Following other retro-tech Super Converters from Brook — like their PS3/PS4 to PS2 converter and the Arcade Shock exclusive PS3/PS4 to NEO GEO converter — Brook’s attention now turns to the Sega Dreamcast with their upcoming PS3/PS4 to Dreamcast Super Converter!
While providing a means to use modern fight sticks with some of the Dreamcast’s great fighting game offerings, this converter also features the ability to use the Sony Dual Shock pads wirelessly on Sega’s console. The new Super Converter can be pre-ordered now at Arcade Shock for $39.95 USD. Since Dreamcast systems aren’t as common out there anymore, Brook will only be producing a limited first run of these adapters — so don’t dawdle if you’re part of the Dreamcast faithful.
Following other retro-tech Super Converters from Brook — like their PS3/PS4 to PS2 converter and the Arcade Shock exclusive PS3/PS4 to NEO GEO converter — Brook’s attention now turns to the Sega Dreamcast with their upcoming PS3/PS4 to Dreamcast Super Converter!
While providing a means to use modern fight sticks with some of the Dreamcast’s great fighting game offerings, this converter also features the ability to use the Sony Dual Shock pads wirelessly on Sega’s console. The new Super Converter can be pre-ordered now at Arcade Shock for $39.95 USD. Since Dreamcast systems aren’t as common out there anymore, Brook will only be producing a limited first run of these adapters — so don’t dawdle if you’re part of the Dreamcast faithful.
If you missed it live, make sure to check out these spectacular fights now!
Many fans in North America stayed up late on Friday night to watch Daigo Umehara’s second set of exhibition matches, Kemonomichi 2, unfold live — and it did not disappoint. Three first-to-ten sets between the best of the best took place in three different titles: Kotaka Shoten took on Ito in Super Street Fighter II Turbo; Tanukana tested herself against Yuyo in a Tekken 7: Fated Retribution Ling Xiaoyu mirror match; and — in the set that unsurprisingly got the most publicity throughout the FGC — Tokido challenged Daigo Umehara himself to a match in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition.
The event is now available to watch on Daigo the BeasTV! Check out the videos below, or head over to BeasTV on YouTube and have a look at this playlist. The first two videos are pre-show commentary (including thoughts from Fuudo); the second video covers the tough Super Turbo match between Ito’s Dee Jay and Kotaka Shoten’s Guile, and the intense down-to-the-wire Tekken battle between Tanukana and Yuyu; the last video is solely devoted to the Street Fighter V struggle between Umehara’s Guile and Tokido’s Akuma. Results are posted after the videos.
In the long absence of a follow-up from Nintendo, what’s a platform-fighting fan to do?
The Nintendo Switch console has recently hit its first anniversary, and it completed a year on the market without any confirmation that we’d be seeing either a port of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U, or an all-new entry in the Smash series on Nintendo’s current platform. By all appearances, Smash 4 looked to be following in the footsteps of its Melee predecessor: locked onto an outdated piece of hardware… until March 8th’s Nintendo Direct teased that there will indeed be some version of Smash heading to the Switch this year.
Of course, being stuck on the old GameCube (or original Wii console, as an alternative) has done little to deter the Super Smash Bros. Melee community — if not the opposite, as loyalty to their title is still strong enough to warrant a place on the Evo main stage alongside its sequel. And it’s unlikely it will have any real impact on Smash 4, either — except that Smash players have been stuck in a limbo of waiting to see when (or even if) Nintendo would offer an updated alternative. The new announcement of a move to the Switch platform will now shake things up a great deal — but until we know for sure exactly what Smash on Switch will look like, Smash 4 still ensures that Wii U consoles stay in the living room — and at tournament stations.
