Bronson Tran was already a legend in the Tekken community before he narrated his own victory over Poongko at NCR. Smiling, crass and opinionated, Bronson is as entertaining as he is insightful. It’s amazing he’s never been on a reality show, but that’s probably because he’s too busy showing up in Evo grand finals over and over again.
Knowing what you know now about Bronson’s personality, you have an idea on what his opinions of the new cast in Tekken 7 might be like. Bronson sat down with Yahoo! Esports to give his hot takes on the new characters’ style and viability.
Luong’s “Ben,” her Climax Desperation Move in The King of Fighters XIV, is a move with rather deceptive range. The move seems to hit from nearly full screen, making the threat of it something players almost always have to deal with when fighting against her.
To fully demonstrate what ranges it actually will hit at, and what situations it can be used to punish, Foreverttw has put together this video that goes over the move in more detail. These include near full-screen punishes, as well as anti-air situations where she can either use it raw to punish, or combo into it. The video, which you can see below, is greatly helped by the game’s training stage–the floor’s distance markings demonstrating the ranges where it will hit more precisely.
Of course, for those sick and tired of getting hit by it, there’s also a bit of bonus footage at the end showing how it can be punished by Geese’s counter DM, leading into his Raging Storm DM, for big damage.
We may have some significant clues as to who will join Street Fighter V in the future.
As we get closer to the official launch of the new Street Fighter V patch and content tonight, naturally we’re getting some previews of what’s incoming to our game as players dig it out of the patch a bit early. We’ve already heard some new stage themes. However, dataminer X-Kira has posted Ed’s character story mode to YouTube–and the images reveal some interesting new faces. Spoilers below (of course)!
Ed encounters a number of new characters in his story mode, most notably a mysterious Fortune Teller with a great interest in him–somewhat reminiscent of Rose. What’s notable about this character at this point is how much she resembles one of the remaining silhouettes in the Season 2 lineup:
As much as she looks like the second-last outline, we’ve been fooled before–Ed’s playable model is much different than his original story mode appearance. There’s also this…
Mysteries upon mysteries–who are all of these strange characters? Is a playable psycho-powered gorilla in Street Fighter V’s future?! We’re left with nothing but speculation at this point, until Capcom reveals more of their plans. You can check out Ed’s full character story mode in X-Kira’s video below.
One a big addition to Ultra Street Fighter II: the Final Challengers on Nintendo Switch are the two new alternate “shotos”: Evil Ryu and Violent Ken. The initial impression of these two seems to indicate that both are very strong additions to the cast, able to dish out a lot of damage.
To demonstrate just how much damage Evil Ryu and Violent Ken can put out, noted combo video creator Dooplis has put together this combo video for them: “Bad Touch!”
As the video below demonstrates, a good chunk of their damage seems to come from the fact that they somehow ignore the 3 juggle rule for non-supers that the game has. Now while touch-of-death combos are something that already exist in Super Street Fighter II Turbo (the game that USFII builds on), this unique property of the two means that they can do massive damage in unique ways, compared to the returning cast.
Bison’s hangout gets its new tunes, and we get our first listen to Vega’s stage theme as well.
As the big Street Fighter V update is in progress today, we’re naturally getting some sneak peeks at what will go live later tonight. One of the things on the patch list is the revised theme for M. Bison’s classic Thailand stage, the Temple Hideout–originally removed due to concerns about religious references in the background music. It’s coming back tonight, and VesperArcade has already provided an extended version of the music to check out:
Is the ZOWIE RL2460 a must-have for serious fighters?
If you’ve attended a Capcom Pro Tour event over the last year or so, or watched the live stream, you have almost certainly seen this a few times:
ZOWIE have been involved in our upper level events for a while now, singing the praises of lagless displays and their importance to esports performance. For many, this is preaching to the choir: of course we want as little lag as possible in our gaming displays!
The RL series from ZOWIE–part of the BenQ product family–are used for other professional gaming events as well, but the RL2460 is notably the official monitor of the 2017 Capcom Pro Tour. Event attendees have already had some direct experience with this product, for sure; unless you’re a tournament organizer, you might not have had a chance to spend too much hands-on time with one, though. ZOWIE provided us with a couple so we could try them out and get a good taste of what it’s like to play and practice on an RL2460, including its double-display “head-to-head” option.
Our own review will focus on the basic experience of setting up and playing fighting games on the RL2460; others before us have already provided in-depth examination and testing of the RL series’ technical claims and abilities, and as they are better equipped to speak to these aspects, we’ll defer to their expertise in that area. For the more technically-minded, check out D1DLC’s RL2460 review, and compare what Tom’s Hardware, PCMag, and Display Lag had to say about the preceding RL2460HT model. Display Lag in particular speaks highly of the prior version’s low input latency and motion-blur reducing abilities. A rundown of the specifications (as provided by BenQ) is included here for those so inclined; for the rest, go on ahead to the unboxing further below!
