Category: Fighting Games

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Super Smash Bros. Ultimate is getting a special edition and its own Pro Controller

Almost every major AAA game release has a “special edition,” and fighting games are no exception. Street Fighter V, Tekken 7, and Dragon Ball FighterZ all hit the shelves with their own collectible releases, and now Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will as well. Without any formal announcement or reveal, the official Smash Bros. website was updated with the following listing:

special edition

Below the special edition is also a spot for the bundled Pro Controller on its own:

controller

With the vague nature of the update, it’s reasonable that most western distributors have yet to put up any pre-orders — the only one to do so at the moment is Best Buy, hosting a (relatively blank) product page with a price tag of $139.99 (nothing has shown up for the stand-alone Pro Controller, though expected price is the standard $69.99)

Despite Smash usually being lumped with the long-living GameCube controller, Nintendo’s sleek design (on their already impressive hardware) will surely bring in sales, sweetening the deal for one of the most-anticipated releases of 2018. The special edition and Pro Controller will release alongside Super Smash Bros. Ultimate on December 7th.

Source: Nintendo

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Dish out new ninjutsu tactics with this Taki tutorial for SoulCalibur VI

Everyone’s favorite Fu-Ma clan ninja and a mainstay SoulCalibur character since the beginning (except for SCV, but we’ll overlook that) needs no introduction. Famous for her good looks and powerful ninjutsu, Taki returns in SoulCalibur VI and though she seems fairly straightforward, you might still actually learn a thing or two from Hayate’s thorough breakdown video.

Of course, Taki excels in moving quickly and dodging, sometimes even attacking from the air. This plays into her having a limited range, but once she’s close, she can start using her Possession stance for pressure. Most of the moves from the past games return. But she also has plenty of new tricks to surprise her enemies, like a 6A+B projectile. A brand new mechanic revolves around her second blade, Mekki Maru. Any attacks with this weapon (highlighted purple) deal chip damage to the opponent, breaking through their defenses a bit and whittling down their life bar.

Taki has many moves that help her close the gap, and at the right moment, she can use Soul Charge to turn the tide. Similarly to other characters, her damage increases considerably in that mode. She gains some follow-ups that even launch the opponent to finish them off with her air throw.

Hayate’s other recent guide covers SoulCalibur VI‘s Zasalamel.

Source: Hayate EIN

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Episode 4 of “Think, Don’t Mash!” explains the basics of timing in Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition’s neutral game

“Prolonged pressure occurs when players take risks.”

In the last episode, the creators of the “Think, Don’t Mash!” education series explained how to formulate a game-plan as a new fighting game player. Now that we have that plan, we have to apply it. To do that, it is vital to finally start talking about the very basics of frame data and footsies.

Once you understand how “turns” work in fighting games, you’ll find yourself taking control of more situations than your flailing, erratic opponents at lower ranks. For further reading to accompany today’s episode, check out PBW’s excellent blog post here for a detailed breakdown on “turns” and pressure.

Source: Press Button Win

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Capcom Pro Tour Online Ranking Event Latin America South 2 results and replays

This past weekend, the online portion of the 2018 Capcom Pro Tour entered into the home stretch with the second event for Southern Latin America, which would also be the fourth and final event for LATAM as a whole. Eligible regions included Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Venezuela, Peru, and Uruguay; a notable 183 entrants answered the call to duke it out for their final shot at earring Ranking Points from the comfort of their own homes.

Results

Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition

1. F3|Brolynho (Necalli, M. Bison, Ibuki) – 150 Points
2. DT|Picoro (M. Bison) – 70 Points
3. TPT|Stunner (Cammy) – 40 Points
4. The Griffon Mask (Blanka) – 20 Points
5. RTN|ProSub (Balrog) – 10 Points
5. TheInquisitor32 (Guile) – 10 Points
7. Shodown|Zenith (Menat) – 1 Point
7. FSN|AAG Shingolex (Balrog) – 1 Point
9. BABYBRASIL (F.A.N.G)
9. Pauloweb (Laura)
9. AAG|PR3DA (Urien)
9. Arthuro-Ray|Arthuro-Ray (Akuma)
13. Jah_lexe (Ken)
13. -LEONARDO- (Karin)
13. FURIA|HKDash (M. Bison)
13. SL|Komodo (Chun-Li)

You can watch a full replay of the top 8 action — with commentary by Samifish and Vicious — below.

With only three Online Ranking Events remaining, it’s more important than ever to get in on the action if you can and try to earn those precious Ranking Points. The next event will be the second and final one for Eastern Asia on Saturday, September 29th. Eligible regions will include Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. The tournament will begin at 10:00 AM JST, with top 8 beginning at 4:00 PM JST, which will be streamed live at twitch.tv/capcomfighters, the Capcom Fighters YouTube Channel, and the Street Fighter Facebook page.

