Category: Fighting Games

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Relive the ESL Dragon Ball FighterZ Tournament at Gamescom with this live recording from Bandai Namco Europe

Last Month’s Gamescom 2017 event in Cologne, Germany was a very newsworthy event for the upcoming collaborative title between Bandai Namco Entertainment and Arc System Works, Dragon Ball FighterZ. In addition to receiving character reveal trailers for new challengers Krillin, Piccolo, Android 16, Android 18, and the Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan forms of Goku and Vegeta, we were also given a release date of February 2018 and the opening of sign-ups for the closed beta test.

Perhaps lost in all of the great news and excitement, however, was the ESL tournament at Gamescom, pitting 64 Z-Warriors against each other in a first-to-one, single-elimination bracket, in order to determine who had the highest power level currently at this early pre-release stage. Commentated by international fighting game community veterans GXC|Damascus and Ryan Hart the event provided us with over four hours of great DBFZ action — which you can now relieve, or catch for the very first time, due to a recently-uploaded live recording on the Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe YouTube channel. You can catch all the crazy anime action for yourself below:

Dragon Ball FighterZ will be released in February 2018 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam PC, with both standard and CollectorZ editions.

Source: Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe

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Add damage to your Mai combos in BlazBlue: Central Fiction with this new route

Mai Natsume is one of the newest BlazBlue: Central Fiction characters. A “quick bruiser” of sorts, she can get in the opponent’s face very fast and assault them with spear attacks that chain in a unique way. If you’re sticking with Mai in the 2.0 version, you might want to check out the video below to learn how to beef up your midscreen confirms.

Yoshi SF demonstrates a new route that’s possible in this version of the game. The execution involves some microdashing, so it might take some practice to learn, but the payoff seems good. Like most of her combos, they carry to the corner very well. One important thing to recognize, however, is which characters this works on. It seems to fit the majority of the cast overall, so it’s not that niche of a confirm, however, pay attention to the video, since it does list which hurtboxes are problematic.

If you want to have a text of this route and whom it works on, check out this pastebin link. But if you’re hungry for more videos, make sure to take a look at Yoshi SF’s YouTube channel, which frequently uploads a lot of BlazBlue footage.

Source: Yoshi SF

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TEKKEN TRAINING: Electric Wind God Vids — Understanding stepping

Our Tekken Training series, Electric Wind God Vids, continues with a basic examination of “stepping” in Tekken 7. This video covers the different types of step, when to step, and why.

As many of you are 2D players stepping into 3D for the first time, this will hopefully give you a basic understand of when you can, and cannot, step in Tekken. This is a very quick and dirty explanation of the concept as it relates to Tekken: for a more broad explanation as it relates to the 3D genre itself, I wrote a much longer piece that you can check out here.

For more TEKKEN TRAINING, be sure to subscribe to ShoryukenTube! And if you have any specific questions about Tekken gameplay you’d like covered in a future video, let us know in the comments!

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Super Smash Bros. Melee player Watch explains the current state of the game in Japan

While younger sibling Super Smash Bros. for Wii U is going gangbusters, Japan’s Melee scene is struggling to keep up with the rest of the world. Hoping to explain the unique challenges facing the Japanese community, Japanese TO Watch has written a blog post which lays out the major roadblocks which are restricting the growth of the scene.

Japan’s strict anti-gambling laws are a big factor, as TOs cannot provide cash prizes generated from the tournament’s venue fees. The only way a cash prize can be given out is through a third party sponsor that is no way linked to the running of the event.  Sponsors may be prosecuted if they are found to benefit from the tournament and even then, the upper limit on cash prizes is a measly $1000.

The Melee scene is Japan is also very small, with Watch estimating there to be 500 players in the whole of the country. Out of those 500, only 200 of them attend tournaments or Smashfests regularly. Japan does not have the wealth of streamers, writers, content creators and TOs to support a thriving scene. When you also factor in Japan’s strict work culture that bars many players from taking time off to attend events, the community is in a tight spot.

