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Today only: buy one of these Xbox Live games, get another copy for a friend
Amazon is running an Xbox Live promotion that guarantees awesome multiplayer fun in one of three games, unless you don't have any friends, or, uh, don't like these games. Okay, maybe it encourages awesome multiplayer fun. Today, if you purchase Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, Street Fighter II' Hyper Fighting, or Uno from Amazon, you'll receive a code for another download of the same game, to give to a second player.You haven't lived until you've unlocked the secret Dan character in Puzzle Fighter and experienced the kind of defeat that comes from only being able to drop red blocks on your opponent's screen. It's a thrilling way to ... lose spectacularly.[Via Capcom Unity]
X3F review: Puzzle Fighter HD
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo is an interesting game. Unlike many puzzlers out there, Puzzle Fighter never spawned any sequels (despite the "II" in the title, only one game was created). Then again, as any Puzzle Figher fan could tell you, there really wasn't any need. Puzzle Fighter was just about perfect, truly incorporating the fighting mechanic into its core gameplay, rather than simply cashing in on the successful Steet Fighter franchise and the arguably less successful Darkstalkers franchise. Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix brings the game to XBLA along with a few changes and gameplay modes that never saw the light of day outside of Japan. Does the game hold up after all these years? Oh, hell yes.
Super Puzzle Fighter leads today's PSN update
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix will be available later today on the PlayStation Store. For $10, players will be able to play Capcom's beloved puzzle game with new 1080p HD graphics, new gameplay modes, improved game balance, and new backgrounds created by Udon. Oh, and did we mention: online play?For those unfamiliar, the point of the game is to move and rotate gems to form groups of the same color. By destroying gems of the same color, players will send counter gems on their opponents. In Tetris-fashion, when the screen fills up to the top, the game is over. The three game modes include: X-Mode: Classic Puzzle Fighter Y-Mode: Gems automatically break when three or more gems of the same color line up in a row vertically, horizontally, or diagonally. Z-Mode: Players move a 2x2 cursor around the screen rotating the positions of the highlighted gems; more gems are added from below, moving all the current gems toward the top. In addition to rebalanced gameplay, players can also create their own drop patters through Counter Gem Edit. Online Ranked Matches will use the "TrueSkill system" for balanced fights. Finally, online leaderboards (a requisite for any online game) are included. Stay tuned later for more information on today's Store update.%Gallery-5009%
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix drops Aug. 29
With a title so long even our keyboards have to take a breath before constructing it, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix should be out by the time you're done pronouncing it. As revealed by Capcom's Christian Svensson on the company's official forums, SPFIITHDR will be available for purchase and download on Xbox Live Arcade next Wednesday, August 29th. The price is set at 800 MS Points or $10, a price shared by the PlayStation Network version which releases the next day on August 30th.And no, don't even think about using those diamonds on us.[Via Game Stooge]
Puzzle Fighter HD's precarious balancing act
We're very, very excited about the upcoming release of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix, which we'll hereafter refer to as ... hell, the whole name is just dandy. However, some complaints from the original version have cropped up again, mainly the imbalance between certain characters (seems Ken and Donovan were a little cheap after all). David Sirlin came out to address these issues and described the tweaks he's performing on the upcoming PSN downloadable title.The main, primary change is the drop pattern for certain characters to give them a fighting chance in the cheaper fights he saw between Ken or Donovan. If you take a look at the drop patterns, you'll notice Dan still isn't exactly a good choice to play as. A shame. Other tweaks include fixing the damage glitch caused by color-clearing diamonds and the addition of quick drops with the up button. We're excited about this game, so we're glad to see some of the more popular glitches are getting fixed up.[Via Joystiq]
Puzzle Fighter HD gets balancing changes
Game designer, book author and all-around know-it-all David Sirlin has posted some details about the gameplay changes he's making to the upcoming XBLA/PSN version of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo. Sirlin said he was tired of high-level matches in the original always coming down to two characters -- Ken and Donovan -- so he gently tweaked the drop patterns for some other characters' attacks to give them a fighting chance. Don't worry purists, Dan still sucks just as much as ever.Sirlin also said that the HD version will add quick drops (using the up button) and fix a glitch that significantly overpowered the color-clearing diamonds. That's all well and good, but it ignores the only question we really care about -- how will a super-deformed Chun Li's helicopter kick look in high definition?