Source: Capcom Fighters (YouTube)

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Take some time to learn about Zasalamel’s chronomancy tricks in SoulCalibur VI

The ability to stop time sounds like something straight out of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, and yet, returning character Zasalamel’s repertoire includes chronomancy tricks. By now, many players surely have spotted that the scythe-wielder has some new mechanics involving curses — floating orbs that stay on the opponent.

If you’re looking forward to once again using Zasalamel, you should check out this tutorial that lays out the basics of the character. Andyroo assists Hayate in going over Zasalamel’s changes; though this fighter’s attacks are somewhat slower and often punishable, he makes up for it with the ability to manipulate the opponent around the playing field. A lot of his moves pull the victim closer, setting up an opportunity to take advantage of his new abilities. Zasalamel has a new series of B+K moves that can apply curses onto the opponent whether they block or attack. He can stack this up to three times, then release the orbs with certain moves. When that happens, he briefly stops time. Depending on how many orbs were stacked, he can either continue a combo or retain a lot of frame advantage.

Check out the rest of the tutorial below to learn about some exciting Soul Charge moves that Zaslamel is hiding in his arsenal. To learn more about other SoulCalibur VI fighters, check out the Siegfried tutorial.

Source: Hayate EIN

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The 2018 NEO GEO World Tour wraps up in a burning finish

This year’s NEO GEO World Tour featured top competition across two games in The King of Fighters franchise.

The 2018 NEO GEO World Tour came to a head during August’s Hong Kong Esports Festival. The tournament lasted two days, with a total of twenty-six players competing across two games. These competitors went head-to-head in both The King of FIghters XIV and The King of Fighters ‘98 to determine the real King of Fighters, with thirteen players facing off in each title.

antonov

KOF ‘98 featured some of the series’ most celebrated competitors, with names like JoJo, Qanba x Douyu|Xiaohai, Blackwell|ET, and more fighting for top spot – and $57,000 HKD. Although a seasoned veteran of The King of Fighters series, JoJo didn’t make it past the first round of Finals for ‘98: he lost to Jovin 2-nil in the Losers bracket, knocked out of the tournament for good.

A favorite competitor to take ‘98 was ET, Evolution champion for the past two years. While he had fairly smooth sailing through Winners side, he ended up going 0-3 against Xiaohai in Winners Semifinals. Upon being sent to Losers Finals, he went head to head with WILD-HOPP1802, losing in a close set 2-3. This set Xiaohai against WILD-HOPP in the Grand Final, and it was no contest: Xiaohai took the set 3-0 with Chris, Orochi, and Chizuru, solidifying himself as the NEO GEO World Tour Champion of KOF ‘98.

Xiaohai and ET also competed in The King of Fighters XIV, alongside Sanwa|M’, VSlash|Zantetsu, VSlash|Whiteash, and VSlash|Frezzer. With three competitors in the mix across each title, VSlash made a strong showing in the Tour — but only one could remain standing. In a battle of teammates, Frezzer took out Whiteash 2-1, moving on to fight M’ in the third round.

M’ likewise showcased his strength in KOF’s latest installment. Staying in Winners side, M’ took out SSONG, Zantetsu, and Frezzer 2-0 before meeting LAU in Winners Semifinals. Taking the win 3-1, he went on to fight ROWY|ZJZ in Grand Finals, who had just taken out Xiaohai 3-nil and LAU 3-2 with Mature, Heidern, and Najo. ZJZ managed to reset the bracket against M’ 3-1, but M’ wasn’t about to take the loss — he came back with a vengeance, defeating ZJZ in a sound 3-0 with his team of Shun’Ei, K’, and Iori.

Both M’ and Xiaohai received a check for $57,000 HKD — the rough equivalent of $7,260 USD. The winners likewise won a ZOWIE RL monitor for future practice sessions and a spot in NEO GEO World Tour history as KOF champions. With the 2018 Tour concluded, the 2019 Tour is already underway, with more regions represented and even more competition approaching on the horizon.

Results

kof '98 results banner

The King of Fighters ’98

1. QANBA x DOUYU|Xiaohai
2. WILD-HOPP1802
3. Blackwell|ET
4. QUANBA|Dakou
5. Hakchai
5. Pacman Loon
7. Jovin
7. LABAN
9.  Cristina
9. JoJo
9. Ken Sou
9. KOF2982

kof 14 xiv results banner

The King of Fighters XIV

1. SANWA|M’
2. ROWY|ZJZ
3. LAU
4. QANBA x DOUYU|Xiaohai
5. VSLASH|FRZ1X
5. BLACKWELL|ET1120
7. SSONG
7. TXC|ViolentKain
9. OSWALDACE
9. VSLASH|Zantetsu
9. VSLASH|WhiteAsh
9. Luis Cha

Source: Challonge (KOF XIV, KOF ’98), NEO GEO World Tour (Twitch)

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New Dead or Alive 6 screenshots show off classic costumes for Kasumi and Leifang

In the visuals we’ve seen for Dead or Alive 6 so far, many folks will have have noticed that many characters are wearing brand-new outfits. However, that doesn’t mean that their classic costumes won’t be in the game, as this new batch of screenshots from Famitsu demonstrate.

