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Deliver season's beatings via Killer Instinct Classic's new online multiplayer mode
If you get an Xbox One in your Christmas stocking this year (by the way, we need to have a chat about your monstrously huge fire hazard of a stocking), you'll soon have a new way of beating up on your faraway friends. Killer Instinct Classic will receive an online multiplayer mode as part of a free update launching tonight. Released last year via Killer Instinct's digital Ultra Edition, Killer Instinct Classic is an emulated port of Rare's 1994 arcade one-on-one fighter. Tonight's update will introduce an online multiplayer option, along with several fixes and improvements for the core Killer Instinct game. Another recent update unlocked holiday-themed costumes for Killer Instinct characters TJ Combo, Orchid and Sabrewulf. 'Tis the season. [Image: Microsoft]
Marvel vs. Capcom Origins leaving online storefronts soon
Marvel vs. Capcom Origins is retiring from online storefronts later this year, in the hopes of living a normal life free from superpowers, arch-villains and all that fun stuff. Capcom announced the crossover compilation goes off sale from PSN on December 23 and XBLA on December 31. The publisher didn't explain why it's delisting the Xbox 360 and PS3 game, but expired licensing wouldn't be a giant leap of speculation.
TJ Combo, Maya return today in Killer Instinct Season 2
The second season of content for Xbox One-exclusive one-on-one brawler Killer Instinct premieres today boasting eight new characters and several major gameplay tweaks, Microsoft and developer Iron Galaxy Studios announced. Season 2 re-introduces classic characters TJ Combo, Maya, Riptor, and Cinder. Four more fighters, including a handful of series newcomers, will join the brawl in the coming weeks. Season 1 characters have also been overhauled to account for the expanded cast, with many now boasting new moves and rebalanced attacks. Returning players will find a new interface and refined mechanics that focus on aerial combat. Players can now trigger Air Breakers and Air Counter-Breakers in response to juggles, and new aerial capture moves allow characters to continue their combos on the ground after a mid-air flurry. Season 2's Combo Breaker Pack, which unlocks TJ Combo and Maya instantly and grants future access to six additional fighters, is priced at $14.99. The season's $39.99 Ultra Edition additionally includes a set of alternate costumes and accessory kits, along with a port of the 1996 arcade game Killer Instinct 2. [Image: Microsoft]
PSA: Divekick out this week on PS4, Xbox One
Two-button, no-joystick fighter Divekick will hit the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 this week with the launch of a newly expanded port, developer Iron Galaxy Studios announced. Divekick Addition Edition+ includes all features and combatants found in previous versions of Iron Galaxy's one-hit-kill fighting game, and adds Saints Row star Johnny Gat as a playable character. The new features will make their way to the PC, PS3, and Xbox 360 versions of Divekick Addition Edition next week as part of a free update. Divekick Addition Edition+ will launch for the PlayStation 4 in North America later today, and will premiere via PSN in Europe and worldwide on the Xbox One on October 8. [Image: Iron Galaxy Studios]
Killer Instinct: Season 2 hits on Oct. 15
Killer Instinct's second season launches on October 15, bringing along two new fighters, game modes and a revamped interface. Season 2 includes the characters TJ Combo and Maya. The Killer Instinct: Season 2 Ultra Edition includes eight new fighters to be released one per month after TJ and Maya, some costumes and accessory packs, and Killer Instict 2: Classic. The Ultra Edition runs $40. The Combo Breaker Pack is $20 and includes the eight new fighters, one per month. Individual fighters cost $5 each. Purchase the Ultra Edition between September 23 and October 14, and snag TJ early. [Image: Microsoft Studios]