Watch is nevertheless optimistic and has set out a plan of action to grow Japan’s Melee scene. Along with increasing viewership for Japanese events, Watch wants to run a major Japanese tournament — similar in size to Smash 4’s Umebura Anniversary events — where overseas players are invited to play. He also wants more Japanese players to practice abroad, to increase their skills and bring more attention to the community.

This approach has certainly worked with the Japanese Smash 4 scene, which regularly has players traveling to and from Japan to compete. If US and European community leaders and organizations like smash.gg can rally support for Watch’s mission, Japan’s Melee scene could grow into something special.

Source: mgn-ssbm

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Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite’s pre-order bonus costumes are on display in this latest gameplay trailer

The upcoming Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite is now just 11 days away. To continue the hype train towards launch, the official Marvel vs. Capcom YouTube channel has released a new gameplay trailer showing off the previously-announced four alternate costumes for Ryu, X, Hulk, and Thor, available via pre-order. The Warrior Thor and Evil Ryu premium costumes will come with pre-orders of both the standard and deluxe editions of the game, while Command Mission X and Gladiator Hulk are exclusive to the title’s $89.99 Deluxe Edition, which also contains a steelbox case, and the 2017 Character Pass (which will add 6 new fighters along with their premium costumes to the game throughout the year, with the first two being Capcom’s Sigma and Marvel’s Black Panther).

If you want the ultimate Vs. Series experience, you can also grab the Collector’s Edition for $199.99, which includes everything found in the Deluxe Edition, as well as four statues of Captain Marvel, Iron Man, Chun-Li, and X (that can be combined together to form a diorama scene), as well as a special collector’s box and a case containing a collection of LED replicas of all 6 of the title’s titular Infinity Stones.

During the battle between Warrior Thor and Evil Ryu against Command Mission X and Gladiator Hulk in New Metro City – Crossroads, we can see Ryu’s alternate animation for his Level 3 Shin Shoryuken Hyper Combo on the Evil Ryu Costume. If the World Warrior is the only character left on your team and he’s low on health when performing the Level 3, a special animation will trigger, where he will briefly succumb to the power of the Satsui no Hado, before quickly overcoming it with the Mu no Ken and completing the attack. When used while wearing the premium costume, he will still be enveloped in the blue aura, but will maintain all of his Evil Ryu characteristics, including the Power of Nothingness mixing with the Satsui no Hado, as he is enveloped in both powers as he finishes the Hyper. You can see the full trailer below.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite will be released in North America and Europe for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Steam PC on September 19th, with a Japanese release following on those same platforms on the 21st.

Source: Marvel vs. Capcom

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ChromeAlchemist breaks down Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite’s Mind Stone

One of the unique things that Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite brings to the table are the Infinity Stones (or Infinity Gems, if you’re a comic purist). Originally seen in 1995’s Marvel Super Heroes, the stones in Infinite expand on their original concept by providing not one, but two abilities: an Infinity Surge that can be used freely, and an Infinity Storm that burns up the Infinity gauge.

In a new video, Chrome Alchemist takes a closer look at one of these Stones: the Mind Stone. Here, he takes a look at the properties of both its command grab-esque Infinity Surge, as well as its meter building Infinity Storm, showing off some things that may not be obvious just from watching the gameplay footage that we’ve seen so far.

Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite launches on September 19 for PlayStation 4, XBox One, and PC.

Source: Chrome Alchemist

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The SRK Rollback: Best of September 1-7, 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 1 to September 7, 2017!

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

Frame 1:
dissidia_ultimeciaPrepare for time compression as Ultimecia joins the cast of Dissidia Final Fantasy NT

The bane of Squall Leonhart and his fellow SeeDs in Final Fantasy VIII will be joining the arcade version of Dissidia, and consequentially the upcoming console version in January. We should be running out of bosses soon!

Frame 2:
2 absolver srkShoryuken review: How does Absolver stack up as a fighting game?

Our Features Editor gives us an in-depth look into the world of this innovative and unusual indie fighter.