Puzzle Fighter to be rebalanced for XBLA
It's no secret that we here at X3F are very excited to get our hands on Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix. It's a genuine classic and a welcome title on Xbox Live Arcade (as well as the PSN). While we were looking forward to the classic gameplay, it seems that the folks at Capcom came to realize that the game could actually use a few tweaks. These changes are detailed by Sirlin, one of the game's designers. Fans of the original release will know that certain characters (Ken) are much better than other characters (Chun-Li). This is because of drop patterns. Each character in Puzzle Fighter drops a predetermined pattern of blocks on their opponents when attacking. Knowing your opponents drop pattern is crucial if you want to build the appropriate counter measures.Some characters, to put it simply, have easy drop patterns that leave them wide open to counter attack, particularly characters that drop whole power gems like Felicia and Chun-Li. As such, Capcom has decided to tamper with gaming history to come up with some more challenging patterns. An example of these changes is shown at the top right of this post. There are some other interesting changes too, such as leaving Chun-Li's pattern unchanged but allowing her to cause 120% damage. She is the strongest woman in the world after all. Frankly, we think these changes were a great idea, and we imagine most Puzzle Fighter fans will agree. Oh, and don't worry, Dan's pattern is still completely red, so, if you've got what it takes, you can still school people with the worst character in the game. See the complete list of changes, as well as the reasoning behind them, after the jump.[Via GSW]
Puzzle Fighter definitely arrives this month
Puzzle Fighte ... er ... Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is rightfully one of the most anticipated titles coming to Xbox Live Arcade. According to an IGN, the game is coming out much sooner than we thought. In fact, it's already out. No, don't go running to check your Xbox. It's not really out. The truth is that IGN was hosting an advertisement for the game -- which has since been removed -- that stated the game was now available. It looks like someone at IGN jumped the gun. Still, with this disheartening news comes some good news. Joystiq contacted Capcom for comment on the whole affair and Capcom confirmed that the game is scheduled to launch this month (alongside its PS3 counterpart). So, you might not be able to quench your puzzle fighting thirst just yet, but it won't be long now.
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix crawls closer
An astute reader tipped us off to an advertisement, rotating its way around IGN this morning proclaiming that Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix was available for download. Skeptical, we fired up the clapped-out old banger and checked Xbox Live Arcade to little fanfare. It was time to get Capcom on the horn.Unsurprisingly, the banner was merely IGN's advertising department jumping the gun and the ad was quickly removed upon mention. Capcom did, however, confirm that Super Puzzle Fighter will still be seeing a coordinated launch this month (the first of its kind, they add) across Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Steam. Keep your eyes peeled for a more concrete date, but rest assured ... it's soon.[Thanks, Seth!]
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix's long title and new modes on display
If you managed to read that headline out loud without passing out, congratulations. Your reward is a first look at the two new styles of play being introduced in the HD remix of Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo.With gameplay resembling the legendary Panel De Pon series (better known in the States as Tetris Attack and Puzzle League), Z-Mode has the blocks rising from the depths as opposed to falling from the sky. Players are then armed with a 2x2 cursor in which to rotate the gems to create their combos. The new Y-Mode fashions itself after the simplistic favorite Puyo Puyo (see: Kirby's Avalanche and Mean Bean Machine), where it only asks that you position gems of similar color next to one another.Should you not want to deal with these newfangled rules, we've included a matching trailer after the break, showing off the classic gem dropping, side-abusing gameplay of X-Mode. Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is set to appear on Xbox Live Arcade, PlayStation Network and Steam this Fall.
Puzzle Fighter site is live ... sort of
The official website for Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is now live. Well, it's really only live in a manner of speaking. Despite it being officially announced by Capcom's Digital blog, the website clearly has a few kinks to work out. First of all, the site doesn't scale to browser windows, so scrolling is a little difficult at the moment (use your arrow keys for now). The website features a synopsis, a video (with more promised), and some wallpapers (Chun-Li and Sakura FTW). There are screenshots, too, but our attempts to open them thus far have resulted in broken images. We're sure Capcom will fix these issues eventually, but if your stout enough to handle the website's currently wonky state, it's worth a look.[Via XBLArcade]
Undertow, Puzzle Fighter rated by ESRB
The ESRB database has been updated with several new Xbox 360 titles. Most notable among these are the Xbox Live Arcade releases, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (E) and Undertow (E10+ oh noes!). Also rated was Dynasty Warriors: Gundam, a title with which we are completely unfamiliar. A quick look around the internet reveals that it's exactly what it sounds like: Dynasty Warriors with giant mechs instead of human warriors. Also rated was Hour of Victory, which recently had a (terrible) demo released on Xbox Live Marketplace. We already knew Puzzle Fighter was planned as a July release, but this may mean that Undertow will be coming sooner than we thought. Let's hope so; we can't wait to try out underwater Battlefield. [Via GameStooge]
SPFIIHDR July release FTGDMFW!
