Don’t miss the Red Bull Proving Grounds Fall Season Finals, coming to Twitch on October 21st

Chicago plays host to the climatic conclusion of the Proving Grounds team series!

After three months of clashes across eleven cities, Proving Grounds’ top Street Fighter V competitors are coming together to fight for the top spot at the Red Bull Proving Grounds 2017 Fall Finals! It takes place this Saturday, October 21st in Chicago at Joe’s Live. You can tune in and cheer for your favorite team on Red Bull Esports’ Twitch channel at 12:00 PM ET/9:00 AM PT on the 21st. The livestream broadcast will offer viewers a “quad-view” of the entire tournament: rotating between four matches simultaneously with Jeremy “Vicious” Lopez, Luis “Rynge” Avila, Michael “Yipes” Mendoza, and Francis “Lee Chung” Chong on commentary. All four will commentate the grand finals between the East and West teams.

The winning team will earn a trip to the Capcom Cup North American Finals, at Red Bull Battle Grounds!

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This is the first time that the Proving Grounds Finals will be open to the public, and have a live audience in the venue itself. Going to be in Chicago? Check out the event’s Facebook page, or register to attend at smash.gg. There will be a Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite Battle for the Stones open qualifier and casual play at the event, as well.

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You can see the Fall Season trailer below:

Source: Red Bull Esports [press release]

V-Jump reveals information about the RPG mechanics and plot of Dragon Ball FighterZ’s Story Mode

As you saw with the reveal of Captain Ginyu and Nappa yesterday, the latest issue of V-Jump has been a Dragon Ball FighterZ info blowout. Along with showing off these two new characters, this issue has finally given fans some concrete details on DBFZ’s Story Mode, including hints at the plot and some of the special mechanics that will exist in this “what-if” story.

If you read our article on Christopher Sabat’s Game Informer interview about Dragon Ball FighterZ, you will know that Bandai Namco and Arc System Works are leaning heavily on the fourth wall when it comes to the Story Mode. Well, it turns out that the plot revolves around each of the Z-Warriors falling unconscious, and waking up with the player in control of them. It’s your goal to get to the bottom of this mystery, while gathering all of the Z-Fighters together to battle the mysterious clone army, as seen in the initial Story Mode trailer.

The plot reminds me a lot of the spin-off manga The Case of Being Reincarnated as Yamcha, where an avid Dragon Ball fan wakes up in the body of Yamcha and uses his knowledge of the DBZ story to defeat every villain. Hopefully, the Yamcha portion of the story may reference this for the hardcore DB fans out there.

As for what you do in Story Mode, players hop around a world map, defeating enemies and gaining XP as you go. You can use XP to either unlock special Story Mode only skills or simply to level your characters up to the highest point. If you use certain characters for long enough, you can start to listen in on their inner thoughts and hear what they’re really thinking.

Finally, V-Jump reveals that the Story Mode is actually split into three separate scenarios. The main scenario has you following Goku and the Z-Warriors, the second has you taking over Freeza’s body while the final scenario has the players linking up with Android 18. The Freeza scenario looks to be the dedicated “gag” scenario, while Android 18’s scenario has her exploring “hidden memories” about her past. This will no doubt delve into how she and 17 met Dr. Gero and maybe her link to the mysterious Android 21.

You can check out all of the Story Mode scans below, which have been graciously translated by ShonenGamez. Dragon Ball FighterZ is scheduled to launch February 1st 2018 in Japan, so expect news on a Western release date sometime in the near future.

DBFZ Story Mode Scan 1
DBFZ Story Mode Scan 2
DBFZ Story Mode Scan 3

Source: V-Jump via ShonenGamez

All Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite DLC characters are immediately legal at Battle for the Stones events

We’re halfway through Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite‘s Battle for the Stones circuit, but the action’s just heating up — with a new announcement shaking this weekend’s literal quest for Power to its very core.

While the Space, Soul, and Time Stones have been acquired by Robert “Sacktap” Capps, Rise|Richard Nguyen, and GodsGardenPro’s Ryota “Kazunoko” Inoue respectively, there are still three more of the Infinite Six to be contested for, along with a trio of online qualifiers for North America, Europe, and Latin America — with the battles continuing at this weekend’s Red Bull Proving Grounds this Saturday, October 21st.

An interesting occurrence has arisen, as the game’s first three Season 1 DLC characters, Sigma, Black Panther, and Monster Hunter were released on the 18th, raising some concerns over how they’ll impact the upcoming competitions. In a surprising — yet simultaneously exciting — development, the official Marvel vs. Capcom Facebook page has confirmed that all three of these new challengers will be stepping into the ring this weekend; they, along with future DLC fighters Black Widow, Winter Soldier, and Venom will not be subject to the two-week ban seen in Street Fighter V‘s Capcom Pro Tour. They will be officially unleashed upon the competitive circuit the instant they join the roster.

