Feast your eyes on official — and unofficial — BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle footage

Can’t Escape from Crossing Fate!

We’re finally seeing more footage from BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle! The zany crossover is now playable at New York Comic Con, and we’ve heard some Cross Tag Battle first impressions from players. Earlier today, the official Arc System Works uploaded a “Play Movie” that shows battles in high quality.

The matches showcase all seven available characters — Ragna, Jin, Hyde, Linne, Yu, Yosuke, and Ruby — while playing their themes in the background, including one from the RWBY soundtrack (it sounds fitting!). There’s a couple of interesting things to note: for instance, you can pre-select who goes first during the loading screen. You can also spot a “Reject” mechanic where a player pushes the assailant back, à la Marvel vs. Capcom.

My favorite moments are right at 3:00, when Jin, while having Resonance Blaze, cuts through both opponents with an Overdrive Ice Fang, dealing a whopping 7000 damage to the off-character. There’s also a cool interaction around 6:18 when Linne is about to hit Ragna with a super, but Hyde activates his own in response, narrowly saving Ragna with a clash.

There are also some unofficial videos floating around on Twitter:

Sources: Arc System Works;@UnsafeonHit; @_AetherStar

The SRK Rollback: Best of September 29 to October 5, 2017

Welcome to the Rollback: a frame-by-frame look back at our past week’s most notable news — and our favorite SRK articles — from September 29 to October 5, 2017!


Zavian “mushin_Z” Sildra, Editor-in-Chief:

Frame 1:
senko no ronde 2 teaser logo
Senko no Ronde 2 impressions: A shoot ’em up that’s also a fighting game

I’m a big fan of strange mash-ups and experimental game concepts, so this unusual fighter/shooter hybrid has definitely got my attention.

Frame 2:
Gundam Versus Release Datew
Shoryuken review: Gundam Versus is a great — if slightly impenetrable — introduction to the Gundam Vs. series

This game is a blast. Check out our review from Trilby, then go try it for yourself!

Frame 3:
SFV Arcade Edition
Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition launches on January 16th, 2018

So “Super Street Fighter V” wasn’t a fairy-tale after all. With a host of of both cosmetic changes and gameplay additions — including the long-desired arcade mode itself — this could be the shot in the arm SFV needs to pull out of its PR slump. I’m rooting for ’em.


Sam “Trilby” Foxall, Assistant Editor:

Frame 1:
dbfz_18_vs_tien_GI_scanDragon Ball FighterZ will allow players to collect all seven Dragon Balls in actual matches

Shown off as part of Game Informer’s month long coverage of Dragon Ball FighterZ, a new mechanic has been added which sees players gathering the mystical Dragon Balls during a match. We’ve no clue what they do just yet, but expect more over the coming month!

Frame 2:
the_Atom_comicsThe Atom is coming to Injustice 2

Revealed on the CW, shrinking superhero The Atom is coming in Injustice 2‘s Fighter Pack 3. His fighting style has him shrinking down to sneak behind opponents, and then returning to normal size to deliver a savage beatdown.

Frame 3:
mvci_spider-man_level_3Capcom is aware of Spider-Man infinite in Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite, currently investigating solutions

Fret not MvC:I fans, Capcom is well aware of Spider-Man’s Web Ball/Reality Stone infinite. They are currently looking for a solution, so expect a fix to come along with the first pack of DLC characters on October 17th.


Keegan “Interrobang!?” Spindler, Features Editor:

Frame 1:
nidhogg 2 promo art logoShoryuken interview: Mark Essen of MESSHOF on Nidhogg II’s development and inspiration

Nidhogg has been one of my personal favorite party games for the last few years, and seeing the new one was something of a shock. It’s a very different-looking beast, and SRK EiC mushin_Z has found out exactly how it came to be.

Frame 2:
black panther vs monster hunter mvciRumor: Monster Hunter and Black Panther were ready months before Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite’s release

Are Capcom back to their old tricks with MvC:I’s DLC? With three characters ready to go less than a month after the launch of the game… who knows? It’s a concerning rumor, but hopefully there isn’t any truth to it.

Frame 3:
fight of gods jesus vs buddhaThe winner of Revolution 2017’s Fight of Gods tournament will take away a golden crown of thorns

I can’t even begin to explain how much I love this. It’s tacky, mental, and a whole lot of fun — just like Fight of Gods! I can’t wait to see who walks away wearing those golden thorns.


