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Joystiq Weekly: Batman: Arkham Knight, our South Park review and more
Welcome to Joystiq Weekly, a "too long; didn't read" of each week's biggest stories, reviews and original content. Each category's top story is introduced with a reactionary gif, because moving pictures aren't just for The Daily Prophet. Rocksteady revealed its return to the Batman series this week with Batman: Arkham Knight, and we've dug out capes and Batarangs from our Halloween stash to get properly excited. Last year's Batman: Arkham Origins and Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate were the first pieces of the series that weren't developed by Rocksteady. We enjoyed Arkham Origins well enough, but we're ready to move on from its bugs and glitches, especially since not all of them will be fixed with a patch. Arkham Knight is set to be the final game in the Arkham series, and we're eager to see what Rocksteady will do for the finale once it releases in October. There's plenty to read while we wait however, including news of Amy Hennig's departure from Naughty Dog, a preview of Watch Dogs and a review of South Park: The Stick of Truth. We've rounded up those stories and more for you in this week's edition of the Joystiq Weekly. [Image: Warner Bros.]
Shazam: Shaq returns in Shaq Fu A Legend Reborn
As was foretold, Shaq is returning to the gaming world with a rebirth of one of the more infamous games in history, Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn. The flexible funding project is now live on Indiegogo, and is seeking $450,000 to make the beat-em-up game a reality. The funding page acknowledges the original game's less than stellar history and notes that Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn will be "what the original game should have been." A Legend Reborn still stars the former basketball player, but instead opts for a beat-em-up style game that features "hundreds of moves and battle techniques" with "dozens of cool melee weapons." The game will include a cooperative multiplayer mode in addition to player-versus-player options. The developers behind the PC game at Big Deez Productions are former triple-A developers that worked on series like Halo, Street Fighter, Final Fantasy, Alan Wake, Battlefield, Killzone and more. The Indiegogo campaign is set to end on April 20. The game will come to additional platforms if it reaches varying stretch goal levels: $650,000 for iOS and Android, $775,000 for Xbox 360 and PS3, $960,000 for Vita and 3DS, $1.08 million for Wii U and $1.62 million for Xbox One and PS4. [Image: Big Deez Productions]
Shaq Fu's return on the horizon
The pieces are coming together for an official Shaq Fu comeback announcement. A tipster sent Joystiq images of t-shirts that are likely being printed for the marketing campaign. This latest Shaquille O'Neal-sized breadcrumb of the game's reemergence follows a trademark registration for Shaq Fu last year, along with a slip-up by the retired basketball player himself at this year's CES with GameFitNation. The original Shaq Fu from 1994 has a rather checkered, negative and confused history. It's unlikely given all the moving pieces that whatever is going on now is a mere HD-ification of the classic game. Not sure we're allowed to use "classic" in that context?
'Shaq Fu' trademarks join Shaquille O'Neal's 'Shaqfighter'
Shaquille O'Neal's licensing company, Mine O' Mine, registered four gaming-centric trademarks for "Shaq Fu" on May 31, following the company's trademark for "Shaqfighter" earlier that month. The Shaq Fu trademarks cover the gamut of electronic software and related goods, including "action skill games," bobble-head dolls, television programs and printed materials. Shaq Fu already exists as that 2D fighting game from 1994 – but we'd be just fine forgetting that one completely and starting fresh with whatever Mine O' Mine has planned.
Shaq's licensing company trademarks 'Shaqfighter'
Mine O' Mine, the licensing company responsible for all things bearing the resemblance of the legendarily mononymous Shaq, has registered a trademark for "Shaqfighter." The trademark's Goods and Services qualifications cover the term for "providing online games" and "computer and video game characters," among many other purposes along that line, which leads us to believe that this is probably a video game thing. Of course, when the words "Shaq" and "fighter" are thrown together in such close proximity, 1994's Shaq-fu immediately springs to mind for any of us old enough to remember it in all of its confusing, supernatural glory. Well, "glory." Here's hoping this new jam ends up being more than an Infinity Blade clone starring an endless bloodline of medieval Shaqs. Actually ...