Display
LCD Size (inches)
24
Aspect Ratio
16:9
Max.Resolution
1920 x 1080 at 60Hz
Display Area(mm)
531.36 x 298.89
Pixel Pitch (mm)
0.276
Typ. Brightness (cd/㎡)
250 cd/㎡
Typ. Contrast
1000:1
Typ. DCR (DyNomic Contrast Ratio)
12M:1
Panel Type
TN
Response time
1ms (GtG)
Connectivity
Input/Output Connector
D-sub / DVI / HDMIx3 / headphone jack
Audio
speaker
2Wx2
Eye-care
Flicker free
v
Low Blue Light
v
Electricity
Power Supply (90~264 AC)
built-in
Power Consumption (On mode)
45W
Size & Weight
Dimensions (HxWxD mm)
502 x 579 x 213
Dimensions with Wall Mount (HxWxD mm) (w/o Base)
350 x 579 x 63
Net Weight (kg)
5.2
Gross Weight (kg)
7.4
Stand
VESA Wall Mounting 100x 100mm
v
Pivot 90°
v
Swivel (left/right)
45°/45°
Tilt (°)
-5~20
Height Adjustment (mm)
110mm
Security
K Locker
yes
What’s in the box?
The RL2460 is generously packed for a 24-inch monitor, I was surprised how big the boxes were! But much of that space is to provide adequate protection for the stand components as well as the screen. have a look:
You’ll be getting the monitor and base, power cable, and an HDMI cable, in addition to a thin quick start guide and a CD-ROM with the RL series full manual PDF and the monitor’s PC drivers. The monitor can be used on consoles like the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Wii U right out of the box.
Form and function
The RL2460 sports a basic, matte-surfaced, functional-not-fancy look; this is intentional, based on the idea of providing less distraction so you can fully direct your focus to the on-screen action. The base is easily attached, no tools necessary. It has a built-in swivel panel that allows a full 90° of motion.
The upper joint on the stand allows for a healthy range of adjustment to the viewing angle, and the monitor itself can travel most of the stand’s vertical range to adjust the height of the screen relative to the base. The stand is very firm and stable. The screen can be rotated 90° to a vertical orientation, if you want to bust out some old vertically-scrolling arcade shoot ’em ups. The stand is marked with a height/angle indication scale, allowing you to note and easily replicate desired positioning. This version does not include wall-mounting hardware.
This monitor has built-in speakers–but they aren’t great. They put out some decent volume, but don’t expect much for clarity. They work well enough to play on without a headset for a little while, but you wouldn’t want to rely on them. The monitor includes a 30mm audio jack as a welcome alternative, so you can directly plug in your own headset/headphones or speakers. In addition to two HDMI inputs, the monitor includes other input options for PC users. Note the HDMI output jack–more on that soon.
On the lower right side of the display you’ll find the control panel; in addition to the LED-lit power button it uses five other control buttons to access the set up menu functions. This appears to be a standard BenQ design choice. From here you can switch video inputs, control the speaker volume, and adjust the picture quality to your liking through a wide range of display tweaks–including options to adjust the black equalizer and low blue light (to help ease eyestrain for long periods of use). You can program the upper three buttons as shortcuts for your most-used functions, to avoid digging through the extensive menu every time.
Gaming on the RL2460 (alone)
Right out of the box, I found the RL2460 comfortable to play on, even before picture fine-tuning. 1080p HD video off my PlayStation 4 was clean and clear, with no noticeable motion blur or flicker distracting from gameplay. You might still have to play with your settings to get the best possible brightness and color settings for your favorite fighting game. I didn’t find the display tiring to the eyes, even for multiple-hour play sessions. To get a decent cross-sampling of display quality, I tried a number of different PS4 fighters: Street Fighter V, The King of Fighters XIV, Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-, even Nidhogg, for a giggle. I also tried out Final Fantasy XV and Rez Infinite, too; the monitor has pre-set video settings for different game genres, to deliberately fit an ideal “look”–and they work fairly well.
In terms of input delay: I used to play primarily on a Toshiba HDTV, and I definitely perceived a difference in input timing switching over to the ZOWIE. It took me a little while to find the right timing for some links and cancels again, and while that speaks as much to the limitations of a general-market HDTV not meant for competitive gaming, it does reinforce the importance of cutting the lag on your gaming display down as much as possible. Even on Street Fighter V, it feels better.
This is a monitor built for competitive utility, though, not graphical showcasing. Games definitely look more impressive on my HDTV. As crisp and clean as the RL2460 is, the general depth and richness of the video isn’t the best. But considering the intended use of the product–and the relatively low retail cost–that seems like a worthwhile trade-off. As LCD displays go, the RL2460 also seems to suffer greater variation in brightness based on viewing angle than most I’ve seen lately, including a lower-cost basic BenQ PC monitor I use regularly. It’s not a significant effect, and at no point is it great enough to make the screen unviewable, but it is noticeable. I never found it an impediment to gameplay though, especially not while using the monitor alone, as you’re going to be viewing it at the ideal angle anyway.