Extra Frame:
SFV MenatA new arcade version of Street Fighter V, based on a Taito board, will be playable in Japan on October 21 and 22

Appearing just before the announcement of Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition for PlayStation 4 and PC players, it looks like SFV will earn the “Arcade Edition” moniker in the wild, with some help from Taito components.

Matt Dhalgren, Senior Product Manager for Capcom, leaves position after nearly a decade

In a piece of somber news, we’ve learned that Capcom’s Senior Product Manager of fighting games, Matt Dhalgren — who many may remember from his appearances as the host of  Cross Assault — will be departing the company after nearly a decade-long career.

Beginning with Capcom as an Associate Product Marketing Manager, “Matt Deezie’s” credits include assisting with the execution of marketing campaigns of various titles, such as MotoGP’08, Lost Planet 2, Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles, Street Fighter X Tekken, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers and Street Fighter V, as well as the company’s highest-selling game of all-time, Resident Evil 5 and its Gold Edition.

His final credit with the company will be as the Director of Brand Marketing for the recently-released Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite.

Speaking to EventHubs, Matt noted that, “It is difficult for me to leave, but [I] am extremely grateful for my time spent at Capcom, and [am] excited for the next chapter of my career. I look forward to rooting for Capcom’s success as a fan.”

Dhalgren also mentioned that he has “grown here tremendously, both personally and professionally, and have been given the opportunity to work with so many truly amazing people. I’m very proud of the projects I was able to influence, most particularly our fighting games and launching the Capcom Pro Tour.” Dhalgren also served as one of the main producers behind the CPT and Capcom’s e-sports endeavors, in addition to being a popular source of public relations between Capcom and the fighting game community.

We here at Shoryuken would like to wish Matt Dhalgren all the best as he continues onward towards a new career path.

Source: EventHubs; via NeoGAF

Getting bodied by Paul players in Tekken 7? LiangHuBBB has 20 pointers for you

In Tekken 7, Paul Phoenix is the same powerhouse that he’s always been, so it’s likely you’re running into skilled Paul players online and elsewhere. Here to help you start making power moves of your own is LiangHuBBB, who has made a video demonstrating 20 things you can do (or not do) to start taking the hot-headed blonde brawler down.

Simply put, the video shows you 20 of Paul’s most common moves and strings, and demonstrates some of the offensive and defensive options you have to combat each one. Most of Paul’s moves are straightforward — but he does have some tricky mix-ups, and strings with optional gaps in-between, that the guide addresses as well.

Check out the 20 tips on how to beat Paul in Tekken 7 below — and for more technical Paul content, check out this Paul Phoenix combo breakdown!

Source: LiangHuBBB

Learn how to power up like a pro with this N-Groove tutorial for Capcom vs. SNK 2

If you missed the Capcom vs. SNK 2 tutorial series last week, have no fear. Silentscope is back with the continuation of his series, and this time he is taking on one of the most-mixed bag grooves in the bunch.

N-Groove was early on thought of as top tier for its meter, and all the options that it had. However, that opinion has changed in recent years, as it is now thought to be middle tier for the same reason it was once thought top. That doesn’t mean this tier isn’t viable — as many characters can use N-Groove to augment their strengths — but it does require more work than others. Found out exactly how much work in this video.

Source: silentscope88

Ultra-bloody & ultra-goofy indie fighter GUTS launches October 31, has a free demo available now on Steam

You can now try dismembering opponents (on live TV) for yourself.

Flux Game Studio’s bloody indie fighter GUTS had an early showing back at Evo 2017, allowing attendees some hands-on time with the strange, gory, and goofy comedy fighting game. Now, all Steam users can give this unusual game a try via a free demo.

In GUTS, dismemberment is a central mechanic — but losing a limb seems to be little more than a minor inconvenience, as contenders continue to fight even as little more than bloody stumps. From Flux Game Studio’s description:

Set in the year of 2067, GUTS is a deadly reality TV show that feeds the blood lust of a dystopian Earth. Players compete in bloody arenas to earn fame and fortune as the world’s next fighting idol. In order to be the best, players must master special combination moves, learn the ropes of the different move sets that change according to how many limbs they still have left, time their severing attacks and evade their opponent’s deadly blades.

