Braixen has been one of Pokkén’s strongest characters, even in the latest version Pokkén Tournament DX. If you were looking to get into the game with a versatile and tech-heavy character, 21 Hits‘s latest combo video can help you get in on the ground floor.
Despite these combos dealing great damage and often times setting up terrifying mix-up situations, the biggest selling point is that this is just the beginning of learning this character. When you combine these rewards with Braixen’s unique support-canceling strengths, you have a convincing case for making Braixen the go-to choice for learning the ins-and-outs of the way DX is played.
It’s a crossing of fates no one had expected. An offshoot in the BlazBlue series: Persona, Under Night, and RWBY franchises tag in to some 2v2 anime action. It’s a dream crossover that feels like fan-fiction at times, but its frenetic action and opportunities for creativity show promise for a title with strong appeal to newcomers and experts alike.
A GLADOS-like computer with mysterious plans constucts the Phantom Field, a sort of fake amalgamation of stages from the worlds of each game, and starts bringing in heroes. It pits them in a race for the Keystone, which is a competition between all the worlds. The plot is a bit contrived, but BlazBlue fans will be used to this storytelling style, filled with complicated vocabulary and humorous filler. It’s also hilarious to see cross-franchise interactions – like when Ragna meets Under Night’s Gordeau and they discusses the differences between their powers, or when Ragna is ambushed by multiple robot girls at once from each world.
It is great to see the same English voice cast return to the BlazBlue and Persona characters, who perform really well in their roles. It feels like Arc Sys wants to cater to English fans as much as possible. It’s exciting to see new voices from the Under Night characters, but it’s also a pleasure to hear the original voice actresses from RWBY. In collaboration with Rooster Teeth, ArcSys has done an incredible job bringing Ruby, Weiss, and Blake into the fray; each of them feels energetic, original, and incredibly fun to play.
Speaking of voice acting, the game is packed with adorable special intros and quips between characters. Most characters will call their partner by name, and you can see relationships resonate between various partners. Occasionally though, there are awkwardly long pauses because of the language differences with Japanese. Some lines could have used an additional word or two.
But the real piece of the Azure is of course hidden in the streamlined battle system of Cross Tag. ArcSys asked themselves a simple but genius question: What if the inputs for all moves were the same?
Without ever having played Gordeau or Waldstein or any other character I’m unfamiliar with, the game’s universal move list makes jumping between fighters effortless. Most characters have a couple of quarter circle moves, all supers are done the same way, and everyone has a Dragon Punch. Walking is removed from the game, as characters just dash right away, which makes some combos a lot easier. You can even map an air dash to a single button press.
Thanks to the auto-combo system, which admittedly hides some special moves between multiple presses of the A or B buttons, it’s very easy to chain combos with partner tags, also done with one button. The auto-combo system, which was introduced back in Persona 4 Arena, has evolved to greatly simplify basic bread-and-butter sequences, though it doesn’t mean that advanced combos are easy, as those require precise timings with a partner.
The complexity emerges in the defensive and offensive systems of the game. BBTAG feels much different from say, Central Fiction, where you could jump in and barrier block. Here, everyone has a reversal move that’s completely air unblockable — which makes sense, because offense is so strong in this game. But if you successfully punish a dragon punch, you can heavily damage the opponent as they will be unable to Cross Burst – this game’s “get out of trouble” mechanic which tags in a partner to save their friend. It might not look like it, but the Cross Burst is also punishable!
Even though some characters have their original mechanics simplified or streamlined, ASW did a good job making everyone stand out. You have your zoners like Nu-13 and Yukiko, and the latter can still famously heal and build up her fire gauge with assists. Grapplers like Waldstein and Tager seem a little more dominant, with screen-filling normals and permanent magnetization on the enemy. But everyone should find an archetype that suits them.
BBTAG’s expansive Tutorial and Mission Modes are a starting point to master the game. The tutorial lets you experience the mechanics of the game first-hand, and you can do sample combos for each character. They won’t incorporate partner work, so you’ll have to develop those on your own or find ideas on social media. The Mission Mode, similar to Guilty Gear’s, lets you try out pre-programmed situations where you can try more advanced aspects of the game, like baiting Cross Bursts or blocking overheads.
Training Mode is also considerably brushed up in comparison to Central Fiction. It has a lot of recording slots, the ability to set the enemy dummy to counter with reversal moves or supers for example, and more.
I wish I could spend more time playing Blake and have Yang to complete the RWBY squad; BBTAG definitely feels like the most rushed fighting game from ArcSys to date. Although it has been promoted thoroughly, it’s mired marketing seems to cover up a rushed product. We’ll only have 31 characters available until Evo, as we found out in May that not all of the announced 20 DLC characters will make it in time for launch. You can encounter future DLC fighters like Hakumen or Carmine in Episode Mode.