So sharpen your claws, equip your finest arsenals, and prepare to spread the Sigma Virus, as these three fighters could make quite the impact on the remaining Battle for the Stones tour.

What do you think of this unique development? Are you in favor of it, or do you believe these three should be forced to sit out a battle or two, just like their SFV counterparts? Weigh in in the comments section below.

Source: Marvel vs. Capcom (Facebook)

Daigo the BeasTV drops teaser trailer for “Project 9road” — features Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike legend Kuroda

I don’t know if there’s anyone that follows Daigo’s Daigo the BeasTV YouTube channel that isn’t at least somewhat familiar with Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike‘s tournament scene. But if that theoretical person exists, then this dark, brooding trailer probably confused them when it dropped:

The protagonist in this eerie trailer is none other then 3rd Strike legend and multi-Tougeki winner, Kuroda. While his prowess in the 3rd Strike universe is so renowned that he’s sold DVDs of his game-play with the whole cast, his best known character is undoubtedly the iron-masked grappler, Q. Knowing all of this is important for the pun this trailer, and possibly, the whole project, ends with: “There’s a man I’m looking for. His name is… “Number 9″. The man in the iron mask.” The kanji for 9 is 九, which has two readings: “Kyuu” (“Q”) and “Ku” (Project 9road… Project Ku-road, or “Kuroda.”)

So even though no gameplay is shown at all in the trailer, we can safely assume “Project 9road” will heavily focus on Kuroda’s Q in 3rd Strike. These are all assumptions, though: we won’t have more information on the project until Daigo’s next Twitch broadcast airs on the 19th.

Source: Daigo the BeasTV

Avoid future slip-ups against Diddy Kong with the Beefy Smash Doods’ guide for dealing with the banana

Diddy Kong’s Banana Toss is one of the most maligned moves in Super Smash Bros. for Wii U. As a pressure tool, a trap and a combo starter, the banana can strike fear into the heart of any Smasher, regardless of their skill level. To stop any future slip-ups, the Beefy Smash Doods have created a special anti-banana guide (something I’d never thought I’d write) so players can better deal with Diddy’s devilish projectile.

Certain characters can dash straight over Diddy’s banana peel, as the opening frames of their dash animation actually have their feet floating off the ground. Captain Falcon, Mario, Luigi, Dr. Mario, Link, Jigglypuff, Charizard, Wii Fit Trainer, Mewtwo, Samus and Diddy can all dash over the banana. For some characters, it is impossible to dash over the banana if you’re standing on the left side of the screen.

If you’re not one of these select few characters, certain aerial moves can clash with the banana peel, destroying the projectile and cancelling the recovery frames of that move. Sheik players commonly do this with down air, but most other characters are capable of this tactic as well. Experiment with your main and see what moves can neutralize this pesky peel.

Source: Beefy Smash Doods

BoxeR-King helps you spot the difference between Tekken 7’s Giant Swing and Shining Wizard startup animations

Have you been practicing your throw breaking in Tekken 7? When we made our throw break exercise video, it was with the express purpose of training you to break most throw mix-ups in the game. In your Tekken Journey, there is a level beyond what that video can prepare you for: distinguishing King’s Giant Swing and Shining Wizard.

BoxeR-King believes it is realistic to eventually eliminate this “mix-up,” and has some tips for practicing how to recognize and differentiate the two powerful command grabs. If you’ve moved beyond simply breaking traditional grabs and are ready to challenge yourself, you should give BoxeR-King’s lessons a try!

Source: BoxeR-King

ARMS version 3.2 is out now — here’s everything that’s changed

ARMS much-awaited version 3.2 patch is finally out on Nintendo Switch. Despite being an incremental patch, the update adds some significant features such as an achievement system, and a replay list.

In addition to the aforementioned features, the update also adds some minor fixes, including some control changes for replays, as well as bug fixes. One big addition is that of the robotic Spring Man clone that challenges players during Grand Prix mode.

Of course, the update also brings with it some balance changes to the games cast. For those interested, you can check them out, alongside all of the other changes in the patch below.