[Street Fighter V, Guilty Gear Xrd -REVELATOR-, & Nidhogg on “Fighting” display setting; Final Fantasy XV, ABZÛ, & Limbo on “Standard” display setting]
Gaming on the RL2460 (with a friend/rival)
Now for that HDMI output! It has two functions. You can use it to feed video to your capture card on a PC (to remove potential lag from the gameplay side of the streaming process), and you can plug it into another RL2460 to allow lagless two-screen battling: the much-lauded head-to-head feature.
This is a strong positive to the monitor’s design, presuming you’re willing to drop the extra cost on an additional monitor. While playing side-by-side is fine, it’s a blast to fight it out in the head-to-head configuration. It was easy to set up–just plug and play, no configuration necessary–and it really captures the feel of serious competition to battle on your own monitor. It reminds me of Japanese arcade cabinet configurations, even though I’m personally used to the side-by-side layout common in the West, and some players will still likely prefer that. Still, if you’ve got the space and the cash, this is lots of fun.
So–do you need this monitor?
Maybe? In my experience trying it out after not playing regularly on a dedicated competitive display, I won’t go back. You might not need this monitor, but if you want to play fighters at more than a casual level, you should at least get something like it. There is another significant consideration for the serious competitor–as the monitor of choice for many major events, and as the aforementioned official monitor of the Capcom Pro Tour, you will be playing on this display at some point if you travel to compete. It makes sense to practice on the same monitor, or a comparable product.
For the price–generally $215-$225 USD, depending on the retailer, I would definitely recommend this monitor for a dedicated home gaming station, or for tournament organizers looking for new displays for events. You’ll probably have to save the head-to-head for finals, though. If you had a look at the other reviews linked above, the consensus seems to be that the RL2460 performs quite nicely for the cost, and in my view, I agree. ZOWIE themselves preach a design philosophy to offer a monitor that best meets the needs of competitive fighting games: a lagless display pre-set with ideal visual settings for fighters, minimal visual distractions, and built-in head-to-head support for what they (and many) consider the ideal setup for serious matches. With the RL2460, they are certainly delivering well on their promises.
Pros:
Virtually lagless performance
Easy setup, adjustment, and video setting customization
Built-in speakers
Affordable cost
Training parity (it’s already the monitor of choice for many major gaming events)
Maybe this wasn’t an outcome that shattered the Combo Breaker 2017 fantasy brackets, but it was a stunning finale nonetheless. Japan’s CYCLOPS|Dogura met once again with North America’s Panda Global|SKD after facing each other twice already this year in Grand Finals at prior events. Dogura triumphed over SKD both at Frosty Faustings IX and Final Round 20.
Commentators Nobody.EXE and C0R underline SKD’s impressive mastery of the character, having developed many option selects and unique strategies for the numerous BlazBlue: Central Fiction cast. The match-up between Izayoi and Dogura is definitely in favor of the justice warrior, but generally, Dogura triumphed in the past.
This is an exciting show of top-notch BBCF gameplay, and a great way to get some insight thanks to the English commentary. Also, before you dive in to the match, here’s a teaser:
The third edition of Red Bull Kumite was quite possibly the most hype installment yet. With the biggest Street Fighter V roster to date, a host of contenders including old favorites and new players we’ve come to know and love, and character selections that left possibilities wide open, there was much to take away from this annual showdown in Paris, France.
This highlight reel from Xuses captures some of the most insane moments from Red Bull Kumite 2017. There are so many energetic exchanges, it’s hard to say where to begin: clutch Sonic Boom loops from Twitch.Hx.CYG BST|Daigo Umehara, insane reads and reactions from RB|Luffy’s Mika, and outstanding performances from BX3|Phenom, AW|Nemo and RB… and that’s not even the half of it. There’s even a clip of Tokido telling Bonchan (in English) that he better not lose before he gets a chance to body him.
You can check out the Red Bull Kumite 2017 results here, and check out all of the intense replays in the video below.
Injustice 2 players who who wish to show their support for the upcoming Wonder Woman movie now have the opportunity to do so via two in-game events. To all console players of the game who partake in the “To End All Wars” Multiverse event, Wonder Woman’s armor and gear that she sports in the film will be unlocked.
In addition to this, Wonder Woman movie-themed cards are available on the mobile game, and the cinematic look can be attained on the mobile version as well. The video below, courtesy of Chaos Productions Inc., gives a 360 view of the full gear set:
The events will be going on until June 5th, giving fans a window to see the Wonder Woman movie and decide if the cinematic Amazon look is worthy for the Injustice 2 version of Diana Prince.
Ryu has succumbed to the murderous intent in the latest version of Street Fighter II.
Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers landed on Nintendo Switch on Friday, adding Evil Ryu and Violent Ken to the Super Street Fighter II roster. So far it appears that the newcomers were not made with “balance” in mind–compared to the regular cast, they’re super-powered monsters befitting their names.
LiangHuBBB has been experimenting with Evil Ryu in particular; you can see some of the nasty combos he’s capable of in the videos below, including a 100% damage touch-of-death, and some Raging Demon shenanigans.
