Category: News

One might think Japan is the last country that should need help with grassroots fighting game community organization. And yet, since Street Fighter V isn’t a part of the land’s still lively arcade scene, a lot of the players tend to stick to netplay rather than meeting face-to-face.

Bonchan has vowed to travel Japan to tie the scene together, and Red Bull eSports has provided a mission update.

Bonchan stresses how important the human connection is in comparison to just playing people online: “While throwing an event might be an exhausting job, it’s also very rewarding, and it’s always better to have a rival or a friend to play and communicate with rather than playing alone at home online.”

As the article explains, having face-to-face interactions can be a lot more fruitful than netplay. Certain personalities can push you to fight back harder and gain more knowledge, and there’s opportunity to discuss strategy and share tips. This leads to much more improvement.

Bonchan is traveling across 47 regions in Japan and hosting tournaments that randomly match local players to force them to expand past their small circle of friends. This worked well enough, and Bonchan witnessed many players break out of their comfort zones. He’s seeing success so far in Hokkaido and Nagoya, and future stops include Tokyo and Hiroshima (in addition to training himself for the Capcom Pro Tour). He would also enjoy continuing this initiative in 2018.

Read the full story on Red Bull eSports, and let us know in the comments if going to locals significantly improved your play versus sticking to online gaming.

Source: Red Bull eSports

Fresh off of getting a breakdown on the latest Injustice 2 Watchtower live stream, NetherRealm Studios has unveiled the gameplay trailer for Scarecrow, whom we first saw in the “It’s Good to Be Bad” trailer. His intro with Batman reveals that the scary, demonic-looking form he takes during combat is a result of Jonathan Crane releasing a tank of his signature fear toxin before each match, causing his foes to hallucinate this ghastly incarnation.

The trailer displays his forward-moving, torpedo-like headbutt, his long-range sickle attacks–reminiscent of Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3′s Ghost Rider, or Lobo from the original Injustice: Gods Among Us. He also has a command throw where he fills his enemies with a mouthful of fear toxin, a teleport that allows him to switch sides, and a projectile-destroying special. We also see a few of his Gear abilities that allow him to zone the opponent with a flock of crows, as well as a low attack that keeps foes in a restand state for mixups. He is confirmed to be a Power character.

Finally, once his Trait, the Fear Meter, is filled, he gains access to Traumatize, a fast, low-hitting, fullscreen ground pound that launches for combo opportunities. Lastly, we get another look at his super, which involves him ripping a whole in reality to bury his victims in their own graves.

Let’s explore this terror together in the trailer below.

If you’re looking for more Injustice 2 content, watch the “Your Battles, Your Way” trailer on the Gear System here, and watch out for the next character reveal on April 28th.

Injustice 2 will be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on May 16th.

Source: Injustice

Just when you think she has run out of new tricks, Season 2 Juri seems to be the gift that keeps on giving when it comes to combo potential. Following up on a previous video showing how Juri could connect new combos on crouching opponents using her fireball, JusticeSoulTuna has found more combo links that work on opponents ducking low to the ground. There are also a handful of new counter-hit combos using Juri’s standing heavy punch, standing medium punch and medium kick Fuharenkyaku (MK Fuha).

Standing medium punch is the real star of the show, as it acts as a combo link on crouching opponents following a MK Fuha. This link can allow Juri to convert into decent meterless damage, or she can leave herself at +2 if she ends the combo with a light punch DP. It’s then possible to sneak in a jab or go for a grab to secure some easy damage.

However, JusticeSoulTuna points out that the real potential of this combo link is the ability to charge another MK Fuha. When done in the corner, this puts Juri in the perfect position to plan for her opponent’s wakeup. There are no doubt more bits of Juri tech that are still to be discovered, so watch out for more from JusticeSoulTuna in the near future.

Source: JusticeSoulTuna

Slice, Dice & Rice–an indie fighting game inspired by PSone’s classic Bushido Blade, and other PS fighters–will release at the end of April on Steam. PC gamers can look forward to slicing up their foes in this stylized fighter, where one blow may mean the end of the match.

The game features eight base characters and two secret, powerful variation fighters. Other than Training and Versus Modes, Story Mode takes the warriors through comic-book style, dialogue-driven battles. There won’t be online play at launch, but Dojo Games is “heavily considering it.”

Slice, Dice & Rice is about opening up your foes to execute them with a clean strike. Rather than long move lists, the game features intuitive abilities common across characters. Attacks can be feinted, canceled, parried, dodged, or they can clash with the opponent’s strikes.

Other than the game’s release on April 27th for Steam, a console version is planned a few months later. Check out the Slice, Dice & Rice Steam page for more details, and let us know in the comments if you’re planning on trying it out or not!

Sources: press release; Steam