Meanwhile, just as imitation of Street Fighter II: The World Warrior spawned a myriad of games in the ’90s — kicking off the fighting game genre and giving us many classic games and new franchises that still stand today — platform fighters have risen to offer alternatives to Smash. While Rivals of Aether was first out of the gate to make a significant impression, and has started to earn a regular side spot at Smash-related events, others have not grabbed quite as much interest yet; among these, Brawlout is the first to land on a Nintendo system.
Brawlout, as a follow-up to the Super Smash Bros. platform fighter style, is a promising title; we were provided a test copy of the Switch version to try out, and you can immediately see a lot of care and creativity went into this game. It’s got a vibrant visual style that immediately grabs you, and its overall design and menu layout looks fresh and inviting. The overall sound design is also great (but there is an issue there, more on that later).
Once you get into the gameplay, the game will immediately feel completely familiar to anyone that’s picked up a Smash title before: the basic controls and game mechanics are lifted almost verbatim from Nintendo’s template, with a notable exception in the removal of shielding, replaced instead by a dodge. There’s no guarding in Brawlout, which definitely gives the gameplay an ever-so-slightly more frenetic edge. Like its spiritual predecessors, you can play with up to four fighters on screen at once — it seems like the character models are zoomed-out more than necessary, though. They perpetually seem rather small.
There is a fairly robust selection of gameplay modes — basically your usual variation of the online/offline options we’ve seen before. The game uses a quasi-lootbox system in which gameplay earns you in-game currency to unlock new characters, stages, etc. In these areas, Brawlout does just fine — it also has a good tutorial mode for beginners, and gets some extra points from me for even including a hitbox viewer in its training mode. (We did have a recurring problem with the software crashing, however — enough that it warrants mention as something that needs to be addressed.) It plays well on-the-go as well, with a variety of potential control configurations available, whether you’re playing on the Switch itself, or docked.
The character selection gets a little more interesting — the cartoony style is unsurprising for this type of game, it seems to suit the genre. And the visual character design is excellent — providing a variety of animal-themed fighters to choose from, all with very distinct looks, with lots of style and attention to detail put into their models. In terms of gameplay, they each have some variation to their attacks, adding some flavor to this brawl. While the game plays well, and is certainly oozing with visual personality, the characters fall extremely flat in the audio department — you don’t realize how much the voice acting adds to a fighter until it’s gone, and there is no voicework for the Brawlout characters mid-fight. With the only audio reduced to the generic sounds of pummeling and punching, without any vocal output from the characters themselves, it feels very empty. It seems like these character designs are being sabotaged by the absence of this crucial component.
And that’s a big deal, because when you’re competing for attention against Smash, personality goes a long way. Smash is a franchise that stands on the pillars of Nintendo’s own long-beloved characters (and many loved/hated guests from other publishers, of course). The draw of those characters will be the sole attraction for many casual players, before the gameplay is even a consideration. Brawlout‘s strangely silent warriors, despite a lot of great design and a solid gameplay base, can’t compete with Mario or Pikachu, or Sonic or Cloud.
This is really too bad, because there’s a fun game to be had here, maybe even a competitive future. But Angry Mob Games has their work cut out to drag consistent attention and dedication away from its target market… and now that Nintendo has revealed its own official return to the ring, Brawlout‘s time in the Switch limelight is drawing shorter. I still recommend any fans of the burgeoning platform fighter genre give this game a look. A lot of love has clearly gone into it, and it still is receiving support in the form of bug fixes and new modes. We’ll have to see if the audience that it’s accumulated during its run on Switch so far will stick with it in the long run.
Red Bull esports kicked off March with the reveal of their new US-based competitive circuit for 2018: Red Bull Conquest. Featuring competition in three titles — Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, Tekken 7, and Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 — in 15 qualifying events across the USA, this will be a fight to remember!
You can catch more details about the circuit in the announcement post here. To delve deeper into the details of this new circuit, we grabbed a chance to pose some questions to Jimmy Nguyen, National Tournament Director for Red Bull Conquest. See what they had to say below!
Replies have been edited for clarity.
