Mercury and Lambda-11, as well as try out a variety of system changes and character adjustments for themselves.

Today, Famitsu revealed the primary character changes for about half of the cast, together with demonstration videos showing how the move changes work in action. You’ll find all three videos, as well as our translations for all of the new information, below.

The lists do not represent the full scope of changes, so some might not be revealed until the update is released on October 9.

Change List Introduction Part 1 (Ragna, Jin, Noel, Rachel, Taokaka)

Ragna

• 6+A now has a Revolver Action route to D attacks.
• Ground Gauntlet Hades hit effect changed; float of the upward kick has been lowered, allowing Ragna to down the opponent.
• Belial Edge knockback changed.

Jin

• Stand D and Crouch D now cancellable; on hit only, Crouch D now jump cancellable.
• Ground Hishouken (Ice Blade) projectile speed increased.
• Hitting a frozen opponent with Sekkajin (Snow Flower Storm) continues the frozen state.

Noel

• Stand D now has Fatal Counter properties.
• Type XI: Optic Barrel is now dash cancellable.
• Type VII: Chamber Shot now easier to use.

Rachel

• The less Silpheed Gauge available, the faster the regeneration.
• After Tiny Lobelia bounces off a wall, the attack hitbox returns.
• Lotus’ bats cause lightning strikes.
• Jump cancellable moves during Overdrive increased.

Taokaka

• 6+D added.
• Dashing Edge to Tao Pittan (Sticky Kitty) follow-up added.
• Cat Spirit Two! now easier to use in combos.

Change List Introduction Part 2 (Tager, Litchi, Arakune, Bang)

Tager

• 6+B sped up, can now be blocked low.
• B Gigantic Tager Drive knockback changed.
• During Overdive, added guard points to his D attacks.

Litchi

• Crouch D changed to one hit.
• When set, launching the staff sends it towards the opponent.
• If attack while launching the staff, the staff is re-set.
• While holding the staff, 6+A to 4+B Revolver Action now possible.

Arakune

• C Bugs now have a guard crush effect.
• f of g now works like a placement move.
• Activating Overdrive while Curse Gauge is available results in an immediate curse.

Bang

• Nail placement position changed; grounded nail dash now possible.
• Overdrive activation cinematic shortened, only at low health does the Fu-Rin-Ka-Zan cinematic activate (no changes to the properties of the activation).
• Can now block during Overdrive.

Change List Introduction Part 3 (Carl, Hakumen, Tsubaki, Hazama)

Carl

• While charging 6+C, pressing the A Button cancels the action.
• Doll 4+D changed to 3 hits. The 1st and 2nd hits cannot be blocked standing.
• Con Fuoco’s damage, foward charge strengthened.
• Con Anima now has super armor while moving and Fatal Counter properties.

Hakumen

• Successful D counters are now special cancellable, cancelling into Kokuujin: Yukikaze (Empty Sky Form: Winter’s Reposte), results in an instant counter.
• 4+C sped up, charge version removed.
• Enma (Hades) jump cancel removed, recovery shortened

Tsubaki

• C Shingi: Hirameku Ichi no Geki (Sanctus Aequum) crosses through the opponent on hit; D Sanctus Aequuem is now plus on block
• On hit only, D Shinken: Hikari wo Tatsu Tsurugi (Sanctus Veritas) now jump cancellable (not possible with follow-up version).
• Follow-up versions and normal versions of Special Moves now treated as different moves (same move proration doesn’t apply)

Hazama

• Ouroboros Gauge has a maximum of 3, the lower the gauge the faster the regeneration.
• On hit only, 6+C now has a Revolver Action route to D attacks.
• Jabaki (Venom Sword) now cancellable into Jasetsu (Serpent’s Benediction) on hit.

Source: Famitsu

This weekend Versus Gameplay will bringing to you Absolute Battle 5, one of Texas’s largest fighting game events. AB5 will feature some of the best of Lone Star State and surrounding areas, including DL|FourWude, BT|Angelic, Ranmasama and Boost|Jan as well as quite a few talents from across the US, like EG|Ricky Ortiz, Snake Eyez, Filipino Champ and CTRL|RayRay (Check here for player profiles!). If those unable to attend the event in persons, PandaxGaming will streaming a selection of fighting game events as they happen.

Tournament Games

• BlazBlue Chronophantasma
• Dead or Alive 5 Ultimate
• Injustice: Gods Among Us
• Killer Instinct
• Persona 4 Arena Ultimax
• Super Smash Bros. Melee
• Tekken Tag Tournament 2
• Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3
• Ultra Street Fighter IV

Featured Events

In addition to the scheduled tournaments, Absolute Battle 5 will have a few featured events.

Ultra Fight Night: Battle in The Pandagon

This highlight event pits Texas’s finest against the out-of-towners in the popular Ultra Street Fighter IV and Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3. The fight card for each game is scheduled to begin after completion of the titles’ respective pools.

Ultra Street Fighter IV Redemption Tournament

Tournament play is naturally of a harsh nature. Regardless of the quality of players competing, by the end of the first round of the losers bracket, a quarter of the players who started the tournament will be eliminated. The vast majority of players won’t make it out of their pools. The USFIV Redemption Tournament is a fun way to give players another chance to play in this 32-player single-elimination event limited to non-top 16 players only.

Stream

PandaxGaming will be providing a live broadcasts of the fighting game events. Friday kicks off with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom team action, with singles pools for the main titles beginning Saturday.

Watch live video from PandaxGaming on www.twitch.tv

Below is a schedule for the event. All times are in Central Standard Time (UTC -6).

Sources: Versus Gameplay, PandaxGaming

Virtua Fighter 5 Final Showdown is still alive and well in Japan. Today Virtua Fighter Relationship (VFR) is hosting The 15th BEAT-TRIBE CUP, the grand finals for the VFR 2013-2014 season. This is the largest Virtua Fighter event of the year, with 120 teams of 5 players participating. If you’ll like the watch the action, check out the stream below from Game Newton, live from Tokyo Leisureland Pallet Town. For more information on the event, check out this helpful post from akai at virtuafighter.com.

Watch live video from GameNewton on www.twitch.tv

Source: BEAT-TRIBE, Game Newton, virtuafighter.com

It’s time for your monthly Mix Up. Mix Up Night #23 is coming to you live from Maid Café CCOcha in Osaka, Japan. As usual, this month is mixing up the titles, keeping you fresh with Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 and Vampire Savior (via Vampire Resurrection). Tune into the MUN Twitch channel to catch the action from some of Japan’s best.

Watch live video from mixupnight on www.twitch.tv

Entry List

Source: Mix Up Night