Super Puzzle Fighter II HD Remix's release has been announced as July over at Capcom digital. On top of that, a new wallpaper (pictured above) is available at 1920 x 1200 and 1280 x 1024 resolutions. Producer Robert Hamiter also gives details on the retooled artwork, which is being done by Udon Comics, as well as some of the other graphical enhancements with the gems and other facelifting effects. Are you as interested in this as you are SSFIITHDR?[Via DAKing240]
Indies and consoles: an imperfect system
According to Gamasutra's Simon Carless, the independent scene is facing an uphill battle when developing for consoles, specifically in the realm of digital distribution. Carless argues that the difficulty in bringing a title across all platforms, both for technological and business reasons.Other than some retro titles (e.g. Joust), a very small number of downloadable title are appearing on both Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. Capcom's Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix is one of the few exceptions, and Capcom's Christian Svensson said it required "considerable coordination" to get the titles on both consoles, which indicates to us that less established independent houses would have insurmountable difficulty.Carless notes that Sony's collection, retro games aside, are predominantly first party (though we should note that flOw went to Sony because they actively sought out the independent title). Nintendo has always talked about bringing original games to the Wii, and there have been murmurings of a Game Channel, but so far all the only tangible indication of a non-Virtual Console title is Impossible Mission.Carless' analogy to the film industry (three separate formats for theatre chains), though admittedly ham-fisted, does not account for industry history. It may be unfair to the independent developer, but there hasn't been a time when gaming was controlled by a single format. Sure, development teams are now much larger and require a bigger budget, but that hasn't stopped smaller teams from succeeding with Geometry Wars, Ragdoll Kung-Fu, and Alien Hominid (pictured). The state of indie games isn't ideal, but it seems to be getting better. We say keep on fighting, Simon.
Puzzle Fighter 2 simultaneously hitting PS3 and 360 -- same price
We're all pretty excited to be getting Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix on the PlayStation Network and those with a 360 can look forward to enjoying it as well. This was, unsurprisingly, difficult to coordinate for Capcom between Sony and Microsoft. Mostly because Capcom has been having a love affair with Microsoft the last few years. We're not baiting any flame -- it's just true. A lot of good games from Capcom have hit the 360 and have taken away anticipated PS3 exclusives. No bait, just truth.The price for SPF2THDR (oh, man ... ) will remain the same across the two platforms, so no one needs worry that Capcom will charge less for it on XBL than the PS Store or vice-versa. That would be silly (although the point-conversion deal on XBL is silly by itself).Remember when Capcom insisted its new strategy was going to be multiplatform content? That the loss of PS3 exclusive Devil May Cry 4 was simply a casualty of this new outlook? Seems that Senior Director of Strategic Planning and Research, Christian Svensson, doesn't want to hold that promise for very long: "Are there exclusive content deals that could be struck? Possibly," he said to Gamasutra. So does this mean that an exclusive title may hit the PS3 after all, even if a downloadable game? Or will the PS3 get the shaft and watch the 360 score another hot title a la Dead Rising or Lost Planet (if you like being blatantly told where to aim ... "look, bright orange glowy things! Shoot that, durr.")?In any case, be sure to check out SPF2THDR when it hits the PS Store later this year.[via Joystiq]
Puzzle Fighter to be priced the same for Xbox Live, PSN
It wasn't easy getting Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix on both Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network, according to Capcom's Sr. Director of Strategic Planning & Research Christian Svensson. "It requires considerable coordination," he said in an interview with Gamasutra, "but we've been working closely with Sony and Microsoft, and they both agree with our strategy."In terms of price, Svensson said that they will likely be identical for both platforms. "We're offering the same value as far as the type of content, so it only stands to reason," he said. "If the timing's the same, and if the content is the same, pricing should probably be the same."Svensson added that multplatform releases, even in the real of downloadable content, would be Capcom's primary focus, but that console-specific content might happen. "Are there exclusive content deals that could be struck? Possibly," he said.%Gallery-2567%
Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix for XBLA and PSN unveiled
Typically found near the top of your average "most requested games for Xbox Live Arcade/PlayStation Network" list, Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo HD Remix (wow) will come as a relief to many, but more so to the real hardcore puzzlers. While it sports online play and plenty of new modes, the most important changes are to the core of the game.Let's chat while the others are busy running around, screaming their heads off with excitement. The original Super Puzzle Fighter was, how do we say? Not so good. Top-Tier play essentially came down to Ken versus Ken, building on the sides and abusing the diamond gem glitch. What the HD Remix sports is the new X-Mode which, along with new graphics, offers some valuable balancing tweaks. Drop patterns have been changed so that even Felicia here is worth using and the diamond glitch has been abolished.%Gallery-2567%
PSP Fanboy review: Capcom Puzzle World
I know most people only read reviews to find out if they should buy, try or avoid a particular game. With that in mind, here's that info on Capcom Puzzle World for those who don't want to read a full review. Buy: If you are a fan of the Buster Bros. series and want a collection of them with extra games included. Try: If you like Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo, but have never tried Buster Bros. or have never tried either. Avoid: If you dislike Buster Bros. or are not a fan of puzzle games.
