Category: Fighting Games

Smash director Masahiro Sakurai has surprised fans with roster choices before, but none were crazier than the debut of Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud Strife in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. Despite immense popularity, his chances of joining in the series were regarded as slim due to never having appeared on a Nintendo console.

Sakurai recently had the opportunity to sit down with Final Fantasy character designer Tetsuya Nomura to discuss the process of integrating Cloud into the Smash system, touching on topics like their interactions with each other, creating a moveset, and more.

While Cloud is perhaps one of the most recognizable aspects of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy brand, very little micromanaging went into his Smash development.

“I’ve actually only talked to Mr. Nomura just once. After that, I was generally free to do whatever I wanted,” Sakurai explained, according to translations by Source Gaming. “There was general editorial supervision going on, of course, especially on the graphics side–to get Cloud looking as right as possible was tough. It took some time for us to discover how to present Cloud with a Smash touch.”

Sakurai would go on to say later in the discussion that not having an extra layer of direction from Square Enix saved them a lot of trouble in the long run. For his part, Nomura said empathy for their position was his chief reason for not being more involved. “I’m also working hard on a project that handles many characters, so I try not to give orders like that. I’m always fighting against those restrictions.”

This is just a small part of their conversation, so be sure to follow the links below for more.

Source: Source Gaming (Part 1, Part 2)

Smash director Masahiro Sakurai has surprised fans with roster choices before, but none were crazier than the debut of Final Fantasy VII’s Cloud Strife in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS. Despite immense popularity, his chances of joining in the series were regarded as slim due to never having appeared on a Nintendo console.

Sakurai recently had the opportunity to sit down with Final Fantasy character designer Tetsuya Nomura to discuss the process of integrating Cloud into the Smash system, touching on topics like their interactions with each other, creating a moveset, and more.

While Cloud is perhaps one of the most recognizable aspects of Square Enix’s Final Fantasy brand, very little micromanaging went into his Smash development.

“I’ve actually only talked to Mr. Nomura just once. After that, I was generally free to do whatever I wanted,” Sakurai explained, according to translations by Source Gaming. “There was general editorial supervision going on, of course, especially on the graphics side–to get Cloud looking as right as possible was tough. It took some time for us to discover how to present Cloud with a Smash touch.”

Sakurai would go on to say later in the discussion that not having an extra layer of direction from Square Enix saved them a lot of trouble in the long run. For his part, Nomura said empathy for their position was his chief reason for not being more involved. “I’m also working hard on a project that handles many characters, so I try not to give orders like that. I’m always fighting against those restrictions.”

This is just a small part of their conversation, so be sure to follow the links below for more.

Source: Source Gaming (Part 1, Part 2)

Late last night, Arc System Works launched a brand new poll asking fans to vote for their all-time favorite Guilty Gear themes. As you’d expect from a series so heavily based on the world of music, there’s quite a few to choose from.

The themes included in the poll span all the way from the original Guilty Gear to compositions introduced in Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-. While folks have noted that a few seem to be missing, the 135 tracks they’ve included are more than enough to keep you busy.

Participants are able to cast five votes a day until February 5; whether they’re spaced out or piled onto one theme is completely up to the voter. Ten lucky fans will receive a poster signed by Guilty Gear godfather Daisuke Ishiwatari for their support.

While voting doesn’t appear to be limited by region, the website doesn’t say anything about prizing. Know going in that you may not be eligible if you live outside of Japan. In any case, this should be a pretty entertaining exercise in revisiting the excellent soundtracks of Guilty Gears past and present, so head on over to the official website and take part.

I’ve included a few of my favorite tracks below; feel free to let us know your picks in the comments.

Source: Guilty Gear Xrd

If recent news about Mortal Kombat XL and the Kombat Pack 2 content bundle have you confused, WB Games and NetherRealm Studios have provided a handy infographic detailing what comes in each package and how much money they’ll run you.

First up, Mortal Kombat XL’s price is set at $59.99, providing the full experience for players who have yet to purchase anything related to Mortal Kombat X. This means every piece of additional content: Kombat Pack 1 (Tanya, Tremor, Predator, Jason Voorhees), Kombat Pack 2 (Bo’ Rai Cho, Tri-Borg, Alien, Leatherface), and the skin packs released alongside them.

Next we have the XL Pack, which costs $24.99. If you already own Mortal Kombat X, this will add both of the major Kombat Packs to your game. And finally, Kombat Pack 2 is priced at $19.99. It should be noted that all of these packages includes the brand new Apocalyptic Pack, featuring appropriately-themed costumes for Takeda, D’Vorah, and Erron Black.

As was previously reported, Mortal Kombat XL and Kombat Pack 2 will only be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One when they launch on March 1.

Source: WB Games, tip via NightmareSteam

Aksys Games has announced their plans to publish Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- in North America on June 7. This news comes just a two days after developer Arc System Works revealed a May 26 release date for the game in Japan.

-REVELATOR- serves as a follow-up to 2014’s Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, adjusting the title’s various system mechanics and adding playable characters like Johnny, Jam Kuradoberi, Jack-O, and Kum Haehyun. Many expect Dizzy to eventually join the game as well due to her popularity in a recent poll.

Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- will be available for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.

Source: Aksys Games, tips via NightmareSteam and Tony.

Aksys Games has announced their plans to publish Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- in North America on June 7. This news comes just a two days after developer Arc System Works revealed a May 26 release date for the game in Japan.

-REVELATOR- serves as a follow-up to 2014’s Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, adjusting the title’s various system mechanics and adding playable characters like Johnny, Jam Kuradoberi, Jack-O, and Kum Haehyun. Many expect Dizzy to eventually join the game as well due to her popularity in a recent poll.

Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- will be available for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.

Source: Aksys Games, tips via NightmareSteam and Tony.

Aksys Games has announced their plans to publish Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- in North America on June 7. This news comes just a two days after developer Arc System Works revealed a May 26 release date for the game in Japan.

-REVELATOR- serves as a follow-up to 2014’s Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, adjusting the title’s various system mechanics and adding playable characters like Johnny, Jam Kuradoberi, Jack-O, and Kum Haehyun. Many expect Dizzy to eventually join the game as well due to her popularity in a recent poll.

Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR- will be available for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.

Source: Aksys Games, tips via NightmareSteam and Tony.