There are a few bugs, like a notable Kanji glitch that can freeze the opponent, and my game would also completely freeze when an opponent would rage quit a match they’re losing online.
But the online lobby is an upgrade over Guilty Gear Xrd REV 2’s 3D area, giving you a chance to embody adorable avatars that have lots of emotes and even new “tag” stickers, sort of like sprays. The main menu also works as a lobby, though I wish ArcSys went all out on this idea and made more interactive elements; some of them just sit as decoration.
I’ve had good experiences online overall, as long as the opponent isn’t terribly far away or on some unstable connection.
All in all, I appreciate BBTAG for being the most accessible BlazBlue game to date; newcomers can literally do combos and supers in seconds, but all the experts have so much to explore. Social media is already full of more and more creative setups that you won’t be able to block. And if you’re not as competitive, there’s actually a good amount of single-player content; the Episode Mode is more interactive than before, with branching paths and multiple endings, and it includes battles.
Overall, BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is filled with frenetic fun and avenues for creativity, though it is dragged down a bit by what seems like a rushed schedule and a couple of bugs. It is a dream crossover that’s a complete love letter to anime fans, uniting franchises in an unusual, but effective way; RWBY characters and their soundtrack fit the game like a glove, confidently debuting in a game that shows competitive promise but also persuasively attracting newcomers.
Although BlazBlue: Cross Tag Battle is officially out now, keep an eye for more content for the game. Though we know we’ll have 31 characters for Evolution 2018, and then nine after, it wouldn’t be surprising if ASW keeps adding more.
Score: 9.0/10
A PlayStation 4 copy of the game was provided by Arc System Works for the review. The reviewer did not have access to Character Pack 1.
Arcade sticks are an integral part of fighting game culture, thanks to the genre’s roots in arcades. That said, with the success that a number of players have had with control pads, on top of the general advice for players to play on what they’re comfortable with, newer players may question the wisdom of investing money in a hefty arcade stick.
In this new video, Core-A Gaming takes a look at arcade sticks, and makes an argument for them. A good deal of the video focuses not just on performance, but on how customizable they are — how they can allow a player to tailor their stick to their preferences in both performance and aesthetics. He also provides a good introduction to some of the many variations and permutations of arcade stick out there.
Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn is set to launch soon on June 5th. The new sequel strays as far as it can from its fighting game roots, and it’s hard to blame the developers of the reboot for this decision — The original Shaq-Fu was a mess. A fascinating mess, but a mess nonetheless.
To celebrate the release of Shaq-Fu: A Legend Reborn, Zool and several guests have put together “Shaq-Fu Weeq”. This series aims to highlight some of Shaq-Fu’s most bizarre techniques: such as player-one-specific throw breaks, basketball combos, extended celebrations, and more.
More insight into the Capcom Pro Tour’s current #1 competitor in 2018.
He won Evo 2017, and came close to also taking Capcom Cup in the same year: Echo Fox|Tokido is a force to be reckoned with in Street Fighter V,currently holding the most CPT points (PG|Infiltration a fairly close second). He’s on track to make another impressive showing on the Capcom Pro Tour in 2018. BornFree caught up with him at Combo Breaker 2018 for a pair of extensive interviews!
In Part 1 of his interview, Tokido talked about his loss at Kemonomichi 2, and how he’s adjusted his outlook on training and competing. In Part 2, Tokido talks about his loss to MenaRD at Capcom Cup 2017 (he lacked confidence going into the match-up, and MenaRD is really good at adapting to his opponents). He also talks about the importance of breaks and resting in training, the “fun” of balance patches, the history players should be building for the FGC as we move into esports (a focus on love of the game, not money), and his famous “real Raging Demon” pop-off vs. Clakey D. at SoCal Regionals 2010 — he says he would no longer do such a thing, out of concern for his opponent’s feelings. Check out the second hour-long interview video below!
If you like BornFree’s interviews, check out his YouTube channel for even more of them!
Body Count Fighting is back for BCF6 — a series of Dragon Ball FighterZ, Street Fighter V: Arcade Edition, & Injustice 2 show matches where players compete for bragging rights and championship belts in their respective games.
The event takes place on Tuesday, June 12 at 5:00 PM PT. For those interested in attending, there will be free food, free casual gaming set ups, and a free vintage arcade for attendees to play on. You can get free tickets on the BCF6 Eventbrite page. BCF6 will also be showcasing a celebrity Dragon Ball FighterZ match between NBA star De’Aaron Fox from the Sacramento Kings, and future hall-of-fame NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens.
The stakes have also been raised for BCF’s signature Title Matches by adding a $7,500 prize pool split between the three championship bouts. Starting with BCF6, winners of title matches will take home $2,500 in addition to the championship belt and their regular appearance fees.
