Florida’s Tayson Defas Hypes Upcoming Final Round 18 Exhibitions with Scenes from Saint Seiya

While tournament play is where much of our attention lies during events, side exhibitions are uniquely special in their ability to hype up a crowd and get the community involved in their favorite games. They can spawn in a variety of ways, but the most common is definitely the age-old tradition of trash talking.

Trash talking can manifest naturally, through calculated discussions beforehand, or even via unfortunate diss tracks, but Florida’s Tayson Defas has taken a rather novel approach to calling folks out in recent weeks.

At the most recent Frosty Faustings, perennial punching bag OMG Itz Andre took the opportunity to jump on the mic (still hot from a strong win against Chicago’s Frankie G) and challenge anyone who happened to be watching to an Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3 exhibition. Defas, with whom Andre appears to have some history, accepted that challenge.

Because his acceptance played out mostly through stream chat, however, Defas took this one step further to ensure his plans for Final Round 18 were acknowledged.

But, apparently, that wasn’t enough, because later on Defas would target the entirety of C.O.R.N. (Coalition of Real…Nice Guys), a Midwestern group of competitors to which Andre belongs. What resulted was yet another video with the same special flair as the first.

Sure, these are a little cheesy, a little corny (eh?), but they also showcase the interesting ways in which our scene crafts storylines. It’s natural, it’s grassroots, it’s pure fighting game community, and we love it. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Source: Tayson

Arc System Works to Give Talk on Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-‘s Art Style at Game Developers Conference 2015

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One of the most distinct things about Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN- is its art style. Through a combination of cel shading, untweened animations, and a few other tricks, the game manages to capture the feel of old-school hand drawn sprites with modern day 3D polygons.

To shed further light on the work they have done here, Arc System Works will be holding a talk at the 2015 Game Developers Conference when it arrives at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California next onth. The discussion, which will feature Arc System Works’ director and technical artist Junya Christopher Motomura as its speaker, will focus on the game’s art and what it took to capture the graphical charm of a classic 2D fighter in Unreal Engine 3.

The talk will take place at Room 206 in the West Hall on Friday, March 6 from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM and is open to anyone with either an All Access Pass or a Main Conference Pass. Be sure to check it out if you plan on attending.

Source: Arc System Works via Polycount

Saturday Morning Scrublords Take on Mortal Kombat Armageddon

If you’ve been around the internet for awhile, chances are you’ve seen some content from the Super Best Friends. While they’re perhaps best known for their Let’s Play-style videos, the super group share an intimate love for the fighting game genre that they’ve expressed in various ways over the years. Matt and Woolie, for example, created the informative Fighterpedia series, and the latter established that he knows how to play fighting games when he took a couple of Street Fighter rounds from Mad Catz’ Daigo Umehara on the big stage at Evo 2012.

Yearning for a new outlet for their fighting game affections, the team started recording Friday Night Fisticuffs last April. These videos contain casual sessions for a variety of modern fighting games like Ultra Street Fighter IV’s Omega Mode as well as old-school hits like Bushido Blade and Bloody Roar Primal Fury.

In December, the crew began a second series in the same vein, but with a focus on games that may not have been so well-received as those featured in Fisticuffs, like Final Fight Revenge. They lovingly titled this new series “Saturday Morning Scrublords.”

This week’s Scrublord session includes over an hour of Mortal Kombat Armageddon matches, a game that hit consoles back in 2006 during the genre’s dark age. The title includes nearly every character from the Mortal Kombat universe up to its point of release and features weapons as well as custom fatalities. Check out the video below to witness the hype and the salt, and maybe even learn a thing or two about the history of Mortal Kombat in the process.

Source: The Sw1tcher via Super Best Friends Play, and thanks to Breedo and Meanie for reminding us about this series.

Saturday Slugfest XXVIII Anime Edition Streaming Live from Lynnwood, Washington

Our friends over at Khaos Gaming recently went live with yet another installment of Saturday Slugfest from Lynnwood, Washington. One of the regions premier monthly events, Saturday Slugfest regularly boasts strong competition in games like Street Fighter, Marvel, King of Fighters, and more.

Today’s event, however, will focus entirely on airdashers, with a lineup consisting of Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Under Night In-Birth Exe:Late, and BlazBlue: Chronophantasma. Some of the players expected to be in attendance include Spark, Dave O, and more.

You’ll find the live stream below, but you can also head on over to Twitch if you prefer to chat. Full brackets for each game will be provided through Challonge.

