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The US Air Force is preparing a human versus AI dogfight
The US Air Force wants to pit an autonomous fighter drone against a pilot.
F-35 may see combat in 2018
After a very long and problematic development process, the F-35 Lightning II is about to serve on the front lines. The US Marine Corps is deploying the F-35B (the short takeoff and vertical landing variant) to ships in the Central and Pacific Command theaters in the spring and summer of 2018. The 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit is traveling aboard the USS Essex, which is headed to the Middle East, while the 31st will be attached to the USS Wasp and might head to the coast of North Korea.
US Air Force says the F-35 is ready for combat
The F-35 Lightning II has faced more than a few technical problems and cost overruns in the 15 years since Lockheed Martin first won its production contract, but it's nearly done overcoming those hurdles. The US Air Force has declared that the F-35A (that is, the conventional takeoff model) is officially ready for combat. The first squadron to get the advanced jet, the 34th Fighter Squadron at Utah's Hill Air Force Base, can now deploy it on real-world missions if necessary.
Pokken Tournament won't star Tekken fighters
Pokken Tournament, the Tekken-style fighting game starring Pokemon characters, will not feature Tekken fighters, Bandai Namco Director Katsuhiro Harada said on Twitter (translation by Eventhubs). "Nope, Tekken characters will not be making an appearance," Harada said. "As we're making a Pokemon fighting action battle game, I've already touched on this while on the livestream, but in this game there will not be a high/mid/low guard system mechanic. Instead, we're planning to include a new type of [mechanic]." Harada also noted that Pokken Tournament supports all kinds of Pokemon types, not only the humanoid fighters we've seen so far. In terms of adding Pokemon trainers, Harada said, "Worry not." Pokken Tournament is scheduled to launch in Japanese arcades in 2015 as a collaboration between Nintendo and Bandai Namco. [Image: Bandai Namco]
New fighter pilot helmet delivers night vision without goggles
Fighter pilots have access to helmets with amazing abilities. However, they still have to strap on heavy night vision goggles to fly in the dark -- an all too literal pain in the neck. Much to aircrews' relief, BAE Systems wants to make that clunky headgear a distant memory. Its brand new Striker II helmet includes a night vision camera that projects its footage on to the visor's high-resolution display, giving the pilot a good look at the outside world without the need for extra equipment. The tech should be far more comfortable during lengthy missions, especially in sharp turns where G-forces make any added weight feel that much worse.
Artist takes League of Legends from MOBA to 2D fighter
League of Legends may not share much in common with your average 2D fighter, but the hyper-popular multiplayer online battle arena does feature a large, diverse cast of champions, which was enough impetus for Brazilian artist Iury Padilha to reimagine the MOBA in a more intimate combat style. Padilha recently uploaded images to his DeviantArt account which depict League of Legends characters squaring off in traditional Street Fighter-esque mano a mano fisticuffs. While Padilha clearly owes much of his personal style to anime and manga influences - somehow even moreso than Capcom's stable of Japanese artists - he does an excellent job of translating champions from one medium to another. Even more impressive are the backgrounds Padilha has designed, which depict small scenes drawn from League of Legends' various battlegrounds with a slightly muted color palette. This tone seems more apropos for the source material, even as it contrasts with the more cartoonish style Padilha lends his characters. You can find the entirety of Padilha's efforts by visiting his DeviantArt page, along with a much higher resolution version of the image above. [Image: Iury Padilha]
Lethal League is part fighting game, part ball game
This isn't your middle school gym coach's dodgeball game, and it isn't your favorite arcade's fighting game. This is Lethal League, a fighting game where the goal is to smash a fast-flying ball into your opponent's face. Lethal League supports one to four players and online multiplayer, and it comes from Megabyte Punch studio Reptile. It was the Grand Finals Mystery Game at Ultimate Fighting Game Tournament 9 last year – watch the pros try to figure out its wacky mechanics here. According to Reptile, Lethal League includes "highly competitive gameplay," "mad art," "banging beats by various artists" and "no weak shit." Lethal League is due out on Steam for PC in Q3 2014. [Image: Reptile]
PSA: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle available now
Bandai Namco hasn't put much effort into promoting CyberConnect2's PlayStation 3 fighter JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle, so consider this your official notification that the game is now available for purchase. However, you shouldn't expect to walk into your local GameStop and find a copy. As we mentioned earlier this year, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle is only being released as a digital, PlayStation Network download and via limited physical copies on Amazon and the Bandai Namco online store. Supplies are still available at either retailer, so those hoping for a box to go along with their new 2D fighter should place an order before they run out. As its name suggests, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle is based on Hirohiko Araki's long-running manga JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. Though they share subject matter and the 2D fighter genre, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle is unrelated to Capcom's JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, a fighter which debuted in 1998 and later hit the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in an updated high-definition release. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Tekken, Soul Calibur teams let loose ancient fighters in Rise of Incarnates