Killer Instinct Classic 2 for Xbox One outed by Game Rating Board
A Korean Game Rating Board submission (via NeoGAF) named "Killer Instinct Classic 2" as an upcoming release for the Xbox One, suggesting that Microsoft is planning a port of the 1996 arcade game Killer Instinct 2. Microsoft previously bundled a port of 1994's Killer Instinct with its Xbox One reboot issued last year. The retitled Killer Instinct Classic was available as a free bonus for players who purchased Killer Instinct's Ultra Edition and boxed Pin Ultimate Edition. Developer Iron Galaxy Studios revealed earlier this month that Killer Instinct 2 star Maya will join Killer Instinct's playable roster this fall as part of its second season of content. Microsoft has not confirmed Killer Instinct Classic 2's existence or a release date, but given the publisher's previous release schedule for Killer Instinct content, the port could surface as part of a second-season bundle. [Image: Iron Galaxy Studios]
Amazon queen Maya returns in Killer Instinct season two
Divekick developer Iron Galaxy Studios will re-introduce players to Maya, Queen of the Amazons, when it rolls out the second season of content for Killer Instinct, according to reports from this year's EVO event. Microsoft community manager Mike Robles tweeted concept art of the dagger-wielding warrior, while GameSpot reports that Iron Galaxy described Maya as a high-risk, high-reward character during the panel where she was unveiled. According to GameSpot's report, Maya's daggers will level up as she lands hits on her opponents, eventually reaching the point where she can throw them as projectiles. A photo of the presentation also reveals that Maya's design is inspired by the Inca civilization. While the Incas lived on the fringe of the Amazon Basin and not deep in the rainforest, thus making her "Queen of the Amazon" title a bit of a mismatch, we're willing to bet you'll have bigger things to worry about - things like daggers flying at your face - when Killer Instinct season two begins this fall. [Image: Microsoft]
Borderlands 2 Vita update loots stability, control improvements
If the Vita's on-the-go version of Borderlands 2 has been a little unstable for you, a new update hopes to land a critical hit on those problems, in addition to adding control-related adjustments. Concerning the patch, SCEA Third Party Production Director Gio Corsi wrote that developer Iron Galaxy Studios had worked with Sony to "improve stability and performance throughout the game, including addressing known issues with audio playback." Vault hunters need to be comfortable while grinding away at quests and slaughtering wildlife though, a truth addressed by the update in its allowance for inverted gyroscope controls. Actions mapped to the Vita's touchpad can also now be assigned to "much smaller zones" to help avoid accidental melee swings or grenade lobbing. The adjustable touch-triggered buttons might accommodate one of Senior Reporter Jess Conditt's issues with the Vita port, but she still found the pre-patch version to be a "great game on a wonderful handheld device." [Image: PlayStation]
Borderlands 2 on Vita: Mostly Handsome, Jack
It is complete. With today's launch of cross-save support for Borderlands 2 on Vita, the game is fully fleshed-out and filled with finger-flicking delight. That isn't a euphemism – since it's on Vita, there's plenty of touchscreen and rear touchpad action in this latest version of Borderlands 2. Some of it works, and some of it feels designed in the bowels of frustration hell. Borderlands 2 wasn't conceived as a Vita game, and at times that fact is obvious – when it runs into framerate issues or the graphics pop in (usually leaving my character's irises and pupils for last on the home screen), it feels like a big game ported onto a tiny device. These issues are mostly ignorable, but they contribute to a few annoying gameplay problems.