Watch live video from TeamKhaos on www.twitch.tv

Sources: Facebook, Team Khaos

Salty! Weekly Skullgirls Encore Event Streaming Live from Ultimate Gaming Center

The folks over at UGC Live just went live with this week’s installment of Salty!, the weekly Skullgirls Encore event that serves as both a tournament and a way for Lab Zero Games to share updates on future content. Don’t miss out on the great competition and previews from Mike Zaimont if you’re a fan of this indie fighter.

You’ll find the stream below, but you can also head on over to Twitch if you prefer to chat. More information these events can be found on Skullheart should you want to check it out in person.

Watch live video from UGClive on www.twitch.tv

Source: UGC Live

Darkstalkers Duo Festival’s 2-on-2 Vampire Savior Competition Streaming Live from Kyoto, Japan

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With the work week fading into the distance, most folks are looking forward to kicking back over the next two days to recharge their batteries. And what better way to start the weekend than a high-level Vampire Savior tournament?

Tonight, Neo Amusement Space a-cho in Kyoto, Japan will be hosting Darkstalkers Duo Festival, a two-on-two team tournament featuring some of the country’s top Vampire talent. If you’re confused by the shift between the series’ regional titles, just know that some incredibly strong players will be coming together to compete in one of the best installments of a criminally under-utilized fighting game franchise.

The popular game center will see over thirty-two teams cram inside of its confines, so be sure to tune in and show your support if you’re a Vampire Savior fan. A full list of the players expected to attend tonight can be found below.

We also want to send appreciation out to Rotanibor, who made us aware of this tournament and provided a ton of translated information. Thank you!

Team List
  1. Still Alive – 佐伯 (Q-Bee), Ninoude (Felicia)
  2. 薄ずきんちゃん (0.01mm) – Usushio (Gallon), SuperMotiMoti (Bulleta)
  3. コアラ三魔将 – Haitani (Sasquatch), Orecom (Sasquatch)
  4. Tonkatsu Man Ⅲ – Ego (Lei-Lei), Yajima T.T (Morrigan)
  5. デスイリュージョン – Desu Illusion – Oshabu (Lilith), Wantaaren (Gallon)
  6. Jabberwock – Nakanishi (Bishamon), kaji (Lilith)
  7. 夜ノスダチクン – Azuki (Demitri), R30 (Anakaris)
  8. Wolfenstein – Takahashi (Gallon), Oboro (Victor)
  9. 夜ノ津田沼エース勢 – Gobu (Zabel), Nosshii (Gallon)
  10. 斡旋A – Nan (Zabel), Atsuta (Lei-Lei)
  11. 攻撃力に自信ニキ – Buzz (Gallon), Satou (Zabel)
  12. APL48 – 社員 (Gallon), Leo (Bishamon)
  13. ジスタ式最大反撃 – bow (Aulbath), Chicchi (Felica)
  14. Black Vise – Miyachi (Bulleta), Itsuki (Gallon)
  15. ニュートンマシンガンズ – Sasunii (Sasquatch), yama (Lei-Lei)
  16. 津田沼セイヴァー弾幕勢 – Peejyun (Bishamon), MAB (Gallon)
  17. 斜め45度 – Hosokawa (Sasquatch), Azuwan (Demitri)
  18. COBRA CANNON – Hildr (Anakaris), KEN (Gallon)
  19. Shadaloo – Vega (Zabel), Sagat (Gallon)
  20. 鴨川純愛組 – Madamu (Morrigan), Negitoro (Sasquatch)
  21. 河内之悪党 – Arue (Morrigan), Wakamago (Lilith)
  22. デモンガチャ (Demongacha) – Dara (Demitri), Kenta (Demitri)
  23. The Wings Of A Boy Who Killed Adolescence – Teruchika (Felicia), cat-k (Felicia)
  24. ロングダッシュテロリスト (Long Dash Terrorist) – Dosu (Sasquatch), Aji (Gallon)
  25. 夜ノワイナリー – Ginshou (Gallon), Akashi (Bulleta)
  26. 嫁ゲージ尽き帰宅難民 – 抹茶 (Q-Bee), Takapu@神戸アルゴ勢 (Aulbath)
  27. ハイボールクズ – M (Morrigan), 楯 (Victor)
  28. 魔界の新世代 – Mayo (Aulbath), Jyakuhai (Sasquatch)
  29. 中国雑技団 – Teitoku (Jedah), Maritime (Lei-Lei)
  30. 東京都北区赤羽 – DDF (Sasquatch), Sakamoto (Q-bee)
  31. セイヴァーつむつむ – Mano (Lilith), Kuroe (Sasquatch)
  32. 大和型戦艦一番艦黒猫ヤマト – Yuuriru (Felicia), Tosshii (Felicia)

Free Agents (players whose teams are undecided)