If you want to join in on this bizarre limbs-optional, blood-spurting splatfest, head over to the game’s Steam page to download your demo now. Playing the demo will apparently grant access to exclusive weapon skins and other add-ons in the release version. The game will launch on Steam on October 31, 2017, for $19.99 USD.

Sources: press release, Flux Game Studio, GUTS (Steam)

Improve your Lucario’s lockdown with Phase Shift frame traps in Pokkén Tournament DX

In most cases, frame traps are easily identified in Pokkén Tournament DX: whenever you block a move with hefty frame advantage, the entire screen flashes yellow for a brief moment in time. However, there’s one situation where it’s not so obvious that you’ve been frame trapped: immediately after a Phase Shift.

Lucario has a particularly good use for this, off of his Field Phase grab and charged Homing Attack. 21 Hits‘s latest video covers these tools and the powerful mix-ups they create.

Source: 21 Hits

Tekken Retrospective — a massive book celebrating the entire Tekken franchise — slated for 2018 release

Dynamite Entertainment has announced that they have teamed up with Bandai Namco to create a book that will commemorate the iconic Tekken franchise. Releasing in 2018, the book is titled Tekken Retrospective, and will contain hundreds of pages of artwork, design concepts, exclusive interviews, and more.

“TEKKEN 3 is the one that got its hooks into me… when I really started appreciating how fun and brilliant of a fighting game series it was, with its own personality and crazy-awesome cast of characters,” says Rich Young, Dynamite Entertainment’s Director of Business Developement.

“We’re now at TEKKEN 7 and the franchise is still going as strong as ever!  It’s an honor to be working with BANDAI NAMCO on this project, and to present this amazing retrospective to the dedicated and passionate fans worldwide!”

Reportedly, there are big plans to spread Tekken Retrospective far and wide, with Diamond Book Distributors handling the books’ distribution to major book chains and independent bookstores alike. Digital versions will also be available via comiXology, Kindle, iBooks, Google Play, Dynamite Digital, iVerse, Madefire, and Dark Horse Digital.

With Tekken turning 24 next year, there will certainly be quite a bit to look back on. More details regarding Tekken Retrospective will be reported as they arise!

Source: Newsarama

MK_REO documents all gaps and frame traps for Darkseid in Injustice 2 “Video Library” series

One of the roughest and most controversial parts of the DLC-submerged world we live in is being unprepared to fight against a character you didn’t purchase. For those that need to defeat Injustice 2‘s Darkseid without the use of their wallets, MK_REO has you covered in his new “Video Library” series.

The purpose of this series to document all gaps and frame traps in the supervillian’s repertoire. Even if you did buy Darkseid, this series serves as a handy study guide for those trying to stay on top of their competitive game.

Source: MK_REO

First player impressions on BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle at New York Comic Con

The day has come for players to try out BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle for the first time. As announced at the Tokyo Game Show, a playable build of the game is available to try at NYCC. It’s in a very early stage, obviously, and there aren’t any more characters or surprises yet. But it is the first chance to get a taste of most of the mechanics in the game.

The build has Yu Narukami, Yosuke Hanamura, Hyde, Linne, Jin, Ragna, and Ruby. Players attending the event have begun to share their impressions on Twitter. PG|SKD has done some write-ups, describing game controls.

  • There are five buttons: A, B, C, Assist, Tag
  • C is always an overhead, or 2C is a sweep
  • Special moves can be done with quarter circle motions (214/236). Supers are done by pressing two buttons at once. Performing Special moves with C costs meter as well.
  • It’s possible to keep an assisting character on the screen longer and to direct them to do attacks.
  • Throws are done with BC and they act similarly to throws in BlazBlue
  • Dragon Punches are done with AD (or A and Assist)

In part 2, SKD writes:

  • Resonance Blaze is sort of like X-Factor and Overdrive. It’s a comeback mechanic that’s available once the partner is knocked out. Resonance Blaze refills the meter quickly, makes supers stronger, and regenerates health.
  • There are auto-combos by pressing the A/B buttons repetitevely.
  • You can’t be thrown during blockstun, and also, when you press throw, the character will dash forward a bit to grab.

SKD and others have also tweeted a bunch of impressions and answered some questions:

Stay tuned to SRK as we learn more; also, check out the first video of BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle gameplay.

Sources: PG|SKD; PAG|Grover; @_AetherStar