Rise of Incarnates comes from Bandai Namco and the creators of the Soul Calibur and Tekken franchises – and it looks absolutely insane. Rise of Incarnates is a free, 2v2 fighter that takes place in real-life cities ravaged by massive cold fronts and geological shifts across the planet. The incarnates are humans able to draw power from gods, demons and monsters of ancient mythology, and they're each on their own mission to "defeat the Sovereign of this era." Each incarnate thinks this message means something different – hence the fighting. The incarnates revealed so far are Dr. Gasper Watteau (grim reaper), Terrence Blake (Ares), Mireia Valentin (Lilith) and Jedrek Tyler (Mephistopheles). See a rundown of their abilities and personalities here. Sign up for the alpha via the same site, with the box in the bottom-left corner. Rise of Incarnates is due out in late 2014 for PC in the Americas. [Images: Bandai Namco]
BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma brings the fight to PS3 today
Better late than never, publisher Aksys has announced that BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma is making its PlayStation 3 debut today. BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma is the latest hyperkinetic 2D fighter from developer Arc System Works, the same people behind the Guilty Gear series and Persona 4 Arena. In November, we reported that the game was slated to hit the PS3 on March 14, but that date came and went without any word on the fighter. Regardless, the game is now winging its way to retail locations, with a digital version scheduled to debut on the PlayStation Network come April 1. Those of you on the fence about picking up BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma should know that the initial print run of the game will feature additional content. Specifically, a new character named Yuuki Terumi who serves as the game's antagonist. If you miss your early bird chance to add Terumi to the BlazBlue roster, the character will go on sale as a standard DLC release on May 27. [Image: Aksys]
Virgin Gaming adds Super Street Fighter 4 to real cash competition slate
Virgin Gaming members can now earn actual money in Super Street Fighter 4 matches, thanks to a new agreement between Virgin and Street Fighter developer Capcom. "Unlike before, when money would go straight into the arcade machine, Virgin's platform puts the money in the winning player's hands! Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 players can participate in one-on-one matches with another player, or join a league of up to 32 other SSFIV players and compete for cash," stated Virgin's announcement. Currently, those cash competitions are restricted to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 incarnations of Super Street Fighter 4, and there is no word on when or if the PC version of the game will be added to the Virgin Gaming roster. Full details on how to join Virgin Gaming and take part in the service's pay-to-play tournaments and one-off matches can be found on the Virgin Gaming website. [Image: Capcom]
Indie fighter Skullsgirls Encore re-debuts on PSN come February 11
Having finally sorted its issues with original Skullgirls publisher Konami, developer Lab Zero Games has revealed the date the game will return to the PlayStation Network: February 11. Instead of simply re-releasing the fighter, Lab Zero is offering players an upgraded version of the game dubbed Skullgirls Encore. While very similar to its predecessor, Skullgirls Encore technically qualifies as an entirely new game. As a result, none of the DLC released to date for the original Skullgirls will be compatible with Encore, according to Lab Zero Games. To offset this inconvenience, Skullgirls Encore brings a host of gameplay tweaks as well as a new character, a meek opera singer named Squigly who attacks foes via an erudite, dragon-like parasite. Further, Lab Zero is offering Skullgirls Encore at no charge to those who previously purchased the original incarnation of Skullgirls on PSN. So far there is no word on when Skullgirls Encore will see an Xbox Live Marketplace release, but Lab Zero has issued two trailers for the fighter. You'll find a launch trailer above, while below the break lies footage focused on newcomer Squigly. [Image: Lab Zero Games]
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All-Star Battle to see limited physical release in the West
We've known for a while that developer CyberConnect2 was planning to bring its manga-based 2D fighter JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle to Western territories, and now we have a few more details on how exactly that's going to happen. According to Crunchyroll, when JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle makes its English-language debut, the game will feature all of the updates released to date for its Japanese counterpart. Additionally, the Western iteration of the game will include an exclusive arcade mode that pits players against randomly-selected opponents. By defeating these foes your character can earn gold which is useful in purchasing upgrades and items for use in future battles. Despite the added content, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle will not see a wide-scale release outside of Japan. Instead, the PlayStation 3 game will appear as a download on the PlayStation Network, while limited quantities of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle will appear in physical, boxed form on Amazon and at publisher Bandai Namco's Club Namco online store. Both retailers have priced pre-orders of the physical game at $50. While it's still unclear when JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: All Star Battle will appear, Crunchyroll claims that the fighter will be released in March. When asked, Bandai Namco representatives refused to confirm or deny this timeframe. [Image: Bandai Namco]
Boeing gives retired F-16 fighter new life as a drone (video)
If "fighter pilot" was your desired career, you'd better hurry up now that Boeing is looking to replace you with a robot. The company has retrofitted a retired F-16 fighter, which had laid dormant for 15 years, into a drone for combat training missions. Rather than risking life and limb in the cockpit, two test pilots can maneuver the craft, now called QF-16, from Florida's Tyndall Air Force Base -- presenting rookie flyers with a target that can hit 9G and supersonic speeds. There's an explanatory video below, which explains the benefits of computer controlled planes but... wait a minute, isn't this the plot of Stealth?