Zavian “mushin_Z” Sildra: How does this new circuit fit into the overall plans for Red Bull events this year, particularly in relation to Red Bull Proving Grounds? Is this a replacement, or a parallel series?
Jimmy Nguyen (National Tournament Director for Red Bull Conquest): Red Bull Conquest is the evolution of Proving Grounds and Battle Grounds, and it continues our plans to cultivate the FGC. If you recall, in year one, we focused on individual growth. In year two, we focused on team growth. This year, we are focused on regional growth. Each year is a progressive step in learning, goal-setting, and working with the FGC to figure out how to best support this incredible community.
mushin_Z: What prompted the decision to feature competition in TEKKEN 7 and GUILTY GEAR Xrd REV 2, in addition to STREET FIGHTER V?
Jimmy Nguyen: The fighting game community is so much more than a single fighting game. With many games spanning multiple genres, what we wanted to do this year with Conquest is start with games that have a long history and are deeply rooted in each of the fighting game genres: 2D, 3D, and anime. This allows us to highlight players and their passions throughout the country across all genres.
The communities of these genres are sometimes perceived to be siloed, which isn’t exactly the case. In fact, there is a lot of cross-pollination between the communities, and that is why we chose to introduce a multi-genre team tournament finals. What we wanted to do is squash those perceptions, and give the players the opportunity to show and grow the teamwork and comradery that is prevalent across the genres in all of the FGC.
mushin_Z: How were the qualifying stop locations decided?
Jimmy Nguyen: The list of qualifying stops is a combination of last year’s US stops mixed with some new ones. While the previous two years focused on attracting and developing new players within some of the larger and concentrated regions in the FGC, this year, we’re continuing to do the same but in addition, we are looking to cultivate and grow smaller regions that have been looking for an opportunity to do just that.
We looked at many regions and evaluated community history, needs, population, and drive. Even though we couldn’t include all of the regions we looked at, there is a very good chance they can be included in future circuits.
mushin_Z: Was the scope of this circuit always intended to be USA-only, or were stops considered for Canadian cities, or internationally?
Jimmy Nguyen: Red Bull is established in many countries in the world, and each has its own esports initiatives. Conquest is a Red Bull US initiative, and will begin its maturation starting in the US. As Conquest continues to grow, there will be potential of the circuit being adopted in other countries.
mushin_Z: Please tell us a bit more about the RISE/RALLY/CONQUER theme, and how it came about.
Jimmy Nguyen: You may not have known, but the principal of RISE, RALLY, and CONQUER has been a part of our lives since, well, forever. It just hasn’t yet been explicitly used in the same context we are establishing.
Every trial and journey we go through in life, it requires us to RISE up to the challenge, gather ourselves (RALLY), and learn to acquire knowledge and experience (CONQUER).
When applying this principal to the FGC and Conquest, what we are communicating to everyone is:
RISE within your communities and take a stand.
RALLY together to grow, learn, help each other, and determine who will represent your region.
CONQUER all others and claim the title of best fighting game region in the nation.
mushin_Z: Are there any more circuit surprises we can look forward to from Red Bull in 2018?
Jimmy Nguyen: If I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise anymore! However, stay tuned for more details and announcements about the Conquest Finals in Washington, D.C. I think everyone will be super hyped when they hear what we have to announce.
The only other surprise I have to tell you is to keep an eye out for the rising stars that develop during Conquest throughout the year. Every year, we have had a handful of players make a name for themselves. Expect the same for this year.
Welcome to the Rollback: a frame-by-frame look back at our past week’s most notable news — and our favorite SRK articles — from March 2 to March 8, 2018!
A lot of videos have crossed our desk from content creators delving into this new game — so many, that it warranted compiling them into sorted posts so you can more easily find tech to help your own gameplay! Start here.
By signing a longtime strong competitor and a promising up-and-comer, Team Liquid looks poised to claim some SFVAE events under their banner this year.
