Author: Zavian "mushin_Z" Sildra

Welcome to the special annual Rollback: this time we take a frame-by-frame look back at the entire year of 2017. Here’s our top 10 headlines and editorials on Shoryuken — based on general popularity and page views — from the 2017 calendar year!

---

Frame 1:
Sign-ups for the Dragon Ball FighterZ closed beta open on July 26th

The anticipation for Dragon Ball FighterZ was — and is — very, very strong…

 

---

Frame 2:
This is the year you will learn how to perform Tekken’s Korean Backdash!

By far our most-viewed article on a piece of game tech, no contest. Has everyone mastered it yet?

---

Frame 3:
Possible Mortal Kombat 11 reddit leak reveals roster, release, and gameplay details

Anticipation for the next entry in the Mortal Kombat franchise is also high, we see. Time will tell…

---

Frame 4:
Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite’s launch roster may have been leaked

Close — too close, really — but we’re still waiting for Ant-Man.

 

---

Frame 5:
Mad Catz files for bankruptcy

A regrettable casualty of the gaming accessory market… after their huge contributions to the FGC, they will be missed.

---

Frame 6:
Capcom reveals the next Street Fighter V Season 2 DLC fighter via the PlayStation Store: Get ready for Ed

Even after we had gotten Kolin, Ed was still a more hotly-anticipated addition to Season 2.

---

Frame 7:
Comprehensive Tekken 7 character selection guide helps you find the right fighter for your style

Again, a bit of Tekken help goes a long way. Now that we’re kicking off 2018, have you found a main yet?

---

Frame 8:
Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition launches on January 16th, 2018

SFV’s biggest announcement yet… will it deliver on the hype? We’ll soon see.

 

---

Frame 9:
IT’S REAL! Check out Arika’s livestream of their new Street Fighter EX/Fighting Layer-based fighter

ARIKA’s spectaular April Fool’s Day “joke” became one of the most talked-about upcoming titles in the FGC; we just finished an open beta for this game — that dropped seemingly from nowhere!

---

Frame 10:
We need to talk about Melee banning the B0XX

Still a controversial topic to this day.

The numbers are in — how many fighters are taking on the challenge in Tokyo?

Now that Evo Japan competitor registration has concluded, we can see how the numbers stack up for each title on the roster. And the results are (in descending order):

• Street Fighter V: 2,256
• Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2: 1,225
• Tekken 7: 1,200
• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U: 793
• BlazBlue: Central Fiction: 633
• The King of Fighters XIV: 557
• ARMS: 340

Final Evo Japan 2018 Numbers!
SFV: 2,256
GG: 1,225
TEKKEN 7:1,200
Smash: 793
BBCP：633
KOF14:557
ARMS：340

— Joey Cuellar (@MrWiz) December 31, 2017

Unsurprisingly, SFV still pulled the largest number of entries, and Nintendo’s more unusual title came in last. Many have called attention to KOFXIV’s strong number of registrants, being not far behind BlazBlue and well exceeding the number of competitors at Evo 2017 in Las Vegas.

Now, if you want to get a seat to view the Evo Japan Sunday finals, tickets will go on sale at 9:00 AM PT of January 5, 2018:

We release Day3(Sunday) tickets for overseas on Jan. 5th at
9:00 AM (PST)
5:00 PM (GMT)
2:00 AM (JST, next day.)
All kinds of seats (zone S, A, B and standing) are available. Paypal accont will be needed to purchase it. Thank you for your patience to keep waiting so long.

— EVO Japan (@EVOJapanNews) December 30, 2017

Those interested in applying for media passes, head over to the Evo Japan media application page before January 15th.

Sources: Joey Cuellar (Twitter); Evo Japan (Twitter)

Our poll is open for only three more days — once we hit the new year, it’ll be time to compile the results. If you haven’t voted for your favorite games and characters yet, make sure you do before midnight, New Year’s Eve!

What was the best and brightest of 2017? You help us decide.

2017 was a busy year for both new releases, existing titles, and glimpses of what lies ahead! As the year draws to a close, the time has come for us to decide what stood tall as the best of the best that the fighting game genre had to offer in 2017.

We’re choosing our own picks, of course — but you can help us select the winners from the many nominees below by participating in our reader survey. We’ll compile your choices with our own, and announce the winners in 2018. Vote for your own picks below!

Please make one selection in each category listed. Voting will close at midnight (Pacific) on December 31, 2017. If the survey doesn’t appear for you in the pane below, try following this link.