Borderlands 2 Vita may get cross-save support on Tuesday
Vault Hunters just set out for a fresh round of loot in this month's Vita release of Borderlands 2, but they all returned to the hunt as measly, level-one adventurers, regardless of whether or not they had Eridium gathered in a PS3 save file. The on-the-go romp through Pandora will eventually offer cross-save support, but the involved update has had vague launch dates as well as a missed estimate of yesterday. However, a tweet from Gearbox head Randy Pitchford suggests the patch will arrive on Tuesday, with Pitchford stating the new deadline felt "more reliable" than the last that he was given. The Vita version was developed by Iron Galaxy Studios and published by Sony, so while it makes sense for Vita owners to want a great, time-saving feature, impatience with Pitchford or Gearbox is a bit unwarranted. [Image: Sony]
Borderlands 2 Vita zeroes in on Europe
Europe may have got the Vita 2000 a few months before North America, but it'll have to wait a few weeks more to play Borderlands 2 on it. Sony says starting May 28, Europeans can loot wastelands on the go too. Borderlands 2 Vita is part of the new bundle for the handheld's slimmer, lighter iteration. The shooter's standalone version hits next week on May 13, and according to Shacknews that's when the game will be patched with PS3 cross-saving. [Image: Sony Computer Entertainment]
Divekick devs were almost first to head Killer Instinct reboot
Divekick developer Iron Galaxy Studios will be taking over for Amazon-acquired Double Helix on the Xbox One-exclusive Killer Instinct reboot, but that idea may not be as far-fetched as it sounds. In an interview with USgamer, Iron Galaxy CEO Dave Lang revealed that his studio was one of the original applicants being considered to develop the game. Lang said that, while he doesn't know all the details, he knows that both his company and Double Helix were in the running to develop Killer Instinct, right up to the end. However, Microsoft had already tapped Iron Galaxy for Wreckateer, leaving the studio short-handed. Thus, the contract went to Double Helix. Now that Iron Galaxy is getting another shot at Killer Instinct, Lang calls the situation "sort of like dating someone's ex-girlfriend." Despite losing out on developing the game's first season of content, it might have been for the best. "If you take a look at where we were at that point versus the final game Double Helix was able to make, I firmly believe we would not have made as good of a game as Double Helix did," Lang said. "In terms of available resources, we simply weren't there at that time." [Image: Microsoft]
Divekick Addition Edition arrives today on PS3, Steam
PS3 and Steam owners of instakill fighter Divekick receive the free Addition Edition update today, while the Vita ETA is pinned for "shortly there after." The Addition Edition is coming to PS4 and Xbox One when the game debuts on those platforms, but dev Iron Galaxy didn't spill any further news on that. If you're not clued in on what's new in the Addition Edition, allow us to sum it up (guffaw chortle). In addition (guffaw) to a host of character adjustments that range from tweaks to complete revamps, the update introduces blind select for ranked matches, new tips and how-to-play screens, and d-pad input for menus rather than the madness of using the game's two button controls. [Image: Iron Galaxy Studios]
Divekick Addition Edition coming to PS4, Xbox One
Iron Galaxy Studios announced that its one-hit kill fighting game parody Divekick is coming to the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 with a number of changes and balance-adjusting tweaks in tow. Divekick Addition Edition adds blind select for ranked matches, and introduces optional d-pad input for menus in addition to the game's traditional two-button setup. Every character in the game has also seen an array of stat adjustments, ranging from slight speed tweaks to major overhauls. One character, The Baz, has changed so significantly that he has since been rechristened New Baz by Divekick's developers, and now boasts higher jumps and expanded Kick Factor abilities. The full list of changes is available here. Divekick Addition Edition is also coming to the PlayStation 3, PS Vita, and Steam, and will be available as a free update for players who already own the original Divekick. A release date has not been announced. [Image: Iron Galaxy Studios]
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Rumor: Vita to shoot and loot Borderlands 2 in March [Update: 2K says Nope]
The long-discussed Vita port of Borderlands 2 may be due on March 18, at least according to a now deleted tweet by publisher 2K Games, which we've screen-capped above. It was posted by the @2KInternational account this morning and then deleted shortly after. It's worth noting 2K International covers the publisher's activity outside of the US, so even if the tweet is accurate, it might not reflect the release date in the States. As PlayStation Lifestyle reported in December, it's a date that's popped up before, that time on a NewEgg listing - that said, NewEgg lists the game currently for April 15. We've reached out to 2K Games for comment. Looking back, it feels like the Vita port was as much in the limelight as the action-RPG shooter itself, after Gearbox received countless questions about the handheld venture it seemed so keen on. Thankfully, 2K Games and Sony put an end to the seemingly endless discussion by announcing it at Sony's Gamescom conference, and unveiling Divekick studio Iron Galaxy as its developer. Update: Via the @2KInternational account, 2K Games said the March 18 date is incorrect. "We apologize for a tweet about a release date for Borderlands 2 on Vita which was posted in error. The release date mentioned is incorrect," reads the 2K tweet.