The screenshots below specifically showcase the classic costumes for Kasumi and Leifang. Both of these character are sporting totally brand new default outfits for this game, so seeing some of the classic outfits return will be good news for some fans. In addition to this, we also get a look at a new costume for Zack.

Click to view slideshow.

It’s nice to see these costumes as they appear in the new game; producer Yohei Shimbori has previously confirmed that characters will still have their classic costumes in DOA6. (The rest of the screenshots, on the other hand, are ones we’ve already seen before.)

Dead or Alive 6 is coming to PlayStation 4, PC, and Xbox One in early 2019.

Source: Famitsu

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Best Buy listing indicates that amiibo may be used to unlock characters in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

With Nintendo releasing amiibo in time for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, some may be wondering what these figures will do in the new game. Now, it seems that they might be used to actually unlock the characters for use.

This new information was revealed in Best Buy Canada’s store pages for the amiibo for Wolf, Inkling, and Ridley. The overviews for each figure state that the player can unlock these characters for play simply by tapping their amiibo to the Switch’s NFC touchpoint.

Prior to this, producer Masahiro Sakurai already hinted that unlocking characters would be simpler for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate; it seems that this method may be part of that. It may also be likely that the previously-released amiibo for other characters may also be used to unlock some of the playable fighters in the game.

Source: Best Buy via Source Gaming

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SoCal Regionals, Canada Cup, and Evo all planning to increase event security following the shooting at GLHF Game Bar in Florida

Deaths and injuries at a gaming event in Jacksonville raise the question of how to ensure the safety of future tournament attendees.

In the wake of Sunday’s tragic shooting at the GLHF Game Bar in Jacksonville, Florida — that claimed two lives and left nearly a dozen others with injuries after a competitor in a Madden 19 event opened fire during a tournament — FGC tournament organizers are pledging to increase security at upcoming events. Level Up Series promises additional security and metal detectors will be in place at the upcoming SoCal Regionals 2018 in September, while Canada Cup Gaming’s Lap Chi Duong also has indicated plans for increased security at October’s Canada Cup 2018 at EGLX in Toronto.

Evo director Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cuellar has also promised increased security for next year’s Evo event:

The shooting has hit close to home for the fighting game community, leaving many players rattled, saddened, and concerned about safety at future tournaments — not to mention bringing to prominence the ongoing question of how to combat gun violence in the USA.

A GoFundMe page has also been launched to aid those affected with the medical or funeral costs that follow in the wake of this tragedy.

GLHF Game Bar logo

Sources: CNN; Google; Level Up Series (Twitter); Jimmy Nguyen (Twitter); Lap Chi Duong (Twitter); Joey Cuellar (Twitter); UltraDavid (Twitter); TheHadou (Twitter); James Chen (Twitter); GoFundMe

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SoCal Regionals, Canada Cup, and Evo all planning to increase event security following the shooting at GLHF Game Bar in Florida

Deaths and injuries at a gaming event in Jacksonville raise the question of how to ensure the safety of future tournament attendees.

In the wake of Sunday’s tragic shooting at the GLHF Game Bar in Jacksonville, Florida — that claimed two lives and left nearly a dozen others with injuries after a competitor in a Madden 19 event opened fire during a tournament — FGC tournament organizers are pledging to increase security at upcoming events. Level Up Series promises additional security and metal detectors will be in place at the upcoming SoCal Regionals 2018 in September, while Canada Cup Gaming’s Lap Chi Duong also has indicated plans for increased security at October’s Canada Cup 2018 at EGLX in Toronto.

Evo director Joey “Mr. Wizard” Cuellar has also promised increased security for next year’s Evo event:

The shooting has hit close to home for the fighting game community, leaving many players rattled, saddened, and concerned about safety at future tournaments — not to mention bringing to prominence the ongoing question of how to combat gun violence in the USA.

A GoFundMe page has also been launched to aid those affected with the medical or funeral costs that follow in the wake of this tragedy.

GLHF Game Bar logo

Sources: CNN; Google; Level Up Series (Twitter); Jimmy Nguyen (Twitter); Lap Chi Duong (Twitter); Joey Cuellar (Twitter); UltraDavid (Twitter); TheHadou (Twitter); James Chen (Twitter); GoFundMe