Create your own user feedback survey

SRK FIGHTING GAME AWARDS 2017 CATEGORIES/NOMINEES

BEST NEW GAME

• Absolver (multi-platform)
• ARMS (Switch)
• Brawlhalla (PlayStation 4/PC)
• Brawlout (Switch)
• Fight of Gods (PC)
• For Honor (multi-platform)
• Gundam Versus (PlayStation 4)
• GUTS (PC)
• Injustice 2 (multi-platform)
• Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (multi-platform)
• Nidhogg 2 (PlayStation 4/PC)
• Rivals of Aether (PC)
• Slice, Dice & Rice (PC)
• Tekken 7 (multi-platform)

BEST GAME REVISION/UPDATE

• BlazBlue: Central Fiction [version 2.0] (multi-platform)
• Chaos Code -New Sign of Catastrophe- (multi-platform)
• Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 (multi-platform)
• Pokkén Tournament DX (Switch)
• Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers (Switch)

BEST RE-RELEASE/PORT

• ADK Damashii (various)
• Arcana Heart 3 LOVE MAX SIX STARS!!!!!! (PC)
• Art of Fighting (various)
• Art of Fighting 2 (various)
• Fatal Fury (various)
• Fatal Fury Special (various)
• Fatal Fury Battle Archives Vol. 2 (various)
• Fatal Fury 2 (various)
• Fatal Fury 3 (various)
• Real Bout Fatal Fury (various)
• Galaxy Fight: Universal Warriors (various)
• Karnov’s Revenge (various)
• The King of Fighters ’95 (various)
• The King of Fighters ’96 (various)
• The King of Fighters ’97 (various)
• The Last Blade (various)
• Lethal League (multi-platform)
• Samurai Shodown II (various)
• Samurai Shodown V Special (various)
• Umineko: Golden Fantasia (PC)
• Windjammers (PlayStation 4)

BEST NEW (PLAYABLE) CHARACTER
[refers to a character making their first playable appearance in a home-release title for an existing series this year]

• Abigail (Street Fighter V)
• Ed (Street Fighter V)
• Kolin (Street Fighter V)
• Menat (Street Fighter V)
• Zeku (Street Fighter V)

• Black Panther (Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite)
• Black Widow (Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite)
• Captain Marvel (Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite)
• Gamora (Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite)
• Jedah (Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite)
• Monster Hunter (Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite)
• Rocket & Groot (Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite)
• Sigma (Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite)
• Thanos (Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite)
• Ultron (Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite)
• Winter Soldier (Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite)
• X (Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite)

• Jubei (BlazBlue: Central Fiction)

• Answer (Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2)

• Claudio Serafino (Tekken 7)
• Gigas (Tekken 7)
• Josie Rizal (Tekken 7)
• Katarina Alves (Tekken 7)
• Kazumi Mishima (Tekken 7)
• Lucky Chloe (Tekken 7)
• Master Raven (Tekken 7)
• Shaheen (Tekken 7)

• The Atom (Injustice 2)
• Atrocitus (Injustice 2)
• Black Canary (Injustice 2)
• Black Manta (Injustice 2)
• Blue Beetle (Injustice 2)
• Brainiac (Injustice 2)
• Captain Cold (Injustice 2)
• Cheetah (Injustice 2)
• Darkseid (Injustice 2)
• Deadshot (Injustice 2)
• Doctor Fate (Injustice 2)
• Firestorm (Injustice 2)
• Gorilla Grodd (Injustice 2)
• Hellboy (Injustice 2)
• Poison Ivy (Injustice 2)
• Red Hood (Injustice 2)
• Robin (Injustice 2)
• Scarecrow (Injustice 2)
• Starfire (Injustice 2)
• Supergirl (Injustice 2)
• Swamp Thing (Injustice 2)

• Eagle (Killer Instinct)
• Kilgore (Killer Instinct)
• Shin Hisako (Killer Instinct)

BEST GUEST CHARACTER

• Hyper Light Drifter (Brawlout)
• Juan Aguacate (Brawlout)
• Hellboy (Injustice 2)
• Raiden (Injustice 2)
• Sub-Zero (Injustice 2)
• Akuma (Tekken 7)
• Geese Howard (Tekken 7)

BEST ONLINE PLAY

• Absolver (multi-platform)
• ARMS (Switch)
• BlazBlue: Central Fiction [version 2.0] (multi-platform)
• Brawlhalla (PlayStation 4/PC)
• Brawlout (Switch)
• Dead or Alive 5 Final Round (multi-platform)
• For Honor (multi-platform)
• Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 (multi-platform)
• Gundam Versus (PlayStation 4)
• Injustice 2 (multi-platform)
• The King of Fighters XIV (multi-platform)
• Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (multi-platform)
• Mortal Kombat X (multi-platform)
• Nidhogg 2 (PlayStation 4/PC)
• Pokkén Tournament DX (Switch)
• Street Fighter V (PlayStation 4/PC)
• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)
• Tekken 7 (multi-platform)
• Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers (Switch)
• Ultra Street Fighter IV (multi-platform)