Don’t miss out on the action! The show starts at 5:00PM and will be streamed on YouTube and Twitch.
So now that you’ve had some time with the two latest DLC characters from Dragon Ball FighterZ, how do you feel? Are you ready to make some changes to your team, or are the new DBFZ characters more bust than busted?
If you need more to make an informed opinion, check out the content that’s poured into SRK’s inbox since release!
Starting with Vegito, rooflemonger explains the merged Saiyan’s unique Reverse Beat combo structure.
And finally, sikshot gaming continues his On-Block series to cover Vegito’s (or his opponent’s) options.
Moving on to Zamasu, rooflemonger explains his Flight mechanic.
And then, nearly everyone else under the sun submitted combo videos, including: Kosless, Persona Entertainment, and Boodendorf. Turns out Zamasu’s combo damage and flexibility is pretty good.
Was there something we missed that the world needs to see? Spirit bomb us with video links over at our tipline!
Evo Champion 2017, and almost Capcom Cup Champion 2017 (he lost to MenaRD in Grand Finals), Echo Fox|Tokido is one of the best Street Fighter V competitors — in fact, considered by many to be the best Street Fighter V competitor — today. So naturally, BornFree was eager to spend some time with him at Combo Breaker 2018 to discuss his training outlook and regimen.
Despite his consistent high placements in CPT events, Tokido has seen some significant setbacks from his Street Fighter V countrymen. After an emotional loss to Daigo Umehara in their SFV FT10 at Kemonomichi 2, Tokido also fell to Momochi in a lengthy public set; this led to a new turning point for Tokido in which he asked himself: “Is winning everything? What does it mean to be strong?”
The result is a more “holistic” outlook on training, with a strong emphasis on mindfulness to avoid losing concentration during a set. In the one-hour interview below they discuss this, take a closer look at Kemonomichi 2, chat about Akuma’s tools in SFV, and much more.
If you enjoy BornFree’s interviews, check out his YouTube channel for more!
One of Melee’s best is looking to start a revolution.
One of the best Super Smash Bros. Melee players in the world (famous/infamous for his Jigglypuff skills) Team Liquid’s Juan “Hungrybox” DeBiedma has branched out and joined EON — the producers of the GCHD GameCube HDMI adapter — as an official Brand Ambassador and Esports Liaison. From the press release:
Juan has been shaping and dominating the Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament scene for years through his incredible play, winning every major tournament in 2017 and starting strong in 2018, as well as introducing an all new monthly tournament in his local scene of Orlando, FL, called Overlords of Orlando.
At the most recent Overlords of Orlando, Juan debuted the first-ever fully digital Melee tournament using all 144Hz monitors and original GameCubes outfitted with the EON GCHD. This was a highly controversial change at the time, being that Melee’s competitive scene has been inextricably tied to CRT TV gaming… But with the combination of original GameCube hardware, lagless HD monitors (standard in all other competitive fighting games), and the EON GCHD, Melee could be played at a professional level on modern displays, with no lag, and at the highest resolution possible. The community reception was overwhelmingly positive, with players verifying the lagless input and stream viewers pleased by the impressive new visuals.
With the success of Overlords of Orlando and his belief in the GCHD, Juan identified an opportunity to help modernize Super Smash Bros. Melee, while also alleviating many of the headaches involved in supporting a 17-year-old game tethered to old technology. With the help of EON, Juan aims to forever change the Super Smash Bros. Melee scene, solidifying its future as it continues to be one of the most watched and respected fighting games in history, now with no CRT strings attached.
A move to “modernize” Melee via play on HD monitors as opposed to CRTs is certainly one likely to meet with resistance, but with Hungrybox on board, odds are more players will consider it. For more information on the EON GCHD adapter, have a look at their official website. Tournament organizers interested in the GCHD can contact Hungrybox directly at hungrybox@teamliquid.net for details on how to utilize the device at their own events.
BornFree takes some time to get to know the winner of The Challenger.
Ahead of SonicBoxx|JB’s fight in Group A of the ELEAGUE Street Fighter V Invitational — in which he put up an impressive display with his Rashid, but still fell to elimination via Tokido and Dogura — BornFree caught up with him at Combo Breaker 2018 to learn more about the rising Street Fighter V star. They talk about how NuckleDu convinced JB to join the ELEAGUE SFV reality show The Challenger — because there was no other way for JB to get a chance to go to ELEAGUE without winning the qualification spot through the show! Also discussed are his thoughts on other professional players, why he prefers fighting games to team-based games, his thoughts on Rashid’s viability in SFV, and more.
BornFree has a YouTube channel full of interviews like this. Go check it out!