Frame 3:
risingup_introRising Up: Menat bread and butter combo guide — Punishes, confirm combos, juggles, & more

Bafael provides some combo foundations via ShoryukenTube for Street Fighter V‘s latest roster addition, to help accelerate the training of aspiring fortune tellers.

Sam “Trilby” Foxall, Assistant Editor:

Frame 1:
Brook_MarsBrook announces the Mars wired controller for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, Switch, and PC

Famous for its converters and Universal Fighting Board, Brook is getting into the controller game with their new Mars pad. As SRK’s resident pad player, I’m looking forward to giving this a whirl when it launches.

Frame 2:
KI Steam CrossplayKiller Instinct’s Steam version will allow crossplay between Xbox and Windows 10 players

Killer Instinct missed out on a lot of potential players when it launched on Xbox One back in 2013. Its Steam version is coming out in a few weeks and luckily, all KI players will be able to play together, thanks to the announcement of cross-network play.

Frame 3:
gundam versus barbatos maceGundam Versus open beta impressions: Fighting friends and foes, both online and offline

With Gundam Versus rolling out later this month, our editor-in-chief and ace mobile suit pilot mushin_Z gives us his early impressions, based on the game’s open beta.

Keegan “Interrobang!?” Spindler, Features Editor:

Frame 1:
red bull smash gods and gatekeepers logoTeam Mew2King defend the throne at Red Bull Gods and Gatekeepers

Red Bull’s Gods and Gatekeepers event was a fun twist on competitive Melee, and it was awesome to watch. Hopefully we see more of the format going forward — even if the number one seed ended up winning!

Frame 2:
Golden FantaArcade Stick Indonesia announces release of modular Korean stick modification kit

As someone with a Korean stick in my controller of choice, I’ve been trying to preach the virtues of K-sticks to all my pals. This mod kit will only make it more appealing, and they’ve definitely got a sale from me.

Frame 3:
Smash 4 Tier ListLearn your Super Smash Bros. for Wii U match-ups with this huge MU chart, courtesy of inktivate

One of the best things about a popular game is the data that grows up around it. It’s fascinating to look at the opinions of top players, especially when it’s all collected together like this. It’s fun to talk about who you think the best character in the game is — this data tells you for sure…

Extra Frame:
Fight of Gods JesusGo home and be a holy man with this Fight of Gods combo roundup

After adding in the religious big boys Buddha and Jesus (but unsurprisingly shying away from touching anything related to Islam) and becoming available via Steam Early Access, this odd and increasingly controversial fighter is suddenly getting a lot attention; its gameplay mechanics are also broken, or maybe just too “godlike” for mere mortals.

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The Malaysian government has blocked Steam itself to stop sales of Fight of Gods

In a story of Biblical proportions, the Malaysian government has blocked citizens from accessing Steam, in order to stop people playing Fight of Gods. This comes after the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission called for the ban and removal of the heavenly fighter from Steam.

In a statement issued by publisher PQube, the Malaysian government has made no attempt to contact either them or developer Digital Crafter over Fight of Gods, with them only learning about the Steam block via secondary sources. While both PQube and Digital Crafter are of course disappointed by the ruling, they are currently working with Steam to resolve the issue and hopefully, get the service unblocked. You can read the full statement below:

Fight of Gods is a video game that takes a humorous approach to religion in the same way that other entertainment formats have – across television, film, books and theatre. The game is not promoting any religious agenda and is not designed to offend.

The description of the game on the digital platforms through which it is distributed provide clear guidance on the nature of the game and its content so that people can freely choose whether or not to play it. We fully respect the choice of those who would not wish to play it. We are disappointed that such freedom of choice is not given to everyone and in particular that the game has been forcibly removed from sale in Malaysia, although no direct communication has been received by us as to the reasons for this.

Nevertheless we respect any rules and censorship imposed in any given territory. We have reached out to Steam and are working with them to resolve the situation as soon as possible.