It took a long time, to the point where it seemed like Nintendo was content to leave the Smash franchise on its abandoned hardware… but via a teaser trailer in Nintendo Direct, a new Smash is back on the horizon for Switch.
We’re finally there — the new Forums will are now back up and running on their new home on Discourse! Go check them out, and watch out for more new features to come.
Because Atlanta is home to some of the greatest SoulCalibur II players in the world, Okubo’s bold claims that SCVI is made with SCII mind will really be put to the test at Final Round.
Of all the recent esports break-ups, Panda Global and Punk’s split is among the most baffling. I suspect there is more to the story than is currently known…
The move is finished — come see the new & improved forums!
After concerns that the SRK Forums would have to close due to the operation costs, the community spoke up and made it clear that the forums needed to stay. And now, after a migration to the Discourse platform and a brief shutdown, the SRK Forums are officially back open again on their new system!
So, regular users: welcome back! And if you haven’t used the forums before, now’s a great time to go see what you’re missing. Enjoy!
It’s almost time for Daigo Umehara’s second exhibition event, Kemonomichi 2! This event will see first-to-ten fights between legends in three different titles: we’ll see Ito take on Kotaka Shoten in Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Tanukana will battle Yuyu in Tekken 7: Fated Retribution, and Daigo Umehara faces Tokido in a Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition showdown.
For a closer look at the fighters in Kemonomichi 2, their characters, and their styles, check out the interview videos below; Daigo Umehara, the Kemonomichi competitors, and other players provide insight into all of the above.
Planning to catch the action from North America? Keep an eye on twitch.tv/daigothebeastv, it starts at 1:00 PM JST on March 10, which means 8:00 PM PT on March 9th for us over here.
For anyone planning to watch #kemonomichi 2 this weekend (everyone, right?), please remember the time zone shift!
The next Crossover Costume lets you put Nash in the boots of this classic Capcom character.
Right on the heels of the June crossover costume for Chun-Li, the next offering from Street Fighter V‘s Extra Battle mode has been announced. This time, you can earn a Captain Commando outfit for Nash!
For those unfamiliar with this old-school icon, Capcom-Unity offers this brief history:
Captain Commando first appeared in the side-scrolling beat ‘em up game, Captain Commando (1991), as the leader of the Commando Team. Along with the other three playable characters – Mack the Knife, Ginzu the Ninja, and Baby Head – Captain Commando must protect Planet Earth from a group of criminals with superhuman powers. With blond hair, glasses, and a dutiful drive, Nash is the perfect character to embody what Captain Commando stands for.
As before, you need to complete four time-sensitive challenges in Extra Battle to earn the costume; see the schedule below. The first challenge opens on March 15th. Don’t forget these challenges also overlap with the ongoing Monster Hunter Extra Battle challenges!
As it costs 2500 FM to play each challenge, the costume is yours for 10,000 FM — if you complete every challenge at least once!
These signings are just the beginning of Team Liquid’s focus on Japanese esports.
Team Liquid has announced a return to Street Fighter V competition in a big way by announcing the opening of their new Alienware-partnered training facility in Los Angeles, and carrying that partnership even further by bringing AW|Nemo onto the team! This is part of a new effort to make inroads into the Japanese fighting game community — and ultimately a bigger impact on global competition overall — and if Nemo wasn’t enough SFV muscle to sign on, they’ve also announced that John Takeuchi is joining the team. Check out the announcement video below:
Nemo is a well-known threat in competitive Street Fighter; he made a big splash at Capcom Cup 2017 by breaking in through the Last Chance Qualifier and crushing opposition with his Urien, all the way to the finals. John Takeuchi really caught everyone’s eye with his deadly Rashid play at Evo Japan, going toe-to-toe with legendary players and holding his own. Expect to see both of these fighters making waves on the SFV circuit this year. Read more on Team Liquid’s website.
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