Category: Fighting Games

Back when Double Helix Games was still working on Killer Instinct for Xbox One, they provided a behind-the-scenes look at development by way of Gametrailers.

While an incredibly interesting look at the origins of the sequel in its own right, the short documentary also included a brief peek at the prototype Double Helix put together to show Microsoft as their bid for the job. Complete with blank models and Street Fighter IV’s training mode, the early build wasn’t much to speak of, but it did include glimpses of the game that would go on to be Killer Instinct.

However, it looks as if there might have been one more step between that rough proof-of-concept and the final Xbox One title.

Andrew Borman of Past to Present Online recently got his hands on another Killer Instinct prototype that looks much closer to the game we know today but also happens to be running on a different system: Xbox 360.

Yep, you read that right. According to Borman, the footage he was given demonstrates another early build that was made specifically for the Xbox One’s older sibling, though for what purpose remains unknown. It’s possible this prototype served as another stepping stone for Double Helix on their road to snagging the Killer Instinct license, or even that the game was originally planned for Xbox 360 before being shifted to the then next-generation console.

You’ll no doubt notice that the game is incomplete. Tons of assets appear to be missing, such as textures and stages, and Thunder even retains the mannequin-esque placeholders used in the earlier build.

In any case, this is just another interesting footnote on Killer Instinct’s road back to the fighting game community, so be sure to check it out and let us know what you think.

Source: Past to Present Online

The folks over at Level|Up Series recently opened registration for the second installment of their Killer Instinct Online Warrior Championships.

As the name implies, this tournament series occurs entirely through netplay, allowing players to jump onto Xbox Live and compete against some of the country’s best competitors from the comfort of their own home. The first episode saw high-level talent like eventual champion TSC|CDjr, Guttermagic, MT|Rico Suave, pH|Almakashi, and more take part, and this month’s event should be no different.

If you’re interested in taking part in this competition, be sure to head on over to the official Level|Up Series post and follow the instructions. Be aware that this tournament is only open to players in the United States that have a minimum 2 Mbps upload speed. You can find out your own stats by using sites like Speed Test.

Killer Instinct Online Warrior Championships Episode 2 is scheduled to take place November 17.

Source: Level|Up Series

While Skullgirls Encore is a fantastic fighter in its own right, one of the coolest things about it has to be the Endless Beta the developers have made available through Steam. As the name implies, this version of the game acts as a sort of non-stop testing ground of new ideas, balance adjustments, and more, allowing players to try out experiments and provide feedback before they reach the main game.

The latest update, which landed just this morning, includes a handful of changes for Peacock, Big Band, Fukua, and Double, though one particular addition to the latter-most fighter is certain to gain the most attention.

As of today, Double now has another super to play around with. Tentatively called Monster, it allows the shapeshifter to place a puddle on the ground, which will try to attack the opponent when they get close. Though it can obviously be used as a trap to catch careless advances, it’s also useful for extending combos, as shown by guitalex’s video below.

All of you Guilty Gear fans out there will certainly notice similarities between this super and Testament’s Hitomi. Much like the tree, Monster can be faked out by long-limbed attacks and out-of-reach approaches, and it will disappear as soon as Double is hit. However, players are only able to place one puddle at a time.

A full rundown of the changes introduced in this morning’s Endless Beta update can be found here.

Sources: Steam, guitalex, special thanks to Zidiane for sending this our way.

Knowing your characters hitboxes is an important step in mastering how to play them. Unfortunately, most fighting games these days, such as Ultra Street Fighter IV, do not come with a built-in hitbox viewer.

Enter Decapre.com. After starting as a Tumblr specifically to host images of Decapre’s hitboxes, and occasionally provide comparisons of them compared to Cammy’s, the site has now grown to hosting information for other characters in the game.

This includes breakdowns of how certain characters attacks interact with other characters…

…as well as videos that go frame by frame to show off normals and specials. For example, here’s a video that covers each individual frame of Elena’s specials.

They’ve also put up some of their own short articles, including this explanation of how unblockables work based on hitboxes, and links to other relevant content across the internet.

For those interested in learning more about Ultra Street Fighter IV, head on over using the link below and see what you can find.

Source: Decapre.com, special thanks to Bafael for the tip.

After dropping two previous updates for Super Smash Bros. for 3DS, it would appear that Nintendo is in the process of readying a third for release sometime this month.

As with those that preceded it, the ver.1.0.4 patch is incredibly light on details. Though it mentions affecting game balance in some way, it does not touch on what specific changes will be coming for the core gameplay mechanics or the individual characters.

One interesting note that points towards the possibility of actual adjustments is the incompatibility of replays recorded before this patch is launched. Like other fighters, Super Smash Bros. for 3DS saves replays as a series of inputs rather than actual video, essentially playing back everything that occurred in the match with computer characters. If changes were to be made to how the game plays, replays from earlier versions would fail to play back properly.

Players will need to update to this latest build in order to continue utilizing the game’s local and online multiplayer options.

A concrete release date has yet to be announced for the ver.1.0.4 patch, but one could assume that it will arrive sometime before the release of Super Smash Bros. for Wii U on November 21.

Source: Nintendo via CLASH Tournaments