Visualized: F-35B fighter's vertical landing, in the dark (video)
The jury's still out on Lockheed Martin's F-35B fighter. The aircraft is expected to cost the US more than $1.5 trillion over its lifetime, and it's been described as being too heavy and too sluggish -- one critic has gone so far as to call the jet a "dog." One thing's for sure, though: the F-35 looks mighty impressive, especially when it's landing vertically on an aircraft carrier. In the dark. Click past the break for a look at Lockheed's trillion-dollar light show, courtesy of Uncle Sam.
The Summoner's Guidebook: Anything except solo top in League of Legends
It's really no surprise that I'm not an amazing Summoner's Rift player. I feel like I perform decently as support, do fairly well as jungler and ADC, and play solo mid somewhat poorly. Aside from those roles, there's one I haven't talked about, and that's solo top. The solo top lane is the bruiser lane in League of Legends. It's most typical to see melee fighters and tanks there, and it tends to be a little more chaotic than the other lanes. I dislike playing solo top largely because it is the one lane where players are really encouraged to fight each other, and we all know that I prefer to farm peacefully and dislike being aggressive. However, for whatever reason, I have a lot of successes there. I'm nowhere near as good in top lane as in bottom lane (in either role), but it's a place I can go and not feel like dead weight.
Dragon's Crown trailers speak English, not that it matters
These new trailers for Dragon's Crown's Fighter and Sorceress classes are in English, which is a change from the predominantly Japanese footage we've seen so far, but honestly trailers for this game could be in Esperanto and you'd still be able to get the gist of what's going down: Skeleton murder.
X-47B unmanned combat aircraft starts light workouts aboard USS Truman (video)
While the USAF has been tacking missiles onto Predator drones for quite some time, so far a true unmanned attack plane has yet to grace any carrier decks -- until now. The US Navy has started flogging an X-47B Unmanned Combat Aircraft System (UCAS) aboard the USS Truman, with a video (below the break) showing it taxiing around the flight deck. The current round of tests has focused on "handling and control characteristics," but officials have said the robotic stealth fighters could be launched from the ship's catapult "if all conditions are nominal." The X-47B has already completed some flight tests, and was even launched from a sling on November 29th, but all that happened at naval air bases, not on the open water. With all the unmanned aircraft coming into the military's system, we can imagine a lot of pilots on the Truman were giving it the stink-eye.
Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter cockpit demonstrator hands-on (video)
We spend hundreds of hours on board a variety of airplanes each year, most often en-route to a trade show or product launch event, but occasionally we have a rare opportunity to hop on board military aircraft, to test out unrelated products, or, even more unusually, to take a seat behind the yoke. Sadly that's not what we're doing today -- well, not exactly. We are taking a closer look at the F-35 fighter jet at Lockheed Martin's Fighter Demonstration Center just outside our nation's capital, but, being in the middle of a corporate complex, there's no actual Lightning II on hand. We were able to take a simulated ride, however -- this isn't your ordinary 4D sickness-inducing amusement park thrill. The F-35 is by far the most advanced Lockheed jet to date, with updated radar, all-internal weapons, improved tracking systems, 360-degree infrared coverage with a visor readout, and a full-stealth design, not to mention the incredibly capable glass cockpit powered by more than 9.3 million lines of software code, and an overall smoother experience for pilots that could end up spending shifts of 12 hours or longer in flight. The F-35 has already seen plenty of field time in the US, with more than 500 flights already in 2012, and it's set to make its way to the UK armed forces next week and the Netherlands later this year, but while the aircraft is quite familiar to the pilots tasked with flying it, the public hasn't had an opportunity to experience Lockheed's latest airborne warrior. We flew a simulated mission within a grounded duplicate of the flyable F-35 cockpit, and the capabilities and improvements are quite clear -- you definitely don't want to encounter an F-35 from a previous-generation aircraft. The dual 8 x 10-inch touch-enabled displays combine to give you 8 x 20 inches of real estate, with dedicated modules for the weapons systems, targeting, and navigation easily accessible -- you can also move them to different panels depending on your current objective. A pair of joysticks at the left and right side provide direct access, letting you move a cursor to track enemy crafts or ground-based targets as well, and a very slick heads-up-display mounted in the helmet provides infrared mapping and instrument readouts. Overall, it seems to be an incredibly powerful system. Unfortunately, the mock-up on display here isn't accessible to the public, but you can join us for a behind-the-scenes look just after the break.%Gallery-160208%
New Motorola phone elbows RAZR aside with bigger screen, gets caught on blurrycam
Motorola has apparently bored itself with battery expansion and moved onto that other mobile upgrade chestnut; screen size. Posted on the Mfunz forums, we're apparently gazing upon a 4.6-inch high-definition display -- one that dwarfs the existing RAZR model on its right. We don't know much more just yet, although the apparent Verizon badging suggests this new phone is US-bound. This could be the first peak at the rumored Droid Fighter -- a name that's bounced around the web recently on supposedly leaked Verizon documents with a mid-April release date in tow. We're not sure what else to expect from this device, aside from what looks likely to be software-based buttons like those found on the Galaxy Nexus. We wouldn't refuse a Moto device with Ice Cream Sandwich from launch -- it'll beat waiting (and waiting) on those OTA updates.