Divekick, Warframe are now PS4 launch games
Both Divekick and Warframe will be available on PS4 when the console launches November 15. The news was revealed during the PlayStation Indie Arcade event tonight at PAX by Adam Boyes, VP of Publisher and Developer Relations at SCEA. Divekick, a deceptively complex two-button fighter, launched as a "Cross Buy" game on PS3 and PS Vita on August 20 in addition to Steam. Warframe, a free-to-play co-op shooter from Digital Extremes, is currently available on for the PC on Steam.
Divekick review: Members only
When it comes to designing games, a single good idea goes a long way. Just look at PopCap Games' Peggle. It has only a single button and is effectively just pachinko with a cartoon aesthetic and occasional power-ups. Despite this, it's one of the most addictive games in the history of the medium. Iron Galaxy's Divekick is likewise superficially a very simple title with huge aspirations, though unfortunately for those who bought into the game's pre-release hype, Divekick is less "quality game" and more "baffling proof of concept." If you were to spend a few hours watching professional-level competitive fighting game players duke it out, you'd quickly notice that beyond all the spectacle of flashy super attacks and finger-melting combos, there's a metagame being played that is often more important than who can throw the bigger fireball. The key to success for really talented players lies in being able to read your opponent's intentions before he or she launches an assault, and then being able to set traps they might be likely to fall into. At particularly high levels of play, fighting games evolve into battles of the mind. Yes, it's impressive to land a 100-hit super combo, but even more impressive is a player who can trick his or her foe into using the wrong attack, or frustrate their opponent until they begin to play foolishly. This is the real draw of the competitive fighting game scene but, unfortunately, with most games there's a pretty sizable learning curve to climb before one can attempt to screw with other people's heads. That's where Divekick comes in.
Divekick PC launching Aug. 20
The recently Greenlight-approved PC version of indie pseudo-parody fighting game Divekick will launch alongside its PlayStation Network twin on August 20, developer Iron Galaxy Studios announced on Twitter. Both versions of the game will cost $10, which breaks down to about $5 per button input – Divekick's controls are simply jump "dive" and (what else) dive "kick." There's a decent amount of depth to Divekick, especially considering its comical control scheme. When we played the game during this year's E3 proceedings we were charmed by its goofy, in-joke laden character design and carnival-style two button controllers that, unfortunately, have yet to be announced for retail consumption.
Divekick gets August 20 release date and Cross Buy support
Divekick, Iron Galaxy's two-button fighting game, will launch on August 20, as announced during a Twitch broadcast at EVO 2013. The game will cost $10. Divekick will also support Sony's "Cross Buy" functionality on PSN, so players that own a PS3 and Vita only need to buy the game once to download it to both systems. Iron Galaxy is still working on bringing the brawler to Steam through Greenlight.
New Divekick character is for high-risk, big-headed players
Adam Heart and developer Iron Galaxy Studios have revealed another featured character in their two-button, no-joystick 2D fighter parody Divekick, though this particular addition requires players to shoulder a major tradeoff during battle. "Jefailey," a character poking fun at fighting game tournament organizer Alex Jebailey, boasts a unique "disqualification" projectile move, in addition to the game's standard repertoire of instant-kill attacks. The tradeoff? Jefailey's head grows in size after winning a round, making him an increasingly vulnerable target over the duration of the match. It's worth noting that Divekick features a concussion mechanic, and if any character loses a round by being kicked in the head, they'll start off the next round in a dizzied state. Jefailey, then, seems like a character for risk-takers, or for those who think that their opponents will be distracted by his massive noggin. Iron Galaxy reveals new Divekick characters every Monday via livestream. Divekick is slated for release this summer for the PlayStation 3, PS Vita, and PC.