Source: PQube [press release]

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The next Injustice 2 Watchtower Livestream, featuring a Black Manta breakdown, is today at 3:00 PM CST

With the first villain of Fighter Pack 2 set to arrive in Injustice 2 later this month, NetherRealm Studios will once again be hosting an Injustice 2 Watchtower Livestream dedicating to breaking down Aquaman’s arch-nemesis Black Manta.

During his official gameplay trailer reveal at the end of the GameStop Hometown Heroes finals, we saw that the aquatic fighter will be brimming with all sorts of gadgets and weaponry from his iconic black wetsuit, which grants him access to eye lasers, a jet pack for a Zatanna-esque float, shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, a teleport punch resembling Mortal Kombat‘s Sektor, his harpoon gun, explosives (that could potentially be a Gear ability), twin blades, and mechanical, extendable trident, which he uses as part of his super.

As usual, the stream will be taking place tomorrow at 3:00 PM Central Standard Time (1:00 PM PT) at https://www.twitch.tv/netherealm.

Black Manta will be released next Tuesday, September 12th, for owners of Fighter Pack 2 or the Ultimate Edition, with his standard release following a week later on September 19th. You can see the announcement tweet below.

For more on Black Manta, you can check out History Behind the Warrior’s look at the legendary rivalry between Manta and the King of Atlantis — Arthur Curry, better known as Aquaman — here. You can also check out the patch notes for the game’s recent October update here.

Sources: InjusticeGame (Twitter); Test Your Might

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InTheSkies expands into Street Fighter V, BlazBlue, & Guilty Gear by signing Beautiful Dude and Pinoy

Las Vegas-based esports team InTheSkies is primarily known for their extremely powerful division of Tekken 7 players, including the likes of CuddleCore, CuteTricks, BC20FLY, Jackie Tran, Kane, Kawaii, Lil Majin, P. Ling, MYK, SourPiggy and YanFlip. However, they’ve recently begun to expand their reach further into the larger fighting game community, by making their first signings outside of the 3D realm.

First up, they’ve acquired Street Fighter V M. Bison player Richard “Pnoy” Clink, who’s coming off of a victory at Japonawa 2017, as well as a 5th place finish at West Coast Warzone 6, placing 2nd at Genesis 4, getting 17th at Combo Breaker, 25th at Evo, and, most recently, 3rd at 2GGC: SCR Saga. He is also ranked 81st on our SRK World Rankings for SFV.

Pinoy will also be picking up Tekken 7 as a secondary game alongside his teammates. On Twitter, Pnoy noted that it was now time to, “put in even more work at more events.”

But things don’t end there, as last week ITS announced they would also be signing one of the top American puppet players in Arc System Works games, Julian “Beautiful Dude” Franco. to represent them in BlazBlue: Central Fiction, Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2, and Tekken 7.

Known for his devastating pad-based Zato-1, Relius Clover and Ken Amada in BlazBlue, Guilty Gear and Persona 4 Arena Ultimax, Julian also gained some infamy in Tekken 7 circles earlier this year at Evo 2017, where he eliminated Cyclops Osaka’s Tanukana in Losers Round 1 of Pools 2-1 with his hopkick-happy Claudio.

He currently sits at 21st in our Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2 World Rankings, coming off of 3rd place showings at NCR and Texas Showdown 2017, getting 17th at CEO, 25th at Evo and 5th at the August 2017 edition of NorCal Dogfight. He’s also a frequent top 8 placer in Xrd at Wednesday Night Fights. As for BBCF, where he sits at 14th on our World Rankings, he also placed 3rd at NCR and Texas Showdown, before getting 7th at Combo Breaker and 13th at CEO. He will begin representing the team later this month at Southern California Regionals 2017. You view those announcement tweets below.

We here at Shoryuken would like to congratulate both of these players, as well as ITS on these new signings, and wish all parties involved the best in their future endeavors.

Sources: BeautifuldudeGG (Twitter); ITS_InTheSkies (Twitter); PnoySD (Twitter)