BEST OVERALL GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCE

• Absolver (multi-platform)
• ARMS (Switch)
• BlazBlue: Central Fiction [version 2.0] (multi-platform)
• Brawlhalla (PlayStation 4/PC)
• Brawlout (Switch)
• Dead or Alive 5 Final Round (multi-platform)
• For Honor (multi-platform)
• Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 (multi-platform)
• Gundam Versus (PlayStation 4)
• Injustice 2 (multi-platform)
• The King of Fighters XIV (multi-platform)
• Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite (multi-platform)
• Mortal Kombat X (multi-platform)
• Nidhogg 2 (PlayStation 4/PC)
• Pokkén Tournament DX (Switch)
• Sailor Moon S (Super Nintendo Entertainment System)
• Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike (various)
• Street Fighter V (PlayStation 4/PC)
• Super Smash Bros. Melee (GameCube)
• Super Smash Bros. for Wii U (Wii U)
• Super Street Fighter II Turbo (arcade)
• Tekken 7 (multi-platform)
• Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers (Switch)
• Ultra Street Fighter IV (multi-platform)

BEST COMPETITIVE CIRCUIT

• Arc System Works Fighting Game Award
• Battle for the Stones
• Capcom Pro Tour
• Dead or Alive 5 Last Round Battle Royal
• Injustice 2 Pro Series
• Tekken World Tour
• 2GG Championship Series

BEST BETA TEST/DEMO

• Dissidia Final Fantasy NT [closed beta]
• Fantasy Strike [Steam Early Access]
• Fighting EX Layer [open beta]
• Omen of Sorrow [demo]
• Punch Planet [Steam Early Access]

MOST ANTICIPATED FUTURE RELEASE

• BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle
• Catherine: Full Body
• Dissidia Final Fantasy NT
• Dragon Ball FighterZ
• Fantasy Strike
• Fighting EX Layer
• Lethal League Blaze
• Omen of Sorrow
• Punch Planet
• SoulCalibur VI
• Street Fighter 30th Anniversary Collection
• Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition
• Them’s Fightin’ Herds
• Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late[st]

Welcome to the Rollback: a frame-by-frame look back at our past week’s most notable news — and our favorite SRK articles — from December 21 to December 28, 2017!

---

Zavian “mushin_Z” Sildra, Editor-in-Chief:

Frame 1:
Who is “G”? BornFree explores theories on the identity of Street Fighter V’s Season 3 newcomer

I love this in-between period: the publisher throws a curve ball and it’s open season on speculation about who or what they revealed actually is. Are any of these theories going to hit near the mark…?

Frame 2:
Mash-up: Arcade Infinity shows how INDESTRUCTIBLE the new Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition opening truly is

It’s almost criminal how well this mash-up works.

Frame 3:
Get started in Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike with this beginner’s guide from FlannelJack

With all the classics returning next summer in the 30th Anniversary Collection, the more resources available the better!

---

Sam “Trilby” Foxall, Assistant Editor:

Frame 1:
iFix Machine seeks to breathe new life into classic fighting games and the New York arcade scene

Combined with 2Old2Furious’ regular tournament series, New York is becoming heaven for fans of old school fighters. As both a repair shop and an arcade, iFix Machine hopes to jump-start the NY arcade scene in 2018.

Frame 2:
New DLC character for The King of Fighters XIV playable at SNK’s Evo Japan booth next month

SNK are showing up to Evo Japan in a big way, bringing Version 3.0 of The King of Fighters XIV to demo, along with a brand new character. Based on the Joker in the teaser image, the odds are on either Oswald or Ash making it into KOFXIV.

Frame 3:
Check out this attendee regional breakdown for the very first Evo Japan!

With attendees coming from every continent besides Antarctica, Evo Japan is looking to be one hell of a tournament! Now that registration has closed, 4Gamer has put together a series of charts, showing the regional breakdown of each event.

---

Keegan “Interrobang!?” Spindler, Features Editor:

Frame 1:
Check out all the legends attending Cooperation Cup 16 with its official team list

Though 3rd Strike was admittedly slightly before my time, Cooperation Cup is consistently one of my favorite events of the year. I can’t wait to see all these incredible players go at it!

Frame 2:
Capcom Cup 2017 wins & losses: How did it stack up, and where can it improve for 2018?

This was the best Capcom Cup so far, but that doesn’t mean that it can’t be improved on! Missing Person takes a deep dive at some of the issues it still faces, and how they might be addressed.

Frame 3:
Echo Fox’s Momochi shares his thoughts on Japan’s new pro-licenses for professional gamers

Though it may have gone slightly under the radar thanks to the festive season, the news that Japan will be handing out pro gaming licenses is a pretty big deal. Momochi shares a local perspective, which is fascinating.

---

Extra Frame:
Rock the dragon with Dragon Ball FighterZ’s opening cinematic

We’re only a couple of weeks from DBFZ’s open beta… which leads almost directly into the game’s wide retail release. Let the game’s opening movie fan the fires of hype ever higher!