  • Toho (Bulleta)
  • Kame (Victor)
  • Matsuoka (Lei-Lei)
  • Kazenoko (Lei-Lei)
  • Satoshi (Bulleta)
  • Futana (Jedah)
  • Pii (Lei-Lei)
  • Sachi (Lilith)
  • Girudan (Demitri)
  • Butakkii (Jedah)
  • Kyuahayamin (Lilith)
  • Sai (Demitri)
  • oyor (Demitri)
  • 大友あき (Gallon)
  • Nekohashi (Felicia)
  • 化猫 (Bulleta)
  • Morikami (Morrigan)
  • Ranti (Bishamon)
  • meemee (Q-Bee)
  • Kurio (Anakaris)
  • SAW (Felicia)

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Sources: Darkstalkers Duo Festival, Rotanibor

Mad Catz’ Reopens Pre-Orders for Their PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3 Compatible Tournament Edition 2 Arcade Sticks

If you’re in the market for a new arcade stick, Mad Catz recently opened pre-orders back up for their basic Tournament Edition 2 models.

These heavy-duty sticks are compatible with both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 (making them perfect if you’re in the market for an Evo 2015 controller), all while offering the stylish good looks of the Tournament Edition 2’s new body type.

As always, the sticks come outfitted with Sanwa Denshi parts as well an easy access hatch to the stick’s inner workings, making modding a breeze.

These peripherals will set you back $199.99 USD and are currently available to pre-order for residents of both the Unites States and Canada. While the site doesn’t specify an exact shipping date, the current estimate is “late April 2015,” so you won’t be waiting too long to start slapping buttons in style.

Madcatz TE 2 Top
Madcatz TE 2 Angled

Source: Mad Catz

Winter Brawl 9 Streaming Live from Essington, Pennsylvania

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This weekend, Big E Gaming is prepared to put on the ninth installment of their Winter Brawl tournament series. Much like the events that came before it, this one will feature a ton of competition across a wide array of titles, including Ultra Street Fighter IV, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, Super Smash Bros. Melee, and more.

Expect to see players like TSC|Sanford Kelly, BIFU|Spab Rog, CTRL|RayRay, Marq Teddy, CDjr, 801 Strider, Wolfkrone, TA|Marvisto, iPeru, PIE|Smug, TSC|IFC Yipes, MOR|Rico Suave, EG|K-Brad, DaFeetLee, BIFU|Coach Steve, DL|Hamad, BT|MarlinPie, TS|LordKnight, Eshi, CTRL|Flux, TS|Fooblat, and CTRL|pzpoy, among others, duking it out over the weekend.

You’ll find both streams and a full scheduled included below, so be sure to tune in and catch the action live.

Team Spooky

Watch live video from TeamSp00ky on www.twitch.tv

Bifuteki

Watch live video from bifuteki on www.twitch.tv

Kombat Network

Watch live video from KombatNetwork on www.twitch.tv

Kick-Punch-Block!

Watch live video from KPBLive on www.twitch.tv

Arturo Sanchez

Watch live video from nycfurby on www.twitch.tv

Smash Studios

Watch live video from SmashStudios on www.twitch.tv

Source: Big E Gaming

Pierce Some More Ankles with This Super Smash Bros. for Wii U Zelda Highlight Reel

Back before the Wii U got its own version of Super Smash Bros. 4, SBphiloz4 compiled 3DS footage for Piercing Ankles, a collection of kills, conversions, and only the hardest of reads from the princess of Hyrule herself. Today, SBphiloz4 keeps the tradition alive with a second entry to the series, this time with clips coming from the home platform.

Below, you’ll find nearly ten minutes of high-level plays, including perfectly-timed projectile reflections, beautiful stage spikes, and a whole lot more. While Zelda may not get much (or really any) attention when Smash players square off at major tournaments, that doesn’t mean that she’s unusable, especially in the right hands.

Source: SBphiloz4

PDP’s Mortal Kombat X Controllers Up for Pre-Order at GameStop

For those Mortal Kombat players who prefer to play on pad, here’s some good news: Performance Designed Products’ official Mortal Kombat X controllers are now available for pre-order at GameStop.

The controllers, which you can see in the gallery below, come in two flavors. The first is compatibile with PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3, while the second works with both Xbox One and Xbox 360. Both models feature a traditional cross shaped directional pad and six face buttons.

The d-pad replaces the Neo-Geo inspired nub from their previous generation of controllers and the buttons feature a non-standard layout that uses both shoulder buttons (L1 and R1 for the PlayStation pad and LB and RB for the Xbox pad), instead of both the right shoulder button and trigger.

Both the PlayStation and Xbox versions of this controller can be pre-ordered for $49.99 by following their respective links. The expected release date is April 1.

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Source: Gamestop (1, 2) via Test Your Might