ARMS 3.2 patch notes
  • Added new “Badge” feature.
    • Receive neat badges as a reward for fulfilling certain conditions.
    • Wear your favorite badge and show it off to your opponent.
  • Added new “Recent Replays” feature.
    • Select from a list and view replays of past matches.
    • Replay data is automatically deleted when necessary, starting with the oldest data.
    • Also, future ARMS updates will cause all replay data from past versions to be deleted.
  • During replay playback, ZR will no longer switch between targets. The X button instead is used for all camera angle switching.
  • During replay playback, + – buttons no longer toggle HP gauge display, and instead now bring up the menu.
  • Fixed issue where, at certain timings, follow up attacks after wind attacks would not land.
  • Fixed issue where, after suffering an ice attack, players on a snake board could repeatedly jump and the snake board would continuously accelerate.
  • Fixed issue where, when battle rules are set to 1-punch KO, under certain conditions fighters would become unable to move.
  • We’ve identified an interloper who has been disrupting the Grand Prix, going after our fiercest competitors. If encountered, we advise you to dispatch them with prejudice.
  • Adjusted the abilities of certain fighters and ARMS as follows.
Fighters / Arms Adjustments
Lola Pop It’s already been one month since she joined ARMS. Her beginner’s nerves have faded away, giving her increased movement speed during air dashes.
Increased movement speed during high jump.
Increased movement speed when bounding.
Adjusted speed when descending.
Byte & Barq Decreased time interval between Byte and Barq’s respective attacks.
Max Brass Decreased expansion rate of attacks when buffed up.
Increased distance from which he can approach targets.
Megawatt Increased expansion rate when extending.
Increased extension speed.
Increased expansion rate of charge attacks.
Slamamander Increased extension speed.
Biffler Increased retraction speed.
Increased floatiness of jump attacks.
Boomerang
Coolerang
Increased expansion rate of charge attacks.
Revolver Increased retraction speed.
Retorcher Increased retraction speed.
Adjusted path followed when extending.
Nade Fixed online play issue where explosive damage would trigger twice.
Whammer
Kablammer
Increased speed of charge attacks.
Blorb Increased expansion rate when extending.
Increased time needed to finish expanding.
Chilla Decreased homing ability.
Tribolt Decreased speed of charge attacks.
Increased time needed to finish expanding.
Fixed multiple online play issues.
Triblast
Guardian
Clapback
Fixed multiple online play issues.

Source: Nintendo Everything

Arc System Works is bringing indie fighting game Slice, Dice & Rice to PlayStation 4

As Arc System Works is gearing up for its annual Arc Revolution Cup tournament, they released some surprise news: the company is planning to bring indie fighting game Slice, Dice & Rice from Steam to the Japanese PlayStation Store. This winter, Japanese users will be able to download the game for PlayStation 4 under the name Zan! Zan! Zan! (Kanji meaning kill/decapitation).

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The game will be playable at Arc Revo as well. Dojo Games’ Slice, Dice & Rice originally released for PC this April. It features multiple characters, with a brief story mode. There are no health bars in the game — rather, a duel can be decided in one clean slash, unless it’s parried, or the hit clashes. There’s also a wound system, and aerial movement.

There’s no information yet on a Western release of this game on PlayStation 4. However, you can purchase it on Steam now; read up on our Slice, Dice & Rice review for more impressions.

Source: Arc System Works via Gematsu

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite roundup: Combos for Monster Hunter and Sigma, music modding, and more!

New challengers join the roster of heroes (and villains)!

A new patch and new DLC fighters have been added to Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite — time for a new roundup!

Hulk have no use for names, Hulk calls you what Hulk wants!

Want a peek at the new costumes and colors for the DLC characters? Here it is:

Ahmad Boulton shows us that Monster Hunter’s armor need fear no thorns:

Scarlet Erorr offers a Monster Hunter bread-and-butter…

… And another for the corner.

You can also see some ranked online gameplay with the Monster Hunter (and Dante) via TheRedGambit:

Here are some Sigma combos to start you off:

Tiggy Westside sent in a “brain dead” combo for X’s enemy:

rooflemonger offers a combo guide for Sigma, as well as a guide to his counter:

Swillo & BimmyQuestion pair up Sigma with Monster Hunter for this combo video:

Let’s not forget the existing cast. NightOfTheSun sent in these Frank West combos:

Here’s a 7K-damage solo Nemesis combo:

To close the combos out, here’s some “thorny” combos for Dormammu and Jedah.

Lastly: interested in modding the music on the PC version of MvC:I? Check out this modding guide!

No love in the tipline for Black Panther today, strangely… regardless, thanks to everyone that sent in tips!

Sources: rooflemonger; Ahmad Boulton; Scarlet Erorr; TheRedGambit; Tiggy Westside; Swillo & BimmyQuestion; NightOfTheSun; DigJoy Godoy; robawtix; MasterWholigans

Celebrate 30 years of Street Fighter with this commemorative coin, courtesy of Smart Arts Gallery

With Street Fighter celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, dedicated World Warriors may be looking for a memento to add to their collection. Seeing as Street Fighter was birthed in the arcades, what better way to celebrate its long history, than with a commemorative silver coin.

Made by Smart Arts Gallery, this commemorative token comes embossed with Ryu’s face and Street Fighter II win quote (correctly translated, no Sheng Long here!) on the front, and the 30th anniversary logo on the back. Only 5000 of these coins will be minted, so best place your order now to avoid disappointment. They cost £12 (around $16) and will be shipped by Smart Arts Gallery on November 1st, arriving in time to be a stocking stuffer for any Street Fighter aficionado.

Source: Street Fighter